Leanna Heffner

Leanna R Heffner

leheffner@gso.uri.edu

Educational Background

Bachelor of Arts

Vassar College

2004

Areas of Specialization

Research

I am primarily interesting in studying the impacts of human activity on coastal ecosystems, with particular emphasis on nutrient pollution and climate change. I have previously studied the effects of nutrient pollution and subsequent macroalgal blooms on southern New England estuarine communities, working with Marshall Pregnall at Vassar College and Ivan Valiela at Boston University in Woods Hole, MA. More recently, I have been using stable isotopes of macroalgae in Narragansett Bay, RI to track anthropogenic nitrogen from wastewater within the Bay. For my dissertation research, I am examining how nutrient pollution and climate change affects nitrogen-cycling in salt marshes. Nitrogen cycling is a fundamental process to ecosystems that provides sources and losses of biologically available nitrogen, which fertilizes plant and algal growth. I also avidly believe in the responsibility that scientists have to communicate with decision-makers, the media, and the public. As such, I work as an outreach scientist with the Narragansett Bay Classroom educational program at URI, in which I lead field trips and classroom sessions to educate student K-12 about the marine environment and science research. I have also worked with the Metcalf Insitute on workshops for environmental journalists, and have written technical reports, white papers, and opinion editorials for decision-makers and the local community regarding the human relationship to the environment. Finally, I am actively involved with the scientific community, acting on the Executive Board of the New England Estuarine Research Society, the Educational Committee for the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation (CERF), and the steering committee for two CERF conferences.

Publications:

Heffner, L.R. 2009. Nutrients in Mid-Narragansett Bay: a spatial comparison of recent and historical data. National Estuarine Research Reserve System Technical Report Series: 1. 48pp.

Fox, S.E., Teichberg, M., Olsen, Y.S., Heffner, L.R., and I. Valiela. 2009. Restructuring of benthic communities in eutrophic estuaries: lower abundance of prey leads to trophic shifts from omnivory to grazing. Marine Ecological Progress Series. 380: 43-55.

Anthony, A., Atwood, J., August, P., Byron, C., Cobb, S., Foster, C., Gold, A., Hagos, K. Heffner, L.R., Kellogg, D.Q., Lellis, K., Opaluch, J., Oviatt, C., Pfeiffer-Herbert, A., Rhor, N., Smith, L., Smythe, T., Swift, J., Vinhatiero, N. 2009. Coastal Lagoons and Climate Change: Ecological and Social Ramifications in Temperate Ecosystems. Ecology and Society. 14(1): 8. [online]

Heffner, L.R. (2008, March 13) “Climate change can't be predicted by the weather”, Op-ed, South County Independent, p. 3.

Heffner, L.R. 2007. Land conservation as a strategy for water quality protection in estuaries: estimating nutrient fluxes in the Wood-Pawcatuck River Watershed and recommendations for further conservation actions. A white paper prepared for The Nature Conservancy. 59pp.

Teichberg, M., Heffner, L.R., Fox, S., and I. Valiela. 2006. Nitrate reductase and glutamine synthetase activity, internal N pools, and growth of Ulva lactuca: responses to long and short-term N supply. Marine Biology. 151(4): 1249-1259.

Heffner, L.R., Teichberg, M., Fox, S., and I. Valiela. 2004. Nitrate reductase and glutamine synthetase activity and growth in Ulva lactuca in Waquoit Bay: a time sequence of responses to differences in nitrogen supply. Biological Bulletin. 207: 175.

Fox, S.E., Teichberg, M., Heffner, L.R., and I. Valiela. In review. The relative role of nutrients, grazing, and predation as controls on macroalgal growth in a temperate estuary. Marine Ecological Progress Series.

Heffner, L.R. and A.M. Pregnall. In prep. Effects of Hypoxia and Anoxia on Nutrient Release from Coastal Pond Sediments and Enzyme Activity in Ulva lactuca.

Teichberg, M., Fox, S., Heffner, L.R., Valiela, I. In prep. Response of macroalgal growth to experimental nutrient enrichment and grazing in Waquoit Bay, Massachusetts.

Presentations:

“Distribution of anthropogenic nitrogen in macroalgae of lower Narragansett Bay” Heffner, L.R., Ozcowski, A., Nixon, S.W., Thornber, C., and S. Granger. Oral presentation, NEERS (New England Estuarine Research Society) semiannual meeting, Oct 2008, Block Island, RI.

“Terrestrial conservation as a strategy for water quality protection in estuaries” Heffner, L.R. Poster presentation, Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) 2007 Project Meeting, Washington D.C. - May 2007.

“Land conservation as a strategy for water quality protection in estuaries: estimating nutrient fluxes in the Wood-Pawcatuck River Watershed and recommendations for further conservation actions” Heffner, L.R. Oral presentation, Coastal Institute IGERT Project (CIIP) Spring Colloquium, URI - May 2007.

“Nitrate reductase and glutamine synthetase activity and growth of Ulva lactuca in Waquoit Bay: A time sequence of responses to differences in nitrogen supply” Heffner, L.R., Teichberg, M., Fox, S. and I. Valiela. Oral presentation, MBL General Scientific Meeting, Woods Hole, MA - Aug 2004.

“Effects of hypoxia on algal glutamine synthetase activity in coastal pond cores” Heffner, L.R. and A.M. Pregnall. Poster presentation, NEERS (New England Estuarine Research Society) meeting, Burlington, VT - March 2004.

“Effects of anoxia and algal mats on nutrient release from coastal pond sediments” Heffner, L.R. and A.M. Pregnall. Poster presentation, ERF (Estuarine Research Federation), Seattle, WA - Sept 2003.

“Effects of anoxia on algal photosynthesis and nutrient release from coastal pond sediments” Heffner, L.R. and A.M. Pregnall. Oral presentation, NEERS, New London, CT, Nov 2002.