EPA Fellowships For Undergraduate Environmental Study

See this link for information on EPA Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) Fellowships For Undergraduate Environmental Study.

Wetland restoration: How should success be measured?

What should you measure when trying to determine if a wetland restoration project has been successful? This poster, presented at the Ecological Society of America meeting this year, shows some of our latest findings on that topic (click on the poster to see a larger version). If we only look at emergent plant characteristics, then restoration seems to be successful. If we incorporate water, soil, and aquatic plant and animal characteristics, then the restoration sites appear to be very different from the reference area.

What are the real long-term impacts of the oil spill?

It's been interesting to watch the pendulum of public opinion swing in response to the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. In the weeks immediately following the spill, worst case scenarios involving oil entering the loop current and death to the Atlantic Ocean were headlining the news (and my facebook friends' status updates). Now, following the NOAA report on the fate of the DH oil, public opinion seems to have swung in the other direction - common headlines now laud the rapid recovery of the marshes and the "disappearance" or "capture" of the spilled oil, and some articles and commenters even go as far as ridiculing those scientists that still worry about long-term impacts of the oil. (Note: I realize that facebook updates or comments on online articles are not representative of public opinion as a whole - these observations are simply qualitative food for thought.)

Most likely, the actual outcome of the spill will fall somewhere between these two extremes, but the truth is that no one really knows what the long-term impacts will be. Although some components of wetlands may take decades to recover, other features may recover more quickly. A recent article in the Palm Beach Post highlighted some of the debate about the trajectory of wetland recovery, but every scientist who expressed worry about long-term recovery (including me!) has a lot more questions than answers. Impacts and recovery are complex, long-term processes, but that doesn't make a good sound bite.

It is dangerous to think that wetland recovery from the spill will be easy - that makes it seem like there are no consequences of massive oil spills. It is also irresponsible to hype up worst case scenarios and create panic, which ultimately hurts local economies by scaring off consumers like tourists.

So what will the real long-term impacts of the oil spill be? No one knows for sure, but it's our job as scientists to try to find out and adapt our management and conservation practices in accordance with the most recent scientific findings. That's a pretty boring sound bite, isn't it?

The Wetlands Lab moves into a new building

We have moved into a brand new science building, and it is quite an upgrade from the old building! Check out the new digs:

The pigment corner for the HPLC and spectrophotometer, complete with a solvent fume hood and black-out curtain.

Look at all the counter space!

More space!

The sleek and comfortable graduate student cubicles.

In the news

Dr. Armitage was recently interviewed by the local NPR station, KUHF, for a story about the possible interactions between hurricanes and oil spills. Read and/or listen.

Two summer Student Conservation Association internships

Two Student Conservation Association internships are available in the Houston area this summer

HCC Galveston Bay Foundation Coastal Habitat Intern

Dates: 5/17/10 - 8/9/10

Full-time (40 hours a week)

Benefits: $200/week subsistence, $500 travel grant, possible AmeriCorps Education Award

**HOUSING IS NOT PROVIDED

Site Description:

Texas Gulf Coast is a sub-tropical environment that contains diverse aquatic and terrestrial habitats that support abundant and equally diverse fish and wildlife populations. Aquatic habitats range from Gulf saline waters to freshwater rivers and lakes. Terrestrial habitats include southern deciduous forest, bottomland forests, coastal tallgrass prairies, and coastal island barrier habitats.

Position Description:

Work with staff on habitat restoration projects; conduct field surveys for fish and wildlife and their habitats; provide clerical and data compilation support for projects; attend meetings with habitat conservation project partners; maintain field equipment that includes boats and automotive vehicles.

Requirements:

US citizen/permanent resident; valid driver’s license; ability and willingness to undergo a required criminal history background check; skills in communication; interest in performing field work; basic knowledge of standard computer software.

Perks:

General safety training (approximately 8 hours per month). Opportunity for field trips to evaluate, monitor and/or survey projects or resources on the coastal plain and its shorelines of Galveston Bay.

**Housing is NOT provided, transportation is required.

Please send all resumes and cover letters electronically to:

HoustonIntern@thesca.org

Andy Janes

Coordinator, Houston Conservation Collaborative

Student Conservation Association
P: 713.520.1835

HCC Houston US Fish and Wildlife Coastal Habitat Intern

Dates: 5/17/10 - 8/9/10

Full-time (40 hours a week)

Benefits: $200/week subsistence, $500 travel grant, possible AmeriCorps Education Award

**HOUSING IS NOT PROVIDED

Site Description:

Texas Gulf Coast is a sub-tropical environment that contains diverse aquatic and terrestrial habitats that support abundant and equally diverse fish and wildlife populations. Aquatic habitats range from Gulf saline waters to freshwater rivers and lakes. Terrestrial habitats include southern deciduous forest, bottomland forests, coastal tallgrass prairies, and coastal island barrier habitats.

Position Description:

Work with staff on habitat restoration projects; conduct field surveys for fish and wildlife and their habitats; provide clerical and data compilation support for projects; attend meetings with habitat conservation project partners; maintain field equipment that includes boats and automotive vehicles.

Requirements:

US citizen/permanent resident; valid driver’s license; ability and willingness to undergo a required criminal history background check; skills in communication; interest in performing field work; basic knowledge of standard computer software.

Perks:

General safety training (approximately 8 hours per month). Opportunity for field trips to evaluate, monitor and/or survey projects or resources on the coastal plain and its shorelines of Galveston Bay.

**Housing is NOT provided, transportation is required.

Please send all resumes and cover letters electronically to:

HoustonIntern@thesca.org

Andy Janes

Coordinator, Houston Conservation Collaborative

Student Conservation Association
P: 713.520.1835

The Coastal and Wetlands Ecology Lab represents at the student symposium

Congratulations to the Coastal and Wetlands lab members for their recognition at the 2010 TAMUG Student Research Symposium.

Allison Parnell won 1st in the graduate Marine Resources Management category and placed 3rd among all graduate students.

Lindsey Staszak won 2nd in the graduate Marine Resources Management category.

Cara Valinoti (in the middle) won 1st in the undergraduate Marine Biology category and placed 2nd among all undergraduates.

Congratulations to all! Check out more about these students and their research on our lab web page.

Temporary Job Opportunity at the Houston Zoo for Amphibian Conservation

General Summary

The Houston Zoo Amphibian Conservation Keeper position will work within the Department of Conservation and Science. This position is a supporting role with the Houston toad (Bufo houstonensis) program and the successful candidate will work on the upkeep, maintenance, husbandry and head starting of the Houston Toad. This is an opportunity to assist with the conservation of one of the most endangered amphibians in the United States.

Responsibilities

· Maintenance of invertebrate feeder cultures including domestic crickets, fruit flies, springtails, and woodlice; and

· Cleaning and feeding Houston Toad enclosures and keeper areas,

· Maintains clean and organized exhibits, equipment, and keeper areas,

· Maintains effective communication with the veterinary staff,

· Observes and evaluates animal condition, behavior and responses and communicates observations orally and on written reports,

· Performs other duties as requested.

Industry:
Position Type:	Part Time Temporary
Position Reports To:	Amphibian Conservation Program Manager and the Director of Conservation
Travel Required:	0% of the time (approximate)
Starts On:	12-Apr-10

Job Requirements

Experience

Knowledge

· Understanding of the life cycle of common feeder invertebrates,

· General understanding of amphibian biology,

· Ability to perform simple arithmetic and mentally keep track of numbers and individuals.

Experience
Experience with common feeder invertebrate cultures in captivity

Schedule
This is a part time position that runs from April 2010 to August 2010. Exact start and finish dates are negotiable. Work hours are equivalent to 18-20 hours per week. Scheduling of work shifts is dependant upon the needs of the program.

Skills

Work Environment
The position involves some moderate physical exertion, such as the use of ladders, lifting equipment, etc. on a frequent basis and assuming awkward positions. The working area gets exposed to considerable heat and moisture.

Physical Skill
Requires the ability to make closely coordinated hand/eye movements within very fine tolerance and/or calibration demands; or the ability to make rapid closely coordinated hand/eye movements on a patterned response space within somewhat fine tolerance demands; or the ability to make coordinated hand/eye movements within fine tolerances with large equipment as an extension of the worker.

Public Contact

Public contact and potential interaction with other organizations, requiring interpersonal skill and a high degree of customer service, as well as exceptional written communication skills.

Please contact conservation@houstonzoo.org for more information.

Summer internship with Artist Boat

Artist Boat currently seeks a motivated, creative, and self-starting student with an environmental science or art background to deliver Eco-Art Workshops and Adventures to the communities of the Houston/Galveston region.

The eight-week internship runs from June 1-July 23, includes a generous stipend and housing, and will provide one undergraduate student with a unique experience in Eco-Art education!

For application details, please see: http://www.artistboat.org/internship.html. Applications are due by April 15, 2010.