What do Penguins, Succulents, and the Jordan River Have in Common? The Biology Student Research Symposium

Robert Bryse spent 30 hours observing stingrays at the Loveland Aquarium.

 

Dozens of students exhibited research posters at the Biology Student Research Symposium on Wednesday, April 27, at the Redwood campus’ Student Center. 

 

Topics ranged from the individual characteristics of penguins, the isolation of stingrays, succulents’ response to salinity, and closer to home topics such as bacteria in the Jordan River. Students tested hypotheses based on subject matter related to one of four classes: Intro to Marine Biology, Cell Biology, College Biology II (and lab) and Ecology. There were also students from the Microbiology Lab.

 

The students identify their own question, design a strategy to test their hypothesis, collect and analyze data, and draw conclusions. “Presenting their research gives them great feedback on what they accomplished over the semester, and it also gives them confidence in their identity as a scientist,” said Melissa Hardy, PhD, associate professor of biology.

 

Student Robert Bruse spent 30 hours observing the southern ray and the shovelnose ray at the Loveland Aquarium to understand their interactive levels. “You can’t help but get attached [to the rays] after watching them for so long,” quips Bruse, who watched marine life documentaries with his mom while growing up whenever they wanted a break from life.

 

While Bruse concluded that no matter what other stingray species are present in the tank, stingrays prefer to be left alone. Bruse said if he were to continue researching stingrays, he would focus on how younger stingray interactions differ from older ones. 

 

In the same aquarium and marine biology class, student Jadzia Smith observed 21 penguins over the semester to study the behaviors of each one and collected data on their nesting season, how they build their habitat, and interact with one another. She focused on behaviors related to social, food, mates, aggressiveness and encounters. She shares that during courtship, a male penguin will present a female with a rock; if she accepts, the rock is added to their nest, and monogamy begins.

 We also hope that students feel like they belong in science, regardless of their identity or background.

Each aquarium penguin wore two identifying bands, noting whether it was a male or female and which mate it belonged with. “All the penguins, except one, had a mate, and one ‘couple’ included two males. Roto and Indy were the most aggressive couple during mating season,” said Smith. 

Through her research, Smith discovered that scientists now believe that there are now four Gentoo penguin species, not one. “I would love to research these four penguin species in the wild versus captivity,” added Smith, who is studying animation and plans to minor in marine biology. She pauses, and wonders, is there a way to blend these two areas?

 

Brinley Winberg studied the salinity threshold for succulents, something she feels may become more important along coastlines with climate change resulting in increased ocean salinity. She ran a 3-week experiment in which she monitored the health and growth of each succulent in cups with varying levels of salinity. “I was surprised to learn that the succulent in the moderate salinity did worse than the ones in higher levels,” said Winberg. She also observed salt crystals that began growing on the plants. “This class [Ecology Lab, Biology 2225] has made me realize how much I enjoy being hands on and would love to be out in the field as an ecologist,” said Winberg, adding that she would focus on conservation and animals as an ecologist. 

 

The symposium was held once prior to the pandemic, then halted. Moving forward, the involved faculty plan to hold the symposium each spring semester. “We hope that students understand that science is a method for understanding the world and not just a collection of facts. 

 

“We also hope that students feel like they belong in science, regardless of their identity or background,” says Hardy. “We want students to feel like science can be fun and engaging and that they become more curious about the natural world around them.”