Biology

Michael R. Twiss
Associate Professor
Director, Great Rivers Center
Associate Editor, Journal of Phycology
Department of Biology
167 Science Center
Clarkson University
PO Box 5805
Potsdam, NY 13699-5805

E-mail: mtwiss@clarkson.edu
Web site
Phone: 315-268-2359
Fax: 315-268-7118

Education
Ph.D., Université du Québec - Limnology (1996)

Courses taught
BY431/531 Limnology (Aquatic Ecology)
BY332/320 Microbiology and Laboratory
BY402 Botany
BY501 Great Lakes Science Practicum

Research Interests
Microbial plankton interactions with trace metal elements and contaminants in the water column and advanced technologies for assessing phytoplankton community structure and health. Research aims to understand the impact that microbes have on the fate of nutritive and toxic metals in natural waters. Studies focus on the Laurentian Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River ecosystems, and involve work on both research vessels and in the laboratory using organisms isolated from these environments. This research is at the interface between microbial plankton ecology and analytical chemistry.

Research publications (last 5 years)

M.R. Twiss, and MacLeod, I.R.  “Phytoplankton community assessment in eight Lake Ontario tributaries made using fluorimetric methods.” Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management (2008; in press)

C.S. Hassler, Twiss, M.R., Simon, D.F., and Wilkinson, K.J. “Porous Underwater Chamber (PUC) for in-situ determination of nutrient and pollutant bioavailability to microorganisms.”  Limnology & Oceanography: Methods (2008; in press)

A. Intwala, Patey, T.D., Polet, D.M., and Twiss, M.R.  “Nutritive substitution of zinc by cadmium and cobalt in phytoplankton isolated from the Lower Great Lakes.”  Journal of Great Lakes Research 34: 1-11, 2008.

S.P. Gouvêa, Boyer, G.L., and Twiss, M.R. “Influence of ultraviolet radiation, copper, and zinc on microcystin content in Microcystis aeruginosa (Cyanobacteria).”  Harmful Algae 17: 194-205, 2008

R.L. North, S. J. Guildford, R. E. H. Smith, S. M. Havens, and M. R. Twiss. “Nitrogen, phosphorus, and iron colimitation of phytoplankton communities in the nearshore and offshore regions of the African Great Lakes.” Verh. Internat. Verein. Limnol. 30: (2007; in press)

M.R. Twiss. “Wither the St. Lawrence River?” Journal of Great Lakes Research, 33: 693-698, 2007.

C.S. Hassler, R.D. Chafin, M.B. Klinger and M.R. Twiss. “Application of the Biotic Ligand Model to explain potassium interaction with thallium uptake and toxicity to plankton”. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.  26: 1139-1145, 2007.

C.E. Mioni, D.J. Pakulski, L. Poorvin, A. Baldwin, M.R. Twiss, W.H. Jeffrey and S.W. Wilhelm, “Variability in the in situ bioavailability of Fe to bacterioplankton communities in the eastern subtropical Pacific Ocean.  Aquatic Microbial Ecology.  46: 239-251, 2007.

R.L. North, S.J. Guildford, R.E H. Smith, S.M. Havens, and M.R. Twiss. “Evidence for phosphorus, nitrogen, and iron colimitation of phytoplankton communities in Lake Erie.” Limnology and Oceanography 52: 315-328, 2007.

M.R. Twiss  “Current knowledge of trace metal biogeochemistry in the water column of Lake Erie.” Ecovision - World Monograph Series, (M. Munawar, R. Heath, Eds.), Backhuys Publ., Leiden, The Netherlands, 21 pp., 2007.

S.P. Gouvêa, C. Melendez, M.J. Carberry, G.S. Bullerjahn, S.W. Wilhelm, T.A. Langen and M.R. Twiss. “Assessment of phosphorus-microbe interactions in Lake Ontario by multiple techniques. “ Journal of Great Lakes Research  32: 455-470, 2006.

C.S. Hassler and M.R. Twiss. "Bioavailability of iron sensed by a phytoplanktonic Fe-bioreporter." Environmental Science and Technology, 40: 2544-2551, 2006. C.S. Hassler, M.R. Twiss, R.M.L. McKay and G.S. Bullerjahn. "Optimization of iron-dependent cyanobacterial (Synechococcus, Cyanophyceae) bioreporters to measure iron bioavailability." Journal of Phycology, 42: 324-335, 2006.

M.R. Twiss, T.A. Langen, M.G. Giroux, S.M. Johns, N.E. Liddle, A.R. Snyder, D.P. Zeleznock, J. Wojcik. J. "Land use influence on water quality in the Saint Regis River." Adirondack Journal of Environmental Studies. 13: 26-32, 2006.

C.E. Mioni, S.M. Handy, M.J. Ellwood, M.R. Twiss, R.M.L. McKay, P.W. Boyd, and S.W. Wilhelm. "Tracking changes in bioavailable Fe within SF6 labeled HNLC waters: a first estimate using a heterotrophic bacterial bioreporter." Global Geochemical Cycles, 19, GB4S25, doi:10.1029/2005GB002476, 2005.

N.E. Ostrom, H.J. Carrick, M.R. Twiss and L. Piwinski, "Evaluation of primary production in Lake Erie by multiple proxies," Oecologia, 144: 115-124, 2005.

N.E. Ostrom, M.E. Russ, A. Field, L. Piwinski, M.R. Twiss, and H.J. Carrick, "Understanding the relationship between primary production and respiration in Lake Erie based on oxygen isotope techniques," Journal of Great Lakes Research, 31(Supplement 2): 138-153, 2005.

D. Porta, G.S. Bullerjahn, M.R. Twiss, S.W. Wilhelm, L. Poorvin and R.M.L. McKay, "Determination of bioavailable Fe in Lake Erie using a luminescent cyanobacterial bioreporter," Journal of Great Lakes Research, 31(Supplement 2): 180-194, 2005.

T.A. Langen, M.R. Twiss, G.S. Bullerjahn and S.W. Wilhelm, "Pelagic bird survey on Lake Ontario following Hurricane Isabel, September 2003: Observations and remarks on methodology," Journal of Great Lakes Research, 31: 219-226, 2005.

J.M. Rinta-Kanto, A.J.A. Ouellette, M.R. Twiss, G.L. Boyer, T. Bridgeman and S.W. Wilhelm, "Quantification of toxic Microcystis spp. during the 2003 and 2004 blooms in Western Lake Erie using quantitative real-time PCR," Environmental Science and Technology, 39: 4199-4205, 2005.

M.R. Twiss, S.P. Gouvêa, R.A. Bourbonniere, R.M.L. McKay, and S.W. Wilhelm, "Field investigations of trace metal effects on Lake Erie phytoplankton productivity," Journal of Great Lakes Research, 31(Supplement 2): 168-179, 2005.

M.R. Twiss, T.A. Langen, G.S. Bullerjahn, S.W. Wilhelm, D.C. Rockwell, "Design and analysis of a Lake Ontario Great Lakes Science practicum," Journal of Great Lakes Research, 31: 236-242, 2005.

R.M.L. McKay, G.S. Bullerjahn, D. Porta, E.T. Brown, R.M. Sherrell, T.M. Smutka, R.W. Sterner, M.R. Twiss and S.W. Wilhelm, "Consideration of the bioavailability of iron in the North American Great Lakes: Development of novel approaches towards understanding iron biogeochemistry," Aquatic Ecosystem Health & Management, 7: 1-16, 2004.

M.R. Twiss, K.J. Rattan, R.M. Sherrell and R.M.L. McKay, "Sensitivity of phytoplankton to copper in Lake Superior," Journal of Great Lakes Research, 30(Suppl. 1): 245-255, 2004.

M.R. Twiss, B.S. Twining and N.S. Fisher, "Bioconcentration of inorganic and organic thallium by freshwater phytoplankton," Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 23: 968-973, 2004.

D. Porta, G.S. Bullerjahn, K.A. Durham, S.W. Wilhelm, M.R. Twiss and R.M.L. McKay, "Physiological characterization of a Synechococcus sp. (Cyanophyceae) strain PCC 7942 iron-dependent bioreporter for freshwater environments," Journal of Phycology. 39: 64-73, 2003.

B.S. Twining, M.R. Twiss and N.S. Fisher, "Oxidation of thallium by freshwater plankton communities," Environmental Science and Technology, 37: 2720-2726, 2003.

M.R. Twiss, B.S. Twining and N.S. Fisher, "Partitioning of dissolved thallium by seston in Lakes Erie and Ontario," Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 60: 1369-1375, 2003.

S.W. Wilhelm, J.M. DeBruyn, O. Gillor, M.R. Twiss, K. Livingston, R.A. Bourbonniere, L.D. Pickell, C.G. Trick, A.L. Dean, and R.M.L. McKay, "Effect of phosphorus amendments on present day plankton communities in pelagic Lake Erie," Aquatic Microbial Ecology, 32: 275-285, 2003.

C.E. Mioni, A.M. Howard, J.M. DeBruyn, N.G. Bright, M.R. Twiss, B.M Applegate, and S.W. Wilhelm, "Characterization and field trials of a bioluminescent bacterial reporter of iron bioavailability," Marine Chemistry, 83: 31-46, 2003.

Current Graduate Students

One position available: limnology

Undergraduates Active in Research Lab

• Adrienne L. Juby, Thallium oxidizing bacteria isolated from the St. Lawrence River.
• Hilary Lockwood, Plankton health and community structure in the Massena Area of Concern, St. Lawrence River.
• Jessica Harold, Phytoplankton community in the International Section of the St. Lawrence River (visiting student from Colby College, summer 2007).
• Stephanie Kring, Selection of appropriate phosphorus concentrations for water quality criteria in the Massena NY Area of Concern.
• Timothy Kohanksi, Testing the limits of the bbe FluoroProbe to measure phytoplankton.