Video Surveillance: Community Service Projects to Understand Imperiled Butterfly Ecology
April 9th at 1:30 pm
Virtual Rooms open 15 min. before sessions
Video Surveillance: Community Service Projects to Understand Imperiled Butterfly Ecology
Maria Abella, Honors College, Padron Campus
Jennifer Iturralde, Honors College, Padron Campus
Jaeson Clayborn, Professor Math and Natural Science, Padron Campus
The federally endangered Schaus’ swallowtail butterfly (Heraclides aristodemus ponceanus) inhabits protected subtropical dry forests on several islands in the northern Florida Keys. The larval and pupal stages are particularly vulnerable to native and non-native predators; however, few published research and reports have identified and quantified predator impacts. Video documentation presents an opportunity to corroborate anecdotal observations (predation events) with empirical evidence. Even in remote areas where electricity is not available, a video surveillance system powered with renewable energy can be used where monitoring wildlife would otherwise be difficult. MDC Honors students observed 36 hours of video footage and documented predation threats against the endangered butterfly and other notable activities: predator-prey interactions between lizards and snakes, leaf-cutter ant activity, and other rare butterflies flying on and offscreen. Their participation in the video surveillance project helps scientists and wildlife managers design protocols to better protect imperiled butterflies through a hard release captive breeding program. The video surveillance system can identify culprit species and quantify encounter rates between prey and predators remotely.
Presenters' Biographies
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Jennifer Iturralde is a Miami Dade Honors College student and this semester I participated in a footage research with my Biology teacher Dr. Clayborn. This helped her learn more about the environment and the different ways to hopefully save some species. It aided her goal to be a veterinarian as she could go into the field, especially when treating wildlife, with more knowledge and insight than before. Once she graduates from the Honors College she would take this information and spread it to Ross University, the vet school she is applying to. This research opportunity taught her invaluable lessons. She hopes to continue promoting the safety of other endangered species through her studies and future work places. |
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Maria Abella is a student at The Honors College at MDC, majoring in Chemistry with a pre-medical orientation. Abella is a Florida Medallion Scholar and Phi Theta Kappa member. She has also participated in Shadowing a Neurologist and aiding in her current Alzheimer’s disease research. She holds a certificate for the Dean’s List of recognition for each semester at MDC since Fall of 2019. Maria has participated as a speaker for the Cancer O.U.T event and the fundraising for cancer research. She has earned over 98 credits towards her Associates in Arts degree. |
This session will be recorded and made available to view after May 1, 2021
