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Greetings!

My name is Ben Block and this is my personal webpage. I'm a professional aquatic ecologist, and on this site, I'll be posting various articles each week that focus on science, coding, business, and my personal interests. I welcome you to subscribe which will let you receive each new post as an email newsletter.

Me standing next to a barrel that says "Laphroaig Visitor Centre" with a background looking out to the sea.
On a visit to Laphroaig Distillery on the Isle of Islay, Scotland.

Quick facts

  • Current location: Vermont
  • Current Employer: Tetra Tech
  • Education:
    • M.Sc. in Biology (University of Vermont)
    • B.Sc. in Biology (University of Minnesota Duluth)
  • Resume:

Background

I'm originally from northern Wisconsin near the shores of Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake by area on the planet. I developed a fascination and appreciation for water, thanks in part to this massive lake. I attended the University of Minnesota Duluth for my undergraduate degree in Biology and along the way spent a lot of time at the Large Lakes Observatory studying lake ecology with multiple professors. A highlight was any opportunity I could get out on the R/V Blue Heron. Over time, I became most interested in ecosystem ecology as well as winter limnology (the study of lakes in the winter).

One of my first visits to the R/V Blue Heron, the LLO research vessel.

I moved to Vermont to further study winter limnology at the University of Vermont. Within the first year, me and many collaborators published an article on the unique challenges facing researchers who study frozen lakes (Block et al. 2019). My Master's thesis, from the Department of Biology, focused on how fish species forage in the winter months and how that contributes to their yearly growth (Block et al. 2020).

Approximately 50 frozen Yellow Perch on the surface of a frozen lake.
Yellow perch I caught for my Master's thesis.

I currently work for Tetra Tech - a large environmental consulting firm. I'm located in Vermont, but work on projects throughout the nation. At Tetra Tech, I work on many contracted projects for state agencies (like the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and tribal nations. My main focus is on what are called "Clean Water Act Support" projects which are pretty diverse from client to client but ultimately support the objectives of the U.S. Clean Water Act. I find my current work very rewarding as I know that these projects are directly helping protect and restore waters throughout the U.S.