Research Interests

I am interested broadly in the interaction between humans and landscape over time, specifically as relates to water resources. Lake sediments archive a continuous input of biologic, geochemical, and sedimentological material that can be used to investigate within-lake changes over time as well as changes to the surrounding landscape. My main focus is the use of diatoms, a single-celled algae, as a recorder of changes in the environment. Diatoms are made of opaline silica and preserve well in sediments; they are also highly sensitive to changes in the water chemistry of a lake, including salinity and nutrient concentrations. Shifts in diatom abundance and community composition over time therefore often reflect changes in the chemistry of the lake driven by changes in climate, land-use, or local hydrology. Current research projects include using diatom-inferred salinity records to build a long-term history of drought occurrences in Mongolia and using diatoms to track the eutrophication of an urban watershed near Minneapolis in order to establish and evaluate nutrient reduction goals.

Publications

Drevnick PE, Canfield DE, Gorski P R, Shinneman ALC, Engstrom DR, Muir DCG, Smith GR, Garrison PJ, Cleckner LB, Hurley JP, Noble RB, Otter RR, Oris JT (2007) Deposition and Cycling of Sulfur Controls Mercury Accumulation in Isle Royale Fish. Environmental Science and Technology 41(21); 7266-7272.

Shinneman ALC, Edlund MB, Almendinger JE, Soninkhishig N, Diatoms as indicators of water quality in Western Mongolia: a 54-site calibration set (submitted to Journal of Paleolimnology)

Conference Abstracts

Shinneman ALC, Umbanhower CE, Edlund MB, Soninkhishig N, 2007, Regional reconstruction of fire and climate in western Mongolia during the past 1000 years: modern lake systems and their connection with climate [poster presentation] American Geophysical Union, San Francisco, California.

Shinneman ALC, Edlund MB, Almendinger JE, 2007, Land Use Impacts in the Valley of the Great Lakes (Mongolia) [poster presentation] Geological Society of America, Denver, Colorado.

Shinneman ALC, Edlund MB, Soninkhishig N, 2007, Using diatoms to track water quality changes in the Valley of the Great Lakes (Mongolia) [oral presentation] North American Diatom Symposium, Pellston Michigan.

Shinneman ALC, Edlund MB, Almendinger JE, Ito E, 2006, Climate and Landscape in Mongolia’s Valley of the Great Lakes [poster presentation] International Paleolimnology Symposium, Duluth, Minnesota

Shinneman ALC, Edlund MB, Almendinger JE, Soninkhishig N, 2005, Mongolia’s Valley of the Great Lakes: Distributions of diatom assemblages and environmental variables in a climatically sensitive region [oral presentation] North American Diatom Symposium, Mobile, Alabama.

Additional Research Experience

Environmental Associate 2002 - 2003: Dakota County Office of Environmental Assessment, Apple Valley, MN

Conducted field surveys and maintained GIS databases to assist in the assessment of environmental remediation projects

Undergraduate research assistant 1999 - 2001: Department of Geology, Macalester College, Saint Paul, MN

Conducted petrologic and paleomagnetic investigations in the Yukon Territory to assist in geologic mapping

Intern 2000 - 2001: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Saint Paul, MN

Collected ground water samples, created and maintained data bases in support of state ground water monitoring program.