Members and affiliates of the FAEL, led by Joe Northrup, recently had a paper accepted in Marine Ornithology that tested the use of GPS tracking tags on Marbled Murrelets. This paper outlines the challenges of existing tags for fine-scale satellite tracking of murrelets and points to the need for the development of smaller, lower profile tags in the future.
Jenn Bailey Guerrero has joined the FAEL as Program Manager for the Marbled Murrelet Research Project. She brings a wealth of experience with her, including field work on boats and in managed forests, and has become a science communication specialist in her last several positions. Welcome Jenn!
The FAEL recently graduated two budding scientists within a week of each other: Amy Barry successfully defended her M.S. thesis and Braelei Hardt succesfully defended her honors thesis. Nice job!
Braelei was selected as the recipient of the Janet Richens Wiesner Honors College Scholarship for Undergraduate Women in Science for 2016-2017. This is one of the most prestigious awards given by the Honors College at Oregon State University, entailing a $2,500 scholarship and recognition at end-of-year college events. Way to go Braelei!
FLIR just released a YouTube video that highlights our project that is using unmanned aerial vehicles to located cryptic Marbled Murrelet nests in late-successional conifer forests. Check out the video here.
Cheryl Horton has joined the lab group as an Faculty Research Assistant working on the Marbled Murrelet Breeding Ecology Study. Cheryl brings prior experience working with colonial-nesting seabirds to the lab, as well as research with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service studying threatened shorebirds. Welcome Cheryl!
The FAEL is accepting applications for a Ph.D. Assistantship focused on the breeding ecology of the Marbled Murrelet. The student filling this positon will be involved with field research aimed at improving our understanding of Marbled Murrelet nesting ecology and breeding habitat requirements, with implications for the conservation of this species in Oregon and beyond. See the Opportunities page for details.
The FAEL has 20 positions open for field work during summer 2017 for projects focused on Marbled Murrelets and native bees. Detailed position descriptions and directions for submitting applications can be found on the Opportunities page.
Sara's poster presentation earned her 1st place and a $100 cash prize at the OSU Postdoc Research Symposium among heavy competition from across varied disclipines all across campus. Sounds like those last-mintue revisions really paid off!
Lindsay Adrean has joined the lab group as an Faculty Research Assistant on our Marbled Murrelet study. She spent several years with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife working on avian predation issues and implementing the Oregon Conservation Strategy, and most recently completed a research fellowship studying waterbirds along the coast of Sonora, Mexico.