Christy Tyler
Associate Professor
Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences
College of Science
585-475-5042
Office Location
Christy Tyler
Associate Professor
Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences
College of Science
Education
BS, Cornell University; MS, Ph.D., University of Virginia
Bio
Director, Graduate Program in Environmental Science
Tyler received her B.S. in Biological Sciences from Cornell University, her M.S. from the University of Virginia, and her Ph.D. from the University of Virginia.
Her research interests include aquatic ecology, biogeochemistry, invasion biology, wetlands, biodiversity - ecosystem function, and aquatic plants.
585-475-5042
Areas of Expertise
Aquatic ecology and biogeochemistry
wetlands
invasive species
ecosystem restoration
Currently Teaching
BIOL-599
Research Based Writing
3 Credits
This course is intended for students with significant research experience to work closely with their faculty mentors to prepare a manuscript for publication or write a proposal for external funding. Students will devote significant time to writing, revision and peer review. A submission-quality manuscript or proposal is expected at the end of the semester.
ENVS-791
Continuation of Thesis
0 Credits
Continuation of Thesis
ENVS-552
Environmental Science Capstone Seminar II
3 Credits
This course continues to bring together all of the principles of Environmental Science the student has learned during his/her four year undergraduate education at RIT as the follow-up to the first capstone course. Students will work in teams to provide solutions to a real environmental problem or issue. In addition to working with RIT faculty, the students will work with practicing environmental scientists and the public. This second course will focus on refining the methodology and strategy proposed to address the environmental issue, continue data collection and background analyses, interpret results, and propose solutions to the assigned problem. Students will generate a final report and present their findings to the clients.
ENVS-615
Aquatic Ecology Seminar
1 Credits
This graduate seminar course in aquatic ecology will focus on reading and critical evaluation of the peer-reviewed literature, formal and informal communication skills, and discussion of ongoing research in aquatic ecology. This discussion-based course is student lead, and may be retaken for credit.
CHEM-531
Climate Change: Science Technology & Policy
3 Credits
This multidisciplinary course will provide students with diverse perspectives on global climate change issues, providing a survey of important aspects of the problem. Topics include atmospheric chemistry, climate modeling, ecological impacts and feedbacks, economics of climate change, international climate policies, and social and environmental justice. The course will include a variety of instructors and guest lecturers, providing an overview of the complex and inter-related nature of global climate change.
ENVS-631
Climate Change: Science Technology & Policy
3 Credits
This multidisciplinary course will provide students with diverse perspectives on global climate change issues, providing a survey of important aspects of the problem augmented by readings in the primary literature. Topics include atmospheric chemistry, climate modeling, ecological impacts and feedbacks, economics of climate change, international climate policies, and social and environmental justice. The course will include a variety of instructors and guest lecturers, providing an overview of the complex and inter-related nature of global climate change. The course will culminate in a project based on finding solutions to the real-world problem of climate change. Students will be required to take a leadership role in bridging the multiple disciplines presented
ENVS-531
Climate Change: Science Technology & Policy
3 Credits
This multidisciplinary course will provide students with diverse perspectives on global climate change issues, providing a survey of important aspects of the problem. Topics include atmospheric chemistry, climate modeling, ecological impacts and feedbacks, economics of climate change, international climate policies, and social and environmental justice. The course will include a variety of instructors and guest lecturers, providing an overview of the complex and inter-related nature of global climate change.
PUBL-631
Climate Change: Science, Technology and Policy
3 Credits
This multidisciplinary course will provide students with diverse perspectives on global climate change issues, providing a survey of important aspects of the problem augmented by readings in the primary literature. Topics include atmospheric chemistry, climate modeling, ecological impacts and feedbacks, economics of climate change, international climate policies, and social and environmental justice. The course will include a variety of instructors and guest lecturers, providing an overview of the complex and interrelated nature of global climate change. The course will culminate in a project based on finding solutions to the real-world problem of climate change. Students will be required to take a leadership role in bridging the multiple disciplines presented.
ENVS-790
Environmental Science Thesis
1 - 4 Credits
The thesis option will be available to environmental science graduate students only with prior written approval of program faculty. Students will submit a proposal to a faculty member who agrees to serve as the student's thesis committee chair. The proposal will describe the basic research question to be investigated and the experimental protocols to be employed. Proposals will be reviewed by the program faculty who will give permission to register for thesis credit. This course may be taken several times over the course of a student's graduate program, for variable credits. A written thesis and oral defense are required at the completion of the thesis research.
PUBL-531
Climate Change: Science, Technology and Policy
3 Credits
This multidisciplinary course will provide students with diverse perspectives on global climate change issues, providing a survey of important aspects of the problem. Topics include atmospheric chemistry, climate modeling, ecological impacts and feedbacks, economics of climate change, international climate policies, and social and environmental justice. The course will include a variety of instructors and guest lecturers, providing an overview of the complex and inter-related nature of global climate change.
ENVS-498
Advanced Environmental Science Independent Study
1 - 4 Credits
This course is a faculty-directed tutorial of appropriate topics that are not part of the formal curriculum. The level of study is appropriate for student in their final two years of study.
ENVS-798
Advanced Environmental Science Independent Study
1 - 4 Credits
This course is a faculty-directed tutorial of appropriate topics that are not part of the formal curriculum. The level of study is appropriate for student in the Environmental Science graduate program.
ENVS-795
Environmental Science Graduate Research
1 - 4 Credits
This course is a graduate level, faculty-directed, student project or research involving laboratory or field work, computer modeling, or theoretical calculations that could be considered of an original nature. The level of study is appropriate for students in Environmental Science graduate program.
ENVS-602
Environmental Science Graduate Studies II
1 Credits
A continuation of Grad Studies I, which helps graduate students learn how to assess journal articles, government reports, whitepapers, and essays as well as other relevant sources of information. Students will continue to refine their discussion and presentation skills and gain experience in clarifying their comments and responding to questions from an audience. Student will complete the process of defining, creating, presenting, and defending a thesis proposal.
ENVS-298
Environmental Science Independent Study
1 - 4 Credits
This course is a faculty-directed tutorial of appropriate topics that are not part of the formal curriculum. The level of study is appropriate for student in their first three years of study.
BIOL-798
Grad Biology Independent Study
1 - 4 Credits
This course is a faculty-directed, graduate level tutorial of appropriate topics that are not part of the formal curriculum.
BIOL-498
Advanced Biology Independent Study
1 - 4 Credits
This course is a faculty-directed tutorial of appropriate topics that are not part of the formal curriculum. The level of study is appropriate for student in their final two years of study.
BIOL-301
Undergraduate Teaching Experience
1 - 4 Credits
This course allows students to assist in a class or laboratory for which they have previously earned credit. The student will assist the instructor in the operation of the course. Assistance by the student may include fielding questions, helping in workshops, and assisting in review sessions. In the case of labs, students may also be asked to help with supervising safety practices, waste manifestation, and instrumentation.
BIOL-298
Biology Independent Study
1 - 4 Credits
This course is a faculty-directed tutorial of appropriate topics that are not part of the formal curriculum. The level of study is appropriate for student in their first three years of study.
BIOL-495
Advanced Biology Research
1 - 4 Credits
This course is a faculty-directed student project or research involving laboratory or field work, computer modeling, or theoretical calculations that could be considered of an original nature. The level of study is appropriate for students in their final two years of study.
ENVS-201
Environmental Workshop
3 Credits
This workshop serves as the second core course for the Environmental Science major. Through in-class exercises, outside labs, and field trips, students will begin to learn problem solving and analytical skills needed to investigate and address environmental issues. Topics may include assessing campus biodiversity and ecosystems, calculating personal and campus ecological footprints and sustainability indexes, environmental modeling, and campus sustainability projects. To demonstrate the interdisciplinary methodology of environmental science, elements of government/political science/policy, ethics, economics, sociology, and history are embedded in the scientific matrix used to present this course.
ENVS-551
Environmental Science Capstone Seminar I
3 Credits
This course brings together all of the principles of Environmental Science the student has learned during his/her four year undergraduate education at RIT. To accomplish this, students will work in teams to provide solutions to a real environmental problem or issue. In addition to working with RIT faculty, the students will work with practicing environmental scientists and the public. This first course will focus on problem definition, developing a problem solving strategy, and begin data collection and background analyses. Students will present their preliminary findings to the client through presentations and status reports.
BIOL-295
Biology Research
1 - 4 Credits
This course is a faculty-directed student project or research involving laboratory work, computer modeling, or theoretical calculations that could be considered of an original nature. The level of study is appropriate for students in their first three years of study.
In the News
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July 16, 2020
![enlarged view of microplastic pellets.]()
Searching for microplastics within the human body
The Globe and Mail features work by Christy Tyler, associate professor in the Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences, and Nathan Eddingsaas, associate professor in the School of Chemistry and Materials Science.
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May 26, 2020
![four researchers collecting sediment samples from a lake.]()
RIT researchers receive grant to study microplastic pollution in Lake Ontario
A team of RIT researchers will explore how tiny particles of plastic pollution are impacting Lake Ontario thanks to new funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The multidisciplinary group will examine how microplastics are transported and transformed in the lake, where they ultimately end up and what effects they have on the ecosystem.
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September 25, 2019
![Nylon teabag being steeped in water in glass teacup.]()
Some tea bags may shed billions of microplastics per cup
CBC News talks to Matthew Hoffman, associate professor in the School of Mathematical Sciences, and Christy Tyler, associate professor in the Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences, about microplastics.
Select Scholarship
Journal Paper
Moore, E.A., et al. "Spatial Perspective Informs Potential for Nanomaterial Accumulation Risks." Journal of Industrial Ecology. (2020): DOI: 10.1111/jiec.12976. Web.
Badura, G.P., et al. "A Novel Approach for Deriving LAI of Salt Marsh Vegetation Using Structure from Motion and Multi-Angular Spectra." IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing. (2019): 1-15. Print.
Eon, R., et al. "Retrieval of Sediment Filling Factor in a Salt Panne from Multi-View Hyperspectral Imagery." Remote Sensing 12. (2020): 422. Web.
Parthsarathy, A., et al. "Plastic pollution in aquatic and terrestrial environments: Is this a driver for the transmission of pathogens and the evolution of antibiotic resistance?" Environmental Science and Technology 53. (2019): 1744-1745. Print.
Moore, E.A., et al. "Cascading Ecological Impacts of Fullerenes in Freshwater Ecosystems." Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 38. (2019): 1714-1723. Print.
Ponte, S., et al. "Fullerene toxicity in the benthos with implications for freshwater ecosystem services." Science of the Total Environment 687. (2019): 451-459. Print.
Eon, R., et al. "Retrieval of salt marsh above-ground biomass from high-spatial resolution, multi-view hyperspectral imagery using PROSAIL." Remote Sensing 11. (2019): 1385. Web.
Kuntz, K.L. and A.C. Tyler. "Bioturbating Invertebrates Enahnce Decomposition and Nitrogen Cycling in Urban Stormwater Ponds." Journal of Urban Ecology 4. 1 (2018): juy015. Print.
Harrison, M.M., et al. "Phenolic Content of Invasive and Non-invasive Emergent Wetland Plant." Aquatic Botany 136. (2016): 146-154. Print.
R, Morgan R Bida, Anna Christina Tyler, and Todd E Pagano. "The Influence of Watershed Land Use on the Composition of Dissolved Organic Matter Entering Conesus Lake, NY." Journal of Great Lakes Research 41. (2015): 730-742. Print.
Reynolds, Laura K, et al. "Grazers control nitrogen fixation by eelgrass epiphytes in a temperate coastal bay." Marine Ecology Progress Series 526. (2015): 11-19. Print.
Ryen, Erinn, et al. "Community Ecology Perspectives on the Structural and Functional Evolution of Consumer Electronics." Journal of Industrial Ecology 18. (2014): 708-721. Print.
Yarrington, Charles S, Andrew H Altieri, and Anna Christina Tyler. "Non-consumptive Effects of Predators Alter the Ability of Benthic Invertebrates to Modify Sediment Biogeochemistry and Benthic Microalgal Abundance." Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 446. (2013): 253-261. Print.
Premo, Katherine and Anna Christina Tyler. "Threat of Predation Alters the Ability of Benthic Invertebrates to Modify Sediment Biogeochemistry and Benthic Microalgal Abundance." Marine Ecology Progress Series 494. (2013): 29-39. Print.
McLenaghan, N.A., et al. "Benthic Macroinvertebrate Diversity Regulates Nutrient and Algal Dynamics in a Shallow Estuary." Marine Ecology Progress Series 426. (2011): 171-184. Print.
Published Conference Proceedings
Mahl, U.H., A.C. Tyler, and E.D. Grosholz. "The Impact of Benthic Invertebrates on Porewater Ammonium and Sulfide: Consequences for Spartina Seedling Growth." Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Invasive Spartina. Ed. Ayres, DR, DW Kerr, SD Ericson and PR Olofson. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Publications Limited, 2011. Print.
Tyler, A.C. and E.D. Grosholz. "Spartina Invasion Changes Intertidal Ecosystem Metabolism in San Francisco Bay." Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Invasive Spartina. Ed. Ayres, DR, DW Kerr, SD Ericson and PR Olofson. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Publications Limited, 2011. Print.
Formal Presentation
Bourdon, B.M., A.C. Tyler. “Does Mercenaria mercenaria Influence Benthic Denitrification? Effects of bivalves in different estuarine sediments.”Rochester Academy of Sciences. Rochester, NY. Nov. 2010. Presentation. "
Burke, S.B., G. Neuderfer, A.C. Tyler. “Role of common benthic macroinvertebrates on nutrient cycling in eutrophic lake sediments.” Rochester Academy of Sciences. Rochester, NY. Nov. 2010. Presentation. "
Abdul Rahman, S.A., A.C. Tyler, T. Pagano. “Effects of enhanced phenolic dissolved organic carbon on the growth of aquatic plants.” Rochester Academy of Sciences. Rochester, NY. Nov. 2010. Presentation. "
Scheiner, C., K. Korfmacher, C. Tyler. “Spatial analysis of macroinvertebrates and their effects on eutrophication in a shallow estuary: applying small-scale results to a large scale study.” Great Lakes ResearchConsortium. Syracuse, NY. Mar. 2010. Presentation. "
Tyler, A.C., A.H. Altieri, J.T. Barnette, E.D. Grosholz, N.A. McLenaghan. “Direct and indirect effects of the mud snail Ilyanassa obsoleta on nutrient availability and algal production.”Benthic Ecology Meeting. Wilmington, NC.Mar. 2010. Presentation. "
Published Article
Christian, R.R., C.M. Voss, C. Bondavalli, P. Viaroli, M. Naldi, A.C. Tyler, I.C. Anderson, K.J. McGlathery,R.E. Ulanowicz and V. Camacho-Ibar. “Ecosystem Health Indexed throughNetworks of Nitrogen Cycling.” Coastal Lagoons: Critical Habitats of Environmental Change, 2010. n.p. Print. É *