IRES Track I: Island Invasion Biology - Leveraging the Galapagos and Hawaiian Islands to provide immersive undergraduate research experiences.

加拉帕戈斯群岛和夏威夷群岛可以说代表着世界上最具标志性的两个岛屿生态系统。两者都是地理上极其孤立的火山陆地，进化出了独特的动植物，但其脆弱的生态系统受到一系列因素的威胁，也许最重要的因素是引入了非本土入侵物种。虽然我们对热带岛屿系统入侵物种生物学的理解是通过夏威夷ʻI的研究广泛形成的，但其他深入研究的地点，如加拉帕戈斯群岛，可以提供很多东西。该项目将在厄瓜多尔加拉帕戈斯群岛的查尔斯·达尔文基金会(CDF)举办一个沉浸式、体验式学习的本科生岛屿入侵生物学研究项目。该项目将为夏威夷大学ʻI at MāNoa(UHM)的学生提供一个独特的机会，他们代表着美国最多样化的学生群体之一，他们将在两个全球公认的研究机构沉浸在入侵生物学的尖端国际研究中，这两个研究机构在该领域引领了丰富的理解。塑造这两个群岛的历史，包括相似之处和不同之处，将允许学生和导师开发与两个岛屿系统以及更广泛的热带岛屿相关的新颖研究，同时促进UHM教师和CDF外国合作者之间的新研究合作。因此，该项目将成为未来研究合作的催化剂，从而在未来几年为学生在对两个地区都至关重要的领域提供研究经验的机会。加拉帕戈斯群岛和夏威夷群岛可以说是世界上最具标志性的两个岛屿生态系统。两者都是极其孤立的、火山起源的陆地，都进化出了独特的地方性生物群。此外，两者都受到了广泛的人为变化驱动力的威胁，其中最严重的可能是引入了入侵物种。重要的是，在对入侵物种的控制和缓解进行了数十年的应用研究之后，这两个群岛是学生在具有广泛的本地和全球影响的研究领域学习的理想平台。该项目将在厄瓜多尔加拉帕戈斯群岛的查尔斯·达尔文基金会(CDF)举办一个沉浸式、体验式学习的本科生岛屿入侵生物学研究项目。夏威夷大学ʻI at MāNoa(UHM)每年至少有6名美国学生(总共18名≥学生)将在加拉帕戈斯花一年时间研究入侵物种引进的驱动因素和后果，同时评估减轻其传播和影响的方法。在实地研究项目之前的学期，学生们将参加一门经认可的入侵生物学UHM课程，以夏威夷群岛为模型系统，为他们提供关于热带岛屿系统入侵物种构成的威胁和挑战的核心基线理解。在本课程中，学生将与CDF的UHM教师顾问和外国合作者互动，为他们在加拉帕戈斯的个人暑期研究项目开发框架和设计。每名外国合作者将在每个野外赛季监督2名学生，并将与UHM导师一起提供实地项目前和项目后的支持。回到夏威夷ʻI后，学生们将继续与他们的密歇根州立大学和美国疾病控制与预防基金会的导师一起撰写项目成果，提交给同行评审的科学机构，并将成果提交给密歇根州立大学校园和更广泛的应用保护和科学界。该奖项反映了国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The Galapagos and Hawaiian archipelagoes arguably represent two of the most iconic island ecosystems in the world. Both are extremely geographically isolated volcanic landmasses that have evolved unique flora and fauna, but their fragile ecosystems are threatened by a broad range of factors, perhaps the most consequential being introduced non-native invasive species. While our understanding of invasive species biology on tropical island systems has been shaped extensively by research in Hawaiʻi, other intensively studied locations, such as the Galapagos Islands, have much to offer. This project will host an immersive, experiential learning, undergraduate student research program on island invasion biology at the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. The program will provide a unique opportunity for University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UHM) students, who represent one of the most diverse student bodies in the nation, to immerse themselves in cutting edge international research in invasion biology at two globally-recognized research institutions that have spearheaded a wealth of understanding in this field. The histories that have shaped the two archipelagoes, including similarities and differences, will allow students and mentors to develop novel research that is relevant to both island systems, as well as tropical islands more broadly, while fostering new research collaborations between UHM faculty and foreign collaborators at CDF. As such, this project will serve as a catalyst for future research collaborations thereby providing opportunities for student research experiences for years to come in a field of critical importance to both locations.The Galapagos and Hawaiian archipelagoes arguably represent two of the most iconic island ecosystems in the world. Both are extremely isolated, volcanically-originated landmasses that have evolved unique and endemic biota. In addition, both are threatened by a broad range of anthropogenic drivers of change, perhaps the most consequential being introduced invasive species. Importantly, following decades of applied research on the control and mitigation of invasive species, the two archipelagoes represent ideal platforms for student learning in a field of research with broad local and global ramifications. This project will host an immersive, experiential learning, undergraduate student research program on island invasion biology at the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. At least six U.S. students in each cohort year from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UHM) (≥18 students total) will spend one year, including eight weeks in Galapagos, researching the drivers and consequences of invasive species introductions, while assessing means to mitigate their spread and impact. In the semester preceding their field research program, students will take an accredited UHM course on invasion biology to provide them with a core baseline understanding of the threats and challenges posed by invasive species in tropical island systems, using the Hawaiian Islands as a model system. During this course, students will interact with UHM faculty advisors and foreign collaborators at CDF, to develop the framework and design for their individual summer research projects in Galapagos. Each foreign collaborator will oversee 2 students each field season and, along with UHM mentors, will provide pre- and post-field program support. Upon returning to Hawaiʻi, students will continue to work with their UHM and CDF mentors to write up project results for submission to peer-reviewed scientific outlets, and present results to the UHM campus and the broader applied conservation and scientific community.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.