Tag: research

Blog Post, Press Releases , ,

RELEASE: New research fellow at ORK plans year-long monitoring project

by Ogeechee Riverkeeper November 14, 2022

11/15/2022
Ogeechee Riverkeeper
Contact: Meaghan Gerard
Communications and Administrative Director
meaghan@ogeecheeriverkeeper.org

NEW RESEARCH FELLOW AT OGEECHEE RIVERKEEPER PLANS YEAR-LONG MONITORING PROJECT
The annual ORK fellowship provides research opportunities in the watershed

The 2023 ORK Research Fellow is Molly McKean, a graduate student at Georgia Southern University (Statesboro campus), pursuing a master’s degree in biology. She works in the lab of Dr. Checo Colón-Gaud. She worked as a research assistant under a National Science Foundation Research Experience for post-baccalaureate grant for a year prior to joining the master’s program in August 2022.

McKeon will conduct a year-long monitoring project focused on an upstream site at Rocky Ford, a site at the soon-to-be closed textile plant, and a site where Black Creek meets the Ogeechee River downstream of the new EV plant development. “Monitoring these sites particularly will help contrast and compare how the upstream site will compare with these two downstream sites and the health of the river,” McKeon says.

McKeon is a first-generation college student from the Metro Detroit area in Michigan. She started out her higher education journey slightly later in life. She first started attending community college courses, as well as working full time, in 2017. Her bachelor of science degree in biological science, with a minor in environmental science, was earned in August of 2021 from Wayne State University. While there, she worked with Dr. Donna Kashian in her aquatic ecology and ecotoxicology lab.

McKeon has participated in the National Science Foundation’s Instars and Emerge programs for underrepresented students and early career fellows in STEM fields. She has a passion for urban community aquatic ecology and taxonomy work.

Ogeechee Riverkeeper (ORK) created a year-long research fellowship in 2022. The fellowship is underwritten by investments secured from the 2011 fish kill settlement.

About Ogeechee Riverkeeper: Ogeechee Riverkeeper 501(c)(3) works to protect, preserve, and improve the water quality of the Ogeechee River basin, which includes all of the streams flowing out to Ossabaw Sound and St. Catherine’s Sound. The Canoochee River is about 108 miles long and the Ogeechee River itself is approximately 245 miles long. The Ogeechee River system drains more than 5,500 square miles across 21 counties in Georgia. More at ogeecheeriverkeeper.org.

 

Blog Post, Fellowship , ,

ORK at Joint Aquatic Sciences Meeting

by Ogeechee Riverkeeper May 20, 2022
The Grand River in downtown Grand Rapids, just outside of the convention center

This past week, Dr. Checo Colon-Gaud’s research lab and I were able to attend the Joint Aquatic Sciences Meeting (JASM) in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to share our research with the broader scientific community!

Scientific conferences are one of the best ways for scientists to connect with the larger research community to enhance and spread our research impact. JASM was certainly no exception, as it is the premier aquatic sciences conference in the world. In addition to seeing lots of fascinating talks in our field and great conversations with colleagues, I was able to share a poster presentation on the research efforts that we have been conducting on crayfish of the Ogeechee basin.

Brian presents his research poster on crayfishes of the Ogeechee basin.

Lots of people walked by my poster and talked with me about their experiences working with crayfish and coastal plains organisms, and I certainly think I learned immensely from conversations with other scientists I interacted with. Certainly the most common comment on my research was related to how little we know about crayfish of the coastal plains.

Moving forward from this amazing experience, I hope to utilize the knowledge I gained as well as the connections I forged to help me tackle my research in the best way possible. This is not only done by using the best methods or researching the most important topic, but also by collaborating with a diverse group of scientists and the broader public to have the most prominent impact.

The next big aquatic sciences meeting is in Australia next summer, so we’re already looking forward to expanding our connections on a global scale!

Blog Post, Press Releases , ,

RELEASE: First research fellow at ORK starts crayfish project

by Ogeechee Riverkeeper January 18, 2022

01/18/2022
Ogeechee Riverkeeper
Contact: Meaghan Gerard, Communications and Administrative Director
meaghan@ogeecheeriverkeeper.org

The annual fellowship will provide research opportunities in the watershed

Ogeechee Riverkeeper (ORK) has launched a new research fellowship to be filled each year. In 2022, the ORK Research Fellow is Brian Bush, a first-year graduate student at Georgia Southern University, pursuing a master’s degree in biology. The fellowship is underwritten by investments secured from the 2011 fish kill settlement. 

“We are excited to launch this annual fellowship,” said Damon Mullis, executive director and riverkeeper of ORK. “Research is important to our mission to protect the waterways in our basin. This fellowship will spur more interest in our basin and result in more academic research projects.  We are excited to have this initiative to further our mission.”

Photo by Chris Lukhaup

The Ogeechee River Basin is home to 16 different native crayfish species, including Procambarus petersi, an endemic species commonly called the Ogeechee Crayfish. The project aims to document riverine crayfish populations and distribution, with a focus on P. petersi, and provide education and outreach opportunities throughout the watershed. Throughout the fellowship, Bush will be sharing blog posts and photos of his time in the field and in the lab.

Brian Bush

Bush will lead the research project with the supervision of Checo Colón-Gaud, Ph.D., professor of biology and associate dean of the Jack N. Averitt College of Graduate Studies at Georgia Southern University. Bush earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from The Ohio State University, with Honors Research Distinction from the School of Environment and Natural Resources. During his time at Ohio State, Bush conducted research with Dr. Mažeika Sullivan in the stream and river ecology laboratory. After graduation, Bush worked for the Nevada Bureau of Land Management, conducting stream surveys in northern Nevada and southern Idaho.

About Ogeechee Riverkeeper: Ogeechee Riverkeeper 501(c)(3) works to protect, preserve, and improve the water quality of the Ogeechee River basin, which includes all of the streams flowing out to Ossabaw Sound and St. Catherine’s Sound. The Canoochee River is about 108 miles long and the Ogeechee River itself is approximately 245 miles long. The Ogeechee River system drains more than 5,500 square miles across 22 counties in Georgia. More at ogeecheeriverkeeper.org.

***

PDF – Press Release – 2022 Research Fellowship