Intro

Let me begin by introducing my research! I am interested in building upon the use of iDNA for biodiversity surveying - a technique which uses the blood found in leech guts to determine the species composition of a forest. I first heard about the use of iDNA (ingested invertebrate DNA) from my graduate advisor at Fordham University, Dr. Evon Hekkala, who was describing how her colleague, Dr. Mark Siddall of the American Museum of Natural History (who would later become my research collaborator), was at the forefront of developing this tool. The literature so far provides evidence for the successful extraction, amplification, and sequencing of iDNA; however, little is known about the extent to which terrestrial leeches move after they've fed, or whether they feed preferentially on a host (which is where I come in!). For my master's thesis, I would like to observe patterns in feeding behavior of the terrestrial leeches of Madagascar across distrubance gradients and potentially determine a preferred host.  For this study, I will be sampling leeches from sites within Ranomafana National Park varying in degree of distubance. Mangevo, a remote forest located 15km from the main road, will serve as my undisturbed site, Vatoharanana (Vato), a forest located 6km from the main road and recovering from selective logging, will serve as my site of medium disturbance, and Talatakely, the site located closest to the main road, will serve as my site of high disturbance. Stay tuned.

My stories will be featuring the glorious Mariah Donohue, a fellow researcher, annelid enthusiast, and Stony Brook graduate, who is returning to Madagascar to study activity times of the black and white ruffed lemur (Varecia variegata). She is a recent graduate of Stony Brook's Ecology and Evolution Master's program, and will be starting her PhD at the University of Kentucky. She is also a very beautiful and important friend.

Mariah (right) and I (left)