Christy Finlayson, a doctoral student in Biological Sciences, leads charge to protect ecology of tiny island from unwanted guests

Posted September 4th, 2007

Christy Finlayson, a doctoral student in Biological Sciences, leads the charge to protect the ecology of a tiny island from the ravages of unwanted guests.  Midway Atoll, once a regular stop for transpacific military flights, and its isolated location and nearly predator-free terrain have made it the perfect nursery for more than 2 million nesting seabirds.  Finlayson and her team have employed a multipronged approach to removing invasive golden crownbeard and restoring Midway's native vegetation in a way that is both effective and ecologically sound — pulling up plants, carefully using herbicides, replanting native species and educating the public.  Finlayson's project combines research, educational outreach, and good old-fashioned muscle to combat the tenacious plants, and has proven effective so far. The project began as an assignment for a graduate-level course on biological invasives taught by Finlayson's adviser, UMaine biological sciences professor Andrei Alyokhin.  A link to the article featured in the September/October issue of UMaine Today is available HERE.