ANNUAL REPORT: June 1, 2008 – May 31, 2009
(i.e., Summer 2008, AY 2008-2009)
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND FOREST BIOLOGY
SUNY-ESF
NAME: Kimberly L. Schulz
I. INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES
1. Regular Course Offerings
Course No.
Title
Credit
Hrs.
No.
Students
No. of Lab.
Sections
SUMMER: None (on sabbatical)
FALL:
EFB 524
EFB 525
EFB 796
Limnology
3
Limnology Laboratory
1
BuildingYour Professional Skills Toolkit 1
37
19
7
lab separate
2
none
2. Non-Scheduled Course Offerings (e.g., 496, 899, 999)
Course No.
Title
Credit
Hrs.
No.
Students
FALL
EFB 498
EFB 899
EFB 999
Research Problems in EFB
Masters Thesis Research
Doctoral Thesis Research
1
13
7
1
3
2
EFB 899
EFB 999
Masters Thesis Research
Doctoral Thesis Research
2
9
2
1
SPRING
3. Continuing Education and Extension (short courses, workshops, etc.)
Speaker at Stakeholders’ Workshop in Oswego sponsored by the Cornell Biological Field Station, Cornell College of
Agriculture and Life Sciences, and N.Y. Sea Grant entitled “The Future of the Lake Ontario Ecosystem: Is
there a Crystal Ball?” Invited topic, “Nutrients, Algae, and Zooplankton and Food Quality - new insights on
balancing nutrition and ecosystem health in the Lake Ontario Food web.” 8 November 2008. Approximately
75 attendees.
4. Guest Lecture Activities
Course No.
EFB 415
EFB 797
II. STUDENT ADVISING
Title
No. of Lectures
Ecological Biogeochemistry
1
Cross disciplinary seminar in Hydrological and Biogeochemical Processes 1
A. Number of undergraduates for whom you are the student’s official advisor __15_ and unofficial advisor __3___
In addition, advisor to one UMEB student, Pavel Dimens, and co-advisor to a second UMEB student (with Donald
Stewart), Samson Lau.
B. Graduate Students: (Name, degree sought, starting date, month & year; if a degree was completed, please give
date and full citation for the thesis or dissertation).
MAJOR PROFESSOR
1. Cheryl Whritenour, M.S. January 2005
2. Jacob Gillette, Ph.D., July 2006
CO-MAJOR PROFESSOR
1. Juliette (Nowack) Smith, Ph.D., August 2004 (co-major professor: Gregory L. Boyer); Ph.D. completed December
2008. “Bioavailability and toxicity of microcystins in the aquatic food web: Estimation and implication)
2. Brandeis Brown, M.S., January 2007 (co-major professor: Neil Ringler)
3. Danielle Baker, M.S., August 2008 (co-major professor: M. Mitchell)
MEMBER, STEERING COMMITTEE (other than those listed above)
1. Phillip Barber (Dylan Perry, major professor)
2. Heather Baugh-Wall (Linda Ivany, Syracuse University Earth Sciences Department, major professor)
3. Maxime Bridoux (Katherine Alben, School of Public Health, The University of New York at Albany, major
professor), defended Ph.D. July 2008
4. Xiaoxia Chen (Charles Driscoll, Syracuse University Civil Engineering Department, major professor)
5. Dan Geffell (Neil Ringler, major professor)
6. Alison Halpern (John Farrell and Don Leopold, co-major professors)
7. Craig Hurteau (Jame Hassett, Environmental Engineering, major professor)
8. Deborah Joseph (John Hassett, Chemistry, major professor)
9. David Kalenak (James Hassett, Environmental Engineering, major professor)
10. Phil-Goo Kang (Myron Mitchell, major professor)
11. Rita Oliveira Monteiro (Karin Limburg, major professor)
12. Ron Smith (Don Stewart, major professor); MPS completed December 2008
13. Christopher Spiese (David Kieber, Chemistry, major professor)
14. Maity Suman (M. Sepulveda, Purdue University, major professor); Ph.D. student at Purdue University – serving
as external committee member
15. Madeline Turnquist (Martin Schlaepfer, major professor)
CHAIRMAN OR READER ON THESIS EXAMS, ETC.
1.
Nate Anderson (FRNM) Chair for Ph.D. defense; 20 November 2008.
2.
Kacie Gehl (Karin Limburg and John Stella co-major professors); will be reader for M.S. thesis.
3.
Kevin Kapuscinski (John Farrell, major professor); examiner for candidacy exam, spring 2009.
4.
Margaret Pavlac (Greg Boyer, Chemistry, major professor); examiner for candidacy exam, fall 2008.
5.
Katie Woodside (John Farrell, major professor); reader for M.S. thesis, Spring 2009.
III. RESEARCH COMPLETED OR UNDERWAY
A. Departmental Research (unsupported, boot-legged; title - % time spent)

Brandeis (Brandy) Brown (M.S. student working with Ringler and me) is working on benthic invertebrate
dispersal and survival in Onondaga Lake. Brandy obtained a small Sigma Xi Grant in Aid of Research and
Edna Bailey Sussman Fellowship that will help defray costs, but this project is mainly boot-legged from my
indirect return account. Percent of my time ~3%.

Jake Gillette (Ph.D. student) is studying the role of mixotrophy in aquatic systems. Along with Mark Teece
and me, Jake has developed an isotope tracer method for quantifying mixotrophy. Right now Jake is a RA on
our NSF project, and this research is boot-legged there. We will attempt to find additional external funding
this year. Percent of my time ~5%.

Daniele Baker (M.S. student working with Mitchell and me) is working on nitrogen cycling in Onondaga Lake.
Daniele obtained a small ESF Grant in Aid of Research and Edna Bailey Sussman Fellowship that will help
defray costs, but this project is also boot-legged from other accounts of Myron and me. Percent of my time
~3%.
 A former M.S. student and I (Jason Williams) are in the midst of submitting 2 additional papers. We have
resubmitted one paper and are about to submit the second in summer 2009; we still plan to submit a manuscript
from the aquatics exotics course we taught at Cranberry (which has evolved a bit in scope), although the time
scale here has been delayed. Percent of my time 3%.
 Completion of additional manuscripts from completed NOAA and NCEAS projects. Percent of my time 15%.
 Testing and implementing a comprehensive relational database for limnological data (with N. Schulz technical
consultant). This is also being combined with database work at NCEAS. Percent of my time ~5%
B. 1. Grant-supported Research (source, subject, amount - total award and current year, award period starting
and ending dates; list graduate research assistants supported by each grant)

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NYSERDA, “Conversion of dairy and biodiesel waste products to omega-3 fatty acids and lipids for biodiesel
production using mixotrophic algae;” PI: John Fieschko, co-PI: K.L. Schulz; Amount: $76,304; Dates: April
2009-March 2011. Jake Gillette funded 25% on this grant summer and fall 2009.
SUNY ESF Seed Grant Program, “Extending ecological stoichiometry to the salt marsh: Restoring natural
Si:N:P ratios may help remediate estuarine food webs; “PI: K.L. Schulz, co-PI: Cheryl Whritenour; Amount:
$8,000; Dates: March 2009-March 2010; no graduate student research assistantships are supported on this
grant.
National Science Foundation, “Can Fatty Acids Improve Our Ability to Trace Food Web Processes?” PI: K.L.
Schulz. co-PIs: M.A. Teece, K.E. Limburg and J.M. Farrell. Amount: $541,900 (all at ESF) over three years.
March 2005-February 2010. This grant supports Jake Gillette as a research assistant through December 2009.
NCEAS (National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis) Center Fellowship; “Food quality effects on
ecological efficiency at multiple scales in aquatic systems”. PI: $66,784 to KLS. This funded my sabbatical
leave from 1 August 2007-31 July 2008.
Environmental Protection Agency, Central New York District Cooling Project, actual funding level uncertain,
P.I.: J.Hassett, co-PIs: Neil Ringler and K. Schulz (SUNY ESF). My understanding is that this grant will run
through December 2009 and supports Cheryl Whritenour as a research assistant.
Collaborator on Hatch Proposal 2006-07-097. Title: Ecological Indicators and Sustainability of the Lake
Ontario Ecosystem: Melding Science and Stakeholder Involvement.. Total of $23,500 a year (~$2,500 annually
to KLS) for a period of 3 years from CUAES (Hatch research support) and CCE (federal extension). Oct 1,
2006 – Oct 1, 2010. P.I. E. Mills (Cornell); Collaborators: L. Rudstam (Cornell), R. O’Gorman (USGS), D.B.
MacNeill and D.G. White (NY Sea Grant). No students are supported on this grant.
SUNY-ESF McIntire-Stennis Research Program, “Restoring small, ephemeral wetlands in forested landscapes
of New York State: Initiating a large-scale, long-term collaborative research program based at Heiberg Forest”
PI: James Gibbs; coPIs: John Stella, D.J. Leopold, K. Schulz Amount: $80,000; Dates: May 2009-December
2012; no graduate students under my supervision are supported on this grant.
Note: Juliette Smith was supported by EPA Star Fellowship (graduate fellowship) through December 2008.
2. Research Proposals pending (as in B.1., above)

Farrell, J. M., D. J. Leopold, M. Mitchell, J. Gibbs, K. Schulz. 7/2009-6/2012, Recovery Act – Fisheries
Habitat Restoration in the St. Lawrence River. NOAA Coastal and Marine Habitat Restoration Project Grants
under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act ($1,552,471, submitted 4/09 as subcontract with Ducks
Unlimited).

Inquiry letter sent to NSF for EAGER proposal.
IV. PUBLICATIONS (Full bibliographic citation, i.e., do not use "with Jones," or "Jones, et al."; please list only
publications published, in press, or actually submitted during this reporting period --- do not list manuscripts
in preparation).
A. Refereed Publications
Ji, X. and K.L. Schulz. accepted. Oligotrophication, water clarity and ecological stoichiometry – Using the Oneida
Lake long-term data set to test a zooplankton food quality model. Oneida Lake Book (peer reviewed). E. Mills,
L. Rudstam, and D. Stewart editors.
Cecala, R.K., C.M. Mayer, K.L. Schulz, and E.M. Mills. 2008. Increased benthic algal primary production in response
to zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) invasion in Oneida Lake, N.Y. Journal of Integrative Plant Biology
50: 1452-1466.
Smyntek, P., M. Teece, K. Schulz and A. Storch. 2008. Taxonomic differences in essential fatty acid composition of
groups of freshwater zooplankton relate to distinct ecological adaptations. Freshwater Biology 53: 1768-1782.
Murry, B., J.M. Farrell, K.L. Schulz, and M.A. Teece. 2008. The effect of egg size and nutrient content on larval
performance: implications to protracted spawning in northern pike (Esox lucius Linnaeus, 1758).
Hydrobiologia 601: 71-82.
Smith, J., G.L. Boyer, E.Mills, and K.L. Schulz. 2008. Toxicity of microcystin-LR, a cyanobacterial toxin, to multiple
life-stages of the burrowing mayfly, Hexagenia, and possible implications for recruitment. Environmental
Toxicology 23: 499-506.
Submitted and in review
Smith, J.L., K.L. Schulz, P.V. Zimba and G.L. Boyer. 2009 in review. Possible mechanism for the food-web transfer of
covalently-bound microcystin-LR and –LY.
Qin, P., C.M. Mayer, K.L. Schulz, and X. Ji. 2009 in review. Invasive filter feeders and nutrient reductions: synergistic
effects on benthic primary producers.
B. Non-refereed Publications
Schulz, K.L. 2009 accepted. Chemically-induced defenses in phytoplankton. In D. Muller-Schwartz (editor) Chemical
Ecology Exercises.
C. Papers Presented at Science Meetings (give title, date, occasion, and location)
Schulz, K.L. and C.M. Mayer. 2009. Mussel power and oligotrophication: Integrating experiments and field
observations to isolate mechanisms changing lake ecosystem properties. International Association of Great Lakes
Research 52nd Annual Conference on Great Lakes Research, May 2009, Toledo, Ohio.
Limburg, K.E., V.A. Ludzadis, M. Ramsey, K.L. Schulz and C.M. Ramsey. 2009. The good, the bad, and the algae:
Perceiving ecosystem services and disservices generated by zebra and quagga mussels. International Association
of Great Lakes Research 52nd Annual Conference on Great Lakes Research, May 2009, Toledo, Ohio.
Holeck, K.T., E.L. Mills, L.G. Rudstam, K.L. Schulz and R. O’Gorman. 2009. Zooplankton as indicators of ecosystem
change in Lake Ontario. International Association of Great Lakes Research 52nd Annual Conference on Great
Lakes Research, May 2009, Toledo, Ohio.
Schulz, K.L., J. Gillette and M.A. Teece. PUFAs in pelagic food webs: Plankton population responses and
phylogenetic constraints on compositon. 2009. Poster presentation at “100 years of Limnology at Cornell
Symposium”, 18 April 2009, Ithaca, N.Y.
Brown, B.L., K.L. Schulz and N.H. Ringler. 2008. Both sediment and water quality affect survivorship of the mayfly
Stentonema femoratum in Onondaga Lake, N.Y. Poster presentation at the annual Onondaga Lake Forum,
November 2008, Syracuse, N.Y.
Schulz, K.L. and M.A. Teece. 2008. Can fatty acid composition be used to determine diet? Recommendations in light
of phylogenetic constraints. June 9-13, 2008. American Society of Limnology and Oceanography Annual Meeting,
St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada.
Gillete, J.P., K.L. Schulz, and M.A. Teece. 2008. Using stable carbon isotope analysis to quantify feeding by the
mixotrophic phytoplankton Dinobryon cylindricum. June 9-13, 2008. American Society of Limnology and
Oceanography Annual Meeting, St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada.
D. Public Service Presentations (lectures, seminars, etc. to and for the public; give group or occasion, date(s), and
attendance)
“Nutrition and food webs: Food quantity, food quality, diet determination, and phylogenetic constraints.” SUNY
Albany and Wadsworth School of Public Health, 14 April 2009. Approximately 50 people in attendance.
Stakeholder’s Workshop in Oswego sponsored by the Cornell Biological Field Station at Shackelton Point, Cornell
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and N.Y. Sea Grant entitled “The Future of the Lake Ontario
Ecosystem: Is there a Crystal Ball?” Invited topic, “Nutrients, Algae, and Zooplankton and Food Quality new insights on balancing nutrition and ecosystem health in the Lake Ontario Food web.” 8 November 2008.
Approximately 75 attendees.
V. PUBLIC SERVICE
A. Funded Service (include consulting activities)
1. Government Agencies (Federal, State, Local):
none
2. Industrial and Commercial Groups, etc.
none
B. Unfunded Service to Governmental Agencies, Public Interest Groups, etc.

Advised resident at Song Lake, Tully, NY and representative from the Kettle Lakes Association of New York
about Cyanobacteria blooms in Song Lake.
VI. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
A. Professional Honors and Awards (for teaching, research, outreach, etc.)
none
B. 1. Activities in Professional Organizations (offices held, service as chairman, member, participant or
consultant)

Member of a subcommittee of the Education Committee of the American Society of Limnology and
Oceanography. Participating in developing the ASLO Education website – particularly the image library and
helping organize the first ASLO photo contest and calendar
2. Professional Society Membership
American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Institute of Biological Sciences
American Society of Limnology and Oceanography
American Society of Naturalists
Ecological Society of America
International Association for Great Lakes Research
International Association of Theoretical and Applied Limnology
Phycological Society of America
Sigma Xi
3. Other Professional Activities
a. Editorial activity
Journal (s)
Responsibility
none
Other (books, symposia, etc.)
none
b. Reviewer
Journal(s)
Journal of Plankton Research
Agency
National Science Foundation
Great Lakes Fishery Trust
No. of manuscripts
1
No. of proposals
2
1
Other
External tenure package review for faculty member at The University of Michigan
c. Participation (workshops, symposia, etc.)
Name of workshop, etc.
Speaker at Lake Ontario Stakeholder’s Workshop
Date
Place
8 November 2008
Oswego, NY
C. Further Education/Re-training Undertaken, Leaves, Workshops, etc.
R workshop participant at ESF over spring break 2009
College mentoring colloquium; grad students and professors: synergy-energy-compatibility in research,
teaching and service; 8 January 2009
D. Foreign Travel (Where, When, Purpose)
Newfoundland, Canada, June 2008, American Society of Limnology and Oceanography Annual Meeting
VII. ADMINISTRATIVE AND SERVICE RESPONSIBILITIES (include committee participation)
A. Department-level
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EFB Graduate Program Advisory Committee Member 2008-present
Member of Search Committee for Cellular and Molecular Biologist Position, EFB, Spring 2009
Participant in assessment development for both the Aquatic and Fisheries Science (AFS) major and the
Environmental Biology (ENB) major, Fall 2008.
Coordinating effort to develop CIRTAS – Center for Integrated Research and Teaching in Aquatic Science, to
find funding to develop a collaborative aquatic science experimental facility for teaching and research at ESF,
and efforts to organize aquatics group in EFB
Member of Phyllis Roskin Award Committee
Faculty mentor for Jacqui Frair and Greg McGee
Participated in department’s recruiting open house (Oct. 2008)
Spoke (with James Gibbs) at college’s accepted student reception (Feb 2009) for EFB
B. College-level
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Co-ordinate college-wide AquaBreak seminar (formerly AquaLunch) and run seminar with graduate student
Jacob Gillette
September 23rd 2008, Graduate fellowship and grant panel participant
Honors Thesis faculty forum participant, 20 October 2008
Faculty advisor to the Nautilus Club (student marine science club)
C. University-wide, including Research Foundation
none
VIII. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS DURING THIS
REPORTING PERIOD, ESPECIALLY THOSE MOST NOTEWORTHY AND RELATIVE TO THE
COLLEGE’S AND DEPARTMENT’S MISSION. One paragraph on each of the following would be most helpful:
this past year, what have you done for our students, department/college, and self professionally? NOTE: The
information in this section (along with the supporting specific information elsewhere in this report) should be your
strongest case for being considered for a discretionary raise, which I’ll continue to award based on your contributions to
the department and college this reporting period.
Students
This year my contributions to students were in revising and developing courses, and advising and mentoring of
undergraduate and graduate students. First, over sabbatical, with a break from teaching, I had more time to reflect on
the content and format of the limnology course. In response, this year I greatly revised my limnology laboratory and
developed an independent project component that I believe was a great success. I submitted course revision proposals
for both Limnology and Limnology Laboratory, and am entirely overhauling the laboratory manual for this coming
year. In addition, I developed a new graduate professional skills seminar that will now be incorporated into a 2
semester seminar for new students, which Martin Schlaepfer and I are developing. I am also serving as advisor to the
Nautilus Club and to two UMEB students. Finally, my graduate students and I continue to work on many projects and
succeeded in obtaining grants, co-authoring papers, and attending meetings, contributing to their professional
development. Juliette Smith (co-advised by Greg Boyer) successfully defended her Ph.D. thesis and is now a
postdoctoral fellow at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. Two students in my lab group (Brandy Brown, co-advised
by Neil Ringler and Daniele Baker, co-advised by Myron Mitchell) received grants from Sigma Xi and Edna Bailey
Sussman.
Department/college
On return from sabbatical I became involved in several department efforts. First, I am a member of the
Graduate Program Advisory Committee. Second, I assisted with the assessment efforts for both the Environmental
Biology and the Aquatic and Fisheries Science majors. Third, I served on the Cellular and Molecular Biology search
committee in EFB. Fourth, along with graduate student Jacob Gillette I resurrected the aquatics seminar, AquaBreak,
which serves ESF and Syracuse University as a forum for talks and discussions by graduate students, staff and faculty
related to aquatic science. Finally, I am helping co-ordinate efforts to organize the aquatics group within EFB and to
obtain funding for restoring the aquatics experimental facilities. I am considering how best to participate in department
and college-level service over the next several years.
Self
This year I have focused on completing experiments and analyses for several projects, and making sure
publications from graduate student work and past grants are completed. We have had several major successes in the
lab and field this year that I think will result in some interesting manuscripts (now in the pipeline for this summer and
fall). I updated my statistical programming skills by participating in the R workshop on campus. I have been
developing a plan for transition to some new projects and submission of additional proposals and projects this year. In
addition, I’ve been working with some former colleagues to write some potentially high profile review papers. Finally,
I believe I have successfully avoided the infamous PSD (post-sabbatical depression) and am glad to have had the
opportunity to revitalize my teaching and research program.
IX. A. FUTURE PLANS, AMBITIONS, AND POTENTIAL CONTRIBUTIONS FOR YOUR OWN
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE ENHANCEMENT OF THE PROGRAM IN
ENVIRONMENTAL AND FOREST BIOLOGY (brief summary)
B. PROJECTED ACTIVITIES FOR NEXT YEAR
1. Summer 2009
a. Course(s) to be offered
Participate in aquatics and projects sections of EFB 202 at Cranberry
Mentor 2 UMEB students
b. Proposed research activity
 Survey National Estuarine Research Reserve salt marshes from Georgia to Maine for Ecological
Stoichiometry in the salt marsh project (with graduate student Cheryl Whritenour)
 Complete experiments for NSF fatty acid project
 Sample ponds at Heiberg for zooplankton population genetics to obtain preliminary data for grant
proposal
 Assist graduate students with their research projects
 Work on biodiesel project
 Work on modeling for Hatch grant
 Work on reports for EPA lake source cooling
 Work on 2 grants to be submitted in summer and fall
 Complete >4 manuscripts (from NCEAS, NSF and previous NOAA work)
c. University, professional society, and public service
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Continue work for the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography education committee’s
image subcommittee
Potentially give 2 additional stakeholder talks
2. Fall Semester 2009
a. Course(s) to be offered
EFB 424/624
Limnology
EFB 525
Limnology Practicum
New graduate seminar part 1 (with Martin Schlaepfer)
b. Proposed research activity
 Brandy Brown and Cheryl Whritenour will defend and submit manuscripts
 Finalize paper from salt marsh project and begin work on full grant proposal
 Submit at least one additional first-authored manuscript
 Complete Lake Source Cooling Project obligations
 Analyze last data from NSF project
 Work on biodiesel project
c. University, Professional society, and public service

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Continue work for the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography education committee’s
image subcommittee
Continue AquaBreak seminar
Continue to co-ordinate organization of EFB aquatics group
Continue as member on Graduate Program Advisory Committee
Continue as Nautilus Club advisor
Potentially serve as EFB representative to Water Resources Minor
3. Spring Semester 2010
b.
Course(s) to be offered
EFB 423/623
Marine Ecology
New graduate seminar part 2 (with Martin Schlaepfer)
b. Proposed research activity
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Complete manuscripts from NSF project
Complete Hatch grant requirements
Submit at least one additional grant proposal
c. University, professional society, and public service

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Continue work for the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography education committee’s
image subcommittee
Continue AquaBreak seminar
Continue to co-ordinate organization of EFB aquatics group
Continue as member on Graduate Program Advisory Committee
Continue as Nautilus Club advisor
Potentially serve as EFB representative to Water Resources Minor