For her Capstone Project, Carolyn conducted shoreline surveys in the New York Marine District to examine the ingress, egress, and abundance of migratory shorebirds, including the proposed (September 2013) federally threatened red knot (Calidris canutus rufa). She also contrasted sediment cores from migratory shorebird foraging and non-foraging areas in order to determine preferred prey items for these species and to assess how available prey items determine distribution for these long-distant migrants. Carolyn worked directly with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County’s Marine Program and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) who spearheaded this project. Through these efforts, environmental conservation managers will gain a better understanding of shorebird migration patterns, critical habitat for these species, and the importance of horseshoe crab eggs in migratory shorebird diet which could potentially lead to the concurrent management of these species in the future.
Carolyn Sukowski (MA, 2014)
