Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Visualizing Oceanographic Data To Depict Long-Term Changes In Phytoplankton, Patricia S. Thibodeau, Jongsun Kim

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Oceanographic time series provide an important perspective on environmental processes in ecosystems. The Narragansett Bay Long-Term Plankton Time Series (NBPTS) in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, USA, represents one of the longest plankton time series (1959-present) of its kind in the world and presents a unique opportunity to visualize long-term change within an aquatic ecosystem. Phytoplankton represent the base of the food web in most marine systems, including Narragansett Bay. Therefore, communicating their importance to the 2.4 billion people who live within the coastal ocean is critical. We developed a protocol with the goal of visualizing the diversity and magnitude of …

Visualization Of Productivity Zones Based On Nitrogen Mass Balance Model In Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, Jongsun Kim, Myung Hwangbo, Patricia S. Thibodeau, Georgia Rhodes, Emma Hogarth, Stewart Copeland

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Primary productivity in the coastal regions, linked to eutrophication and hypoxia, provides a critical understanding of ecosystem function. Although primary productivity largely depends on riverine nutrient inputs, estimation of the extent of riverine nutrient influences in the coastal regions is challenging. A nitrogen mass balance model is a practical tool to evaluate coastal ocean productivity to understand biological mechanisms beyond data observations. This study visualizes the biological production zones in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, USA, where hypoxia frequently occurs, by applying a nitrogen mass balance model. The Bay is divided into three zones - brown, green, and blue zones - …

Applications Of Environmental Dna (Edna) To Detect Subterranean And Aquatic Invasive Species: A Critical Review On The Challenges And Limitations Of Edna Metabarcoding, Sakib Tahmid Rishan, Richard Kline, Md Saydur Rahman

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The world is struggling to solve a devastating biodiversity loss that not only affects the extinction of treasured species and irreplaceable genetic variation, but also jeopardizes the food production, health, and safety of people. All initiatives aimed to conserve biodiversity rely heavily on the monitoring of both species and populations to get accurate spatial patterns and overall population assessments. Conventional monitoring techniques, such as visual surveys and counting individuals, are problematic due to challenges in identifying cryptic species or immature life stages. Environmental DNA (eDNA) is a relatively new technology that has the potential to be a faster, non-invasive, and …

Rapidly Changing Range Limits In A Warming World: Critical Data Limitations And Knowledge Gaps For Advancing Understanding Of Mangrove Range Dynamics In The Southeastern Usa, Rémi Bardou, Michael J. Osland, Steven Scyphers, Christine Shepard, Karen E. Aerni, Jahson B. Alemu I, Robert Crimian, Richard H. Day, Nicholas M. Enwright, Christopher A. Gabler

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Climate change is altering species’ range limits and transforming ecosystems. For example, warming temperatures are leading to the range expansion of tropical, cold-sensitive species at the expense of their cold-tolerant counterparts. In some temperate and subtropical coastal wetlands, warming winters are enabling mangrove forest encroachment into salt marsh, which is a major regime shift that has significant ecological and societal ramifications. Here, we synthesized existing data and expert knowledge to assess the distribution of mangroves near rapidly changing range limits in the southeastern USA. We used expert elicitation to identify data limitations and highlight knowledge gaps for advancing understanding of …

Predictive Ecology And Management Of Phyllosphere Microbial Communities Through Cross-Scale Synthesis, David W. Armitage, Morgan E. Carter, Robin A. Choudhury, Mitja Remus-Emsermann, Cindy E. Morris, Johan H. Leveau, Linda L. Kinkel, José Pablo Dundore-Arias

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Here we summarize the main takeaways from a symposium and hybrid virtual and in-person participatory discussion focused on the challenges of scale in understanding the ecology and management of phyllosphere microbial communities. We provide an overview of the confounding effects of spatial scale on inference in microbial ecology, the spatial organization of microbial interactions in the phyllosphere, advances and remaining gaps in measuring phyllosphere colonization across scales, and the epidemiology in the phyllosphere. We hope to motivate further discussion and the development and adoption of creative approaches to solving the challenges of scale to enhance fundamental understanding and practical management …

Detection Of A Diverse Endophyte Assemblage Within Fungal Communities Associated With The Arundo Leaf Miner, Lasioptera Donacis (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), Marie-Claude Bon, John A. Goolsby, Guy Mercadier, Fatiha Guermache, Javid Kashef, Massimo Cristofaro, Ann T. Vacek, Alan Kirk

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The larvae of Lasioptera donacis Coutin feed on fungal communities lining galleries within the mesophyll of leaf sheaths of Arundo donax in an aggregative manner. It has been stated that L. donacis could have established a fundamental symbiotic relationship with one fungus, although the fungal composition of these communities remains unsettled. Using a culture-dependent approach and ITS sequencing, the present work characterizes and compares the fungal communities associated with L. donacis in Eurasia with the endophytes of A. donax in Texas where L. donacis is absent. The 65 cultivable isolates obtained from L. donacis fungal communities were sorted into 15 …

Biodiversity Of Forage Fishes In The Lower Laguna Madre, Southernmost Texas, David Camarillo Jr., Elizabeth Mogus Garcia, Carlos E. Cintra-Buenrostro

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Coastal estuarine ecosystems serve as nursery habitats for many commercially and recreationally important fishes. Biodiversity is a structural indicator and has been used as a metric for conservation and management. In the hypersaline Lower Laguna Madre of Texas, a variety of organisms makes their living in and around the dominant seagrass vegetation. This study provides a general assessment of forage fishes biodiversity collected seasonally with bag seines in two sites: Holly Beach (HB) and South Bay (SB) within the most southern Texas bay system as part of a broader study on fish biology. A total of 15,880 fishes representing 32 …

Air Pollution In South Texas: A Short Communication Of Health Risks And Implications, Sai Deepak Pinakana, Esmeralda Mendez, Ismaila Ibrahim, Md. Salahuddin Majumder, Amit U. Raysoni

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Air pollution is a major public health concern. The region of South Texas in the United States has experienced high levels of air pollution in recent years due to an increase in population, cross-border trade between the U.S.A. and Mexico, and high vehicular activity. This review assesses the relationships between human health and air pollution in South Texas. A thorough scientific search was performed using PubMed, Science Direct, and ProQuest, with most of the literature focusing on the source apportionment of particulate matter that is 2.5 microns or less in width (PM2.5), Carbon Dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), Black Carbon …

Assessment Of Air Pollution Levels During Sugarcane Stubble Burning Event In La Feria, South Texas, Usa, Sai Deepak Pinakana, Edward Robles, Esmeralda Mendez, Amit U. Raysoni

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Agricultural stubble burning is the third largest source of air pollution after vehicular and industrial emissions. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and black carbon (BC) are some of the pollutants emitted during such burning events. The Lower Rio Grande Valley (RGV) region of South Texas is a major hub of agricultural activity, and sugarcane farming is one of them. Unfortunately, this activity results in episodic events of high air pollution in this low-resourced, Hispanic/Latino majority region of the U.S.–Mexico border. This study presents results from a sugarcane site in La Feria, …

Health And Safety Effects Of Airborne Soil Dust In The Americas And Beyond, Daniel Q. Tong, Thomas E. Gill, William A. Sprigg, Robert Scott Van Pelt, Alexander Baklanov, Bridget Marie Barker, Jesse E. Bell, Juan Castillo, Santiago Gassó, Cassandra Gaston, Amit U. Raysoni

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Risks associated with dust hazards are often underappreciated, a gap between the knowledge pool and public awareness that can be costly for impacted communities. This study reviews the emission sources and chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of airborne soil particles (dust) and their effects on human and environmental health and safety in the Pan-American region. American dust originates from both local sources (western United States, northern Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina) and long-range transport from Africa and Asia. Dust properties, as well as the trends and interactions with criteria air pollutants, are summarized. Human exposure to dust is associated …

Isomerization Of Galactose To Tagatose: Recent Advances In Non-Enzymatic Isomerization, Jikai Zhao, Zhuo Wang, Qing Jin, Danyi Feng, Juhee Lee

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The valorization of galactose derived from acid whey to low-calorie tagatose has gained increasing attention. Enzymatic isomerization is of great interest but faces several challenges, such as poor thermal stability of enzymes and a long processing time. In this work, non-enzymatic (supercritical fluids, triethylamine, arginine, boronate affinity, hydrotalcite, Sn-β zeolite, and calcium hydroxide) pathways for galactose to tagatose isomerization were critically discussed. Unfortunately, most of these chemicals showed poor tagatose yields (70%). The latter is able to form a tagatose–calcium hydroxide–water complex, which stimulates the equilibrium toward tagatose and prevents sugar degradation. Nevertheless, the excessive use of calcium hydroxide may …

Increased Floodplain Inundation In The Amazon Since 1980, Ayan Fleischmann, Fabrice Papa, Stephen K. Hamilton, Alice Fassoni-Andrade, Sly Wongchuig, Jhan Carlo Espinoza, Rodrigo Paiva, John Melack, Etienne Fluet-Chouinard, Rafael M. Almeida

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Extensive floodplains throughout the Amazon basin support important ecosystem services and influence global water and carbon cycles. A recent change in the hydroclimatic regime of the region, with increased rainfall in the northern portions of the basin, has produced record-breaking high water levels on the Amazon River mainstem. Yet, the implications for the magnitude and duration of floodplain inundation across the basin remain unknown. Here we leverage state-of-the-art hydrological models, supported by in situ and remote sensing observations, to show that the maximum annual inundation extent along the central Amazon increased by 26% since 1980. We further reveal increased flood …

On The Architecture Of Collaboration In Inter-Organizational Natural Resource Management Networks, Gordon M. Hickey, Evelyn Roozee, Remko Voogd, Jasper R. De Vries, Antonia Sohns, Dongkyu Kim, Owen Temby

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper reviews the architecture of collaboration that exists within inter-organizational natural resource management (NRM) networks. It presents an integrative conceptual framework designed to help operationalize the multi-level interactions that occur between different dimensions of trust, risk perception, and control as key concepts in inter-organizational collaboration. The objective is to identify and justify a series of propositions considered suitable for assessing inter-organizational NRM network collaboration through empirical work. Such an integrative conceptualization goes beyond the existing trust scholarship related to collaborative NRM, and, we argue, offers a useful starting point for further exploring some of the ‘inner’ social dynamics affecting …

Cascading Effects Of Cover Crops On The Subsequent Cash Crop Defense Against The Polyphagous Herbivore Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera Frugiperda), Adegboyega Fajemisin, Alexis Racelis, Rupesh R. Kariyat

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

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Metal Contents In House Geckos (Squamata: Gekkonidae) From Industrial And Urban Areas Of Southern Tamaulipas, Mexico And Western Andalucía, Spain, May Reflect Airborne Metal Pollution, Luisiana Morales-Zamudio, Alejandro Fierro-Cabo, Md Saydur Rahman, Miguel Antonio Dominguez-Crespo

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

House geckos share living quarters with humans in the tropical and subtropical regions inhabited by these reptiles. Gecko behavior, biological traits, continuous exposure to suspended particulate matter 0 µm in diameter (PM10) and dust, as well as status as exotic species, motivated the choice of these species to examine environmental exposure to ambient air pollutants, in particular metals, and subsequent accumulation in these organisms. One part of the study was conducted in Tamaulipas (Mexico) where Hemydactylus frenatus is abundant in urban and industrial environments, the other part was conducted in Andalucia (Spain) where Tarentola mauritanica is found in similar environments. …

Impacts Of Tectonic Subsidence On Basin Depth And Delta Lobe Building, Tian Y. Dong, Jeffrey A. Nittrouer, Brandee Carlson, Brandon Mcelroy, Elena Il’Icheva, Maksim Pavlov, Hongbo Ma

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Channel avulsions on river deltas are the primary means to distribute sediment and build land at the coastline. Many studies have detailed how avulsions generate delta lobes, whereby multiple lobes amalgamate to form a fan-shaped deposit. These studies often assume steady subsidence and uniform basin depth. In nature, however, lobe building is disrupted by variable subsidence, and progradation of lobes into basins with variable depth: conditions that are prevalent for tectonically active areas. Herein, we explore sediment dispersal and deposition patterns across scales using measurements of delta and basin morphology compiled from field surveys and remote sensing, collected over 150 …

Balancing Renewable Energy And River Resources By Moving From Individual Assessments Of Hydropower Projects To Energy System Planning, Jeffrey J. Opperman, Juan Pablo Carvallo, Rafael Kelman, Rafael J. P. Schmitt, Rafael M. Almeida, Emily Chapin, Alexander Flecker, Marc Goichot, Guenther Guenther Grill, Julien J. Harou

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

As governments and non-state actors strive to minimize global warming, a primary strategy is the decarbonization of power systems which will require a massive increase in renewable electricity generation. Leading energy agencies forecast a doubling of global hydropower capacity as part of that necessary expansion of renewables. While hydropower provides generally low-carbon generation and can integrate variable renewables, such as wind and solar, into electrical grids, hydropower dams are one of the primary reasons that only one-third of the world’s major rivers remain free-flowing. This loss of free-flowing rivers has contributed to dramatic declines of migratory fish and sediment delivery …

Inter-Seasonal Comparison Of Acoustic Propagation In A Thalassia Testudinum Seagrass Meadow In A Shallow Sub-Tropical Lagoon, Kevin M. Lee, Megan S. Ballard, Andrew R. Mcneese, Preston S. Wilson, Gabriel R. Venegas, Mathew C. Zeh, Abdullah Rahman

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Acoustic propagation measurements were collected in a seagrass meadow in a shallow lagoon for periods of over 65 h in winter and 93 h in summer. A bottom-deployed sound source transmitted chirps (0.1–100 kHz) every 10 min that were received on a four-receiver horizontal hydrophone array. Oceanographic probes measured various environmental parameters. Daytime broadband acoustic attenuation was 2.4 dB greater in summer than winter, and the median received acoustic energy levels were 8.4 dB lower in summer compared to winter. These differences were attributed in part to seasonal changes in photosynthesis bubble production and above-ground seagrass biomass.

Inter-Seasonal Comparison Of Acoustic Propagation In A Thalassia Testudinum Seagrass Meadow In A Shallow Sub-Tropical Lagoon, Kevin M. Lee, Megan S. Ballard, Andrew R. Mcneese, Preston S. Wilson, Gabriel R. Venegas, Mathew C. Zeh, Abdullah Rahman

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Acoustic propagation measurements were collected in a seagrass meadow in a shallow lagoon for periods of over 65 h in winter and 93 h in summer. A bottom-deployed sound source transmitted chirps (0.1–100 kHz) every 10 min that were received on a four-receiver horizontal hydrophone array. Oceanographic probes measured various environmental parameters. Daytime broadband acoustic attenuation was 2.4 dB greater in summer than winter, and the median received acoustic energy levels were 8.4 dB lower in summer compared to winter. These differences were attributed in part to seasonal changes in photosynthesis bubble production and above-ground seagrass biomass.

Using Stable Isotope Analyses To Assess The Trophic Ecology Of Scleractinian Corals, Michael P. Lesser, Marc Slattery, Keir J. Macartney

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Studies on the trophic ecology of scleractinian corals often include stable isotope analyses of tissue and symbiont carbon and nitrogen. These approaches have provided critical insights into the trophic sources and sinks that are essential to understanding larger-scale carbon and nitrogen budgets on coral reefs. While stable isotopes have identified most shallow water (<30 m) corals as mixotrophic, with variable dependencies on autotrophic versus heterotrophic resources, corals in the mesophotic zone (~30–150 m) transition to heterotrophy with increasing depth because of decreased photosynthetic productivity. Recently, these interpretations of the stable isotope data to distinguish between autotrophy and heterotrophy have been criticized because they are confounded by increased nutrients, reverse translocation of photosynthate, and changes in irradiance that do not influence photosynthate translocation. Here we critically examine the studies that support these criticisms and show that they are contextually not relevant to interpreting the transition to heterotrophy in corals from shallow to mesophotic depths. Additionally, new data and a re-analysis of previously published data show that additional information (e.g., skeletal isotopic analysis) improves the interpretation of bulk stable isotope data in determining when a transition from primary dependence on autotrophy to heterotrophy occurs in scleractinian corals.

Microbiome Diversity And Metabolic Capacity Determines The Trophic Ecology Of The Holobiont In Caribbean Sponges, Michael P. Lesser, M. Sabrina Pankey, Marc Slattery, Keir J. Macartney, Deborah J. Gochfeld

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Sponges are increasingly recognized as an ecologically important taxon on coral reefs, representing significant biomass and biodiversity where sponges have replaced scleractinian corals. Most sponge species can be divided into two symbiotic states based on symbiont community structure and abundance (i.e., the microbiome), and are characterized as high microbial abundance (HMA) or low microbial abundance (LMA) sponges. Across the Caribbean, sponge species of the HMA or LMA symbiotic states differ in metabolic capacity, as well as their trophic ecology. A metagenetic analysis of symbiont 16 S rRNA and metagenomes showed that HMA sponge microbiomes are more functionally diverse than LMA …

Islands In The Mud: The South Texas Banks Provide Crucial Mesophotic Habitat For Coral Communities, Maria Bollinger, Keir J. Macartney, Erin E. Easton, David Hicks

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

On the continental shelf off the coast of South Texas lie a series of natural hard-bottom structures (rocky outcrops and relic coral-algal reefs) known as the South Texas Banks (STB), which provide critical habitat for benthic organisms and pelagic fish. The depth of the banks, a persistent nepheloid layer, and strong currents have resulted in few studies that provide quantitative biodiversity data on the STB. Using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), video surveys were conducted to quantitatively describe the mesophotic coral communities and assess habitat suitability of five STB: North Hospital, Hospital, Southern, Big Adam, and Mysterious Banks. Each of …

Combined Effects Of Scarification, Phytohormones, Stratification, And Soil Type On The Germination And/Or Seedling Performance Of Three Tamaulipan Thornscrub Forest Species, Paula Luera, Christopher A. Gabler

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Tamaulipan thornforests in south Texas and northeast Mexico are a conservation hotspot. Shortages of native seedlings limit regional restoration and are largely driven by knowledge gaps regarding propagation of the 75+ thornforest species planted during restorations. We previously investigated three thornforest species with low or inconsistent germination or seedling survival: Ebenopsis ebano (Fabaceae), Cordia boissieri (Boraginaceae), and Zanthoxylum fagara (Rutaceae), and identified the types and dosages of chemical seed treatments that maximized germination. However, chemical treatments were performed in isolation and combinational treatments may be required to break dormancy or maximize germination. This study builds on prior work by investigating …

Irrigation Decisions In Response To Groundwater Salinity In Kansas, Juhee Lee, Nathan P. Hendricks

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Understanding the interaction between groundwater salinity and irrigation decision making has important implications for groundwater management. Econometrics models were estimated using observed farmer behavior in response to different groundwater salinity levels in a region of Kansas. Estimation results demonstrate that farmers in the face of groundwater salinity change their irrigation decisions on irrigated acreage (i.e., extensive margin), crop choice (i.e., indirect intensive margin), and water application depth (i.e., direct intensive margin). The empirical results indicate an overall decrease in water use due to higher salinity, primarily through a decrease at the extensive margin.

Why New Zealand’S Indigenous Reconciliation Process Has Failed To Empower Māori Fishers: Distributional, Procedural, And Recognition-Based Injustices, Hekia Bodwitch, Andrew M. Song, Owen Temby, John Reid, Megan Bailey, Gordon M. Hickey

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

How is it that the New Zealand government’s process for re-establishing Indigenous fishing rights has failed to deliver thriving Māori fisheries? This paper examines why, at Te Waihora, a coastal lake, and site of one of the nation’s longest running and best-funded state-Māori co-governance agreements, Māori fishers have been unable to use their rights to support their fishery. As of 2018, the lake’s culturally and ecologically significant eel population was no longer commercially viable, a decline fishers have attributed to rampant dairy industry expansion upstream. Drawing on environmental justice literatures, we deploy a multi-dimensional framework to identify factors shaping possibilities …

Production Of Distilled Spirits Using Grain Sorghum Through Liquid Fermentation, Thomas Weiss, Jikai Zhao, Ruijia Hu, Meicen Liu, Yonghui Li, Yi Zheng, Gordon Smith, Donghai Wang

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The objectives of this research were to investigate the fermentation performance of US sorghum varieties for the production of distilled spirits as well as their associated coproducts and to study the formation of volatile compounds that are related to the flavor quality of the spirits. Three US sorghum varieties (red, white, and waxy sorghums) and four yeast strains (DADY, Ethanol Red, GR-2, and 71B) were used for distilled spirit production. Both sorghum variety and type of yeast strains had effects on alcohol concentration and alcohol yield. The alcohol concentration varied from 10.26 to 11.34% (v/v) while alcohol yield varied from …

Spatial Variation Of False Map Turtle (Graptemys Pseudogeographica) Bacterial Microbiota In The Lower Missouri River, United States, Joseph D. Madison, Madeline M. Butterfield, Drew R. Davis, Jacob L. Kerby

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Turtle populations around the world are continually confronted with changing environments that affect their ecology and conservation status. Among freshwater turtles, population dynamics are thought to be mediated by complex yet often cryptic causes. One recent direction of focus in addressing these causes is the turtle-associated microbiota. In turtles, the gut- associated microbiota is of exceptional interest due to its continual association with host species under changing conditions. Diet-based fluctuations and changes in microbial diversity may correspond to varying external environments at both the individual and population level. Environmental responses are of particular interest due to the anthropogenic changes that …

Defining The Current Distribution Of The Imperiled Black-Spotted Newt Across South Texas, Usa, Padraic S. Robinson, Drew R. Davis, Sean M. Collins, Richard Kline

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Black-spotted Newt (Notophthalmus meridionalis) is a chronically understudied salamander species, with many aspects of its natural history, ecology, and distribution poorly known. Previous studies using traditional methodologies have had limited success documenting N. meridionalis on the landscape, detecting individuals at 6% (7 of 114) and 1% (2 of 221) of sites surveyed. A novel environmental DNA (eDNA) assay was designed and implemented with the goals of assessing the current distribution of N. meridionalis across south Texas, USA, and better understanding the conditions for positive eDNA detections. We conducted eDNA sampling and traditional surveys at 80 sites throughout …

Analysis Of Urbanization And Climate Change Effects On Community Resilience In The Rio Grande Valley, South Texas, George Atisa, Alexis Racelis

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Disruptive development events have tested and will continue to test community resilience as people work to balance healthy living, economic growth, and environmental quality. Aspects of urbanization, if not designed and guided by healthy living strategies, convert natural areas into built environments, thus reducing the diversity of plant and animal species that are the foundation of resilience in communities. In this study, we attempted to answer the following question: What are the most effective ways to ensure that ongoing urbanization and climate change do not negatively affect ecological services and community resilience in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV)? The region …

Effect Of Ultraviolet Light Treatment On Microbiological Safety And Quality Of Fresh Produce: An Overview, Veerachandra K. Yemmireddy, Achyut Adhikari, Juan Moreira

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Fresh and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables have been associated in several foodborne illness outbreaks. Although investigations from those outbreaks reported that the contamination with pathogenic microorganisms may occur at any point in the farm to fork continuum, effective control strategies are still being widely investigated. In that direction, the concept of hurdle technology involving a sequence of different interventions have been widely explored. Among those interventions, ultraviolet (UV) light alone or in combination with other treatments such as use of organic acids or sanitizer solutions, has found to be a promising approach to maintain the microbiological safety and quality of …