Aruã Yaym de Castro Ferreira

M.S. Student - Wildlife and Fisheries Biology
Graduate Research Assistant
Forestry and Environmental Conservation Department, Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science

Office:
Phone: 847-961-8973

Email: aruayad@clemson.edu

Educational Background

B.S. Forestry - Ecosystem Restoration and Management
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point 2022

Profile

Aruã Yaym is a M.S. student with the Clemson University’s James C. Kennedy Waterfowl and Wetlands Conservation Center. He was born and raised in Brazil near the Pantanal, one of the largest contiguous freshwater wetlands in the world. By experiencing the Pantanal since a young age at his godfather’s lodge, Araras Eco Lodge, he developed a burning passion for wetlands. At the Pantanal in 2017, he met a group of senior ecology scientists who guided him in pursuing his dream to become a wetland ecologist. With their help, he ventured to the U.S in 2018, in pursue of high-quality education. In 2022 he received his bachelor’s degree in forestry focused on ecosystem restoration and management from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point. Throughout his undergraduate career, he engaged in several undergraduate research focused on soil science and plant taxonomy, where he gained valuable experience in developing and conducting scientific research. Following his B.S graduation, Aruã Yaym became a field research technician under a PhD student from Mississippi State University, stationed in South Carolina. Where they researched food availability in historic rice field tidal impoundments for dabbling ducks, as well as their diet.

Aruã Yaym joined the James C. Kennedy Waterfowl and Wetlands Conservation Center as a M.S student and graduate research assistant in the spring of 2024 under the guidance of Dr. James Anderson. Aruã Yaym and Dr. Anderson are developing research that will focus on mercury bioaccumulation in wetland-dependent birds within the Bento Gomes River watershed in the northern Pantanal, Brazil. South America’s Pantanal is one of the most extensive contiguous freshwater wetlands in the world. Numerous threats, including deforestation, pollution, wildfires, and poaching, impact the Pantanal. However, the consequences of historic gold mining have been ignored over the past 25 years. Thus, it is of utmost importance to investigate the mercury concentrations in the Pantanal. Our goal is to determine the degree of mercury accumulation in wetland-dependent birds in the northern Pantanal, trace its geographic source, pinpoint its position in the trophic level and food web, and correlate mercury concentrations in water, sediment, and waterfowl/wading birds.

Finally, in Aruã Yaym’s free time, he enjoys many activities in the great outdoors such as fishing, kayaking, hunting, birdwatching, and hiking. Alternatively, while indoors he enjoys reading novels and manga, playing RPG video games, Dungeons & Dragons, and watching TV series.