Finding their Niche

Long-billed Dowitchers (small, on left) and Marbled
Godwits (large, on right) have uniquely shaped bills which
allow these separate species to occupy different niches

One of the things I enjoy most about watching shorebirds is the ability to see the concept of an ecological niche in plain sight. Most folks are pretty familiar with the idea of a niche, which is a very particular “role” a species plays within the greater ecological community. Occupying a niche allows a species to meet its basic needs without too much competition or overlap with other community members while also contributing a unique service to the ecological system (e.g. seed dispersal, pollination). Amazingly, each species is highly adapted to occupy a particular niche, a role developed over time in response to the ecological make-up of an area and interaction with other creatures. Take a visit to any mudflat during spring or fall shorebird migration, and you will find a slide show of niche specialization in high definition. You are sure to see dozens of different bird species all gathered together in one space, yet each with unique shapes, colors, and behaviors to capitalize on specialized aspects of that environment. Not surprisingly perhaps, people are much the same way. Not necessarily from a physiological standpoint (after all, we are all the same species), but from a social vantage point, we each play unique roles in our families, organizations, and communities. You might say we each occupy a particular niche within our social systems. The COASST program is an ideal way for the three volunteers I met with today to fulfill their community niche. Michelle (Mad River), Grace (South Spit), and Don (South Spit) all gravitate towards the physical sciences, both personally and professionally. They appreciate investigating new things, cultivating questions and theories, and exploring the natural world. The fact that COASST provided yet another avenue to participate in science first drew each of these COASSTers to the program and the opportunities to investigate and learn is one of the reasons they keep coming back month after month. We all have a role to play; it is what makes the world go round. The key is to find your role, and to play it well. The three COASSTers with whom I met today epitomize that lesson.