Kiyoko Yokota

Graduate Student (Curriculum Vitae)

B.S., Biology with Ecology emphasis, St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, MN, 1995.  Summa Cum Laude

Ph.D.  candidate (in progress) in Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

Contact Information

Phone: 612-625-5700
Fax: 612-624-6777

E-mail: yoko0026@umn.edu

Research Interests

I am interested in mechanisms and cost and benefit of colony formation in Scenedesmus and other phytoplankton species that exhibit great morphological plasticity in terms of number of cells per colony (photographs). Some of my basic questions include:

• Why do these phytoplankton species exist as unicells under certain conditions and form colonies under other conditions? 
• How does colony formation affect grazers and the rest of food web?
• What kinds of tradeoffs are involved? 
• Can we predict predominant phytoplankton particle sizes from environmental conditions?

My thesis research focuses on kairomone-induced colony formation in Scenedesmus spp. and its effects on phytoplankton population dynamics. 

Although not directly related to my thesis project, I am also interested in the applied side of limnology and phycology – in particular management of harmful algae in freshwater systems.

The views and opinions expressed in this page are strictly those of the page author.
The contents of this page have not been reviewed or approved by the University of Minnesota.