Sea Otters & Research

Megan Withers is a Senior majoring in Environmental Science and Biology. She was awarded a Spring 2019 Conference Grant which she used to attend the National Conference on Undergraduate Research.

Hello! My name is Meg and I had the pleasure of presenting at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR), held at Kennesaw State University. At the conference, I presented a poster about my honors research, which focuses on the transmission of a bacterial disease called Strep syndrome in Northern sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoniI). I used U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) data to assess population density as a possible indicator of the disease’s transmission mechanism. I didn’t find a significant relationship between population density and prevalence of the disease, but I did gain knowledge about other factors, such as gender, that could potentially affect the disease and its impact on sea otter health. Future directions in this research are aimed at further identifying the means by which otters become infected and how behavior may affect this process. 

Because I’m so passionate about marine life and protecting species in the face of a changing climate, I knew that I wanted to share my knowledge and spread the word about the threats sea otters face. Plus, this species is one of the most well known and photogenic marine mammals on the planet so talking to people about them is always fun. (My advisor even told me to put a picture of a sea otter on my poster to draw people in – it worked!) 

Attending NCUR was probably one of the best research experiences I’ve had. I knew that the conference would be a great learning experience, but I had no idea the level to which my skills and knowledge would grow. This was my first time presenting a poster at a conference and I was able to see my research from a completely different perspectiveand articulate it in an accessible way.  So in my participation, I gained additional experience in poster design and presentation, public speaking, critical thinking (consideration of others’ research as well as my own) and professional development!

I was impressed by the level of community I experienced at the conference. I had the opportunity to meet other students and learn about their research and undergraduate experiences. I was truly inspired by the sheer amount of quality research being shared and the amount of support offered by every single person I spoke with. The atmosphere was one of comradery and encouragement, which made the experience that much more valuable. 

In addition to research-focused programming, the conference organizers also arranged for participants to get discounted tickets to the Atlanta Braves game. As I was registering for the conference I was a little uncertain as to the connection between research and a baseball game, but upon attending, it all clicked. As I just mentioned, the community and atmosphere of the conference was great. Part of community is not only working together, but having fun together. Attending the Braves game offered conference attendees a chance to socialize together outside of the professional sphere. Getting to attend the game with my fellow researchers was one of the highlights of the weekend.  

I can absolutely say that I left NCUR a better researcher than when I arrived.I now officially have conference experience, I met incredible people, and I gained valuable insight as to my next education steps. I also just really enjoyed myself!  I am inspired to continue working in my field and am really looking forward to similar experiences at future conferences!

If you have performed research, but haven’t yet attended a conference, I strongly encourage you to seek one out to expand your own experience and further your contribution to your field.