Hello, everyone! The 4th SciFund Challenge, a crowd-funding event for scientific research, launched today! It's like KickStarter for science, and there are several ecology projects included. Please consider donating (any amount helps and some projects have rewards associated with different donation levels), or helping to spread the word!
My project is "what are the feeding habits of threatened shark species?" https://experiment.com/projects/what-are-the-feeding-habits-of-threatened-sharks I will be using stable isotope analysis to study the feeding ecology of coastal sharks species here in South Florida, data that will help managers to conserve threatened species. Other projects of potentially interest to ecologgers include: 1) Signs of Change: creating time-lapse movies of environmental change using crowd-sourced digital photography. Chuck Cannon, Texas Tech https://experiment.com/projects/signs-of-change-documenting-environmental-change-using-crowd-sourced-time-lapse-photography Almost everyone carries a smart phone or digital camera these days. This project will develop a simple method of placing a sign at an environmentally interesting site so that together we can document and monitor changes in our landscape and its seasonality. 2) Can we predict how social primates move?. David Pappano, Princeton. https://experiment.com/projects/can-we-predict-how-social-primates-move This project uses dynamic network algorithms and geospatial data to understand association and movement patterns in geladas. Geladas are an Old World monkey that has a highly modular social system with strong fission-fusion dynamics. 3) What's in that new TV Screen? Toward "greener" OLED's. Walter Weare, NC State https://experiment.com/projects/what-s-in-that-new-tv-screen-toward-greener-oled-s-at-nc-state-chemistry Organic LED's are the future of more environmentally friendly displays and lighting. We are developing new and more sustainable methods for making the light emitting materials in these future devices. With your help we can speed these discoveries! 5) Where is pollution entering the Chesapeake Bay? Claire Regan, Penn State University https://www.experiment.com/projects/where-is-pollution-entering-the-chesapeake-bay-watershed By identifying the pollution hotspots of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, the three most important stressors can be targeted together for management. 6) In the bedroom with Giant Sea Bass: Investigating mating behavior of an endangered megacarnivore. Brian Clark, California State University https://experiment.com/projects/in-the-bedroom-with-giant-sea-bass-investigating-mating-behavior-of-an-endangered-megacarnivore Reproductive strategies lay the foundation for an organism's success. Understanding these strategies and behavior of Giant Sea Bass is vital in the preservation of this endangered species. 7) Can Fungi restore the American Chestnut? Andrew Tomes, SUNY. https://experiment.com/projects/can-fungi-help-us-restore-the-american-chestnut Mycorrhizae are soil fungi that form crucial partnerships with many land plants. Investigating the effect of mycorrhizal inoculation on American chestnut will lead to cultivation strategies that could help restore this formerly prominent North American tree species. 8) Searching for Seahorses and Sustainability. Lindsay Aylesworth, University of British Columbia. https://experiment.com/projects/searching-for-seahorses-sustainability How do you study the distribution and habitat preferences of a species that is hard to find? Check out the latest research on seahorses to find out. 9) Using Genetic Techniques to Protect Fiji's Fisheries. Erin Eastwood, Columbia University. https://experiment.com/projects/using-genetic-techniques-to-protect-fiji-s-fisheries Subsistence fisheries are extremely important to rural communities in Fiji. However, as many reef fishermen switch from eating their catch to selling the majority of it for profit, fishing pressures exerted on typically targeted fishes are increasing dramatically. My study will use genetic markers to uncover the dispersal patterns of five of these important species throughout the islands of Fiji, to help determine how to best protect these valuable fish stocks. 10) A Pacific Northwest Clamtastrophe! Brian Turner, Portland State University https://experiment.com/projects/a-pacific-northwest-clamtastrophe Do non-native species recognize predators in their new habitats? Find out how the introduced varnish clam responds to the voracious Dungeness crab and if this behavior helps it survive. 11) How can NGOs guide fisheries to ecological sustainability? Laura Deighan, University of Washington https://experiment.com/projects/how-can-ngos-guide-fisheries-to-ecological-sustainability Fishery improvement projects, or FIPs, have recently emerged as a way for stakeholders to be involved in improving sustainability within fisheries. Understanding how a FIP in the Gulf of Mexico reef fish fishery is utilizing guidelines for FIPs credibly moving towards sustainability will start to provide insight into this new tool for sustainability. 12) Discovering Backyard Biodiversity in South Dakota. Amanda Bachmann, South Dakota State University. https://experiment.com/projects/discovering-backyard-biodiversity-in-south-dakota How can we improve conditions for pollinating insects if we don't know who's out there? My project uses citizen science to monitor pollinator and beneficial insect activity in South Dakota backyards to increase understanding and awareness of these insects in the state. A list of all the SciFund projects can be found here: https://experiment.com/institutions/scifund Thanks in advance for your help! Sincerely, -- *David Shiffman* *Ph.D. Student, Research Assistant,* Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy <http://www.cesp.miami.edu/> R.J. Dunlap Marine Conservation Program <http://rjd.miami.edu/> [image: RJD] *e: *[email protected] | *p: *412.915.2309 *a: *4600 Rickenbacker Cswy, Miami, Florida, 33149 *t: *@WhySharksMatter <http://twitter.com/#!/WhySharksMatter> | *b: *Southern Fried Science Blog <http://www.southernfriedscience.com/>
