Alexandra B
- Research Program Mentor
MS candidate at University of North Carolina at Wilmington
Expertise
Ecology, conservation, ornithology, habitat management
Bio
I am a masters student at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. My thesis is centered around the habitat use of a bird species that resides in the marsh. I am extremely excited about this topic as it allows me to determine what is needed for this species to survive and flourish in the future. My goal is to inform management decisions that will aid in species conservation for a number of species endemic to marshes. I have also recently started a project modeling sea level rise along the coast of North Carolina in hopes of elucidating mechanisms for better management. In addition to my studies, I am passionate about spending time outdoors and being active. I love to hike, surf and get involved with any sport I can. I am also an avid reader and spend time participating in book clubs. I am looking forward to working with students and guiding them through successful projects!Project ideas
Literature Review of Conservation Needs of Individual Species
A literature review would allow a student to gain experience in acquiring relevant peer-reviewed scientific articles. The individual would choose a species of their choice and explore different aspects of this species life history and ecology to determine its conservation status. I would work with this student to solidify a specific project goal (habitat use/needs, the role that climate change is playing in this species population projections, behavioral studies and how they impact conservation management). The goal of this research project would be to choose a topic related to conservation and explore existing information. I would then like the student to write a review on what is currently known about this topic, what needs to be expanded in order to learn more about this species and what the best ways to do that are. The student will gain experience in critical thinking by applying the knowledge they have gained reading existing literature to determine what more can be done.
Sea Level Rise
This type of project would focus on researching different reasons why some areas are more susceptible than others to sea level rise. In addition, the student would pick an area within the United States and map out sea level rise in that area. We would together to determine the best methods to conserve this area in the future.