Austin Gearty, M.S.

Working in Dr. Wim Kimmerer's lab, my research involves studying the growth and reproduction of calanoid copepods in the Yolo Bypass floodplain an area adjacent the Sacramento River. Copepods are important in food webs because they consume primary producers and serve as prey for larval and juvenile fish. Floodplains are areas that can act as important habitat for fish, protect adjacent communities from flooding, and serve as adequate lands for agriculture. My research will assess what sources of food quantity and food quality drive higher growth and reproduction in copepods on the floodplain versus nearby open water channels. Additionally, laboratory experiments will be designed to understand the role that female age plays in copepod reproduction and how this could potentially influence rates of reproduction found in the field.

Awards while in the program:

- San Francisco Bay Scholarship, Estuary & Ocean Science Center - $1k - 2018-19

- IRA Student Travel Award, San Francisco State University - $282 - 2018

- James C. Kelley Scholarship - $1k - 2018