The spring 2025 Iowa Nutrient Research Center seminar series will showcase “Insights from Next Gen Water Researchers” with presentations by current and recent Iowa State University graduate students, discussing studies they are or have been involved in and how water quality research is helping inform their careers.

The Social Science of BMP Adoption  
Chris Morris, postdoctoral research associate, Sociology and Criminal Justice

This presentation will provide a brief overview of how social science has been utilized to better understand and improve conservation practice use by farmers. Morris will also share the results of an INRC-funded survey project investigating changes in farmer conservation adoption over time, as well as a description of a new INRC-funded project collecting interview data to better understand farmer decisions regarding these adoption/disadoption behaviors. 
 

Restored Wetlands: How Does Vegetation and Nutrient Reduction Affect Algae Communities?
Grace Jackson, master’s student, Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology

This presentation will review research to characterize phytoplankton (free-floating algae) communities in multiple habitat zones to assess the ecological health and conservation value of a series of restored (CREP) wetlands and the biological effects of nutrient removal by comparing periphyton (attached algae) communities up and downstream of each main wetland basin. This work is using a bioindicator approach to reveal possible co-benefits (and risk of unintended consequences) of using wetland restoration as a tool to treat agricultural runoff.

Recordings from water quality research seminars and other INRC videos are available at the INRC website under Resources and Publications.