Lindsey Johnson EcoLunch Seminar
On October 31st, I attended the EcoLunch Seminar where graduate students in the Environmental Science program presented information about their thesis work. One of the students presented on the northeastern beach tiger beetle which is an endangered species in the Chesapeake Bay. I found this to be interesting because I had never even heard of this species before. The student plans to collect data by counting the number of beetles he finds on the beaches at various different times to test different conditions to determine when they are most active and the rate at which the population is declining. He also mentioned that the main reason for the decline in population of the tiger beetle is human activity like foot traffic which can kill the larvae. Additionally, sea level rise due to global warming plays a role in the population decline. Global warming is caused by human activity through the burning of fossil fuels. I think that this research is important because it can provide helpful and needed information in determining how the tiger beetle population can be saved from extinction. However, I imagine that the data collection will be extremely tedious due to the fact that the beetles camouflage very easily in the sand and are hard to approach because they can fly away. Despite this, I think it is necessary that we as humans take care of the environment and all of the species within it. I believe this research is an important step in the right direction.
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