Related Stories
Interactions Stories
Training the Front Lines
The USDA/APHIS - the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service – partnered with MSU to establish the first national academy dedicated to training and instruction for safely resolving human-wildlife conflicts. The Wildlife Services National Training Academy, or NTA, headquartered at MSU’s Center for Resolving Human-Wildlife Conflicts, provides training for USDA/APHIS Wildlife Services personnel. Instructors include MSU alumni Chad Dacus and Scott Edwards, who both have over a decade of work experience with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. Classes have been held across the country. In-house and regional training take place in the form of workshops, seminars, field instruction, and online learning.
This program places MSU at the center of human-wildlife conflict resolution training and education on a national scale.
2017
What's for Dinner?
Southern aquaculture, especially catfish farming in Mississippi, faces significant challenges from migratory waterbirds, particularly the double-crested cormorant. These birds, attracted by the dense fish populations in aquaculture ponds, cause millions of dollars in losses each year. A study by Dr. Brian Davis and his team found that cormorants consume up to $12 million in catfish annually, and when factoring in bird deterrent costs, the total financial impact is around $64.7 million per year. While various methods, like disrupting bird roosts, have been tried, there is no perfect solution. Research is ongoing, with new methods, such as drones, being explored.
Additionally, a study on scaup ducks found that their impact on fish farms varies with the season, suggesting farmers should focus on bird management during colder months when ducks are more likely to consume fish. Davis emphasizes the need for continuous research and evolving management practices to address these conflicts as the aquaculture industry grows.
2023
Monitoring Resistance
Dr. Dana Morin, a wildlife assistant professor at Mississippi State, is studying the role of wildlife in the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which makes infections harder to treat. AMR can be transmitted through bacteria, fungi, and other pathogens that evolve resistance to medications. Morin is focusing on how species like black bears, deer, and ducks, with their diverse ecologies and interactions with humans, could spread AMR. She collaborates with Dr. John Brooks from the USDA to analyze bacterial cultures and DNA from animal fecal samples, investigating genes linked to AMR. Additionally, Morin is exploring the use of dung beetles as a cost-effective method for identifying AMR hotspots in the environment.
Her research aims to understand how wildlife movements and human interactions contribute to the spread of AMR, ultimately helping predict and prevent its transmission.