Graduate students contribute significantly to Dr. Adams' research program and undergraduates often assist on projects and gain valuable field experience.  Recent graduate students include Art Abrams, Juliet Healy, and Lori Thiele.  Art, in cooperation with NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, studied the role of gray squirrels in maintaining the life cycle of the deer tick, a major player in spreading Lyme Disease.

In collaboration with nearby Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and the EPA, Juliet studied the use of Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) cameras mounted on helicopters for detecting bird carcasses in the field, a possible new technique for assessing the safety to wildlife of outdoor use of pesticides.  In collaboration with The Humane Society of the United States, Lori studied the effectiveness of immunocontraception for controlling urban-suburban white-tailed deer populations.

The Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin), mascot of the University of Maryland and Maryland state reptile, is under investigation in the Old Line State.  Historically, the species was overexploited, largely from excessive harvest pressure for the food market.  Today new factors threaten the species.  In the Chesapeake Bay watershed, wetland loss along with urban development, intensive agricultural practices, and predation impact terrapins.  To better understand the ecological factors that control population growth of terrapins, Ph.D. student Jose Barrios, working cooperatively with researchers at nearby Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, is studying the impact of major nest predators on terrapins along with habitat characteristics important for successful nesting of the species.  Jose was awarded a Gates Millennium Scholarship to pursue his graduate work at the University of Maryland.

One question that has surfaced with regard to immunocontraception of white-tailed deer for population control is whether or not the technique selects against animals with strong immune systems.  M.S. student Amy Pedersen, in collaboration with The Humane Society of the United States, is studying this question at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, Maryland.  Amy is studying two groups of female deer, both of which have been treated with an immunocontraceptive vaccine.  All deer in one group have produced young and all deer in the second group have not produced young.  Assaying blood samples, Amy hopes to determine whether or not there is a significant difference in the immune response of deer between the two groups.

In cooperation with scientists at nearby Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, M.S. student David Kidwell is studying the influence of benthic macroinvertebrates on the distribution and abundance of wintering seaducks in the mesohaline Chesapeake Bay. Biologists are concerned about declining populations of seaducks, particularly of long-tailed duck (Clangula hyemalis), black scoter (Melanitta nigra), and surf scoter (M. perspicillata). David is investigating the relationship between available food and numbers of seaducks. Spatial and temporal patterns of benthic macroinvertebrate availability will be correlated with seaduck distribution and abundance. Water quality and sediment characteristics will also be analyzed for possible correlation with seaduck distribution. David hopes that results of his study will aid resource managers in North America in better management of seaduck populations.

With a grant from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Dr. Adams and his students are conducting a biodiversity survey of terrestrial vertebrates at NASA's nearby Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Work will contribute to a baseline record for the center that will help staff to better understand management needs. Survey results will be organized and stored in a GIS database for easy computer analysis and display.