Alexis Pasulka

Education

B.S., Arizona State University (Biology)
Ph.D., Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego (Biological Oceanography)
Postdoc, California Institute of Technology (Microbial Ecology and Geobiology)

Research Interests

• Population and community ecology of marine plankton
• Food web interactions involving microzooplankton and viruses
• Ecology of marine protozoa and viruses
• Role of planktonic organisms in nutrient cycling

Advising Interests

• Marine microbiology
• Marine ecology
• Plankton ecology
• Population and community ecology

Research

Research in my lab focuses on understanding how and why marine microbial and plankton communities vary across space and time. By integrating field- and lab-based studies with complementary approaches, including microscopy, molecular, and geochemical techniques, we investigate patterns in microbial community composition, abundance, and interactions and the environmental processes that shape them. We are particularly interested in understanding how seasonal, environmental, and climate-driven variability influences marine microbial communities and their ecological and biogeochemical functions. Our research also examines harmful algal blooms, including their dynamics and monitoring, and the role of microbial communities in marine carbon and nutrient cycling. Because marine microorganisms are major drivers of ocean biogeochemistry and ecosystem processes, understanding their distributions, interactions, and responses to environmental variability is critical for developing a predictive understanding of marine ecosystems and their responses to a changing climate.