{"id":19170,"date":"2019-05-17T09:00:23","date_gmt":"2019-05-17T17:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/curiodyssey.org\/?p=19170"},"modified":"2019-05-23T11:23:06","modified_gmt":"2019-05-23T19:23:06","slug":"endangered-species-day-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/curiodyssey.org\/blog\/endangered-species-day-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"Endangered Species Day 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Guest blog by Cody Aylward.<\/span><\/p>\n

On May 17<\/span>th<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>CuriOdyssey<\/span> celebrated Endangered Species Day<\/a>! The salt marsh harvest mouse (SMHM; <\/span>Reithrodontomys<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/i>raviventris<\/span><\/i>)<\/span><\/i> is one of the local endangered species that <\/span>CuriOdyssey<\/span>\u00a0works hard to help through our marsh restoration and research efforts, led by\u00a0<\/span>S<\/span>enior\u00a0<\/span>E<\/span>ducator and\u00a0<\/span>S<\/span>cience\u00a0<\/span>R<\/span>esearch\u00a0<\/span>M<\/span>anager Catherine Brett. Salt marsh harve<\/span>st<\/span>\u00a0mice have not been found\u00a0<\/span>at Coyote Point marsh<\/span>, but we hope that with diligent restoration efforts, someday they will make a comeback! <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

CuriOdyssey<\/span>\u00a0also provides grant funding to scientists learning about how to protect SMHM using cutting edge science. Our conservation partner, Cody Aylward along with research faculty member Dr. Mark Statham,\u00a0<\/span>is<\/span>\u00a0studying SMHM diet using a relatively new DNA-based technique called metabarcoding. Using Next Generation Sequencing, the researchers\u00a0<\/span>are able to<\/span>\u00a0detect plant DNA in mouse scat to see which plants are eaten most frequently, and how th<\/span>eir diet<\/span>\u00a0varies by season.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse<\/p><\/div>\n

During regular monitoring sessions by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife<\/a>, Cody collects scat from wild SMHM and their competitors in the Bay Area marshes<\/span>, the\u00a0<\/span>western harvest mouse, house mouse, and California vole. Scat samples are then brought to the Mammalian Ecology and Conservation Unit<\/a> at UC Davis for metabarcoding analysis.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This research\u00a0<\/span>is critical\u00a0<\/span>for SMHM\u00a0<\/span>conservation<\/span>\u00a0because it provides a clearer picture<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>of\u00a0<\/span>which plants are most important to SMHM<\/span>\u00a0survival. The research helps\u00a0<\/span>managers make decisions about marsh vegetation management and restoration<\/span>\u00a0strategies that help support the SMHM and other endangered animals.\u00a0<\/span>This research\u00a0<\/span>will<\/span>\u00a0also help inform\u00a0<\/span>restoration efforts at\u00a0<\/span>CuriOdyssey\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0local marsh.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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You can help! Here\u2019s how:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n