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2013. What is Operation Wallacea? Tropical scientific expeditions in 9 countries 170+ academics running more than 120 projects Results published in peer-reviewed journals. What is Operation Wallacea? 30 new vertebrate species to science discovered
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What is Operation Wallacea? Tropical scientific expeditions in 9 countries 170+ academics running more than 120 projects Results published in peer-reviewed journals
What is Operation Wallacea? 30 new vertebrate species to science discovered Large temporal and spatial data sets obtained from tuition fee funded model Data used to assess the performance of conservation management programs
Global Research and Conservation Strategy Stage 1 - Assessing ecosystem diversity and function Stage 2 - Monitoring ecosystem change Stage 3 - Monitoring socio-economic change Stage 4 - Establishing & monitoring the effectiveness of conservation management programs
Team Members Principal Researchers Assistant Researchers Visiting Academics Dissertation Students Research Assistants Medical Staff Pre–med Expedition Medicine Operations Staff
Joining as a Research Assistant • Course credit available • Gain experience for CV or for helping to choose career direction • Fixed Itineraries (Madagascar, Egypt, Guyana, Mexico, Peru, South Africa) • Personalized Itineraries • (Indonesia, Honduras) • Pre–med: Expedition Medical course
Spiny Forest Biodiversity Survey Data gathered for Biosphere application for Mandrare Valley Madagascar Wildlife and Communities course in Week 1 Rotate between camps across Ifotaka North Scan and focal sampling of Verraux’sSifaka and Ring Tailed Lemurs Spotlight and trapping surveys for nocturnal lemurs Madagascar
Spiny Forest Biodiversity Survey Invasive plant surveys Vegetation surveys using Gentry plots Bird point counts and mist netting Iguana activity budgets Day time and spotlight surveys for chameleon diversity Madagascar
Mountain Desert Biodiversity Survey Data contributing to biodiversity atlas survey of St Katherine Protectorate Desert living training in first 3 days 4 days surveying in mountain desert and living in Bedouin camps Surveys are for target plants, reptiles and bird surveys from transects, small mammal trapping, grazing pressure of ibex, etc. Egypt
Egypt Red Sea Reef Ecology Course
Guiana Shield Forest Biodiversity Surveys Data being used to assess effects of selective logging on biodiversity Based in remote forest field camps Week 1: Guiana Shield forest ecology and jungle survival course Weeks 2 & 3: Working from 2 different camps Mist netting for birds and bats Herpetofauna surveys – transects & spotlighting Large mammal transect surveys Guyana
Guyana Burro Burro River Surveys
Mayan ForestBiodiversity Surveys First large-scale surveys of the vast CalakmulBiopshere. Data collected for REDD+ application and data for setting sustainable hunting quotas Mayan forest ecology course and visit to the Mayan ruins in Week 1 Butterfly and moth surveys Mist netting for birds and bats Pitfall traps and transect searches for herpetofauna Transect sampling and camera trapping for mammals Mexico
Mexico Forest Elements of the Mexico Programme
Mexico Marine Elements of the Mexico Programme
Amazonian Forest Surveys Data collected for REDD+ application and data for setting hunting quotas Based on research ships Amazonian wildlife conservation course in week 1 Bird mist netting and water bird transects River dolphin surveys Fish community surveys Peru
Amazonian Forest Surveys Amphibian surveys Macaw counts Large mammal transects Camera trapping River turtle population counts and nest transferring (water level dependent) Primate niche separation and time budgeting Peru
Peru Caiman Surveys
Elephant Carrying Capacity Surveys Two low veld sites – one in Kruger and one in Thanda in KwaZulu Natal How do you determine elephant carrying capacity Bush training and savannah ecology course in week 1 Week 2 onwards field surveys for half a day each day Other half in camp completing African wildlife conservation course South Africa
South Africa Sodwana Bay, South Africa
Personalized Itinerary Options 2, 4, 6 or 8 weeks Select the training course and research assistant options for your itinerary Options in Indonesia and Honduras
Training Courses Jungle training and Wallacea wildlife course Canopy Access Dive training Indo Pacific reef ecology Divemaster training Indonesia
Indonesia Marine Research Assistant Projects in Indonesia
Cuba Stereo Video Surveys
Training Courses Jungle training and Neotropical wildlife course Canopy Access Dive training Caribbean reef ecology Divemaster training Honduras
Pre-Med Expedition Medicine Course • Jungle survival & Neotropical ecology course • Expedition medicine course with lectures and practicals on: • pre-expedition planning • medical emergencies and trauma in the field • tropical infections • snake bite and envenomation • PADI open water dive training or Caribbean reef ecology course Expedition Medicine
Senior Thesis Research Topics Complete data collection over summer 90% + of students get top two grades for field projects Recent projects at Oxford, Cambridge, Princeton, Toronto, Birmingham, Manchester and others have won best departmental dissertations
Botany and Invertebrate Research Topics • Environmental impacts on leaf formation • Epiphytes in cloud forests • Forest disturbance impacts on butterflies • Orchid bee diversity • Niche separation in tarantulas • Dung beetle communities in cloud forest Senior Thesis Topics – Indonesia, Honduras
Herpetofauna Research Topics • Impacts of habitat on Sulawesi herpetofauna • Abundance and distribution of threatened amphibians in cloud forest • Population ecology of Hog Island Boas • Behaviour and ecology of ctenosaurs • Niche separation in caimans • Herpetofaunacommunities in Mexico • Sea turtle behaviour and nest site preferences • Colour change in chameleons and leaf tailed geckos • Population levels of Nile crocodiles in Madagascar • Population levels of colubrid snakes Senior Thesis Topics – Indonesia, Honduras, Peru, Mexico, Madagascar
Bird Ecology • Research Topics • Habitat associations of Sulawesi birds • Behaviour of island birds • Cloud forest bird communities • Assessing detectability of forest birds • Effects of fire on winter bird communities • Bird communities in different Amazonian habitats • Water bird communities in the Amazon • Endemic bird habitat associations in Madagascar Senior Thesis Topics – Indonesia, Honduras, South Africa, Peru, Madagascar
Mammal Research Topics • Sulawesi forest bat communities • Civet ranging behaviour • Arboreal marsupial ecology in Sulawesi • Population levels of Sulawesi megafauna • Vasectomy impact s on elephant behaviour • Carrying capacity of reserves for elephant • Distribution patterns of large herbivores • Niche separation in Amazonian dolphins • Occupancy modeling and camera trapping mammals in Amazonia , Mexico or Madagascar • Comparison of mist net and sonogram surveys for bats Senior Thesis Topics – Indonesia, Honduras, South Africa, Peru
Primate Research Topics • Effects of forest disturbance on Buton Macaque behaviour • Sleeping tree selectivity in tarsiers • Niche separation in Amazonian primates • Spider monkey grouping patterns • Feeding ecology, habitat selection and activity budgets in Coquerel’s and Verreaux’sSifakas Senior Thesis Topics– Indonesia, Mexico, Peru, Madagascar
Marine Ecology Research Topics • Resource utilization of reef fish across environmental gradients • Association between anemone fish and host anemones • Competition between hard coral species • Comparison between reef and reef fish survey methods • Island biogeography of coral reef patches • Sea urchin ecology in the Caribbean • Changes in reef fish from stereo video surveys • Reef fish and benthic communities in Madagascar Senior Thesis Topics – Indonesia, Honduras, Madagascar
Intertidal Research Topics • Niche separation in fiddler and sentinel crabs • Physiological adaptations of rock pool species • Seagrass ecology • Impact of mangrove degradation on functionality Senior Thesis Topics– Indonesia, Honduras
Environmental Science Research Topics • Impact of coral growth forms on biodiversity • Photoacclimation response of reef building corals • Effects of Crown of Thorns starfish on reefs • Effects on corallite morphology of sedimentation • Spatial variation in coral mortality • Environmental impact of seaweed farms • Hydrography & water quality of coastal lagoons in Mexico Senior Thesis Topics– Indonesia, Honduras