Meredith Journey

2025 Recipient of the Don and Judy Legerski UW Teton Graduate Scholars in Biodiversity Fellowship

Graduate Advisor: Annika Walters

Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
 

Project summary and goals:

As a result of climate induced glacial recession, glacial-fed alpine lakes are increasing globally. Alpine lakes are often nutrient limited and have low primary productivity due to short ice-free seasons, however increased glacial sediment input could increase lake nutrient concentrations with unknown repercussions for native zooplankton communities. This research aims to understand how glacial recession and changes to snow phenology will alter alpine lake ecology by describing the limnology and zooplankton ecology of glacial and non-glacial lakes in the Wind River and Teton Ranges. This work addresses our need to better understand how climate change is impacting vital high elevation pristine ecosystems.As a result of climate induced glacial recession, glacial-fed alpine lakes are increasing globally. Alpine lakes are often nutrient limited and have low primary productivity due to short ice-free seasons, however increased glacial sediment input could increase lake nutrient concentrations with unknown repercussions for native zooplankton communities. This research aims to understand how glacial recession and changes to snow phenology will alter alpine lake ecology by describing the limnology and zooplankton ecology of glacial and non-glacial lakes in the Wind River and Teton Ranges. This work addresses our need to better understand how climate change is impacting vital high elevation pristine ecosystems.