The Ramirez Lab, NCSU
@aramirezlab.bsky.social
Lab account- We study tropical stream ecology, urban streams, and macroinvertebrates.
Alisotrichia (Hydroptilidae: Trichoptera) - a curious microcaddisfly that, as a larva, does not build a case until it is ready to pupate. Almost all Hydroptilidae make silken cases, but Alisotrichia has a free-living larva and inhabits fast flowing habitats.
This specimen is from Puerto Rico.
This specimen is from Puerto Rico.
November 20, 2025 at 2:03 AM
Alisotrichia (Hydroptilidae: Trichoptera) - a curious microcaddisfly that, as a larva, does not build a case until it is ready to pupate. Almost all Hydroptilidae make silken cases, but Alisotrichia has a free-living larva and inhabits fast flowing habitats.
This specimen is from Puerto Rico.
This specimen is from Puerto Rico.
Heteragrion (Odonata: Heteragrionidae), one of the most beautiful damselfly larvae from Centra America!
This predators are common in small forested streams, where they leave among leaves and under rocks.
This predators are common in small forested streams, where they leave among leaves and under rocks.
November 5, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Heteragrion (Odonata: Heteragrionidae), one of the most beautiful damselfly larvae from Centra America!
This predators are common in small forested streams, where they leave among leaves and under rocks.
This predators are common in small forested streams, where they leave among leaves and under rocks.
Using automatic sensors in streams- Sharing some pics of our monitoring stations in Costa Rica. We're using sensors to monitor streams over time to understand how environments fluctuate and modify biotic community structure or ecosystem function.
October 1, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Using automatic sensors in streams- Sharing some pics of our monitoring stations in Costa Rica. We're using sensors to monitor streams over time to understand how environments fluctuate and modify biotic community structure or ecosystem function.
Congratulations to our lab alumni on their professional achievements:
- Pablo Gutiérrez began as an assistant professor at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez
- Mariely Vega began her work as a Policy Fellow with the NC Sea Grant program
- Ana Meza shared her postdoctoral work at Macrolatinos
- Pablo Gutiérrez began as an assistant professor at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez
- Mariely Vega began her work as a Policy Fellow with the NC Sea Grant program
- Ana Meza shared her postdoctoral work at Macrolatinos
September 17, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Congratulations to our lab alumni on their professional achievements:
- Pablo Gutiérrez began as an assistant professor at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez
- Mariely Vega began her work as a Policy Fellow with the NC Sea Grant program
- Ana Meza shared her postdoctoral work at Macrolatinos
- Pablo Gutiérrez began as an assistant professor at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez
- Mariely Vega began her work as a Policy Fellow with the NC Sea Grant program
- Ana Meza shared her postdoctoral work at Macrolatinos
Big thanks to the Macrolatinos network and the organizers of the VII meeting in Colombia for this recognition!
September 12, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Big thanks to the Macrolatinos network and the organizers of the VII meeting in Colombia for this recognition!
We had a great time presenting our research at the VII Latin American Meeting of Freshwater Macroinvertebrates in Manizales, Colombia, last week. It was great to finally meet in person after several online meetings since the pandemic.
www.macrolatinos.net
www.macrolatinos.net
September 5, 2025 at 4:38 PM
We had a great time presenting our research at the VII Latin American Meeting of Freshwater Macroinvertebrates in Manizales, Colombia, last week. It was great to finally meet in person after several online meetings since the pandemic.
www.macrolatinos.net
www.macrolatinos.net
A beautiful helicopter damselfly (Megaloprepus caerulatus) in the rainforest!
August 1, 2025 at 8:05 PM
A beautiful helicopter damselfly (Megaloprepus caerulatus) in the rainforest!
Tropical research: What I think I'm going to see vs. what I'll actually see …
Investigar en el trópico: Lo que pienso que voy a ver vs. lo que realmente estaré viendo…
Investigar en el trópico: Lo que pienso que voy a ver vs. lo que realmente estaré viendo…
July 30, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Tropical research: What I think I'm going to see vs. what I'll actually see …
Investigar en el trópico: Lo que pienso que voy a ver vs. lo que realmente estaré viendo…
Investigar en el trópico: Lo que pienso que voy a ver vs. lo que realmente estaré viendo…
Studying the effects of nutrients on organic matter decomposition in tropical streams. Our team is working at La Selva, Costa Rica, using cotton strips to evaluate the effects of natural phosphorus inputs on ecosystem function.
July 23, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Studying the effects of nutrients on organic matter decomposition in tropical streams. Our team is working at La Selva, Costa Rica, using cotton strips to evaluate the effects of natural phosphorus inputs on ecosystem function.
What’s our lab up to in Costa Rica this summer?
July 18, 2025 at 2:45 PM
What’s our lab up to in Costa Rica this summer?
Time to start our summer field work in Costa Rica!
July 9, 2025 at 10:31 PM
Time to start our summer field work in Costa Rica!
Sharing information on aquatic insects during a fishing tournament in Puerto Rico. We had a wonderful time!
June 18, 2025 at 10:49 PM
Sharing information on aquatic insects during a fishing tournament in Puerto Rico. We had a wonderful time!
A special session at SFS-2025 in honor of our doctoral mentor, Dr. Cathy Pringle. She was also recognized as a Fellow of the Society for Freshwater Science.
We had a great time in Puerto Rico sharing memories and reconnecting with past members of the Pringle lab!
#2025SFS #sfs2025
We had a great time in Puerto Rico sharing memories and reconnecting with past members of the Pringle lab!
#2025SFS #sfs2025
May 28, 2025 at 4:16 PM
We found a little souvenir to remember our SFS meeting in Puerto Rico! 😅
@freshwaterscience.bsky.social
@freshwaterscience.bsky.social
May 23, 2025 at 10:32 PM
We found a little souvenir to remember our SFS meeting in Puerto Rico! 😅
@freshwaterscience.bsky.social
@freshwaterscience.bsky.social
Here’s the list of presentations from our lab members and collaborators at the annual meeting of the Society for Freshwater Sciences in Puerto Rico. Very excited to share our work and meet old and new friends!
#2025SFS
#2025SFS
May 17, 2025 at 10:32 PM
Here’s the list of presentations from our lab members and collaborators at the annual meeting of the Society for Freshwater Sciences in Puerto Rico. Very excited to share our work and meet old and new friends!
#2025SFS
#2025SFS
Dragonfly sampling at La Selva Research Station, #CostaRica
March 26, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Dragonfly sampling at La Selva Research Station, #CostaRica
A short visit to La Selva Research Station, #CostaRica. Just enough time to deliver supplies and work on a few samples! A lovely rainforest!
Pink insects- we use a dye to facilitate finding them among leaves and sediments.
Pink insects- we use a dye to facilitate finding them among leaves and sediments.
March 19, 2025 at 12:46 PM
A short visit to La Selva Research Station, #CostaRica. Just enough time to deliver supplies and work on a few samples! A lovely rainforest!
Pink insects- we use a dye to facilitate finding them among leaves and sediments.
Pink insects- we use a dye to facilitate finding them among leaves and sediments.
Macroinvertebrate sampling workshop! We had a great time with LUQ-LTER technicians sampling the stream and teaching them how to study aquatic organisms in our long-term sampling sites.
March 6, 2025 at 12:18 PM
Macroinvertebrate sampling workshop! We had a great time with LUQ-LTER technicians sampling the stream and teaching them how to study aquatic organisms in our long-term sampling sites.
Freshwater shrimp as macroconsumers - these are pictures of our study stream in Puerto Rico where shrimp are dominant. Only 20 days of exclusion and the difference between control and exclusion are rather clear. Shrimp maintain tiles clean of sediment, with little algae, and few insects! 🧪
February 26, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Freshwater shrimp as macroconsumers - these are pictures of our study stream in Puerto Rico where shrimp are dominant. Only 20 days of exclusion and the difference between control and exclusion are rather clear. Shrimp maintain tiles clean of sediment, with little algae, and few insects! 🧪
Woody debris breaks down faster in tropical streams with high phosphorus.
Marzolf et al. 2025. On the breakdown of woody ... in Neotropical streams, Costa Rica. Freshwater Science
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...
@nickmarzolf.bsky.social @ardonlab.bsky.social @alonsoramirez.bsky.social
Marzolf et al. 2025. On the breakdown of woody ... in Neotropical streams, Costa Rica. Freshwater Science
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...
@nickmarzolf.bsky.social @ardonlab.bsky.social @alonsoramirez.bsky.social
February 19, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Woody debris breaks down faster in tropical streams with high phosphorus.
Marzolf et al. 2025. On the breakdown of woody ... in Neotropical streams, Costa Rica. Freshwater Science
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...
@nickmarzolf.bsky.social @ardonlab.bsky.social @alonsoramirez.bsky.social
Marzolf et al. 2025. On the breakdown of woody ... in Neotropical streams, Costa Rica. Freshwater Science
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...
@nickmarzolf.bsky.social @ardonlab.bsky.social @alonsoramirez.bsky.social
Valentine cards to share with someone special who loves aquatic macroinvertebrates! Wishing everyone a happy Valentine's Day.
Photos courtesy of lifeinfreshwater.net
Photos courtesy of lifeinfreshwater.net
February 12, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Valentine cards to share with someone special who loves aquatic macroinvertebrates! Wishing everyone a happy Valentine's Day.
Photos courtesy of lifeinfreshwater.net
Photos courtesy of lifeinfreshwater.net