2012 REU Mentors and Project Descriptions
Salmon habitat use, diet, and responses to climate change.
Project PI: Dr. David Tallmon, Professor of Biology
An important ecological and evolutionary question, particularly in Alaska, is how organisms are responding to rapid environmental changes associated with climate warming. We are examining the genetic and plastic responses of salmon, char, and trout to these changes. Student projects will be designed in collaboration with research partners at NOAA and USFWS, and will likely include handling a variety of mature salmon at the Auke Creek weir to collect run timing data, using radio telemetry to identify habitat use by mature salmon, and determining diet and habitat use by juvenile coho and sockeye salmon in Auke Lake. These projects require daily outdoor work in physically demanding conditions and inclement weather, as well as regular time spent indoors analyzing data.
The icefield-to-estuary (I2E) system of Southeast Alaska: How will Southeast Alaska’s melting glaciers impact coastal estuaries?
Project PIs: Dr. Sanjay Pyare, Professor of GIS and Landscape Ecology & Dr. Eran Hood, Professor of Environmental Science
This REU project is appropriate for students interested in oceanography & glaciology, the use of geospatial tools, and the measurement of biophysical processes that link Alaska’s glaciers, freshwater aquatic systems, and its near shore marine environments. Its main focus will be to assist with a study of the oceanographic patterns in estuaries -- such as sea surface temperature, chlorophyll productivity, and salinity -- in relation to glacier runoff and stream flow patterns, and development of a model that forecasts future climate-driven changes in the “icefield-to-estuary” system. It will involve immersion in techniques like remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS), and the collection of hydrological data in streams and estuaries in the greater Juneau area.
Iron uptake and gametogenesis in subtidal kelps.
Project PI: Dr. Michael Stekoll, Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry
The large brown kelps such as Laminaria, Macrocystis and Nereocystis have an “alternate generation” life cycle in which the large, diploid macroalgal plants alternate with microscopic, haploid filaments known as gametophytes. Under the proper conditions the gametophytes become fertile and undergo gametogenesis with the male filaments producing sperm and the females forming eggs. The onset of gametogenesis is the focus of this research. It has been shown that iron will stimulate gametogenesis in the gametophytes of some kelps. This project will look to extend that observation to other genera in the subtidal kelps. In addition we will be investigating the kinetics of iron uptake and photosynthesis by gametophytes as a first step in understanding how iron stimulates gametogenesis at the molecular level.
Density dependent germination in the bull kelp.
Project PI: Dr. Michael Stekoll, Professor of Chemistry and Biology
In biological systems, densities of various kinds are responsible for a mediating several vital responses. Some examples are density dependent settlement rates, spore or seed germination, fertilization, early post-settlement survivorship, growth, and grazing patterns. In our lab we have preliminary evidence that spore germination in the bull kelp, Nereocystis luetkeana, is density dependent. At high spore densities, the released spores will not germinate. We believe this is due not to physical touching, but rather to a chemical signal. At this time, the nature of the chemical and how it effects the response is unknown. The REU project will investigate this form of chemical communication in this kelp.
Marine Invertebrate Population Abundance and Predator-Prey Interactions
Project PI: Dr. Ginny Eckert, Associate Professor of Fisheries Juneau School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences
We will be conducting extensive surveys of marine invertebrate populations in Southeast Alaska to identify important predator-prey interactions. We are particularly interested in predators that eat commercially important marine invertebrates including sea urchins, geoducks, Dungeness crabs, and sea cucumbers. We will operate out of remote field camps and travel by small skiff. Students should have experience identifying marine invertebrates and ability to spend long durations in remote locations in inclement weather with few or no amenities. Project may include SCUBA for qualified AAUS divers.
Ecology and Conservation of Marine Mammals
PI: Dr. Heidi Pearson, Professor of Marine Biology
Globally, marine mammals are valued as resources both for ecotourism (e.g., through whale watching) and for harvest (e.g., through subsistence hunting and whaling). One aspect of this project may focus on gaining a better understanding of how marine mammals are valued; such knowledge is important in developing conservation and management strategies. Marine mammals may also fill important ecological niches and be valuable to ecosystem functioning. Another aspect of this project may focus on examining the ecological role of marine mammals in coastal ecosystems of Southeast Alaska. The REU student should be willing to participate in any of the following tasks: observation of marine mammals from land or a boat, collection of field data under inclement conditions (cold, rain), surveying whale watch passengers, and processing and analyzing data in a computer lab.
Eastern Bering Sea Snow Crab Physiology
Project PI: Dr. Sherry Tamone, Professor of Biology
This study will examine growth and reproductive physiology in populations of male Eastern Bering Sea (EBS) snow crab Chionoecetes opilio. Snow crab undergo a terminal molt as they transition from the adolescent to the adult stage. The process of molting is coordinated by hormones that determine the timing and the type of molt (juvenile to adolescent or adolescent to adult). The REU student will analyze hormones from samples collected in the Bering Sea using molecular and biochemical tools. Students who are interested in this project must be able to lift 50 pounds and not be susceptible to long term sea sickness.
Estimating the Availability of Prey to Bats at Montana Creek
Principle Investigators: Karen Blejwas Alaska Dept of Fish and Game and John Hudson, U.S. fish and Wildlife Service
Summer acoustic monitoring of bats in the Juneau area found they are most active in riparian habitats of the Mendenhall Valley. Activity levels varied considerably over the course of the summer, with different species exhibiting different activity patterns at both a nightly and seasonal scale. Most of the bats recorded in the valley were Myotis sp. (probably little brown bats), however silver-haired bats were also recorded at one of the sites, Montana Creek, during the month of June. This project will seek to quantify the availability of insect prey to bats and investigate the influence of insect abundance, size, and composition on bat activity levels at Montana Creek. Field work will involve night sampling of insects at Montana Creek and adjacent habitats, as well as measuring bat activity with acoustic bat detectors.