Stream ecology (NR-4800)

*Graduate and Undergraduate level, taught every spring semesters

This course provides students with theoretical and applied knowledge on stream ecology, covering various topics such as channel morphology, the physicochemistry of water, biogeochemical cycles, and the structure and function of organisms inhabiting these ecosystems. I encourage students to read and critically discuss both "classical" and recent literature. We also discuss the current and future challenges regarding the conservation and sustainable management of stream ecosystems. During the semester, we visit a few field sites to make observations and practice the methodologies that we discussed in class. These photos are from our field trips to three distinct streams: Potash Brook, an urban stream; Brown Brook, a forested stream; and downstream of Brown Brook, an agricultural stream.







Water as a Natural Resource (NR-2020)

Undergraduate level, taught every in fall semesters

This course introduces students to the fundamentals of water resource issues worldwide. Topics include water availability, supply and demand, water governance, water conflicts, water scarcity, water quality problems, and climate change effects (floods, droughts). Students will be exposed to and discuss current approaches for reducing such challenges in support of more sustainable societies in the future. This class aims to help students develop a deeper understanding of the role of water in the construction of contemporary and future society while developing critical thinking and writing skills.

Please, check out some amazing final projects from the Fall-2022 class.





Applied Environmental Statistics (NR-2400)

Undergraduate level, taught every spring semesters

I teach this class jointly with Dr. Kristian Brevik at UVM . This course contains descriptive statistics as well as hypothesis evaluation in environmental science. The course includes both parametric and non-parametric tests: one-sample z-test, independent and dependent t-test, Wilcoxon test, one-way ANOVA, Kruskall-Wallis, correlation, linear regression, and chi2-test. Weekly lab exercises are solved both manually and with statistical computer programs (excel, JPM or/and R). At the end of the course, students will be able to design, apply, and interpret statistical analyses for environmental science. This will prepare them with the appropriate knowledge and skills for advanced statistics courses.








Tropical Ecology in Costa Rica (NR-2760)

*Undergraduate level, taught every fall semesters

This course will provide students with a general understanding of tropical ecology. Topics discussed include basic ecological concepts, relevant theories explaining diversity, and the intricate ecological interactions found in the tropical region. Students will gain field experience in inventorying diversity and analyzing data using statistical programs such as R . Costa Rica, renowned for its rich and unique biodiversity, serves as a highly suitable focal point for this course. While the curriculum concentrates predominantly on Costa Rica's ecosystems, specifically the Peninsula de Osa, it also includes an exploration of other distinct ecological systems.





Multivariate Statistics for Ecological Data (B-0461)

Taught at the Universidad Costa Rica

Multivariate statistics provide the fundamental tools to examine and understand data sets that require an exhaustive analysis of multiple variables, which may or may not interact with each other. During the course, students review the basic concepts of statistics learned in previous courses to emphasize and strengthen the application of multivariate statistical methods (e.g., PCA, FA, nMDS, CCA, GLM). The course is designed to expose students to real data that they will examine and analyze. They will also interpret their results in a coherent and rigorous way, allowing for scientific replicability. The course is taught using R and RStudio, while complementary platforms for storing, sharing, and accessing codes such as GitHub are highly recommended. Ultimately, the course seeks for students to consolidate and gain experience in multivariate analysis to better prepare for their thesis projects.






Aquatic entomology (B-0520 & SP-0965*)

*Graduate level, taught at the Universidad Costa Rica every two years in fall semesters

I teach this class jointly with Professor Monika Springer at UCR. We start this course by discussing basic concepts related to morphology, physiology, natural history, and diversity of aquatic insects. We go over general principles of freshwater biology and ecological classification of aquatic habitats. We also cover evolution, adaptation, and biomonitoring. During the course, we go on at least three field trips to show students the preferred habitats for each aquatic insect taxa. We visit different regions of Costa Rica, such as the Dry Forest (Guanacaste), Páramo (Cerro de la Muerte) and lowland forests (La Selva Biological Station). Students prepare two insect collections throughout the course and learn to identify the most common families and genera of aquatic insects of Costa Rica.



Limnology (B-0406)

Taught at the Universidad Costa Rica every two years in spring semesters

Limnology is the study of inland waters - lakes, streams, wetlands, and reservoirs. I teach this class jointly with Professor Gerardo Umaña at UCR. Topics that we cover include: the origin of lakes, the importance of chemical and physical properties, biogeochemical cycles (e.g., carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, iron and silicon), freshwater pollution and eutrophication, food-webs and energy flow, and paleolimnology. The course also includes training in chemical analysis and water sampling techniques, as well as species identification of phytoplankton, zooplankton, macroinvertebrates, and fish. During a weekend field trip, students get practical experience collecting samples in lake ecosystems.







Aquatic biomonitoring (B-0799)

Taught at the Universidad Costa Rica every two years in fall semesters

I teach this class jointly with Professors Monika Springer and Gerardo Umaña, both from the University of Costa Rica. In the lectures, we discuss the origin of biomonitoring (both in Costa Rica and globally), environmental laws and regulations, the various water quality indices, and the use of aquatic organisms (e.g., fish, macroinvertebrates, diatoms) as indicators of pollution. We teach students how to build and use the Index of Biological Integrity (IBIs) and Rapid Assessment Protocols. We discuss the most important physicochemical parameters for water quality analysis, including their maximum permissible limits and potential effects for biota and humans. As a final project, students prepare a proposal for a 'hypothetical' Aquatic Biomonitoring Plan in order to develop and strengthen skills related to planning biomonitoring activities, building a schedule, determining costs and budgets, and considering unforeseen fieldwork challenges.