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Undergraduate Program :: URAP (Undergraduate Research Assistantship Program)Research Projects in the Department of Zoology1)
Polyandry in the Horseshoe Crab,
Limulus polyphemus
The
Brockmann Lab is currently looking for undergraduate volunteers to
assist with
laboratory and/or field work for a project examining the costs/benefits
of
multiple mating in horseshoe crabs. Lab work will consist of
rearing
horseshoe crab offspring and/or genetic work for paternity analysis.
Field work
is conducted at the UF field station on Seahorse Key (an island 3 miles
off
Cedar Key). Field work will involve behavioral observations, mating
observations, digging and counting eggs, tagging and measuring adult
horseshoe
crabs. Volunteers must be willing to dedicate at least 3 hours per week
in the
laboratory and/or full weekends in the field. Preference will
be given to
students who are willing to take part in both laboratory and field
work. Please
contact Sheri Johnson for more information. 2)
Bibliography of crocodilian biology I
am working on an extensive bibliography of crocodilian biology.
I need assistance in library work and data base entry of reference
material.
Assistants will also have some opportunity to work with captive
collections of
crocodilians at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm.
Project
description: I am looking for several motivated undergraduate students
to
conduct research projects using the Florida Museum of Natural History's
bird
collection. This collection is an amazing resource, with
specimens of
skins, skeletons, eggs/nests, and sound recordings, and can be used for
a
variety of research projects. Students will be taught skills
such as
specimen preparation, bone identification, species identification, and
avian
taxonomy. Once these skills are mastered, students will chose
to either
assist in an ongoing project or design a research project of their
own.
Currently ongoing research projects include investigating avian
adaptations to
island life, identifying bones from fossil and archaeological sites,
and
analyzing intraspecific variation in songs. No previous
research
experience is required, but the ability to invest 8 hours a week, a
positive
attitude, and an enthusiasm for learning are necessary.
Please email
Natalie Wright at natrun@ufl.edu
for more
information.
I
am looking for undergraduate volunteers who want to get involved in
ecological
research. I study how animal movement affects the local composition of
animal
communities and the flow of energy and nutrients among habitats. I use
aquatic
insect communities in northern Florida as a model for understanding
these
processes. I am currently conducting field experiments at the Ordway
Swisher
Biological Station (35 minutes from UF campus). This study 1) examines
whether
movement of insects and zooplankton across the landscape creates
predictable
patterns of community structure along an isolation gradient 2) attempts
to
measure the amount of energy and materials moved across the landscape
by mobile
insects and zooplankton. Initially, I am looking for undergraduate
assistants
to help with collection and observations in the field and with
invertebrate
identification in the lab. This work will take place in the fall of
2008 and
spring 2009. Research assistants that display a high level of interest
in the
project will have the opportunity to develop their own complementary
projects. 5)
Abundance, distribution, and
diversity of tropical forest animals and trees in the Republic of Congo Our
research program broadly examines the processes that determine the
abundance,
distribution, and diversity of tropical forest animals and trees in the
Republic of Congo. We
have ongoing
studies on specific subjects such as:
1)
the role of seed dispersal, herbivory, and seed predation in generating
community patterns of seedling and tree distribution, 2) the factors
that limit
or promote seedling regeneration, 3) the relative roles of seed and
establishment limitation to plant population abundance an plant
community
structure, and 5) the effects of disturbance (particularly logging and
hunting)
on animal abundance (approximately 40 species) and ecological processes. We are currently
looking for two motivated,
flexible, and hard-working undergraduate research assistants to assist
in this
research. We
prefer a commitment of 2
semesters, but are open to less.
Initially, most of the assistants time will be
spent analyzing digital
photos to quantify the strength of herbivory on tropical seedling
communities. However,
additional tasks
may include some data entry, verification and database management. Research assistants that
demonstrate a high
level of performance could potentially use the herbivory data for an
undergraduate thesis and be involved in the publication of a manuscript
My
research focuses on understanding both modern and ancient forest
ecology,
primarily studying extinct and extant mammals.
I am looking for a highly motivated and
responsible individual who is
interested in assisting with various research projects.
Primary responsibilities include helping
prepare modern tree leaves for isotope analyses.
Extreme care and patience is required;
however, no prior laboratory experience is necessary.
Other duties include some literature review,
and the opportunity to help prepare and clean fossil vertebrates. During the spring
semester, opportunities to
help measure, photograph, and describe fossil vertebrates may be
available. Students
should plan on committing ~5 hours
per week. All
inquiries should be sent
to Larisa Grawe DeSantis. 7)
Communicating science to the
public I
am interested in collaborating with a student who
is interested in science education on the development of educational
lesson
plans and a website. Knowledge
of
website development is a huge plus; however, I seek a motivated and
creative
student with a passion for communicating science to the public. As a team we will create
these resources and
opportunities for collaborative publications (on-line, non-peer
reviewed,
peer-reviewed) are available. A
weekly
commitment of ~3-5 hours is necessary.
All inquiries should be sent to Larisa Grawe
DeSantis. 8)
Cross-ecosystem linkages of
Top-predators on barrier islands This
project’s aim is to determine overall
importance of estuarine resources pertaining to terrestrial predators
on
barrier islands. Barrier islands of the southeastern United States are
inhabited by a wide variety of upper trophic level predators, including
the
American alligator (Alligator
mississippiensis), wild hog (Sus
scrofa), raccoon (Procyon lotor),
Eastern Diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus
adamanteus), and various species of lizards (Plestiodon
and Anolis).
Surrounding much of the interior side of these barrier islands are
coastal
marshes dominated by marsh grass (Spartina
alterniflora). Within
these
coastal environments, biomass and growth of associated fauna (e.g.
fish,
oysters, shrimp, snails) is often directly linked to the productivity
of S. alterniflora and salinity
gradient of
the ecosystem. We are proposing to test the hypothesis that due to
cross-system
linkages in the form of freshwater subsidies from interior habitats
(i.e. small
and large islands) and protein from marine animals, populations of the
aforementioned predators are able
to
persist in remarkably high population densities on barrier islands.
Within
island ecosystems it has been shown that such inputs across system
boundaries
can have a great impact on the less productive system by increasing the
carrying capacity and providing sustenance in an otherwise limited
environment. To
describe and outline
when these inputs occur and their importance we are collecting tissue
samples
and gut contents from a variety of organisms inhabiting barrier
islands. Data
collected will assist in determining organism’s placement
within the island or
estuarine food-webs. Personnel assisting in this project will be
working in the
lab analyzing gut contents and processing tissue samples for stable
isotope
analysis of carbon and nitrogen. 9)
Osoregulation in marine and freshwater snakes Broadly,
I am interested in the evolution of marine habitat use in reptiles. For
my
dissertation work I am conducting comparative studies of osmoregulation
in
several species of marine and freshwater snakes. These studies involve
examination of both physiological and developmental correlates of
osmoregulation from the level of the whole animal down to tissue and
cellular-level comparisons. I will need two undergraduate volunteers to
help me
with my project beginning ASAP. While I have already completed the
majority of
the live animal component, I have several tissues to analyze and will
need
enthusiastic and dedicated individuals to help. Major responsibilities
will
include: preparing tissue samples for analysis, carrying out laboratory
techniques (you will learn histology, immunohistochemistry, western
blotting,
and/or molecular biology), and participating in collecting trips,
should the
need to collect more animals arise. Interested individuals should plan
to
commit a minimum of 6 hours per week (preferably in one or two blocks);
those
who demonstrate dedication to the work will have opportunities for
independent
projects. For more information, please contact: Leslie S. Babonis (babonis@zoo.ufl.edu). 10)
Ant diversity in experimental
landscapes 11)
How do Cuban tree frogs jump so
far? Cuban
tree frogs, a common tree frog introduced to
Florida, is one of nature’s best vertebrate leapers, able to
leap more than 15
body lengths in one bound. How they are able to do so remains a
mystery. One
hypothesis is that these frogs have a built-in catch and release
mechanism –
much like that found in a catapult – permitting energy
storage and explosive
energy release. I have been testing this hypothesis by measuring the
forces
produced by jumping Cuban tree frogs and simultaneously quantifying
their hindlimb
movements during high-powered jumps. Volunteers are required to aid
with the
data analysis of this project, which will require digitizing motion
video of
jumping frogs, and visualizing these data in three-dimensional motion
reconstruction and analysis software. A minimum 6 hour per week
commitment is
required. No experience is necessary, but attention to detail and
comfort with
computers are necessary. An interest in programming and some background
in
physics are not essential, but would be helpful for rapid start-up.
Potential
for transitioning into independent lab research exists for motivated
participants. 12)
Balancing beams and running
lizards 13)
Database compilation for
American alligator research Zoology research projects in other departmentsPlease send some requests! |
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