P. Dee Boersma, Ph.D. - US grants

This study proposes to examine the hormone-behavior adaptations that maximize survival and reproductive success in birds breeding in the extreme conditions of the high Arctic. The focus will be on a typical high Arctic seabird, the Dovekie (Alle alle), and two typical arctic passerines, the Lapland Longspur (Calcarius lapponicus) and Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis). Temporal patterns of testosterone, breeding condition, and reproductive success will be studied, as well as adrenocortical responses to environmental stress. Field studies will be conducted in northern Greenland using Thule AFB as a logistical staging area. This will be the first study in the region using these techniques and and logistical capabilities. Because these techniques are inherently risky and the logistical demands are extreme, the PIs have chosen to submit a proposal of limited scope under the guidelines of the Small Grants for Exploratory Research (SGER) program.

9800172 Boersma This award provides funds to support the travel of 15 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to attend the Society for Conservation Biology annual meetings in Sydney Australia. Travel funds will be awarded based on need, quality and significance of research to conservation biology, and other selection criteria. Participating in the annual meeting is considered to be an important aspect of academic training. This award will facilitate the interaction of 15 young scientists from the US with an international community of conservation biologists.

This award will support travel for young scientists and students to attend an international conference on penguin biology. This meeting will bring together investigators from 15 countries, and it is the primary international conference for scientists focusing on penguin research. The recipients of these travel funds will be graduate students and junior, less established scientists, and their participation in the meeting will expose them to research on Antarctic penguins, which they might otherwise not encounter at a typical wildlife biology meeting. The scientists who study Antarctic penguins typically come from non-academic institutions with little opportunity to take on students. Therefore, this award will help ensure that future generations of U.S. scientists gain professional experience with Antarctic species early in their careers, and will encourage them to participate and collaborate in Antarctic research in the future.

Abstract

The sixth International Penguin Conference in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, September
2007 will bring penguin researchers from all over the world to discuss recent research
results. This conference is held once every 3-4 years and is open to persons interested in any aspect of penguin physiology, behavior, genetics, ecology, and conservation. The gathering is particularly important during International Polar Year, as it unites scientists from approximately 15 countries and offers an unparalleled opportunity for U.S. scientists to meet new colleagues and share their work with an international audience. Penguins are global sentinels and attract scientific interest because they provide insights into climate change, over-exploitation of fisheries, and fundamental advances in basic science. Climate change is a particular emphasis area of US IPY. Funding is requested to support U.S. students and young scientists wishing to present their research to the conference. A review committee with broad interests will select the students, to be awarded $2000 each, to help defray their costs. The 2007 International Penguin Conference is the premier international forum focusing on penguin research. Attendance at the meeting will allow these scientists to present their work, make contacts with others in their specific fields of interest, and forge international collaborative research efforts.