Welcome to the Coastal Ecology Lab!
Our lab is broadly interested in ecology and evolution of ectotherms. We are integrative biologists who conduct both field and laboratory experiments to answer questions at the individual, population, and species level. The majority of our research has focused on amphibians and reptiles, often abundant within the ecosystems of South Louisiana. As an active lab, we focus mostly on local systems that provide easily accessible research opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students. Check out Current Projects and Publications to better understand our past, current, and future research!
News
August 2024: Chris Meehan has joined the lab! He will continue work with automated telemetry to understand the movement patterns and habitat use of female and male terrapin.
May 2024: Gabriel White was awarded 1st place in the poster competition at the Louisiana Chapter of the American Fisheries Society annual meeting!
February 2024: Graduate student Shelby Truckenbrod received the Catina Brandt Award for Outstanding Graduate Student in Marine and Environmental Biology!
November 2023: Undergraduates Gabriel White and Lucas Futey presented their research at the Advance Conference for Undergraduate Research hosted at he University of Louisiana Lafayette!
August 2023: Graduate student Shelby Truckenbrod won best poster presentation at the Turtle Survival Alliance annual meeting!
July 2023: Gabriel White began doing undergraduate research with Apple Snails and their life history!
April 2023: New paper published in Herpetological Review by former graduate student Alex Alterman! Way to go Alex!
April 2023: The Coastal Ecology Lab travelled across state lines to present our work at the Mississippi Herp Conference. Shelby presented her research with tracking terrapin (280,000 locations so far), Claire presented her work with terrapin demographics and morphology (interesting trends for sure!), and Tim presented our current understanding of bycatch reduction devices on blue crab traps.
March 2023: The Coastal Ecology Lab attended the Louisiana Academy of Sciences. Shelby presented her current research with tracking terrapin (220,000 locations so far) and Claire presented her work with terrapin demographics and nesting ecology (hoping to see a lot of nests this year!). Claire brought home the award for best Graduate Student poster in Zoology!
October 2022: The Coastal Ecology Lab attended the Diamondback Terrapin Working Group Meeting in Athens Georgia. Shelby presented our work with bycatch reduction devices on blue crab traps and Claire presented her thesis work with terrapin demographics and nesting ecology.
August 2022: Got our terrapin telemetry project underway! Hoping to passively track terrapin over the next year out in the Barataria Estuary!
July 2022: Awarded a Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program grant to explore the thermal physiology of invasive apple snails. Excited to get back in to the lab!
January 2022: Claire Boudreaux and Shelby Truckenbrod entered the lab! Claire will continue our mark-recapture study of terrapin while also looking at nesting ecology. Shelby will be conduct a telemetry project with terrapin to understand their movement patterns throughout the year.
November 2021: Alex Alterman and Katie Gray have both successfully defended their theses! Congratulations to both of them on accomplishing their projects over these past couple years.
October 2021: Claire Boudreaux and Shelby Truckenbrod will be entering the lab to continue our work on Diamondback Terrapins!
September 2021: Awarded a State Wildlife Grant to explore Diamondback Terrapin movement within tidal channels on barrier islands.
March 2021:Katie Gray caught her first Diamondback Terrapin at Elmer's Island Louisiana! Here's to a productive field season free of hurricanes and natural disasters! Alex Alterman won best poster with her box turtle research within the Biology Section of the 2021 Louisiana Academy of Sciences!
June 2020: We received funding from the Louisiana Board of Regents to conduct Diamond-backed Terrapin studies in Coastal Louisiana for the next 3 years!
August 2024: Chris Meehan has joined the lab! He will continue work with automated telemetry to understand the movement patterns and habitat use of female and male terrapin.
May 2024: Gabriel White was awarded 1st place in the poster competition at the Louisiana Chapter of the American Fisheries Society annual meeting!
February 2024: Graduate student Shelby Truckenbrod received the Catina Brandt Award for Outstanding Graduate Student in Marine and Environmental Biology!
November 2023: Undergraduates Gabriel White and Lucas Futey presented their research at the Advance Conference for Undergraduate Research hosted at he University of Louisiana Lafayette!
August 2023: Graduate student Shelby Truckenbrod won best poster presentation at the Turtle Survival Alliance annual meeting!
July 2023: Gabriel White began doing undergraduate research with Apple Snails and their life history!
April 2023: New paper published in Herpetological Review by former graduate student Alex Alterman! Way to go Alex!
April 2023: The Coastal Ecology Lab travelled across state lines to present our work at the Mississippi Herp Conference. Shelby presented her research with tracking terrapin (280,000 locations so far), Claire presented her work with terrapin demographics and morphology (interesting trends for sure!), and Tim presented our current understanding of bycatch reduction devices on blue crab traps.
March 2023: The Coastal Ecology Lab attended the Louisiana Academy of Sciences. Shelby presented her current research with tracking terrapin (220,000 locations so far) and Claire presented her work with terrapin demographics and nesting ecology (hoping to see a lot of nests this year!). Claire brought home the award for best Graduate Student poster in Zoology!
October 2022: The Coastal Ecology Lab attended the Diamondback Terrapin Working Group Meeting in Athens Georgia. Shelby presented our work with bycatch reduction devices on blue crab traps and Claire presented her thesis work with terrapin demographics and nesting ecology.
August 2022: Got our terrapin telemetry project underway! Hoping to passively track terrapin over the next year out in the Barataria Estuary!
July 2022: Awarded a Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program grant to explore the thermal physiology of invasive apple snails. Excited to get back in to the lab!
January 2022: Claire Boudreaux and Shelby Truckenbrod entered the lab! Claire will continue our mark-recapture study of terrapin while also looking at nesting ecology. Shelby will be conduct a telemetry project with terrapin to understand their movement patterns throughout the year.
November 2021: Alex Alterman and Katie Gray have both successfully defended their theses! Congratulations to both of them on accomplishing their projects over these past couple years.
October 2021: Claire Boudreaux and Shelby Truckenbrod will be entering the lab to continue our work on Diamondback Terrapins!
September 2021: Awarded a State Wildlife Grant to explore Diamondback Terrapin movement within tidal channels on barrier islands.
March 2021:Katie Gray caught her first Diamondback Terrapin at Elmer's Island Louisiana! Here's to a productive field season free of hurricanes and natural disasters! Alex Alterman won best poster with her box turtle research within the Biology Section of the 2021 Louisiana Academy of Sciences!
June 2020: We received funding from the Louisiana Board of Regents to conduct Diamond-backed Terrapin studies in Coastal Louisiana for the next 3 years!
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Contact Information Marilyn Kilgen Hall 115 Department of Biological Sciences Nicholls State University Thibodaux, LA 70301 [email protected] |
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