Current Graduate Students and Research Projects:
David McWhorter, M.S. Candidate Evaluation of Alternative Bank Protection Structures on Vegetative Communities and Elevation There is continuous attrition of canal banks caused by the wakes of fast moving passing vessels. Wake/Wave action erodes the spoil banks and exposes the underlying organic soils. Once breakthrough occurs, bay-like areas form in adjacent areas through sustained erosion. I will examine two new techniques for protecting and restoring easily erodable organic soils. The first treatment is concrete revetment mat and the second is a fiberglass sheet pile system. Each system will serve as a wave break and protect the community behind from the high energy wakes. The study area is located on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW), in Mandalay National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). Mandalay NWR is west of Houma, in Terrebonne Parish Louisiana.
Brief Biography of David McWhorter: I grew up in New Orleans and received my B.S. in Biology from the University of Central Oklahoma. My undergraduate research focused on evaluating different prairie grasses for phytoremediative applications. I’m currently interested in researching strategies that reduce coastal erosion and wetland deterioration. In addition to my research masters research, I am employed fulltime by CH2M HILL implementing the Coast-wide Reference Monitoring System (CRMS). CRMS is a collection of monitoring stations placed randomly across the Louisiana coastal zone to establish a pool of data used to evaluate wetland restoration projects. My future plans include finishing my thesis by August 2008 and starting my Ph.D. research on coastal dune plant ecology.
E.J. Raynor, M.S. Candidate Understanding the use of barrier islands as nesting habitat for Louisiana birds of concern The objectives will be to quantitatively assess the habitat characteristics of barrier islands that are used for nesting and those not used for nesting by colonial waterbirds. Nest and fledging success will be assessed for multiple colonies and related to island characteristics, including an index of predator activity. We will also relate the temporal history of restoration to habitat characterization and to breeding bird activity and success to help understand the value of restoration projects to state species of concern.
Brief Biography of E.J. Raynor: Growing up in southwestern Connecticut I became interested in nature and infatuated with birds through observing bird feeding stations at an early age. I was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and educated in Fairfield, Connecticut. My undergraduate college was the University of Maine at Machias where I studied Environmental Studies and concentrated on avian ecology. Employment on various ornithological projects has brought me to Brier Island, Nova Scotia; southern Idaho; Jamaica Bay and Great Gull Island, New York and a couple of Connecticut-based research stations. Currently, I am studying colonial waterbirds off of southern Louisiana under Dr. Aaron Pierce through a research assistantship at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana.
Tabitha Owen, M.S. Candidate Habitat Requirements and Productivity of Colonial Waterbirds This study will expand upon current research of breeding colonial waterbirds utilizing barrier islands in Louisiana. Nest monitoring will be conducted to determine the abundance of breeding Gull-billed Terns and Black Skimmers and to determine their hatching success. In addition, nesting habitat characteristics will be measured and incorporated into habitat models to determine habitat requirements. Juvenile survivorship and growth rates of Royal Tern and Sandwich Tern chicks will also be determined and used as an indicator of habitat productivity.
Brief Biography of Tabitha Owen: Growing up with a father in the wildlife biology field a love of the outdoors has always been a major part of my life. I received a B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology at Clemson University in South Carolina. My travels have taken me across the country and around the world, and I have helped with avian research in Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and South Dakota. While I love the mountains, my passion for shorebirds has led me here to Nicholls State University and the coast of Louisiana.
Bo Boudreaux, Undergraduate Changes in Raptor Abundance and Small Mammal Populations in Response to Raptor Perch Poles The goal of the project is to evaluate the effects of installing raptor perch poles on raptor and small mammal populations. We will conduct raptor surveys and small mammal trapping at the Nicholls State University Farm facility. Raptor surveys and Sherman aluminum live traps will be used to sample the raptor and small mammal populations at the farm before and after installing raptor perch poles. In November of 2008, we installed several raptor perch poles at the Nicholls’ farm facility. Currently, we are collecting our post-treatment data. Data will then be used to evaluate changes in raptor abundance and small mammal populations during the pre-treatment and post-treatment sampling periods.
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