Science Discovery Presents: Pond Permanency & Mallard-Parasite Interactions

The Johnson Laboratory proudly sponsored two high school students, Ellie Cartwright and Atlas Moore, from the CU Science Discovery Program. This STEM outreach program engages K-12 students in developing research experiences. Ellie and Atlas participated in the Stem Research Experience, working in our laboratory for six weeks. During this time, they analyzed motion-capture imaging to identify common vertebrate animals at over 50 ponds in California. Their findings were presented in posters on July 26th. 

Ellie’s project, "Increased Pond Permanency Supports Higher Levels of Avian Taxa in California Ponds," found that bird species richness was higher in permanent ponds compared to temporary ones. 

Atlas’ project, "Trematode Royalty Colonizes Ducks," examined the relationship between mallards and the parasite Echinostoma in California ponds. Atlas discovered a correlation between the presence of mallards and the average load of Echinostoma species in these ponds. 

Great job!