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Announcing La Kretz Center and Stunt Ranch Reserve 2022 conservation science research awards

The UCLA La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science and the UC Natural Reserve System Stunt Ranch Santa Monica Mountains Reserve are pleased to announce the 2022 recipients of our competitive research awards. The awardees are UCLA graduate students working on projects including the community diversity of eelgrass in the Port of LA, how competition between species affects the habitat that Stephens’ kangaroo rats use, how wildlife are recovering after the Woolsey Fire, how island fox are overcoming inbreeding, and urban ecology of dark-eyed juncos. 

Congratulations to:

Wilmer Amaya-Mejia: Urbanization effects on the disease ecology of dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis)

Candice Cross: Characterizing community biodiversity of eelgrass (Zostera marina) in the Port of LA surrounding a localized dredging event

Janine Fischer: Effects of interspecific competition on habitat use by Stephens’ kangaroo rat

Sara Freimuth: Effects of Urbanization on Gut Microbial Communities in Dark-Eyed Juncos (Junco hyemalis)

Chloe Nouzille: Wildlife post-Woolsey Fire Recovery and Recolonization

Carolyn Xue: Comparisons in Patterns of Antibiotic Resistance Bacteria Between Urban and Non-urban Populations of Dark-Eyed Juncos (Junco hyemalis)

Stella Yuan: DNA methylation variation as a mechanism to alleviate inbreeding depression in the island fox (Urocyon littoralis)