Kylie Curtis, PhD. StudentM.S. Ecology, San Diego State University, 2020 B.A. Biology, St. Mary's College of Maryland, 2016 Contact: kcurtis2@sdsu.edu Research Interests
I graduated from a small liberal arts college on the east coast that had an amazing aquatic biology program. During a study abroad experience in Townsville, Australia I was able to continue an ongoing study on bowerbird persistence and re-establishment in the years after a devastating cyclone. I developed a serious interest in species distributions, population surveys, and wildlife management and my research interests turned from surf to turf. |
My broad research goals are understanding how population structure is influenced by the combination of anthropogenic actions (e.g. habitat fragmentation & climate change), and naturally occurring pressures (e.g. competition & predation). As a collaborative project with the California Department Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), my masters research is focused on assessing populations of southern mule deer in San Diego County using field-based and quantitative methods. Specifically, I will be determining the most effective population survey techniques in various habitats across the county and collecting population characteristic data (e.g. population size, male and female ratios, adult and fawn ratios). I will use GPS collared deer to develop a sightability model for deer aerial surveys to help correct aerial survey population counts. In addition to the sightability model, I will be using a fecal census to develop a spatial capture recapture (SCR) model for one of the core populations of mule deer in San Diego County to help validate the accuracy of the sightability model estimate. My ultimate goal is to provide CDFW with effective and affordable deer population estimation techniques to determine baseline deer population parameters and implement long-term monitoring efforts. These models will serve as two population survey techniques that CDFW can add to their deer management toolbox.
Experience
Wildlife Biology Intern, Laguna Atascosa NWR (2016-2017)
Oyster Aquaculture Research Technician, Patuxent Environmental and Aquatic Research Laboratory (2016)
Environmental Field Technician, Patuxent Environmental and Aquatic Research Laboratory (2016)
Undergraduate Researcher, St. Mary's College of MD (2015-2016)
Oyster Research Intern, Patuxent Environmental and Aquatic Research Laboratory (2015)
Undergraduate Research Assistant, James Cook University Townsville AU (2014)
Oyster Aquaculture Research Technician, Patuxent Environmental and Aquatic Research Laboratory (2016)
Environmental Field Technician, Patuxent Environmental and Aquatic Research Laboratory (2016)
Undergraduate Researcher, St. Mary's College of MD (2015-2016)
Oyster Research Intern, Patuxent Environmental and Aquatic Research Laboratory (2015)
Undergraduate Research Assistant, James Cook University Townsville AU (2014)