FAU’s Michelle Petersen is studying dry-season prey concentrations in the Florida Everglades to understand factors that drive wading bird nesting success. The formation of dense prey concentrations in drying wetlands largely determines whether wading birds can sustain large successful colonies. “One of the biggest questions … is how wading birds respond to changes in water levels, especially during the dry season when the concentration of prey can make or break their nesting success.”

The team will use a probabilistic, multi-stage sampling framework to measure maximum aquatic prey densities and track inter-annual variability in relation to hydrologic conditions. They will examine how local site characteristics, regional prey populations, and microtopography influence prey concentrations. Data collection will focus on shallow sloughs undergoing seasonal drying and use standardized methods to ensure comparability across sites and years.

• Michelle Petersen