Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Effects Of Heat Stress And Nitrogen Limitation On The Physiology Of Gametophytes And Sporophytes Of The Bull Kelp, Nereocystis Luetkeana, Dr. Brooke Weigel, Robin Fales, Dr. Emily Carrington, Dr. Megan Dethier

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) are declining at some locations within the Salish Sea, particularly in areas that experience elevated temperatures, low nitrogen (N) concentrations, and low current velocities. High temperatures and low N concentrations can be stressful for marine primary producers, yet these stressors often occur simultaneously in temperate marine ecosystems, making it difficult to unravel their effects. First, we determined the reproductive thermal tolerance limits of bull kelp by growing gametophytes at 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 and 22°C. Gametophytes were able to germinate at temperatures up to 20°C, with gametophyte growth peaking around 16°C, but sporophyte production …

Current Use Pesticides That Drain Into Canadian Tributaries: A Potential Threat To Whale Habitats, Dr. Agnes Richards

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Elevated contaminant concentrations in odontocete cetaceans within Canadian waters has been well documented. The Endangered transboundary Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKW, Orcinus orca) and St Lawrence Estuary Beluga Whales (SLE beluga, Delphinapterus leucas) face significant threats from high levels of contaminants. The Recovery Strategy for the SLE beluga, SRKWs, as well as the Threatened Northern Resident Killer Whales (NRKW) lists contaminants as a key threat to these whale populations and identifies urban and agricultural runoff and stormwater as pollutant sources. This runoff exposes the whales and their priority prey to a mixture of environmental contaminants, including current use pesticides. Our …

Rethinking Sewage In The Southern Salish Sea, Dr. Mindy Roberts, Jeff Dickison

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

The waters of Puget Sound are highly connected, and pollution released in one location impacts water quality miles and miles away. Deep waters of Puget Sound, where sewage treatment plants discharge, circulate toward the south and inland. Nitrogen discharged from wastewater treatment plants violates the Washington State water quality standards for dissolved oxygen in South Puget Sound and other shallow bays around the Salish Sea as a result. The Department of Ecology is requiring all publicly owned treatment plants to upgrade technology to nutrient removal under the Clean Water Act, with a 5-year goal of holding the line at existing …

Zooplankton Community Composition And Biomass Across A Latitudinal Gradient In The Southern Salish Sea, 2014-2021, Amanda Winans, Bethellee Herrmann, Julie Keister

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Understanding zooplankton community structure and biomass in the Salish Sea is vital for determining ecosystem health and the factors affecting upper trophic levels, such as forage fish, salmon, and seabirds. Zooplankton are important prey for these groups, including for culturally important juvenile salmon during their critical feeding period, which has implications for top predators, such as orcas. In this ongoing time series that began in 2014, zooplankton were collected from sites in Puget Sound and Northern Washington waters. Here we examine patterns along a north-south latitudinal gradient, from the San Juan Islands to South Sound, in order to examine spatial …

Kelp Forest Responses To The 2014 Marine Heat Wave: Clues About Environmental Patterns And Gradients Within The Southern Salish Sea., Helen Berry, Danielle Claar, Bart Christiaen

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Information on kelp forest dynamics within the Salish Sea is needed to understand and address stressors. Around 2014, large declines in kelp canopies were observed in the northeast Pacific, which were generally attributed to elevated seawater temperatures and Sea Star Wasting Disease. This event provided a natural, large scale experiment, allowing us to observe diverse responses across the Salish Sea landscape, and compare to other regions. We analyzed annual floating kelp canopy surveys from 2011 to 2020 along a gradient from the exposed coast to the Strait of Georgia, using long-term data from Washington’s outer coast, the southern Strait of …

Effects Of Low Oxygen Levels On Copepod Size Distribution With Depth In Hood Canal, Deana Crouser, Julie Keister, Dr. Daniel Grünbaum

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Deoxygenation and hypoxia are affecting marine trophic webs throughout the world’s oceans. Hood Canal, Puget Sound is a basin that experiences seasonal hypoxia due to its restricted circulation and high primary production. The region supports a large secondary trophic level dominated by mesozooplankton, and particularly copepods. Studies suggest that zooplankton exhibit changes in their vertical distribution when faced with low oxygen concentrations and even face mortality when concentrations fall below ~1 mg/l. Because zooplankton are an important food resource for many aquatic animals, a shift in their distribution could have major implications for the food chain. This study examines how …

Putting Plans Into Action: Kelp Conservation And Recovery In Washington, Dana Oster

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Vibrant kelp forests are vital to the health of the Salish Sea. The Puget Sound Kelp Conservation and Recovery Plan (Kelp Plan) provides a research and management framework for coordinated action to improve understanding of kelp forest population changes and declines, while also working to implement and strengthen recovery and protective measures. Since the Kelp Plan’s release in 2020, it has guided tangible collaborative action across multiple partners. Highlights and ongoing actions since the release of the Kelp plan include: 1) a successful Washington State legislative request to fund kelp research and Kelp Plan coordination; 2) an assessment to understand …

Simultaneous Determination Of Steroid Hormones And Pharmaceuticals And Personal Care Products With Lc–Ms/Ms In Feces Of Killer Whales (Orcinus Orca), Xiangjun Liao

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

A method enabling simultaneous measurement of steroid hormones and pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in fecal samples of killer whales (Orcinus orca) has been developed and validated with liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). The compounds include a suite of hormones such as glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoid, androgens, estrogens, progestogens and PPCPs such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and antibacterial and antifungal agents. This method can be used to assess killer whale reproduction, stress and other physiological responses as well as contaminant related exposure. Further, it provides a reference method for the validation of new immunoassays such as radio immunoassay and enzyme …

How Data On Small Salmon Have Big Impacts, Supporting Recovery Monitoring And Informing Policy Decisions, Dawn Spilsbury Pucci, Joe Anderson, Peter Lisi, Mike Mchenry, Devin Flawd, Anya Voloshin, Jonah Keith, Andrew Berger

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Tribes and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) have been partnering for decades to monitor Puget Sound juvenile salmonid outmigration as part of the co-management commitment to rebuilding salmon populations that will support sustainable harvest for future generations, which is critical to addressing Treaty Rights. Juvenile salmon smolt trapping projects provide useful information on population abundance, productivity, and life-history diversity relevant to salmon conservation and management. Juvenile salmon outmigration studies continue in most major Puget Sound rivers, but projects are often funded, evaluated, and described individually by a variety of organizations. The goal of this panel discussion is …

Climate Assemblies: Lessons Learned And Results From Around The World And Washington State, Laura Berry, John Cambalik, Ed Chadd, Michael Chang, Derek Hoshiko, Brandon Letsinger

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Citizens’ assemblies are an increasingly widespread form of democratic engagement and solution-finding. Assemblies convened specifically to address the climate crisis have taken place around the world, including in Australia, Great Britain, Belgium, Poland, and France. France’s recent “Convention Citoyenne Pour Le Climat,” focused on reducing carbon emissions, led President Macron to pledge to adopt and fund 146 out of 149 policy recommendations. The Washington Climate Assembly (WA Climate Assembly) was initiated and funded by a group of volunteers, organized as People’s Voice on Climate. The nation’s first citizens’ assembly on this critical issue, the WA Climate Assembly brought together 77 …

Opening Plenary, Scott Redman, Ginny Broadhurst, Cecilia Gobin, Patti Gobin, Christianne Wilhelmson, Dr. Kathryn L. Sobocinski, Dr. Isobel Pearsall

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Welcome from Conference Organizers Scott Redman, Executive Chair Cecilia Gobin, Program Co-Chair Julie Watson, Program Co-Chair Fran Wilshusen, Program Co-Chair Christianne Wilhelmson, Program Co-Chair Ginny Broadhurst, Salish Sea Institute Coast Salish Welcome Cecilia Gobin, Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission Coast Salish Perspectives on the Last 150 years Patti Gobin, Tulalip Tribes Patti Gobin has over 25 years of Community Development experience with the Tulalip Tribes. Presently, she is with the Natural Resource Treaty Rights office working with state, local and federal agencies regarding those issues that impact the life ways of the Tulalip Tribes. In addition to her years of experience, …

New Multimedia Resources For Ecological Resilience Education In Modern University Classrooms, Katharine F. E. Hogan, Julie A. Fowler, Conor D. Barnes, Alison K. Ludwig, Dominic J. Cristiano, Daniel Morales, Rubi Quiñones, Dirac L. Twidwell Jr, Jenny Dauer

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Solutions to global problems such as climate change and biodiversity loss require educational frameworks and accompanying teaching resources that are theory-based, interdisciplinary, and accessible to broad undergraduate and graduate student audiences. Ecological resilience theory (ERT) is a framework with established interdisciplinary application to complex global problems, but despite an emphasis on the utility of resilience in national higher education frameworks, we found that many current ecology textbooks incorporate multiple definitions and highly variable amounts of discussion on core resilience concepts. To facilitate the use of innovative teaching resources in ERT in universities, this paper describes four free multimedia tools and …

Individual Trophic Niche Specialization In American Beaver (Castor Canadensis), Jimmy Taylor, Robert Francis, Scott Rush, Bronson Strickland, Guiming Wang

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The American beaver (Castor canadensis) has been described as a choosy generalist at the species/population scale, yet observational studies have shown little variation in diet among individuals. We compared isotopic values of δ¹³C or δ¹⁵N taken from hair of 32 beaver, representing seven colonies in northern Alabama, USA to determine 1) if colonies of beaver show overlap in isotopic niche width as a result of the similar use of food resources and 2) if individual trophic niche specialization occurs within colonies. Total Trophic Niche Width varied across the wetland with the widest being twice …

A Spatial Assessment Of Impacts To The Flats Fishery By Recreational Boating In The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Kristin Anderson

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

The recreational flats fishery in the Florida Keys is a significant component of the marine resource-based economy, exceeding $465 million (USD) in annual economic impact. Permit (Trachinotus falcatus), bonefish (Albula vulpes), and tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) are the three main species targeted by flat fishers. Those participating in this fishery generally practice catch-and-release angling therefore, the fishery is considered a more sustainable marine use compared to more traditional commercial fisheries. However, with population and tourism rising in South Florida, the fishery is increasingly threatened by habitat degradation and user conflicts. Ongoing revisions to the Florida …

Land Use Effects On Fish Assemblages In Mississippi River Tributaries In Scott County, Ia And Rock Island County, Il, Benjamin Ford, Kevin Geedey

Urban Watershed Project

Fish assemblages are viable indicators of stream quality because they respond predictably to changes in abiotic and biotic factors, such as habitat and water quality, and human exploitation and species additions. In this a study we examined the relationship between fish abundance, diversity, and IBI (Index of Biotic Integrity), and urban and agricultural land use in Scott County, IA and Rock Island County, IL. Fish were sampled during the summer of 2021 within 12 local watersheds, which contain a variety of land use types. We followed a standardized sampling method of a single pass with a backpack electrofishing unit through …

Retrospective Comparisons Of Competing Demographic Models Give Clarity From “Messy” Management On A Scottish Grouse Moor, Larkin A. Powell, Nicholas J. Aebischer, Sonja C. Ludwig, David Baines

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Retrospective comparison of predictive models that describe competing hypotheses regarding system function can shed light on regulatory mechanisms within the framework of adaptive resource management. We applied this approach to a 28-year study of red grouse (Lagopus lagopus scotica) in Scotland, with the aims of reducing uncertainty regarding important drivers of grouse population dynamics, and of evaluating the efficacy of using seasonal versus annual model assessments. We developed three sets of models that predicted pre-breeding and post-breeding grouse density, matching the timing of grouse counts on the ground. We updated conditions and management through time in the spirit …

Editorial: Special Issue “Innovative Techniques And Approaches In The Control And Prevention Of Rabies Virus”, Amy T. Gilbert, Ryan M. Wallace, Charles E. Rupprecht

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Rabies is an ancient lethal scourge that has plagued humankind for centuries. Globally, 60,000 human deaths are estimated to occur each year from rabies virus (RABV) transmission in domestic dogs, mostly affecting children. While rabies is recognized as a neglected disease, there is cause for optimism in the context of growing global recognition, collaboration and commitment to advance a tripartite agenda to eliminate human deaths transmitted from rabid dogs by 2030, also known as “Zero By Thirty” (ZBT). Nevertheless, the ZBT goal must also confront competing challenge(s) of tracking and mitigating human morbidity and mortality during a global pandemic caused …

Trout Responses To Stocking Rates And River Discharge Within A Southeastern U.S. Hydropeaking Tailwater, Jonathan J. Spurgeon, Joseph Kaiser, Christy Graham, Steve Lochmann

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Freshwater fish populations often exist in systems characterized by novel ecological processes resulting from human alteration. Salmonid populations embedded within coldwater sections of warmwater rivers are spatially constrained by habitat availability. Tailwater fish contend with fluctuating river discharges and density-dependent processes associated with fish stocking and exploitation. Salmonid populations sustained through stocking versus natural reproduction may respond differently to changes in hydrologic patterns (e.g., hydropeaking) as well as declines in fish abundance. We assessed differences between stocked (Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss) and naturalized (Brown Trout Salmo trutta) trout populations in Greers Ferry tailwater, Arkansas, regarding (1) spatial and …

Think Of The Future: From Nonrenewable To Sustainable, Froyzee Rey Eduard Armena

Symposium of Student Scholars

Abstract

When seawater evaporates, it becomes rainwater that you can store and use later on. The resources available on earth are immeasurable, yet it takes so much time for it to replenish its usable state, just like the ocean. When I drive through cities, I’m always in awe of being constantly reminded how the human race has progressed. The rate at which we progress concerns me, do we have enough power to fuel the future? Are the resources we can tap in from support the amount of research we do? This research aims to assess our energy reserves that seem …

Land Cover Classification And Change During Mine Reclamation In Northeast Florida Using Multispectral Imagery, Daniel Burow, Robert Brown, Alexis Caldwell, Patrick Hunter, Jett-Ramy Kaddour, Alexander Kingma, Justin Kozicki, Blake Neal, Abigail Neff, Rylan Randolph, Devon Tanner, Isaiah Vahos

Sustainability Conference

Titanium is commonly used in the aerospace industry because it is lightweight and durable in extreme temperatures. The Green Cove Springs Mine, near Green Cove Springs, Florida, was used for mining and processing titanium and other minerals from 1972 until 2009. Since then, the mine area is being reclaimed, or rehabilitated and restored to its natural state, as required by Florida Department of Environmental Protection regulations. In this study, we use high-resolution multispectral satellite and aerial imagery obtained from 2016 to 2022 to examine land cover (LC) changes at the Green Cove Springs Mine during this reclamation period. We use …

Can We Use Antipredator Behavior Theory To Predict Wildlife Responses To High-Speed Vehicles?, Ryan B. Lunn, Bradley Blackwell, Travis L. Devault, Esteban Fernández-Juricic

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Animals seem to rely on antipredator behavior to avoid vehicle collisions. There is an extensive body of antipredator behavior theory that have been used to predict the distance/time animals should escape from predators. These models have also been used to guide empirical research on escape behavior from vehicles. However, little is known as to whether antipredator behavior models are appropriate to apply to an approaching high-speed vehicle scenario. We addressed this gap by (a) providing an overview of the main hypotheses and predictions of different antipredator behavior models via a literature review, (b) exploring whether these models can generate quantitative …

Halfway: The Legacy Of Civilian Conservation Corps Company #704, Maxibillion Thompson

Student Academic Conference

Civilian Conservation Corps Company #704 began operations in 1933 approximately 10 miles southeast of Ely, MN, based at the site known as Halfway Camp F-1. This presentation explores some of the legacy they left in the region in the form of ecological projects and recreational structures, as well as the few remaining signs of their former camp on the shores of Birch Lake.

Bat Habitat Use And Activity In Forests Of Central Louisiana, Jane M. Kunberger

LSU Master's Theses

In the southeastern U.S., where forests are the primary land cover type and trees are often harvested for production purposes, understanding how forestry practices influence bat distributions is critical for bat conservation and management. It is also important for researchers to quantify and report variation in the performance of automated recordings units (ARUs) used to survey for bats because several key features of ARUs (e.g., microphone sensitivity, triggering thresholds) can influence an ARUs ability to detect bat calls. My goals were (1) to examine the influence of forest management practices on seasonal bat species occurrence and activity in central Louisiana, …

Maize Leaf Appearance Rates: A Synthesis From The United States Corn Belt, Caio L. Dos Santos, Lori J. Abendroth, Jeffrey A. Coulter, Emerson D. Nafziger, Andrew E. Suyker, Jianming Yu, Patrick S. Schnable, Sotirios V. Archontoulis

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The relationship between collared leaf number and growing degree days (GDD) is crucial for predicting maize phenology. Biophysical crop models convert GDD accumulation to leaf numbers by using a constant parameter termed phyllochron (°C-day leaf⁻¹) or leaf appearance rate (LAR; leaf ^oC-day⁻¹). However, such important parameter values are rarely estimated for modern maize hybrids. To fill this gap, we sourced and analyzed experimental datasets from the United States Corn Belt with the objective to (i) determine phyllochron values for two types of models: linear (1-parameter) and bilinear (3-parameters; phase I and II phyllochron, and transition …

Mp765: Creating The Orono Bog Boardwalk: A Facility For Education, Research, And Recreation, Ronald B. Davis

Miscellaneous Publications

A memoir by Dr. Ronald Davis detailing the creation of the Orono Bog Boardwalk. The Orono Bog Boardwalk is a premier destination in the Bangor/Orono area for persons wishing to experience the beauty and fascinating plants and animals of a Maine bog. The 1-mile boardwalk loop trail begins at the forested wetland edge in the Bangor City Forest, and after 800 feet crosses the Orono town line into the portion of the Orono Bog owned by the University of Maine. Along the way the boardwalk passes through a wide range of changing vegetation and environments on its way to the …

Protecting Terrapins With Teds In Virginia: Lessons From Other States, Bridget Verrekia, Shelby Fuchs

Virginia Coastal Policy Center

This paper highlights case studies about other states' efforts to require or incentivize the use of TEDs [terrapin excluder devices] and recommends policies for Virginia to adopt that have proven successful elsewhere. First, it outlines the threats to terrapins at large, as well as the threat posed by commercial and recreational crabbing, specifically. Next, it details the efforts that other East Coast states have made to combat the problem, including policies that require or incentivize the use of TEDs on crab pots, and discusses the regulatory framework currently in place in Virginia. Finally, this paper concludes by analyzing the approaches …

Trophic Relationships Between Tadpoles And Other Aquatic Organisms In Sub-Tropical Ponds, Kira Cates

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Making Forests, Making Communities: An Ethnography Of Reforestation In Monteverde, Costa Rica, Megan Brown

Anthropology Theses and Dissertations

Reforestation is not just planting trees in the ground. More than net increase in forest cover, reforestation is a complex political endeavor undertaken by both humans and non-humans and a popular climate change mitigation tactic. However, little research has examined the dynamics between selection of specific reforestation strategies, health, and community resilience, particularly with attention to entanglements between the lives of both human and non-human forest dwellers. This ethnographic work, based on six months of in-person fieldwork and six months of digital ethnography, examines reforestation and forest relations in Costa Rica’s Monte Verde zone, a region which experienced widespread deforestation, …

Leveraging Land Easements For Grassland Bird Habitat Conservation, Amy N. Marigliano, Hayden E. Dubniczki, Sarah W. Westrick

Student Publications

In addressing the decline of North American grassland bird populations, it is important to consider the various interdisciplinary approaches that can be employed in their conservation. OECMs, or “other effective area-based conservation measures” encompass a wide array of strategies which can be leveraged to conserve natural landscapes and species. Land easements implemented by the Land Conservancy of Adams County (LCAC) are an example of one such strategy. The LCAC seeks primarily to preserve the rural character of Adams County but has more recently turned their focus toward environmental conservation. In partnering with the Land Conservancy, this case study aimed to …

A Mixed Methods Case Study: Effects Of Instructors’ Beliefs On Incorporation Of Sustainability Curriculum At A Midwestern University, Anna Oetting

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The degree to which sustainability is taught is often varied and inconsistent across colleges, departments, and higher education institutions. However, educating students and future generations regarding the different pillars of sustainability, including economic, social, and environmental topics, is increasing in importance and urgency. A mixed methods case study utilized surveys and interviews to investigate why instructors incorporate sustainability, what impacts course incorporation of sustainability, and barriers that instructors face. This study found that instructors’ beliefs regarding the importance of sustainability relate to the extent to which sustainability is incorporated into their curriculum. Topics of sustainability incorporated into a class are …