Srygley, who spent years studying insect migrations in Panama, is a research entomologist whose main goal is to understand the biology of the Mormon Cricket, a katydid that is remarkably similar to grasshoppers. The cricket itself has not been in Montana since the 1930s, but the knowledge gained by learning about the cricket will help biologists in the management of grasshoppers.
Srygley's interest lies in the role of the immune system of insects and how they combat disease and also insect migration. As a scientist he looks for vulnerabilities in the insect's ability to respond to disease and natural enemies such as bacteria and fungi.
 Submitted Dr. Robert Srygley has recently been hired by the USDA Ag Research Center as an entomologist. |
A new comer to Sidney, Srygley spent many years in Panama while he researched an interest that came about in Monarch Butterflies. . .the migration of insects and how they follow a direct path, even over water, an interest that he has pursued since 1990. While living in Panama, Srygley and his research team stumbled across a large migration that no one had seen before, a migration that had never been recognized as such.
Srygley and his team pursued the migration to see why the insects were moving, how they maintained a constant direction across space, where they were coming from, and where they were going. As it turned out, Srygley's research, which included butterflies, moths, and dragonflies focusing on the aerodynamics, lasted for 15 years. Now, he applies the same questions to the migration of the Mormon crickets, though the insects do not fly, they walk, a lot of ground is still covered.
On the subject of migration, Srygley is also researching the ability of the insects to migrate while fighting off a disease, and if there is a possible compromise made between movement and the insect's ability to combat disease. "It's going to open a new aspect of insect biology," Srygley said in reference to his new position, which gave him the opportunity to pursue a question that was devised in one organism - the Monarch Butterfly - with another organism - the Mormon Cricket.
In the pursuit of knowledge, Srygley moved to Costa Rica as a graduate student where he and a team were researching the effect of predation by birds on the flight ability of insects. Unfortunately, they were not the only ones occupying the remote national park where they were conducting their research. Gold miners were also invading the area, and consequently, the money that Srygley's research team was paying the park to bring food to them was used to get rid of the prospective gold miners.
The research team was close to 13 people, and in order to feed that many people, the team lost time doing research in order to fish. "We had wonderful fishing competitions," Srygley laughed. The only way to feed 13 people adequately was to bring in a big catch, and after a few weeks of fishing the team had mastered the six steps needed to start the day with a small housefly and bring in a shark that evening.
During this time, a friend of Srygley's invited him to Panama where the Smithsonian had a field station in the American Canal Zone. After spending time feeding for themselves, the idea of three all-ready prepared meals a day was amazing to Srygley, while the air conditioning, 24 hour electricity and laundry machines made the facilities seem fit for royalty. Needless to say, Srygley joined the Smithsonian research facility in 1987.
In 1994 Srygley's research started receiving funding from the National Geographic Society. He wanted to get his research some publicity in the magazine, but National Geographic wanted pictures. They had already rejected the pictures from the professional photographer at the Smithsonian and encouraged Srygley to have his students take pictures.
Knowing that it was impossible for his students to focus on camera equipment and do their research at the same time, Srygley waited. He got his chance when a resident photographer named Christian Ziegler went to Washington, D.C., in the attempt to join the National Geographic photography team. Not only did they accept Ziegler, but they sent him back to Panama to cover Srygley's research.
When he is not working on his research, Bob Srygley enjoys cycling. His bicycle has been all around the world with him, including Korea, Japan, England, Panama and Seattle, Wash. Currently, it's on its way to Sidney.
Though most of his research has been done in Panama, Srygley also taught in Korea for three years, Japan for three months, in England for Cambridge nearly a year and a half and at Oxford for four years. He is currently still an associate at the University of Oxford.
Of all his years and travels, one of Srygley's most memorable moments was a canoeing trip on the Yukon River in the Yukon Territory with a friend. The trip was intended to teach the two about self survival. "We ate a lot of lichen," he chuckled. "It's terrible in soup but okay fried in oil like popcorn. We ate berries when we found them. They're much better than lichen."
As for his new location, Srygley is extremely impressed with Sidney. "It's a very pleasant small town."
jennaa@sidneyherald.com
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