Recent graduate projects have focused on seabird ecology in the Gulf of Mexico, ecology of freshwater turtles in managed forests, conservation of stream salamanders in the Appalachians, recreation conflicts with shorebird habitat, historical land use effects on wetland communities, fish community ecology, and supercomputing applications for conservation planning.

Students are encouraged to pursue multiple lines of evidence using multiple methods at multiple spatial and temporal scales. Graduate theses and dissertations typically include several aspects of field, remote sensing, and computer models incorporating population and habitat assessment, marking and tracking techniques e.g. radio and satellite telemetry, collection of toxicological and water quality data, statistical analysis, and geographic information systems (GIS). Most research directly addresses integrated social, economic, and ecological issues, but much basic research is also conducted.