I am a micropaleontologist and (paleo)ecologist with expertise in benthic foraminifera
(shelled protists). My research focuses on shallow water coastal environments, covering
the brackish water and marine milieu.
I was born and raised in Ghent, Belgium and an early interest in Geology led me to
start Geology studies at Ghent University (Ghent, Belgium). After completing my Master’s
degree I travelled to Miami (FL) for an internship in Everglades National Park. Alongside
the United States Geological Survey and researchers from Florida International University,
I worked on my own research project based on sediment samples I collected in the Everglades
during my stay. This experience proved to be an opportunity to start a PhD degree
at Florida International University, continuing the research I had started during
my internship.
After my PhD studies I taught at Worcester State University (Worcester, MA) and Portland
State University (Portland, OR) before moving to the bay area to teach at Cal Maritime.
Here is a link to my CV.
For my dissertation research I studied the (paleo)ecology of modern and fossil benthic
foraminifera (shelled protists) from the marsh and mangrove environments of the coastal
Everglades, southwest Florida. I applied the results from the study of contemporary
foraminiferal assemblages to a paleoenvironmental (i.e. environments of the past)
study for this area, tracking habitat change and trends in the rate of sea level rise
over the past ~3,400 years. The outcomes can be used to predict shifts in coastal
habitats, of importance to South Florida’s growing coastal population and the Everglades
ecosystem.
My future research aspirations encompass studies using benthic foraminifera to address
questions on (paleo)ecology, paleoenvironmental change, and faunal responses to a
changing environment. These goals focus on increasing our understanding of how benthic foraminifera interact
with the physicochemical environment over time, and how environmental change impacts foraminiferal diversification and evolution.
I recently started a collaborative project with researchers from the University of
Texas at Austin. The study, conducted at their Anthropology Department, focuses on
the relationship between environmental change over time and the establishment of early
civilizations in Puerto Rico.
Additionally, I enjoy making my research accessible outside of the academic world.
During an Earth Day event in Miami, I talked with attendees about foraminifera and
the threats of sea level rise in Florida. I am presently preparing an exhibit of my
PhD research with the Western Science Center (Hemet, CA) as part of their Broader
Impacts Program.
I have presented research at regional, national, and international conferences, from
the Greater Everglades Ecosystem Restoration Conference to the Geological Society
of America and International Association of Sedimentologists. My research has been
published in conference proceedings, the Journal of Foraminiferal Research, and the
SEPM Special Publication.
Verlaak, Z.R.F., and Collins, L.S., 2021. Environmental Controls on the Distribution of Modern
Benthic Foraminifera in the Florida Everglades for Their Use as Paleoenvironmental
Indicators. Journal of Foraminiferal Research, Vol. 51, p. 182–209.
Verlaak, Z.R.F., Collins, L.S., and Hayek, C.L.-A., 2019. Effects of Infaunal Foraminifera
on Surface and Subsurface Assemblages in the Southwestern Everglades, USA: Baseline
Study for Paleoenvironmental Analyses. SEPM Special Publication, no. 111, p. 3–14.
OCN 340 - Chemical Oceanography
OCN 395 - Special Topics: Historical Geology
CHE 110L - General Chemistry Lab
OCN 100 - Marine Biology
OCN 200 - Oceanography I: Geology and Chemistry
OCN 305 - Introduction to Ocean Science Research
