The intern will conduct field sampling and help in reduction and analyses of data. Plankton Ecologist Protozoa play a pivotal role in the planktonic food web of marine and freshwater systems. These unicellular organisms mediate the transfer of energy and matter from primary producers to higher trophic levels and act as a major source of nutrient regeneration. This project examines trophic interactions that occur among protozoa with particular emphasis on predator-prey and parasitic relationships. The intern will also conduct an independent project on some aspect of protistan ecology and will present results in written or oral format.
Project begins late spring into summer.
The SERC forest ecology project aims to understand the life and conditions of forest trees. This effort is conducted in plots of the locally dominant type, a deciduous hardwood forest with high stature, production, and species diversity. Many years of concentrated effort on these forests have yielded information and field resources of various time and spatial scales. This project examines the year round behavioral ecology and population dynamics of a locally resident bird species, the Northern Cardinal. One of the main objectives of this research is to understand how different periods of the annual cycle interact to influence the physical condition, reproductive success and survival of individuals.