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Immune Pathway Modulation In Melanoma Using Chitosan Nanoparticle-Mediated Dsrna Delivery, Bethel C. Iwuji

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Cancer is a group of diseases characterized by abnormal and uncontrolled cell division, which typically results in the formation of tumours. Even with advances in treatments, cancer remains one of the leading causes of death globally. Melanoma is an aggressive form of skin cancer which is highly malignant, develops in the pigment-producing cells of the skin, melanocytes, and in the late stages of the disease poses a significant challenge for therapeutic intervention due to its multidrug resistance. The innate immune system is the first line of defence against invading pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, and fungi, and can recognize and destroy …

Comprehensive Analysis Of Environmental Particulate Matter: Chemical Composition And Microbial Assessment, Uyen T. L. Le

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Rapid industrialization and population growth have contributed to a decline in air quality, with particulate matter (PM) posing particular concern. PM originates from both natural and human sources and often contains toxic chemicals and microorganisms, including potential pathogens. Inhalation of PM is linked to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, underscoring the need to characterize better its chemical and biological composition in understudied region - Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The present thesis is a culmination of three main parts. Part 1 will describe the use of the dithiothreitol (DTT) assay to quantify the oxidative potential of PM through DTT consumption of redox-active field …

2slgbtq+ Contact As A Vehicle For Promoting Alternative Sexual Scripts Through Exposure To Queer And Trans Ways Of Knowing, Sophie R. Landry

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Research on the Traditional Sexual Script (TSS) suggests it can have harmful repercussions, such as sexual violence, gender inequity, and the undermining of communication. My research explores the novel idea that intergroup contact with 2SLGBTQ+ individuals can promote CisHet (cisgender, heterosexual) individuals to value alternative sexual scripts that emphasize communication, authenticity, and equity, and to question the TSS. In Study 1, I found that CisHet people who had more 2SLGBTQ+ contact reported greater concern for consent and were less likely to agree with traditional gender norms relative to those who made less contact. In both Study 2 and Study 3, …

Integrating Indigenous Values And Community Strengths To Achieve Indigenous Food Sovereignty And Community Well-Being In The Ka’A’Gee Tu First Nation, Northwest Territories, Jennifer K. Temmer

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Northern Indigenous communities face disproportionate impacts from interconnected challenges related to climate change, food security, health, and cultural preservation, that threaten traditional food systems and practices. While there is a growing recognition of the importance of community-driven solutions, existing frameworks fail to integrate Indigenous values and local priorities effectively. This research addresses this gap by exploring how the Ka’a’gee Tu First Nation (KTFN) is responding to these crises through climate change adaptation efforts focused on food system sustainability as a pathway to self-sufficiency and community well-being. To contribute to these efforts, this dissertation uses Participatory Action Research to facilitate community-driven …

Inductions Of Long-Term Potentiation With Biomimetic Electromagnetic Fields In Primary Neurons, Cooper E. Kansala

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Endogenous brain rhythms guide neural communication and plasticity, raising the question of whether weak, temporally structured electromagnetic fields (EMFs) that mimic these rhythms can modulate neuronal activity in a targeted, biomimetic manner. This thesis investigates whether patterned EMFs designed to reflect the temporal structure of hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) are more effective at inducing neural plasticity than conventional sinusoidal fields or no stimulation at all. Cortical neurons cultured from postnatal rats were exposed to patterned EMFs for 30 minutes and assessed across three distinct experimental domains. In Chapter 2, microelectrode array (MEA) recordings revealed that the LTP-patterned field significantly increased …

The Body’S “Why?”: Therapists’ Embodied Approaches To Meaning-Making In Trauma And Complex Ptsd, Tanya D. Rock

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The challenge of finding meaning in trauma is one that has inspired conversations in psychotherapeutic circles as well as amongst theologians and philosophers. Finding meaning following trauma has been positively associated with growth following the traumatic incident and has been labelled as critical to the progression of healing (Herman, 1992). This study aims to examine the role therapists play in meaning-making with clients who have experienced trauma. The research question is “how do therapists handle meaning of life challenges with traumatized clients?” Ten experienced therapists participated in this qualitative, phenomenological study. Key findings included common therapist responses to client’s “why?” …

Functional Design Of Dissymmetric Ligands For Coordination Systems, Kaitlyn R. Brown

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Herein, the functional design of dissymmetric ligands for coordination systems is explored with a focus on their synthesis and structural characterization. The design strategy of these ligands incorporates the ability to coordinate both metal cations and anions along with a ligand site for other functionalization. Their synthesis, structural and other characterization, Hirshfeld surface analysis, and some metal-coordinated complexes are discussed. Chapter 1 introduces supramolecular and coordination chemistry, along with relevant literature that supports this research and outlines the thesis objective. Chapter 2 investigates the hydrogen bonding of a dissymmetric pyrimidine thioether ligand in its neutral form, water solvate, protonated nitrate …

The Experiences Of Mothering With An Intimate Partner Violence-Related Brain Injury, Emily L. Sebben Miss

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

One in three Canadian women will experience intimate partner violence (IPV) in their lifetime, and 75% of them have a probable brain injury (BI) (Haag et al., 2022). Despite the recent growth of IPV-BI research, many survivors remain undiagnosed and many aspects remain unexplored. The experiences of being a mother with an IPV-related BI has been left untold. These gaps leave frontline workers with little guidance in supporting survivors who are specifically mothers. This research reports on a qualitative study exploring the lived experiences of mothering with an IPV-BI. The study uses a constructivist worldview and hermeneutic phenomenology to amplify …

“Just Checking”: Racial Profiling And The Criminalization Of Black Students At Post-Secondary Institutions, Yugita Looknauth

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

“Just Checking”: Racial Profiling and the Criminalization of Black Students at Post-Secondary Institutions

This dissertation examined the experiences of Black students who came into contact with campus security at five universities and one college in Ontario, Canada. Critical race theory and methodology, and qualitative research design amplified the voices of 17 participants who shared stories of racial profiling marked by racialization, criminalization, surveillance, and the normalized scrutiny of Black life. These experiences are legitimized by post-secondary institutions that are actively reproducing the very racism they are often celebrated for interrogating by allowing a culture of anti-Black racism to exist with …

Metal Contamination In Sediments Of An Estuary Impacted By Discharges Of Antifouling Waste (Yealm, Southwest England), Oliver Bradley, Gillian A. Glegg, Geoffrey E. Millward, Andrew Turner

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The Yealm is a small, protected estuary in southwest England. A paint-testing laboratory on the estuary operated from the 1920s until 2011 but sometime in 2015 or 2016, an unauthorised discharge of antifouling waste occurred. In this study, concentrations of metals and forms thereof associated with contemporary and historical antifouling formulations (As, Cu, Hg, Pb, Sn, Zn, organic Hg, organic Sn), along with other elements of geochemical or anthropogenic interest, were measured in fractionated (<180 μm) surface sediments at different distances from the discharge. Close to the discharge, concentrations of organic-Sn, representative of tributyltin, exceeded a level that requires material disposal in landfill; here and upestuary, concentrations of Cu and Hg exceeded respective predicted effect levels for estuarine sediments. Analysis of paint flakes isolated from sediments outside the laboratory revealed similar chemical signatures (high concentrations of Cu in most flakes and high levels of Hg and Sn in several cases), consistent with antifouling paint being the cause of contamination. Concentrations of Cu, Hg and organic Sn in sections of a dated core sampled close to the discharge exhibited enrichment since the opening of the laboratory nearly 100 years ago, with distinctive peaks for Hg and organic Sn coincident with periods shortly after these biocidal metals began to be phased out or restricted. These observations suggest that historical waste discharges may have been important and that any remediation measures will be challenging. The general observations might also be applicable to other facilities where contemporary and legacy antifouling waste is commonly discharged to sediments (e.g., boatyards).

Conservation Planning For Promoting Ecosystem Service Provisioning Outside Protected Area Networks, Florence Godfrey Tarimo, Francis Moyo, Claire Kelly, Linus Kasian Munishi

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Among factors that contribute to global biodiversity loss, habitat loss through unsustainable land use and land cover changes has gained prominence, with impacts being exacerbated by increasing human populations. Establishing protected area networks (PANs) is strongly advocated by national and international mechanisms, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), as a primary strategy to guide biodiversity conservation and management; however, this can undermine conservation efforts outside protected areas. Understanding how people and biodiversity overlap and interact outside protected area networks (OPAN areas) is essential for setting realistic, sustainable targets to guide biodiversity conservation and ecosystem service provision beyond PAN. …

Productivity History Of The Central Okhotsk Sea And Northeast Russia During The Mid-Pleistocene Transition, Li Lo, Wei Zhu Chen, Julie Lattaud, Yi Hsueh Tsai, Simon T. Belt, Lukas Smik, Yuen Tung Kiki Wan

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Biological productivity, shaped by climate and environmental factors, is critical to climate feedback mechanisms and the global carbon cycle. This study investigates the measurement of six phytosterols (β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, campesterol, dinosterol, epi-brassicasterol, and 24-methylene cholesterol) from core MD01-2414 in the central Okhotsk Sea, covering the past 1.5 million years (Ma). These sterols serve as proxies for terrestrial and marine productivity in the central Okhotsk Sea and northeast Siberia. Sterol concentrations reflect global glacial/interglacial cycles between 1.2 and 0.6 Ma, with higher and lower values during interglacial and glacials intervals, respectively. X-ray fluorescence (Ba/Ti) and total organic carbon/total nitrogen (TOC/TN) ratios …

Tracking Palaeotemperatures In Coniacian–Maastrichtian Seas, Gregory D. Price, Bryan Low Kai Sheng

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

In this study the stable isotopes of belemnites, are presented from the Coniacian–Maastrichtian interval (∼76–66 Ma) derived from the chalks of Yorkshire and Norfolk, UK, deposited on the western North Atlantic shelf. Cathodoluminescence and elemental geochemistry of the belemnites reveals that most of the rostra were well preserved. If interpreted in terms of temperature, our oxygen isotope record reveals that during the Coniacian (at ∼43 °N) the climate was relatively warm, with maximum mean temperatures of ∼26 °C, followed by cooling to <∼21 °C during the Campanian and Maastrichtian. This overall stratigraphic trend is similar to other records, suggesting that the cooling pattern was not a regional trend and, therefore, driven predominantly by global mechanisms. Within our belemnite data, we also observe a decline in δ¹³C at the Campanian- Maastrichtian boundary, again consistent with other records. This trend has been interpreted as …

Canopy Functional Trait Variation Across Earth’S Tropical Forests, Jesús Aguirre-Gutiérrez, Sophie Fauset, Sami W. Rifai, Xiongjie Deng, Hans Ter Steege, Eleanor Thomson, Jose Javier Corral-Rivas, Aretha Franklin Guimaraes, Sandra Muller, Joice Klipel, Angelica F. Resende, Göran Wallin, Carlos A. Joly, Katharine Abernethy, Stephen Adu-Bredu, Celice Alexandre Silva, Edmar Almeida De Oliveira, Danilo R. A. Almeida, Esteban Alvarez-Davila, Gregory P. Asner, Timothy R. Baker, Maíra Benchimol, Lisa Patrick Bentley, Erika Berenguer, Lilian Blanc, Damien Bonal, Kauane Bordin, Robson Borges De Lima, Sabine Both, Jaime Cabezas Duarte

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Tropical forest canopies are the biosphere’s most concentrated atmospheric interface for carbon, water and energy1,2. However, in most Earth System Models, the diverse and heterogeneous tropical forest biome is represented as a largely uniform ecosystem with either a singular or a small number of fixed canopy ecophysiological properties3. This situation arises, in part, from a lack of understanding about how and why the functional properties of tropical forest canopies vary geographically4. Here, by combining field-collected data from more than 1,800 vegetation plots and tree traits with satellite remote-sensing, terrain, climate and soil data, we predict variation across 13 morphological, structural …

Determination Of Titanium Speciation In Consumer Plastics By Raman Microspectroscopy, Johanna Brazard, Takuji B.M. Adachi, Andrew Turner, Montserrat Filella

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The main component of objects made of plastic is an organic polymer matrix, but plastics also contain a wide range of other chemicals, such as additives, processing aids and unintentionally added substances. At present, the scientific and regulatory communities face challenges due to the lack of access to basic information on their quantity and identity, which is crucial in relation to potential toxicity, management, recycling, environmental fate and resource uses. Moreover, an additional problem is that some additives, such as titanium oxide (TiO₂), can be present in different crystallographic forms, which makes it necessary to characterise not only …

A Systematic Review Of Biomonitoring Microplastics In Environmental Matrices: Emphasis On Airborne Particles, Dry Deposits, And Comparative Analysis With Traditional Methods, Faezeh Jahedi, Neamatollah Jaafarzadeh Haghighi Fard, Andrew Turner

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The use of plastics continues to rise each year due to their versatility and essential role in industries like manufacturing, agriculture, and food packaging. However, plastics present a serious environmental challenge because they take over 500 years to decompose. During this time, they break down into tiny particles known as microplastics (MPs), which are now found everywhere, water, soil, and even the air we breathe. Recently, researchers have even detected MPs in clouds, making their presence in the atmosphere a growing concern for both the environment and public health. Traditional methods for sampling MPs in the air, such as active …

Interactions Of Anthropogenic Microfibres With The Marine Macroalga, Ulva Lactuca, Adam Collins, Andrew Turner

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Little information exists on the interactions between microfibres (MFs) and marine macroalgae. In this study, the translucent green seaweed, Ulva lactuca, has been exposed to ∼2 mg L⁻¹ suspensions of MFs prepared from dryer lint under controlled conditions, with MFs on the alga surface and remaining in seawater subsequently counted and characterised. MFs were mainly <2 mm and cellulosic, and contained various additives and chemicals used in textile treatment. Interactions of MFs with U. lactuca were spatially heterogeneous but correcting for pre-existent MFs on the surface, mean trapping efficiencies on a dry mass and surface area basis were 252 mL g⁻¹ and 0.858 mL cm⁻², respectively. Despite this heterogeneity, there was evidence of differential trapping based on fibre colour and length. Interactions between the amphiphilic algal surface and MFs are likely both hydrophobic and electrostatic and are not fully reversible, with only …

From Attention To Action: Advancing Inclusivity In The Landscape Of Anatomy Education, Siobhan M. Moyes, Lily Evans, Katie Snow, Aiden Jayanth

Peninsula Medical School

Conversations about inclusivity in anatomy education are at a critical juncture. While the need for a more equitable discipline is widely recognised, significant challenges remain. As this project aimed to reimagine what a truly inclusive learning experience could like and how it might be best achieved, an inclusive approach to research methodology was essential to ensure robust and representative results. Due to the paucity in anatomical literature on this topic, the authors applied concepts from sociological research methodology and innovative methods of demographic data collection to their own discipline.

The study utilised questionnaires and focus groups to collect diverse data …

Systematic Review Of Paediatric Sudep And Epilepsy-Related Deaths To Inform A Safety Counselling Checklist For Clinical Practice, Rohit Shankar

Peninsula Medical School

BackgroundOne in 200 children - in the UK have epilepsy. Approximately, 1 in 1,000 children with epilepsy die yearly from Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP), a leading cause of death in epilepsy. Various risk factors contributing to epilepsy mortality particularly SUDEP, some modifiable, have been identified. Structured discussion of risks results in behavioural change that reduces individual risk factors.AimTo investigate and collate risk factors for SUDEP and epilepsy mortality in children to propose a structured communication tool (“Checklist”) for person centred communication.MethodsA Systematic review for children’s epilepsy mortality risk factors was conducted. The search strategy was developed by clinical …

Autolyzed Brewer's Yeast Enhances Growth And Intestinal Health In Early Life Stages Of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus L.), Sheu Odu-Onikosi, Taofik Momoh, Ben Eynon, Nicola Pontefract, Victor Kuri, Holger Kühlwein, Daniel Merrifield

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

The early life stages of fish are critical for determining the overall productivity and sustainability of aquaculture operations. This study investigated the effects of dietary autolyzed brewer's yeast (ABY) on the growth performance and intestinal health of Nile tilapia fry (Oreochromis niloticus). A 35-day feeding trial with 480 Nile tilapia fry across 12 experimental tanks tested the effects of diets supplemented with 1, 2, and 4 g/kg of ABY, with a control diet for comparison. The results indicated that the diet which had 1 g/kg ABY supplementation (ABY1) significantly enhanced the weight gain and specific growth rate (SGR) while reducing …

Mind The Gap - The Need To Integrate Novel Plankton Methods Alongside Ongoing Long-Term Monitoring, Matthew M. Holland, Luis Felipe Artigas, Angus Atkinson, Mike Best, Eileen Bresnan, Michelle J. Devlin, Dafne Eerkes-Medrano, Marie Johansen, David G. Johns, Margarita Machairopoulou, Sophie Pitois, James Scott, Jos Schilder, Rowena Stern, Karen Tait, Callum Whyte, Claire Widdicombe, Abigail Mcquatters-Gollop

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Changes in plankton have important implications for ecosystem services, including supporting fish stocks, carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling, and oxygen production. Standard long-term plankton monitoring relies on light microscopy to identify and count plankton taxa, with methods fully supported by international standards, providing high quality trusted data. Novel methods, including imaging and molecular, offer means of collecting select types of plankton data efficiently, filling targeted knowledge gaps left by standard monitoring and generating a more complete picture of plankton dynamics. Standard and novel monitoring methods present different advantages and costs, positioning their suitability to address different management needs. Standard plankton monitoring …

Predicting Dune Evolution On A Regional Scale For Coastal Management, Liane M. Brodie, C. Stokes, G. Masselink, A. Konstantinou, T. Scott, T. Poate

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Dunes provide a range of ecosystem services, including natural resilience against coastal flooding, and it is essential for proactive coastal zone management to forecast future dune behaviour as sea levels rise. However, dunes exhibit dynamic behaviours over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales, posing challenges for predicting their evolution. Here we demonstrate a high degree of variability in contemporary dune behaviour along a single coastal region, across 31 sites in Cornwall, southwest England. Rates of change varied widely, with sediment loss ranging from −12.4 m³/m/yr to a gain of +5.1 m³/m/yr, and dune retreat/advancement ranging from −3.7 m/yr …

The Impact Of Led Light Spectra On The Growth, Yield, Physiology, And Sweetness Compound Of Stevia Rebaudiana, Naofel Aljafer, Abdullah Alrajhi, Toby Anderson Von Trampe, William Vevers, Sophie Fauset, Hail Zuhir Rihan

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

This study investigated the effects of several light spectra on Stevia rebaudiana, analysing growth parameters, yield, and physiological responses within a controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) system. The experimental design involved different light treatments, including specific combinations of blue (435 nm and 450 nm), red (663 nm), and ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths (365 nm), to determine their impact on morphological development and biochemical properties, particularly focusing on the production of the sweetening compounds stevioside and rebaudioside A. Stevia rebaudiana plants cultivated from cuttings sourced from a reputable UK nursery (Gardener’s Dream Ltd., Glasgow, UK) were subjected to these spectral treatments over a period …

Shifting Attention: Assessing Antennular ‘Gaze’ In The Hermit Crab Pagurus Bernhardus, Ari Drummond, John Spicer, Lucy Turner, Alexander Wilson, Mark Briffa

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Attention (focused information gathering) is crucial for many cognitive processes. Traditionally dichotomised as reflexive or voluntary, behavioural research often relies on vision for assessments of attention. However, invertebrate information acquisition often utilises chemosensation or mechanosensation, potentially limiting the efficacy of a vision-based approach. We examined attention in Pagurus bernhardus hermit crabs, using antennules (the crustacean first antennae) as indicators of attentional shifts. Considering a change in flicking direction as analogous to a shift in gaze, we examined if hermit crabs show evidence of reflexive or voluntary attention. We exposed crabs to a chemosensory stimulus while manipulating factors influencing vulnerability (i.e., …

Hydrological Repair And Invasive Grass Removal Restore Rhizophora Racemosa Mangrove Communities In West Africa, Claudia M Agraz Hernández, Ebénézer Houndjinou, Jordan E Reyes Castellanos, Carlos A. Chan Keb, Juan Osti Saénz1, Julio C. Chávez Barrera, Janique Etienne, Romain L Glèlè Kakaï, Robert Puschendorf

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Mangrove ecosystems face significant threats from climate change and human activities. In West Benin, the invasive grass Paspalum vaginatum disrupts sedimentation and hydrology, creating anoxic conditions and nutrient imbalances. To address this, we implemented a cost-effective restoration strategy focused on hydrological repair, engaging local communities to excavate 26 artificial channels and clear 19 existing ones, restoring tidal flow to 30 ha of degraded mangrove forest. Of this, 20 ha were planted with Rhizophora racemosa propagules, while 10 ha remained unplanted due to unsuitable micro-topographic conditions. This intervention, costing $1394.3 USD per hectare, adjusted sediment levels to match natural micro-topography, enabling …

Practical Application Of Artificial Intelligence For Ecological Image Analysis: Trialling Different Levels Of Taxonomic Classification To Promote Convolutional Neural Network Performance, Amelia E.H. Bridges, Eleanor Cross, Kyran P. Graves, Nils Piechaud, Antony Raymont, Kerry L. Howell

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly convolutional neural networks (CNNs), into ecological research presents new opportunities for the automated analysis of image-based data. This study explores the practical application of CNNs for ecological image analysis by trialling annotation to different levels of taxonomic classification to determine their impact on model performance. We systematically compare various annotation strategies, evaluating their effects on the accuracy of CNNs in ecological contexts; as well as considering the feasibility of manually annotating training data to different levels. We demonstrate that variation in annotations groupings (animal, phylum or morphology) has little impact on model performance, …

Ecotoxicological Effects Of Sunscreen Derived Organic And Inorganic Uv Filters On Marine Organisms: A Critical Review, Anneliese A. Hodge, Frances E. Hopkins, Mahasweta Saha, Awadhesh N. Jha

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Sunscreens are topical personal care products that provide protection against the sun's ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation. Ultraviolet (UV) filters are compounds added to sunscreens to block, absorb, or reflect the sun's UV rays, but are of major emerging concern due to their widespread use and global distribution. They pose a significant risk to marine organisms owing to their chemical properties, including high lipophilicity which increases their bioavailability. The present review identifies and summarises the factors that contribute to UV filter pollution, their sources, pathways, and effects on marine organisms. We identify and evaluate the current knowledge …

Is Sparse Local Ecological Knowledge Accurate Enough For Policy? A Seagrass Mapping Case Study From Five Greek Islands In The Eastern Aegean Sea, Konstantis Alexopoulos, Tim J. Grandjean, Anastasia Miliou, Theodoros Tsimpidis, Abigail Mcquatters-Gollop

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

The low cost, high applicability and community-based nature of Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) data for mapping marine benthic habitats has become increasingly popular in recent years. Nonetheless, due to persisting technocratic distrust of LEK often stemming from the unquantifiable nature of bias, the embedding of empirical data at policy levels often lags. Currently, protocols rely on high participation from stakeholders, however, such quotas are often unfeasible, with common limiting factors being the low numbers of knowledgeable individuals in remote parts of the world, and the lack of community trust in the conservation mechanism. In this study, we test whether data …

Restoration Of River Connectivity Enables Long-Distance Spawning Migrations In A Potamodromous Fish, Dagmara Błońska, Ali Serhan Tarkan, Demetra Andreou, Jonathan D. Bolland, Peter Davies, Jamie R. Dodd, Phillipa Gillingham, Catherine Gutmann Roberts, Fatima Amat-Trigo, Sadi Aksu, Andrew Hindes, O. Jonas Palder, Mark Yeldham, J. Robert Britton

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Rivers across the world are increasingly fragmented due to anthropogenic barriers, with the restoration of connectivity often using fish passes. Fish passes are, however, usually designed for anadromous species, despite ecologically important non-anadromous species being present in the communities impacted by fragmentation. To assess the outcomes for non-anadromous fishes of the installation of multiple fish passes and weir modifications, the movements of the potamodromous European barbel Barbus barbus were evaluated in the lower River Severn basin, western Britain, which was fragmented by six weirs (two on a tributary, four on the Severn mainstem). Movements of individual fish were measured using …

A Unified, Data-Informed Model For Shoreline Evolution Due To Longshore And Cross-Shore Processes, Mark Davidson, Emily Hunt, Nieves Valiente

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Due partially to a changing global climate, there is an increasing need to develop a modelling approach capable of providing warnings of coastal evolution, including erosion at storm, interannual and decadal timescales and in complex coastal settings. This research presents a reduced complexity model with a common approach to predicting shoreline change due to cross-shore and longshore processes. The model architecture is designed to be flexible and data-informed, incorporating an Extended Kalman (eKF) for the assimilation of field measurements of shoreline change. Depending on the values of the optimised model free parameters resulting from the eKF assimilation, the longshore and …