Collecting data on tufted puffins thanks to the Vivian Lewin and BELF Awards
In the eerie stillness of a misty Alaskan dawn, Cassandra Ciafro was already on the move by 3 a.m. Clad in camouflage, she melded seamlessly with the rugged cliffs, joining the seabirds in their lofty perches. Her mission? To deploy trackers and observe deitary patterns of the tufted puffin, a key indicator of the region’s fish stocks.
“I’ve always wanted to work with something related to marine science,” said Ciafro. “This experience has helped me grow so much as a person.”