Proposal

Narrative

The collaboration between FAU’s Honors College and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science has increased dramatically within recent years. Dr. Jon Moore is currently one of only a few faculty members at the Honors College fostering graduate students. Dr. Moore has a total of five Master’s Thesis students with varied research interests and is also currently responsible for advising 15 undergraduate Honors Research Theses. He has overseen and advised on a total of 105 completed honors theses during his time at Florida Atlantic University. As of 2005, a total of five undergraduate students have published their research with nine more pending and 10 students have presented at a number of academic conferences. Dr. Moore’s graduate students have published three studies with three more pending and a total of five students have given presentations at academic conferences. Dr. Moore’s lab has been responsible for a variety of ecological and biological research. This research includes; the population dynamics of game fishes and deep-sea organisms within the Gulf of Mexico, the affect the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill may have had on these organisms, Gopher tortoise and diamondback terrapin population dynamics, commensal species living within gopher tortoise burrows, plant distributions and dispersal methods, manatee population dynamics and identification, the impacts of nonnative lizards on the ecology of Florida, and Lichenology. The variety and number of research projects being conducted by the Moore Lab requires a wide array of materials in order to satisfy the requirements of each student’s personal interests. A total of two desktop computers (one at the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and the FAU Honors College) with a series of statistical and mapping software are therefore requested to help accommodate the analytical aspects of student research. The software packages necessary for these research stations include Arc GIS and Primer-E. Illustrator, Photoshop, and Microsoft Office Suite will also be installed onto the computers via the Florida Atlantic University site licenses offered by the institution for its faculty. The free R statistical analysis software will also be installed and incorporated onto these desktops. Field and laboratory equipment requirements include; a burrow camera, camera traps, GPS Units and associated software, as well as zoom and wide angle lenses for manatee identification. The total cost for these items equates to $14,762.63. Arc GIS will be used to analyze the spatial data associated with research projects focusing on gopher tortoise ecology, deep-sea and game fish species, plant dispersal, and manatee sightings. Primer-E is a powerful multivariate statistical analysis program specifically designed for ecological datasets. Coupling this analytical tool with R will allow students to analyze their data in a number of ways and encourage the development of their statistical skills. Illustrator, Photoshop, and Microsoft Office Suite will be used for the creation of presentations, posters, and manuscripts. The availability of these analytical and creative tools will help increase the quality of publications produced by the Moore Lab and give both the graduate and undergraduate researchers the opportunity to analyze their data to their personal requirements. The burrow camera and camera traps will be used in ongoing gopher tortoise research to help identify the commensal organisms which occur within these burrows as well as the predators that target this keystone species. The Trimble GPS units and associated software offer the level of accuracy necessary for precise spatial analysis of ecological relations. Using this equipment will also provide a unique and marketable skill set for graduate and undergraduates interested in employment with industries that use high precision GPS equipment. By providing a combination of lenses (zoom and wide angle) to the already purchased Canon Eos camera at the lab’s disposal, and coupling the Illustrator and Photoshop software, we also hope to increase the accuracy of manatee identifications made in the field. The purchase of this field equipment and the establishment of these permanent research stations will allow future students the processing power to analyze their data and produce theses worthy of future publication and funding. We project that upwards of 30 students a year will be benefited by these purchases and over 120 students in a four-year period. All items purchased by the grant will stay within the Moore Lab for use by future graduate and undergraduate research, both within this research lab and with those who collaborate or could make use of these items.

Facilities

Research stations will be established at the Honors College Campus and Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in the space allocated to Dr. Jon Moore at each site.

Hardware Requirements

1 Burrow Camera, 3 camera traps, 2 Desktop Computers (PC), 2 key boards and mice, 2 Monitors, 1 Canon Zoom lens, 1 Canon Wide Angle Lens, 1 Trimble GPS Unit

Software Requirements

2 ARC GIS, 3 Primer-E, 2 Trimble Mapping and GIS Software

Personnel Costs

There will be no personnel costs associated.

Other Costs

There are no other costs associated.

Timeline

Year 1: Purchase of desktop computers and their installation at the Jupiter and Harbor Branch Campuses will take place. This will also include the purchase and installation of all associated software packages. The required field equipment will also be purchased and immediately utilized by both the graduate and undergraduate researchers in need of it. Year 2: Continued utilization of the research stations by both the graduate and research students will take place. Use of the field equipment will continue as needed and is dependent upon the requirements of each individual study being conducted by those who require it. Upkeep of the equipment will be managed as needed and be provided by the lab. Year 3: Continued utilization of the research stations by both the graduate and research students will take place. Use of the field equipment will continue as needed and is dependent upon the requirements of each individual study being conducted by those who require it. Upkeep of the equipment will be managed as needed and be provided by the lab.

Sustainability

All purchased hardware, software , and field equipment will remain with the Moore lab for future use by students in the lab, collaborators, and those who require it to conduct research.

Resource Matching

There will be no resource matching.

Implementing Organization

Implementation will be organized by the FAU Honors College (Specifically Dr. Jon Moore).