Agricultural and Life Sciences (IFAS)
Phlips Lab
Led by Edward Phlips · Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences
What we study
The Phlips Lab studies planktonic primary production in Florida's Suwannee River estuary and Indian River Lagoon, focusing on harmful algae and biofuel production from algae species.
What working here is like
- Wet lab
- Fieldwork
- Bacteria & microbes
- No coding
- Projects
- 2
- Papers
- 2
Current projects
Toxic algae research program
Evaluating the distribution, causes, and consequences of harmful algae in freshwater and marine ecosystems.
Importance of Picoplankton in a Nearshore Flow-Restricted Lagoon vs. an Open Offshore System
The study compares tiny algae (≤2µm) in a Florida lagoon and an open ocean shelf. It shows that in the nutrient-poor shelf algae compete better, while in the nutrient-rich lagoon larger algae dominate.
From the Spring 2025 UF Undergraduate Research Symposium · abstract book, p. 469
Summaries are written by AI in plain language from public symposium abstracts and may be imperfect.
Recent papers, explained
- Top-down Control by Ribbed Mussels (Geukensia demissa) on Plankton Communities in Southeastern U.S. Salt Marshes
2025 · Estuaries and Coasts
Shows how ribbed mussels in salt marshes affect tiny plankton communities in the water.
- Algal blooms in a river-dominated estuary and nearshore region of Florida, USA: the influence of regulated discharges from water control structures on hydrologic and nutrient conditions
2023 · Hydrobiologia
Looks at how water releases from canals change algae growth in a Florida estuary.
Plain-language summaries are AI-written and reviewed by us; check the paper for details.
How to reach out
Edward Phlips hasn't set up this page yet. You can also look them up in the UF directory (search “Edward Phlips”).