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Nestled on the shores of Lake Matoaka, the Keck Environmental Field Lab supports environmental research on campus. Undergraduate students can participate in research through majors such as Biology, Geology and Environmental Science, while graduate students can apply to the W&M Biology Department or the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.
Keck Lab Staff
Randy Chambers
Randy Chambers
Director, Keck Lab
Charlotte Tabb
Charlotte Tabb
Office Manager, Keck Lab
Cheryl Leu
Keck Lab Research Assistant
Undergraduate Students
Dylan Berardo '25 and John Stanfill '26: Research testing "terrapin escape hatches" in commercial crab traps. Presentation at the mid-Atlantic DTWG Meeting.
Lindsey Dillard '24: Research on terrapin populations and demographics in a York River tributary.
Abby DeCesare '24 and Cypress Ambrose '24: Research comparing native and invasive turtle populations in Lake Matoaka. Paper in Chelonian Conservation & Biology
Michael Gibson '22 and Natalie Klesch '22: Research testing oval bycatch reduction devices in the blue crab fishery. Paper in Coastal and Ocean Management.
Ansley Levine ’20: Research comparing grass shrimp use of constructed living shoreline and natural fringing marshes. Paper in Northeastern Naturalist.
Patrick Grubbs ’17 and Holly Funkhouser '19: Research comparing different models of bycatch reduction devices for commercial crab traps. Paper in North American Journal of Fisheries Management
Andrew Corso ’16: Research on the effects of color on crab catch and terrapin bycatch. Paper in Estuaries and Coasts
Sarah Gilliand ’14: Research modeling population dynamics of diamondback terrapins. Paper in BEER Proceedings
Amy Upperman ’13: Research studying bycatch reduction devices for commercial crab traps. Paper in Northeastern Naturalist
Scott Morris ’10: Research studying bycatch reduction devices for commercial crab traps. Paper in Estuaries and Coasts
Kristin Pederson ‘07: Research determining the distribution and abundance of phosphorus in the Florida Everglades. Paper in Hydrobiologia
Matthew Wolak ’07: Senior honors thesis modeling a diamondback terrapin population in Chesapeake Bay. Paper in Conservation Biology
Carrie Lewis ’06: Research studying olfactory cues in musk turtles. Paper in Journal of Herpetology
Katie Andres ‘05: Research studying the homing behavior of musk turtles in Lake Matoaka. Paper in American Midland Naturalist
Graduate Students
Bob Galvin: Thesis research on large wading bird use of living shorelines. M.S. 2020; paper in Ecosphere.
Abbey Humphreys: Thesis research on future sea level rise and the distribution of Phragmites and Spartina. M.S. 2017; paper in Ecosphere
Cassandra Cook: Thesis research on Phragmites impacts on nesting by diamondback terrapins. M.S. 2016; paper in Estuaries and Coasts
Lori Sutter: Thesis research on salinity effects in tidal fresh marshes. Ph.D. 2014; papers in Wetlands and Aquatic Botany
Robert Isdell: Thesis research on factors influencing the spatial distribution of diamondback terrapins in Chesapeake Bay wetlands. M.S. 2013; paper in Diversity and Distributions
Lindsey Postaski: Thesis research on distribution of amphipods in Virginia streams. M.S. 2012; paper in Northeastern Naturalist
Matt Heidman: Graduate thesis research on feeding by gizzard shad. M.S. 2011; paper in Aquatic Biology
Louise Lammons: Graduate thesis research on feeding by gizzard shad. M.S. 2009; paper in Journal of Fish Biology
Sara Kriesel: Graduate thesis research on carbon sequestration in created wetlands. M.S. 2010
Megan Rook: Graduate thesis research on the influence of commercial crabbing on diamondback terrapin populations. M.S. 2009; paper in Marine Ecology Progress Series
Jonathan Holley: Graduate thesis research on the effectiveness of stormwater retention ponds. M.S. 2008; paper in JAWRA
Vicky Ruzicka: Graduate thesis research on nesting ecology of diamondback terrapins in marshes of Chesapeake Bay. M.S. 2006
Rebekah Packett: Graduate thesis research on the influence of salinity on the relative growth of native and invasive marsh grasses Phragmites australis. M.S. 2005; paper in Estuaries and Coasts
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