Park Rapids – The Unseen Majority in a Drop of Water

As you visit the Headwaters of the Mississippi River, stop by the nature cart to visit with this week’s special guest, Dr. Beatriz Baselga-Cervera, Assistant Professor of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior at the University of Minnesota, and explore the hidden world of freshwater microorganisms. Although they are often invisible to the naked eye, microorganisms are essential engines of freshwater ecosystems — supporting food webs, driving critical nutrient cycles like nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon, and shaping the health of lakes, ponds, and rivers.

This event will take place at the Mary Gibbs Mississippi Headwaters Center.

Host Partner: MN DNR Itasca State Park and U of M Itasca Biological Station

Dr. Baselga-Cervera’s research merges microbial experimental evolution and bioprospecting as powerful approaches that simultaneously evaluate causal factors and integrate across ecology, evolution, and genetics disciplines. Research topics include: 1) bioprospection of microalgae and bacteria from extreme environments to address questions from adaptation to biotechnology, 2) study of the evolution of complexity in the context of phenotype, genotype, and environment (GxPxE) interactions across the transition towards multicellularity, and 3) integration of experimental evolution and bioprospection to address diversity and ecological questions of freshwater microbial communities (i.e., cyanobacteria and magnetotactic bacteria). Dr. Baselga-Cervera’s research tests the nature of microbial interactions, the emergence of complexity, adaptation to extreme environments, how global change steers evolution, and the discovery of new functions, to mention a few. Dr. Baselga-Cervera’s research is inherently multi-disciplinarity, often giving rise to biotechnological applications and research knowledge that can help stakeholders and policymakers.

Dr. Beatriz Baselga-Cervera has 10+ years of experience performing community-centered outreach and communication, mainly targeting Spanish-speaking communities. Focus on building positive mentoring-outreach programs and interventions through multi-disciplinary laboratory and field research.

About We Are Water MN?

We are Water MN is a project of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota Humanities Center in partnership with the Minnesota Historical Society; the Board of Water and Soil Resources; the Minnesota Departments of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources; and University of Minnesota Extension.

We are Water MN is paid for by the Clean Water, Land, & Legacy Fund that was created with the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008.

Learn more about the We Are Water MN exhibit, partnership, and programs.

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