{ leading research }
Brian Abogast in front of the Andes Mountains
Journeying into the great unknown Anne-Marie Hodge
In 2008, Francis Marion University (FMU) associate professor of biology Travis Knowles invited UNCW associate professor of biology Brian Arbogast to explore research opportunities with him in Ecuador. Knowles said, “Sumaco is one of the richest and most diverse regions on Earth. This biological wealth, coupled with the fact that the region has had very little scientific study, makes it a stunning location for biodiversity and ecological research.” After seeing Wildsumaco for himself that December, Arbogast invited UNCW graduate student Anne-Marie Hodge to scout research possibilities in the area. Hodge, who holds a prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, decided to pursue a master’s in biology at UNCW after learning about Wildsumaco from Arbogast at a research conference. Hodge said, “The chance to work in an area that hadn’t been surveyed before was very exciting. There are researchers with decades of experience who never get this type of opportunity.” The unique wildcats of the Wildsumaco jungle, including the pumas, margays and ocelots, offered Hodge the perfect opportunity to explore her passion for carnivores.
Hodge said carnivores are “the wobbly block at the top of the food chain,” noting that while most people view the predators as strong creatures, their survival depends on the health of everything below them, including a large supply of land and food. “Carnivores are a good indicator of the stability of their environment. The same thing that makes them dominate also makes them vulnerable. If an environment changes, they are the first to suffer.” On her first trip to Wildsumaco in 2009, Hodge installed a system of non-invasive camera traps to study interactions among the diverse creatures of the Ecuadorian jungle. Her cameras captured a reality show of jungle mating, eating and sleeping habits 24 hours a day. The small but deadly margay quickly emerged as the star and became the focus of Hodge’s research. She said, “When I got to the camera footage, it felt like Christmas. We had margays coming out of our ears. We didn’t expect to see that. It was a great opportunity because so little is known about them.”
“Research is an inherently collaborative effort. We rely on the expertise of others constantly. In this case, we have been able to leverage resources collaboratively in a way that we couldn’t have done separately. The potential for undergraduate and graduate level student research projects is astounding.”
– Anne-Marie Hodge