Due to the COVID-19 pandemic my dissertation research is postponed until late 2021 or early 2022. The pandemic is worsening in Brazil, now a hotspot for the virus, and the United States Department of State currently lists it under a level 4 travel advisory. In addition, my research site is located in Manaus, one of the hardest hit cities, and has temporarily closed in response to the rising number of cases. As a result, I am currently using previously collected data from the site to assess how the abundance of plants and their pollinators have shifted over the past 40 years. My current plan is to use the support from the Cosmos Scholars Grant Program to complete my originally proposed project in the field once international borders reopen. I am in contact with my advisors in Brazil and United States and they are optimistic I will be able to conduct my fieldwork soon.
