{"id":151499,"date":"2026-03-16T08:50:53","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T12:50:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/?p=151499"},"modified":"2026-03-17T16:21:12","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T20:21:12","slug":"ucf-aiding-healthy-ecosystems-through-bat-conservation-advancements","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/ucf-aiding-healthy-ecosystems-through-bat-conservation-advancements\/","title":{"rendered":"UCF Aiding Healthy Ecosystems Through Bat Conservation Advancements"},"content":{"rendered":"<hr>\n<p>A UCF&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/biology\/\">Department of Biology<\/a> doctoral student has helped position UCF as a contributor to the\u202fNorth American Bat Monitoring Program\u202f(NABat), a coordinated effort to track bat populations across North America using standardized acoustic methods.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_151506\" style=\"max-width: 1200px;\" class=\"figure mx-auto d-block\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" class=\"figure-img size-full wp-image-151506 img-fluid\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/03\/Southeastern_Myotis_bat.jpg\" alt=\"Close-up of Southeastern Myotis bat being held by blue gloves\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/03\/Southeastern_Myotis_bat.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/03\/Southeastern_Myotis_bat-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/03\/Southeastern_Myotis_bat-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/03\/Southeastern_Myotis_bat-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/03\/Southeastern_Myotis_bat-360x240.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" class=\"figure-img size-full wp-image-151506 img-fluid lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201200%20800%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Close-up of Southeastern Myotis bat being held by blue gloves\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201200%20800%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/03\/Southeastern_Myotis_bat.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/03\/Southeastern_Myotis_bat-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/03\/Southeastern_Myotis_bat-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/03\/Southeastern_Myotis_bat-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/03\/Southeastern_Myotis_bat-360x240.jpg 360w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/03\/Southeastern_Myotis_bat.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Southeastern Myotis Bat (<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nd\/2.0\/legalcode.en\">FWC photo by Karen Parker<\/a>, no changes were made)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Research Path Rooted in Responsibility<\/h2>\n<p>Ifer&nbsp;White, who serves as a graduate teaching associate while pursuing a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/degree\/integrative-and-conservation-biology-ph-d\/\">Ph.D. in integrative and conservation biology<\/a>,&nbsp;describes herself as a non-traditional student whose educational journey has been shaped by family,&nbsp;service&nbsp;and resilience.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy Muscogee-Creek heritage has deeply influenced how I view the natural world, not as something separate from us, but as something we are accountable to,\u201d White says. \u201cThat worldview has guided my commitment to wildlife rescue and rehabilitation for more than a decade, and specifically to bat rehabilitation for the past seven years.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Florida is home to 13 resident bat species, including the Brazilian free-tailed bat and the southeastern myotis. These highly specialized&nbsp;creatures&nbsp;are the only mammals capable of sustained&nbsp;flight&nbsp;and play a crucial role in&nbsp;maintaining&nbsp;healthy ecosystems. They help control insect populations\u2014consuming thousands in a single night\u2014while also contributing to pollination, seed dispersal, and more.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy work is driven by a desire to ensure these often-misunderstood animals continue to thrive in increasingly human-dominated landscapes,\u201d White says.<\/p>\n<h2>Bringing NABat to UCF<\/h2>\n<p>As a board member of the\u202fFlorida Bat Working Group\u202fand the\u202fFlorida Bat Conservancy, White saw an opportunity to integrate applied conservation science with campus engagement. She approached the\u202fFlorida Fish and Wildlif Conservation Commission\u202fand <a href=\"https:\/\/arboretum.ucf.edu\/\">UCF Arboretum<\/a> leadership about adding the university to the NABat monitoring grid.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cBecause there are known bat colonies on campus, participation was a natural fit.\u201d \u2014 Ifer White, doctoral student<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cThe North American Bat Monitoring Program provides a standardized framework for long-term bat population monitoring across the continent,\u201d White says. \u201cBecause there are known bat colonies on campus, participation was a natural fit.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Although UCF\u2019s geographic grid cell is&nbsp;relatively small, its urban and suburban context fills important gaps in regional datasets.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUrban and suburban monitoring locations are underrepresented in many long-term datasets,\u201d White says. \u201cThe acoustic data collected on campus help fill knowledge gaps in Central Florida and the broader southeastern region.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_151508\" style=\"max-width: 1200px;\" class=\"figure mx-auto d-block\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1017\" class=\"figure-img size-full wp-image-151508 img-fluid\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/03\/bat-research-ucf-acoustic-monitoring.jpg\" alt=\"Man in green shirt and blue baseball cap observes four students positioning tall yellow pole with device on top near tree canopy.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/03\/bat-research-ucf-acoustic-monitoring.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/03\/bat-research-ucf-acoustic-monitoring-300x254.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/03\/bat-research-ucf-acoustic-monitoring-944x800.jpg 944w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/03\/bat-research-ucf-acoustic-monitoring-604x512.jpg 604w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/03\/bat-research-ucf-acoustic-monitoring-472x400.jpg 472w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/03\/bat-research-ucf-acoustic-monitoring-360x305.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1017\" class=\"figure-img size-full wp-image-151508 img-fluid lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201200%201017%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Man in green shirt and blue baseball cap observes four students positioning tall yellow pole with device on top near tree canopy.\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201200%201017%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/03\/bat-research-ucf-acoustic-monitoring.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/03\/bat-research-ucf-acoustic-monitoring-300x254.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/03\/bat-research-ucf-acoustic-monitoring-944x800.jpg 944w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/03\/bat-research-ucf-acoustic-monitoring-604x512.jpg 604w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/03\/bat-research-ucf-acoustic-monitoring-472x400.jpg 472w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/03\/bat-research-ucf-acoustic-monitoring-360x305.jpg 360w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/03\/bat-research-ucf-acoustic-monitoring.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">(Far left) Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Volunteer Coordinator of the Northeast Region (FWC NE), Paul Jacobs, training UCF undergraduate volunteers on the setup of the acoustic monitoring station.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>The Science Behind Acoustic Monitoring<\/h2>\n<p>Bats navigate and hunt using echolocation, emitting ultrasonic calls that are species-specific in frequency and structure. Acoustic detectors&nbsp;placed strategically on UCF\u2019s main campus&nbsp;record&nbsp;these high-frequency calls throughout the night.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDetectors are&nbsp;deployed for&nbsp;multiple consecutive nights each quarter,\u201d White says. \u201cRecordings are processed using specialized acoustic software that filters out noise and classifies calls to species or species groups based on call parameters.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>These&nbsp;measurements&nbsp; allow&nbsp;researchers to compare bat presence and relative activity across sites and over time.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn wildlife conservation, data comparability is everything,\u201d White says. \u201cWithout standardized methods, datasets become fragmented and difficult to interpret.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>UCF\u2019s data are&nbsp;submitted&nbsp;to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute and&nbsp;ultimately contribute&nbsp;to broader analyses coordinated with\u202fBat Conservation International, informing wildlife action plans and habitat management strategies.<\/p>\n<h2>Turning Research into Action<\/h2>\n<p>White\u2019s dissertation research focuses on ecotoxicology, host\u2013pathogen&nbsp;dynamics&nbsp;and immunogenetics in bats. While distinct from the monitoring project, she says understanding species presence and habitat use provides essential ecological context for studying environmental stressors.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cBats are often misunderstood, yet they are essential components of healthy ecosystems.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Acoustic data will also help&nbsp;determine&nbsp;which species are using campus habitats and&nbsp;guide&nbsp;potential enhancements, such as strategically placed bat houses and expanded native, night-blooming plantings to support nocturnal insect populations.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBats are often misunderstood, yet they are essential components of healthy ecosystems,\u201d White says. \u201cEvery action&nbsp;[we take]&nbsp;contributes to long-term conservation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This research and the skills and tactics she&#8217;s putting to use with this project are directly transferable to the careers Knights with similar research backgrounds can pursue after graduation in wildlife agencies and environmental consulting.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By bringing the North American Bat Monitoring Program to campus, one doctoral researcher\u2019s data looks to fill knowledge gaps in Florida and beyond.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":98,"featured_media":151507,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"lazy_load_responsive_images_disabled":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":"","_wp_rev_ctl_limit":""},"categories":[54523,23,24],"tags":[488,982,1066,14916,4852],"tu_author":[],"class_list":["post-151499","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academics","category-research","category-science-technology","tag-biology","tag-college-of-sciences","tag-conservation-biology","tag-research","tag-ucf-arboretum"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v22.3 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