19468 research outputs found
Sort by
Chesapeake Bay Life Cycles
No full textGrades: 4. Subjects: Life Science | Biology | Oceanography Use reading and comprehension to explore animal and plant life cycles Simulate a blue crab populationVirginia Institute of Marine Scienc
“The History of Our History”: The Preservation and Development of the College of William & Mary’s Wren Building as an Historic Site
No full textThe Wren Building has been the core of the College of William & Mary for as long as it has operated. The history of the building is inseparable from that of the College. The traditions, politics, relationships, and events that make up the history of William & Mary have played out within the walls of the Wren Building—the tangible testimony of the College that has existed since the seventeenth century. For the William & Mary community, to understand the history of the Wren Building is also to understand its own identity. As such, examining the evolution of the conceptualization, preservation, and interpretation of the Wren Building as a historic site is of the utmost importance as it reflects the changing nature of the College and its place in the United States and the world. Through the lens of both public history and historical memory, this thesis traces the birth and life of a beloved historic site: one that emerged from a charred ruin after the Civil War, became the cornerstone of one of the most ambitious preservation projects in American History, and was the stage on which changing notions of historic interpretation in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries have played out.HistoryBachelors of Arts (BA
Domestic Study Away in Higher Education: A Systematic Literature Review
No full textThe recent COVID-19 pandemic and an emphasis on improving access to international education experiences have spurred researchers and practitioners to consider global experiences without international travel. Domestic study away programs can broaden access to intercultural learning for postsecondary students. This systematic literature review, the first known attempt to review the literature on study away, explores how researchers and professionals have previously discussed these opportunities. We draw from 59 publications to understand how study away is defined; conceptual, theoretical, and methodological approaches to investigating study away; common programmatic features; and learning outcomes. We find that study away is often ill-defined, and many empirical publications do not utilize theoretical or conceptual frameworks in their exploration. Learning outcomes attributed to study away were most commonly either psychosocial or related to attitudes and values. Based on our findings, we provide recommendations for researchers and practitioners and highlight directions for future work.Educatio
Drivers Of Elevation Change In A Retreating Coastal Forest
No full textWith a diminishing sediment supply and accelerating rates of sea level rise, the future of coastal marshes increasingly depends on their ability to migrate to adjacent higher elevations. Future projections of global marsh extent suggest that marshes could expand by up to 60% or contract by up to 90% depending on the success of that migration. These projections assume a static topography, where the gradual inundation of a passive terrestrial landscape results in widespread conversion of uplands to marsh. However, coastal ecosystems dynamically respond to increases in inundation through vertical accretion and enhanced belowground productivity. Similarly, coastal upland forests may gain elevation through enhanced litter deposition and belowground productivity of transitional species such as Phragmites australis and Morella cerifera or subside due to flooding induced tree root zone collapse. In this study, I expand the coastal geomorphic framework into a salt impacted transitional forest using a series of Surface Elevation Tables (SETs) across a gradient of salinity and inundation stress to better understand the processes controlling coastal forest elevation. My study found that over short timescales, salt impacted forest soils are stable, exhibiting little to no total elevation change. However, this stability was a result of greater than expected, but offsetting rates of accretion and subsidence. Documented accretion rates in both high and mid forest zones exceeded nearby high marsh and were strongly correlated with the total cover of Morella shrubs. Subsidence, attributed to root zone collapse, was maximized in the high forest and minimized at lower elevations partially due to sub-root zone expansion. This study shows that conversion of forested upland to high marsh ultimately increases elevation change rate through both the minimization of subsidence and increase in surface accretion. Thus, the incorporation of a dynamic upland topography may better predict future marsh extent.Virginia Institute of Marine ScienceMaster of Science (M.Sc.
God and True Being: Loving in Freedom
No full textThis work will seek to outline a metaphysic of love in Apocalyptic/Barthian Christian theology by using Martin Heidegger’s phenomenology. Apocalyptic/Barthian Christianity is a school of thought within Protestant theology which was spearheaded by Karl Barth. The core tenet is the centrality of Jesus Christ to all forms of knowledge. God chose to reveal himself through the history of Christ, and thus it is theology’s goal to redirect all of its truth valuations to this revelation. Christ’s death was the most important, because God separated Himself from Himself in the greatest act of pain for any created being—God’s love is best understood through His own decision to become humiliated and suffer for the sake of humanity. The essay begins in the realm of abstract contemplation of God’s triune form. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are defined entirely by their relationship with each other. Love begins in God, because it is defined through God’s relationship with Himself. Humans can only mirror this relationship in their pursuit of authentic love, they cannot foster it. Heidegger’s phenomenology comes into play when trying to find more concretely how this love manifests itself in relationships. Heidegger posited that human being is itself existence. We are defined primarily by our actions and relationships. The most important factor of our existence is the way we exist with other people. It is the goal of this essay to take Heidegger’s framework of being and combine it with Barthian theology to show that true being is encountered in relationships which mirror the Trinity.Religious StudiesBachelors of Arts (BA
GIS Data: 2024 City of Hampton, Virginia. Shoreline Inventory, Coastal Natural Buffers, & Marsh Migration Corridors
No full textGeodatabase: Hampton_ShlInventory_NatBuffers_MarshCorridors_2024
Feature classes.
Hampton_BankHeightSlope_2024 - a polyline feature class
containing bank height category and slope for segments of the upland
shoreline.
Hampton_RecreationalStructures_2024 - a polygon feature class
with locations of docks, community docks, dilapidated docks, private
and public boat ramps, jetties, marinas ( 50 slips), and
wharves.
Hampton_ErosionControlStructures_2024_Line (Shoreline
Protection Structures & Living Shoreline Treatments) - a line feature
class delineating hardened shoreline structures that are used for
erosion control (i.e., revetment, sill, bulkhead, breakwaters, groins,
unconventional, oyster structures, and dilapidated bulkhead), as well
as living shoreline treatments (breakwater with beach nourishment,
marsh with sill, marsh with oyster structures [oyster bags,
manufactured, natural materials), constructed oyster reef and coir
logs).
Hampton_ErosionControlStructures_2024_Polygon (Shoreline
Protection Structures & Living Shoreline Treatments) - a polygon
feature class delineating hardened shoreline structures that are used
for erosion control (i.e., revetment, sill, bulkhead, breakwaters, groins,
unconventional, oyster structures, and dilapidated bulkhead), as well
as living shoreline treatments (breakwater with beach nourishment,
marsh with sill, marsh with oyster structures [oyster bags,
manufactured, natural materials), constructed oyster reef and coir
logs).
Hampton_BeachesAndDunes_2024 - a polygon feature class that
delineates the location of beaches and dunes.
Hampton_TMI_2024 - a polygon feature class that shows the
location, size, and community type of tidal marshes. In 2023, the tidal
marsh inventory update began in conjunction with the shoreline
inventory update. Marsh boundaries (updated marsh extent and
distribution) were identified and mapped remotely using high-
resolution color imagery from the Virginia Base Map Program
(VBMP). Plant community types and other historical data from the
previous inventory were maintained for marshes that intersected the
same geographic location. New marshes were initially classified as
having an "undetermined" plant community type. This classification
was only updated if high-resolution aerial imagery or drone-based
photography provided conclusive evidence of the specific plant
communities present.
Hampton_MarshMigrationCorridors_2ft_2024 &
Hampton_MarshMigrationCorridors_4ft_2024- Polygons that show
the potential area of the current upland expected to become marsh
under 2ft and 4ft sea level rise scenario. This layer is the result of
combining the outputs from four existing marsh migration models into
marsh migration corridor envelopes.
The metadata file is embedded in the geodatabase and defines attribute
accuracy, data development, and any use restrictions that pertain to data.
Disclaimer: The Center for Coastal Resources Management (CCRM) provides these data with the understanding that they are not guaranteed to be correct or complete, and conclusions drawn from the data set are the sole responsibility of the user. Every attempt has been made to ensure that these data and the documentation are reliable and accurate. CCRM, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program
assume no liability for any damages caused by inaccuracies in the data or
documentation; and make no warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy,
completeness, or utility of this information, nor does the fact of distribution constitute a warranty.The 2024 Shoreline Inventory, Coastal Natural Buffers, and Migration Corridors layers for the City of Hampton were generated using on-screen, digitizing techniques in ArcGIS® Pro v. 3.x while viewing conditions observed in Bing high-resolution oblique imagery, Google Earth, and 2021 imagery from the Virginia Base Mapping Program (VBMP). A geodatabase was developed named Hampton_ShlInventory_NatBuffers_MarshCorridors_2024 containing the following eight features classes displaying bank conditions, shoreline features, natural buffers, and marsh migration corridors: Hampton_BankHeightSlope_2024, Hampton_RecreationalStructures_2024, Hampton_ErosionControlStructures_2024_Line, Hampton_ErosionControlStructures_2024_Polygon, Hampton_BeachesAndDunes_2024, Hampton_TMI_2024, Hampton_MarshMigrationCorridors_2ft_2024 and Hampton_MarshMigrationCorridors_4ft_2024.Virginia Institute of Marine Scienc
Understanding the Relative Case: A Review on the Historical Use of Atkan Aleut Ergativity
No full textThis thesis looks into the nuances of the vestigial ergative construction in the Atkan Aleut Gospel of Mark by analyzing the relative case as it is used in the text, and how it challenges claims made by Knut Bergsland. The Orthodox missionary Lavrenty Salamatov wrote the aforementioned text in 1860, making it one of the last works to be translated by a Russian missionary into Atkan Aleut before the American purchase of Alaska in 1867. Salamatov produced a number of religious texts, including the Gospel according to St. Mark into Atkan Aleut, using the Cyrillic orthography. This project transliterated this text into the Atkan Aleut Latin orthography. While Mark has been translated to English, the Latin orthography will be provided to the community as a bilingual text for educational purposes and academic study. This paper begins with a historical context to the Aleut people, the texts, and Bergsland’s claims, followed by a general grammatical overview of Atkan Aleut. Once the sketch is complete, the paper will discuss the methodology used and finally, explore five major uses of the relative case in Mark, and how they address Bergsland’s claims.LinguisticsBachelors of Arts (BA
Dynamics Of Clonal Reproduction In Common Milkweed (Asclepias Syriaca)
No full textClonal reproduction is a common reproductive strategy in plants; however, the majority of population models ignore clonality entirely, limiting their usefulness for understanding both population dynamics and the evolution of clonal plants. To address this gap, we created an integral projection model (IPM) for common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), a clonal plant species, that incorporates genetic identity. Demographic data were collected from all putative individuals (ramets) in 4 common milkweed populations in Northern Virginia from 2021 to 2023. All ramets were mapped, and up to 70% (n=1675) were genotyped at 7 microsatellite loci to identify unique clones (genets). First, we analyzed milkweed spatial-genetic structure and genotype-phenotype covariance. Then, we characterized clone size and demographic rates. Finally, we modeled ramet vital rate responses (flowering and pod production) with fixed (ramet height and herbivory) and random effect (genet identity and site) structures to construct the IPM. To quantify the impact of clonality on ramet population growth, we performed elasticity analysis. In these populations, clonal reproduction was ubiquitous (unique genotypes/individuals sampled = 0.10), and milkweed clones were large and spatially aggregated, conflicting with previous research. In the IPM, clonal parameters, especially budding probability and number of buds per stem, had the highest proportional effect on the population growth rate (elasticity = 1.5), and genetic identity explained variation in ramet sexual reproduction. This underscores the role of clonal reproduction in driving population dynamics, and further work is needed to investigate the processes behind patterns of clonal reproduction, as well as genet dynamics in clonal plants.BiologyMaster of Science (M.Sc.
Considering Tidal Flooding to Provide a Holistic Approach to Nutrient Input Management
Get PDFThis report explores the integration of tidal flooding impacts into nutrient management frameworks for the Chesapeake Bay, a potentially large gap in current strategies. Coastal communities in the Chesapeake Bay, face an increasing threat from tidal flooding—also known as sunny-day flooding—which occurs without rainfall. In 2023, Norfolk, Virginia experienced 10 days of tidal flooding, but forecasts indicate that by 2075 the area could be experiencing tidal flooding every day. Recent research highlights that even a single tidal flooding event can introduce substantial nutrient loads into the Bay, sometimes exceeding the annual nutrient allocations. This significant increase in both the frequency and intensity of tidal flooding underscores the urgency of reevaluating its role in nutrient inputs across the Bay. Historically, traditional water quality management has not considered tidal flooding a significant contributor to nutrient loads. As a result, nutrient load allocations, water quality monitoring, and the design of best management practices (BMPs) currently do not account for these events, likely leading to an underestimation of nutrient inputs. This omission necessitates a thorough rethinking of our current approaches to nutrient management in the face of changing environmental conditions. An overview of recommendations outlined in this report are as follows: Model Integration: Update the Chesapeake Bay Program’s water quality models to incorporate tidal flooding considerations, improving the accuracy of nutrient load predictions and management responses. Enhanced Data Collection: Expand empirical data collection on tidal flooding across different watershed areas to refine model inputs and understand the variable impacts of land use on nutrient contributions. Leverage community science initiatives and stakeholders to enhance data collection. Best Management Practices (BMPs): Review and adapt BMPs to address the unique challenges posed by tidal flooding, particularly in urban areas where nutrient loads during flooding can be substantial. This report aims to serve as a foundation for policymakers, researchers, and coastal managers to reconsider and enhance nutrient management strategies by acknowledging the significant role of tidal flooding. It serves as a call to action to integrate these considerations into broader water quality management practices to better protect the Chesapeake Bay.Virginia Institute of Marine ScienceMaster of Arts (M.A.
The Art Of Listening: A Phenomenological Case Study Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Alumni Donors At A Private Graduate School
No full textThe increasing importance of alumni philanthropic support in higher education makes the understanding of graduate school alumni giving through the lens of a donor vital. Using a phenomenological approach, this case study examined the lived experiences of alumni donors at a private graduate school to gain a deeper understanding of alumni donor motivations, their decision-making processes regarding gifts, and their overall interactions with the institution and its development officer. Criteria for the selection of participants included alumni status, a representation from a variety of career paths, and a philanthropic giving history of $10,000 or more. Participants spanned eight decades of graduation years, from 1950-Present. Alumni were invited to participate in an individual interview, which served as the primary data source. The findings in this case study suggest that a strong sense of community and belonging, a responsibility for giving back and paying forward scholarships received as students, and fulfillment in and thankfulness for their education served as the primary factors in driving philanthropic support. Additionally, being invited back to campus as an alum, feeling meaningfully connected with the school and staff, and having confidence in the impact of their gift significantly impacted alumni donors. These findings illustrate that donor motivation is multifaceted, with philanthropic decisions influenced by a blend of personal experiences, values, and practical considerations. Understanding these motivations can help institutions of higher education tailor their engagement and fundraising strategies to connect more effectively with alumni donors, emphasizing aspects that resonate most with their unique motivations and circumstances.EducationDoctor of Education (Ed.D.