Casey Godwin

Associate Research Scientist

4840 S.State Rd.
Ann Arbor, MI 48108-9719

734-741-2235
[email protected]

Curriculum Vitae

In the News:

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Researcher Profile:

Dr. Casey Godwin has a Ph.D. in ecology, evolution, and behavior from the University of Minnesota. His research focuses on how the elemental requirements of bacteria and algae couple carbon and nutrient cycles in freshwater ecosystems. The driving question behind this work is “as we continue to pollute our aquatic ecosystems with excess nutrients, will cycling of carbon and other elements change in proportion, or will fertilization decouple key ecosystem processes?” He has examined this question in the context of impact of stream algae on nutrient retention within watersheds, functional diversity of freshwater bacteria in response to land use change, and most recently, minimizing the fertilizer demand of renewable fuels produced from algae. As part of CIGLR, he is working on projects including the effects of nutrient abundance and forms on harmful algal blooms and the influence of hypoxia on the biogeochemical cycling of nutrients and heavy metals in Lake Erie.

Education: 
  • Ph.D. 2013, Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota
  • M.S. 2006, Ecology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
  • B.A. 2003, Biology and Environmental Studies, Cornell College, Mount Vernon, Iowa
Research Interest/Area of Expertise: 
  • Impacts of nutrient loading on biogeochemical processes in the Great Lakes
  • Role of flexible biomass stoichiometry in coupling productivity and element cycling
  • Physiological adaptations of aquatic microbes to nutrient starvation and surplus
Recent Publications: 

Anderson, H.S., T.H. Johengen, C.M. Godwin, H. Purcell, P.J. Alsip, S.A. Ruberg, and L.A. Mason. 2021. Continuous In Situ Nutrient Analyzers Pinpoint the Onset and Rate of Internal P Loading under Anoxia in Lake Erie’s Central Basin. Environmental Science & Technology: Water. (DOI:10.1021/acsestwater.0c00138). [Altmetric Score]

Godwin, C.M., J.R. Zehnpfennig and D.R. Learman. 2020. Biotic and Abiotic Mechanisms of Manganese (II) Oxidation in Lake Erie. Frontiers in Environmental Science. 8(57). (DOI:10.3389/fenvs.2020.00057). [Altmetric Score]

Godwin. C.M., F.H. Chang and B.J. Cardinale. 2020. An empiricist’s guide to modern coexistence theory for competitive communities. Oikos. 129(8):1109-1127. (DOI:10.1111/oik.06957). [Altmetric Score]

All Publications

Recent Presentations:

Godwin, C.M., J.R. Zehnpfennig, and D.R. Learman. 2020. Biotic and abiotic mechanisms of manganese (II) oxidation in Lake Erie, International Association for Great Lakes Research Virtual Meeting, June 10, 2020.

Kitchens, C. and C.M. Godwin. 2020. Timing and Rates of manganese flux from Lake Erie sediments, International Association for Great Lakes Research Virtual Meeting, June 10, 2020.

Godwin, C.M., D.C. Hietala, A.R. Lashaway, A. Narwani, P.E. Savage and B.J. Cardinale. 2017. Ecological stoichiometry of algal biocrude production: Polycultures balance tradeoffs in nutrient use efficiency. ESA Annual Meeting, Portland, OR, August 10, 2017.

All Presentations

Video Library

Where others see muck, University of Michigan biologists, ecologists and engineers see a potentially renewable source of biofuel in algae. They’re working to reduce engine emissions and shrink carbon footprints by refining an algal diesel fuel that works just as efficiently as its petroleum-based counterpart.
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University of Michigan scientists grew various combinations of freshwater algal species in 80 artificial ponds at U-M’s E.S. George Reserve near Pinckney, Michigan in the first large-scale, controlled experiment to test the widely held idea that biodiversity can improve the performance of algal biofuel systems in the field. Learn More: http://myumi.ch/JWQNk

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The University of Michigan students and faculty researchers join with colleagues in other fields across campus and around the world to advance knowledge, solve challenging problems, create new products, and enhance the quality of life. Learn more at research.umich.edu.
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