Digital Commons Network^™

How Effective Is HawaiʻS'S Sunscreen Ban? Tourism Impact On The Health Of KauaʻI'S Coral Reefs, Meghan E. Parker

Capstone Collection

This study seeks to determine whether the level of human-impact, and in particular sunscreen use, influences the health of coral reefs on the island of Kauaʻi. Six paired sites in different regions of Kauaʻi were identified, each having a human-impacted site and an isolated counterpart site. By obtaining quantitative data on the coral reef at each site using 25-meter video transects, the overall health of the reef was assessed by measuring live coral cover, coral species abundance, prevalence of coral bleaching, and fish abundance. The level of human-impact in the form of number of people present and type of sunscreen …

South Atlantic Bank Internship Report, Trevor J. Naun

Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

No abstract provided.

Assessing Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Michigan’S Drowned River Mouths Using In Situ And Remote Sensing Methods, Jillian A. Greene

Masters Theses

Freshwater estuaries are natural contributors to the carbon cycle including production and emission of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2), potent greenhouse gases (GHGs); however, estimates of their contribution to regional and global GHG emissions is largely unconstrained. Few studies have examined the quantification and drivers of lake CH4 and CO2 production in the Great Lakes region and how it may differ in response to anthropogenic development. In this study, CH4 and CO2 emissions were measured from three drowned river mouth estuaries (DRMs) along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan in 2024. The DRMs exist along a latitudinal gradient ranging …

Efficacy Of Lactobacillus Rhamnosus And Its Metabolites To Mitigate The Risk Of Foodborne Pathogens In Hydroponic Nutrient Solution, Esther Oginni, Robin A. Choudhury, Veerachandra Yemmireddy

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Hydroponic nutrient solution (HNS) has been established as an ideal conduit for pathogen contamination and proliferation. This study evaluated the efficacy of lactic acid bacteria and their metabolites in mitigating the risk of foodborne pathogens in HNS when compared to conventional chemical treatments. Hoagland’s HNS were prepared according to the manufacturer’s instructions and inoculated with Salmonella Typhimurium, Escherichia coli 0157:H7, and Listeria innocua at 105 CFU/mL cell concentration. These nutrient solutions were subjected to treatment with various concentrations of Lactobacillus rhamnosus live cells, a cell-free extract (CFE) of L. rhamnosus metabolites, sodium hypochlorite and peroxyacetic acid at 22 ± 1 …

Determining The Toxic Threshold And Other Use Characteristics For Industrial Hemp Seed Oil Used For Wood Product Protection, Daylan M. Barnes

Theses and Dissertations

Plant-based wood treatments have been utilized for many years, with varying success. Oils such as those extracted from linseed (flax), tung, and hemp plants have been used for thousands of years as finishes on wood. These are all drying oils, which dry to a film when exposed to air. Hemp seed oil has a high fatty acid content and can take a long time to dry on wood products but is valued in woodworking for being easy to use, food-safe, and having little to no odor. In this study, cold-pressed hemp seed oil, blended with a soybean carrier oil, is …

Activation Or Deactivation? Rethinking Ferrate(Vi) Reactivity Within A Broader Modulation Framework, Zepei Tang, Yang Deng

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Tides, Tourists, And Tails: Exploring Human-Wildlife Overlap On The Homer Spit, Alaska, Serena Seiler

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Coastal areas present unique challenges for human-wildlife coexistence due to their shared use by people and marine species. The Homer Spit in Homer, AK (59.6481° N, 151.5299° W) is a projection of land into Kachemak Bay on which lodging, restaurants, campgrounds, RV parks, fishing, and a variety of coastal activities exist or occur, especially during the summer months. Two of the most popular nearshore marine mammals that attract visitors are sea otters (Enhydra lutris) and harbor seals (Phoca vitulina). These two species spend time swimming, foraging, and resting around the Spit, potentially resulting in co occurrences with humans. Using a …

Rangelands Glossary, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

An alphabetical list of common Rangelands terminology.

Fisheries Research Report No. 353: Ecological Risk Assessment For The North Coast Demersal Scalefish Resource, Kimberley A. Smith, Brett Crisafulli, Gabby E. Mitsopoulos, Fabian I. Trinnie, Taylor Grosse, T Thompson, Stephen J. Newman

Fisheries Research Reports

On the 26 March 2025, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) convened an ecological risk assessment (ERA) of the fisheries that access the North Coast Demersal Scalefish Resource (Resource). This Resource comprises a large number of tropical demersal scalefish species that occur in waters of the North Coast Bioregion, including tropical snappers, emperors and cods.

This document contains the results of the ERA along with the background information used to support the risk scoring process. This includes an overview of the Western Australian commercial fisheries that access the Resource, namely the Pilbara Fish Trawl Interim Managed Fishery, …

Tree Rings And The Broader Ocean-Atmospheric Circulation In The Highland Himalayas, Sanjaya Bhandari

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Climate change has altered tree-growth patterns and resulted in higher sea-surface temperatures across the planet. The Himalayan biome is one of the most vulnerable areas in the world to climate change because it has caused changes in forests’ growth and glaciers’ retreat. Dendrochronology has been used to understand the impact of climate change on tree growth and for climate reconstruction. In this dissertation, I discuss the growth of trees in the highlands of the eastern, central, and western Himalayas for the last 500 years and relate these patterns to the present global warming scenario and broad-scale climate modes. I reconstructed …

Fisheries Research Report No. 361: 2024 Assessment Of The Status Of The Elasmobranch Resource Of Western Australia, Matias Braccini, Alex Hesp

Fisheries Research Reports

This document provides the 2024 risk-based weight of evidence stock assessment for the elasmobranch (sharks and rays) resource of Western Australia (WA). Gummy (Mustelus antarcticus), dusky (Carcharhinus obscurus), whiskery (Furgaleus macki), and sandbar (C. plumbeus) sharks are the most commonly captured species (~80% of the elasmobranch catch) and have been selected as indicator species for the status of the temperate elasmobranch ‘suite’. However, over 100 elasmobranch species have been caught in commercial and/or recreational fisheries in WA and, with the increasing number of elasmobranch species being listed in national and international protection lists, species-specific scientific advice on stock status at …

Town Of Pawleys Island, Ally Murphy

Goal 15: Life on Land

No abstract provided.

Life Cycle Assessment Of The Cultivation Of Lettuce In A Hydroponic System Using The Nutrient Film Technique, Raquel Jordan

All Theses

Hydroponic systems are an emerging method of soilless crop cultivation typically done inside a greenhouse where nutrients are delivered dissolved in water rather than being supplied from the soil. Potential benefits of hydroponic systems include reduced irrigation requirements, higher crop yield per area, and the ability to grow crops year-round in nontraditional areas such as urban settings, cold climates, and sites with contaminated soil. However, hydroponic systems tend to have high energy requirements for lighting and climate control, which can yield significant environmental impacts. To explore the environmental impacts of cultivating lettuce in a nutrient film technique (NFT) hydroponic system, …

The Effect Of The Markle Mill Dam Removal On The Habitat And Riverine Food Web Of Otter Creek, Jenna Blanton

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Across the United States, dam removals are increasing in frequency. Despite this, the effects of dam removal on freshwater food webs are under-studied. Most existing studies investigate the impacts on fish assemblages, and very few investigate the impact on diatom, crayfish, and turtle communities. Furthermore, low-head dams are more abundant than large hydropower dams, yet the impacts of their removal are less studied than their larger counterparts. I used a Before After Control Impact (BACI) study design to survey populations of benthic diatoms, riffle-dwelling crayfish, and aquatic turtles. Species richness, species evenness, and Shannon Diversity Index values were used to …

The Effect Of An Invasive Species (Lantana Camara) And A Fast-Growing Herb (Acanthus Pubescens) On The Plant And Animal Communities In Kibale National Park, Uganda, Kathleen Bufka

Theses and Dissertations

Fast-growing plant species, like Lantana camara and Acanthus pubescens, could threaten biodiversity in Kibale National Park, Uganda. I surveyed plants and wildlife in areas where these plants were frequently encountered compared to those areas where they are infrequent. I found mixed results based on plant traits and the animals considered. My findings support management efforts on these two species to prevent forest degradation.

Do Themes Improve Visitor Outcomes In Interpretive Programs?, Amber K. Hawes

All Theses

Thematic interpretation is widely promoted as being integral to an effective interpretive program. Some studies have suggested that thematic interpretation may enhance visitor outcomes; however, park visitor demographics have changed over the last decade, and others have suggested alternative approaches. In this study, we systematically observed live interpretive programs at 330 programs at 52 National Parks across the United States, monitored the extent and characteristics of theme usage, and collected visitor surveys immediately following each program. We used these data to determine the influence of the presence and characteristics of themes and theme questions on visitor outcomes. The results suggest …

Ocean-Ice Sheet Interactions During Super-Interglacial Mis 31: Comparison Of Rock Magnetic Records From The Scotia Sea (59.1°S) And Fram Strait (76.5°N), Olga Libman-Roshal

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The mid-Pleistocene transition (MPT) was a period spanning ~1.2-0.7 Ma when glacial-interglacial cyclicity changed from 41 kyr obliquity paced to 100 kyr eccentricity paced cycles with increased glacial-interglacial contrast post-MPT. Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 31 was a “super-interglacial” within the MPT and occurred in the recent geological past (1.08-1.06 Ma). During MIS 31, the tectonic configuration resembled the present day, but Earth’s orbital parameters were marked by maximum values of eccentricity and obliquity while atmospheric CO2 remained at pre-industrial levels (below 280 ppm). MIS 31 therefore offers a valuable baseline for testing the impacts of modern anthropogenic CO2 levels combined …

Heat Storage Using High Temperature Borehole Heat Exchangers, Jack Horvath

All Theses

The use of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power is growing, and with it comes an increased need to store excess energy when it is generated and release it on demand. Moderate temperature thermal energy storage in the subsurface is widely used to heat buildings, but high temperatures, greater than 120℃, are required to power generators that convert stored heat to electricity. High temperature heat can be generated from solar collectors or other means and then transferred to the subsurface using borehole heat exchangers (BHE). A BHE consists of a closed-loop pipe system used to circulate a …

Integrated Sustainability: Unlocking Environmental Potential In Electric Vehicles And Solar Panels, Zachary C. Anderson

Honors Theses

This thesis investigates the environmental, economic, and individual level factors influencing consumer adoption of electric vehicles and solar panels. Through a comprehensive scoping review and case-based analysis, it identifies key incentives and barriers related to purchase intentions for each alternative energy technology. Central factors influencing adoption include cost-related concerns, individual purchasing power, demographic effects, and policy impact. These findings suggest that targeted interventions – specifically those used to amplify incentives and mitigate barriers – can positively impact individual consumer purchase intention, including through bundling options. Highlighting the importance of integrated sustainability, this study explored how electric vehicles and solar panels …

Iowa Waste Reduction Center Newsletter, August 2025, University Of Northern Iowa. Iowa Waste Reduction Center.

Iowa Waste Reduction Center Newsletter

Contents:

--- Announcing the IWRC’s Painter Training Team
--- Are On-Site Visits the Answer to Easing the Stress Environmental Compliance?
--- Wrap Up: The Rural Compost Operations and Compost Use Training Project
--- ICAW 2026 Poster Contest
--- Partner Events
--- Industrial News

Assessing Meteorological Impacts On Hydrological Switches In The Conus, Surendra Maharjan, Wenzhao Li, Sujan Shrestha, Hesham El-Askary

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Hydrological switches, defined as rapid transitions between extreme meteorological events such as droughts and floods, are becoming increasingly frequent across the contiguous United States (CONUS) due to climate variability. This study analyzes the spatial and temporal patterns of these hydrological switches and their correlation with large-scale meteorological indices, such as the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI). Streamflow data from the US Geological Survey (USGS) is analyzed to investigate the impact of meteorological drivers on hydrological variability. Results indicate that regions dependent on snowmelt exhibit delayed hydrological responses to climatic conditions, while areas in the Eastern …

Developing Guidance For The Use Of Floating Treatment Wetlands In Brackish Stormwater Ponds, Clare Escamilla

All Dissertations

Stormwater ponds are commonly used as a flood control strategy, particularly in coastal developments. Many coastal stormwater ponds are impaired with high nutrient levels that can lead to algal blooms, impacting the water quality of the pond and surrounding ecosystem. Floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) are one potential strategy that can be implemented in stormwater ponds to reduce high nutrient concentrations, however limited research has been done in brackish waterbodies. To determine the suitability of using FTWs in brackish stormwater ponds this research focused on (1) coastal resident perceptions of FTWs and (2) plants that can be utilized in FTWs deployed …

Groundwater-Dependent Ecosystems In Southeastern Utah: An Integrated Analysis Of Hydrology, Ecology, And Landscape Change, Colten Lay

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

In Southeastern Utah, springs play a critical role in sustaining groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs) in a semi-arid environment. However, they remain understudied and face growing threats from climate change, land use modifications, and hydrologic alterations. This study addresses knowledge gaps in spring occurrence, hydrologic function, and ecological condition by integrating field surveys, remote sensing, and geospatial analysis across multiple spatial scales. It provides a comprehensive assessment of spring hydrology, water quality, and ecological conditions using field surveys, remote sensing, and GIS analysis to establish a foundational baseline of GDE resources in the region. I applied a multi-scale monitoring approach across the …

Dream Pilot Project: Analysis Of Groundwater Development At Six Villages In Ethiopia, Lindsay K. Gordon

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This study presents a hydrogeologic assessment of the Distributed Renewable Energy Agriculture Modalities (DREAM) pilot project, an ongoing groundwater development initiative in rural Ethiopia. This project integrates solar-powered groundwater infrastructure across six villages to improve water access, agricultural productivity, and economic stability.

Fourteen production wells were installed at Murche, four at Dalle, and additional test wells at Murche, Dalle, Chefe Kora, and Huluku. Transmissivity values and the number of wells at Murche suggest that local water needs are currently being met. In contrast, fewer wells were drilled at Dalle. This reflects the high cost of well construction relative to yield, …

Assessment Of Estuarine Respiration And Benthic Nutrient Fluxes In Mississippi Sound, Nur Pasha Sufian

Master's Theses

This study quantified seasonal and spatial variability of both water column and benthic respiration rates as well as benthic nutrient fluxes along the Mississippi Sound. Respiration was measured in recirculating incubation chambers using Firesting optical DO sensors (PyroScience GmbH), and changes in nutrient concentrations were assessed. Mean water column respiration rates ranged from 0.35 and 2.76 µM O₂ hr⁻¹, with the lowest rates in the winter and the highest in the summer while detectable nutrient concentrations (ammonium, (NH₄⁺), and soluble reactive phosphate (PO₄³⁻)) showed only slight decreases (< 1 µM) over all seasons. Sediment incubation chambers consistently had much greater oxygen declines than the water incubations and showed seasonal trends with the highest mean respiration rates measured in the summer and the lowest mean in the winter, with a range from 107.4 to 1514.9 µmol O₂ m⁻² hr⁻¹ (2.6 to 36.3 mmol O₂ m⁻² d⁻¹). Sediment incubations consistently showed increases in NH₄⁺ concentrations in the overlying water, resulting in calculated NH₄⁺ benthic flux rates of 0.73 to 379.01 µM N m⁻² hr⁻¹ with the lowest rates in the winter and highest rates in the summer. Although PO₄³⁻ concentrations were often below detection in cooler seasons, PO₄³⁻ flux also peaked during the summer (< 28.8 µmol P m⁻² hr⁻¹). In this study, temperature was a key regulator for estuarine respiration and benthic nutrient flux rates, and these rates were positively correlated with porewater nutrient concentrations and sedimentary organic matter. These findings illustrate that benthic respiration can contribute to water column hypoxia and that sediments serve as a source of nutrients to the water column. Overall, these findings provide us with valuable insight about the seasonal coupling of oxygen demand and nutrient flux in the Mississippi Sound and provide valuable baseline data for future biogeochemical modelling of hypoxia, eutrophication, and productivity.

A Simple Guide For Describing Soils, 2nd Edition, Angela Stuart-Street, Nicolyn Short Dr, Paul Galloway, Noel R. Schoknecht

Natural resources published reports

Soils are enormously diverse and can be very confusing to understand and talk about. This simple guide for describing soils helps to identify the most important parts of a soil profile and provide an easy way to understand and explain what you see. It gives you a step-by-step guide of what soil properties to describe and how to describe them, along with the tools to make basic soil classifications. The soil descriptors help you to identify the soil type and aid in assigning a simple and standardised name to the soil. While this guide is designed to link with a …

Flooding: Risk Assessment And Its Interaction With Population & Environmental Health, Shivendra Srivastava

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Flood events have significant implications for both population and environmental health. This dissertation aims to explore flood risk and its interaction with humans and the environment. The key questions addressed in this dissertation include improving the existing flood risk framework to better assess population vulnerability and associated risk. Additionally, it explores how interactions among risk components vary across spatial scales and regions, and how these variations influence overall flood risk. The dissertation also investigates how to design a vulnerability component specific to flooding within flood risk estimation. Finally, it answers whether flood-specific vulnerability differs for a population compared to vulnerability …

Coastal Transition Zone Development Effects On Salt Marsh Ecology, Amanda Mei Pysher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The coastal transition zone (CTZ) is a regional gradient linking terrestrial and marine systems, comprising of the terrestrial upland, the marsh-upland ecotone, and estuarine salt marshes. Along all US coastlines, including the South Carolina (SC) coast from Little River to Georgetown, increases in anthropogenic development of terrestrial uplands have altered the historically established vegetation, and various physical, chemical, biological, and geological gradients. Despite the CTZ's ecological importance, the trickle-down effects of terrestrial upland development on associated high marsh habitats remain understudied. Data were collected from developed (DEV) and undeveloped (UND) shorelines across three SC estuarine inlets. Multilevel modeling (MLM) was …

Migratory Patterns Of Juvenile Shortfin Makos (Isurus Oxyrinchus): Evidence Of A Nursery In The Western North Atlantic, Julia A. Crews

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Shortfin Makos, Isurus oxyrinchus Rafinesque, 1810, are lamnids that have a global distribution in temperate and tropical oceans. Locations of critical early life history events including birthing and nursery areas are unknown or unconfirmed for most populations. The objective of this study was to identify if a nursery area for Shortfin Makos in the northern waters of the Mid-Atlantic Bight using the criteria articulated by Heupel et al. (2007). Satellite tags were used to track the movement of juveniles (<200 cm TL, n=7) up to 5 months. Tag detections (n=882) confirmed that young makos stay in continental shelf waters of the northern Mid-Atlantic Bight off Long Island through the meteorological summer (June–August) and early meteorological fall (September–October) when sea surface temperatures are 18–23°C. There was clear migratory movement from juveniles once sea surface temperatures fell below 15°C. During late fall, some young sharks moved south towards Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, while one shark moved east up to 1,800 km into the open north Atlantic Ocean into meteorological winter. These movement data of juvenile Shortfin Makos combined with multi-year catches and sightings (2018–2024) provide strong evidence for a nursery area in the northern Mid-Atlantic Bight. By identifying a nursery area for Shortfin Makos, knowledge gaps that currently exist for this vulnerable species and support effective management can be closed.

Evaluation Of Performance Characteristics And Groundwater Contamination Risks Associated With On-Farm Swine Carcass Disposal Via Composting And Shallow Burial With Carbon, Gustavo Castro Garcia

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation evaluates the performance of three on-farm swine carcass disposal methods: whole carcass composting (WCC), ground carcass composting (GCC), and shallow burial with carbon (SBC), focusing on biosecurity factors and groundwater contamination risks. Foreign animal diseases (FADs), such as African swine fever and classical swine fever, pose severe economic and animal well-being risks if introduced to the United States. With confirmation of an FAD, swine movement will be halted, creating an urgent need for practical, biosecure, and environmentally responsible on-farm disposal strategies for swine carcasses. Nebraska, as a leading swine-producing state, exemplifies the vulnerability of high-density livestock regions to …