Research

Much of my research has focused on the importance of dispersal on population dynamics and community composition in aquatic systems. Movements of water and air, such as currents and wind, mediate dispersal of aquatic organisms, but are often unpredictable. I have been interested in how these stochastic factors affecting dispersal influence ecological processes within aquatic systems. My work has included studies of the impact of wind and floods on freshwater zooplankton populations, the importance of current-related variation in recruitment of sessile marine benthos from planktonic larvae in seagrass beds, the influence of landscape on the distribution of stream macroinvertebrates, and the effects of meteorological events on water quality and phytoplankton populations in a freshwater reservoir. Present research focuses on how zooplankton are moved within systems dominated by aquatic macrophytes and how this influences predation on zooplankton.  This work is focusing on how zooplankton become entrained on to the air-water interface, and the degree to which surface-feeding predators, such as mosquitofish, take advantage of such prey.  Another aspect of my current marine research involves assessing the influence of the Variegated Sea Urchin on seagrass beds along the northeastern Gulf of Mexico.

Recent Publications

• Dirnberger J.M. and Love J. 2016. Seasonal Specialization and Selectivity of the Eastern Mosquitofish, Gambusia holbrooki, Toward Planktonic Prey. Southeastern Naturalist 15: 1389-152. http://www.bioone.org/doi/10.1656/058.015.0115
• Dirnberger, J.M.  2011.  The Role of Heat and Drought during occasional blooms of picoplankton and nanoplankton in a large drinking water reservoir (Allatoona Lake, Georgia).  Proceedings of the 2011 Georgia Water Resources Conference.
• Dirnberger, J.M. 2006. Drawing on Nature. Science Scope. 29: 47-48.
• Dirnberger, J.M. and Weinberger J. 2005.  Influences of lake level changes on reservoir water clarity.  Lake and Reservoir Management. 21: 24-29.
•  Dirnberger, J.M., S McCullagh, and T. Howick.  2005. Writing and drawing in the naturalist's journal: Reviving the tradition of the naturalist's journal as an effective learning tool. The Science Teacher.  72: 38-42.

Reports

• Status of Water Quality and Biological Integrity in Major Watersheds in Bartow County, Georgia.  2001.
• The Lake Allatoona Phase 1 Diagnostic-Feasibility Report: 1992-1996.  1998. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
• Lake Acworth Intensive Pollutant Assessment Study. 1997.   A.L. Burruss Institute, Kennesaw State University .  Prepared for City of Acworth, Georgia.
• Porter, K.G., K.E. Baer, L. Hawks, J.M. Dirnberger, and B. Champion. Georgia Adopt-A-Lake Manual.  1997.  Georgia Lake Management Society and Georgia Environmental Protection Division.
• Lake Allatoona Summer Monitoring Project:  July-October 1996. 1997.  A.L. Burruss Institute, Kennesaw State University.  Prepared for Cobb-Marietta Water Authority, Bartow County Water & Sewer Department, City of Cartersville Water Department, & Georgia Environmental Protection Division.
• Lake Allatoona Phase I Diagnostic-Feasibility Report for 1994-1996:  Limnological Data & Evaluation of Management Alternatives. 1996.  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
• Lake Acworth Watershed Restoration Project: Diagnostic Study and Limnological Assessment (Phase I). 1995. Technical Report. Cobb County, Georgia.
• Lake Allatoona Phase I Diagnostic-Feasibility Study for 1992-1993. 1994. Technical Report. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
• Analysis of Lake Allatoona Limnological Data: May to December, 1993. 1994. Technical Report. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
• Kitting, C.L., J.M. Dirnberger, A.C. Dempsey, M.A. Odum. 1985. Foraging by conspecific individual sea urchins, and conch. Technical Report. Hydrolab project; Mission 84-12 (1984). National Undersea Research Program, NOAA, St. Croix, USVI

Student Research Projects Directed

• Influences of wind mixing on primary production in Lake Allatoona - Matt Perry.  Departmental seminar.  Data included and student acknowledged in The Lake Allatoona Phase 1 Diagnostic-Feasibility Report: 1992-1996 (U.S. EPA, 1998).
• Stream discharge and nutrient loading in Lake Allatoona tributaries - Phillip May.  Departmental seminar. Data included and student acknowledged in The Lake Allatoona Phase 1 Diagnostic-Feasibility Report: 1992-1996 (U.S. EPA, 1998).
• Assessing sources of sedimentation in Lake Allatoona - Camille Gasaway. Departmental seminar. Data included and student acknowledged in The Lake Allatoona Phase 1 Diagnostic-Feasibility Report: 1992-1996 (U.S. EPA, 1998).
• The effects of wetlands on water quality in the Lake Allatoona watershed - Daniel Baerwalde.  Departmental seminar.
• Investigating the trophic cascade hypothesis using spatial comparisons within Lake Allatoona - Aaron Nevatt. Departmental seminar. Data included and student acknowledged in The Lake Allatoona Phase 1 Diagnostic-Feasibility Report: 1992-1996 (U.S. EPA, 1998).
• Paleolimological study of chlorophyll degradation products to assess eutrophication of Lake Allatoona - Mark Music.  Presentation at Georgia Academy of Science Annual Meeting, Departmental seminar, and publication in Georgia Journal of Science  (Music, M. and J.M. Dirnberger.  1994,  Assessing rates of eutrophication in Lake Allatoona from chlorophyll derivatives within lake bottom sediments,Georgia Journal of Science  52:129-134). Data included and student acknowledged in The Lake Allatoona Phase 1 Diagnostic-Feasibility Report: 1992-1996  (U.S. EPA, 1998).
• Investigating the use of conductivity to pinpoint sources of fecal coliform contamination - Christopher Brooks   Presentation at Southeastern Conference of the North American Lake Management Society and departmental seminar.  Data included and student acknowledged in Lake Acworth Watershed Restoration Project: Diagnostic Study and Limnological Assessment (1995).
• Fecal coliform bacteria loading and sources in Noonday Creek during wet and dry condition-M. Susan Hamel.  Presentation at the International Symposium of the North American Lake Management Society and departmental seminar.  Data included and student acknowledged in The Lake Allatoona Phase 1 Diagnostic-Feasibility Report: 1992-1996 (U.S. EPA, 1998).
• Fecal coliform bacteria stratification in the Tanyard Creek Embayment of Lake Allatoona - Jade Vogel.  Presentation at Departmental Poster Session.
• Determination of the influences of human disturbances on streams by examining variation in water quality over 24 hour periods - Team Research Course: Bisola Ashiru, Rhonda Garnett, Terri Hamby, Jason Holloway, Michele Kuter, Liana Martin, Timothy Nichols, Amanda Roller, Susan Pipes, Brent Sanderson, Brian Tubiak, and Jade Vogel.  Presentation at the Third Annual Undergraduate Scholar Symposium at KSU and departmental seminar.
• Examination of water movement and pollutant transport in Noonday Creek - Rick Bowers.   Departmental seminar. Presentation  and publication (Bowers, R and J.M. Dirnberger.  2000.  Using temporal changes in water quality in Noonday Creek to describe pollutant transport and pinpoint sources in Proceedings  of NWQMC National Monitoring Conference - 2000.  P. 353-362).
• Examination of invertebrate communities near  a high conductivity point source in Noonday Creek - Tansy Ridings.   Departmental seminar.
• Examination of short-term changes in water quality in Lake Allatoona - Jason Weinberger. Presentation at the Annual Undergraduate Scholar Symposium at KSU, departmental seminar, and publication in Lake and Reservoir Management, 21: 24-29.
• Ecoregion effects on periphyton standing crop and community composition - Ryan Stoner. Departmental seminar.  Presentation at Association of Southeastern Biologists Meeting 2006.
• Ecoregion effects on invertebrate communities - Erin Squires. Departmental seminar.  Presentation at Association of Southeastern Biologists Meeting 2006.
• Effects of current velocity on periphyton primary productivity - Jeff Morris. Departmental seminar. 
• Examining the Spatial Variation of Damage in the Common Sea Fan Gorgonia ventalina - Rachel Hawkins
• Distribution of Spirobranchus giganteus in relation to currents over multiple spatial scales - Patrica Keszler
• Forest Succession in Young, Middle-aged, and Old Forests at Kennesaw State University - Melissa Villers
• Response in Phytoplankton Communities to change in Nutrient Limitation and Temperature associated with drought Sally Chen. Departmental seminar.
• Temporal and spatial study of phytoplankton communities in Lakes Allatoona and Acworth - Emma Paz.  Class seminar
• Influence of wetlands on the distribution of fecal coliform bacteria in Lake Acworth - Josh Hill.  Departmental seminar. Departmental seminar.
• Regeneration of a Coral Reef:Ecological Succession on Coral Skeletons in Belize - John Ballard. Class seminar
• Using Cyclomorphosis to Assess Predation of Zooplankton In Wetlands - Daniel Rhiner.  Association of Southeastern Biologists Meeting 2012.
• Diel Horizontal Migration of Zooplankton within a Wetland; its Patterns as a Response to Predation - Ryan McWilliams.  Departmental seminar.
• Diet and feeding habits of the eastern mosquitofish Gambusia holbrooki foraging among macrophytes -  Julia Love.  Association of Southeastern Biologists Meeting 2013.
• Methods of prey detection in wetland odonate larvae - Elena Petra.  Presentation at the Departmental Undergraduate Research Symposium - awarded best poster.
• Development and testing of various methodologies for studying predation on zooplankton in wetlands - Directed Method students 2011-2014:  Ariel Pellegrini, Heather Leifeld,  Aubrey McMekin, Amber Adams, Marina Kasearum, Marielle Kromis, Eric Iversen, Greg Smith, Lauren Lee, Naz Gerami, Marjan Mirkheshti
• Testing the Feeding Routines of Gambusia holbrooki, and Its Influence on the Variation in Individual Diets - Amber Wilson.
• Do Eastern Mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) take advantage of the “Cheerios effect” to consume small planktonic prey? - Nicole Lynch.  Association of Southeastern Biologists Meeting 2015.
• Feeding Location of the Eastern Mosquitofish Gambusia holbrooki Preying on Plankton Invertebrates – Kyndal Hammontree.  Honors Capstone Thesis.
• Spatial Patterns in Herbivory within Belizean Seagrass Beds as Estimated by Blade Injury, Length, and Width – Adrianna Parson.  Honors Capstone Thesis. Association of Southeastern Biologists Meeting 2016.
• Analysis of injury to seagrass blades - Directed Method students 2015-2016: Bailey Kernea, Chelesea Brown.
• Inferring patterns in herbivory by the sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus from injury to blades of the seagrass Thalassia along the north Florida Gulf coast.  Brittany Pallaschke.
• Development and testing of various methodologies for studying mosquitofish feeding on prey caught at the air-water interface - Directed Method students 2015-2016: Katherine Avery, Amiee Champagne, Emily Suddeth, Arman Ruhani Tezengi, Jamie Smith, Ellery Harding, Kirthana Rao, Zachary Tipton.
• Factors affecting zooplankton in the surface tension in situ (2016-17). Ellery Harding.
• An in-situ test of the ability of Eastern Mosquitofish (Gambusia Holbrooki Girard) to feed on zooplankton caught in the surface tension – Daniel Price. Poster Award at the KSU Biology Student Research Symposium.
• Sea urchin (Lytechinus variegatus) choice in covering materials and how degree of coverage is sensed. Undergraduate Honors Thesis (2017 -18). Monell, Kira
• Developing techniques to estimate abundance of zooplankton caught the surface tension in situ (2017). HenryBishop.
• Assessing injury along seagrass blades (2017). Pratt, Daniel, Caleb, Debbie. 
• Evaluating in situ Grazing Patterns of Lytechinus variegatus and their Effects on Seagrass Beds of Thalassia testudinum (master's thesis 2016-18).  Adrianna Parson.