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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Effects Of Temperature On Activity Of Aquatic Hyphomycetes: A Microcosm Study, Kyra Harrington‌‌ Dec 2016

Effects Of Temperature On Activity Of Aquatic Hyphomycetes: A Microcosm Study, Kyra Harrington‌‌

Honors Theses

Predicted increases in temperature under climate change scenarios are expected to affect not only atmospheric and water temperatures, but also the rate of heterotrophic activity and carbon dynamics and retention in ecosystems. The magnitude of the increase in metabolic activity of living organisms with increased temperature can be predicted by the Metabolic Theory of Ecology, however, multiple factors can cause deviations from simple predictions. The goal of this study is to assess the temperature sensitivity of aquatic hyphomycetes and fungi-mediated leaf litter decomposition by following responses to temperature of fungal biomass accrual, respiration and decomposition rates in laboratory microcosms simulating …


The United States, China, And Climate Change: An Analysis Of The Us-China Climate Pact And Its Implications For International Climate Negotiations, Joesph Fiorile Jun 2016

The United States, China, And Climate Change: An Analysis Of The Us-China Climate Pact And Its Implications For International Climate Negotiations, Joesph Fiorile

Honors Theses

Climate change increasingly is becoming a major issue for the international community. It is contributing to rising global temperatures, rising sea levels, drought, natural disaster intensification, and ecological damage, amongst other things. A scientific consensus has emerged over recent years that implicates greenhouse gases, chief amongst them carbon dioxide, for causing global warming. Climate scientists overwhelmingly agree that the greenhouse gas effect has been caused in large part by the spike of human emissions since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. To reverse the problem, the density of greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere, especially carbon dioxide, has to be reduced. …


13c Composition In Bryophyte Primary Sugars As An Indicator Of Water Availability, Olivia Hope Williamson Jun 2016

13c Composition In Bryophyte Primary Sugars As An Indicator Of Water Availability, Olivia Hope Williamson

Honors Theses

Bryophytes (mosses and their relatives) are a major carbon sink, and their productivity, is expected to be affected by climate change. Changes in plant productivity caused by changes in the climate can be tracked through stable carbon isotopes. This research aims to find a connection between stable carbon isotope signatures and water availability in bryophytes by examining the composition of 13C in soluble sugars and bulk tissue. Similar to trees, which leave rings of growth every year, mosses build up peat deposits, which can be used to gain information about the weather and water availability of a region. Information on …


Development Of A [2]-Catenane Synthetic Method And A Student Beliefs Survey For A Hybrid Organometallics Course, Jourdan E. Lakes May 2016

Development Of A [2]-Catenane Synthetic Method And A Student Beliefs Survey For A Hybrid Organometallics Course, Jourdan E. Lakes

Honors Theses

In this study, the value-added of a new upper-level chemistry course, CHEM 372-Organometallics, was defined using a Student Beliefs Survey that was answered by students in CHEM 372 and by faculty who teach upper-level chemistry courses at Coastal Carolina University. The laboratory portion of CHEM 372 focused on the synthesis of a [2]-catenane, which is a molecularly interlocked molecule (MIM). The intention was to give the CHEM 372 students a goal to work toward over the course of the semester instead of different, unrelated, experiments each week. Using this style of lab teaching, the students were introduced to graduate school-level …


Was 2015 The Summer Of The Shark? Evidence From The Coastal Carolina University Shark Project, Brooke Anderson May 2016

Was 2015 The Summer Of The Shark? Evidence From The Coastal Carolina University Shark Project, Brooke Anderson

Honors Theses

Winyah Bay is a 65-km2 estuary in northeast South Carolina and is considered essential habitat and nursery ground for several shark species of the western North Atlantic. As a result of a number of shark bites/attacks during the summer of 2015, many concluded there was higher abundance of sharks than in previous years. The objective of this study was to test this hypothesis using surveys of shark populations from Winyah Bay in the summer of 2015, and comparing the diversity and abundance of sharks from this survey to those of previous years from the same survey. From July to August …


Abundance And Distribution Of Microplastic Particles In Winyah Bay, S.C. ‌, Dillon King May 2016

Abundance And Distribution Of Microplastic Particles In Winyah Bay, S.C. ‌, Dillon King

Honors Theses

Plastics are incredibly durable synthetic polymers used in a wide variety of consumer products. Microplastics are generally defined as plastic debris ranging from 0.33 to 5 millimeters in size. Microplastic pollution in the environment is a global concern because of their propensity to serve as a vector for bioaccumlation and the spread of harmful bacteria. This study characterized the concentrations of floating microplastics in Winyah Bay, South Carolina, the surrounding freshwater river systems, and 10 miles offshore of Winyah Bay. Samples were collected according to NOAA standard techniques for microplastic collection in water using a 335 µm and 153 µm …