RESEARCH MISSION STATEMENTThe St. Joseph Peninsula in Gulf County, <strong>Florida</strong> supports the greatest density of nesting loggerhead turtles in Northwest <strong>Florida</strong>. This isespecially critical because turtles nesting in the <strong>Florida</strong> Panh<strong>and</strong>le are genetically distinct from those nesting throughout the Southeastern<strong>Unit</strong>ed States.“The mission of the <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Cooperative</strong> <strong>Fish</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Wildlife</strong> <strong>Research</strong> <strong>Unit</strong> is to conductdetailed investigations of wetl<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong> their component fish <strong>and</strong> wildlife resources,emphasizing the linkages with both aquatic <strong>and</strong> terrestrial ecosystems. This chargewill include research at a range of levels including populations, community, <strong>and</strong>ecosystems, <strong>and</strong> will emphasize the interaction of biological populations with featuresof their habitat, both natural <strong>and</strong> those impacted by human activities. “6
UNIT COORDINATING COMMITTEELarry R. Arrington -Interim Vice President for Agriculture <strong>and</strong> Natural Resources, Institute ofFood <strong>and</strong> Agricultural Sciences, University of <strong>Florida</strong>, Gainesville, <strong>Florida</strong>.Nick Wiley –James W. Fleming -Cynthia Dohner -Donald F. McKenzie –Executive Director, <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Fish</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Wildlife</strong> Conservation Commission,Tallahassee, <strong>Florida</strong>.Southern Supervisor, <strong>Cooperative</strong> <strong>Research</strong> <strong>Unit</strong>s, U.S. Geological Survey,Biological Resources Division, Atlanta, Georgia.Regional Director, U.S. <strong>Fish</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Wildlife</strong> Service Southeast Region, Atlanta,Georgia.Field Representative, <strong>Wildlife</strong> Management Institute, Ward, Arkansas.BIOGRAPHICAL PROFILES OF UNIT SCIENTISTH. Franklin Percival – <strong>Unit</strong> Leader, Courtesy Associate Professor, Department of <strong>Wildlife</strong> Ecology <strong>and</strong>Conservation <strong>and</strong> College of Natural Resources <strong>and</strong> the Environment at the University of <strong>Florida</strong>. His researchinterests lie in wetl<strong>and</strong> wildlife, <strong>and</strong> have conducted long term collaborative projects on various aspects of alligator<strong>and</strong> migratory bird biology. He has teamed with geomaticists <strong>and</strong> aeronautical engineers to develop an unmannedaserial vehicle for assessment of wildlife populations <strong>and</strong> habitats. He has a special interest in natural resourcesadministration, especially multidisciplinary, collaborative, <strong>and</strong> interagency research programs.Raymond R. Carthy – Assistant <strong>Unit</strong> Leader, Courtesy Assistant Professor, Department of <strong>Wildlife</strong> Ecology <strong>and</strong>Conservation <strong>and</strong> College of Natural Resources <strong>and</strong> the Environment at the University of <strong>Florida</strong>. His researchcenters on ecology of endangered species. His research interests involve reproductive ecology <strong>and</strong> physiology ofcoastal <strong>and</strong> wetl<strong>and</strong> herpetofauna, with current focus on marine <strong>and</strong> freshwater turtles. He is also involved inresearch on threatened upl<strong>and</strong> species <strong>and</strong> in conservation management oriented studies.Wiley M. Kitchens – Assistant <strong>Unit</strong> Leader, Ecologist, Courtesy Professor, Department of <strong>Wildlife</strong> Ecology <strong>and</strong>Conservation. Dr. Kitchens’ expertise is wetl<strong>and</strong>s ecology with an emphasis on conservation <strong>and</strong> restoration ofwetl<strong>and</strong>s ecosystems. Given the restoration focus of his research, most of his projects are long-term,multidisciplinary, <strong>and</strong> targeted to resolving vegetation succession <strong>and</strong> faunal responses to hydrologic perturbations,both natural <strong>and</strong> anthropogenic. The approach generally involves identifying <strong>and</strong> quantifying the factors thatoperate at multiple spatial <strong>and</strong> temporal scales in regulating ecologic structure <strong>and</strong> function of wetl<strong>and</strong> ecosystems.In recent years, his research has focused on the Endangered Snail Kite, a wetl<strong>and</strong> dependent species endemic to theEverglades <strong>and</strong> lacustrine wetl<strong>and</strong>s of Central <strong>and</strong> South <strong>Florida</strong>. Given its endangered status <strong>and</strong> the generallyperturbed state of these wetl<strong>and</strong>s the approach has been to document population trends, demography, <strong>and</strong> movementpatterns of the kites in response to habitat structure <strong>and</strong> quality in these wetl<strong>and</strong>s. The overall goal is providerestoration managers information pertinent to the restoration of these systems.AGENCY PERSONNEL CO-LOCATED WITHIN FLORIDA UNITRobert M. Dorazio – <strong>Research</strong> Statistician, <strong>Florida</strong> Integrated Science Center, USGS <strong>and</strong> Courtesy AssociateProfessor, Department of Statistics, University of <strong>Florida</strong>. He conducts scholarly research in the general areas ofquantitative population dynamics, community ecology, <strong>and</strong> conservation biology. He develops <strong>and</strong> applies novelsampling designs <strong>and</strong> novel statistical models in quantitative investigations of exploited or imperiled fauna. He isalso responsible for developing both theory <strong>and</strong> practice of adaptive natural resource management.Fred A. Johnson – <strong>Research</strong> <strong>Wildlife</strong> Biologist, Southeast Ecological Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey. Hisresearch focuses on the development <strong>and</strong> application of ecological theory, statistical modeling <strong>and</strong> estimation, <strong>and</strong>decision analysis in wildlife population <strong>and</strong> habitat management. His responsibilities currently include improvingthe adaptive-management protocols used by the U.S. <strong>Fish</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Wildlife</strong> Service to regulate the take of migratorybirds, developing optimal strategies for managing habitat for <strong>Florida</strong> scrub-jays, <strong>and</strong> providing training in decisionanalysis <strong>and</strong> adaptive management to managers <strong>and</strong> researchers.7
![rivers,lakes.ppt [Read-Only]](https://img.yumpu.com/43445703/1/190x245/riverslakesppt-read-only.jpg?quality=85)
Change language