Bernard Simmonds
M Sc student
Bernard is currently doing his M Sc research into changes in phytoplankton species abundance and composition in Lake Okaro. More specifically, he is examining how physiochemical changes, particularly those associated with thermal stratification can trigger the exponential growth of phytoplankton populations in Lake Okaro and support sustained periods of mono-specific cyanobacterial dominance. He is collecting field samples and CTD data to detect physiochemical lake changes, and is using flow cytometry validated through light microscopy for phytoplankton identification and enumeration. He hopes to gain insight into phytoplankton migration, growth and dominance over a 15 month period in Lake Okaro.
E-mail: bms12@waikato.ac.nz
