Jennifer L Graham, Ph.D.
Jennifer is a Research Hydrologist at the New York Water Science Center
Jennifer Graham currently serves as the harmful algal bloom coordinator for the USGS Water Mission Area. She also represents the USGS on the Interagency Working Group on Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia. Jennifer began her career with the USGS in 1999 as a Volunteer for Science working on harmful algal blooms at the Columbia Environmental Research Center. She worked there as a volunteer until 2005, when she became a Hydrologist at the Kansas Water Science Center. Jennifer joined the New York Water Science Center in 2018. She is a nationally recognized expert in cyanobacteria and associated toxins and taste-and-odor compounds. For over two decades Jennifer has conducted research on the environmental factors influencing the occurrence of cyanotoxins in the United States. She has conducted both regional and single system studies at a variety of spatiotemporal scales.
The overarching theme of Jennifer’s research is the spatiotemporal distribution of algae and algal assemblages with respect to changing physical, chemical, and biological conditions in both lentic and lotic ecosystems. Focus areas currently include anthropogenic influences on algal production and community composition, environmental conditions leading to the development of harmful algal blooms, with an emphasis on cyanobacteria, the occurrence, fate, and transport of cyanobacterial toxins and taste-and-odor compounds, and the development of predictive models for the occurrence of cyanobacterial toxins and taste-and-odor compounds. She has a complimentary interest in evaluating and using leading-edge technology, such as continuous water-quality instrumentation and satellite imagery, to improve predictive capabilities for the onset, duration, and decline of harmful algal bloom events. Research efforts include partnerships within the USGS as well as with local, state, and federal agencies and universities.
Professional Experience
USGS as Research Hydrologist at the New York Water Science Center 2018-present.
USGS as a Hydrologist at the Kansas Water Science Center 2005-2018.
USGS as a Volunteer for Science working on harmful algal blooms at the Columbia Environmental Research Center 1999-2005.
Education and Certifications
PhD in Fisheries and Wildlife with a specialization in Limnology (2004) – University of Missouri, Columbia, MO
MS in Biology with a specialization in Aquatic Ecology (1998) – Southwest Missouri
BS in Environmental Science (1995) – Davis and Elkins College, Elkins, WV
Science and Products
Phytoplankton data for samples collected at eleven large river sites throughout the United States, June through September 2017
Cyanotoxin, chlorophyll-a, and cyanobacterial toxin genetic data for samples collected at eleven large river sites throughout the United States, June through September 2017
Phytoplankton Data for 18 Texas Reservoirs, August through October, 2016
Microcystin, chlorophyll, and cell-count data for assessing the effect of salinity tolerance on cyanobacteria associated with a harmful algal bloom in Lake Okeechobee, Florida, July 9 to 17, 2017
Velocity test data for assessing the effect of salinity tolerance on cyanobacteria associated with a harmful algal bloom in Lake Okeechobee, Florida, July 10 to 13, 2017
Milford Lake, Kansas, spatial water-quality data, July 27 and August 31, 2015
Phytoplankton data for Milford Lake, Kansas, July 27 and August 31, 2015
Water-quality data from two sites on Milford Lake, Kansas, July 26-27 and August 30-31, 2015
Water-quality data from four Indian Creek sites, Johnson County, Kansas, July 22-25, 2014 and August 21-27, 2015
Spatial water-quality data for Indian Creek, Johnson County, Kansas, May 23, 2013, July 23, 2014, July 30, 2015, and August 26, 2015
Sediment Oxygen Demand Data for Eastern Kansas Streams, August 2014 through December 2015
Phytoplankton data for Cheney Reservoir near Cheney, Kansas, June 2001 through November 2015
Nonlinear multidecadal trends in organic matter dynamics in Midwest reservoirs are a function of variable hydroclimate
Decision-making for managing harmful algal blooms
A structured decision-making framework for managing cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms in New York State parks
Spectral mixture analysis for surveillance of harmful algal blooms (SMASH): A field-, laboratory-, and satellite-based approach to identifying cyanobacteria genera from remotely sensed data
Cyanobacteria, cyanotoxin synthetase gene, and cyanotoxin occurrence among selected large river sites of the conterminous United States, 2017–18
Technical note—Relative variability of selected turbidity standards and sensors in use by the U.S. Geological Survey
Phytoplankton and cyanobacteria abundances in mid-21st century lakes depend strongly on future land use and climate projections
Cyanotoxin occurrence in the United States: A 20 year retrospective
The extent and variability of storm‐induced temperature changes in lakes measured with long‐term and high‐frequency data
Spatial and temporal variability of nutrients and algae in the Republican River and Milford Lake, Kansas, June through November 2017 and May through November 2018
Cyanotoxin occurrence in large rivers of the United States
Cyanotoxins occur in rivers worldwide but are understudied in lotic ecosystems relative to lakes and reservoirs. Eleven large river sites located throughout the United States were sampled during June–September 2017 to determine the occurrence of cyanobacteria with known cyanotoxin-producing strains, cyanotoxin synthetase genes, and cyanotoxins. Chlorophyll-a concentrations spanned the range from o
Spatial and temporal variability of harmful algal blooms in Milford Lake, Kansas, May through November 2016
Science and Products
Phytoplankton data for samples collected at eleven large river sites throughout the United States, June through September 2017
Cyanotoxin, chlorophyll-a, and cyanobacterial toxin genetic data for samples collected at eleven large river sites throughout the United States, June through September 2017
Phytoplankton Data for 18 Texas Reservoirs, August through October, 2016
Microcystin, chlorophyll, and cell-count data for assessing the effect of salinity tolerance on cyanobacteria associated with a harmful algal bloom in Lake Okeechobee, Florida, July 9 to 17, 2017
Velocity test data for assessing the effect of salinity tolerance on cyanobacteria associated with a harmful algal bloom in Lake Okeechobee, Florida, July 10 to 13, 2017
Milford Lake, Kansas, spatial water-quality data, July 27 and August 31, 2015
Phytoplankton data for Milford Lake, Kansas, July 27 and August 31, 2015
Water-quality data from two sites on Milford Lake, Kansas, July 26-27 and August 30-31, 2015
Water-quality data from four Indian Creek sites, Johnson County, Kansas, July 22-25, 2014 and August 21-27, 2015
Spatial water-quality data for Indian Creek, Johnson County, Kansas, May 23, 2013, July 23, 2014, July 30, 2015, and August 26, 2015
Sediment Oxygen Demand Data for Eastern Kansas Streams, August 2014 through December 2015
Phytoplankton data for Cheney Reservoir near Cheney, Kansas, June 2001 through November 2015
Nonlinear multidecadal trends in organic matter dynamics in Midwest reservoirs are a function of variable hydroclimate
Decision-making for managing harmful algal blooms
A structured decision-making framework for managing cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms in New York State parks
Spectral mixture analysis for surveillance of harmful algal blooms (SMASH): A field-, laboratory-, and satellite-based approach to identifying cyanobacteria genera from remotely sensed data
Cyanobacteria, cyanotoxin synthetase gene, and cyanotoxin occurrence among selected large river sites of the conterminous United States, 2017–18
Technical note—Relative variability of selected turbidity standards and sensors in use by the U.S. Geological Survey
Phytoplankton and cyanobacteria abundances in mid-21st century lakes depend strongly on future land use and climate projections
Cyanotoxin occurrence in the United States: A 20 year retrospective
The extent and variability of storm‐induced temperature changes in lakes measured with long‐term and high‐frequency data
Spatial and temporal variability of nutrients and algae in the Republican River and Milford Lake, Kansas, June through November 2017 and May through November 2018
Cyanotoxin occurrence in large rivers of the United States
Cyanotoxins occur in rivers worldwide but are understudied in lotic ecosystems relative to lakes and reservoirs. Eleven large river sites located throughout the United States were sampled during June–September 2017 to determine the occurrence of cyanobacteria with known cyanotoxin-producing strains, cyanotoxin synthetase genes, and cyanotoxins. Chlorophyll-a concentrations spanned the range from o