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Contents
Biographical
Information
Joanna Burger is a behavioral ecologist whose primary interests are in the adaptive significance of social behavior in vertebrates, the effects of incubation temperature on behavioral development, the effects of heavy metals on neurobehavioral development, and ecological risk. In the area of social behavior she works mainly with marine and coastal birds, including the effects of people on reproductive success and ecology of colonial species. The work on reptiles involves examining how the behavior of snakes is influenced by incubation temperature, including locomotion, antipredator behavior, foraging, and over-wintering. For several years she has been examining patterns of heavy metal distribution worldwide, using avian feathers as indicators. This ongoing work involves examining the effects of low level lead, chromium and manganese exposure (similar to what children get when they eat lead paint) on behavior development of Herring Gulls, both in the field and in the laboratory. Her work with ecological risk assessment has included many different species and habitats. She is currently working at the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site in South Carolina, developing ecological risk methodologies. She sits on the U.S. National SCOPE Committee, is on the National Academy of Sciences Committee of Endocrine Disruptors, and has participated in several international SCOPE committees on ecological risk, mercury, and hazardous wastes.
Affiliations
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DIVISION OF LIFE
SCIENCES |
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EOHSI, the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute |
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IMCS, the Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences |
[FrontPage ”PurpleText” Component]
Current
Projects
Barnegat Bay supports some of the largest and most diverse
breeding colonies of birds in the state, as well as along the Atlantic coast.
Animals, including humans, are increasingly exposed to a
variety of environmental chemicals that can cause adverse developmental
neurobehavioral effects.
Habitat Use and Foraging Behavior of Birds
Point counts and behavioral observations were used to
examine habitat use and prey choice by Forster’s Terns, Black Skimmers, and
Common Terns.
Oil spills are a potential threat to the environment along
the Jersey shore because both the New York harbor and Delaware Bay are major
oil import and export regions.
There is an abundance of field data on levels of mercury in
a variety of organisms and tissues, and there are a number of studies that
demonstrate the effects of mercury on laboratory animals, but few studies
examine the relationship between the two.
CRESP (Consortium for Risk Evaluation
with Stakeholder Participation)
CRESP is to develop information and methods of analysis and
prediction that will support the decision-makers involved in managing the
decommissioning and cleanup of American nuclear weapons production facilities.
It will provide the U. S. Department Of Energy with a broader and deeper
understanding of risk-related issues that concern waste cleanup. For general information on
CRESP click here.
Teaching:
BEHAVIOR BIOLOGY
This course will be taught during the Spring 1999 semester.
Students interested in the class may wish to preview last year’s course outline
(currently being revised) and should click here.
Back to Top
Selected Scientific
Publications:
- Burger, J. and M. Gochfeld. 1995. Global
Environmental Issues in Medicine. in: Environmental Medicine.
(S. Brooks, M. Gochfeld, R. Jackson, J. Hertzstein and M. Schenker, eds.)
C.V. Mosby, St. Louis. Pg. 669-691.
- Burger, J. and M. Gochfeld. 1995. Behavioral
impairment of lead exposed Herring Gulls in nature. Fund. Appl.
Toxicol. 23:553-561.
- Burger, J. and M. Gochfeld. 1996.
Parent-young conflict: A parental copensation mechanism for behaviorally
impaired gull chicks. Pharm., Biochem., Behavior. 55:339-349.
Books for the Public:
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A NATURALIST ALONG THE JERSEY SHORE by Joanna Burger. Rutgers University Press (1996) |
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by J. Burger. Rugers University Press (1997) |
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BUTTERFLIES OF NEW JERSEY: A Guide to their Status,
Distribution, Conservation and Appreciation by Michael Gochfeld and J. Burger. Rutgers University
Press (1997). |
Contact
Information
Electronic mail
address 
burger@biology.rutgers.edu
FAX : 
908-445-5870
People in
her labs
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