Sunscreen Chemical Presence in Alpine Lakes
My project studies the occurrence and risk of contamination from cosmetic products in previously unstudied alpine lakes of the Sierra Nevada. Specifically, I am looking at whether the organic active ingredients in sunscreens present as non-point sources of contamination due to wash-off from human skin. If present, these compounds can present concerns of chronic toxic exposure to aquatic organisms throughout the food chain, and previous research suggests a high risk of biomagnification. I am co-advised on this project by Dr. Arturo Keller of the BREN School.
Coastal Diet and Nutrient Flow of Large Mammals
In the Young Lab, I support the projects of two PhD students. I've collected scat samples from large mammals at Coal Oil Point and North Campus Open Space and prepared them for DNA extraction in the lab. We are using the scat samples to study these mammals' diets and the pathways of nutrient flow from marine coastlines to terrestrial systems.
Using Social Media to Estimate Human Activity in the Eastern Sierra
We use various web-based social media sources, including Flickr, iNaturalist, and AllTrails, to generate estimates of human activity. We are interested in how outdoor recreation varies across Inyo National Forest, particularly how much human presence varies seasonally and between the backcountry and the front country within the park.
Wildlife Responses to Prescribed Burning
For my senior thesis, I assess the wildlife (mammal and bird) response to prescribed burning at the Jack and Laura Dangermond Preserve (TNC). I am specifically analyzing enclosure permeability, habitat use, and wildlife behavior by deploying camera traps and point count surveys. I have also previously collected feral pig hair using hair snares at Dangermond, which I will break down to their stable isotope ratios to see diet composition. The goal is to see how much of their food resources are marine versus terrestrial -- ultimately evaluating marine-terrestrial connectivity for these mammals.
