• Question: What sort of experements do you want to conduct in the futre?

    Asked by cutlerc to Edd, Jess, Zara on 23 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Zara Gladman

      Zara Gladman answered on 23 Jun 2011:

      Hi cutlerc!

      I’m hoping to do experiments in the near future that will help find out what exactly crayfish eat! We know that they eat lots of different things (including babies: http://www.tinyurl.com/imascientist …ok maybe not!) but we don’t know how much of each thing they eat – which foods are the most important!

      I’m going to do some work called ‘stable isotopes analysis’. I will collect samples of crayfish and the various things that crayfish might eat – plants, invertebrates, fish eggs etc. Then I’ll analyse all the different samples for things called ‘stable isotopes’. By comparing the isotopes in the crayfish with those in the different food types, I’ll be able to figure out what it likes to eat most!

      I’m looking forward to working in a laboratory for a while although I’m a bit scared… it’s been a long time since I’ve worn a lab coat!! 🙂

    • Photo: Edward Codling

      Edward Codling answered on 23 Jun 2011:

      Hi cutlerc

      A lot of my work relates to trying to understand animal movement behaviour. Recently it has become much easier to track animals using satellite tags. I’d love to do some tracking work on wolves (my favourite animal) and explore their behaviour. One of my colleagues does this in North America in the Rockies and I’d love to do something similar!

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