Biologist Lauren Deaner, who has spent nearly two decades working with Florida scrub jays, is conducting doctoral research in UCF’s integrative biology program to examine how genetics, behavior and population dynamics affect the long‑term recovery of the species. Her dissertation focuses on a large‑scale translocation effort that tests genetic rescue, a strategy that introduces individuals from other populations to increase genetic diversity and improve population health.
The project moved 48 Florida scrub jays, all hatched in 2025, to a new recipient site at its estimated carrying capacity. Six months after the move, researchers observed that four of the ten newly formed pairs of one‑year‑old birds attempted to nest, a 40 % rate compared with less than 0.25 % of nesting attempts involving one‑year‑old pairs across six decades of monitoring at Archbold Biological Station and two decades of data from the local population. The early breeding activity is notable because genetic rescue depends on translocated birds establishing themselves, reproducing and passing their genetic variation into the recipient population.
The team combines genomic data on source populations with long‑term field monitoring of survival, reproduction, territory establishment, dispersal and population growth. Birds were equipped with RFID tags and feeding stations that record visits, allowing researchers to track social feeding behavior and identify potential breeding pairs. Data are analyzed with Vortex population viability software to assess how genetic, environmental and demographic factors could influence the species’ long‑term survival. Deaner conducts the work in the Conservation Genomics Lab within the Department of Biology.
Press release issued by UCF Today:
https://www.ucf.edu/news/ucf-researcher-uses-conservation-genomics-to-advance-florida-scrub-jay-recovery/
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