Last weekend, I had the pleasure of presenting my research on marine plastic debris at the 7th Annual Ecology Graduate Student Symposium. Attendees included over 100 undergraduate and graduate students, professors from at least three different institutions, and members of the general public. It was a great day filled with interdisciplinary science, beautiful artwork, and stunning photographs. The symposium even got covered by the UC Davis newspaper, The California Aggie. Read the story here. To top it off, I won the award for best talk! Considering the research I do on plastic debris is rather unusual, it was exciting to get a positive reception and encouraging feedback, especially since it was the first presentation I’ve given on this work.
Now I’m off to Honolulu, Hawaii for the 17th Ocean Sciences Meeting where I will present my preliminary findings to a much larger scientific audience. Whatever happens at the conference in Hawaii, I will be better off having presented at the EGSA Symposium first. Big thanks to James Farlin, Grace Ha, Katie Eskra, Matt Whalen, and many other volunteers too numerous to list for organizing such a fantastic event. Visit UC Davis’ Graduate Group in Ecology’s website for more information on this powerhouse program. Also, check out the Ecology Graduate Student Association’s webpage to learn about some of the great events and amazing work produced by members of my graduate group!
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Great work by a good friend and colleague Andrea Townsend, demonstrating the negative impacts plastic debris has on a common land bird, the American Crow. With so much research on plastic debris in marine ecosystems, it's good to see terrestrial communities garnering some attention. About the photo: American Crow nestlings in Yolo County, California found tangled in plastic debris in their nests. Figure taken from Townsend and Barker 2014. Read the full article here. |
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AuthorMatthew Savoca holds a PhD in Ecology from the University of California, Davis. His research interests include sensory behavioral ecology, marine conservation biology, and seabird ecology. Categories
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December 2021
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