Andrew Grosse

Research Professional I
Savannah River Ecology Laboratory
(803) 725-7283 office
agrosse(at)srel.edu

In 2006, I completed my bachelors degree in wildlife at the University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources and continued on for my masters degree. I completed my masters under Dr. John Maerz in 2009 and am currently a Research Professional at the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL). My masters research, supported by a State Wildlife Grant (SWG) from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, focused on evaluating the effects of both roads and crabbing activities on diamondback terrapin populations.

My current interests lie in turtle ecology, conservation and management, the ecology of aquatic ecosystems and the impacts of anthropogenic activities on herpetofauna. I am currently involved in various projects at SREL, including the development of stream ecological reference models for military installations along the Atlantic coastal plain using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), the reintroduction of gopher tortoises, evaluating the effects of heavy metal contaminants in long-lived reptiles (specifically turtles and alligators), assessing the effects of nest site selection on diamondback terrapins, conducting surveys for indigo snakes, gopher tortoises and Flatwoods salamanders, tracking movements of gopher tortoises and gopher frogs using radio telemetry and understanding the natural history and behavior of non-native, Asian turtle species. In my spare time I enjoy any and all outdoor activities, including hiking, fishing, caving, kayaking, surfing and rock climbing.

Current Projects:

• Reptiles as long-lived receptors for ecological risk assessment on the SRS (Tracey Tuberville, David Scott, Brian Metts, Tracye Murphy, Andrew Grosse, Robert Horan)
• The effects of nest site selection on diamondback terrapin sex ratios and nest success in coastal Georgia (Andrew Grosse, Terry Norton, Michelle Kaylor, Kurt Buhlmann, Tracey Tuberville)
• Development of ecological reference models and an assessment framework for streams on the Atlantic Coastal Plain (Michael Paller, Dean Fletcher, Tracey Tuberville, Sean Sterrett, Andrew Grosse)
• Reintroduction of Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) to the Aiken Gopher Tortoise Natural Heritage Preserve (Kurt A. Buhlmann, Tracey D. Tuberville and Andrew Grosse) in collaboration with South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
• Inventory and Management of Flatwood Salamanders (Ambystoma bishopi) on U.S. Naval Airfields, Pensacola, Florida (Kurt A. Buhlmann, Brian D. Metts, Andrew Grosse, and Matt Erickson) in collaboration with U.S. Navy
• Design of Artificial Nesting Structures to Reduce Automobile Mortality of Nesting Diamondback Terrapins (Kurt A. Buhlmann, Brian Crawford (M.S. Student), and Andrew Grosse) in collaboration with Georgia Sea Turtle Center and Jeykll Island Authority
• Habitat Selection of Adult and Metamorphic Gopher Frogs (Rana capito) (Kurt A. Buhlmann, Andrew Grosse, Robert Horan, and Brian Metts) in collaboration with South Carolina Department of Natural Resources