Kristen Murray is one of 15 science students who were awarded an Undergraduate Summer Research Award (USRA) from NSERC (the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council) for 2009. Kristen's research project, Functional response in a coastal setting: measuring crab feeding in response to oyster density, was supervised by Dr. Pedro Quijon, Assistant Professor, Department of Biology.

For more information: www.upei.ca/research/student-research/kirsten-murray

Mark Robbins is one of 15 science students who were awarded an Undergraduate Summer Research Award (USRA) from NSERC (the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council) for 2009. Mark's research project, Alterations in Dopominergic Systems Following Early Domoate Exposure, was supervised by Dr. Tracy Doucette, Assistant Professor, Department of Biology.

For more information: www.upei.ca/research/student-research/mark-robbins

Veronique Dufour is one of 15 science students who were awarded an Undergraduate Summer Research Award (USRA) from NSERC (the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council) for 2009. Veronique's research project, The response of coastal communities to erosion and other changes in sedimentary habitats, was supervised by Dr. Pedro Quijon, Assistant Professor, Department of Biology.

For more information: www.upei.ca/research/student-research/veronique-dufour

Todd MacKenzie is working towards a BSc (Hons) in the Department of Physics at UPEI. He is from Canoe Cove, PEI. Todd is one of 26 science students at UPEI who were awarded an Undergraduate Summer Research Award (USRA) from NSERC (the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council) for 2008. His research project, Confinement effect on animal movement in complex corridors, was supervised by Dr Sheldon Opps, Department of Physics, and Dr Marina Silva, Department of Biology.

For more information: www.upei.ca/studentresearch/nserc/todd-mackenzie

Sarah Weidhaas is working towards an Honours BSc in the Biology Department at UPEI. She is from the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia. She is one of 26 science students at UPEI who were awarded an Undergraduate Summer Research Award (USRA) from NSERC (the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council) for 2008. Sarah's research project, Surveying bird species in different African habitats in the uMkuze section of the iSinamgaliso, was supervised by Dr. Marina Silva, Assistant Professor, Department of Biology.

For more information: www.upei.ca/studentresearch/nserc/sarah-weidhaas

Mark Robbins is a Biology major from Stratford, PEI. He is one of 26 science students at UPEI who were awarded an Undergraduate Summer Research Award (USRA) from NSERC (the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council) for 2008. Mark's research, Inducing Schizophrenia symptoms in rats to test an animal model of the disease, was supervised by Dr. Tracy Doucette, Assistant Professor, Department of Biology.

For more information: www.upei.ca/studentresearch/nserc/mark-robbins

John Greenan is a UPEI Biology major from Charlottetown. He is one of 26 science students at UPEI who were awarded an Undergraduate Summer Research Award (USRA) from NSERC (the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council) for 2008. John's research project, Predator-prey interactions between crabs and soft-shell clams, was supervised by Dr. Pedro Quijon, Assistant Professor, Department of Biology.

In 2009, John received another Undergraduate Summer Research Award from NSERC. This research project, Optimizing Parameters for Pre-pulse Inhibition Testing, was supervised by Dr. Tracy Doucette, Assistant Professor, Department of Biology.

For more information:
(2008) www.upei.ca/studentresearch/nserc/john-greenan
(2009)...

Jessica Willis is majoring in Biology and minoring in Chemistry at UPEI. She is an Islander, born and raised in Charlottetown, and is one of 26 science students at UPEI who were awarded an Undergraduate Summer Research Award (USRA) from NSERC (the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council) for 2008. Jessica's research project, Invasive green crab predation on small crabs: predation or cannibalism?, was supervised by Dr. Pedro Quijon, Assistant Professor, Department of Biology.

For more information: www.upei.ca/studentresearch/nserc/jessica-willis

Ian Boswall is working towards an Honours BSc in Biology at UPEI. He is from Frenchfort, PEI and is one of 26 science students at UPEI who were awarded an Undergraduate Summer Research Award (USRA) from NSERC (the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council) for 2008. Ian's research project, Can adding cranberry and blueberry to the diet protect against cardiovascular disease, was supervised by Dr. Marva Sweeney-Nixon, Associate Professor, Department of Biology.

For more information: www.upei.ca/studentresearch/nserc/ian-boswall

Ashleigh Allen is a UPEI Biology major from Hillsborough, New Brunswick. She is one of 26 science students at UPEI who were awarded an Undergraduate Summer Research Award (USRA) from NSERC (the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council) for 2008. Ashleigh's research project, Protective effects of natural bioactive compounds against cancer cells, was supervised by Dr. Robert Hurta, Associate Professor, Department of Biology.

In 2009, Ashleigh received another Undergraduate Summer Research Award from NSERC. This research project, The Effects of Thyroid Hormone on Amphibian Gonadal Sex Steroid Synthesis, was supervised by Dr. Michael van den Heuvel, Canada Research Chair in Watershed Research.

For more information:
(2008) www.upei.ca/...

Alissa Gunderson is a Biology major from Calgary, Alberta. She is one of 26 science students at UPEI who were awarded an Undergraduate Summer Research Award (USRA) from NSERC (the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council) for 2008. Alissa's research project, Testing schizophrenia responses in a new animal model, was supervised by Dr. Tracy Doucette, Assistant Professor, Department of Biology.

For more information: www.upei.ca/studentresearch/nserc/alissa-gunderson

Alex Campbell graduated with his BSc (Hons) in Biology from UPEI in May 2008. He is from St. George’s, in Kings County, PEI. Alex is one of 26 science students at UPEI who were awarded an Undergraduate Summer Research Award (USRA) from NSERC (the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council) for 2008. His project, Investigating food items in guts of three estuaring fish in PEI: mummichugs, fourspine sticklebacks, and American eel, was supervised by Dr. Mike Van den Heuvel, Canada Research Chair in Watershed Research.

For more information: www.upei.ca/studentresearch/nserc/alex-campbell

Biology professor Pedro Quijon is one of 65 Canadian researchers working to conserve the world’s oceans through the recently formed Canadian Healthy Oceans Network.

Joubin Saffary is an Honours BSc Biology graduate from Charlottetown, PEI. He is one of 26 science students at UPEI who were awarded an Undergraduate Summer Research Award (USRA) from NSERC (the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council) for 2008. Joubin's research project, Effects of nitrate pollution on development of fish eggs, was supervised by Dr. Mike Van den Heuvel, Canada Research Chair in Watershed Research.

For more information: www.upei.ca/studentresearch/nserc/jouban-saffary

Andrey Malyshev, a UPEI Biology major, was born in Russia. He came to Canada five years ago and now lives in Charlottetown. He is one of 26 science students at UPEI who were awarded an Undergraduate Summer Research Award (USRA) from NSERC (the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council) for 2008. Andrey's research project, Green crab sediment disturbance and its effect on eelgrass beds, was supervised by Dr. Pedro Quijon, Assistant Professor, Department of Biology.

For more information: www.upei.ca/studentresearch/nserc/andrey-malyshev

Located in an area of high vulnerability for weather-related phenomena (storms, surges, coastal erosion), PEI's north shore is a natural laboratory for the study of the effects of climate change. The UPEI Biology lab, under the direction of Dr. Pedro Quijon, is giving the first steps towards the assessment of sandy shore invertebrates as monitoring tools of climate change.

This project is a collaboration among faculty of the Departments of Biology, Physics, Island Studies, and Environmental Studies, as well as Environment Canada.

Chytrid fungus is responsible for the disease known as chytridiomycosis and has caused the decline or extinction of approximately 200 frog species worldwide. It has been identified in areas throughout Canada, including the Maritimes, but PEI amphibian populations have never been monitored. The Amphibian Health Research Network (AHRN) carried out sampling in the summer of 2009 to identify several sites across PEI that contained chytrid-infected individuals. This information will help conservation groups and local watershed users prevent the spread of the fungus to nearby ponds. We will also be monitoring populations over the next several years to determine if the fungus is affecting the health and survival of PEI amphibians.

For more information:...

Last June, Dr. James Kemp, Associate Professor in Biology, accompanied grades 5 and 6 classes from Southern Kings Consolidated School on a field trip to blueberry fields to discuss sustainable agriculture and pollination. This outreach was aimed to help educate the children in the environmental issues around sustainability and encourage them to see things from an ecological viewpoint. Dr. Kemp has been asked to go back again next spring.

Dr James Kemp from the Department of Biology is the present chair of The Environmental Advisory Council, a group of individuals appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council to advise the Minister responsible for the environment on environmental matters and public concerns. Dr. Kemp has also participated in subcommittees that have written environmental recommendations and issued publications for the government on watersheds.

For more information on the council:
www.gov.pe.ca/envengfor/index.php3?number=1028515&lang=E