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Detecting Potentially Neurotoxic Pseudo-Nitzschia Species In The Grand Strand Area, Chesney Price
Detecting Potentially Neurotoxic Pseudo-Nitzschia Species In The Grand Strand Area, Chesney Price
Honors Theses
Pseudo-nitzschia is a globally distributed diatom genus which contains 26 neurotoxin (domoic-acid) producing species. In shallow coastal waters these diatoms are associated with both the development of harmful algal blooms and the bio-accumulation of toxins in shellfish that can impact human health. Pilot data recovered in 2018 indicated the presence of multiple species of Pseudo-nitzschia, including domoic-acid producing taxa. We hypothesize that we will recover a similar species diversity using multiple sampling dates during the summer of 2021. Environmental DNA (eDNA) samples taken from the public shellfish harvesting area waters at Huntington Beach State Park (SC) over a two month …
Ecology Of Estuarine Birds: Differences In Desensitization Of Year-Round And Transient Species, Sarah Thomas
Ecology Of Estuarine Birds: Differences In Desensitization Of Year-Round And Transient Species, Sarah Thomas
Honors Theses
Huntington Beach State Park in Murrells Inlet, SC, USA is considered a “hotspot” for birds, according to the eBird database (eBird, 2020). The park is also visited by approximately 300,000 people, annually (Hobdy, 2019). The causeway at the park is an area of high human and wildlife activity. Here, the differences in desensitization, or lack thereof, of year-round and transient bird species to the stimuli of vehicles and humans were determined. Multiple surveys of the birds at Huntington Beach State Park were conducted from 22nd September, 2019 to 13th June, 2020. Desensitization was quantified by use of a range finder …
The Effects Of Human Approach On Sanderling Foraging Behavior, Anne Hobdy, Eric Rosch
The Effects Of Human Approach On Sanderling Foraging Behavior, Anne Hobdy, Eric Rosch
Honors Theses
During low tide, sanderlings (Calidris alba) forage on small invertebrates in the sand of the intertidal zone. As a result, these common shorebirds frequently come into contact with humans who visit the beaches for a variety of activities, such as fishing or jogging. Here, the effects of three different approach types (undisturbed, passive, and aggressive) on sanderling foraging behavior were examined to help understand how human activities may be affecting their ability to search for food. At two local beaches, locomotory rate was recorded in addition to obvious changes in initial behavior. Treatments were defined as follows: 1) …