Lauren, a PhD candidate at Utah State, told the advisory group that the waterbird bioenergetics project has finished two years of field sampling and is now moving into intensive data processing and modeling. The project sampled 240 sites across managed and unmanaged wetlands, collected submerged aquatic vegetation cores, water samples and point counts, and is assembling inputs to estimate caloric supply versus species‑specific demand.

"We are finished with our full 2 years of data collection through all of our field studies," Lauren said, adding that sample processing has progressed quickly: approximately 1,140 of 1,400 water and core samples are complete and the team has increased technician capacity to process the remaining samples. She described the sampling design (managed vs unmanaged sites, hunted and non‑hunted areas) and the plan to calculate ‘‘caloric use days’’ by combining biomass estimates with survey‑based demand metrics.

Preliminary biomass composition from the first year’s processed samples shows ostracods, daphnia and copepods making up the largest proportion of wetland water‑column biomass; producers and filamentous algae were also noted in some sites. Lauren advised that shells (e.g., ostracod shells) will be adjusted out of caloric estimates because shell weight does not contribute calories.

The team plans to integrate depth, salinity gradients, and hunting pressure into a regional bioenergetics model to explore how changes in water delivery and management may affect food availability for waterfowl. Progress on biomarker analyses and additional lab results was described as pending; final model runs and interpretation will follow once sample processing is complete.

Questions from members focused on sample processing time, technician hires and how shallow‑water depth changes affect biomass extrapolations. Lauren noted that the project expects to complete processing and begin comprehensive model runs in the coming months.