My research addresses fundamental questions about the evolution and maintenance of biological diversity in aquatic systems, with focus on: 1) the genetics of aquatic invasions, 2) the nature and scale of recombination and mutation rate variation across genomes and, 3) molecular methods for biomonitoring. For example, our research group is developing molecular methods for large scale monitoring of biodiversity trends and ecosystem health. These non-invasive and sensitive methods are based on traces of DNA and RNA released by organisms into their environment (environmental nucleic acids). Thus, our research provides innovative solutions and future perspectives on environmental problems.