Dr. Blackwelder's interests over the decades she has been at NSU include biomineralization and calcification in invertebrates, ecology and paleoecology of benthic microorganisms, and coccolithophorids from modern and paleoceanographic environments. Current work includes ultrastructural (TEM and SEM) studies of recent and fossil invertebrates including sponges and corals with NSU, University of Miami, and FIU colleagues. She is also working on a collaborative project with NOAA/AOML on particulate analysis in Biscayne Bay. She teaches the graduate Marine Geology core course as well as courses in invertebrate ultrastructure.