Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons™
Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 30 of 46
Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Mattanock Town Restoration Plan, Katlin Mccarter Grigsby
Mattanock Town Restoration Plan, Katlin Mccarter Grigsby
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Mattanock Town's Restoration Plan is a science-based restoration process that evaluates the site's history, the tribal history, and the most current research to maximize native habitats, enhance coastal resilience, and reconnect the Nansemond people to the local river. Restoration priorities include increasing native plant species, incorporating oyster habitat, and addressing erosion. This plan details how synthesizing existing and new physical, biological, and cultural information can help the Nansemond Indian Nation prioritize projects that benefit their community and the surrounding environment.
Achieving Equitable Offshore Wind Development: Lessons From European Stakeholders, Kacey Hirshfeld
Achieving Equitable Offshore Wind Development: Lessons From European Stakeholders, Kacey Hirshfeld
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
The Biden Administration has set aggressive offshore wind energy goals, aiming to have 30 gigawatts of offshore energy in place by 2030. This amount of energy has the potential to power 10 million homes (White House, 2022), helping the administration to reach larger clean energy goals. In Virginia, Dominion Energy aims to have 2.6 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2026, enough to power up to 660,000 homes (Dominion Energy).
While the upcoming offshore wind energy development will create clean energy and green jobs, the ocean is no longer an open field for development and already supports a complex matrix …
Ecosystem Enriching And Efficient Solar Energy: Exploring The Effects Of Pollinator-Friendly Solar Facilities On Ecosystem Function And Solar Panel Efficiency, Jordan Martin
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
As the solar energy industry grows, many hundreds of thousands of acres of land will be transformed into solar panel facilities. With this large change in land use, there is the opportunity to promote biodiversity and support pollinators by using pollinator-friendly management practices at the solar facilities. This paper explores the ecological and economic effects of a pollinator-friendly solar facility compared to a turfgrass solar facility.
I hypothesized that a pollinator-friendly solar facility would be functionally equivalent in pollinator support and overall insect diversity to a pollinator-friendly non-solar field and that both sites would have far greater pollinator support and …
Recruitment Characteristics Of Juvenile Striped Bass (Morone Saxatilis) Across Recovery Periods, Year Classes, And Subestuaries Of The Chesapeake Bay, Olivia M. Phillips
Recruitment Characteristics Of Juvenile Striped Bass (Morone Saxatilis) Across Recovery Periods, Year Classes, And Subestuaries Of The Chesapeake Bay, Olivia M. Phillips
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
The Atlantic coast striped bass fisheries collapsed in the late 1970's due to recruitment overfishing and poor habitat quality. Recovery of the fisheries in 1995 resulted from protection of mature females, favorable environmental conditions, and several years of strong recruitment. Today, the striped bass stock is overfished. The purpose of this study was to examine recruitment characteristics of juvenile striped bass during the pre- and post-recovery periods through (1) a comparison of mortality and hatch-date distribution between periods, and (2) to examine growth metrics of individuals from the post-recovery year classes. Lengths and otolith-derived daily ages from juvenile striped bass …
Efficacy And Unintended Outcomes Of Spatial Property Rights For Fisheries And Aquaculture Management In Chile And In Virginia, U.S.A., Jennifer Beckensteiner
Efficacy And Unintended Outcomes Of Spatial Property Rights For Fisheries And Aquaculture Management In Chile And In Virginia, U.S.A., Jennifer Beckensteiner
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Marine spatial property rights reduce many common pool externalities that plague wild capture fisheries and incentivize productive use for aquaculture. Specifically, Territorial Use Rights for Fisheries (TURFs) are a management tool whereby individuals or groups are granted exclusive access to harvest resources within an area, and are the prevailing management of coastal fisheries in Chile. Additionally, secured spatial property rights appear inherently obligatory for aquaculture development; i.e., private leases in Virginia, where submerged grounds granted to an individual or a company for oyster production are considered a form of TURF. Although the number and extent of spatially managed areas are …
Investigating Economic Costs Of Derelict Blue Crab Callinectes Sapidus Pots And Preferred Mitigation Solutions In The Chesapeake Bay, James Delbene
Investigating Economic Costs Of Derelict Blue Crab Callinectes Sapidus Pots And Preferred Mitigation Solutions In The Chesapeake Bay, James Delbene
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Derelict fishing gear, particularly pots or traps, occupy waters worldwide and cause negative ecological and economic impacts. Derelict pots persist throughout Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the U.S., that supports a valuable commercial fishery for the blue crab Callinectes sapidus. Chesapeake Bay is responsible for 30-40% of U.S. commercial blue crab harvests. Yet, few studies have quantified the impacts of derelict pots on harvest or the perceptions of commercial fishers on derelict pot mitigation activities in this predominantly pot fishery. This thesis examined the impacts of derelict pots on harvest in a field experiment and worked with commercial fishers …
Human Dimensions Of A Participatory, Collaborative Modeling Process - Oysterfutures, Taylor Dawn Goelz
Human Dimensions Of A Participatory, Collaborative Modeling Process - Oysterfutures, Taylor Dawn Goelz
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Participatory, collaborative modeling processes represent a unique decision-making technique within natural resources management that allows for the combination of stakeholder involvement with the analytical and predictive power of scientific models. The continued use of participatory modeling within decision-making processes depends in part upon the willingness of stakeholders to participate. Continued participation of stakeholders is key to the persistence and overall success of these processes, and yet limited information exists concerning the impacts of these processes on participants. The consideration of human dimensions advances our understanding of the design and function of participatory modeling processes, including their ability to create consensus …
Characterizing The Biological Impacts And Human Dimensions Of The U.S. East Coast Recreational Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Fishery, William Morris Goldsmith
Characterizing The Biological Impacts And Human Dimensions Of The U.S. East Coast Recreational Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Fishery, William Morris Goldsmith
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) are targeted by recreational anglers along the east coast of the United States, and the fishery is thought to be of considerable economic value. However, limited knowledge of the preferences and values of fishery participants impedes the ability of managers to maximize fishery benefits and predict harvest patterns, while an incomplete understanding of post-release mortality hinders efforts to estimate total mortality resulting from the fishery. This dissertation used a multidisciplinary approach that relied heavily on cooperative research with the recreational fishing community to examine these questions. A stated choice survey of private anglers permitted to …
Extensions And Applications Of Mean Length Mortality Estimators For Assessment Of Data-Limited Fisheries, Quang C. Huynh
Extensions And Applications Of Mean Length Mortality Estimators For Assessment Of Data-Limited Fisheries, Quang C. Huynh
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
For data-limited fisheries, length-based mortality estimators are attractive as alternatives to age-structured models due to the simpler data requirements and ease of use of the former. This dissertation develops new extensions of mean length-based mortality estimators and applies them to federally-managed stocks in the southeastern U.S. and U.S. Caribbean.
Chapter 1 presents a review of length-based methods from the literature. Common themes regarding the methodology, assumptions, and diagnostics in these length-based methods are discussed. In Chapter 2, a simulation study evaluates the performance of the length-converted catch curve (LCCC), Beverton-Holt equation (BHE), and Length Based-Spawner Potential Ratio (LB-SPR) over a …
The Effects Of Drifting Fish Aggregating Devices On Bycatch In The Tropical Tuna Purse Seine Fisheries In The Atlantic And Indian Oceans, Julia Snouck-Hurgronje
The Effects Of Drifting Fish Aggregating Devices On Bycatch In The Tropical Tuna Purse Seine Fisheries In The Atlantic And Indian Oceans, Julia Snouck-Hurgronje
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Thousands of floating objects, known as drifting fish aggregating devices (dFADs), are released every year by commercial tropical tuna purse seine vessels in the three equatorial oceans to aggregate tuna and increase catch. The escalation in the number of dFADs deployed over the last three decades has caused changes in fishing effort that are poorly reflected in traditional indices of purse seine effort and catch per unit of effort (CPUE). In addition, concerns have been raised regarding the impacts of such high numbers of dFADs being deployed on both catch and bycatch species. I studied two aspects of dFAD deployments …
Human Induced Cyclical Erosion Due To Altered Sediment Bypassing Mechanisms Of A Barrier Island And The Resultant Impact On The Housing Market, Andrew R. Fallon
Human Induced Cyclical Erosion Due To Altered Sediment Bypassing Mechanisms Of A Barrier Island And The Resultant Impact On The Housing Market, Andrew R. Fallon
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
Using A Sonic Net To Deter Pest Bird Species: Excluding European Starlings From Food Sources By Disrupting Their Acoustic Environment, Ghazi Mahjoub
Using A Sonic Net To Deter Pest Bird Species: Excluding European Starlings From Food Sources By Disrupting Their Acoustic Environment, Ghazi Mahjoub
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
Movements, Growth, And Mortality Of Chesapeake Bay Summer Flounder Based On Multiple Tagging Technologies, Mark J. Henderson
Movements, Growth, And Mortality Of Chesapeake Bay Summer Flounder Based On Multiple Tagging Technologies, Mark J. Henderson
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
The research projects presented in this dissertation used multiple tagging technologies to examine the movements, growth, and mortality rates of summer flounder tagged and released in Chesapeake Bay. In the first two chapters, I used acoustic, archival, and conventional tags to examine the behavior of summer flounder on different spatial scales. Investigating the movement behavior of individuals on different scales is an important step towards understanding how large-scale distributions of a population are established. Based on the observed behaviors of summer flounder, I hypothesize that the movements of these fish are primarily related to foraging behavior while they are resident …
Effects Of Anthropogenic Stressors And Changes In Biodiversity On Lower Chesapeake Bay, Va Usa Seagrass Systems, Rachael E. Blake
Effects Of Anthropogenic Stressors And Changes In Biodiversity On Lower Chesapeake Bay, Va Usa Seagrass Systems, Rachael E. Blake
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Anthropogenic stressors are increasingly changing conditions in coastal areas and impacting important habitats. But, when multiple stressors act simultaneously, their effects on ecosystems become more difficult to predict. In Chesapeake Bay, USA, predictions suggest that anthropogenic stressors from climate change, such as warming temperatures, may increase the frequency and severity of storm events, leading to increased freshwater, nutrient, and sediment inputs. Coastal development, another source of anthropogenic stressors, continues to increase with growing coastal populations, and may lead to altered sediment characteristics, habitat fragmentation, altered food webs, and loss of vegetated habitats. Community processes may interact with stressors, for example, …
Spatial And Temporal Analysis Of Fecal Coliform Distribution In Virginia Coastal Waters, Jie Huang
Spatial And Temporal Analysis Of Fecal Coliform Distribution In Virginia Coastal Waters, Jie Huang
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
The collection of fecal coliform (FC) monitoring data in shellfish growing waters is primarily to assess public health risks from consumption of contaminated product. The data is also commonly used to assess the potential sources and loads of bacteria entering the aquatic system. This project is intended to extend traditional methods of developing these assessments, by applying an inverse modeling approach to improve the estimation of FC loads in the small watersheds typically contributing to shellfish growing waters in Virginia. Many fecal contamination studies in lower Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, have conveniently focused on analyses over relatively small spatial and temporal …
Spatial And Temporal Patterns In Erosional And Depositional Processes: Physical And Biological Controls In The York River, Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, Cielomar Rodríguez-Calderon
Spatial And Temporal Patterns In Erosional And Depositional Processes: Physical And Biological Controls In The York River, Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, Cielomar Rodríguez-Calderon
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
Accounting For Undesirable Outputs In Productivity Measurements: Application To The California-Oregon Drift Gillnet Fishery, Tara L. Scott
Accounting For Undesirable Outputs In Productivity Measurements: Application To The California-Oregon Drift Gillnet Fishery, Tara L. Scott
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Many production activities typically produce undesirable outputs, e.g., the production of the pollutant sulfur dioxide in the generation of electricity. Traditional economic metrics may overstate the efficiency and productivity of these production activities by failing to account for the undesirable outputs. These omissions can lead to conclusions that are biased against resource conservation and protection. Many fisheries capture their target species concomitantly with undesirable outputs such as bycatch of juvenile fish, marine mammals, sea birds, and sea turtles. One such fishery is the California-Oregon (CA/OR) drift gillnet fishery (DGNF), which incidentally takes protected species, such as sea turtles and marine …
Survival In An Urbanized Landscape: Radio-Tracking Fledgling Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia Sialis) On Golf Courses, Allyson Kathleen Jackson
Survival In An Urbanized Landscape: Radio-Tracking Fledgling Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia Sialis) On Golf Courses, Allyson Kathleen Jackson
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
Effects Of Shoreline Development And Oyster Reefs On Benthic Communities In Lynnhaven, Virginia, Amanda Sue Lawless
Effects Of Shoreline Development And Oyster Reefs On Benthic Communities In Lynnhaven, Virginia, Amanda Sue Lawless
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Shoreline hardening and construction of restoration oyster reefs are occurring at rapid rates throughout Chesapeake Bay and little research has been conducted to determine whether installment of a hardened shoreline and oyster reef placement has an effect on the surrounding benthic infaunal communities. I investigated the effects of shoreline development and oyster reefs on benthic communities in Lynnhaven, Virginia. Throughout Lynnhaven, I determined the effects of shoreline type (natural marsh, oyster reef, rip-rap and bulkhead), sediment grain size, Total Organic Carbon/Total Nitrogen (TOC/TN) of the sediment, and predation (caging study) on density, biomass, and diversity of benthic infauna. An information-theoretic …
Assessing The Impacts Of Land Use Change On Hard Clam Aquaculture In Old Plantation Creek, Northampton County, Virginia, Matthew J. Strickler
Assessing The Impacts Of Land Use Change On Hard Clam Aquaculture In Old Plantation Creek, Northampton County, Virginia, Matthew J. Strickler
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
One of the main threats to water quality in the Chesapeake Bay is contamination by bacterial loading from point and non-point sources. While only very high levels of fecal bacteria (greater than 200 MPN/100ml) indicate the potential of a health threat to humans from contact with water, lower concentrations (14 MPN/100 ml) make the shellfish from contaminated waters unfit for human consumption. Many nearshore areas that are vulnerable to bacterial contamination also are suitable for the propagation of shellfish, including the hard clam (Mercenaria mercenaria). This is especially true on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, where shallow, sheltered waters with optimal salinity …
Predicting Future Shoreline Condition Based On Land Use Trends, Logistic Regression, And Fuzzy Logic, Lynne M. Dingerson
Predicting Future Shoreline Condition Based On Land Use Trends, Logistic Regression, And Fuzzy Logic, Lynne M. Dingerson
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
The lower Chesapeake Bay and adjacent coastal waters serve as the primary summer nursery areas for juvenile sandbar sharks (Carcharhinus plumbeus) in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. The large population of juvenile sandbar sharks in this ecosystem benefits from increased food availability that fuels rapid growth and from limited exposure to large shark predators. Juvenile growth and survival is the most critical life history stage for sandbar sharks, and juvenile nursery grounds will continue to play an important role in the slow recovery of this stock from severe population declines due to overfishing. The goal of this study was to assess …
The Wind Effects On The Evaluation Of Proposed Craney Island Expansions In The Lower James And Elizabeth Rivers, Momo Chen
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
Analysis Of Prey Selection In Black Skimmer, Rynchops Niger, Adults And Chicks Using Continuous Video Monitoring, Renae Joyce Held
Analysis Of Prey Selection In Black Skimmer, Rynchops Niger, Adults And Chicks Using Continuous Video Monitoring, Renae Joyce Held
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
Use Of Ponds And Lakes By Resident Canada Geese, Phillip D. West
Use Of Ponds And Lakes By Resident Canada Geese, Phillip D. West
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
Assessment Of Development Impacts On Coastal Zone: Integrated Approach, Northampton County, Eastern Shore, Virginia, Sarunas Zableckis
Assessment Of Development Impacts On Coastal Zone: Integrated Approach, Northampton County, Eastern Shore, Virginia, Sarunas Zableckis
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
Bioremediation Of Tributyltin Contaminated Sediment Using Spartina Alterniflora In A Created Tidal Wetland, Britt-Anne Anderson
Bioremediation Of Tributyltin Contaminated Sediment Using Spartina Alterniflora In A Created Tidal Wetland, Britt-Anne Anderson
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
Reproductive Success Of Black Skimmers On An Artificial Island: Effects Of Hatching Date And Feeding Rate, Christopher Alan Gordon
Reproductive Success Of Black Skimmers On An Artificial Island: Effects Of Hatching Date And Feeding Rate, Christopher Alan Gordon
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
Relative Risk Assessment For Cape Hatteras National Seashore, John Cary Buie
Relative Risk Assessment For Cape Hatteras National Seashore, John Cary Buie
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
Breeding Ecology, Success, And Population Management Of The Piping Plover (Charadrius Melodus) At Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, Virginia, Robert Richard Cross
Breeding Ecology, Success, And Population Management Of The Piping Plover (Charadrius Melodus) At Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, Virginia, Robert Richard Cross
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
Use Of A Landscape-Level Approach To Determine The Habitat Requirements Of The Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron, Nycticorax Violaceus, In The Lower Chesapeake Bay, Ellen L. Bentley
Use Of A Landscape-Level Approach To Determine The Habitat Requirements Of The Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron, Nycticorax Violaceus, In The Lower Chesapeake Bay, Ellen L. Bentley
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.