Kaitlin (Kait) Reinl
About Me
Welcome! My name is Kait Reinl and I am a limnologist with a broad focus on how the synergistic effects of climate and watershed characteristics influence impacts inland water quality. My most recent work has focused on cyanobacterial blooms in Lake Superior using monitoring, experimental, and computer modeling approaches. I am an Assitant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY.
I received my B.S. in Environmental Engineering and M.S. in Applied Ecology from Michigan Technological University. During my time there I worked on a variety of projects as an undergraduate including assisting in the review and application of the lake model ‘FLake’, programming a CR1000 Basic Datalogger with LI-COR 7500 to record air quality data, sampling Torch Lake for trace metals, analytes, DOC, and suspended solids, snow core sampling, and conducting stream assessments. As a master’s student, I utilized climate model data to model future temperature conditions in small lakes in the Midwest. I went on to complete my PhD at the University of Minnesota - Duluth’s Large Lakes Observatory with Bob Sterner. There I worked on many projects (learn more on the Research page), but the theme of my dissertation work was the intersection of climate, watershed, influence, and phytoplankton dynamics in Lake Superior. After completing my PhD, I was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Center for Limnology advised by Hilary Dugan and Noah Lottig/Emily Stanley. During that time I worked on a variety of projects including developing the LAGOS US database, projects on lake phenology, and coordinating efforts to understand the ecology of Lake Superior’s nearshore. Most recently, I was the Research Coordinator for the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR), part of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension. In this position, I served as the lead scientist and guide the research program for the Reserve for 3.5 years. My work there centered on long-term monitoring and research to better understand water quality, phytoplankton community dynamics, and harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the St. Louis River Estuary and western Lake Superior. I led efforts to synthesize System-Wide Monitoring Program (SWMP) data, investigate drivers of algal growth and bloom formation, and assess how land-use changes and climate variability impact freshwater ecosystems. I also collaborate on interdisciplinary projects exploring the connections between watershed processes, nutrient cycling, and microbial communities in estuarine and nearshore environments.