Project: How does mangrove habitat structure influence parasite transmission and predation in tropical estuaries?

Extracted from the NSF award abstract:

This proposal aims to catalyze a research collaboration between professor Byers from the University of Georgia, professor Torchin from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and Professor Lopez from the Institute for Scientific Research and Technological Services (INDICASAT) in Panama. The addition of Professor Lopez to this collaboration adds expertise in plant biology and mangrove forest structure to the proposed project and gives a new direction to the existing collaboration between Drs. Torchin and Byers. This project will examine the effects of parasitism and predation of a group of congeneric mud snails of the genus Cerithidea in tropical mangroves. These preliminary experiments would be carried out during one summer to gather preliminary data for the submission on an NSF proposal in the future.