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CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) -- Researchers at Clemson University are studying how eastern brown pelicans are affected by oil and natural gas exploration in the Gulf of Mexico.

The school said Tuesday that a team will be gathering data on the birds' migratory habits and reproduction. Researchers hope the data will help them understand the impact that drilling has on the birds.

The four-year study gets started in the spring. It's funded by a $1.2 million grant from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the U.S. Geological Survey.

Clemson says the research will build on research that professor Patrick Jodice has already done on the ecology of brown pelicans in South Carolina and in the Gulf of Mexico in response to the Deepwater Horizon incident.