2024 Angus Gavin Memorial Migratory Bird Research Grant
August 29, 2024
2024 Angus Gavin Memorial Migratory Bird Research Grant to support summer seabird research
Fairbanks, AK - University of Alaska Fairbanks Research Professional Stephanie Crawford is the 2024 recipient of the University of Alaska Foundation Angus Gavin Memorial Migratory Bird Research Grant (Gavin Grant).
The Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands are undergoing rapid environmental changes. Large-scale summer seabird mortality events in this region of Alaska were rare before 2015, but have since become annual events. Crawford was awarded just over $35,000 toward a project that is designed to learn more about the relationship between mercury, body condition, and co-contamination of phthalates in seabirds from western Alaska using an extensive tissue archive.
Crawford and four others make up the diverse team of scientists that will go about the study beginning this fall. Their research will allow for estimation of the potential impact of contaminants upon 17 species of seabirds, occupying differing foraging guilds, through both space (from the Aleutian Islands and the Bering Sea) and time (2009–2023).
“Stephanie's contributions extend beyond her primary roles, as she also serves as a mentor to student researchers, including undergraduates, graduates, and veterinary students. Her commitment to education and outreach is commendable, as she innovatively communicates scientific background and research findings to students and within Alaskan communities,” said Benjamin D. Barst, a research assistant professor at the UAF Water and Environmental Research Center.
Related Information
- News about this and other projects that Crawford is involved with will be shared via the Marine Ecotoxicology and Trophic Assessment Laboratory https://ine.uaf.edu/werc/werc-projects/metal/news/.
- Students who are interested in participating in the undergraduate research component are encouraged to contact Crawford or the office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarly Activity (https://www.uaf.edu/ursa/other-uaf-opportunities/index.php).
Angus Gavin Memorial Migratory Bird Research Grant
The Gavin Grant was established in 1983 with gifts from Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO) and its employees to honor the memory of Angus Gavin, an environmental scientist and advisor to ARCO. Gavin was hand-picked by ARCO Chairman Robert O. Anderson to observe, categorize and quantify the little-known flora and fauna of Prudhoe Bay in 1969. Gavin’s work