I am a master's student at Loyola University Chicago. I study the distribution of starry stonewort (Nitellopsis obtusa), an invasive macroalgae, in Chicago's Lake Michigan Harbors. To record the growth form and within harbor distribution of starry stonewort, I perform SCUBA surveys. I am developing an environmental DNA assay to detect starry stonewort. I enjoy studying freshwater ecology and environmental DNA in lab and field settings.