Who we are
Jen Klug, Professor of Biology
I grew up swimming, sailing and fishing in lakes in my home state of Michigan and have always been interested in what lies beneath the surface. I received my B.S. in Geology at Indiana University and M.S. and Ph.D. in Zoology at the University of Wisconsin. My research focuses on how aquatic ecosystems respond to environmental change. I am also interested in science communication and am working on improving my skills in that area! At Fairfield, I teach Freshwater Ecology, Biology of Food, Ecology of the North Atlantic Coast, and General Biology. If you are a Fairfield undergraduate student interested in joining the lab, come find me in BNW 209 or email me at jklug@fairfield.edu.
Our Projects
We collaborate with Friends of the Lake, a local non-profit organization, on two water quality monitoring projects.
CLEO at Lillinonah
The Citizen-Led Environmental Observatory (CLEO) is a volunteer water quality monitoring project. CLEO has been running at Lillinonah since 2006 and we hope to expand to other lakes in Connecticut. Learn more about CLEO below (webpage made by Katie!). CLEO data can be accessed through the Environmental Data Initiative (https://environmentaldatainitiative.org/)
High-frequency monitoring with automated sensors (aka the buoy project)
The Friends of the Lake research buoy on Lake Lillinonah is outfitted with sensors that measure water temperature throughout the water column, dissolved oxygen at surface and bottom, pH, conductivity, and algal pigment fluorescence. The lake, its data, and its people are part of the Global Lakes Ecological Observatory Network (GLEON). We use the data collected by the buoy to address questions of both local and global significance. Buoy data can be accessed through the Environmental Data Initiative (https://environmentaldatainitiative.org/). See below for recent projects.
NEGLEON
We are proud to be part of NEGLEON! NEGLEON is a group of lake labs in Northeastern North America affiliated with the Global Lakes Ecological Observatory Network (GLEON). NEGLEON members collaborate on projects that engage undergraduate students in team science. For more information, see #NEGLEON on twitter or check out our webpage (made by Teresa!) below.
Recent products
*Macuch, C.M. and J.L. Klug. 2020. High-frequency Data for Temperature and Oxygen Reveal the Potential for Stressful Conditions for Fish in a Southern New England Impoundment. Northeastern Naturalist. 27(3):520–533
Rusak J, A.J. Tanentzap, J.L. Klug, K. Rose, L.A. Winslow R. Smyth, E. Jennings, D. Pierson, S. Hendricks, A. Laas, E. Ryder, D. White, R. Adrian, L. Arvola, E. de Eyto, H. Feuchtmayr, M. Honti, V. Istanovics, I. Jones, C. McBride, S. Schmidt, G. Zhu. 2018. Wind and trophic status explain the temporal and spatial variability of chlorophyll in lakes. Limnology and Oceanography Letters: doi.org/10.1002/lol2.10093
O’Reilly, C.M., R.D. Gougis, J.L. Klug, C.C. Carey, D.C. Richardson, N.E. Bader, D.C. Soule, D. Castendyk, T. Meixner, J. Stomberg, K.C. Weathers, W. Hunter. 2017. Using large datasets for open-ended inquiry in undergraduate science classrooms. Bioscience 67(12): 1052–1061.
Klug, J.L., C.C. Carey, D.C. Richardson, and R. Darner Gougis. 2017. Integrating high-frequency and long-term data analyses into undergraduate ecology classes improves quantitative literacy. Ecosphere 8(3):e01733.
Klug, J.L., G.L. Bollard, and R. White. 2017. Tool-kit for implementing a Citizen-Led Environmental Observatory (CLEO) on your lake. CES4Health.info.
