Marine microbiology, or examining the microscopic single-celled organisms of the sea, has long been at the top of my interest list.  I am particularly intrigued by the role viruses may play in carbon and nutrient cycles in marine environments and how this role varies between estuarine, coastal, and open ocean environments.   Using both laboratory and field experiments, I am currently estimating and directly observing viral influences on dissolved organic carbon release and bacterial and phytoplankton community structure.  Determining how viruses impact other members of the ecosystem will assist in predicting how human impacts will affect these environments and what factors are important to controlling the populations of organisms at the base of the marine foodweb.