Washington Predator-Prey Project

View resulting publications in the "Curriculum Vitae" tab.

As a research assistant in Dr. Laura Prugh's lab at the University of Washington, I spent 4 years conducting field and lab work to investigate the diet, population, distribution, and health of urban coyotes in Washington State.

Field Work

I ran scat transects across Bainbridge Island, WA, collected hundreds of individual scat samples. Each sample was bagged, labeled, GPS marked, and frozen until I could transport it to the lab.

Genetics Lab Work

All scat was swabbed both externally to identify the individual coyote it came from and internally to identify diet composition. I conducted Next-Generation Sequencing library preparation, pipette work, DNA extraction, PCR, and general lab practices in a sterile environment.

I trained volunteers and ran the lab in the manager's absence.

Burke Museum Dissection Lab

I necropsied roadkill coyotes at the Burke Museum. Necropsies revealed health of individual coyotes and led to the discovery of a novel parasite in Washington.

Necropsies were conducted in a clear laboratory, allowing for interactions with the public. Necropsies were frequently scheduled as a part of field trips for local 3rd grade classes.

Other Projects

I frequently worked on other projects in the lab, including:

• Urine samples from ungulates in the snow

• Bite wound swab samples of deceased livestock to determine cause of death

• Scat species identification for Peruvian wild cats in Madre de Dios

• Isotope analysis of prey items

• Scat analysis from Denali National Park to determine the species it came from

• River otter necropsies

• River otter scat collection on Seattle piers