Research interests include phytoplankton ecology and dynamics, and index for water quality assessment, harmful algal blooms in coastal and freshwater systems, metabarcoding of phytoplankton, algal taxonomy and identification including diatoms; and Valley fever fungi Coccidioides detection and distribution for forecasting Valley fever outbreaks; and AI on algae (diatoms) identification.

Current projects:

• Ling Ren (PI) and Patrick Gillevet: Characterization of Phytoplankton Community Changes in Barnegat Bay Related to the Closure of Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station, Combining Next Generation Sequencing and Microscopic Analyses.
• Daniel Tong (PI), Ali Andalibi, Barney Bishop, Ling Ren, Patrick Gillevet, et al.: Detecting Cocci Fungus: Preparing the Nation for Valley Fever Outbreaks.