Tyler Joe Kohler, Ph.D.

I am an ecologist primarily interested in how freshwater microbial communities are formed, maintained, and interact with their world, especially within the context of the global climate crisis. At present, my research focuses on the community dynamics and biogeochemical cycling taking place within the benthic biofilms of glacier-fed streams.

Glacier-fed streams are harsh ecosystems harboring unique organisms. They also initiate discharge in some of the world’s largest river systems, and thereby provide water for consumption, irrigation, and energy to a large proportion of humanity. Given rapid glacier shrinkage, it is critical to understand how these ecosystems are changing in our warming world, and what we will miss when these glaciers, and their streams, disappear.

Read more about our team's research here.