Monday, June 27, 2011

Coty Spies on Costal Birdies Week #1

Hey yall! My name is Coty Krebs. I am an intern through the COSEE/PRIME program for the summer of 2011 here at the Hatfield Marine Science Center. I am a student at Linn-Benton Community College and Oregon State University majoring in Biology and minoring in Chemistry with an option in Pharmacy Science. My long term goal as a student is to become a well rounded scientist and a professional in the growing future of global healthcare. More specifically, I hope to work in the research field looking for new medicinal compounds from many marine and terrestrial lifeforms that will serve as alternative cures/treatments for diseases.

I chose this internship because I wanted to gain more experience working as a field biologist and to expand my knowledge of marine science. I am interning at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife office at Hatfield. Over the duration of this summer I will be involved in several different studies, which I will report about on a weekly/biweekly basis.
The study that I am currently working on is researching how the fireworks during the Fourth of July festivies disturb/effect a colony of birds residing on a rock in Depoe Bay, OR. For a period of one week prior to one week after July 3rd and 4th a masters student and I will be surveying the colony from two different vantage points while collecting data. We will be observing the birds behavior and nesting habits on a daily basis. Some of the data that we are collecting includes nest conditions, nest contents, total number of the nests, total number of birds and the bird's reaction to distrubances. To assist our obsevations we have taken pictures of the colony from the two different ground vantage points and from above in an aircraft. We then analyze the photos and give each visible nest an ID #. From these photos we can then orient ourselves with the colony and make more accurate observations. Next week there will be more techinques of data collection used, but until then this is all that I am doing.

So far I have really enjoyed my experience, both working as an intern with the U.S. Fish and wildlife office and amongst the other interns living in the housing here. Everybody here seems to be very friendly and determined to positivley influnece the progression of research here in the facilities.

1 comment:

  1. Hi Coty, I am also a COSEE-PRIME intern working with Dr. Alan Shanks studying how the hydrodynamics of the surf affect the dispersal of larval invertevrates. I admire your inspirations which sound alot like mine. I've always thought about all the hidden remedies our plantet has to offer that we just don't know about and I have never wanted to limit myself on the all the things I can learn and experience. Your internship sounds like it could be challenging but exciting. I would like to know how you can find all the different nests and how you're sure you're not double counting the birds? Also, how large is the area that you are surveying?

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