Contact Information
Seward Marine CenterP.O. Box 730
201 Railway Avenue
Seward, AK 99664
Phone: (907) 224-6377
rebekka_federer@alaskasealife.org
Rebekka FedererM.Sc. Student
Thesis Title
Evaluating nutrient allocation to reproduction using stable isotopes in captive spectacled eiders (Somateria fischeri)
Career Goals
Linking ecological and environmental interactions and conservation of marine species. My current research focus is in avian biology and using stable isotopes as a science tool.
Affiliations
- NPS, USFWS and Alaska SeaLife Center
- Dan Esler, thesis committee member, Simon Fraser University
- Matthew Wooller, thesis committee member, University of Alaska Fairbanks and Alaska Stable Isotope Facility
- Tuula Hollmen, thesis committee chair, University of Alaska Fairbanks and Alaska SeaLife Center
Specialties
- Sea Duck Biology and Ecology
- Stable Isotope Science
Education
- B.Sc. 2004 Michigan Technological University (Ecology)
Research Overview
For my Master's thesis, I am working with captive spectacled eiders at the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward. I am evaluating stable isotopes as a laboratory technique to understand nutrient allocation to egg production. This thesis will provide the foundation for this method by developing diet-tissue fractionation factors important for the model and will guide future questions towards nutrient limitations and habitat importance.
A female spectacled eider on her nest. Photo by Rebekka Federer.