Kellie Merrell

Biography:

Kellie has had the privilege of monitoring Vermont’s inland lakes for compliance with the Clean Water Act since 2001. She is keenly interested in using scientific approaches to determine if the status or trends in lakes are not meeting our societal expectations, ideally early enough so that effective action can be taken to protect and restore them. Kellie holds a B.A. degree in Environmental Studies from Hood College and an M.S. in Marine Estuarine and Environmental Science from the University of Maryland, where she studied the world’s most beautiful aquatic plant, Vallisneria americana.

Research Interests/Expertise:

• Long term trends in phosphorus
• Effects of lakeshore development and lake drawdowns on littoral habitat and biota
• Lake biocriteria development using sediment diatoms, aquatic macrophytes and littoral macroinvertebrates
• Examining ways to more effectively use the CWA’s antidegradation and outstanding resource water tools to protect the best of what’s left
• Monitoring reference lakes for climate change

Active Memberships/Societies:

• NALMS Region 1 Director
• GLEON Lake Management Framework Project Co-Lead
• Northeast Diatom Collaborative Coordinator
• USEPA National Lake Assessment Steering Committee

Notable Publications:

• Gauging the Health of Vermont’s Lakes
• Examining Shorelines, Littorally
• Determining if Maine’s Shoreland Zoning Standards are Effective at Protecting Aquatic Habitat
• Is Vermont Losing its Oligotrophic Lakes?

In the Media:

• WCAX Vermont sampling program provides benchmark for water quality
• NPR Vermont’s jewels under threat: Clearest, cleanest lakes face phosphorus pollutio
• NPR Under Harvey's Lake: Jacques Cousteau, Native Plants and Vermont Lake Health