Dr. Tricia Thibodeau
USA
RI C-AIM Postdoctoral Fellow & Plankton Ecologist
I am a plankton ecologist focused on the effects of rapid climate change on phytoplankton and zooplankton populations and physiology. The major pillars of my research explore how global climate change (1) has and will impact long-term trends in plankton population dynamics and (2) has affected plankton physiology and feeding ecology. As an undergraduate, I attended Bowdoin College, a small liberal arts college, where I appreciated the close-knit mentorship with faculty and encouragement to pursue an advanced degree in oceanography. I received my Ph.D. at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, William & Mary, where I had the opportunity to participate on five research cruises in Antarctica to understand the effects of climate change on zooplankton populations. Currently, I am a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Rhode Island where I am analyzing a 50-year phytoplankton time series in Narragansett Bay. I appreciate the wonderful mentorship I received during my education and career and I am excited to pay this forward as a culturally responsive mentor.