Stephen MacAvoy Associate Professor Environmental Science
- Additional Positions at 鶹ƽ
- MS Director, Environmental Science
- Degrees
- PhD Environmental Science, UVA
MS Environmental Science, UVA
BS Biology, Fairfield University - Bio
- Working in biogeochemistry and ecology, Professor MacAvoy has been particularly interested in how both nutrients and contaminants flow through, and are incorporated by, aquatic ecosystem components. Research and consulting activities have taken him to the deep ocean, the West Indies, Europe and 12 USA States. Stephen MacAvoy obtained his PhD from the University of Virginia in 2000 and conducted post-doctoral work at the University of Georgia. He joined the faculty of 鶹ƽ in 2003 and was Chair of the Department of Environmental Science from 2016 to 2022. Recent journal articles have appeared in Applied Geochemistry, Environmental Science and Pollution Research, Ecological Engineering and Marine Mammal Science. He is currently conducting research on the geochemistry of urban rivers and the resilience of aquatic invertebrates to climate change. In 2022 he co-authored the book "Climate Change, Science, and the Politics of Shared Sacrifice" with Professor Todd Eisenstadt in the School of Public Affairs.
- See Also
- Biogeochemistry Laboratory
- Environmental Science Dept
- For the Media
- To request an interview for a news story, call 鶹ƽ Communications at 202-885-5950 or submit a request.
Partnerships & Affiliations
-
American Geophysical Union
Member (1998-present) -
American Society of Limnology and Oceanography
Member (1997-1999) -
American Fisheries Society
Member (1994-1995, 2001-2002)
Scholarly, Creative & Professional Activities
Research Interests
I am currently involved in examining where and how organics in the Anacostia River (Washington DC) originate and are transformed. I am also working on models that can describe how organisms incorporate nutrients of different quality and how that is related to metabolic rate. For many years now I have been interested in the role of migrating river herring as marine nutrient vectors to freshwater systems.
Selected Publications
Ventresca, O, Acevedo A, Nicholas K, Craig J, Carpenter S, Fisher C, Danzberger M, Williams C, Balestra B, and MacAvoy SE. (2024). Concentration and distribution of specific siloxanes (D5 and D6) and PAHs in the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers, USA. Water 16, 2059.https://doi.org/10.3390/w16142059
Davey E, Meiller J, Kontana K, Fox D, Landaverde N, MacAvoy SE Balestra B. (2023). Microplastics and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: abundance, distribution, and chemical analyses in the Nash Run, an urban tributary to the Anacostia River (Washington, DC). Water, Air and Soil Pollution 234: 493. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-023-06468-5
Malik, S, Cohen A, MacAvoy SE, Connaughton VP. (2023). The importance of assessing water quality in tributaries: A case study in an urban waterway using zebrafish (Danio rerio). Water 15: 2372 https://doi.org/10.3390/w15132372
Jessup, WH, Wiegand J, Delbridge-Perry M, MacAvoy SE, Connaughton VP. (2022). Development effects of siloxane exposure in zebrafish: a comparison study using laboratory-mixed and environmental water samples. Journal of Applied Toxicology 1-19 DOI: 10.1002/jat.4369
MacAvoy SE and Lunine A. (2022). Anthropogenic influences on an urban river: differences in cations and nutrients along an urban/suburban transect. Water 14(9): 1330, https://doi.org/10.3390/w14091330
Wilken RL, A Imanalieva, SE MacAvoy, VP Connaughton. (2020). Anatomical and behavioral assessment of larval zebrafish (Danio rerio) reared in Anacostia River water samples. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-020-00707-0
Mucha S, G Williamson and SE MacAvoy. (2018). Pollution reduction in throughflow from vegetated and non-vegetated, foam-based surfaces and green roofs. Nitrogen 1: 21-33.
MacAvoy SE, N Cortese, J Cybulski, A Hohn, SA Macko. (2017). Sources of stable isotope variation among stranded Western Atlantic dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in North Carolina. Marine Mammal Science 33(4):1224-1234. DOI: 10.1111/mms.12425.
MacAvoy SE, A. Braciszewski, E. Tengi and D. Fong. (2016). Trophic plasticity among spring versus cave populations of Gammarus minus: examining functional niches using stable isotopes and C/N ratios. Ecological Research 31(4): 589-595. DOI 10.1007/s11284-016-1359-6
MacAvoy SE, Katie Plank, Sydney Mucha and Glenn Williamson. (2016). Effectiveness of foam-based green surfaces in reducing nitrogen and suspended solids in an urban installation. Ecological Engineering 91: 257-264
Kraeer K, L Arneson, SE MacAvoy. (2014). The intraspecies relationship between tissue turnover and metabolic rate in rats. Ecological Research 29(5): 937-947.
Connor NC, Sarraino S, Frantz D, Bushaw-Newton K, MacAvoy SE. (2014). Geochemical characteristics of an urban river: influences of an anthropogenic landscape. Applied Geochemistry 47:209-216.
Work In Progress
- MacAvoy SE, Ewers E, Bushaw-Newton K. in review. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. A Biogeochemical Survey of the Anacostia River, Washington DC.E
- Eushaw-Newton KL, Ewers E, C. S. Fortunato CS, Ashley JT, D. Velinsky DJ, SE MacAvoy. Microbial diversity snapshots from sediments of the Anacostia River. in prep for Applied Microbiololgy
Media Appearances
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"The show about science". Urban water chemistry.
https://soundcloud.com/the-show-about-science/tsas-106-urban-water-chemistry/s-gVpWA3Ril5K?si=db9acf6df9f14485b2b8df848844d96d&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
Washington Post: (Metro section) https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/11/27/dc-microplastics-anacostia-potomac-river-research/
National Geographic online. 9/8/23. This summer's extreme weather is a sign of things to come.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/summer-extreme-weather-wildfires-heat-climate-change
Swiss TV, RSI News. 11/16/18. Climate change, land use and fire.
https://www.rsi.ch/news/mondo/California-oltre-1000-dispersi-11106774.html
Earth Magazine. 5/26/17. Down to Earth With: Biogeochemist Stephen MacAvoy. https://www.earthmagazine.org/article/down-earth-biogeochemist-stephen-macavoy
WTOP radio/web: 5/14/2014. Green roofs could be the answer to clean D.C.'s rivers. http://www.wtop.com/41/3621654/Green-roofs-could-be-the-answer-to-clean-DCs-rivers
Also appeared in Washington Post, Washington Times and other news outlets.
ABC Channel 7 (WJLA). 4/22/2014. http://www.wjla.com/articles/2014/04/researchers-install-environmentally-friendly-green-roofs-in-d-c--102396.html
WSB-TV Atlanta. 3/7/2014. NASA Technology and Sinkholes (COX).
Al Arabiya News Channel. 6/7/2012. Views on state shift in earth’s biosphere. To air on 6/9/12
PressTV (English language Iran). 3/5/2012. BP faces heavy fines in Gulf oil spill settlement. http://www.presstv.ir/detail/230178.html
TV Globo / Globo News (Brazil). 1/18/2011. Climate change and extreme weather events. http://globonews.globo.com/Jornalismo/GN/0,,MUL1642294-17665-310,00.html
Grants and Sponsored Research
SPONSORED RESEARCH: EXTERNAL GRANTS RECEIVED: 16 external grants during the previous 10 years
USGS Water Resources Research Institute. 2024. Investigation into the concentration and distribution of bisphenol A (BPA) in Anacostia and Potomac River sediments. Award amount; 15,000
USGS Water Resources Research Institute. 2023. Fatty acid and siloxane variability in the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers, Washington DCAward amount; 15,000
Cave Conservancy of the Virginia’s. 2023. Assessing seep amphipod and isopod resilience to environmental warming by metabolic plasticity proxy. Award amount; 17,000
USGS Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI). 2022. Emerging pollutants in the Anacostia River: Determining concentration of siloxanes (D4, D5, D6, and 2.4.6.8) and specific PAHs. Award amount; 15,000
USGS Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI). 2021. Exploring anomalously high calcium in suburban MD streams in the absence of bedrock carbonate and geochemical indicators of concrete dissolution. Award amount; 15,000
USGS Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI). 2020. Next-generation effects-based monitoring of contaminants in the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers. Co-PI. Award amount; 10,000
USGS Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI). 2020. Toxicity of organic contaminants in urban and suburban areas of the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers. Award amount; 10,000
USGS Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI). 2019. Concentrations of siloxanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and cations in urban and suburban areas of the Anacostia.Award amount; 10,000
NIH (collaborator). 2019. Developmental manipulation of estrogen signaling alters adult visual function. Responsibities:Bisphenol A, Estradiol and Tributyltin in fish tissues. Award amount;$422,774
USGS Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI).2019.Concentrations of siloxanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and cations in urban and suburban areas of the Anacostia.Award amount; $10,000
USGS Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI).2018.Inorganic geochemistry and endocrine disrupters in urban streams:quantifying links between development patterns and water chemistry.Award amount; $10,000
NASA DC Space Grant Consortium.2017.Development of a biomonitoring system to assess water quality using an interdisciplinary approach.(co-PI with Prof. Connaughton).Award amount; $5,250
USGS Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI).2017.Examination of nutrient and land use patterns in the tidal Anacostia River.Award amount; $10,000
Cave Conservancy of Virginia:2016-2018. "Assessing the trophic ecology and climate change resilience ofStygobromus tenuis potomacus”.Award amount; $14,445
USGS Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI).2015/16. Evaluation of “green roof” effectiveness for nitrogen, phosphorus and suspended solid reduction in runoff from precipitation events.Award amount; $10,000
USGS Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI).2014/15. "Geochemical characteristics of an urban river: detecting the influences of an urban landscape". Award amount; $15,000
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, through Washington DC Fire and Emergency Management Service. 2012-2015. "Nutrient, TSS and Organic Carbon Reduction Associated with Aqualok". Award amount: $64,526 total. Year 1 (2012/13) $25,902; Year 2 (2013/14) $16,313; Year 3 (2014/15) $22,311.
USGS Water Resources Research Institute. 2012/13 "Episodic changes in water chemical composition and nutrient loading in the Anacostia River". Award amount; $15,000
Honors, Awards, and Fellowships
Award for Excellence in Master's Student Mentoring. 鶹ƽ, Vice-Provost Office, Spring 2016
Ann S. Ferren Curriculum Design Award. 鶹ƽ, Center for Teaching, Research and Learning. Co-awardee. Spring 2014.
Outstanding Teaching Award: Biology Department, 鶹ƽ (ENVS 581 Environmental Science II), Fall 2008 (for Spring 2008 term)
Outstanding Teaching Award: Biology Department, 鶹ƽ (BIO 240 Oceanography), Fall 2008 (for Spring 2008 term)
Outstanding Teaching Award: Biology Department, 鶹ƽ (BIO 396/696; Environmental Geology), Spring 2008 (for Fall 2007 term
Outstanding Teaching Award: Biology Department, 鶹ƽ (BIO 499; Senior Seminar, Fall 2005 (for Spring 2005 term)
Trout Unlimited Award: For outstanding contributions to cold water fisheries research.
Professional Presentations
- 2/14/07 American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA" Biogeochemical snapshot of an urban water system: The Anacostia River, Washington DC" S.E. MacAvoy*, E. Ewers, and KL Bushaw-Newton
- 9/5/06 University of Virginia, Department of Environmental Science, "Exploring the Deep-sea communities of the Gulf of Mexico"
- 4/21/06 Virginia Commonwealth University, Center for Environmental Studies, Rice Collaborators Group. "Anadromous fish as nutrient vectors to tidal freshwater: seasonal pulse utilized by primary producers and consumers"
- 10/5/04 Fairfield University, Environmental Studies Program, Seminar Series (honorarium). "Mysteries of the Deep Ocean: Life Without Light"
- 10/12/01 Georgetown University, Biology Department (honorarium) “Life without light: Exploring the trophic interactions among chemosynthetic and heterotrophic fauna in the Gulf of Mexico”
鶹ƽ Experts
Area of Expertise
Fracking, Hydrocarbons, Effects of Acid Rain on Fish, Petroleum Disasters, Drilling in Gulf of Mexico
Additional Information
MacAvoy researches freshwater coastal fisheries and pollution; deep sea ocean resources; and urban water/runoff and combined sewage outflow in Washington, D.C.
For the Media
To request an interview for a news story, call 鶹ƽ Communications at 202-885-5950 or submit a request.