Ecospiritual Entanglement,
2025
Rhode Island School of Design
Ecospiritual Entanglement, Ali Vedad Yüner
Masters Theses
Land breeds culture. It gives us the resources to thrive, and in that process we establish a relationship with its constituents. With a multitude of beings inhabiting the land, a complex web of relationships develop. Biology describes these relationships as food webs; the mass entanglement of organisms in a manner that each organism nourishes the other. These webs are not just mere scientific structures but rather an interpretation of existential connections that every organism in the world, humans included, are indebted to. Food webs are the first stepping stone in the formation of culture, as they account for the engagement …
Advancing Butterfly Systematics Through Genomic Analysis,
2025
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Advancing Butterfly Systematics Through Genomic Analysis, Jing Zhang, Qian Cong, Jinhui Shen, Leina Song, Nick V. Grishin
The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey
Within the framework of an ongoing comparative genomic study of global butterfly diversity, we construct phylogenetic trees combining all protein-coding genes assembled from the whole genome shotgun data. When viewed in the context of current taxonomy and phenotypic knowledge, the genome-wide phylogeny points to further advances in butterfly systematics, which are presented here. We assign major clades with comparable levels of genetic divergence to the same taxonomic rank and apply criteria involving relative population divergence and gene flow to define species boundaries. As a result, one genus, 13 subgenera, 62 species, and five subspecies are proposed as new (type species …
Analyzing Ballast Water Treatments, Invasive Species, And Pathogens, And A Decade-Long Analysis On The San Francisco And Baltimore Ports,
2025
I am a recent graduate
Analyzing Ballast Water Treatments, Invasive Species, And Pathogens, And A Decade-Long Analysis On The San Francisco And Baltimore Ports, Jasmin Ibarra-Cortes
Master's Projects and Capstones
Installation of advanced technologies to treat ballast water on ships is necessary to meet current ballast water management standards and reduce the secondary spread of invasive species during intracoastal voyages. This research includes a literature review on non-native aquatic species, particularly diapausing eggs, and available treatment methods for installation. A comparative analysis from 2014 - 2024 on bulker, tanker, and container vessels arriving coastwise to the ports of San Francisco and Baltimore was performed to evaluate treatment installation trends, traffic patterns, and the effectiveness of treatment(s) on targeting diapausing eggs. Use of ultraviolet (UV) radiation combined with filtration has increased …
Microbial Biodiversity Of The James River Rock Pool Ecosystem.,
2025
James Madison University
Microbial Biodiversity Of The James River Rock Pool Ecosystem., Jordan C. Heydt
Masters Theses, 2020-current
Rock pools are ephemeral aquatic environments that offer a unique opportunity to study complex communities and their responses to environmental changes. The urban James River rock pool system consists of over 700 individual rock pools varying in size and depth. This unique urban freshwater ecosystem has been studied for its invertebrate, plant, and zooplankton populations but not for its microbial community composition. To fill that gap, the microbial community of this system was characterized using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and the influence of environmental variables on the community composition was analyzed. Our findings show variation in microbial community composition across …
Assisted Reproductive Technologies For Southern Cricket Frogs (Acris Gryllus),
2025
University of Mississippi
Assisted Reproductive Technologies For Southern Cricket Frogs (Acris Gryllus), Audrey Grace Koltz
Honors Theses
Amphibians are facing the most drastic biodiversity declines of all vertebrates, with an estimated 41% of amphibians threatened with extinction. Captive breeding programs employ a variety of assisted reproductive technologies including environmental manipulation, hormonal therapies, artificial fertilization, and gamete preservation to augment vulnerable populations and optimize genetic diversity. Amphibians require a species-specific combination of environmental, social, and physiological cues to reproduce, which makes universal and successful captive breeding programs especially elusive. Here, I investigate assisted reproductive technologies for a small frog species, the southern cricket frog (Acris gryllus). Establishing successful methods for southern cricket frogs may yield promising results for …
Impact Of Unconventional Gas Extraction On Tributaries Of Tenmile Creek, Greene County, Pennsylvania: A 12-Year Perspective,
2025
Duquesne University
Impact Of Unconventional Gas Extraction On Tributaries Of Tenmile Creek, Greene County, Pennsylvania: A 12-Year Perspective, Christian L. Beall
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Much of southwestern Pennsylvania has been central to a rapid increase in development for unconventional natural gas extraction in the past two decades. The continued monitoring of streams over their lifetime as extraction sites is pivotal to understanding the effects of fracking on local waterways and their ability to provide for wildlife and human use. Here, using multiple indices of biotic integrity (IBI), I perform analyses of fish and macroinvertebrate communities as well as water chemistry on two streams, Bates Fork (with shale wells) and Fonner Run (without), as part of a follow-up to work performed there from 2010-2012. Fish …
Demography Of Alligator Snapping Turtles (Macrochelys Temminckii) Along A Fishing Pressure Gradient,
2025
Stephen F Austin State University
Demography Of Alligator Snapping Turtles (Macrochelys Temminckii) Along A Fishing Pressure Gradient, Luke T. Micek
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Passive fishing gear is a threat to the alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii). The spatio-temporal persistence of this threat and its impacts on M. temminckii populations has not been quantified. I quantified the density of passive fishing gear and the demographic parameters of M. temminckii along a fishing pressure gradient in East Texas streams. Most gear was abandoned and illegally deployed, with densities varying seasonally. Detectability of passive fishing gear declined with increasing gear age, water depth, and volume, but increased with increasing precipitation. Macrochelys temminckii catch per unit effort, abundance, and survival was lower at sites with …
Patterns Of Taxonomic, Functional, And Phylogenetic Diversity, And Ecological Drivers Of Stream Fish Assemblages In East Texas,
2025
Stephen F Austin State University
Patterns Of Taxonomic, Functional, And Phylogenetic Diversity, And Ecological Drivers Of Stream Fish Assemblages In East Texas, Anastasia M. Umstott
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Freshwater ecosystems in East Texas contain a rich freshwater biodiversity, with the Neches and Sabine River basins supporting some of the greatest freshwater fish diversity in the state. Given the heterogeneity of habitats and species diversity, these rivers serve as excellent natural systems for examining the ecological processes shaping biodiversity patterns and species distributions. In 2023-2024, 60 streams in the Neches and Sabine River basins were surveyed across three seasons to investigate the patterns and ecological drivers of taxonomic (TDβ), functional (FDβ), and phylogenetic β-diversity (PDβ) facets of freshwater fish assemblages. Additionally, I created two ecological niche models for a …
Monitoring Mangrove Dynamics And Evaluating Future Afforestation Potential In The Egyptian Red Sea,
2025
Damietta University
Monitoring Mangrove Dynamics And Evaluating Future Afforestation Potential In The Egyptian Red Sea, Rasha M. Abou Samra, Mansour Almazroui, Wenzhao Li, Hesham El-Askary
Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research
Mangrove forests are vital for ecosystem services and coastal management but face stressors from anthropogenic activities and climate change. This study estimates the extent and afforestation potential of mangroves along the Egyptian Red Sea coast from 1984 to 2022 using NDVI derived from Landsat-5 and Sentinel-2 data in Google Earth Engine. Aboveground biomass (AGB), belowground biomass (BGB), carbon (C) stock, and CO2 sequestration potential were evaluated using Sentinel-2 and elevation data. Future afforestation suitability (2020–2050) under SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 scenarios was assessed with the MaxEnt model. Mangrove area increased from 0.95 km2 in 1984 to 1.46 km2 …
Genomic Structure Among Populations Of A Regionally Rare Perennial Plant Indicates The Need For Reevaluation Of Management Units,
2025
Bucknell University
Genomic Structure Among Populations Of A Regionally Rare Perennial Plant Indicates The Need For Reevaluation Of Management Units, Cheyenne Moore, Angela J. Mcdonnell, Scott Schuette, Christopher T. Martine
Faculty Journal Articles
Conservation of rare species often relies on the delineation of management units and genomic tools can now be applied for this purpose. However, this is not as common on a local scale, where populations are often small and fragmented, despite the utility of informing conservation and management practice at the regional level. We use a genotyping by sequencing (GBS) approach to assess the perennial riparian plant species Baptisia australis (Fabaceae) in Pennsylvania, where the taxon is at the edge of its natural distribution and considered threatened. In this system, we investigate whether sampled subpopulations exhibit genetic structure. We find that …
Ghosts In Glass: Ghost Crabs (Ocypode Quadrata) As Judges Of Glass Sand For Coastal Restoration,
2025
University of South Alabama
Ghosts In Glass: Ghost Crabs (Ocypode Quadrata) As Judges Of Glass Sand For Coastal Restoration, Emily Parrish
Poster Presentations
Coastal erosion is heavily impacting coastal ecosystems across the Gulf. For instance, the state of Louisiana loses a football field worth of land every 100 minutes (Couvillion, 2017). The drastic loss of coastline highlights the dire need for restoration in the Northern Gulf Coast. An unexpected solution to this sediment loss may solve two major environmental issues at once by diverting millions of tons of glass waste from entering America’s landfills each year. By crushing glass to create sand and gravel for coastal restoration, we may generate a consistent and sustainable source of substrate. Our goal is to determine the …
The Impact Of Maternal Age On The Expression Of Transgenerational Plasticity In Daphnia Pulicaria,
2025
University of Texas at Arlington
The Impact Of Maternal Age On The Expression Of Transgenerational Plasticity In Daphnia Pulicaria, Calvin Nguyen
2025 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive
Transgenerational plasticity refers to heritable, non-genetic changes in phenotype that persist across multiple generations and can enhance offspring survivability in variable environments. In Daphnia, increasing maternal age has been associated with maladaptive plasticity. To investigate this relationship, six clones were collected from two Wisconsin lakes and acclimated to laboratory conditions through a common garden rearing process. For each clone, ten replicates were generated and evenly divided between young (clutches 2–4) and old (clutches 5–8) maternal age groups. Offspring were exposed to three dietary treatments for three experimental generations: one fed only green algae, one fed only cyanobacteria (a nutritionally …
Quantifying Freshwater Salinization Impacts On Nitrate Removal Via Denitrification In Urban Streams,
2025
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Quantifying Freshwater Salinization Impacts On Nitrate Removal Via Denitrification In Urban Streams, Brynnen Beck
Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses
As the urban world expands, the construction of impervious surfaces increases erosion and runoff into nearby streams. Urbanization also adds waste from human activity into the environment. One of these wastes is runoff from road salt application in winter months, which can increase stream salinization and interfere with other important ecological processes, such as denitrification. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare nitrate removal via denitrification between two urban streams to understand the role of road salts in freshwater salinization. We compared conductivity measurements between the streams to see how background conductivity (a proxy for salinity) influences resilience …
Morphology Of Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus Dolomieu) In Arkansas,
2025
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Morphology Of Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus Dolomieu) In Arkansas, Robert Laroche
Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses
The Smallmouth Bass, Micropterus dolomieu, is one of the most important game fishes in Arkansas. Three distinct lineages are recognized from different river basins: the Northern, Neosho, and Ouachita Smallmouth Bass. Understanding the biodiversity within this species complex inhabiting different water bodies in Arkansas is important for effective management of the fisheries resource and to guide conservation efforts. But current data on distribution of distinct forms are insufficient to guide management. The primary goals of the study presented here was to quantify morphological characteristics to identify distinct lineages of Smallmouth Bass, and to determine their specific locations within Arkansas streams …
Assessment Of Lake Salvador Shoreline Dynamics To Support Restoration Of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation In Jean Lafitte National Historical Park And Preserve, Louisiana,
2025
University of New Orleans
Assessment Of Lake Salvador Shoreline Dynamics To Support Restoration Of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation In Jean Lafitte National Historical Park And Preserve, Louisiana, Lydia V. Dipaola
LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations
High wave energy degrades shoreline habitat between Lake Salvador and Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve (JELA), Louisiana. JELA constructed a northern breakwater in 2004, and a southern breakwater in 2024 to protect the shoreline and promote restoration of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV). This study analyzes Sentinel-2 imagery to quantify coastal loss along the JELA-Lake Salvador using the Change Polygon Approach, assessing annual, cumulative and major storm event-associated shoreline changes for January 2017-2025. SAV cover, nekton diversity, wave energy, and turbidity were measured before-and-after southern breakwater construction to monitor ecological and environmental outcomes. The JELA-Lake Salvador shoreline has lost …
Ghosts In Glass: Ghost Crabs As Judges Of Glass Sand For Coastal Restoration,
2025
University of South Alabama
Ghosts In Glass: Ghost Crabs As Judges Of Glass Sand For Coastal Restoration, Emily Parrish
Honors Theses
Over 60% of the Gulf of Mexico coastline is actively eroding, which has resulted in thousands of miles of lost coastline over the last 100 years. This drastic loss of coastal land highlights the dire need for coastal restoration across the entirety of the Gulf Coast. A vital aspect of restoring these eroded areas is replenishing eroded substrate, traditionally conducted through offshore dredging of substrates which comes with high economic and ecological costs. Recycled glass sand may be able to fill this role and reduce our reliance on dredging while lowering the amount of glass waste entering landfills each year. …
Population Estimates, Demography, And Habitat Assessment Of The Pearl River Map Turtle (Graptemys Pearlensis) In The Pearl River Drainage Of Mississippi,
2025
The University of Southern Mississippi
Population Estimates, Demography, And Habitat Assessment Of The Pearl River Map Turtle (Graptemys Pearlensis) In The Pearl River Drainage Of Mississippi, Noah Devros
Master's Theses
The Pearl River map turtle (Graptemys pearlensis) is a highly riverine Emydid endemic to the Pearl River drainage of central and southern Mississippi and southern Louisiana. First described in 2010, G. pearlensis was listed as federally Threatened in 2024. . Due to its relative novelty as a species, no rigorous site-specific population estimates of G. pearlensis in Mississippi have been conducted. The primary goal of this study was to implement a replicable method of assessing the population of G. pearlensis throughout the Pearl River drainage system of Mississippi. A secondary goal was to describe habitat associated with G. …
Sibship Analysis Of Fall And Spring Spawn Gulf Sturgeon Eggs In The Choctawhatchee River, Florida,
2025
The University of Southern Mississippi
Sibship Analysis Of Fall And Spring Spawn Gulf Sturgeon Eggs In The Choctawhatchee River, Florida, Lyric Mccullouch
Honors Theses
The Gulf sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi) is an anadromous species that inhabits rivers along the northern Gulf of Mexico. Facing challenges from overfishing and habitat alteration, the Gulf sturgeon is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. This study investigated the genetic distinctiveness of fall and spring spawning groups of Gulf sturgeon in the Choctawhatchee River, a critical habitat for the species. In this study, I used microsatellite loci to analyze Gulf sturgeon eggs previously collected in the fall and spring of 2019 and 2020. The goals of this study were to verify the genetic identity of …
Patterns Of Fire History And Vegetation Changes In The Last 5000 Years: A Paleoecological Study Of Iquitos,
2025
Florida Institute of Technology
Patterns Of Fire History And Vegetation Changes In The Last 5000 Years: A Paleoecological Study Of Iquitos, Annabel Zwarts
Theses and Dissertations
The vegetation of the Amazonian rainforest is hypothesized to have been shaped by pre-Columbian activities, such as burning and palm management to various extents. Management of palms is hypothesized to have caused some of the most useful species to become hyperdominant in Amazonia. This study investigated the extent to which human activities over the past 5000 years affected palm abundances in mature lowland rainforests near Iquitos, Peru. I used phytoliths and charcoal from soil cores to determine the history of local floras, and modern palm surveys to compare modern phytolith occurrence with modern vegetation. Because pre-Columbian activity clustered along the …
Walleye And Sauger Movement And Entrainment In Lewis And Clark Lake,
2025
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Walleye And Sauger Movement And Entrainment In Lewis And Clark Lake, William Joseph Radigan
Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–
Walleye Sander vitreus and Sauger Sander canadensis are both socioeconomically important sportfish species in Lewis and Clark Lake, an interjurisdictionally managed mainstem Missouri River reservoir fishery. Since 2011, adult catch per unit effort (CPUE) of both Walleye and Sauger has remained at approximately 50% of pre-2011 levels. A presumed reason for the suppressed CPUE of adult Walleye and Sauger is substantial entrainment of larval and adult fish resulting from the reservoir’s high turnover rate (7.2 d). Acoustic telemetry was used to quantify adult movement and entrainment and ichthyoplankton trawls were used to assess larval entrainment. Relative importance of factors driving …
