Bonnie Slaton receives Coastal Science Assistantship

Bonnie Slaton, master of science student in our Biology Department, received a Coastal Science Assistantship. This assistantship will support her master's project, "Assessing Resiliency of Coastal Seabird Communities Following Coastal Restoration and Hurricane Disturbance," under the direction of Paul Leberg.

Coastal islands in the Terrebonne and Barataria basins are critical habitats for several threatened species facing range-wide impacts due to climate change. Slaton will study the effects of storms and restoration on successional processes that control avian populations. She will compare extensive pre-storm and current island conditions, assessing restored and unrestored islands and the wildlife that inhabit them, such as brown pelicans (Pelicanus occidentalis). Ultimately, this project will help inform future restoration practices. After obtaining her master's, Slaton plans to work as a non-game avian biologist on the Louisiana coast, protecting bird species and their habitats.

The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) continues its commitment to the Coastal Science Assistantship Program (CSAP). This program supports Master of Science students in science or engineering research relevant to Louisiana coastal protection efforts. This collaboration offers the dual benefit of engaging students in CPRA activities while potentially recruiting qualified personnel for the agency.