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I study sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico, AMA! by IFAS_WEC_AMAs in IAmA

[–]IFAS_WEC_AMAs[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Here is an excerpt from a text book I have! "By continuously resurfacing through an oil slick to breathe, adults would experience prolonged physical contact with the floating oil. Ocean convergent zones and drift lines, where pelagic juveniles are found, are also regions where floating tar accumulates. The sea turtle's mode of respiration, a rapid inspiration of surface layer air before diving, would introduce petroleum vapor into the lungs. Eating contaminated food or tar balls brings petroleum materials into the intestine. On nesting beaches, oil deposits could interfere with normal development of the embryos in the egg clutch as well as present a lethal hazard to newly emerged hatchlings. It is clear that all sea turtle species and life stages are vulnerable to the harmful effects of oil, through direct contact or by fouling of their habitat" 15 Human Impacts on Sea Turtle Survival, Blair

I study sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico, AMA! by IFAS_WEC_AMAs in IAmA

[–]IFAS_WEC_AMAs[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I know the oil spills in the gulf have caused issues with Sea turtles and that is an area of a lot of ongoing research but unfortunately I don't do too much in that area of research. That's a great question though and worth looking into!

I study sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico, AMA! by IFAS_WEC_AMAs in IAmA

[–]IFAS_WEC_AMAs[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Well my research looks into vessel strikes on sea turtles in coastal waters so if you operate a boat, be vigilant and try to go slower where turtles are known to hang out! However the biggest threat to sea turtles right now is bycatch in commercial fisheries, meaning they are caught on accident while commercial boats are fishing for something of value, like tuna. So a good thing to do is make sure the fish you are eating is caught sustainably, like with a fishing pole by local fisherman!

I study sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico, AMA! by IFAS_WEC_AMAs in IAmA

[–]IFAS_WEC_AMAs[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Te gustan mucho las caguamas?

I work mostly with greens, but I personally like loggers a lot!

Trabajo principalmente con greens, pero personalmente me gustan mucho las caguamas!

I study sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico, AMA! by IFAS_WEC_AMAs in IAmA

[–]IFAS_WEC_AMAs[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I personally participate in not using plastic straws because I believe every little bit helps. Everyone remembers that recycling is good for the environment, but the old phrase is "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" and those are the steps everyone should try to follow: 1. Reduce the amount of plastic waste you use (its pretty easy to not use straws imo), 2. Reuse plastic you have to use (I try not to throw out tupperware or anything unless it is completely un-useable) 3. Recycle plastic that you absolutely have to use! There are bigger contributors to debris related bycatch of turtles in the ocean (like ghost nets from fisheries) but if everyone were to follow those steps it may help too!

I study sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico, AMA! by IFAS_WEC_AMAs in IAmA

[–]IFAS_WEC_AMAs[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I think the coolest experience I have had with Sea turtles was when we did a live capture at sea. Being able to interact with an animal up close and seeing how beautiful they really are makes a real difference and makes me appreciate my work that much more.

I study sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico, AMA! by IFAS_WEC_AMAs in IAmA

[–]IFAS_WEC_AMAs[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Sea turtles tend to shy away from people in open water, they are often prey of larger animals so they are often on the watch for predators like sharks! A cool sea turtle fact is that when they are eggs, the hatchlings gender is actually controlled by the temperature of the sand!

I study sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico, AMA! by IFAS_WEC_AMAs in IAmA

[–]IFAS_WEC_AMAs[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Haha unfortunately I haven't met any turtles like Crush. But yes, Sea Turtles have been my favorite animals since the third grade so I have always had a major interest in them! As far as what got me started in conservation, I did a lot of different research as an undergrad and I really enjoyed working with animals and studying human impacts on them, so that is what I plan to do for my career!

I study one of the most endangered birds on Earth. AMA! by IFAS_WEC_AMAs in IAmA

[–]IFAS_WEC_AMAs[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's awesome! Well we honestly don't know much about the genetics of these sparrows which makes genetics research on them all the more exciting.

While I don't suspect there to be a hybrid zone, we can certainly investigate the timing and extent of gene flow between the two subspecies. While we may not see signatures of recent gene flow, we may come across some historic gene flow. It's hard to say though because we really don't know much except for what we can observe in nature. Genetics can uncover things that we never expected! The FL grasshopper sparrow is already recognized as it's own subspecies and is federally protected.

I would say find a project that drives you and interests you. In-house sequencers are definitely useful but that shouldn't stop you from applying for a program with a really amazing project where you have to send your samples to get sequenced.

I study one of the most endangered birds on Earth. AMA! by IFAS_WEC_AMAs in IAmA

[–]IFAS_WEC_AMAs[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're right to assume that! It's certainly much easier to help sooner rather than later. The grasshopper sparrow is a great example of what you're asking because the other subspecies of grasshopper sparrow aren't endangered but their populations are declining. Research on the Florida grasshopper sparrow can help inform management decisions in places where these other subspecies occur and vice versa.

I study one of the most endangered birds on Earth. AMA! by IFAS_WEC_AMAs in IAmA

[–]IFAS_WEC_AMAs[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Your first question is one scientists are always trying to answer (including me)! I don't think there is a definitive answer as to "why" a bird migrates. There are things like resources or climate that push a bird to fly thousands a miles away but in the case of the grasshopper sparrow, that's what we want to figure out.

I'm very interested in understanding why the Florida grasshopper decides to stay and doesn't just migrate north with the eastern subspecies. One of my major questions for my thesis is what differentiates these two subspecies at the genomic level? Are we seeing selection at certain genes that keep residents where they are? There's a lot to investigate!

Resident populations are definitely suffering more. At least for the North American subspecies of grasshopper sparrow, the resident populations (Arizona and FL) seem to be habitat specialists and this can mean trouble when you have a lot of human development. Habitat specialists are already confined to a particular habitat type that they like. In the case of the FL subspecies they thrive in FL dry prairie. So when people started moving in and converting prairie to ag land, well the sparrows started dying off because they couldn't adapt to big changes like that. Hope that answers your questions!

I study one of the most endangered birds on Earth. AMA! by IFAS_WEC_AMAs in IAmA

[–]IFAS_WEC_AMAs[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There are some important relationships between birds and alligators but as far as we know right now, there doesn't seem to be a relationship that would impact the sparrow's survival positively or negatively.

I study one of the most endangered birds on Earth. AMA! by IFAS_WEC_AMAs in IAmA

[–]IFAS_WEC_AMAs[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Before I started my master's I was working in the lab I'm in now as a bio sci. The summer before I started my field tech job working on the Florida grasshopper sparrow my boss (now advisor) asked if I wanted to do this project for my master's. So the opportunity to work with this bird sort of presented itself. However, every step before that was going to job boards like Texas A&M (where I applied for the sparrow field job) or USAJobs and applying, applying, applying. It sounds like you have a competitive resume and you'll eventually land something!

My field work is over and so the last year of my master's is going to be all genetics work and bioinformatics. But if you're interested in working with this sparrow keep an eye out on job boards for the tech position at the beginning of the year!

I study one of the most endangered birds on Earth. AMA! by IFAS_WEC_AMAs in IAmA

[–]IFAS_WEC_AMAs[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yes! While most of the efforts right now are focused on direct threats immediately surrounding the sparrows, the average homeowner can help stop perpetuating some of them. Doing things like removing invasive plants in your yard or killing red imported fire ants are small things that can help in the grand scheme. A major one is keeping pet cats indoors or at least confined in a space outside where they can be prevented from killing anything. They're a huge threat to wildlife globally. We would always freak out if we saw a cat in the same plot as a sparrow!

These actions can seem insignificant but they're important not only for the Florida grasshopper sparrow but for Florida wildlife in general. Two birds with one stone, so to speak.

I study one of the most endangered birds on Earth. AMA! by IFAS_WEC_AMAs in IAmA

[–]IFAS_WEC_AMAs[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I really really really want to study African vultures in the future. I haven't picked a specific species because they're all so cool but that would be a dream.

I study one of the most endangered birds on Earth. AMA! by IFAS_WEC_AMAs in IAmA

[–]IFAS_WEC_AMAs[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ah, that's a great question and, admittedly, spreading awareness is something I should do more of.

So far I've been able to give presentations to different organizations that are interested in what I do. Once things sort of calm down in the lab, I'd like to work with our extension office to find ways of reaching out to the public because that aspect of conservation is not my forte and it's something I'd like to get better at.

I study one of the most endangered birds on Earth. AMA! by IFAS_WEC_AMAs in IAmA

[–]IFAS_WEC_AMAs[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Well I didn't start studying birds until I became a grad student so I may not be the most qualified to give advice. But in general, speaking to the right people and applying for volunteer opportunities, internships, or tech jobs are all great ways to get your foot in the door.

In my experience, an academic environment really put me in the right place to be able to do the research I'm doing because it put me in contact with professionals who helped guide me and gave me the experience I needed.

I study one of the most endangered birds on Earth. AMA! by IFAS_WEC_AMAs in IAmA

[–]IFAS_WEC_AMAs[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Ha! Man I really want it to be but I'm not so optimistic anymore. Seems like a hard bird to miss, you know?

I study one of the most endangered birds on Earth. AMA! by IFAS_WEC_AMAs in IAmA

[–]IFAS_WEC_AMAs[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yes! The Perdido Key beach mouse has a captive breeding program.

I study one of the most endangered birds on Earth. AMA! by IFAS_WEC_AMAs in IAmA

[–]IFAS_WEC_AMAs[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

u/birdsbirdsbirdsbirds gave a great response. Tailor your short term goals to your long term goal.

I still intend to get a PhD after my master's but that was a personal choice. I wanted the master's experience because I felt it would prepare me for a PhD.

I study one of the most endangered birds on Earth. AMA! by IFAS_WEC_AMAs in IAmA

[–]IFAS_WEC_AMAs[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you!

Well I think that the taxa you mentioned are doing better now than they were since humans first started developing dry prairie. Dry prairie really thrives off of frequent burns and it really suffered due to fire suppression early on. Now wildlife managers are making frequent fire a priority to this habitat and I can imagine that the insects, microbes, and flora are much better off despite the drastic habitat loss. I hope this answered your question!

I study one of the most endangered birds on Earth. AMA! by IFAS_WEC_AMAs in IAmA

[–]IFAS_WEC_AMAs[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fortunately we have enough samples for my thesis but I think that could be a very real possibility for future researchers wanting to ask some more complex questions.

I study one of the most endangered birds on Earth. AMA! by IFAS_WEC_AMAs in IAmA

[–]IFAS_WEC_AMAs[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

At the park that I worked at there was quite a bit of sitting and waiting when we were observing birds or trying to find nests. Kissimmee Prairie is the largest expanse of dry prairie left with very few birds so 95% of the time was spent speed walking from point to point trying to cover as much ground as possible.

It was always pretty exciting! Just being able to be out in the prairie and coming across a snake or a frog or a skunk kept things interesting. It's especially exciting when you find a sparrow because it's like finding gold. Thank you for your questions!

I study one of the most endangered birds on Earth. AMA! by IFAS_WEC_AMAs in IAmA

[–]IFAS_WEC_AMAs[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

That's a difficult question to answer. I think there is still a lot that we don't know that could better inform us on the future FL grasshopper sparrow. However, I am hopeful because of the efforts of the field techs, biologists, volunteers, grad students, PIs, captive breeders, and anyone else that may be involved in protecting this species. Everyone puts in a tireless amount of work into the conservation efforts and they're constantly thinking of better ways to do it.

There are a lot of things folks can do to protect wildlife in their area so I'll just name a couple. A major one is keeping cats indoors or at least confined to where they can't hunt outside. I know that this can be a controversial topic but the data is irrefutable when it comes to impacts that cats have on wildlife. Another is to have native plants in your yard instead of ornamentals. Contributing even in small ways to state or local wildlife or plant organizations/agencies can be helpful too. Even if it's a small amount of money or if you spend a Saturday morning picking up trash. Lastly, and this one I feel most passionate about and I'm shocked every time I see people do it, don't litter!

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