RODRIGUEZ Lauren, MSc

I am a Marine Biologist specializing in the analysis of environmental DNA (eDNA) collected from large water bodies. My primary focus is on monitoring the spatial and temporal distribution of fish and marine mammal populations. Recently, I completed my master's degree, during which I designed and implemented an eDNA field survey in the Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States. I have also served as a researcher for the Chesapeake DolphinWatch program, an initiative which involves collaborating with citizen scientists to track bottlenose dolphins using a mobile application. Presently, I am a researcher at the Applied Animal Ecology Research Unit located at the University of Innsbruck in Austria. In my role at eWHALE, I conduct fieldwork, engage with citizen scientists, and develop laboratory and bioinformatic protocols for extracting population-genomic information from marine mammal eDNA samples.

My publications

Manuscripts

Rodriguez, L. K., Fandel, A.D., Colbert, B.R., Testa, J.C., Bailey, H. 2021. Spatial and temporal variation in the occurrence of bottlenose dolphins in the Chesapeake Bay, USA, using citizen science sighting data. PLOS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0251637

Rodriguez, L.K., Plough, L.V., Woodland, R.J., Bailey, H. 2023. Considerations for using environmental DNA metabarcoding to evaluate aquatic biodiversity in vertebrate communities across the Chesapeake Bay   (USA) . Environmental DNA. In prep.

Rodriguez, L.K., Polus, S.M., Matuszak, D.I., Domka, M.R., Hanly, P.J., Wang, Q., Soranno, P.A. and Cheruvelil, K.S. 2023. LAGOS-US RESERVOIR: A database classifying conterminous U.S. lakes 4 ha and larger as natural lakes or reservoir lakes. Limnology and Oceanography Letters. https://doi.org/10.1002/lol2.10299

Cheruvelil, K.S., Soranno, P.A., McCullough, I.M., Webster, K.E., Rodriguez, L.K. and Smith, N.J. (2021), LAGOS-US LOCUS v1.0: Data module of location, identifiers, and physical characteristics of lakes and their watersheds in the conterminous U.S.. Limnology and Oceanography Letters, 6: 270-292. https://doi.org/10.1002/lol2.10203

King, K.B.S., Wang, Q., Rodriguez, L.K. and Cheruvelil, K.S. (2021), Lake networks and connectivity metrics for the conterminous U.S. (LAGOS-US NETWORKS v1). Limnology and Oceanography Letters, 6: 293-307. https://doi.org/10.1002/lol2.10204

 

Data Products

Rodriguez, L.K. 2023. Bioproject - SUB12145377: Vertebrate mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene sequences collected from the Chesapeake Bay Estuary. NCBI Sequence Read Archive. In prep.

Rodriguez, L.K., J.C. Testa, K. Silva, H. Bailey. 2023. Chesapeake DolphinWatch Sightings Data (2017-2022): Citizen Science Reports of Bottlenose Dolphins Observed in the Chesapeake Bay, USA. Data In Brief. https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4664450

Polus, S.M., P.J. Hanly, L.K. Rodriguez, Q. Wang, J. Díaz Vázquez, K.E. Webster, P. Tan, J. Zhou, L. Danila, P.A. Soranno, and K.S. Cheruvelil. 2022. LAGOS-US RESERVOIR: Data module classifying conterminous U.S. lakes 4 hectares and larger as natural lakes or reservoirs ver 2. Environmental Data Initiative. https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/f9aa935329a95dfd69bf895015bc5161

Smith, N.J., K.E. Webster, L.K. Rodriguez, K.S. Cheruvelil, and P.A. Soranno. 2021. LAGOS-US LOCUS v1.0: Data module of location, identifiers, and physical characteristics of lakes and their watersheds in the conterminous U.S. ver 1. Environmental Data Initiative. https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/e5c2fb8d77467d3f03de4667ac2173ca

King, K.B., Q. Wang, L.K. Rodriguez, M. Haite, L. Danila, P. Tan, J. Zhou, and K.S. Cheruvelil. 2021. LAGOS-US NETWORKS v1.0: Data module of surface water networks characterizing connections among lakes, streams, and rivers in the conterminous U.S ver 1. Environmental Data Initiative. https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/98c9f11df55958065985c3e84a4fe995

Smith, N.J., K.E. Webster, L.K. Rodriguez, K.S. Cheruvelil, and P.A. Soranno. 2022. LAGOS-US GEO v1.0: Data module of lake geospatial ecological context at multiple spatial and temporal scales in the conterminous U.S. ver 3. Environmental Data Initiative. https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/0e443bd43d7e24c2b6abc7af54ca424a

Stachelek, J., L.K. Rodriguez, J. Díaz Vázquez, et al. 2021. LAGOS-US DEPTH v1.0: Data module of observed maximum and mean lake depths for a subset of lakes in the conterminous U.S. ver 1. Environmental Data Initiative. https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/64ddc4d04661d9aef4bd702dc5d8984f

 

My projects