La Toya Kissoon, a doctoral student in environmental and conservation sciences, has been awarded a prestigious, competitive field travel grant from the Wetland Foundation.

Titled “Variations in Aquatic Plant Communities and How They Relate to Shallow Lake Ecology and Biogeochemistry,” Kissoon's research aims to clarify the factors that govern changes in turbidity of shallow lakes with a focus on aquatic vegetation and biogeochemistry. "This study is important because it will increase our knowledge of the role of aquatic vegetation in the biogeochemical cycling of multiple elements in shallow lakes," Kissoon said. "It will also gather information essential for better management of shallow lake ecosystems."

Kissoon's advisers are Donna Jacob, research assistant professor, and Marinus Otte, professor of biological sciences.

The Wetland Foundation is a non-profit organization devoted to fostering wetland education and research, particularly in coastal marshes and mangrove forests. Its mission is to enhance wetland education and research primarily by supporting students of wetland science with limited resources by providing travel grants to attend conferences, field courses and to conduct field research.