Welcome to the Hays lab at Keene State College
Cynthia Hays, chays@keene.edu
I’m a Professor of Biology at Keene State College, a public undergraduate liberal arts college in rural New Hampshire. My research explores the ecology and evolution of species distributions, especially at the edges of those distributions.
My study organisms are primarily seagrasses and seaweeds. Marine macrophytes can’t move to modify their environment, and their populations commonly span strong environmental gradients (e.g., water depth, or tidal elevation). Further, many marine macrophytes are important foundation species in the nearshore environment -- by their very presence, they create physical structure that modifies abiotic conditions (temperature, water flow, light) and provides habitat for many other associated taxa. Thus, the distribution of these species literally defines the larger community, and a contraction or shift in their distribution can impact the whole nearshore ecosystem.
To explore the interplay between population genetics, demography and distribution, my undergraduate students and I use a variety of techniques, including molecular methods as well as experiments in the lab and field. We also benefit greatly from working with excellent collaborators who are interested in similar questions, and who bring new tools and expertise to the table. Please see ‘Current Projects’ to learn more about ongoing research in the lab!