Research Mentor: Sarah McKay Strobel
Placement timeline
Desired placement start date: initial field season will run December 2015-January 2016, and
the second field season will run June-December 2016
Desired length of placement: ideally, a student will be available through both field seasons;
however, the requirement will be that a student is available for at least all of the first season or at
least four months of the second field season.
UROC Student’s Anticipated Role
In the field, the student will be responsible for visiting the study location (Monterey, CA) by
vehicle to remotely operate underwater GoPro cameras and record foraging data on sea otters.
The student will use a high-powered spotting telescope to observe a surface buoy indicating the
location of an underwater camera array. When the student observes an otter foraging near the
buoy, the student will use a wifi remote to activate the underwater cameras. The student will
record the otter’s position relative to the buoy and, if possible, identify the individual using
colored flipper tags or using a VHF radio receiver attached to an antenna to listen for unique
individually-assigned radio frequencies. The student will record additional descriptive data,
including number of other otters sighted, reproductive status (whether or not females have pups),
behavioral states, and environmental conditions. In addition, opportunities are available for
qualified scientific divers to gain experience with underwater equipment installation,
maintenance, and removal.
In the lab, the student will be responsible for offloading video footage from micro-SD cards and
watching this footage to mark timestamps of otter activity. The student will log any collected
field data in a shared database, as well as the timestamps from replayed video footage.
This opportunity could likely develop into a UROC Researcher position in the future (Summer
2016-2017), but this hinges on the results from initial data collection. For example, if early
footage indicates that sea otters may detect water flow from bivalve siphons, we can develop
captive experiments to test if altering water flow rate affects capture rate in free-behaving
individuals. If a student is more interested in prey behavior, we can develop an simultaneous
experiment to document clam burrowing rate or depth in response to predator or perceived
predation. These, and many other possible experiments, can test predictions of predator and prey
behavior as a function of prey detectability and predator activity. This would be an excellent
opportunity for a student to develop a unique project that links
Skills desired from UROC student.
1=Significant experience required; 2=Some experience required; 3=No experience
required; N/A
Skill
Level of experience
Describe
UROC Mentor Intake Form, 1
desired
Select 1,2,3, or n/a,
Use this space to elaborate as needed
Laboratory Skills
2
Statistics
3
Modeling
3
Computer Skills
2
Genetics
3
GIS (Arc)
Programming
3
3
Field work
2
Animal
Handling/Care
3
Taxonomic ID
2
Knowledge of marine mammals and sea
otter prey (invertebrates)
Boating
3
Experience is not necessary but will be
considered a plus!
Willingness to
travel
1
To study site(s) in Monterey, CA
Experience
talking to public
2
Since our study site is in a fairly public
place, being able to converse with the
public while maintaining attention to the
research tasks will be critical.
Microsoft Excel, Dropbox
Binoculars, compass, high-powered
spotting scopes, GPS; experience working
independently and as part of a team;
conduct fieldwork outside in a wide
variety of weather conditions
UROC Mentor Intake Form, 2
Other: Comfort
with
videographic
equipment and
video analysis
2
This research will rely heavily on GoPros.
Prior experience working with cameras
and specifically, GoPros, will be a plus.
Other:
Attention to
detail,
organizational,
and recordkeeping skills
1
As part of a larger team, these skills will
be crucial to overall success of the project.
One of the main requirements at the moment is possession of a valid driver’s license and the
ability to pay one’s own travel expenses to Monterey, CA. Although we are looking for funding
to support travel costs, we cannot offer it at the present time. I’d also like to emphasize that this
project is in its very early stages, which is both exciting and novel, but also unpredictable at
times, which means that any research assistant will need to be flexible and enthusiastic as we
work to get this project off the ground.
UROC Mentor Intake Form, 3