About Us
The Cooperative Research Units Program is a unique collaborative relationship among federal and state agencies, universities, and a non-profit organization.
The tripartite mission of the Cooperative Research Units Program is:
- Train graduate students for professional careers in natural-resource research and management.
- Conduct research that will create new information useful for natural-resource management.
- Provide technical assistance on application and integration of new science.
The Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit embraces the mission of the Cooperative Research Units Program and contributes daily to the overall success of the Cooperative Research Units Program.
Featured Student
Featured Student
Our students are involved in a wide variety of research, including diversity in ecological functions, invasive species, and habitats of various animals.
Mercury Bioaccumulation and Genomic Responses Across Boreal Bird Guilds: Linking Foraging Ecology to Contaminant Vulnerability in a Changing Boreal
August 2028
Our project will investigate mercury bioaccumulation and genomic responses through gene expression profiles across boreal bird guilds. By integrating two disciplines of ecology – toxicology and molecular – we aim to quantify mercury exposure and evaluate gene expression changes across species to determine whether foraging ecology and habitat type predict vulnerability. This community-based approach will advance undertaking of mercury cycles within the Arctic and boreal ecosystem and provide molecular insights into contaminant-induced stress across tropic levels including at what levels of exposure elicits a molecular response.
Ava McQuillen
M.S. Candidate, Wildlife
Featured Project
Invasive carp movement and habitat use in Nebraska interior rivers
May 2027
- Invasive carp pose threats to native fish assemblages and ecosystem services of river and lake environments. Information pertaining to movement is needed to inform management actions including removal and gain a better understanding of population persistence and distributions across the landscape.
