Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Using Track Widths Of Loggerhead (Caretta Caretta) Sea Turtles As A Proxy For Predicting Nesting Characteristics, Kelly M. Detmer

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Global populations of sea turtles have suffered major declines over the past century. Thus, it is critical to determine accurate demographic parameters and abundance estimates to fill current data gaps and inform effective conservation and recovery strategies. Population models with greater complexity and predictive capacities are necessary to more accurately assess population trends and responses. This study examines the relationships between track width, female body size (as measured by straight and curved carapace lengths and widths), and nesting variables (chamber depth, clutch size, and hatching success) of loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) nesting in southeastern Florida. Track width was significantly …

Effects Of Surfactants On The Generation Of Sea Spray During Tropical Cyclones, Breanna L. Vanderplow

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Despite significant improvement in computational and observational capabilities, predicting intensity and intensification of major tropical cyclones remains a challenge. In 2017 Hurricane Maria intensified to a Category 5 storm within 24 hours, devastating Puerto Rico. In 2019 Hurricane Dorian, predicted to remain tropical storm, unexpectedly intensified into a Category 5 storm and destroyed the Bahamas. The official forecast and computer models were unable to predict rapid intensification of these storms. One possible reason for this is that key physics, including microscale processes at the air-sea interface, are poorly understood and parameterized in existing forecast models.

Under tropical cyclones, the air-sea …

Pilot Project For Future Fast And Accurate Detection Of The Human Fecal Marker Hf183 For Presence Of Human Pollution In The New River, Angie Louis

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

One type of pollution that has a negative impact on the environmental waters originates from fecal contamination. Identifying the source of pollution is an important step in effective resource management, mitigation, and reducing risk to human health. Microbial source tracking (MST) can be used to identify fecal pollution and to identify specific microbes in the environment and the quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) can be utilized in this analysis. In this pilot study the New River waterway, running through the City of Fort Lauderdale, was tested for a human specific bacteria Bacteroids, using the TaqMan HF183 qPCR assay (HF183/BFDrev). …

Prioritizing The Largest, Oldest Corals For Disease Intervention In A Coral Disease-Ravaged Area: Southeast Florida Coral Reef Ecosystem Conservation Area, Alysha Brunelle

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Coral diseases appear to be more devastating than ever before. When a virulent disease ravages a coral ecosystem, it can significantly change the population’s demographics and cause local extinctions. Disease intervention response during such an event is impossible at a landscape scale, therefore priorities must be considered. Saving the largest, oldest colonies of reef-building species is a good choice due to their high fecundity and ecological function. Their size, as a proxy for age, is an indicator of their resistance to previous perturbations which may indicate higher fitness. Their size also provides habitat to many organisms and wave resistance in …

Algal Coverage Detection And Classification Using Envi: Correlation With Dissolved Oxygen Levels In Elkhorn Slough, Ca, Jason Dawson

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Estuaries are exposed to varying stressors, whether they be physical, chemical, or environmental. The most notable of stressors is eutrophication of coastal and inland ecosystems. This is a result of increased supply of nutrients fueling production within the system. One outcome of this increased nutrient load to the system is that of algal blooms. These blooms can impact the aesthetic appearance and degrade the quality of health of the system. Many of these coastal zones and waterways are critical habitats for many biological (some endangered) species and serve as recreational areas for human populations. Elkhorn Slough, California is one of …

The Role Of Bacterial Symbionts And Bioluminescence In The Pyrosome, Pyrosoma Atlanticum, Alexis Berger

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The pelagic tunicate, Pyrosoma atlanticum, is known for its brilliant bioluminescence, but the mechanism causing this bioluminescence has not been fully characterized. This study identifies the bacterial bioluminescent symbionts of P. atlanticum collected in the northern Gulf of Mexico using various methods such as electron microscopy, light microscopy, and molecular genetics. The bacteria are localized within a specific pyrosome light organ. Bioluminescent symbiotic bacteria of Vibrionaceae composed >50% of taxa in tunicate samples (n=13), which was shown by utilizing current molecular genetics methodologies. While searching for bacterial lux genes in 2 tunicate samples, we also serendipitously generated a draft …

Symbiosis And Bioinvasive Dynamics Of Durusdinium Trenchii And Its Acroporid Coral Hosts, David Craig Lawson

HCNSO Student Capstones

Biological invasions are a growing threat to coral reef ecosystems, as increasing anthropogenic transport and changing environmental patterns allow invasive species to establish and spread. Durusdinium trenchii is a dinoflagellate that has invaded the Greater Caribbean reef system and established symbioses with coral hosts. Establishment and persistence of invasive endosymbionts like D. trenchii could indicate a shift in the clade composition of coral holobionts worldwide. Statistical analyses were performed on the GeoSymbio database (Franklin et al. 2012) to determine whether differences in clade composition have occurred over time. Factors that influence biological invasions in marine ecosystems were assessed and analogous …

The Microscopic Threat With A Macroscopic Impact: Microplastics Along The Southeast Florida Reef Tract, Emma Wightman

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Microplastics have been found in large quantities in marine water samples and biota around the world. These microplastics, when present in the marine environment, decrease water quality and negatively impact marine life. This research quantified and classified marine plastic pollution along the Southeast Florida Reef Tract (SEFRT), in order to understand how this plastic is entering the ocean and the scope of the microplastic contamination in the northern SEFRT. Surface and bottom water samples were collected at 7 sites along the SEFRT for 6 months, filtered, and microscopically analyzed for microplastic content and composition using Fourier-transform infrared spectrophotometry (FTIR). Classification …

Examination Of Parasite Assemblages In Killifish Of The Genus Fundulus Across The Atlantic Coast Of The United States And Canada, Derek Garvey

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Killifish of the genus Fundulus were examined to assess the factors shaping parasite community structure at a genus level. A database of previous parasite surveys on Fundulus species across the Atlantic coast of the United States and Canada was created from a literature review. The database included parasite and environmental factor data from 15 sources. Additional sites from New Brunswick, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, North Carolina, and South Carolina were sampled for Fundulus species. The resulting database includes data for 10 species from a total of 57 unique geographic sites. Data on the diversity and abundance of metazoan parasites were …

Fish Assemblages Associated With A Newly Deployed Eco-Engineered Artificial Seawall In The Intercoastal Waters Of Port Everglades, Olmo Cinti

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

As the demand for urbanization of coastal areas increases, there is a strong interest to create new infrastructures that would replace natural habitats (Airoldi & Beck, 2007; Dugan et al., 2011). These infrastructures, due to their differences in composition and structure, are often associated with decreasing biodiversity, and proliferation of invasive species (Firth et al., 2014; Moschella et al., 2005). To minimize or attenuate these negative effects of hardening shorelines eco-engineering can be implemented. This kind of approach focuses on the modification of artificial habitats to enhance services that would not be otherwise obtained (Barbier et al., 2011; Mayer-Pinto et …

Understanding The Toxicity Of Single Hydrocarbons, Oil, And Dispersed Oil: A Species Sensitivity Assessment For Five Atlantic Coral Species, Nicholas R. Turner

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Coral reefs are keystone coastal ecosystems that are at risk of exposure to petroleum hydrocarbons from a range of sources, including oil spill incidents and chronic runoff, and are usually one of the highest valued natural resources for protection in Net Environmental Benefit Analysis (NEBA)/Spill Impact Mitigation Assessment (SIMA) of response methods and environmental damage. Previous research evaluating hydrocarbon impacts to corals has resulted in no clear characterization of sensitivity, as work has generally focused on higher-level effects, compounded by significant variability in experimental methodology. This represents an important knowledge gap in oil spill preparedness and response as it relates …

A Temporal Analysis Of The Euphausiid Assemblage In The Gulf Of Mexico After The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, With Notes On Seasonal Reproduction, Nathan A. La Spina

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents the results of the first multi-year study on the euphausiid assemblage in the vicinity of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (DWHOS), covering depths down to 1000 m. There are no data on the euphausiid assemblage from this region prior to the oil spill; therefore, the data in this study were analyzed with respect to year (samples collected in 2011 vs. those collected between 2015 – 2016), and season (May vs. August) to determine if any trends were present. These results presented here show a statistically significant decrease in both abundance and biomass between 2011 and 2015 – …

Atlantic Spotted Dolphin (Stenella Frontalis) And Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops Truncatus) Nearshore Distribution, Bimini, The Bahamas, Skylar L. Muller

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Bimini, The Bahamas, includes two islands surrounded by a diverse assemblage of ecosystems and a large array of organisms, including two delphinid species, Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) and common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus, inshore ecotype). Within a predefined nearshore zone, individuals of both species had largely overlapping distribution from 2003-2018; Atlantic spotted dolphins tended to disperse farther to the north while bottlenose dolphins were located farther south. The distribution of both species varied significantly by year. Atlantic spotted dolphin sightings varied across years and months while bottlenose dolphin sightings varied by month, with differences between …

A Survey Of The Order Tetraodontiformes On Coral Reef Habitats In Southeast Florida, Anne C. Sevon

HCNSO Student Capstones

The economy of south Florida relies, in part, on the recreation and tourism industries; both of which are integrally linked to Florida’s coastal ecosystems. These ecosystems provide tourists the opportunity to explore mangroves and the Everglades, enjoy local beaches, and experience the ocean with fishing charters, scuba diving adventures, and snorkeling. One of the major attractions for tourists is the Florida Reef Tract (FRT), which includes multiple coral reef and hardbottom habitats that extend from St. Lucie Inlet through the Florida Keys and into the Dry Tortugas. The FRT has been a major part of research because a wide range …

Predation Efficiency And Prey Choice Of Estuarine Organisms Under Varying Anthropogenic Light Types And Intensities, Carmen Montalvo

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The coastlines of Florida are becoming highly urbanized, and the growing human population is affecting many mangrove and estuarine habitats. Exploring the predation efficiency and prey choice of estuarine organisms under varying anthropogenic light types and intensities could help determine anthropogenic effects. Mangrove habitats support both relatively large predators such as Blue Striped Grunt (Haemulon sciurus) and Gray Snapper (Lutjanus griseus), and a diversity of smaller taxa that occupy lower trophic levels, including Grass Shrimp (Palaemonetes paludosus) and Mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki). Understanding how predation (or predation evasion) efficiencies are affected by different …

Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Analysis Of Mangrove Ecosystems Using Gis, Kayla Caldwell

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Climate change is accelerating beyond what is natural due to excessive emissions from human activities. The sea level has been rising for many years and is currently at a rate of 3.6 mm/yr. Mangroves are known to only keep pace with a sea level rate of less than 1.2 mm/yr. Mangroves are particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels if they are not able to keep pace through vertical sediment accretion or inland migration. To test the vulnerability of the south Florida mangrove ecosystems to sea level rise, this study analyzed changes in the mangrove forest coverage of the Oleta River …

Comparative Study Of The Effects Of Light On Photophore Ultrastructure From Two Families Of Deep-Sea Decapod Crustaceans: Oplophoridae And Sergestidae, Jamie E. Sickles

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Counterillumination, the mechanism by which pelagic species produce bioluminescence to replace the light blocked by their bodies to hide their silhouettes, has been known for over 100 years. However, little is known about how these animals are able to so precisely replicate the intensity of downwelling light. The recent discovery of opsins in photophores (Bracken-Grissom et al. 2020) suggests that these autogenic organs (i.e. non-bacterial) may be sensitive to light, in addition to their function of emitting visible light. The study presented here is 1) the first ultrastructural assessment of photophores in species Systellaspis debilis, Janicella spinicauda, Parasergestes armatus, …

An Investigation Into The Factors Influencing Growth And Survival Of Caribbean Acroporid Corals In A Floating Nursery, Cassie M. Vanwynen

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

For decades, coral reef ecosystems have been in decline. To promote recovery, restoration efforts have been implemented for many degraded reefs across the globe. In the Caribbean, there is restoration focus on the coral genus Acropora. Current methods target Acropora cervicornis and A. palmata, two threatened species of branching coral that can mate to form a hybrid taxon, A. prolifera. By including the hybrid in restoration efforts, researchers may better understand how this taxon may promote nursery expansion and outplanting in restoration efforts. Establishing efforts in novel areas may further advance restoration methods by comparing location differences in nursery …

Spatial And Temporal Distribution Of Essential And Non-Essential Elements Recorded In Western Arctic Bowhead Whales (Balaena Mysticetus), Samantha L. Shore

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Western Arctic bowhead whales, Balaena mysticetus, migrate annually among the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort seas. Foraging along their route, they use keratinous baleen to filter microscopic zooplankton from the water column. A single baleen plate from an adult bowhead whale grows continuously and stores 20+ years of dietary and environmental data. This study utilized induced coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to evaluate concentrations of 14 essential and non-essential elements in baleen samples from nine subsistence-harvested whales, yielding continuous data from 1958–1999 (n=148). Stable isotope data previously reported on these samples provided information on location (Beaufort Sea; Bering/Chukchi seas), season (winter; …

Factors That Influence The Perception Of Higher Education Leaders In The Adoption Process Of Instructional Technology And Distance Education, Diego Tibaquirá

Theses and Dissertations

The problem addressed by this study was that many administrators at institutions of higher learning are faced with the task of finding ways to provide the latest technologies while being extremely constricted by budgets and the rising cost of education. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors that influence the perceptions of higher education leaders in the adoption process of Instructional Technology and Distance Education. This included an examination of the decision-making process and what determined if Instructional Technology and Distance Education were either implemented or upgraded at various higher learning institutions.

The researcher implemented a mixed-methods …

Reducing Bittorrent Download Time Via Handshake-Based Switching, Elliotte Kim

CCE Theses and Dissertations

Peer-to-peer networking overcomes the single point of failure and bandwidth limitations inherent to the centralized server model of file-sharing. It is both a popular means of sharing digital content and a major consumer of internet traffic, with BitTorrent being the most-used protocol. As such, significant research has gone into improving peer-to-peer performance in order to reduce both download times and networking costs. One aspect that can affect performance is the client’s selection of peers to download from, as the time spent downloading from even a single poor-performing peer can impact the overall download duration.

A recent peer selection strategy explored …

An Investigation Of The Factors That Contribute To The Perceived Likelihood Of Compliance With The Hipaa Security Rule Among Healthcare Covered Entities And Business Associates, James Furstenberg

CCE Theses and Dissertations

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Security Rule (SR) mandate provides a national standard for the safeguard of electronically protected health information (ePHI). SR compliance enforcement efforts started in 2005; however, U.S.-based covered entities and business associates (CEs & BAs) remain challenged to comply with the HIPAA SR regulatory strategy. Although there is a significant volume of academic research on HIPAA compliance, research specific to the SR is sparse.

This study addressed the research gap by designing a unique conceptual model that assessed factors affecting CEs & BAs compliance (or non-compliance) with the SR regulatory strategy. The primary …

Sns Use, Risk, And Executive Behavior, Andrew Green

CCE Theses and Dissertations

Andrew Green April 2020 Personal social networking sites (SNS) are popular outlets for people to share information about themselves, their family and friends, and their personal and professional lives. On the surface, the information shared may seem to be innocuous or nonthreatening. However, prior studies have shown that cybercriminals can take information shared via personal SNS and use it to conduct attacks against organizations. Organization executives are of particular interest to cybercriminals because they have access to sensitive data, and they also have the ability to command actions from their subordinates. The purpose of this study was to explore what …

Organizational Culture And Knowledge Transfer In Enterprise Social Media, Garry Blackstock

CCE Theses and Dissertations

Enterprise social media (ESM), digital platforms used within organizations to facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration, are valuable tools that can help organizations gain a competitive advantage. Efficient retention, dissemination, and transfer of knowledge is an industry differentiator, and companies are spending a tremendous amount of resources on ESM to achieve this discriminating advantage. The behavior of transferring knowledge, especially tacit knowledge, can be a challenging task. Discordant organizational culture has been identified as a barrier to efficient knowledge transfer, whether it is explicit or tacit. Despite ESM’s positive track record of promoting communication, it lacks the efficiency to facilitate knowledge …

The Influence Of Cognitive Factors And Personality Traits On Mobile Device User's Information Security Behavior, Nils Lau

CCE Theses and Dissertations

As individuals have become more dependent on mobile devices to communicate, to seek information, and to conduct business, their susceptibility to various threats to information security has also increased. Research has consistently shown that a user’s intention is a significant antecedent of information security behavior. Although research on user’s intention has expanded in the last few years, not enough is known about how cognitive factors and personality traits impact the adoption and use of mobile device security technologies.

The purpose of this research was to empirically investigate the influence of cognitive factors and personality traits on mobile device user’s intention …

Deep Neural Networks For Sentiment Analysis In Tweets With Emoticons, Mutharasu Narayanaperumal

CCE Theses and Dissertations

Businesses glean meaningful feedback in regard to products and services from social media posts in order to improve the quality of products and services, as well as to meet customer expectations. Sentiment analysis is increasingly being used to help businesses by assigning positive or negative polarity to such posts. Although methods currently exist to determine the polarity of sentiments, such methods are unreliable when posts contain terms that are not typically part of a standard dictionary used for sentiment analysis, such as slang and informal language. This dissertation has aimed to empirically investigate alternative methods to improve the classification accuracy …

Usability Of Portable Eeg For Monitoring Students’ Attention In Online Learning, Arisaphat Suttidee

CCE Theses and Dissertations

Current research demonstrates that distractions while participating in online courses affect students’ performance in online tasks. Electroencephalography (EEG) devices are currently being used in education to help students maintain attention when engaged in online classes. Previous studies have focused predominantly on comparing EEG devices, EEG signal quality, and EEG effectiveness. However, there is no comprehensive study examining the usability of the portable EEG headset to monitor students' attention in online courses.

This study aimed to examine the usability of EEG devices while monitoring student attention levels during online educational tasks. Specifically, twenty (20) participants who intend to enroll in online …

Smart Privacy For Iot: Privacy Embedded Design For Home Automation Systems, Love James

CCE Theses and Dissertations

The emerging paradigm shift in technology to make everyday devices more intelligent than previously considered also known as internet of things (IoT) has further elevated the importance of privacy not only in theory but also in practice. The intrusive nature of these devices and in particular, the home automation system is also beginning to raise privacy concerns which might impact their usage either by deterring potential users from adopting the technology or discouraging existing users from the continued use of these home automation systems.

This study was an empirical and quantitative study that evaluates the impact of users’ behavior when …

Sns As An Educational Tool: Effect On Academic Performance And Learners’ Perceptions, Nawwaf Mohssen Altalhi

CCE Theses and Dissertations

With Social Networking Sites (SNSs) being extensively used by students, there has been extensive research in relation to their ability to enhance students’ academic performance in various learning environments, although the advent of research on online learning is a recent development.

Studies regarding the use of SNSs indicated that there was a negative relationship between students’ use of SNSs and students’ academic performance. However, it is unknown whether the implementation of an instructional training course utilizing SNSs as an educational tool might lead to improvements in students’ academic performance. Many students have admitted to not knowing how to properly use …

Examining The Creation Of Information Privacy Culture In Healthcare Organizations To Achieve Collective Hipaa Compliance Practice, Osborne Obeng

CCE Theses and Dissertations

The digitization and transfer of patient records has increased the risk of patient data being improperly handled by healthcare organizations. In light of this growing concern, the United States government and state authorities have implemented various regulations to mitigate the privacy concerns. Beside privacy regulations, healthcare organizations have been forced by other pressures such as organization’s competitive pressures, resources, ethical responsibilities, and legitimacy to implement privacy safeguards. However, surveys show that healthcare organizations fail to achieve information privacy compliance. This study examined the creation of information privacy culture from the different occupational communities in healthcare organizations to help achieve information …