Rigid-hull inflatable boat for field research on avian ecology, evolution and conservation

我们请求NSERC支持一艘刚性船体充气船(RIB)，供Guelph大学、不列颠哥伦比亚大学、Simon Fraser大学和维多利亚大学的五名高度活跃的调查人员及其研究团队进行实地研究。PIs的研究计划涉及对鸟类保护、生态和进化的广泛实地研究。该RIB将在一年中的所有12个月中使用，并提供以下功能：(1)在不列颠哥伦比亚省南部和中部海岸的Desolation Sound和其他地点的大理石斑纹小鼠样本，以测试饮食质量是否影响繁殖成功，(2)对温哥华岛西南海岸的大理石斑纹小麻雀进行海上调查；(3)研究阿拉斯加东南部海浪和白翼麻雀的蜕皮生态；(4)采集血液样本，重新观察彩带歌雀，以及对公元前佐治亚州的墨西哥湾群岛的鸟类群落进行系统的有/无调查；(5)研究佐治亚州笔直的巴罗金眼雀的种群结构和人口统计学，以及(6)从温哥华岛和不列颠哥伦比亚省南海岸不同地点的水柱中采集沙枪样本。使用工具收集现场数据并培训学生对于所有PI研究项目都是必不可少的。*没有一个申请者有资金为这些项目购买生肖。如果没有收到资金，PI将需要使用其他来源(例如Discovery Grant)租用肋骨，这占其年度支出的很大比例，否则将用于支持和培训学生。*在接下来的五年里，四名博士生，八名硕士。学生、9名本科生、24名本科生和2名博士后将受益于使用这艘船进行实地研究(总HQP=47)。所有这些学生都将接受野外生物学和鸟类学方面的高级技能培训。因此，获得这艘船将是一件非常有价值的培训和进行研究的设备。

We request NSERC support for a rigid-hull inflatable boat (RIB) to be used in field research by five highly active investigators and their research teams based at the University of Guelph, the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, and the University of Victoria.  The research programs of PIs involve extensive field research on avian conservation, ecology, and evolution.  This RIB will be used for all 12 months of the year and serve the following functions: (1) sample marbled murrelets in Desolation Sound and other locations along southern and central coasts of BC to test if diet quality influences reproductive success, (2) conduct at-sea surveys of  marbled murrelets along the SW coast of Vancouver Island, (3) study the molting ecology of surf and white-winged scoters in southeast Alaska, (4) collect blood samples and re-sight colour-banded song sparrows, as well as conduct systematic presence/absence surveys of the avian community in the Gulf Islands, Straight of Georgia, BC, (5) examine the population structure and demography of Barrow's goldeneye in the Straight of Georgia, and (6) sample sand lance from the water column at various sites on Vancouver Island and the southern coast of British Columbia.  Use of a vehicle to collect field data and train students is essential for all PIs research programs.  None of the applicants have funding to purchase a zodiac for these projects.  If funds are not received, PIs will need to rent RIBs using other sources (e.g. Discovery Grant), representing a significant proportion of their annual expenses that would otherwise be used to support and train students.  During the next five years, four Ph.D. students, eight M.Sc. students, nine undergraduate thesis students, twenty-four undergraduate field technicians, and two postdocs will benefit from using this boat for field research (total HQP = 47).  All of these students will be trained in advanced skills in field biology and ornithology.  Acquisition of this boat will, therefore, be an extraordinarily valuable piece of equipment for training and conducting research.