The New York based organization "Signals of Spring" has selected the Atlantic Flyway Seaduck Project as a feature project for student internet interaction. This project is funded by NASA, and provides students with the opportunity to more fully understand both wildlife and technology. The students are using data generated by transmitters implanted into surf scoters in the Chesapeake Bay by USGS scientists. Seven ducks were successfully captured and instrumented during March-April, 2002, and these birds are currently being tracked by researchers at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (Laurel, MD). The surf scoter telemetry data is sent to Signals of Spring, where they track the birds, using the coordinate data they receive. Students and school groups can then log on to the SOS website, and obtain a variety of information concerning the bird's migration. Signals of Spring provides science curricula material for students and teachers, and this helps to integrate many different subjects allowing school students to develop skills in earth sciences, language arts, life sciences, geography, mathematics, and technology, etc. The information is presented by the school teachers, who incorporate these disciplines into their national curriculum system. During this time, the students also maintain journals and receive feedback from scientists from all over the country. Schools that partner in the program include: New York City, Newark, Jersey City, and Washington DC Public Schools, and Houston Independent School Districts. Over 250 Teachers from 125 Schools are involved in a variety of marine and terrestrial areas with Signals of Spring providing the appropriate teaching materials. Signals of Spring has won a number of national awards.

Info on Signals of Spring: http://www.signalsofspring.com/2002fact.cfm 

Info on Patuxent seaduck studies: http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/resshow/perry/scoters/ 

Contact: Dr. Matthew C. Perry 301-497-5622

Patuxent scientist Howard Ginsberg recently participated in a scientific workshop in Novosibirsk, Siberia, sponsored by the Biotechnology Engagement Program (BTEP) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the National Science Foundation, and the International Science and Technology Center (ISTC), and hosted by the State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology (VECTOR) in Russia. The purpose of the BTEP program is to develop research collaborations between American and Russian scientists, and especially to engage Russian scientists who formerly worked on biological weapons to work on health-related research. This workshop, on the "Ecology of Infectious Diseases," included presentations and discussion on vector ecology, modelling, pathogen genetics, vaccine development, and other topics, with an emphasis on vector-borne zoonoses. One collaborative project Ginsberg is planning with several Russian and American scientists is a broadscale study on the effects of genetic variation in tick-borne pathogens (including those that cause tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), borreliosis, and rickettsioses) on local transmission dynamics, epizootiology, and epidemiology of these diseases. The study will include several disease focal sites across Russia (from Vladivostok to St. Petersburg) and the U. S. (from New York to California). A second study in the early planning stages is an assessment of the implications of multiple infections (e.g., Borrelia burgdorferi plus TBE virus in individual hosts) for epizootiology of tick-borne zoonoses. Just recently the Russian scientists from VECTOR have established a website with information (including photos) of the recent conference in Siberia. Although the final report is not yet on the web page, the URL for the web site is:

http://www.vector.nsc.ru/conf0602/semin-e.htm 

Contact: Dr Howard Ginsberg (401) 874-4537

HiLites Contact: B.H. Powell, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, 301-497-5782

See Previous HiLites:

August 31, 2000
September 21, 2000
September 28, 2000
October 5, 2000
October 16, 2000
October 30, 2000
November 8, 2000
November 16, 2000
November 22, 2000
November 30, 2000
January 4, 2001
March 15, 2001
March 22, 2001
March 29, 2001
April 5, 2001
April 12, 2001
May 17, 2001
May 24, 2001
June 6, 2001

June 21, 2001
August 27, 2001
September 12, 2001
September 26, 2001
October 31, 2001
November 29, 2001
January 21, 2002
February 11, 2002
February 19, 2002
February 26, 2002
March 4, 2002
March 18, 2002
April 1, 2002
April 8, 2002
April 15, 2002
May 1, 2002
May 7, 2002
May 13, 2002
May 30, 2002
June 19, 2002