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Microplastics, Macro-Problems: Abundance Of Man-Made Materials In The Waters And Sediments Of Florida State Parks, Luciana M. Banquero, Kate Mclendon, Andres Alatorre, Mackenzie Daniels, Savanna Freeman, Cassidy Starke, Katherine Harris, Sidney J. Busch Dec 2023

Microplastics, Macro-Problems: Abundance Of Man-Made Materials In The Waters And Sediments Of Florida State Parks, Luciana M. Banquero, Kate Mclendon, Andres Alatorre, Mackenzie Daniels, Savanna Freeman, Cassidy Starke, Katherine Harris, Sidney J. Busch

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

Man-made materials (MMM) are pollutants introduced to the environment by human activity. Microplastics (MP) are a type of MMM that threaten living organisms through bioaccumulation. The term MMM also encompasses pollutants produced from natural materials, such as rayon and microfibrillated cellulose, which are used in food packaging. This study aims to determine the extent of MMM pollution within estuaries in two of Florida’s state parks, as well as the effectiveness of using restored vegetation on shorelines to reduce MMM pollution. Tomoka State Park and Gamble Rogers State Park were selected at the request of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. …


Determining The Extent Of Pioneer Mangrove Acidification On Intertidal Oyster Reefs, Cindy Whitten, Andres Alatorre, Nicole Campbell, Savanna Freeman, Sydney Henderson, Kate Mclendon, Connor Wright, June Davison, Madison Ganci, Katherine Harris Dec 2023

Determining The Extent Of Pioneer Mangrove Acidification On Intertidal Oyster Reefs, Cindy Whitten, Andres Alatorre, Nicole Campbell, Savanna Freeman, Sydney Henderson, Kate Mclendon, Connor Wright, June Davison, Madison Ganci, Katherine Harris

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) stretches 251 kilometers along Florida’s east coast and is one of the most biodiverse estuaries in North America. Mosquito Lagoon, the northernmost portion of the IRL, is home to mangroves and intertidal oyster reefs that provide numerous ecosystem services. These two habitats are overlapping as climate change drives mangroves poleward. Scientists have documented mangrove expansion and the transition of oyster reef habitat to mangrove islands. Past studies have shown large, adult mangrove stands drive soil acidification. The goal of this study was to understand if stand-alone, or pioneer, Rhizophora mangle (red mangroves) and Avicennia germinans …


Vertebrate Animal Behaviors And Abundances On Estuarine Shorelines Stabilized With Biodegradable Materials Utilizing Wildlife Cameras, Katherine Guise Jun 2023

Vertebrate Animal Behaviors And Abundances On Estuarine Shorelines Stabilized With Biodegradable Materials Utilizing Wildlife Cameras, Katherine Guise

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

Living shoreline stabilization is a restoration technique that utilizes natural materials as breakwaters, plus vegetation landward of the breakwaters, to protect coastlines. This research does not provide information about how new, biodegradable restoration materials affect vertebrates that utilize these shorelines. For this project, I monitored 18 restoration sites along Canaveral National Seashore with wildlife trail cameras: 3 made with cement-infused jute breakwaters, 3 with metal gabion oyster shell breakwaters, and 4 with previously used breakwaters manufactured from plastic mesh oyster shell bags. This project used 4 sites as positive controls (intact vegetation) and 4 as negative controls (highly eroded, no …


The Behaviors Of A Captive Father-Daughter Pair Of Ateles Geoffroyi Geoffroyi, Felicia Gordian Oct 2021

The Behaviors Of A Captive Father-Daughter Pair Of Ateles Geoffroyi Geoffroyi, Felicia Gordian

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

The Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens intends to introduce new members to the black-handed spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi geoffroyi) enclosure. The behavioral analysis of captive animals within their human-made zoo environments is pertinent information for zookeepers before such an introduction can be made. To contribute to that goal, this study observed the behaviors of a father-daughter pair of black-handed spider monkeys. This study observed their vocalizations, habitat utilization, enrichment utilization, conspecific interactions, and interactions with humans to better understand how they interact with their environment as well as their group dynamics. This behavioral baseline can then be utilized to …


Vertebrate Impact On A Newly Deployed Shoreline Stabilization Project By Wildlife Camera Analysis, Julia Rifenberg, Jason Litwak, Rebecca Fillyaw Mar 2021

Vertebrate Impact On A Newly Deployed Shoreline Stabilization Project By Wildlife Camera Analysis, Julia Rifenberg, Jason Litwak, Rebecca Fillyaw

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

Living shoreline stabilization is a technique that utilizes plants and other natural elements to protect estuarine coasts. Research has provided minimal information about which vertebrate species utilize living shorelines post-deployment. For this project, ten wildlife cameras were placed along a living shoreline site in Canaveral National Seashore (CANA) to document which vertebrate species utilize the living shoreline and surrounding vegetation. This shoreline was stabilized with red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle) and eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) shell bags in June 2019. The cameras, activated by motion sensors, remained at the site for five days a month for seven …


Success Of Glover’S Reef Marine Reserve On Queen Conch (Strombus Gigas) Populations In Belize, Gianna Fanelli, Ciera Jarrett, Sara Joralemon Mar 2021

Success Of Glover’S Reef Marine Reserve On Queen Conch (Strombus Gigas) Populations In Belize, Gianna Fanelli, Ciera Jarrett, Sara Joralemon

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

The queen conch (Strombus gigas) provides important economic, ecological, and societal benefits to local communities throughout the Caribbean. The species, however, has fallen victim to commercial exploitation and overfishing in many areas. In Belize, even with restricted harvesting seasons, size restrictions, and regulations set by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), harvesting practices have significantly depleted populations. Marine reserves, including the Glover’s Reef Marine Reserve, were established to protect biodiversity and maintain populations of Belize’s natural coral reefs. Utilizing size, frequency, and evidence of harvesting (shell notches), the 2018 Tropical Marine Biology (BSC 3355) course …


Effects Of Varying Heat Indexes On Habitat Utilization And Behavior On Captive Red-Ruffed Lemurs (Varecia Rubra), Jeffrey Gammon Mar 2021

Effects Of Varying Heat Indexes On Habitat Utilization And Behavior On Captive Red-Ruffed Lemurs (Varecia Rubra), Jeffrey Gammon

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

The two captive red-ruffed lemurs (Varecia rubra) at the Central Florida Zoo experienced a more temperate climate and utilized a differing habitat than they would in their native range, Madagascar. Proper management of the species in captivity is crucial for its long-term survival as they are critically endangered. Over a four month period, heat index temperature, lemur behavior, and habitat utilization data were collected via an instantaneous scan sample. Variables were analyzed to characterize how variations in heat index alter habitat utilization and behavior of the captive lemurs. As the heat index increased, habitat use became more restricted …


Behavioral Analysis Of The Cryptoprocta Ferox In An Ex-Situ Condition, Emilie Alfonso Feb 2021

Behavioral Analysis Of The Cryptoprocta Ferox In An Ex-Situ Condition, Emilie Alfonso

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

Fossas (Cryptoprocta ferox) are the top, endemic predators of Madagascar. Their populations are dwindling and are reported as “Vulnerable” by IUCN. In an effort to combat this, zoological facilities have placed the species on a captive breeding program. This study focuses on concerns one of those zoos had about their captive C. ferox. The purpose of this study was to collect activity budgets on the C. ferox to determine if there is a change in behavior due to construction occurring around the C. ferox’s habitat, analyze behavior changes during estrus, determine any behavior changes, as well …


Observational Study Of Two Ex Situ North American River Otters (Lontra Canadensis), Julia Rifenberg Feb 2021

Observational Study Of Two Ex Situ North American River Otters (Lontra Canadensis), Julia Rifenberg

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

Zoos enable the ability to study how captive conditions impact the behaviors of animals. In this study, I observed two North American river otters housed at the Central Florida Zoo to evaluate behavioral changes after the male had been removed from the female for a month-long medical examination. The aim of this study was to 1) determine if mating behaviors were still occurring between the two river otters following the male’s removal and 2) to assess the welfare of the male and female river otters in captivity by observing their interactions and individual behaviors. Observed behaviors were compared to documented …


Urbanization Impacts On Campus Cypress Domes, Jennifer Bennett, Ashley Boggs, Nathan Colonna, Angela Ferebee, Bruno Kallas Aug 2020

Urbanization Impacts On Campus Cypress Domes, Jennifer Bennett, Ashley Boggs, Nathan Colonna, Angela Ferebee, Bruno Kallas

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

Cypress domes are terrestrial freshwater ecosystems characterized by the presence of cypress trees (Taxodium spp.) growing in well-defined, dome-shaped clusters throughout the southeastern United States. These systems are one of many ecosystems in Florida facing increasing threats from human expansion and urbanization including fire suppression, logging, and hydrological alterations. This study sought to examine the impacts of urbanization on three cypress domes located on the University of Central Florida Orlando campus. To do this, we measured the defining traits, dendrochronology of Taxodium distichum var. imbricarium, and soil characteristics in each of the three selected domes. The cypress …