IRES Track I: Exploring Adaptive Responses to Dynamic Island Environments

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Human activities have dramatically altered natural ecosystems, causing the sixth mass extinction event of our planet's history. To curb this unprecedented loss of biological diversity, it is critical to understand how organisms respond to and persist in such rapidly-changing environments. This International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) project will explore how natural populations survive the challenges of their natural environment, and then leverage this understanding to determine how the same populations respond to novel human-mediated changes. This IRES project, therefore, will provide insights needed to slow the current, unprecedented loss of biodiversity.This IRES project will train cohorts of 10 undergraduate students, targeting those underrepresented in STEM (i.e., women and minorities), for a period of six weeks each year in field research and conservation science in the remote Solomon Islands. The Solomon Islands serve as an ideal setting for this IRES project, as the archipelago is composed of dynamic ecosystems where organisms face constantly-changing conditions caused by both natural and anthropogenic processes. An international team from the University of Miami and local non-government organizations will lead the program, offering diverse perspectives and unique expertise to create a thriving environment for student mentorship. The major goal is for students to first leverage natural systems by executing group experiments that explore how populations meet the challenges of their natural environment. Students will then expand on this understanding of natural systems by developing independent projects to test how the same populations respond to human-mediated disturbances. A follow-up course in the US will provide additional training and career development, with the goal of publishing the student projects. The result is an IRES program where a diverse, international team will equip the next generation of scientists with a more global perspective to tackle our planet's most pressing challenges.This IRES project has two major broader impacts. First, this project will train undergraduate students in international research and conservation, targeting those underrepresented in STEM (i.e., women and minorities). This IRES project will therefore tackle the lack of diversity in STEM, and provide international experience that is critical for preparing students to compete in a global market. Second, this IRES project will help establish conservation initiatives in a biodiversity hotspot. The conservation initiative includes students working with local stakeholders in collecting field data and conducting outreach to empower local communities in establishing sustainable practices. By collecting baseline data, students involved in this IRES project will help in the establishment of an ambitious conservation area. This IRES project, therefore, addresses a fundamental question in Biology, while providing students with experience in initiating impactful conservation programs.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.