Digital Commons Network^™

Multi-Strain Assessment Of Quorum Sensing In Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii, Jacqueline Krueger

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

Quorum sensing (QS) allows microbial populations to coordinate phenotypic switching, selecting for specific behaviors that are only beneficial when expressed at high cell densities (HCD, >106 cells/mL) rather than low cell densities (LCD, < 106 cells/mL)

Finding Jaws: Dna Barcoding Shark Cartilage To Identify Species, Kenna Peters

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

Elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) are vital keystone predators that help regulate the health of marine ecosystems, and some of the largest and most wide-ranging fishes in the ocean1. Elasmobranch identification is difficult due to morphological similarities between species, and the high risk of encountering cryptics. These are evolutionarily distinct, but physically identical to more common taxa, and can only be identified using genetics. Misidentification is a major obstacle to shark science, especially considering new data showing that >70% of all elasmobranchs have been lost in the past 50 years, and many sharks are now shifting ranges in response to global …

Growth And Nutrient Uptake Of Ulva Lactuca: Theoretical Nutrient Removal And Fertilizer Reuse Potential, Audrey Crawford

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

• Eutrophication is a major problem in the Indian River Lagoon (IRL)  
• One natural response to eutrophication is increased algal growth
• Previous studies identified Ulva lactuca as one of the fastest-growing macroalgal species in the lagoon (Whitehouse and Lapointe, 2015) 
• Ulva lactuca also has potential use as a fertilizer, creating a link between nutrient removal and beneficial reuse
• This study aimed to quantify nutrient uptake rates of Ulva lactuca in order to estimate how much nutrient load could theoretically be reduced through large-scale cultivation

Impact Of Bryozoans On The Psii Efficiency Of Sargassum, Maxwell Ronan Stanfield

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

Sargassum species such as s. fluitans and s. natans support epiphytic organisms on its surface, such as diatoms, hydrozoans, and encrusting bryozoans. Evidence previous studies suggests that marine epiphytic organisms have a negative effect on the photosynthetic pathways of the algae they live on (Khan, Du, Khan, Che, and Khurshid 2021; Cancino, Mufioz, Mufioz, and Orellana 1987). Interestingly, some evidence shows that even when epiphytic encrusting bryozoans limit the light reaching red algae, the algae was able to produce more photosynthetic pigments to compensate for the lowered light intensity (Muñoz, Cancino, and Molina 1991). No data is currently available on …

Waste Not, Get Watts: Waste-To-Energy And Gas-To-Energy Systems Comparison, Sydney E. Cordeiro

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

Waste-to-Energy (WtE) systems generate power by converting waste into usable energy through processes such as combustion and gasification, reducing reliance on landfills and recovering energy from discarded materials.¹ Gas-to-Energy (GtE) systems produce electricity from natural gas using high-efficiency generation technologies like gas turbines and combined-cycle plants, offering reliable and efficient power output.² This comparison evaluates the feasibility and scalability of WtE and GtE systems for Florida Tech, determining which approach would better meet campus sustainability goals.

Brevards Microplastics: A Literature Review And Proposed Methods To Study Florida Beaches, Kenna Peters

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

With populations along coastlines rapidly increasing so does the risk of microplastics entering the environment. Previous studies have found that 68% of microplastics found in the environment come from man-made cellulosic materials like rayon. Little information is known about the distribution, transportation, and final location of microplastics once they are introduced. Brevard County contains multiple types of beaches that differ substantially in human activity levels, urban density, and land-use patterns. Having a full picture of microplastic distribution and intensity is vital to understanding and reversing the impact these pollutants have on the environment.

Does Information Loss Bias Our Estimates Of Predation In The Fossil Record?, Ashcon Davachi

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

• Predation in fossil marine-ecosystems is generally estimated through analysis of time-averaged prey assemblages.
• Do time-averaged assemblages reflect predation on smaller ecological time scales?
• In this project I compared estimates of predation-related damage to snail shells derived on two ecological time scales to determine whether information loss biases our estimates of predation in the fossil record

Reefstarter Deployment System, Dylan Alvarez, Jacob Elston, Alex Ketchen, Jaidyn Lodens

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

• Threats from coastal erosion drive the need for effective and sustainable protection methods. 
• Interlocking concrete reef blocks dissipate wave energy while also supporting habitat restoration.
• Current deployment methods are inefficient and require significant human interaction.
• A compact hydraulic lifting system should enable increased safety, control, and efficiency

The September 17th, 2025, Gigantic Jet Off The Puerto Rican Coast: A Case Study, Jaedon Benbow

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

Gigantic jets (GJs) are an electrical discharge that propagates upward from the top of a thunderstorm, reaching altitudes between 70 and 90 km, terminating in the lower ionosphere (Lazarus et al., 2021). This GJ event occurred on 5:33:53 UTC on September 17th, 2025. Despite the rarity of gigantic jets, tropical regions like Puerto Rico have a higher likelihood of occurrence due to more available convection. This GJ event was caught on radar. This provides additional data helpful for analyzing this case.

Current Capture, Maggie Palmer, Colin Stefan, Ricky Gay, Sofia Scarpa, Hayden Linkel

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

Current Capture aimed to design, develop, and test a prototype of a hydropower turbine that is scalable and deployable. The design considers the harsh ocean environment, corrosion in the material selection, efficiency in the blade choice, and structural positioning in the housing extremities. Two NACA foil composite blades were designed and manufactured to perform an experiment and analyze the velocities and RPMs.

The Forecasting Challenge Of Snow Cover Induced Temperature Depressions, Lucas Silva

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

• Snow cover can keep the surface layer cool in the day and amplify cooling at night
• Unexpected SCITDs can cause sudden freezes, deteriorating travel conditions
• To what extent is the forecast accuracy of the NWS affected during SCITDs?

Midwest Extremes: Quantifying 26 Years Of Excessive Heat Events And Demographic Risk, Nasir Grant

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

• According to Vose et al. (2017), the Midwest experienced the largest increase in average minimum temperature among all regions of the United States which is a noticeable risk to the Midwest population.
• The climatology of the Midwest is majority hot summer humid continental and includes warm summer humid continental and cold semi-arid.
• This study investigated cities that have experienced high counts of (EHEs) and positive population growths in between 2000 and 2020 while plotting the cities into a risk map.

Plant Growth Promoting Phenotypes Of Fungal Isolates From The International Space Station, Shane Doyle, Frances A. Edmonson

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

• In situ (on site) space crop production is vital for sustainability and dietary health of astronauts. 
• We hypothesize that International Space Station (ISS) derived fungal isolates will stimulate plant growth and express PGP phenotypes.
• Eleven space-viable fungi were screened via phenotypic testing to identify plant growthpromoting (PGP) activity.
• Prior research has been conducted solely with ISS derived bacteria, while ISS fungi are unexplored, which could reveal new or improved symbiotic relationships and growth factors.

The Invisible Shield: Why Our Stomach Doesn’T Digest Itself, Kevon Findley

Mathematics and System Engineering Student Publications

The stomach contains highly acidic gastric fluid with a very low pH.  A thin mucus lining protects the stomach from self-digestion and keeps nearby epithelial cells near a pH 7.  A weakened mucus layer is associated with conditions such as Gastritis and Peptic Ulcer Disease.

How can the protective mucus barrier be maintained and be of stable thickness?

A Continuous Viral Vaccine Biomanufacturing Platform Utilizing Multiple Bioreactor Configurations, Justin Sargunas, Bradley Priem, Dylan Carman, Taravat Sarvari, Natalie Nold, Vaishali Sharma, Andrew Pekosz, Caryn Heldt, Michael Betenbaugh

Michigan Tech Publications

Scalable, continuous biomanufacturing processes have grown in importance to meet demand for smaller bioreactor sizes, lowered production costs, and improved quality attribute consistency. The Sf9/recombinant baculovirus (rBV) expression system demonstrates promise for virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine and gene therapy production. Here, we present a continuous rBV platform integrating an infection plug flow reactor (PFR) between stirred tank growth (gCSTR) and production (pCSTR) bioreactors. Cell expansion in the gCSTR included a ramp-up stage followed by continuous growth, reaching a steady state of 5×10 cells/mL and >90% viability. Péclet number-fit tracer studies confirmed near-ideal plug flow in the PFR, yielding a 10 …

Undergraduate Research Conference Experience, Deniz Kuester, Alanna Lecher, Patrick J. Cooper, Melissa Lehman

Student Publications and Presentations

This study explores the perceived experience and personal growth from students who participated in the 2025 Florida Undergraduate Research Conference. The study is focused on students’ qualitative descriptions of the expectations they had regarding presenting their work and engaging in conference activities. In a short-term longitudinal design, participants (N = 353) completed a survey examining their overall feelings about the FURC conference. Specifically, we asked about expected benefits and concerns prior to attending the conference; next, we asked about experienced benefits and surprises after the conclusion of the conference. For example, one open question was, "What benefits do you expect …

Virtual Reality Rehabilitation And Visual Recognition Recovery After Stroke, Ivy Westfall, Brandy Whitford

Student Publications and Presentations

Every year, many stroke survivors experience challenges that go beyond movement. In addition to physical weakness, changes in thinking and vision can last long after the stroke. Most rehabilitation programs focus first on balance and motor skills. As a result, problems with visual recognition and interpretation can go unnoticed. When the temporal lobe is damaged, a person may not be able to recognize familiar faces, everyday objects, or even well-known places, even when they can see. Virtual reality (VR) has become a growing tool in stroke recovery. By immersing patients in interactive, goal-directed visual environments, VR may engage neuroplastic mechanisms …

From Plastics To Pathways: Phthalates, Oxidative Stress, And Nervous System Function In Planaria, Destiny M. Perez, Cassandra S. Korte

Student Publications and Presentations

Phthalates are widely used chemicals added to plastics to increase flexibility and durability. Because they are not chemically bound to products, they can leach into the environment and contribute to human exposure through food packaging, plastic containers, and hygiene products such as lotions, shampoos, and fragrances. This widespread exposure has raised public health concerns because many phthalates are linked to endocrine disruption and have been associated with reproduction, developmental, metabolic, and neurological disruption. To investigate how phthalates may impact nervous system function, planarian flatworms will be used as a toxicology model. Planaria will be exposed to phthalates and then tested …

From Resilience To Risk Reduction: The Role Of Cognitive Reframing In Problematic Drinking, Brandon Li, Melissa Lehman, Patrick J. Cooper

Student Publications and Presentations

Prior research suggests that resilience is associated with the use of adaptive emotion regulation strategies, such as cognitive reappraisal, and that these strategies are linked to lower levels of problematic drinking. However, it remains unclear whether resilience is related to problematic drinking directly or indirectly through specific emotion regulation processes. This study examines associations amongst resilience, cognitive reappraisal, and problematic drinking in a sample of 188 college students. Correlational analyses indicate that resilience is not significantly associated with problematic drinking. In contrast, resilience is positively associated with cognitive reappraisal, and cognitive reappraisal is negatively associated with problematic drinking. A mediation …

Intrinsic Motivation And Academic Achievement In College Students, Amaia Taylor, Cindy Khan-Jordan, Patrick J. Cooper

Student Publications and Presentations

This study examines how intrinsic and extrinsic motivation relate to academic achievement among college students. Intrinsic motivation, which is driven by curiosity and personal growth, is often associated with positive outcomes such as higher grades and "ownership" over one's education. The link between extrinsic motivation (being motivated by external rewards or pressure) and these outcomes is less clear. The research also explores how mental health factors, (e.g., depression, anxiety, and stress) and international student status (domestic students vs. international students) may affect these relationships. Data will be collected from Lynn University students using online surveys and objective reports of academic …

Catalase Activity In The Presence Of Pure Flavonoids, Emily Weems, Erika L. Doctor

Student Publications and Presentations

Catalase is an enzyme which catalyzes hydrogen peroxide into water and molecular oxygen. Flavonoids inhibit catalase, which allows for a buildup of hydrogen peroxide in our bodies that is important when we are sick. Pure flavonoids, like those found in colorful fruits and vegetables, will inhibit catalase by reducing the enzymes’ ability to break down hydrogen peroxide. The pure flavonoids that we looked at are hesperidin and naringenin, found in citrus fruits, and quercetin, found in vegetables like onions and hot peppers. Plant flavonoids are seen to inhibit catalase but are found bounded to compounds like sugars while pure flavonoids …

Circadian Genes In Fruit Flies: What They Teach Us About Human Sleep And Health, Laney Wilson, Mia Gonzalez, Kimberly Rowland

Student Publications and Presentations

Circadian rhythms are cycles developed internally that influence the behavioral and physiological changes that happen daily. They occur in organisms as diverse as humans and fruit flies. They are the product of “clock” genes that set the rhythm and tune them in response to changes in the ambient light. In the present study, we aimed to determine the contribution of functional clock genes to the circadian regulation of movement of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. An equal number of wild-type flies (n = 5) and clock-mutant flies (n = 5) were placed in an incubator for 1 week to allow …

An Analysis Of Surface-Level Macro And Microplastics Along Western Central Leyte, Philippines, Graham B. Morrison-Plumley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

With the pervasive use of plastics worldwide, their environmental effects can reach even the most remote ecosystems. This study examines both macro and microplastic pollution in the Greater Baybay region in western Leyte, Philippines. Samples from 10 separate sites within Baybay and its adjacent communities represent the unique environmental and geologic diversity of the central Visayan region of the Philippines. At each of the 10 sampling sites, 3 excavations were conducted, yielding 30 samples. Macroplastics were collected in the field, immediately around microplastic digs. Microplastic samples were analyzed in Florida Atlantic University’s Environmental Change Lab. It was determined that spatial …

Public Perception Of Equine Rabies And Its Implications For Future Education And Preventative Strategies, Kya Walton

Honors College Theses

This study examined the rabies knowledge, vaccination, and risks of exposures of horse owners/overseers across the state of Kentucky. Research was conducted to determine the need for public health educators and veterinarians to inform the public on rabies. Survey results concluded that respondents' general knowledge of rabies transmission and mortality rate was respectable, but knowledge relating to equine vaccination was comparatively lower. A weak inverse relationship was observed between general rabies knowledge and concern over an individual’s horses contracting rabies. A weak positive correlation was determined when looking into general rabies knowledge and the likelihood of vaccinating an individual’s horses. …

Pepper Spray Exposure And The Effect On Dna Profiling Of Blood, Brandon Schmakel

Honors Projects

Pepper spray is a common self defense tool used in both law enforcement and civilian settings, with the goal of incapacitating the sprayed individual. In real casework where pepper spray was used, a red-brown stain which tested positive presumptively for blood provided no DNA profile after further testing six months later. A previous graduate student, Emma Crawn, attempted to emulate these casework conditions and instead achieved a DNA profile with slight indications of inhibition or degradation. Further analysis of active pepper spray ingredients such as Oleoresin Capsicum (OC) and Chloroacetophenone (CN) reveals that there are observed reactions, such as oxidation, …

Examination Of Celebrity And Influencer Endorsements, Mackenzie Molnar

Honors Projects

This study examines the effects of celebrity and influencer endorsements on consumer attitudes and purchase intentions. A digital survey was distributed through Prolific to 210 U.S. participants ages 18–24. Participants viewed fictional advertisements featuring either a celebrity or an influencer endorsing a product and then rated each endorsement on familiarity, relatability, authenticity, believability, and likelihood of purchase. Results showed that endorsement type alone did not significantly affect believability, indicating that celebrities and influencers can be similarly effective in marketing. However, gender, media usage, and relatability significantly influenced consumer responses. Female participants responded more positively to influencer endorsements, while higher relatability …

How Pollinator Populations Can Impact Chronic Disease Risk, Kylee Cubbison

Honors Projects

This project investigates how pollinator populations can impact chronic disease risk. Pollinator populations are declining, which can have serious implications for human health. Declining pollinator populations can limit healthy food production and affordability. Poor nutrition is a major risk factor for most chronic diseases. Less healthy food available for people to consume can negatively impact diets and increase the risk of developing chronic diseases. This project aims to address a potential gap in research existing on this specific topic regarding pollinator populations and human chronic disease risk. A brochure targeted towards educating the general public on this topic was created …

Politics, Profit, And Programming: Examining The Distinct Effects Of Artificial Intelligence In The Corporate And Political World, Grant Lotts

Honors Projects

How has AI diffusion impacted the power and success of existing countries and corporations? This paper analyzes how these entities have invested their resources into expanding their AI presence, and how it has affected their role in their established spheres. For countries, it is examined how the amount of AI publications they create affects their means of using power, along with how efficient their governments have become. For corporations, it is examined how their capital expenditures (of which AI is becoming increasingly tied to) affects their stock price and annual revenue. Conflicting results are found. Countries tend to exhibit behavior …

Narrative Traditions In Francophone Africa And The Caribbean, Elizabeth Kill

Honors Projects

This research paper explores the cultural significance and the roles of folktales in francophone countries in Africa and the Caribbean. By analyzing recurring themes and character types in folktales, this study argues the importance of storytelling and traditional folklore in the shaping of a culture. Through close reading of a selection of folktales from a variety of francophone countries in Africa and the Caribbean, the research highlights themes of wisdom, greed, and explanations of the natural world, among others. Additionally, this paper touches on the historical importance of storytelling in cultures around the world. The research draws on information from …

Applications Of Suas Thermal Imaging And Lidar At Letort Spring Garden Preserve: An Independent Study, Kelsey Wardell

Harrisburg University Other Works

No abstract provided.