Scott Higgins
Postdoctoral Researcher
Contact:
Scott Higgins
UW - Madison
Center for Limnology
680 N. Park St.
Madison, WI 53706
Email: snhiggins@wisc.edu
Phone: (608)262-3088
Fax: (608)265-2340
Office: 224
Other website: UW Campus Web page
Education
Ph.D. 2005. Dept. of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON. Canada. Thesis: Modeling the growth dynamics of Cladophora in the eastern basin of Lake Erie.
M.Sc. 1999. Dept. of Biology, University of Waterloo. Waterloo, ON. Canada. Thesis: Nitrogen Fixation in the Rocky Littoral Zones of Lake Malawi, Africa.
B.Sc. 1996. Environmental Sciences Program. University of Manitoba. Winnipeg, MB. Canada.
Research Interests
My broad area of interest is on the distribution of primary production in lakes, energy flow through aquatic foodwebs, and disruptions of established energy pathways by exotic species introductions. Much of my recent research has focused on modeling the growth dynamics of the common nuisance alga Cladophora glomerata, and determining the role of exotic dreissenid mussels in causing widespread Cladophora blooms throughout the lower Laurentian Great Lakes.
I am currently conducting a meta-analysis investigating the implications of dreissenid invasions on the biogeochemistry, flora, and fauna of lakes and rivers. The analysis compares dreissenid effect sizes within lakes zones (littoral, pelagic, profundal), and between lakes, large rivers, and experiments (micro and mesocosms).
Theses
Higgins, S. N. 2005. Modeling the growth dynamics of Cladophora in eastern Lake Erie. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario,153p.
Higgins, S. N. 1999. Epilithic nitrogen fixation in the rocky littoral zones of Lake Malawi, Africa. M.Sc. Thesis, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, 69p.
Publications (Peer Reviewed)
Vander Zanden, M.J, G. Hansen, S. Higgins, and M. Kornis. In review. Managing aquatic invasions in the Laurentian Great Lakes: Comments on the utility of surveillance and eradication programs. Journal of Great Lakes Research.
Auer, M. T., L. M. Tomlinson, S. N. Higgins, S. Y. Malkin, E. T. Howell, and H. A. Bootsma. In review. Great Lakes Cladophora in the 21st Century: Same alga, different ecosystem. Journal of Great Lakes Research.
Higgins, S. N., and M. J. Vander Zanden. In press. What a difference a species makes: A meta-analysis of dreissenid mussel impacts on freshwater ecosystems. Ecological Monographs.
Squires, M. M., L. F. W. Lesak, R. E. Hecky, S. J. Guildford, P. A. Ramlal, S. N. Higgins. 2009. Primary Production and Carbon Dioxide Metabolic Balance of a Lake-Rich Arctic River Floodplain: Partitioning of phytoplankton, epipelon, macrophyte, and epiphyton production among lakes of the Mackenzie Delta. Ecosystems 12: 853-872.
Higgins, S. N., R. E. Hecky, and S. J. Guildford. 2008. The collapse of benthic macroalgal blooms in response to self-shading. Freshwater Biology 53:2557-2572.
Higgins, S. N., S. Y. Malkin, E. T. Howell, S. J. Guildford, L. Campbell, V. Hiriart-Baer, R. E. Hecky. 2008. An ecological review of Cladophora glomerata (Chlorophyta) in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Journal of Phycology 44: 839-854.
Higgins, S. N., R. E. Hecky, and S. J. Guildford. 2006. Environmental controls on Cladophora growth dynamics in Eastern Lake Erie: Application of the Cladophora Growth Model (CGM). Journal of Great Lakes Research 32:629-644.
Higgins, S. N., R. E. Hecky, and S. J. Guildford. 2005. Modeling the growth, biomass, and tissue phosphorus concentration of Cladophora glomerata in eastern Lake Erie: Model description and field-testing. Journal of Great Lakes Research 31: 439-455.
Higgins, S N., T. E. Howell, R. E. Hecky, S. J. Guildford, and R. E. Smith. 2005. The wall of green: The current status of Cladophora glomerata in eastern Lake Erie 1995-2002. Journal of Great Lakes Research 31: 547-563.
Smith, R. E., V. P. Hiriart-Baer, S. N. Higgins, S. J. Guildford, and M. N. Charlton. 2005. Planktonic primary production across the trophic gradient of dreissenid infested Lake Erie in 1997. Journal of Great Lakes Research 31(suppl. 2): 50-62.
Higgins, S. N., H. J. Kling, R. E. Hecky, W. D. Taylor, and H. A. Bootsma. 2003. The community composition, distribution, and nutrient status of epilithic periphyton at 5 rocky littoral zones sites in Lake Malawi, Africa. Journal of Great Lakes Research 29 (suppl. 2): 181-189.
Higgins, S. N., R. E. Hecky, and W. D. Taylor. Epilithic nitrogen fixation in the rocky littoral zones of Lake Malawi, Africa. 2001. Limnology and Oceanography 46(4): 976-982.
Publications (Non-Peer Reviewed)
Hiriart-Baer, V. P., L. M. Campbell, S. N. Higgins, M. N. Charlton, L. F. Moore, S. J. Guildford, and R. E. Hecky. 2007. Cladophora resurgent and revisited: A brief literature review. Environment Canada, Water Science and Technology Directorate, WSTD Contribution No. 07-252. Burlington, Ontario.
Higgins, S. N. and Hecky, R. E. 2007. Modeling and managing Cladophora growth in the Laurentian Great Lakes: A technical report submitted to the Ontario Ministry of the Environment. 453p.
Hecky, R. E., Barton, D., Depew, D., Guildford, S., Higgins, S., Hiriart-Baer, V., Houben, A., Leon, L., Malkin, S., Muller, K., Ozersky, T., and Ross, S. 2007. Research into the cause and possible control methods of increased growth of periphyton in the western basin of Lake Ontario. Summary report for Ontario Clean Water Agency and Ontario Water Works Research Consortium. 47p.
Tomlinson, L. M., Higgins, S. N., Malkin, S. Y, Howell, T. E., Bootsma, H. A., and Auer, M. T. 2006. Report of the Cladophora modeling group. Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, Annex III, Technical sub-group.
Higgins, S. N. and E.T. Howell. 2006. Cladophora update on Lake Erie. Section 11.8, Lake Erie Lake Management Plan (LAMP).
Higgins, S. N. 2004. The contribution of Dreissena to the resurgence of Cladophora in eastern Lake Erie. In: Cladophora research and management in the Great Lakes, Workshop proceedings, Great Lakes Water Institute, Milwaukee-Wisconsin; UW-Milwaukee Great Lakes Water Institute special report No. 2005-1, 106p.
Higgins, S. N., and B. J. Hann. 1995. Snail grazer-periphyton interactions: the effects of macrophyte removal, inorganic nutrient addition, and organic nutrient addition. University Field Station (Delta Marsh) 1995 Annual Report, No 30, University of Manitoba, 115p.
Personal
I am an avid, though not necessarily good, ultimate Frisbee player. I love the outdoors and enjoy canoeing, camping, sailing, running, cross country skiing, and SCUBA diving.