California State University, Monterey Bay
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The Activists’ Choice: Ballot Initiatives as a Step Towards Pro-Choice Efforts
Get PDFFollowing the overturn of Roe V. Wade, many U.S. state legislatures failed to implement abortion rights that satisfy the general population. When the public disapproves of legislative law, some U.S. states allow citizens and activists the right to pursue a ballot initiative. With enough voter signatures, these ballots can turn into new laws. However, with ballot initiatives being a multi-step, lengthy process, what ultimately pushes activists to pursue this path? My research analyzes this novel intersection of political science and sociology fields to contribute to the current lack of literature on activists\u27 decisions to pursue ballot measures for abortion rights. The methodology consists of content analysis of local and national news sources to understand recent abortion ballot initiative processes across nine states in 2024. Thus far, my study shows that activists pursue ballot initiatives to ensure freedom and access to human rights, educate and mobilize voters, build power and structure for future reforms, empower the public to speak up, and measure the political support of local and national political candidates. Activists consider various factors before pursuing ballot measures, such as time, current political economy in each community, and legal challenges and qualifications in each state. I hope this multidirectional research will influence necessary change by understanding the activist rationale and informing strategic and effective ballot measure processes
Influence of Human Activity on Rafting Behavior and Group Dynamics of Southern Sea Otters, Enhydra lutris nereis, in Central California
Get PDFCoastal development and tourism have increased human-wildlife interactions, raising concerns for southern sea otters, Enhydra lutris nereis, an ecologically important and charismatic species that often rests in nearshore habitats near active harbors and tourist centers. This study examined the effects of human activity and group dynamics on rafting behaviors across three sea otter subpopulations with varying exposure to human stimuli. I hypothesized that sea otters would exhibit more resting and parental behaviors in low human activity areas and larger rafts, and that increased human activity within an area would lead to larger raft sizes, supporting the many-eyes hypothesis. Fieldwork involved bi-weekly scan surveys and focal follows of otter rafts across seven sites in Elkhorn Slough, Garrapata, and Morro Bay for one year (2020-2021 ). The scans recorded human stimuli within 30 m of any otter raft, a known disturbance threshold. Assumed site-specific chronic and acute human activity levels were confirmed using ANOV As. General Additive Mixed Models provided a flexible framework for assessing human impacts on rafting sea otter behavior and examining how these impacts were influenced by group size. Findings revealed regional differences in sea otter behavior and reactivity, influenced by stimulus type and the availability of protected areas. In Elkhorn Slough, where water-based human activity is high but nearby sheltered areas exist, otters selectively used protected sites. They also demonstrated increased tolerance to short-term increases in human activity when resting in sites with consistently high human presence. In contrast, Morro Bay otters, chronically exposed to high levels of both land- and water-based human activity with no nearby refuges, displayed tolerance up to a threshold, beyond which sensitive individuals left the raft. Across locations, larger raft sizes were correlated with increased resting, supporting the many-eyes hypothesis. These results highlight the importance of group size effects when examining the impacts of disturbance and the need for region-specific management strategies to mitigate human impacts. Further, our findings can be used to inform sea otter reintroduction efforts in human-impacted coastal zones, reinforcing the need for sea otters to have access to sheltered areas with low human activity
Juvenile White Sharks in Monterey Bay: Effects of Thermal Habitat Patchiness on Local Densities of a Novel Range Shifting Predator
Get PDFClimate change has shifted species\u27 distributional ranges in many marine and terrestrial systems. For marine species, those shifts in ranges associated with ocean warming are often poleward or into deeper waters. Juvenile white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) are one such species, having exhibited a 270 km range shift of the cold edge of their thermal range extending northward to the Monterey Bay. However, little is known about the fine-scale habitat selection of marine organisms at the cold edge of their shifting range and how localized thermal gradients or warm pools may permit persistence in these newly inhabited locations. The Monterey Bay provides a unique study system with high spatial variability of environmental conditions, and a range-shifting endothermic predator, the white shark, that is highly mobile and known to be sensitive to ambient temperatures. This research investigates fine-scale habitat selection by juvenile white sharks in this dynamic system at the submesoscale (1-10 km) using remote sensing, aerial surveys, and acoustic telemetry to link spatial and temporal patterns of site occupancy with environmental conditions. Results indicate that increases in sea surface temperature (SST) and K490 (light attenuation coefficient proxy for turbidity) are significantly positively associated with juvenile white shark abundance assessed via remote sensing. However, the positive response to temperatures at the surface contrasts with those at depth exhibited by acoustic telemetry techniques, suggesting diverging behaviors. As juvenile white sharks extend their range northward, they may be utilizing pockets of warm surface water, enhanced by increased turbidity, as refuges in regionally cooler, less suitable areas. While at-depth temperature trends, paired with higher residence times observed at subsurface sites between the hours of 9:00 PM and 7:00 AM, indicate potential foraging behavior offshore before returning to coastal surface waters to rewarm. Understanding range shifts of predators is important as their presence in novel locations can result in changes in predator-prey interactions and new top-down effects on local ecosystems
Standard fog collector and dual FM-120 comparisons
Get PDFFor the first time in the northern hemisphere, extended measurements of fog droplet sizes and numbers were measured both upstream from and on the leeward side of a standard fog collector (SFC) using FM-120 optical spectrometers. These measurements, coupled with the water recorded by the standard fog collectors and accompanying meteorological data, have yielded efficiency measurements for field-based fog collectors for the first time in the northern hemisphere and only for the third time ever that we are aware of. Of note, two of these efficiencies are the ‘collector efficiency’ and the ‘mesh efficiency’. The collector efficiency is the ratio between the water draining from the collector and the upstream liquid water content (LWC) flux. This value describes the efficiency of the fog collector in collecting fog LWC. Using multiple-regression analysis, the collector efficiency has a significantly positive relationship with the mean volume diameter (MVD) (p = 0.0019), is negatively related with upstream LWC (p = 0.0012) and positively related with leeward LWC given all other variables held constant. The adjusted R-square of this regression model is 0.431. If we account for the interaction between upstream LWC and leeward LWC, which is statistically significant (p = 0.0219) given all other variables held constant, the adjusted R-square increases to 0.538. This interaction indicates that the positive relationship between collector efficiency and leeward LWC is significantly positive especially when the upstream LWC is low, but the positive relationship becomes weaker when the upstream LWC is high.
The mesh efficiency describes the efficiency of the mesh in removing the fog LWC and it was calculated to have an average value of 35 % ± 19 %. It is equal to the difference between the LWC arriving at the surface of the SFC and what is measured behind the mesh all divided by the LWC arriving at the surface of the mesh. Like the collector efficiency, the mesh efficiency has a significantly positive relationship with the MVD (p = 0.0016), is positively related with upstream LWC (p = 0.0024) and is negatively related with leeward LWC (p = 0.0009) given all other variables held constant. In addition, the mesh efficiency is significantly related to the wind direction (p = 0.0003) in that it increases as the wind direction becomes more aligned with the SFC direction. This model has an adjusted R-square of 0.780. The interaction between the upwind and leeward LWC was not statistically significant for the mesh efficiency (p = 0.6521).
Measurements from both FM-120 units generally indicate a clear reduction in the droplet numbers, MVD and LWC from the unperturbed ‘free-stream” fog on the upwind side of the SFC to the fog on the leeward side of the SFC, as would be expected. While the numbers of ∼5 μm droplets are reduced by the SFC to in some cases 50 % of their counts in the open-air fog, the volume of fog water reduced by the SFCs experiences its greatest reduction by the loss of relatively fewer droplets but at larger diameters that peak at around 25 μm. The droplets observed at this semi-coastal, low-elevation California location tend to have higher average diameters than those fog droplets observed at higher elevations in other studies done in Chile. Furthermore, the droplet numbers tend to be much lower at these sites compared to the higher-elevation sites at which studies in Chile took place, often close to 100 droplets per centimeter as compared to 300–500 droplets per centimeter in the Chilean studies. Similarly, despite the larger droplet sizes in the current study, the LWC in the coastal fogs observed in this study is typically at least a factor of 2 lower than that associated with the orographic fog observed in the Chilean studies
Sustaining Food Security in Affordable Housing Communities
No full textCHISPA is a nonprofit organization that provides affordable housing to low-income populations in Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties, with priority given to working families, single parents, seniors, and people with disabilities or special needs. In addition to housing, CHISPA supports resident well-being by providing various programs and resources through partnerships with local community organizations and individual instructors. Recognizing that food insecurity remains a critical issue due to increasing housing costs, unemployment, and income inequality, the agency partners with the Food Bank for Monterey County to provide regular food distributions at multiple properties. To assess the impact and demand of this initiative, surveys using convenience sampling were conducted at CHISPA’s Salinas and Soledad food distribution sites. Over half of the respondents reported attending distributions regularly and stated that they depend on them for their essential food needs. The findings suggest that the program remains effective and sustainable, supporting its continuation as a vital resource for CHISPA residents
Sharing Hope Series
No full textStigma surrounding mental illness in communities of color creates significant barriers to seeking mental healthcare, leaving many individuals and families without the support they need. This capstone project was implemented through the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and its Sharing Hope Series, a program designed to provide culturally responsive mental health education and resources. The initiative serves communities of color where stigma, cultural beliefs, myths, and historical mistrust often create barriers for those needing to seek services. The purpose of the project is to reduce stigma and increase awareness through open dialogue, education, and resource sharing. Implemented as a community-based program, Sharing Hope uses group discussions and culturally tailored materials to foster understanding and coping skills. The expected outcomes include increased knowledge of mental health awareness, a greater willingness to seek care, and stronger connections to available resources. Results showed that the program successfully engaged participants, challenged misconceptions, and provided practical tools to support recovery, meeting its intended goals. Programs like Sharing Hope are essential because mental health and physical health are closely connected, and untreated mental illness can negatively affect overall well-being. To build on this success, NAMI can expand outreach efforts, incorporate more digital resources for accessibility, and strengthen partnerships with local organizations. This paper highlights the importance of culturally informed initiatives to reduce stigma, bridge care gaps, and promote health equity in underserved communities
Fostering Social-Emotional Development and Understanding in a Preschool Environment
No full textTeaching young children about friendship is crucial for fostering healthy development, building self-esteem, and helping them navigate their world. Friendship aligns with social-emotional development and children’s abilities to create and maintain peer connections. Early friendships are significant for children’s moral development, increasing attention to fairness, sympathy, and helpfulness (Dunn et al., 2000). Children who do not learn how to build friendships risk isolation and miss out on valuable life lessons, such as cooperation, empathy, self-esteem, and social skills that reduce stress and promote well-being. In order to address the issue, I delivered two lessons about friendship to preschool children at the Early Development Services Children’s Center at CSUMB in Marina, CA. The three subtopics covered included identifying a friend, complimenting a friend, and differentiating between the qualities and behaviors of good versus bad friends
#DIYDiabetes: Type One Diabetes, Stigma, and Control in Digital Networks of DIY Looping
No full textThe general public’s awareness of type one diabetes is often lacking and filled with misinformation that can lead to stigma around the disability. Often type one diabetics have to fend for themselves through the means of “DIY diabetes.” The delay in technological innovations and the slow approval rate of Health Canada, compared to the US Food and Drug Administration, makes improving the lives of those with diabetes much more challenging. The self-management of the disability enables diabetics to take agency of their treatment plan and is the primary reason for DIY diabetes. The main reason for this research is to bring awareness to the praxis of disability studies and diabetes representation in academic literature. There is a gap between understanding the theory of disability and recognizing disability praxis in popular culture. A central problem to this gap is the disparities between the diabetes community and Canadian and US institutions in self-management. Here I provide a technography, or a study of how technology functions in society, on DIY Loop and other DIY diabetes in North America. I show that, despite government reluctance to approve medical devices for disabilities, DIY diabetes is improving diabetes management and how the network of the diabetes community evolves with its ingenuity
Parental Involvement in Supporting Inclusive Elementary School Classrooms
Get PDFThe purpose of this senior capstone research project is to examine the effective ways that parents can get involved in their elementary school students’ education that would impact their children’s academics in school classrooms. Given the barriers that some families face that cause them to be absent from their education in the classrooms, this study examines the role of parents on how they could support their children’s education in inclusive elementary school classrooms. Through the use of literature review and a case study, the findings revealed that parental involvement is important for their children’s early education years in both inside and outside of the classroom