Rate My Professor Marc Los Huertos

Marc Los Huertos serves as the Stephen M. Pauley M.D. '62 Professor of Environmental Analysis and Coordinator of the Environmental Analysis Program at Pomona College, a position he has held since joining the institution in 2014. He possesses a Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Cruz, a Master of Arts from San Francisco State University, and a Bachelor of Arts from UC Santa Cruz. As a biogeochemist, Professor Los Huertos investigates soil, water, and air nitrogen cycling. His research involves collaborating with students to evaluate the impacts of agricultural practices on greenhouse gas emissions from organic and conventional farms and to assess habitat quality in streams and rivers. He trains students in soil and water nitrogen biogeochemistry, aquatic ecology, and bioassessment techniques. Furthermore, he works with farmers across various regions to devise strategies that mitigate the adverse effects of farming on soil, air, and water quality. His scholarly interests encompass the ecology of streams, lakes, and wetlands, sustainable agriculture, nitrogen biogeochemistry, and climate change.

In addition to his research endeavors, Professor Los Huertos has made significant contributions through publications and funded projects. He authored the textbook Ecology and Management of Inland Waters published by Elsevier in 2020. Notable peer-reviewed articles include "Understanding the fate of shrimp aquaculture effluent in a mangrove ecosystem: Aiding management for coastal conservation" in the Journal of Applied Ecology (2020), "Examining mollusks as bioindicators of shrimp aquaculture effluent contamination in a southeast Asian mangrove" in Ecological Indicators (2020), and "Robust Spatial Analysis of Sequestered Metals in a Southern California Bioswale" in Science of the Total Environment (2019). He has secured grants such as $174,199 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Organic Agricultural Research and Extension Initiative for "Global Warming Potential of Row Crop Agroecosystems" (2011-2015), $130,000 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for "Evaluating Watershed and in-lake Controls of Cyanobacteria Harmful Algae Blooms" (2010-2013), and others from the Leafy Green Research Board and California Air Resources Board. At Pomona College, he teaches courses including Ecology of Inland Waters—for which he is writing a textbook—Environmental Science and Statistics, Food, Land, and the Environment, Science and the Environment Lab, and Critical Inquiry Seminar. His areas of expertise include the nitrogen cycle, aquatic ecology, fire policy and ecology, and environmental science.