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Articles 1 - 30 of 65
Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Effects Of Urbanization On Eutrophication Parameters In Three Tidal Creeks, Ella Swantek
Effects Of Urbanization On Eutrophication Parameters In Three Tidal Creeks, Ella Swantek
Honors Theses
Marshes and swashes are vital environments as a controlling barrier between land affected by various pollutants and the ocean. Eutrophication and the effects of this process can be detrimental for the areas experiencing it. I am interested in ways areas that have little contact with human interactions compare to areas that are heavily urbanized, and whether either of these locations is at a higher risk for eutrophication. Using spectrophotometry and fluorometry, I analyzed samples collected from the relatively undeveloped and restricted-access locations of Waities Island Beach and Dunn Sound monthly for dissolved nutrients, and chlorophyll. At the time of sampling, …
Impacts Of Hurricane Idalia’S Surge On Coastal Sand Biogeochemistry, Wendy "Cor" Mchone
Impacts Of Hurricane Idalia’S Surge On Coastal Sand Biogeochemistry, Wendy "Cor" Mchone
Honors Theses
Beaches are heavily influenced by extreme events, such as hurricanes. Biological and chemical processes, such as primary production and diagenesis are often interrupted by these events. To examine the effects of hurricanes on coastal biogeochemistry, this study used sand and porewater samples from Waties Island, SC, which were collected before and after Hurricane Idalia. The samples were analyzed for macronutrient concentrations, organic content, and chlorophyll concentrations. Macronutrient pore water concentration changes were not uniform. The inventory of nitrite decreased significantly after the storm, which was reflected in slight increases in the inventories of nitrate and ammonium. Concentrations of nitrate, which …
Sedimentary Conditions At A Tidal Creek That Exhibits Seasonal Pelagic-Benthic Variations, Jack B. Corbin
Sedimentary Conditions At A Tidal Creek That Exhibits Seasonal Pelagic-Benthic Variations, Jack B. Corbin
Honors Theses
Tidal creeks in the Grand Strand of South Carolina are small but numerous connectors between land and ocean. One of these creeks, White Point Swash, exhibits a seasonal switch between planktonic and benthic photosynthesizers. As plankton become less abundant in fall, benthic macroalgae bloom, aided by lower water levels due to fall-winter dredging of the main channel, until late Spring. This study builds on previous findings and examines sedimentary conditions at this site further. Sedimentary chlorophyll a (in microphytobenthos) and pore water nutrient concentrations are confirmed to be higher than water-column concentrations. Sedimentary nutrient fluxes to the sediment-water interface, calculated …
Investigation Of Zinc And Iron In Wildflower Honey, Savannah Simpson
Investigation Of Zinc And Iron In Wildflower Honey, Savannah Simpson
Honors Theses
Honey acts as a valuable food source for both animals and humans. When found in contaminated environments, there is an increased likelihood that honey samples will have high metal concentrations. It has been discovered that honey concentrations in metals can be different based on location. This experiment aims to determine the amount of two valuable metals, zinc, and iron, in various honey sources. These metals can be important to the human body because they help boost immunity and allow the body to carry out the functions required for survival. However, if these elements are present in copious quantities, then it …
Suboxic And Anaerobic Respiration Across A Sandy-Shore-To-Estuarine Gradient, Jacey Ballard
Suboxic And Anaerobic Respiration Across A Sandy-Shore-To-Estuarine Gradient, Jacey Ballard
Honors Theses
Sulfate is an inorganic ion that is one of the major ions of seawater. Sulfate is also an essential reactant in microbially mediated anaerobic respiration that produces sulfide, an energy source during chemosynthesis. Sulfide is widely found in sediment, and water rich in decaying organic material, as well as hydrothermal vents. While sulfate reduction occurs extensively in muds, such as those of marshes, it is not expected to occur in sand which is much better aerated. Recent research in our group documented extensive sub aerobic respiration in coastal sands which suggests that sulfate reduction may have also been happening. This …
Digital Dna: The Ethical Implications Of Big Data As The World’S New-Age Commodity, Clark H. Dotson
Digital Dna: The Ethical Implications Of Big Data As The World’S New-Age Commodity, Clark H. Dotson
Honors Theses
In the emerging digital world that we find ourselves in, it becomes apparent that data collection has become a staple of daily life, whether we like it or not. This research discussion aims to bring light to just how much one’s own digital identity is valued in the technologically-infused world of today, with distinct research and local examples to bring awareness to the ethical implications of your online presence. The paper in question examines anecdotal and research evidence of the collection of data, both through true and unjust means, as well as ethical implications of what this information truly represents. …
Investigation Of A Possible Switch Of Benthic Photosynthetic Organisms And Phytoplanktonic Organisms In White Point Swash, South Carolina, Nathan Easterling
Investigation Of A Possible Switch Of Benthic Photosynthetic Organisms And Phytoplanktonic Organisms In White Point Swash, South Carolina, Nathan Easterling
Honors Theses
This research study examined the possible switch from benthic photosynthetic organisms to phytoplankton in the water column at White Point Swash, Long Bay, South Carolina, and what is causing this switch to occur. During Dr. Hannides’ and his group’s studies at this and other swashes in the past, they noticed this phenomenon of the benthic photosynthetic organisms taking over during a certain time and then the phytoplankton in the water column taking over during a different time. In this study, I measured the relative benthic macroalgal area coverage and sedimentary chlorophyll a concentration as measures of the abundance of benthic …
The Dynamics Of Sedimentary Chlorophyll Α At A High-Energy Beach, Sarah (Gray) Abel
The Dynamics Of Sedimentary Chlorophyll Α At A High-Energy Beach, Sarah (Gray) Abel
Honors Theses
Productive sandy beaches are one of the most crucial areas serving our ecosystem today. While often overlooked in scientific research, productive beaches have many essential functions that lead to the preservation and protection of many different species as well as ecological wellness and stability. A key factor that is linked to this productivity is the presence of chlorophyll in the sediments. Piston cores of the sediments at the low-tide mark at Waties Island, South Carolina, were collected across multiple years and subsequently analyzed for chlorophyll concentrations through fluorometry after acetone extraction and acidification. Each core profile was processed to calculate …
Striped Blenny (Chasmodes Bosquianus) Presence And Behavior Between Sunrise And Sunset At Oyster Landing, South Carolina, Madeline Schuetze
Striped Blenny (Chasmodes Bosquianus) Presence And Behavior Between Sunrise And Sunset At Oyster Landing, South Carolina, Madeline Schuetze
Honors Theses
Lunar and diel cycles of fishes can help to interpret their behaviors during their reproductive season. Temperate estuaries are used by many benthic fishes for shelter and reproduction. This study examined the behavior and presence of striped blennies (Chasmodes bosquianus) during diel and lunar cycles. PVC pipe shelters were placed to mimic oyster shell nests, a natural habitat for blennies, and cameras were placed to monitor these shelters in April, May, and June 2022, during the striped blenny reproductive period. Video footage was reviewed and analyzed for the presence and behavior of both male and female blennies. Male presence …
Microplastic Fiber Abundance For South Carolina White Shrimp, Litopenaeus Setiferus, Across Two Habitats, Adriene Funck
Microplastic Fiber Abundance For South Carolina White Shrimp, Litopenaeus Setiferus, Across Two Habitats, Adriene Funck
Honors Theses
Coastal South Carolina is a prime destination for shrimping. The commercial White Shrimp, Litopenaeus setiferus, is one of the main species found in South Carolina estuaries and coastline. There are commercial and recreation fishing practices in South Carolina for L. setiferus, making it a species of interest for the public. Microplastics are additionally a large interest in the public and scientific community for research and solutions. The threats of plastic pollution are not fully understood in the marine environment, but there has been a boom of research discussing various effects and distributions of microplastics in the ocean recently. Shrimp species …
The Use Of Time-Lapse And Still Photographs To Document The Effects Of Seasonality On Dune Morphodynamic Evolution In Corolla, Nc., Briar Ownby-Connolly
The Use Of Time-Lapse And Still Photographs To Document The Effects Of Seasonality On Dune Morphodynamic Evolution In Corolla, Nc., Briar Ownby-Connolly
Honors Theses
With climate change altering established seasonal and weather phenomena, understanding the physical behavior of barrier islands and the processes driving such physical changes, specifically within their dune zones, is crucial in promoting their resiliency. With ecosystem services provided by dunes to coastal economies and wildlife habitat, promoting dune conservation serves to advance the benefits of these systems, within a changing climate. Current findings by the Army Corps of Engineers Field Research Facility in Duck, NC, suggest the significance of local aeolian sediment transport in interplay with storm intensity in effecting dune stability, and that anthropogenic impacts, like the installment of …
Defining The Leading Edge Of The Marine – Non-Marine Transition In The Pee Dee Basin: Influences, And Dynamic Parameters Of A Highly Dynamic System, Nicole Mchugh
Honors Theses
Among estuaries, there is a large block of co-dependent and independent variables shaping habitat and environmental conditions within a critical area. Historical data proxies and indexes from seven different stations were assessed to consider temporal and spatial variability of the marine and non-marine transition along the South Carolina Pee Dee River Basin. Historical datasets from the upper reaches of Winyah Bay and lower section of the Pee Dee River basin were compiled along with shorter termed deployments of a new instrument station installed near Georgetown, SC. This area is representative of the marine-non-marine transition in drowned river mouth estuaries. Water …
Iron Geochemistry Across An Estuary-To-Coastal Gradient, Lissett G. Diaz
Iron Geochemistry Across An Estuary-To-Coastal Gradient, Lissett G. Diaz
Honors Theses
Iron is a ubiquitous earth element that participates in biogeochemical processes that occur in marine sediments. Microorganisms utilize iron for many purposes, including cell growth, conserving energy, and for maintaining metabolic activity. In coastal sedimentary settings, understanding the redox reactions involving ferric iron, Fe3+, and ferrous iron, Fe2+, in its solid phase and pore-water phases, respectively, enable an appreciation of biogeochemical transformations occurring in the coastal zone. In this study, iron concentrations in sediment of ranging permeability were determined at four stations marking an estuary-coast transition zone in Singleton Swash in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The …
The Influence Of Bottom Type And Water Column Stratification On Reef Fish Community Structure At Gray’S Reef National Marine Sanctuary, Bridget Campbell
The Influence Of Bottom Type And Water Column Stratification On Reef Fish Community Structure At Gray’S Reef National Marine Sanctuary, Bridget Campbell
Honors Theses
Understanding the physical and oceanographic differences across reef habitats can help researchers assess how those differences influence fish distribution and community structure, which leads to a better understanding of what a healthy reef system looks like. The traditional methods used to assess fish communities on temperate reefs are limited and often focus solely on either the reef structure or water column conditions alone. An assessment of both data sets yields a more complete understanding of the ecosystem as a whole. In this study, Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary (GRNMS) was surveyed both inside and outside a Marine Protected Area (MPA) …
Initial Investigation Of Wildflower Honey Using Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction Coupled With Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry For Geographical Information, Tyra Countiss
Honors Theses
Honey has been used as a food, sugar substitute, and flavor enhancer forever. The uses for honey are extremely varied from food to medicine. It is widely touted that you can address seasonal allergies, especially those following a move, by eating local honey. For this to be true the composition of the local honey, including trapped pollen, would allow allergy symptoms to be eliminated. In this project, the volatile and semi-volatile aroma compounds in wild flower honey from several different locations were analyzed. Headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to help develop the …
Assessing Sustainability At Ccu, Savannah Billings
Assessing Sustainability At Ccu, Savannah Billings
Honors Theses
An assessment of sustainability initiatives and culture at Coastal Carolina University, recommending stronger institutional support for sustainability.
Isolated Point Discharges Into Coastal Swashes As Nutrient Sources To Coastal Waters, Mary E. Olsen
Isolated Point Discharges Into Coastal Swashes As Nutrient Sources To Coastal Waters, Mary E. Olsen
Honors Theses
Coastal water quality in the Grand Strand of South Carolina is directly influenced by human activities. Nutrient-rich runoff, stemming from numerous anthropogenic sources, finds its way into coastal waters through freshwater inputs often through tidal creeks, termed swashes. In order to better describe the amount of nutrient inputs into Singleton Swash and White Point Swash, we examine anthropogenic runoff from isolated identifiable point discharges and their nutrient concentrations. We report concentrations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN, as the sum of nitrate, nitrite and ammonium) and phosphate in discharge and creek water. We hypothesize that nutrient concentrations of isolated, minor point …
Organic Matter Spatial And Temporal Patterns In Coastal Sands Of Long Bay, South Carolina, Kayla B. Christofferson
Organic Matter Spatial And Temporal Patterns In Coastal Sands Of Long Bay, South Carolina, Kayla B. Christofferson
Honors Theses
Sandy coastlines serve crucial functions to coastal economies and coastal ecology alike. In the past, organic-poor sands were considered of lower importance than organic-rich muds. Recent studies showed that sands’ low organic matter concentrations are due to high biogeochemical cycling rates, driven by rapid physical exchange, but remain infrequently studied. I present time-series of sand mass-loss-on-ignition (LOI, an organic matter proxy) profiles from February 2017 onwards at multiple sites along Long Bay, South Carolina. LOI profiles exhibit subsurface maximum values, unlike the typical decrease with depth in muddy sediments. I hypothesize that organic matter distribution with depth is affected by …
Dijkstra’S Pathfinder, Taylor F. Malamut
Dijkstra’S Pathfinder, Taylor F. Malamut
Honors Theses
Dijkstra’s algorithm has been widely studied and applied since it was first published in 1959. This research shows that Dijkstra’s algorithm can be used to find the shortest path between two stations on the Washington D.C. Metro. After exploring different types of research and applying Dijkstra’s algorithm, it was found that the algorithm will always yield the shortest path, even if visually a shorter path was initially expected.
Using Foraminifera To Identify Overwash Deposits In St Vincent Island, Florida In The Wake Of Hurricane Michael, Kayla Washington
Using Foraminifera To Identify Overwash Deposits In St Vincent Island, Florida In The Wake Of Hurricane Michael, Kayla Washington
Honors Theses
Major hurricanes have geomorphic and stratigraphic impacts in coast environments that can be used to identify and characterize the storms. One of the approaches to identify storm impact is by studying assemblage of foraminifera, small organisms that live primarily in marine environments with some species living in marshes, in coastal marshes or ponds, with the assumption that storm-induced overwash flooding brings marine species ashore. Hurricane Michael made landfall ~40 km northwest of St Vincent Island (SVI), Florida, on October 10, 2018, as a Category 5 storm. The storm surge of Michael inundated a large part of SVI, which offers a …
Glucose Oxidase And Prussian Blue Nanoparticles Encapsulated Within A Xerogel For Electrochemical Detection Of Glucose, Daniel Baker
Glucose Oxidase And Prussian Blue Nanoparticles Encapsulated Within A Xerogel For Electrochemical Detection Of Glucose, Daniel Baker
Honors Theses
Recent literature reports examples of electrochemical biosensor systems based on the encapsulation of enzymes and metal nanoparticles into a xerogel for the detection of biologically important compounds, such as glucose. While these systems are very successful with acceptable detection limits and linear ranges. However, Prussian Blue modified electrodes have been shown to be better than metal electrodes for the detection of hydrogen peroxide. Here, a biosensor system where a xerogel in formed with both glucose oxidase and Prussian Blue nanoparticles.
Test Using Sedimentary Records To Quantify Extreme Paleo-Flood: A Case Study Of An Oxbow Lake In South Carolina, Molly Aeschliman
Test Using Sedimentary Records To Quantify Extreme Paleo-Flood: A Case Study Of An Oxbow Lake In South Carolina, Molly Aeschliman
Honors Theses
Extreme flooding has become an increasing issue along the coasts for people’s health and infrastructure stability. As the effect of climate change continues to persist, the need to prepare for such events becomes imperative. To improve the understanding of climatic forecasting with regards to extreme flooding, there is merit in searching flooding history beyond the instrumental records. There has been some work done in the past to correlate extreme flooding and its sedimentary traces preserved in floodplain depressions, such as oxbow lakes, based on the assumption that the coarser grain sediments in the sediment layers correspond with higher peak discharges …
Lattice Paths In Diagonals And Dimensions, Freya Bennett
Lattice Paths In Diagonals And Dimensions, Freya Bennett
Honors Theses
The Lattice Paths of Combinatorics have been used in many applications, normally under the guise of a different name, due to its versatility in surface variety and specificity of answer. The Lattice Path’s of game development, in finding paths around barriers in mazes, is called Path Finder with the A∗ algorithms as its method of solving.
Singular Value Decomposition, Krystal Bonaccorso, Andrew Incognito
Singular Value Decomposition, Krystal Bonaccorso, Andrew Incognito
Honors Theses
A well-known theorem is Diagonalization, where one of the factors is a diagonal matrix. In this paper we will be describing a similar way to factor/decompose a non-square matrix. The key to both of these ways to factor is eigenvalues and eigenvectors.
Pre-Juvenile Naked Goby (Gobiosoma Bosc) Age And Growth, Annamaria Deitz, Juliana Harding
Pre-Juvenile Naked Goby (Gobiosoma Bosc) Age And Growth, Annamaria Deitz, Juliana Harding
Honors Theses
Due to the abundance of larval naked gobies, Gobiosoma bosc, within the estuarine ichthyoplankton, it is important to understand their age and growth. Naked gobies are a largely distributed, both geographically and within an estuary, small, benthic fish species. There are 3 pairs of otoliths, calcium carbonate structures within the ear canal, that detect vibrations and record the age of the fish, both daily and annually. Using laboratory-reared gobies of a known age (Tremont et al. 2015), daily signatures on the sagittal otoliths were first validated to be daily, then a growth curve for the wild caught larvae was …
Character And Water Quality Of Sandpiper Pond: A Coastal Pond Assessment, Fifteen Years After Restoration, Nicholas E. Workman
Character And Water Quality Of Sandpiper Pond: A Coastal Pond Assessment, Fifteen Years After Restoration, Nicholas E. Workman
Honors Theses
Sandpiper Pond is a coastal pond at Huntington Beach State Park, South Carolina. Originally a tidal inlet surrounded by marshland, it was isolated in 1989 and rechanneled in 2004-2005 under a community-based wetland restoration project. The project was designed to restore the pond to a tidal inlet to improve water quality and biodiversity. Since then, the tidal connection with the ocean has been severed once more and the main influx of seawater occurs from the marsh during spring high tides. In this three-month study, the current state of Sandpiper Pond is evaluated using fundamental biogeochemical indicators that are indicative of …
Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen Dynamics In Swash Zone Sands Of Long Bay, Sc, Alexis F. Echols
Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen Dynamics In Swash Zone Sands Of Long Bay, Sc, Alexis F. Echols
Honors Theses
A key component affecting the biogeochemistry of the sedimentary environment is pore water between grains of sediments. Sedimentary microorganisms are constantly modifying chemical compounds as part of their life functions which are then exchanged between the sediment column and the overlying water column. Dissolved inorganic nitrogen, a major element for life, takes on several forms including nitrate, nitrite, and ammonium which vary in concentration throughout the sediment and with respect to each other. The relative concentrations of these nitrogen species have been previously briefly explored in sandy columns, where redox gradients that control their relative concentrations can be fairly deep …
Characterizing Diatom Biofilms And Their Influence On The Sand Biogeochemistry Of High Energy Beaches, Logan C. Jarrell
Characterizing Diatom Biofilms And Their Influence On The Sand Biogeochemistry Of High Energy Beaches, Logan C. Jarrell
Honors Theses
High energy beaches are among the most dynamic ecological settings on Earth. Compared to mudflats, diatoms of high energy beaches have been more neglected in the literature, particularly true of the intertidal biofilms that form and dissipate with nutrient cycling and light intensity over the tidal cycle. Although short lived, the productivity of these biofilms may be critical to the organic-poor sand. Through sediment coring and subsequent analyses of the uppermost sand of three suspected biofilm stations—non-runnel, runnel crest, and runnel trough—along with seemingly bare sand as a control, this study sought to verify the presence of diatom biofilms and …
The Clean Air Act And Its Impact On Ground Level Ozone Pollution Levels In Los Angeles, California, Rebecca G. Ford
The Clean Air Act And Its Impact On Ground Level Ozone Pollution Levels In Los Angeles, California, Rebecca G. Ford
Honors Theses
Ozone (O3) occurs naturally as a protective, ultraviolet radiation-shielding “Ozone Layer” in the Stratosphere and as a photochemically produced pollutant in the Troposphere. The Clean Air Act (CAA) of 1970 regulates the emission and concentration of O3 and five other atmospheric pollutants. Since the signing of the CAA, the ongoing question has been whether or not the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and regulatory policies have had an effect on decreasing O3 concentration. The Los Angeles metropolitan area is a prime example of how O3 can be a public health hazard, and taint a …
A Multibeam Bathymetric Investigation Of Changes In Bedform Morphology Of The Little River Inlet As A Result Of Hurricane Matthew, Malarie O'Brien
A Multibeam Bathymetric Investigation Of Changes In Bedform Morphology Of The Little River Inlet As A Result Of Hurricane Matthew, Malarie O'Brien
Honors Theses
A hybrid scholarly-research paper on the use of multibeam sonar data in seafloor mapping and seafloor analysis was written to satisfy Honors Program requirements. Literature review of multibeam sonar technology explored the improving concept of mapping the seafloor via acoustic methods. The review also investigated improvements and applications of multibeam data analysis techniques, which have the ability to map the seafloor as well as characterize the seafloor by morphology or sediment content. The review then explored previous studies conducted on the Little River Inlet, SC, finding the inlet to be particularly understudied in the field of sediment morphology. Three multibeam …