Browse 1,520 real Animal Sciences projects from CSEF, with abstracts, awards and links to the original entries.
CSEF · 2026
Zoology (Senior Division)
An unusual population of Camponotus (Mayr, 1861) was investigated, initially suspected to belong to the complex Camponotus sansabeanus (Buckley, 1866). Worker and gyne specimens were used in…
CSEF · 2026
Zoology (Senior Division)
Pesticide contamination poses a major threat to the ecosystem, costing $10-15 billion in environmental and health costs. Traditional monitoring methods such as soil and water sampling cannot…
CSEF · 2026
Zoology (Senior Division)
Nowadays, many people face sleep disorder and start using both medical and artificial substances, typically Melatonin, to approach deeper and better sleep. Besides bringing better sleep, Mel…
CSEF · 2026
Zoology (Senior Division)
The steady decline in bee population over the past several decades has led to an overall decrease in crop yields and poorer food quality. Today, there are no known tools available on the mar…
CSEF · 2026
Zoology (Junior Division)
We chose this project because we were curious whether the color of nectar really matters to hummingbirds. We decided to run an experiment for a week with three feeders each a different color…
CSEF · 2026
Zoology (Junior Division)
This experiment examined blue light damage to Drosophila melanogaster eyes and climbing ability. Fruit fly vials were exposed to three conditions for 5 days: 25-watt blue light, 60-watt blue…
CSEF · 2026
Zoology (Junior Division)
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of disabilities and deaths worldwide, with Americans experiencing 2.5 million hospitalizations and fatalities annually and $19B in economic…
CSEF · 2026
Zoology (Junior Division)
Have you ever wondered why some birds have weaker bones than others? In this experiment, I wanted to figure out if chickens that lay eggs would have lower bone density because they used calc…
CSEF · 2026
Zoology (Junior Division)
The idea for this project started when we moved to a new neighborhood with high coyote activity, and needed to find a solution to help keep the neighborhood pets safe. The research question…
CSEF · 2026
Zoology (Senior Division)
This experiment compared the pathogenicity and reproductive success of six Steinernema nematode isolates—Steinernema carpocapsae, Steinernema adamsi, S. jefferhense, Steinernema ceratophorum…
CSEF · 2026
Zoology (Senior Division)
Varroa destructor, coloquially known as varroa mites, are a species of parasitic mites that are native to Asia. In the California central valley, these mites are an invasive species that can…
CSEF · 2026
Zoology (Junior Division)
Does Age Matter? A Two Year Study on Leonardo Da Vinci’s Golden Measurements This investigation measured how closely body proportions across ages match Leonardo da Vinci’s Golden Ratio ideal…
CSEF · 2026
Zoology (Junior Division)
The goal of my project was to compare the effects of Chlorella versus marigold feed supplementation on lutein content in egg yolks. I hypothesized that both Chlorella and marigold would incr…
CSEF · 2026
Zoology (Senior Division)
In this study, Danio rerio (zebrafish) were exposed to 0.25% (2.5g/L) dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) for five days to induce intestinal epithelial cell damage. After DSS exposure, the experime…
CSEF · 2026
Zoology (Senior Division)
Brine shrimp are the backbone of the marine-bio ecosystem. Lots of other animals depend on them for food, so when the environment changes it is critical for the brine shrimp; it does not jus…
CSEF · 2026
Zoology (Senior Division)
DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism by which an organism’s gene expression is altered through the addition of methyl groups onto specific areas of DNA known as CpG islands. Drosophila…
CSEF · 2026
Zoology (Junior Division)
This project studied food intake levels of planaria experiencing different environments. The dependent variable was the area of the gastrovascular cavity in proportion to the area of the pla…
CSEF · 2026
Zoology (Junior Division)
Objectives According to W.H.O., 400 million people worldwide suffer from alcohol addiction. Due to this, this research aimed to find a treatment for alcohol addiction through a Drosophila mo…
CSEF · 2026
Zoology (Senior Division)
Obesity is a global epidemic, affecting 40% of the population in the United States. Diet-induced obesity, the most common form of obesity, is associated with numerous health risks, including…
CSEF · 2026
Zoology (Junior Division)
The purpose of this experiment is to understand how different temperatures in the environment affect the reproduction rate of isopods. This information is important because isopods are a hug…
CSEF · 2026
Zoology (Junior Division)
Climate change has caused global temperature to rise and is leading to more insects migrating up north to areas like Riverside, California. Soon there will be many new bugs in areas that hav…
CSEF · 2026
Zoology (Junior Division)
Introduction The challenge in hand in this experiment is to investigate and to understand how different amounts of sugar in food can affect the reproduction of Drosophila melanogaster. The m…
CSEF · 2026
Zoology (Senior Division)
This study investigated how simulated light pollution affects the circadian rhythm of different species of spiders, which varies between animals from 23 to 25 hours, but has only been establ…
CSEF · 2026
Zoology (Junior Division)
My project was about Guinea pigs and how they react to different sounds. I played 3 different types of sounds and recorded to see how they would react. I found out the Guinea pigs are more s…
CSEF · 2026
Zoology (Senior Division)
Predator-prey interactions often involve temporal sequences of sensory cues, where predator-derived chemical signals are detected by the prey before physical contact occurs. Whether prey neu…
CSEF · 2026
Zoology (Junior Division)
The goal of this experiment was to observe the effect that different extreme conditions had on the speed and mobility of Hypsibius exemplaris, an animal from a species of microscopic inverte…
CSEF · 2026
Zoology (Senior Division)
Honeybees (Apis mellifera) are essential pollinators sustaining agricultural productivity and ecosystem stability but are severely threatened by the parasitic mite Varroa destructor, a prima…
CSEF · 2026
Zoology (Junior Division)
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is driven by abnormal activation of the Hedgehog (HH) signaling pathway through the Smoothened (SMO) receptor. HH signaling also regulates regeneration and posteri…
CSEF · 2026
Zoology (Senior Division)
Tardigrades are eight legged microscopic invertebrates that are known for their ability to survive in extreme conditions by entering “tun” state, which is regulated by internal reactive oxyg…
CSEF · 2026
Zoology (Junior Division)
Disasters can have a big effect on ecosystems and survival of different species. The goal of this experiment is to study how droughts and famine affect animals, specifically ants. Ants have…