For the spring 2011 semester, Tyler Moore conducted an Independent Study on Waterfowl Ecology & Management with waterfowl biologists in North Carolina and Virginia, under the supervision of Dr. Rachel Goodman.

Tyler assisted with waterfowl banding at Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge on the Outer Banks of NC with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (WRC), and at a salt marsh on the Eastern Shore of VA with the VA Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF).

Waterfowl banding operations are important because they help monitor the distribution, harvest rates and survival rates for many waterfowl species. This data is important because it helps the agencies determine appropriate hunting regulations for each hunting season.