“The capacity to blunder slightly is the real marvel of DNA. Without this, we would still be anaerobic bacteria and there would be no music.” — Lewis Thomas

John F. Schalles

Professor
Aquatic Science: Productivity Patterns of Coastal & Inland Waters
Director of the Environmental Science Program

Ph.D. – Emory University, 1979
M.S. – Miami University, 1973
B.S. – Grove City College, 1971

Department of Biology
Creighton University
2500 California Plaza
Omaha, NE 68178-0103
Office: Hixson-Lied 437
Lab: Rigge Science 508
402-280-2155
402-280-3858
JohnSchalles@creighton.edu

Courses Offered

Research Interests

Ecological Remote Sensing

  • Algorithms for Chlorophyll Retrieval in Turbid Coastal and Inland Waters
  • Wetland Vegetation - Community Composition and Biomass
  • CDOM in Estuarine and Shelf waters
  • Coral Reef and Seagrass Community Assessments
  • Suspended Sediments and Littoral Benthos
  • Sensors

Marine Ecology

  • Estuarine Mixing Gradients and Material Transformations
  • Salt Marsh Community Structure and Production

General Limnology

  • Eutrophication in Midwestern Lakes and Reservoirs
  • Spatial Gradients in Reservoir Systems
  • Littoral-Pelagic Zone Interactions

Wetland and Lake Littoral Ecosystems

  • Plant and Invertebrate Production
  • Trophic Structure and Efficiencies
  • Biogeochemistry
  • Regional Comparisons
  • Hydrologic Control

Scholarly Works

Recent Publications

Wang, H., C. M. Hladik, H. Wuang, K. Milla, L. Edmiston, M. Harwell, and J. Schalles. Mapping Chlorophyll-a and TSS in Apalachicola Bay, Florida Using MODIS Terra 250 m Imagery. (Submitted to International Journal of Ecology & Development. )

Zhou, J., A. Gilerson, I. Ioannou, S. Hlaing, J. Schalles, B. Gross, F. Moshary, and S. Ahmed. 2008. Retrieving quantum yield of sun-induced chlorophyll fluorescence near surface from hyperspectral in-situ measurement in productive water. Optics Express16: 17468-17483

Gilerson, A., J. Zhou, S. Hlaing, I. Ioannou, J. Schalles, B. Gross, F. Moshary, and S. Ahmed. 2007. Fluorescence component in the reflectance spectra from coastal waters. Dependence on water composition. Optics Express 15(24): 15702-15721.

Gitelson, A. A., J. F. Schalles, and C. M. Hladik. 2007. Remote chlorophyll-a retrieval in turbid, productive estuarine waters: Chesapeake Bay Case Study. Remote Sensing of the Environment 109(4): 464-472.

Schalles, J. F. 2006. Optical remote sensing techniques to estimate phytoplankton chlorophyll a concentrations in coastal waters with varying suspended matter and CDOM concentrations. Pp. 27-79 in Remote Sensing of Aquatic Coastal Ecosystem Processes: Science and Management Applications. (L. Richardson and E. Ledrew, eds. ) Springer, Dordrecht, Netherlands

Takacs, M., J. J. Alberts, and J. F. Schalles. 2004. Ultaviolet-visible and fluorescence spectral evidence of natural organic matter (NOM) changes along an estuarine salinity gradient. Estuaries 27: 297-311.

Schalles, J. F. J. A. Maeder, D. C. Rundquist, S. Narumalani, and J. Keck. 2003. Close range, hyperspectral reflectance measurements of corals and other reef substrates. Proceedings of the 9th International Coral Reef Symposium, Bali, Indonesia. 23-27 Oct. 2000. Vol. 2: 1017-1024. International Society for Reef Studies.

Maeder, J., S. Narumalani, J. Schalles, D. Rundquist, K. Hutchins, and W. Bradley. 2003. Remote sensing of coral reefs using high-resolution satellite data. Proceedings of the 9th International Coral Reef Symposium, Bali, Indonesia. 23-27 Oct. 2000. Vol. 2: 1007-1016. International Society for Reef Studies.

Maeder, J., S. Narumalani, D. Rundquist, R. Perk, J. Schalles, K. Hutchins, and J. Keck. 2002. Classifying and mapping general coral reef structure using Ikonos data. Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing 68(12): 1297-1305.

Schalles, J. F., D. C. Rundquist, and F. R. Schiebe. 2001. The influence of suspended clays on phytoplankton reflectance signatures and the remote estimation of chlorophyll. Vehrein Internationale Verein Limnologie 27: 3619-3625.

Schalles, J. F., and Y. Z. Yacobi. 2000. Remote detection and seasonal patterns of phycocyanin, carotenoid, and chlorophyll pigments in eutrophic waters. Archives –Special Issues: Advancements in Limnology 55: 153-168.

Gitelson, A. A., Y. Z. Yacobi, J. F. Schalles, D. C. Rundquist, L. Han, R. Stark, and D. Etzion. 2000. Remote estimation of phytoplankton density in productive waters. Archives –Special Issues: Advancements in Limnology 55: 121-136.

Schalles, J. F., D. C. Rundquist, A. Gitelson, and J. Keck. 2000. Close range hyperspectral reflectance measurements of healthy Indo-Pacific and Caribbean corals. Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Remote Sensing for Marine and Coastal Environments. Vol. 1: 431-439. University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor.

Presentation Abstracts

Schalles, J. F., C. M. Hladik, L. Whitehurst, and P. Merani. 2006. Hyperspectral imaging of wetlands and estuarine waters of National Estuarine Research Reserves in the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic Regions of the United States. Extended Abstract. Ocean Optics 18 Conference, Montreal, Canada.

Schalles, J. F., and C. M. Hladik. 2004. Remote chlorophyll estimation in coastal waters with tripton and CDOM interferences. Extended abstract. Ocean Optics XVII. Freemantle, Australia.