Liberal Arts and Sciences
Animal Migration and Ecology Lab
Led by Hannah Vander Zanden · Biology
What we study
The Animal Migration and Ecology Lab traces where animals come from and how they move, using stable isotope analysis: chemical signatures in body tissues that reveal where an animal has lived and fed. The lab is part of the Archie Carr Center for Sea Turtle Research.
What working here is like
- Wet lab
- Papers
- 5
Recent papers, explained
- A comparison of stable isotope values in epidermis and blood of nesting leatherback sea turtles in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean
2026 · Stacks.
Tests whether stable isotopes in turtle tissues match known foraging patterns.
- Climatic rainfall regime shapes energy flow, trophic structure, and secondary production in streams
2026 · Ecology
Shows how rainfall affects productivity and biomass in rivers.
Show 3 more papersShow fewer
- Bird window collisions link a local urban landscape to continent-wide migratory origins
2026 · Ornithological Applications
Uses hydrogen isotopes to track where birds migrate from before dying in window collisions.
- Bomb radiocarbon reveals keratin growth dynamics in loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green (Chelonia mydas) turtles
2026 · Marine Biology
Uses radiocarbon to measure growth rates in turtle scutes.
- Parts of a whole: isotopic difference between single keratin-based tissues and whole-body tissues of birds and mammals
2025 · Stacks.
Compares isotope values in single tissues vs. whole bodies in birds and mammals.
Plain-language summaries are AI-written and reviewed by us; check the paper for details.
How to reach out
Hannah Vander Zanden hasn't set up this page yet. Their UF Scholars profile lists their publications.