Field preparation for the Galapagos! (Utah)

Ruby-throated hummingbirds near Itasca Biological Station (2008)

Well I'm back in the lab in Utah. I feel well rested and ready for the Galapagos. I've been spending most of my time running errands and packing for our 3 month journey. Still homeless, I've been spending my nights on the floor of my friend Shannon's apartment. Concrete + carpet does not make a pleasant night's sleep.

Common snapping turtle near Itasca Biological Station (summer 2008)

I had a wonderful day today... filled with good news. First, I was interviewed for my U of MN alumni newsletter (at least I think) about Itasca and my research. See my first video interview here (summer 2009).

Then, I found out that I (along with TWO other students from my department) received a SICB grant for my research with Darwin's finches. We were 3 out of 24 that received the grant out of a pool of 126!!!

If you're interested in learning about my research, here is a bit about it:

I am attempting to understand how an organism's stress physiology may help or hurt it when exposed to parasites. I am applying my questions to one of the most iconic systems in evolutionary biology, Darwin's finches. In recent years, many invasive species have been introduced to the Galapagos Islands. Philornis downsi is an invasive fly, recently introduced to the Galapagos Islands, whose larvae parasitize the nestling and adult Darwin's finches.

My study focuses on how parasitism by P. downsi affects host stress physiology and in turn, the host's fitness. In other words, think about when you're stressed out all week from an exam or work. This "stress" is considered chronic and your body's response to the stressor (e.g. secretion of hormones) may suppress the immune system, making you more susceptible to an illness, such as a cold. Birds are similar. Although short-term elevations in corticosterone, a stress hormone in birds, may help to enhance survival through changes in behavior, chronically elevated levels of baseline corticosterone can be detrimental to the immune system and ultimately, fitness. Understanding the impact of parasites, especially exotics, on host physiology, behavior, and fitness is a prerequisite to the establishment of effective management strategies to conserve Darwin's finches.

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