Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Commons^™

Reef Fish Wariness Behavior: Fish Flight Initiation Distance Mediated By Territoriality And Body Size In Three Reef Sites Off The Western Coast Of Isla Colón, Bocas Del Toro, Panamá, Alina G. Irvine

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Coral reefs are highly productive and diverse underwater ecosystems, providing a variety of environmental services including sand generation, nutrient processing, fish supply, and tourism. However, coral reefs have been increasingly impacted by natural and anthropogenic disturbances, which has negatively affected fish security within their environment. A significant observation is the reduction in evasive behaviors among reef fish in marine reserves compared to those exposed to anthropogenic threats. The present research aims to investigate the factors mediating fish wariness behavior through an exploration of the roles of territoriality and body size on fish flight initiation distance (FID). FID is the distance …

Variation Of Carbon Stock Of Boca Del Drago Mangrove Forests Based On Salinity And Seaward Proximity, Fiona Wyrtzen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Mangrove forests, at the intersection of land and sea, are considered one of the most important marine environments for their variety of ecosystem services and their ability to sequester large amounts of carbon in their biomass and adjacent soils. With a changing climate, many of the abiotic and biotic factors influencing mangroves will begin to shift, potentially impacting resilience, growth capacity, and distribution of mangroves worldwide. This study aimed to examine the influence of changing salinity on the carbon stock capacity for Rhizophora mangle and Laguncularia racemosa forests, and the distribution of biomass in each species relative to salinity in …

Assessing The Performance Of Agricultural Systems In The Inland And Coastal Regions Of Northern Portugal Using Indicators: Establishing The Foundation Towards Better Agricultural Practices, Genevieve Gehlken

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study conducts a comprehensive evaluation of agricultural systems in the distinct coastal and inland regions of Northern Portugal. Employing key indicators, including soil erosion, nitrogen surplus, irrigation practices, Agricultural Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and crop yield, the analysis reveals statistically significant disparities and unique challenges in each region. The coastal areas, marked by higher agricultural GDP, exhibit distinct economic dependencies on agriculture, while the inland regions face challenges related to water scarcity, soil erosion, and rural isolation. The looming threat of climate change adds complexity to these dynamics, further highlighting the need for region-specific, sustainable agricultural practices. In the …

“Without Water, Nothing”: Examining The Water Saving Practices Of Women In Amman Under Periodic Water Supply, Rory Dixon

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Jordan is among the most water-scarce countries in the world. Consequently, water is only pumped to households once a week and households store water in tanks to last them until the next water day. Women conducting housework do so under conditions of environmental stress that this research calls resource-scarce domestic labor. In this study, I apply an eco-feminist lens to examine the water-saving practices women employ to manage and conserve domestic water supplies. I explore the larger causes of these behaviors including climate change, government management, and regional politics. Resource-scarce domestic labor is not a practice unique to Jordan and …

Representations And Realities: Misali Island's Biodiversity In Hybrid Narratives, Justin Ross Whitney

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are complex organisms that ebb and flow between strict and unyielding conservation doctrines often at the cost of community engagement. Misali Island is different. Conceived and advocated for by community members, this organism has navigated a tumultuous tenure of environmental degradation, periods of high and low funding, and a looming tourism presence. On top of these challenges has been a growing fishing community attempting to share in the bounty of this shockingly biodiverse setting. This study sorts through the grey space of Misali Island by applying a hybrid narrative that interfaces the marine context of the …

Always Sunny In Zanzibar: Exploring Solar Power On The Island, Quinn Brannan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As Zanzibar continues along its developmental path, the island’s energy infrastructure takes on a central role in future plans for growth. Critically, as the population grows and tourist presence is predicted to increase, the island is presented with the combined problem of supplying a greater volume of energy, while also providing a more reliable source to its existing populace. In this study, I will examine existing solar energy systems for capacity, accessibility, and reliability, as well as evaluate their efficacy in providing a functional source of power, both now and in the future. I conduct interviews with assorted stakeholders in …

A Reflection Of Change: Evolutions In International Water Law Principles Through The Lens Of Euphrates-Tigris Dispute, Maeve Sullivan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As climate change intensifies, water scarcity will increase. Coupled with a growing global population, water security is a major modern challenge. To bring stability to international watercourses, states must establish effective sharing agreements. On this matter, international water law can help. International water law captures some of the major principles and considerations that states must account for while considering issues related to water security. This paper uses primary interviews and secondary sources to identify some of the major characteristics, features, and developments in international law to develop a conceptual framework for the topic. It then moves into a case study …

A New View Of Chlorophyll Dynamics In The Southern Mid-Atlantic Bight From A Two-Year High-Resolution Spray Glider Survey, Francesco Lane

OES Theses and Dissertations

The southern Mid-Atlantic Bight (MAB) near Cape Hatteras, NC, USA, is likely a hotspot for the episodic export of carbon-rich shelf waters to the open ocean. Over a 2 year period, from March 2017 to May 2019, Spray gliders repeatedly occupied transects, along the slope and across the shelf, generating high-resolution chlorophyll fluorescence (fChl) data in the southern MAB. This study implements an fChl calibration method utilizing remotely sensing ocean color as a standard. We validate the method’s utility by demonstrating a reduction in post-calibration cross-mission fChl variability and demonstrating close correspondence between the calibrated fChl data and an in …

Do Microplastics, Vibrio Bacteria, And Warming Water Temperatures Cause Disease In The Northern Star Coral, Astrangia Poculata?, Heather Leigh Sheffey

OES Theses and Dissertations

As marine plastic pollution increases, it becomes imperative to study the effects of microplastics on marine fauna. Marine plastic debris is a vector for disease to marine invertebrates (Lamb et al., 2018; Rotjan et al., 2019). In this context, studies have shown Astrangia poculata will consume microplastics as they do their normal food (Allen et al, 2017; Rotjan et al., 2019). Further, with temperatures increasing worldwide, there is a concern the virulence of disease-causing bacteria will increase (Vezzulli et al., 2015). In a series of manipulative laboratory experiments, this study quantified changes in respiration rates and visual health of Astrangia …

Rapid Approach For Assessing An Unregulated Fishery Using A Series Of Data-Limited Tools, Carissa L. Gervasi, Mandy Karnauskas, Adyan Rios, Rolando O. Santos, W. Ryan James, Ryan J. Rezek, Jennifer S. Rehage

Marine Science

Objective: Fisheries provide countless benefits to human populations but face many threats ranging from climate change to overfishing. Despite these threats and an increase in fishing pressure globally, most stocks remain unassessed and data limited. An abundance of data-limited assessment methods exists, but each has different data requirements, caveats, and limitations. Furthermore, developing informative model priors can be difficult when little is known about the stock, and uncertain model parameters could create misleading results about stock status. Our research illustrates an approach for rapidly creating robust initial assessments of unregulated and data-limited fisheries without the need for additional data collection. …

Við Pollurinn: The Effects Of Human-Caused Stimuli On Harbor Seals (Phoca Vitulina) In Ísafjörður, Ella Jorgensen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Harbor seals are important for the health of Iceland’s marine ecosystems. They are normally seen hauled-out onto land to rest. There are many factors that affect the haul-out patterns of harbor seals including location, season, time of day, tide height, weather, and human-caused stimuli. The presence of human-caused stimuli can also have a negative impact on haul-out patterns and behaviors. The Icelandic harbor seal population is threatened as it has been declining since 1980. Climate change and the rise of tourism in Iceland may be a factor contributing to this decline; and there is a gap in knowledge on the …

Considering Equity In Infrastructure Planning Processes And Outcomes For Coastal Resilience, Wie Yusuf, Marina Saitgalina, Tom Allen, Nicole S. Hutton, Jennifer L. Whytlaw, Joshua Behr

School of Public Service Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Robocat: An Autonomous Surface Vehicle (Asv) For Near-Surface Hydrodynamic Measurements In Buoyant Plumes. Development And Case Study, Christopher Tom Papageorgiou

Theses and Dissertations

The study of near surface processes in plumes and other stratified environments requires the collection of hydrodynamic and hydrographic data near the sea surface at high temporal and spatial (in the vertical) resolution. This need led to the design and development of a low-cost autonomous surface vehicle (ASV) equipped with a 5-beam acoustic Doppler current profiler (Nortek 1000 Signature) capable of measuring the vertical structure of both mean flow and turbulence dissipation rate (ε) as close as 30 cm below the sea surface. The ASV is a small catamaran-like platform propelled by four thrusters arranged in an Omni-X configuration, to …

Analyzing The Ramifications Of Climate Change On Mental Health, Salvatore A. Medori

Student Publications

When thinking about the vast array of impacts that the climate crisis has on humanity, there are many things that come to mind, but mental health impacts are likely not one of them. Even though research demonstrates that mental effects from any form of disaster far exceed the physical health implications mental health impacts of the largest disaster facing humanity since the Second World War are rarely considered at all, let alone when solutions are being created. This has led to a hidden crisis emerging underneath an even larger crisis, with serious consequences for most individuals across the globe. The …

Flujos De Servicios Ecosistémicos En Un Área Marina Protegida Del Atlántico Sur: Perspectivas Desde El Análisis De La Teoría De Redes, Mitch Porter

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

En cuestiones de gestión de áreas protegidas, los servicios ecosistémicos se tienen cada vez más en cuenta junto con la conservación de la biodiversidad. Sin embargo, las decisiones que se toman sobre la conservación de los servicios ecosistémicos no suelen incluir los posibles efectos en cascada de la pérdida de biodiversidad sobre la provisión de servicios. Los conocimientos de la teoría de redes y los estudios de robustez pueden proporcionar una metodología para evaluar la vulnerabilidad de estos servicios frente la estructura trófica de los ecosistemas que los proveen. A través de una serie de simulaciones de extinción para la …

Climate Change, Malnutrition, And Hiv: The Impact Of Food Insecurity On Hiv Response In Sub-Saharan Africa, Olivia Walshak

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Climate change is a key driver of an unprecedented global food crisis, exacerbated by rising temperatures and the vulnerability of crop yields. Sub-Saharan Africa is particularly susceptible, and case studies demonstrate the fragility of food systems in the region, leading to severe food insecurity and famine in the face of climate shocks.

There are a variety of health implications, particularly the syndemic relationship between malnutrition and HIV. HIV interacts bidirectionally with malnutrition, creating a vicious cycle of poor clinical outcomes. Expanding access to antiretroviral therapy in Sub-Saharan Africa is hindered by rampant food insecurity, including inadequate food intake, reduced dietary …

Carbon Credibility: Strategic Opportunities For Asean Regional Industrial Policy In Voluntary Carbon Markets, Bryan Jed Soh

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Carbon offsets have come under increasing scrutiny due to uncertainties in real carbon abatement, transparency, and fears that it will exacerbate global inequality by allowing the global North to ‘pay to pollute’ through ethically questionable projects in the South. Following Article 2.1.C of the Paris Agreement, this paper argues that the global green transition requires private capital to be fully mobilized through voluntary carbon markets (VCMs). Given that ASEAN states face some of the world’s greatest climate risks while being a fast-growing region, this case study answers the question: how can states play a more proactive role in regulating VCMs …

Organism Communities On Giant Clam Shells As Compared To The Surrounding Substrate In Reefs Around Lizard Island, Queensland, Gayatri Singla

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Coral reef ecosystems are facing destruction at the hands of anthropogenic climate change. Therefore, it is essential that we move to better understand the ecosystem functions of the organisms present in reefs. One such family whose ecosystem function we are unfamiliar with are the giant clams (family Cardiidae). As unique and abundant macrofauna, they have the potential to play an important role in their environment. The goal of our study was to determine how giant clams function as settlement substrata. We conducted 151 observational surveys of epibionts residing on living giant clam shells and of the organism communities in the …

Patrimonio Cultural, Arqueología, Medio Ambiente Y Economía: ¿Cómo Ha Afectado La Construcción Del Aeropuerto Internacional De Chinchero-Cusco A Las Comunidades Y La Tierra De Chinchero?, Sydney Berenson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

La urbanización gubernamental ha sido un problema para las poblaciones indígenas, el medio ambiente y la protección del patrimonio cultural durante numerosos años en todo el Perú. Más recientemente, en la pequeña ciudad de Chinchero, ubicada a unos 30 kilómetros al noroeste de Cusco, se está construyendo un nuevo aeropuerto internacional, Aeropuerto Internacional de Chinchero-Cusco (AICC), para reemplazar el actual aeropuerto nacional de Cusco. Chinchero es un importante centro urbano que está conformado por 13 comunidades campesinas que participan en la industria agrícola de la región, además consta con una importante comunidad artesanal, ruinas arqueológicas precolombinas y una gran biodiversidad. …

2023 October - Tennessee Monthly Climate Report, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Monthly Reports

No abstract provided.

Understanding The Role Of The Jet Streams And Gulf Stream Eddies On The Northwest Atlantic Marine Heatwaves, Lydia Rose Duncan Sims

Theses and Dissertations

The Northwest (NW) Atlantic is one of the fastest warming regions in the global ocean and in the recent decade has experienced several extreme temperature events. These extreme anomalous temperature events are known as Marine Heatwaves (MHWs), which are forced by a variety of physical processes that affect the heat source and sink of the water column. These MHWs have been increasing globally in duration and frequency due to anthropogenic warming, and have increased ecological damage seen in mass mortality events of economically viable species. Within the NW Atlantic, several key processes encourage the formation of MHWs, such as the …

Lightning Forecast From Chaotic And Incomplete Time Series Using Wavelet De-Noising And Spatiotemporal Kriging, Jared K. Nystrom, Raymond Hill, Andrew J. Geyer, Joseph J. Pignatiello Jr., Eric Chicken

Faculty Publications

Purpose: Present a method to impute missing data from a chaotic time series, in this case lightning prediction data, and then use that completed dataset to create lightning prediction forecasts.

Design/Methodology/Approach: Using the technique of spatiotemporal kriging to estimate data that is autocorrelated but in space and time. Using the estimated data in an imputation methodology completes a dataset used in lighting prediction.

Findings: The techniques provided prove robust to the chaotic nature of the data, and the resulting time series displays evidence of smoothing while also preserving the signal of interest for lightning prediction.

Abstract © Emerald Publishing …

Organic Carbon Decay Mediated By Mesopelagic Microbial Communities, Noah Jonathan Craft

OES Theses and Dissertations

Substantial remineralization of organic carbon occurs in the mesopelagic zone (i.e., the biological pump), the efficiency of which is responsible for the oceans’ capacity to store carbon originally derived from the atmosphere. To better understand how a substrate’s composition influences its degradation by mesopelagic microbial communities, we added treatments made of live algal cells, dead particulate organic carbon and dissolved organic carbon from ¹⁴C-labeled algal cultures to mesopelagic water collected in-situ. Each incubation took place in the laboratory over a period of months, during which PO¹⁴C, DO¹⁴C, ATP, prokaryote abundances and biochemical fractions were measured. …

Design Of A Cooling System Integrated With Ultraviolet Light For Preservation Of Fruits And Vegetables At Variable Tropical Weather Conditions: A Case Study Of Arusha, Tanzania, John Pyuza Gunda, Alexander Pogrebnoi, Baraka Kichonge

Tanzania Journal of Science

Post-harvest losses of fruits and vegetables pose significant challenges, especially in tropical climates. This study introduces the development and performance evaluation of a solar-powered evaporative cooling storage system integrated with ultraviolet light (UV) designed for preservation of perishable fruits and vegetables. The cooling chamber supplied with ultraviolet lamp was developed using locally available materials such as sisal, sponge, and bricks. The performance of the system was evaluated in terms of air temperature decrease, relative humidity increase, and evaporative cooling power capacity both for sunny and cloudy tropical weather conditions. The study reveals that activating the UV light considerably extends the …

Wind Speed Forecasting Using Wavelet Analysis And Recurrent Artificial Neural Networks Based On Local Measurements In Singida Region, Tanzania, Rajabu J. Mangara, Mwingereza J. Kumwenda

Tanzania Journal of Science

High accuracy wind speed forecasting is essential for wind energy harvest and plays a significant role in wind farm management and grid integration. Wind speed is intermittent in nature, which makes the forecasting to be a big challenge. In the present study, three hybrid single-step wind speed forecasting techniques are proposed and tested by local measurement data in Singida region, Tanzania. The three techniques are based on Wavelet Analysis (WA), Back Propagation (BP) optimization algorithm, and Recurrent Neural Network (RNN). They are referred to as WA-RNN, BP-RNN, and WA-BP-RNN. The model results showed that WA-BP-RNN outperforms the other two proposed …

2023 September 28 - Tennessee Weekly Drought Summary, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Weekly Drought Summaries

No abstract provided.

On The Propagation Of Whistler-Mode Waves In The 2 Magnetic Ducts, Salman A. Nejad, Anatoly V. Streltsov

Publications

This paper studies extremely-low frequency (ELF) whistler-mode waves’ behavior within small-scale magnetic field irregularities in the Earth’s magnetosphere, known as magnetic ducts. Based on the magnetic fields’ magnitude inside and outside these ducts, they are categorized as high-magnetic ducts (HBD) and low-magnetic ducts (LBD). Using the whistler-mode dispersion relation analysis, our primary focus is to show that LBDs are prone to leak electromagnetic energy outside the duct. We further investigate the hypothesis that whistlers can propagate within LBDs without any signal loss when the width of the duct corresponds to an integer multiple of the perpendicular wavelengths of the waves …

A "Boreing" Night Of Observations Of The Upper Mesosphere And Lower Thermosphere Over The Andes Lidar Observatory, J. H. Hecht, Alan Liu, D. C. Fritts, R. L. Walterscheid, L. J. Gelinas, R. J. Rudy

Publications

A very high-spatial resolution (∼21-23 m pixel at 85 km altitude) OH airglow imager at the Andes Lidar Observatory at Cerro Pach´on, Chile observed considerable ducted wave activity on the night of October 29-30, 2016. This instrument was collocated with a Na wind-temperature lidar that provided data revealing the occurrence of strong ducts. A large field of view OH and greenline airglow imager showed waves present over a vertical extent consistent with the altitudes of the ducting features identified in the lidar profiles. While waves that appeared to be ducted were seen in all imagers throughout the observation interval, the …

2023 September 21 - Tennessee Weekly Drought Summary, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Weekly Drought Summaries

No abstract provided.

Main Climate Change Characteristics And Disaster Risks Oriented Towards Carbon Neutrality Over The Belt And Road Regions, Jingyong Zhang, Jing He, Lixia Zhang, Zhencai Du, Renqiang Li, Ming Xu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Climate change has been widely recognized as one of most severe risks that the world faces. The recent 50 years are the warmest period in the last 2 000 years with respect to surface temperature averaged over the Belt and Road regions, which is mainly attributed to continuously increasing and accumulating of carbon emissions from human activities. Since the 1980s, over the Belt and Road regions mean climate change is characterized as surface warming at a faster rate, increased precipitation and evaporation, and accelerated sea level rise among others, and extreme weather and climate events such as hot extremes, rainstorms …