![A joint field trip for ENTM/RNR 7030 and ENTM 4005 to the Feliciana Preserve to collect aquatic insects. [Photo courtesy of Dr. Mike Kaller]](jsImgSlider/images/RNR-ENTM-7030-Sp2016-1.jpg)
LSU students participate in marine research in Mozambique
[Left] LSU at Praia do Tofo, Mozambique. From left, assistant professor Reagan Errera and students Kathleen Rodick, Sydney Cottingham, Zach Stratton, Bryce Loschen, Olivia Lewis, Scott Graham, Courtney Murr, William Jackson, Katy Murry. The students participated in a Coastal African Field Studies class from May 8-June 4. Photo provided by Reagan Errera
[More images are available on our Photo Gallery page]
(07/05/17) BATON ROUGE, La. — Nine LSU students journeyed to Mozambique in May to conduct marine research in the small coastal village of Praia do Tofo and in their month-long stay had encounters with whale sharks that one student described as almost spiritual.
“I was swimming eye to eye with it,” said Sydney Cottingham, a senior from Bowling Green, Kentucky, studying natural resource ecology and management in the LSU College of Agriculture. “It was breathtaking and humbling to be so close to something that majestic.”
Reagan Errera, assistant professor in the School of Renewable Natural Resources, led the field studies class. The group collaborated with researchers with All Out Africa, a nonprofit organization that implements social and conservation projects.
Errera is working with All Out Africa to conduct research on various species of phytoplankton, the microscopic plants of the ocean, in the area. Her main research focuses on identifying seasonal trends and the spatial extent of the neurotoxin domoic acid.
By identifying seasonal trends, she hopes to determine if human and wildlife health might be at risk. She said shellfish and finfish can accumulate domoic acid, leading to amnesiac shellfish poisoning.
[Right] LSU College of Agriculture assistant professor Reagan Errera quizzes LSU biology student Kathleen Rodick on estimating fish size underwater off the coast of Praia do Tofo, Mozambique. Photo provided by Reagan Errera.
Many tourists go to Tofo to see abundant marine life in the area such as whale sharks and large manta rays.
“Tofo has the largest known population of male juvenile whale sharks,” Errera said. Whale shark sightings have been declining over the past decade, and she is evaluating whether pulses and changes in the phytoplankton community could be contributing to the decline.
The course, Coastal African Field Studies, focuses on underwater field techniques and research study design.
All students completed their own research study. “They all came up with a hypothesis, were taught standardized techniques and executed data collection and analysis over the three and half week course,” Errera said.
Cottingham was studying plastics at the bottom of reefs. She said she spent a lot of time sifting and baking sand with the goal of seeing how humans are affecting the reef. Another student, William Jackson, a recent graduate from the LSU College of Coast and the Environment, studied plastic found on the beaches.
“Even when you are studying animals, you can’t get away from the human side of it,” Cottingham said.
Bryce Loschen, a senior also studying natural resource ecology from Colorado Springs, Colorado, analyzed GPS data collected over several years of sightings of megafauna such as whale sharks and manta rays. He also looked at GPS data and dates of fishing activities.
“We wanted to see if fishing nets were a danger to whale sharks or manta rays. Are the sharks encountering the nets?” Loschen said.
The students said they regularly encountered a whale shark they nicknamed Rodney who was missing his dorsal fin. Errera said it’s possible the shark lost its fin after being tangled in a net.
In conjunction with the course, most of the students received dive certification while in Tofo.
[Left] A whale shark, which LSU students named Rodney, swims off the coast of Praia do Tofo, Mozambique. The students were in Tofo to conduct marine research and regularly saw this whale while on dives. Photo provided by Reagan Errera
Courtney Murr, a senior from Denham Springs studying natural resource ecology and management, said she spent an hour in the water with Rodney. “It was amazing,” she said.
Murr studied fish diversity and conducted sea urchin counts on reefs. Other students looked at reef health, marine diversity and dolphin behavior.
Cottingham said the experience helped her with science problem-solving skills. “The structure and theories are the same, but we had to adjust for the tools we had,” she said.
The students ended the trip with an excursion to Kruger National Park in South Africa, where they observed a wide variety of savannah wildlife species, including elephants, giraffes, cheetah, lions and a suite of antelope species.
by Tobie Blanchard, 7/25/2017
permalink to LSU AgCenter.com
RNR with Governor's School of Agriculture
Dr. Luke Laborde of the School of Renewable Natural Resources led the Governor's School for Agricultural Sciences for an overnight field trip at Rockefeller State Wildlife Refuge.
The Governor's School brings to campus 15 high school juniors intending to major in agricultural sciences. Counselors to the program included RNR students Amanda Benge, Jazmyn Bernard, and Josef Schuster. The visit was hosted by LDWF refuge staff Gabe Giffin, Katie Barnes, and Phillip Trosclair.
Forest Product Society International Conference
Check out the Dr. Vlosky’s interview at the recent 71st annual Forest Product Society International Conference held at Mississippi State University [June 26, 2017].
Dr. Vlosky, the Director of the the Louisiana Forest Products Development Center, is the current Society president.
Traditional Graduate Fellows Grant Awarded
RNR Faculty member, Dr. Sabrina Taylor, recently received a Traditional Graduate Fellows Grant from the Louisiana Board of Regents to increase the quality and diversity of graduate students entering the School’s Graduate Program.
Any RNR faculty member who provided information for the proposal can nominate a student for this fellowship. One PhD student will be selected by a committee to receive $30,000/year and a tuition waiver for four years. Nominated students with high GPAs & GREs, research experience, good letters for reference, and who increase the School’s diversity will be considered highly competitive.
The fellowship will begin in the Fall 2018 semester. Dr. Taylor will make every effort to extend this funding by submitting grant proposals in subsequent years.
Research Matters - Spring 2017
The Spring 2017 edition of Research Matters is now available. Download your copy and catch-up on happenings in School of Renewable Natural Resources.
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TOPICS INCLUDE:
- Highlights of ongoing student and faculty research projects
- Recollections of experiences during the August 2016 Flood
- What is happening in the classroom: Hands-on experience for students
- Six NREM Degree Programs Receive Accreditation from the Society of American Foresters
- International travel experiences for Students
- Graduate Student news
- Faculty Highlights
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Marine Field Techniques in Mozambique, Africa
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Study Abroad in Swaziland
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