Digital Commons Network^™

Social, Environmental And Economic Threats To Gullah Cultural Heritage In Georgetown: Sustainable Development Principles As Tools For Cultural Conservation, Brandon Peck

Goal 4: Quality Education

No abstract provided.

Remote Work And Sustainability Analysis Through Feddata Technology Solutions, Sandra Ataalla

Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities

No abstract provided.

Fulfilling The Un Sustainable Development Goals In Georgetown, South Carolina: Economic Recovery In A Post-Covid World, Margaret Sheridan

Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

No abstract provided.

Coastal Media Solutions: The Role Small And Medium Enterprises In Sustainability, Bridgette Devlin

Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

No abstract provided.

Environmental Impact Of Cryptocurrencies, Sydney Sanker

Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Temperature Changes On Bioluminescent Dinoflagellates (How Climate Change May Affect Our Ocean's Raves), Kayleigh X. Ambrose, Molly Fleming, Carla Caceres

PRECS student projects

Many species of Dinoflagellates are capable of producing bioluminescence. Most species will have an optimal temperature range for bioluminescence production. With sea surface temperatures expected to rise, we have designed an experiment to test the relationship between temperature and bioluminescence in Pyrocystis fusiformis.

Bacterial Metabolism Of Glucosinolates From Brassica: Association With Isothiocyanate Production, Stephanie Thomas, Jiaxuan Li, Michael J. Miller

PRECS student projects

Study Focus: To explore the alternative metabolic pathways of GSLs in bacteria, present on the surface of brassica vegetables.

Hypothesis: The alternative pathways used to metabolize GSLs in bacteria located on the surface of brassica vegetables, may contribute to the high variance of human gut GSL conversion to ITC.

Concentrating On Carbon Concentration In Algae, Chandra Davies, Steven Burgess

PRECS student projects

Carbon Concentrating Mechanisms Improve Photosynthesis Rates in Low-Carbon Environments. CCMs allow the aggregation of carbon near the site of rubisco, that way even small amounts of available carbon are being utilized.

Yes, this is important to you!

Albeit somewhat indirectly, but massively nonetheless! Algae are a driving force behind the global carbon cycle, they sequester CO2 in the oceans. Understanding the mechanisms behind the tiny marine alga O. tauri gives us a better understanding of a vital global process.

Polinators In Peril - Are Illinois Native Bees Getting Smaller?, Anthony Lamb, Tristan Barley, Adam Dolezal

PRECS student projects

Why it matters.

Pollination services provided by native bees are an important natural process, providing ~150 billion dollars globally in agricultural gains.

A bee’s body size is a trait that is an important indicator of the nutritional environment. A loss of habitat results in a loss of rich nutritional environments as flowers and resource become more fragmented and scarcer.

It has been discovered that a bee’s body size is a determinant of their foraging range. The smaller the bee, the less distance they can travel for food, therefor, the more susceptible they are to habitat loss and resource limitation.

Exploration Of Squash Plant Floral Volatiles Influencing Beetle Attraction, Olivia Barrett, Nicholas Seiter, Esther Ngumbi, Joseph Spencer, Sarah Hind

PRECS student projects

Flowers emit volatiles to attract pollinators, but these volatiles can also attract pest insects. Our study builds on earlier findings that showed that cucumber beetle attraction to squash flowers is mediated by volatile release and cucurbitacin accumulation (Theis, 2014, DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1400171). Of the three main domesticated squash species, only a few varieties of Cucurbita maxima had large quantities of floral volatiles and cucurbitacin (Andersen and Metcalf, 1987, doi: 10.1007/BF01020152); however, these studies were limited in the number of varieties that were examined. Here, we increased the number of C. maxima varieties examined, to identify patterns in floral volatile production, with …

How To Quantify Female Mate Preference In Threespine Stickleback, Kaithren Garcia, Megan Tucker, Meghan Maciejewski, Usan Dan, Alison M. Bell

PRECS student projects

Social behavior is diverse. For example, males from two stickleback ecotypes (whites and commons, Fig. 1) are highly divergent in courtship and parental care behavior [1]. Little is known about ecotypic differences in female behavior. In this study, we develop methods to quantify female preference in this system.

Intra- And Interspecific Variation In Tadpole Lateral Line Cells, Sarah Porth, Lisa Surber, Eva Fischer

PRECS student projects

Background

• The lateral line is a sensory system that detects motion and pressure in fish & larval amphibians.
• The sensory end organs are called neuromasts.
• A gosner stage describes the 46 stages of tadpole development

Hypothesis: We hypothesize that the number of neuromasts will vary more between species than within a species.

Stressed Out: Why Does Ancient Maize Thrive In High-Stress Conditions?, Alexander C. Lozano, Aaron Mleziva, Esther Ngumbi

PRECS student projects

Why is understanding stress response in maize so important?

• Maize, along with rice and wheat, provide at least 30% of calories to over 4.5 billion people
• Increases in flooding events has heavily impacted natural vegetation and crop production
• Combinatorial stresses, particularly flooding and herbivory, remain understudied for both modern and ancient verities of maize
• Ancient maize may be a superior genetic resource for flood-tolerant corn

Sustaining Georgetown County, South Carolina: A Museum Approach, Jesse Morgan

Goal 4: Quality Education

No abstract provided.

Downscaling Of Physical Risks For Climate Scenario Design, Enrico Biffis, Shuai Wang

Sim Kee Boon Institute for Financial Economics

Southeast Asia is arguably one of the areas most vulnerable to natural disasters due to its dense population, coastal urbanization, and rainfall variability driven by the local monsoon systems. In this report, we focus on the impact of global warming in the region along four climate dimensions: temperature, precipitation, wind speed and coastal surge. The latter represents the surge of water from the ocean in excess of astronomical tides. Our objective is to downscale the outputs of global climate models to temporal and spatial resolutions of interest to market participants wishing to quantify climate risk vulnerability via climate stress testing …

Tidelands Health Wellness Department: Sustainable Development Goals 3 And 4 In Georgetown County, Hailey Restuccia

Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being

No abstract provided.

Making Forests, Making Communities: An Ethnography Of Reforestation In Monteverde, Costa Rica, Megan Brown

Anthropology Theses and Dissertations

Reforestation is not just planting trees in the ground. More than net increase in forest cover, reforestation is a complex political endeavor undertaken by both humans and non-humans and a popular climate change mitigation tactic. However, little research has examined the dynamics between selection of specific reforestation strategies, health, and community resilience, particularly with attention to entanglements between the lives of both human and non-human forest dwellers. This ethnographic work, based on six months of in-person fieldwork and six months of digital ethnography, examines reforestation and forest relations in Costa Rica’s Monte Verde zone, a region which experienced widespread deforestation, …

Tidelands Health Community Care Resources Relations To Sdg Goals 3, 10, And 11 Sustainability 310: Methods/ Tools In Sustainability, Diquasha Simmons

Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being

No abstract provided.

A Small Business' Efforts To Support Mental Health, Leigha Schaefer-Ortega

Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being

No abstract provided.

Georgetown County Environmental Services Office 2022 Spring Litter Index United Nations Youth Corps Internship, Rainwater Nicole

Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of Land Use And Development Related To Drainage Infrastructure In Georgetown, Brittany Whitehead

Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

No abstract provided.

Exploring Amaranth’S Color Palette: Linking Phenotype, Plant Adaptation, And Human Health, Sarah Redman, Chance Riggins Ph.D.

PRECS student projects

Amaranthus is a genus containing species that are highly desirable, yet underutilized crops and species that are highly despised pernicious agricultural weeds.

• Cultivated species are primarily grown as nutritious pseudograins, colorful ornamentals, or leafy greens and are recognized for tolerance to heat, drought, and salinity.
• Weedy amaranths possess similar adaptive traits, in addition to evolved resistance to numerous herbicides, and pose severe challenges to global agriculture.
• Plant pigments (i.e., betalains, carotenoids) are central to understanding this impressive diversity of phenotypes and adaptive traits.

Fisheries Science Update - Temperate Shark Fisheries - April 2022, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Science Updates

Two fisheries make up Western Australia’s Temperate Shark Fisheries: the West Coast Demersal Gillnet and Demersal Longline Fishery; and the Southern Demersal Gillnet and Demersal Longline Fishery. They are some of the longest standing sustainable target shark fisheries in Australia.

These fisheries contribute to the WA economy by supplying sustainable locally sourced seafood; employing up to 150 people per year; and have an estimated overall annual market value up to $20 million.

774 tonnes of sharks were landed in 2019-20, which is approximately 2.27 million meals. The majority of which goes straight to the WA community, and is commonly found …

Fisheries Science Update - Shark Depredation - April 2022, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Science Updates

Recreational, charter and commercial fishers in Western Australia (WA) are reporting significant increases in shark depredation (bite-offs), particularly in the Gascoyne and Pilbara regions.

Shark depredation is an issue across Northern Australia, with similar reports in Queensland and the Northern Territory. Managing shark depredation is complex, and WA is leading the country in research to better inform our management decisions.

Recent research by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s (DPIRD) has found that:

• a range of shark species are responsible for bite-offs, including blacktip, dusky, milk, pigeye, sandbar and tiger sharks;
• the probability of sharks taking fish is …

Zoo Education Efficacy In The Context Of The Modern-Day Zoo: A Study Of Aza-Accredited Zoos And Education Models, Taylor L. Ruscitti

Honors Scholars Collaborative Projects

Zoos have become a built-in component of society and play many roles. One of the roles includes being facilitators of education. Education serves to increase the positive public perception of zoos and works to continue to gain funds and support for a zoo’s overall purpose. Through a literature review and analysis, this thesis explores the modern-day context of zoos and analyzes how education can drive the zoo’s mission. The focus will be on Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA) accredited zoos. While many other facilities that house an array of animals, AZA …

Preserving The Monarchs, Martin Brannaman, Abby Schroeder, Stephany Pinzon Perez

Environmental Engagement in the Community (ENVR 319): Student Projects

Environmental Engagement in the Community projects, spring 2022

Poster titled Preserving the Monarchs with client Lincoln Electric System.

Pioneers Park Nature Center, Sarah Burr, Trystyn Cox, Corie Gleason, Carli Maier

Environmental Engagement in the Community (ENVR 319): Student Projects

Environmental Engagement in the Community Projects, spring 2022

Slides of a presentation titled Pioneers Park Nature Center for client Ansrea Faas of Pioneers Park Nature center, Lincoln, Nebraska.

The Canopy, Chandra Spangler, Lillian Soucie, Brian Fuelberth, Rachel Hines

Environmental Engagement in the Community (ENVR 319): Student Projects

Environmental Engagement in the Community projects, spring 2022

Slides of a presentation titled The Canopy with client Kayla Vondracek, and a computer application for the citizens of and visitors to the Lincoln, Nebraska community.

Improving Low-Income Housing Can Help The Environment!, Ethan Halman Gonzalez, Margo Johnson, Alesha Skoda, Shane Vrbicky

Environmental Engagement in the Community (ENVR 319): Student Projects

Environmental Engagement in the Community projects, spring 2022

Poster titled Improving Low-income Housing Can Help the Environment! for client City of Lincoln, Nebraska.

Droughtscape, Spring 2022, National Drought Mitigation Center

DroughtScape: Quarterly Newsletter of the National Drought Mitigation Center (2007–2023)

DroughtScape, Spring 2022