FLEGAL LAB
Russ Flegal, Email
Trace Metal Lab: B12 JBEB, Phone: (831) 459-2088
Mercury Lab: 498 PSB, Phone: (831) 459-5336
Lab Members
Geochemistry & Environmental Toxicology
Our research is on the natural biogeochemical cycles
of trace elements in the environment and the perturbation of those
cycles by anthropogenic processes. Many of these studies investigate
aquatic toxicology in fresh water and estuarine and marine ecosystems.
Others address the toxicology of trace elements in ecosystems and
humans.
The primary focus of our research is on the biogeochemical
cycle of lead in preindustrial and contemporary environments. This
includes studies of lead cycles in the world's oceans, Mediterranean
Sea, Great Lakes, European Alps, and Antarctic. These studies involve
analyses of lead concentrations and stable isotopic compositions
in aerosols, water, sediments, and organisms. Concentration measurements
are used to quantify the magnitude of anthropogenic perturbations,
and isotopic composition measurements are used to identify natural
and anthropogenic sources.
We are also involved with research on the biogeochemical
cycling of other trace elements in aquatic systems. This research
is focused on the cycling of heavy metals and rare earth elements
in the San Francisco Bay estuarine system, long Island Sound, North
Pacific, South Atlantic, and freshwater rivers and aquifers. The
studies involve analyses of factors regulating elemental concentration,
speciation, and bioavailability in aerosols, water, sediments,
and organisms.
Complementary studies of sublethal toxicities are
being conducted concurrently. These are now focused on phytoplankton
and benthic invertebrates. They, like most of our research, involve
collaborations with investigators at UCSC, other universities and
research institutions.
LAB MEMBERS
 |
Genine Scelfo
Research Specialist
MA UC Santa Cruz, Marine Sciences
BA UC Santa Cruz, Biology
Research Interests: Trace metal analysis
in water, sediment, tissue, and nutritional supplements.
|
 |
Sharon
Hibdon
Staff
Research
Associate
M.A.,
Chemistry,
University
of
California,
Santa
Cruz
B.A.,
Chemistry,
University
of
California,
Santa
Cruz
|
 |
Christopher Conaway
Postdoctoral Scholar
Ph.D., Environmental Toxicology, UC Santa Cruz
B.A., English, Ohio State University
M.S., Geological Sciences, Ohio State University
My research focuses on the distribution of mercury in San Francisco Bay estuary, which is severely impacted from historic gold and mercury mining. In particular, I am researching transport and fate of mercury in tributaries, the history of deposition of this mercury in tidal marshes, the chemical availability of mercury in estuarine sediments, and the physical and biogeochemical controls on mercury concentrations in surface waters. |
 |
Frank Black
Ph.D. Student, Environmental Toxicology
B.A. Environmental Earth Science, Dartmouth College
My research involves characterizing the speciation and complexation of mercury and methyl mercury in aquatic systems, the role of wetlands and other reducing environments as sources of ligands capable of complexing mercury and methyl mercury in oxic receiving waters, and the role of sulfide and thiols in this complexation. |
 |
Mary Langsner
Graduate Student, Environmental Toxicology
B.S., Environmental Toxicology, UC Davis
Research Interests: I use zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a model aquatic vertebrate to study mercury toxicity and uptake in embryonic fish.
|
 |
Allison
Luengen
Ph.D. Student, Environmental Toxicology
B.A., Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley
M.S., Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz
Research Interests: Metal contaminants in aquatic organisms.
|
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCHERS
Amanda Beam
Jenny Chung
Zeka Kuspa
Brett Poulin
_____________________________________________________________________________
PAST MEMBERS
- Khalil Abu-Saba, Scientist, California State Water Resources Control Board
- Ignacio Rivera-Duarte, Geochemist, U.S. Navy Environmental Lab, SPAWAR
- Charles Dunlap, Associate Professor, American University of Armenia
- J.R. Flanders, Scientist, United States Geological Survey
- Priya Ganguli, Scientist, California State Water Resources Control Board
- Gary Gill, Associate Professor, Texas A&M University, Galveston
- Ana Gonzalez, Geochemist, Geomatrix Consultants
- Roberrt Kurkjian, President, RAK Consultants
- Kuria Ndung’u, Assistant Professor, Stockholm University
- Jennifer Ostrowski, Instructor, Pacific Collegiate School
- Sergio Sañudo-Wilhelmy, Professor, University of Southern California
- Martha Thomas, Scientist, Southern California Air Resources Board
- Mara Ranville, Assistant Professor, Bard College
- Peter Ritson, Lecturer, Washington State University
- Martin Soto-Jimenez, Asst. Prof., Universidad Naciónal Autonoma de México
- Douglas Steding, Attorney, Environmental Law, Stoel Rives LLP, Seattle, WA
- Sharon Squire, Professional Geologist, WEST
- Alain Véron, Scientist, European Center for Environmental Geochemistry
- Lindsay Whalin, Scientist, California State Water Resources Control Board
|
