California State University, Monterey Bay
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Examining Internesting Habitat Use of Northwest Atlantic Leatherback Sea Turtles (Dermochelys coriacea)
Get PDFUnderstanding the spatial ecology of highly migratory marine animals is essential for effective conservation strategies, particularly in the face of climate change and increasing anthropogenic pressures. This study investigates the nesting characteristics, habitat use, and behavior of leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) in the Northwest Atlantic population nesting at Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge (SPNWR) in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands.
Ten female leatherbacks were studied during the internesting interval of the 2020 and 2021 nesting seasons. The study’s objectives were to examine leatherback nesting characteristics, delineate critical internesting habitats, and characterize behaviors during the internesting interval. Data collection included a combination of nighttime beach surveys (direct observation) and deployment of Argos satellite-transmitting dataloggers (satellite tags), alongside analysis methods such as Autocorrelated Kernel Density Estimation (AKDE) and movement persistence models.
The average internesting tracking duration was 26 days, and during the internesting interval turtles traveled far offshore of SPNWR. Home range analysis revealed that critical habitats for leatherbacks during the internesting interval extend beyond the waters of existing Critical Habitat areas, and throughout the waters surrounding and between St. Croix, Puerto Rico, and Antigua. Behavioral analysis showed that leatherbacks consistently exhibited high move persistence, indicative of rapid and directed movement, potentially in response to predator risk. These home range and behavioral results highlight the importance of considering broader spatial scales for conservation efforts and of understanding predator-prey dynamics.
Reproductive output by leatherbacks in the study was relatively low compared to historic data. Leatherbacks nesting at SPNWR exhibited reduced reproductive philopatry, with 20% of turtles exhibiting straying behavior and nesting on multiple beaches besides Sandy Point including Vieques, Puerto Rico, Antigua, and the east side of St. Croix. This finding challenges the traditional view of leatherback fidelity and indicates potential adaptability to environmental changes. The analysis also highlighted instances of extended internesting intervals (up to 25 days), demonstrating that leatherbacks may skip a nesting event during the season and suggesting a shift in reproductive strategies, potentially linked to environmental stressors or changes in foraging opportunities. The average clutch frequency was 3.6 (± 1.9 nests). These reduced clutch frequencies and overall reproductive outputs compared to historical data indicate possible shifts in life history traits under changing climatic conditions.
The findings of this study enhance our understanding of the nesting and internesting behaviors of leatherback sea turtles. They highlight the importance of updating and refining conservation strategies to reflect these nuanced behaviors. The study suggests a need for expanded critical habitat protections, increased regional collaboration, and further investigation into leatherback-predator interactions. These insights contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the leatherback sea turtles\u27 adaptive strategies to environmental challenges at Sandy Point, underlining their resilience and dynamic ecological roles
Short Glass Fiber Modifier Trisilanol–Isobutyl Polyhedral Silsesquioxane as Interfacial in Polypropylene Matrix: Effect of Flame Retardation and Mechanical Properties
Get PDFIn the present work, short glass fiber is superficially modified with different concentrations of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (Trisilanol–Isobutyl, TSI-POSS) for processing as a filler in a polypropylene matrix (PP). It is observed that increasing the amount of TSI-POSS increases the fracture point and tensile strength; the opposite is the case for the strength impact property. The behaviors of both dynamic mechanical and thermal analyses are also observed. The flame behavior, i.e., the burning rate, decreases with increasing TSI-POSS in the polymers
Disposal Deficiency: Single-Use Battery-Powered Smoking Devices
Get PDFThere exists a critical issue in the disposal process for single-use battery-operated smoking devices, including cannabinoid and tobacco products in Monterey County, which pose significant social and health ramifications. The County of Monterey Health Department’s Tobacco Prevention Program aims to educate youth and adults and support cessation services. This project focuses on spreading awareness through educational media about the proper disposal of single-use battery-operated smoking devices, with the long-term aspiration of developing a comprehensive disposal process to reduce environmental contamination and encourage healthier habits. Initial findings revealed that many users are unaware that vapes and similar devices cannot be disposed of in regular trash bins. While data collection was limited within this capstone timeline, the project aims to inform the public about available disposal methods. Next steps include recommending that the Tobacco Prevention Program collaborate with local businesses and Household Hazardous Waste Collection facilities, to create a functional disposal pick-up and drop-off process, which has been drafted and filed for future agency review
Language Tutors and Building Connections with Peer Students
Get PDFTo fulfill general education requirements, many college students must study a language other than English for academic and professional development. However, at California State University–Monterey Bay, language tutors stated that students often feel overwhelmed and struggle to stay motivated while studying their target language. Based on Vygotsky\u27s Sociocultural Theory, a workshop was conducted to explore common challenges students face and how tutors can address these issues. Findings show the importance of recognizing and managing emotional states and establishing SMART goals during tutoring sessions. An individualized approach based on the Zone of Proximal Development proved essential for fostering peer-student motivation and collaboration. By guiding sessions to meet specific needs, tutors built strong foundations of support using a variety of tools, enhancing peer collaboration and language learning outcomes
Affordable Housing Solutions: Navigating the Cienega Heights Application Process
Get PDFThe lack of affordable housing and widespread knowledge about the eligibility and application process in Santa Cruz County has created significant challenges for the community. This project focuses on addressing these issues by increasing public awareness of affordable housing opportunities and providing guidance on the application process. MidPen Housing, a nonprofit organization specializing in affordable housing, serves as a key example of efforts to meet this need. Their development in Watsonville provides housing for low-income and farmworker families.
A key component of this project involves conducting a public educational outreach event to inform the local community about qualifying for Cienega Heights, an affordable housing development. This event aims to bridge the knowledge gap, empowering individuals to better understand their eligibility and navigate the application process. The initiative has revealed a critical need for enhanced public education on housing opportunities. Future steps could include legislative advocacy to secure greater support and resources for affordable housing in Santa Cruz County
Creating a Comprehensive, Inclusive, and Neurodivergent-friendly Approach to Music Education Post Pandemic.
Get PDFThis paper will examine four key music education methodologies: Waldorf, Orff, Suzuki, and Kodály, each offering a unique approach to teaching music and how the integration of these various music education philosophies and methods can be utilized to develop a comprehensive, inclusive, and neurodivergent-friendly approach to music education, particularly in the current post-pandemic classroom setting
Population genetic analysis informs dispersal capacity in representative marine trematodes from Family Microscaphidiidae and Family Paramphistomatidae
Get PDFIn marine and terrestrial systems, life history drives the distribution of organisms and informs the spatial scale of population connectivity. Nearly all bony reef fishes and invertebrates have a bipartite life cycle with a planktonic larval stage, which increases the organism’s dispersal capacity, and concludes with a relatively non-dispersive adult phase. While many studies have identified the relevant spatial scale for studying population structure in fishes and invertebrates, few have done the same for parasitic taxa, which have even more complex life histories with a higher diversity in the range of dispersal strategies they use. Parasite taxa differ in (1) life cycle complexity, (2) host specificity, and (3) the types of hosts they can infect. All variables are likely to have both independent and synergistic effects on dispersal capacity. This study estimated the dispersal of two complex life cycle parasites - marine trematodes from Family Microscaphidiidae and Family Paramphistomatidae - across two separate but similar island systems. Trematodes were collected from reef fish sampled from the islands of the Northern Line Islands and French Polynesia. After sequencing a 743 bp region of the mtDNA cytochrome oxidase 1 (CO1) locus, I examined the population structure of 83 adult microscaphidiids across the Northern Line Islands and found significant, high genetic structure, suggesting low gene flow. I also examined the population structure of 132 adult and larval paramphistomes across islands in French Polynesia, and found evidence of two cryptic species, who also likely had low gene flow across the islands. Lastly, I estimated a dispersal kernel of 8 – 90 meters for the paramphistomes that had significant isolation by distance. Overall, this study provides empirical evidence for host-driven parasite dispersal in marine trematodes collected from two island systems in the Pacific Ocean, which directly contributes to the current lack of breadth and depth of parasite research
Effects of Teachers’ Bias on Students’ Post-Secondary Education Choices
No full textThis senior capstone research project focuses on how teachers’ bias can affect a student’s post-secondary education choices. Grounded on years of personal experience observing teachers\u27 favoritism toward certain students, this study will seek to determine if teacher bias affects students. Through the use of literature review, interviews with 5 teachers, and surveys with 19 college and graduate students, the result findings indicated that teachers’ implicit bias has the biggest impact on students’ future education choices. It is important to note that teachers have a lot of influence on their students’ long-lasting future education as well as their career choices. Another note to take into consideration is that teacher bias can be reduced to better benefit students through building relationships with students, practicing the four equity levers, and teachers being conduits to each other; these are a few strategies to reduce teacher bias. Not only by using these strategies, along with the responsibility of being fair and equal with all students, teachers can sway students to feel confident to follow their choices. Given this, teachers should be conscious of their bias and work towards having a better understanding of their diverse student populations
Impact of Parental Involvement on the Academic Performance of Students with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Syndrome (ADHS) in Elementary Schools
No full textThis project aims to investigate the Academic Performance of the student’s education depending on parental involvement. This capstone focuses on one of the school districts, which also means two different schools. This also results in the Attention Deficit Hyperactive Syndrome (ADHS) of the students, how parents get involved to have a better understanding of what the issue is and the ways that they can bring support to their students. As the interview with parents, Teachers, and school therapists, the research has provided important data that has been analyzed. The study Consequently shows that many parents believe that the involvement of parents is vital for the students’ Academic success. On the other hand, many of the parents do not know what is Attention Deficit Hyperactive Syndrome (ADHS). According to the research, this also explains that different programs can be beneficial for the student’s learning support. As a result this also shows the ways that many of the parents might notice some of these symptoms in their students and they are not aware of what this is but have already noticed some of these symptoms in their students
Healthy Teen Dating Relationships
Get PDFTeen dating violence has become a damaging issue in Salinas, California, which forces the community to find immediate solutions to prevent the devastating aftermath of this problem on adolescents. This paper provides ideas for solving this issue by designing the That\u27s Not Cool social campaign that was created to maintain healthy relationships between teens. Coordinated with the STRYVE program of the County of Monterey Health Department, the plan was implemented in the Salinas City High School District, where the population is predominantly Hispanic or Latino. As a result of studies, poverty, cultural beliefs, and poor education have been identified as factors contributing to teen dating violence. The effects of teen dating violence include increased violence, intergenerational trauma, and physical injuries or deaths, according to further research. The project used social media campaigns as well as outreach missions to increase knowledge, build awareness, and curb youth violence. The results were more awareness among teenagers about teen dating violence and 150 additional followers on the social media platform. Evaluation methods consisted of pre-post surveys as well as analysis of social media insights. The recommendations for the agency are to continue educational campaigns, resource allocation to prevention programs, and constant community engagement. Overall, dealing with teen dating violence needs a multifaceted approach, including education, awareness, and community involvement