Oregon Sea Grant

This paper is to partially fulfill the requirements for my Masters of Science degree in Marine Resource Management from Oregon State University. This research was focused on developing: a new rapid-survey methodology to assess declining populations of an intertidal burrowing mud shrimp, and translating the methods used into a suitable 7th grade math and science curriculum.

Chapter 2 concerns a new methodology we developed to assess the population dynamics of a burrowing mud shrimp, Upogebia pugettensis, and it’s invasive parasitic isopod, Orthione griffenis, in Alsea Bay, Oregon and is intended for submission to a peer reviewed journal covering marine biology or ecology. The isopod is responsible for dramatic declines of all populations of Upogebia along the western United States and up to 18% annually in Yaquina Bay (Chapman et al., 2012). I estimated total mud shrimp abundance and biomass, infestation rate, and lost reproductive potential due to infestation by this invasive isopod in Alsea Bay. This work adds to knowledge about this understudied species, and it presents a new method of rapidly surveying static biological populations as an alternative to current practices. This project was funded by a small grant from The Nature Conservancy due to their interest in preserving and prioritizing important Oregon coastal mudflat environments for conservation or restoration.

Chapter 3 presents the 7th grade math and science curriculum that I developed from the methodology shared in chapter 2, and intend to submit to a marine education journal. The curriculum is intended to help students practice scientific inquiry and methodology by collecting, organizing, and analyzing data, and reaching a conclusion while addressing scientific error. Students are enabled to use simple arithmetic 15 calculations, a global positioning system (GPS), Microsoft Excel®, and data collection to answer scientific questions, such as “how many earthworms are present in our school’s courtyard?” The goals of this curriculum satisfy 7th grade mathematics and science objectives as defined by the Oregon State Department of Education’s Oregon Common Core State Standards.

Chapter 4, includes lessons learned during this project beyond the academic articles in chapters 2 and 3 including, how my results fit in more broadly with marine resource management and among various stakeholders surrounding the management of burrowing mud shrimp.