Acadia Scholar
Not a member yet
4433 research outputs found
Sort by
Plastic ingestion by seabirds in the circumpolar Arctic
No full textPlastic pollution ingestion by seabirds is an increasing issue of environmental concern, even in remote areas such as the Arctic, yet research and monitoring of plastic ingestion by Arctic seabird populations is limited and there are large knowledge gaps for many geographic regions. To fill these critical knowledge gaps, I conducted a literature review of plastic ingestion by seabirds in the circumpolar Arctic. Second, I reviewed marine plastic policies in the Arctic countries and examined how these policies apply to seabirds. Finally, I quantified plastic ingestion rates in four seabird species from the Canadian Arctic to evaluate species-specific and temporal differences in ingestion. Of the 51 seabird species examined for plastic ingestion in the Arctic, 53% had ingested plastic, however the majority have few studies, small sample sizes, and/or data that are more than 15 years old. Further, few marine plastic policies directly address seabirds or other marine biota, and policies are implemented inconsistently across regions, making it difficult to monitor policy efficacy. Plastic ingestion remains an issue in Arctic Canada, where I found that 72% of northern fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis) and 15% of black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) contained plastic, while thick-billed murres (Uria lomvia) and black guillemots (Cepphus grylle) did not. The number and mass of plastic ingested by thick-billed murres did not changeover timebut decreased in fulmars. This suggests that fulmars are ingesting less or smaller plastic pieces in this region
, but given the 10 year gap between sampling efforts, trends are difficult to determine. In order to monitor trends of plastic pollution in seabirds in the Arctic, both pan-Arctic and international collaboration are needed to implement standardized policies and consistent long-term monitoring programs for marine
plastic
Two simulation approaches for evaluating catch curve models as an assessment method for river herring
No full textStock assessment methods for river herring (Alewife, Alosa pseudoharengus, and Blueback Herring, A.aestivalis) were tested using two simulation approaches as part of a larger assessment program for river herring
in DFO's Maritimes Region. Catch curve models, which produce estimates of the instantaneous total mortality rate (Z) from age composition data collected in a single year were the type of stock assessment model evaluated in each approach. In the first set of simulations statistical criteria (bias and precision) were used to evaluate eight versions of catch curve models. All models performed poorly, with highly variable and negatively biased estimates of Z, indicating that catch curves are not useful for river herring. In the second set of simulations management strategy evaluation was used to evaluate the performance of a fishery where catch curves were used to inform management of the fishery. The preferred catch curve model was used in conjunction with a suite of harvest control rules, assessment schedules and management schedules to determine whether spawning escapements, landings and exploitation rates could be kept within pre-defined boundaries if catch curves are used for the stock status assessment. Despite the poor performance of catch curve models from a statistical perspective, they led to reduced exploitation rates in fisheries where over-exploitation was occurring and to increased exploitation rates for under-exploited stocks, in addition to increased landings in the fishery. The results of these simulations are dependent on the assumptions of representative sampling, which can be difficult to achieve. The results from the two simulation approaches suggest that the methods used to evaluate stock assessment models can alter the conclusions that are drawn
Saved by grace: toward an interdisciplinary understanding of the White Savior Complex through the lenses of race and gender
No full textColonial powers rationalized the expansion of their empires in part through the trope of "white saviourism"—the obligation of Europeans to civilize the "native savages" in newly discovered territories. This thesis offers an analysis into how the White Savior Complex is found in today's contemporary moment. Using post-colonial theory and post-colonial feminist theory, I explore three different examples of encounters between "first world" and "third world" peoples: the period of colonial empire, models of international development in the post-WWII context, and the current voluntourism industry. I find that all offer unique opportunities for "first world" people to perform "white saviorism" and have a sense of the "heroic self." I argue that the White Savior Complex is an example of a "colonial continuity" which has survived the demise of colonialism and is restated in contemporary international development theory and practice, and is a foundational principle/pillar/marketing strategy of the voluntourism industry
Constant temporariness ambiguity and illiberality in the Turkish refugee management regime
No full textThe case of Syrians in Turkey presents an intriguing example of the current trends and policies in the global refugee politics. This is rooted in the fact that, despite constituting a large mass of refugee population, Syrians in Turkey are not considered as refugees. Their status in Turkey is regulated under TPR, which puts Syrians under a very delicate legal situation in which they are refugees only de facto, but not de jure. This
situation occurs as a result of the gaps in the international order and Turkish state's ability to exploit this system. Thus, Turkish state uses this situation to create a system which temporariness exists as a constancy for its beneficiaries. In order to understand the Turkish system and its consequences, the thesis asks the questions of: What does the current Turkish system signify with regard to the nature of the existing international refugee management system? How does this reflect on the lives of Syrians living in Turkey? To answer these questions, the thesis conducts an explanatory research by employing a qualitative analysis method
Qui(n)te queer: ordinary queer identities in Chaucer's ordinary Canterbury Tales
No full textIn this thesis, I fill the gaps in scholarship in the study of queerness within Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Chaucer's Canterbury Tales is a very ordinary work, not in its excellence, but in its language, characters, and genres of stories. Chaucer is widely recognized as having popularized English as a literary language in a time where important documents and literature were written in the more formal languages of Latin and French. Chaucer's pilgrim characters are shockingly ordinary in comparison with the more popular tales of the court. As for genre, Chaucer does not include many romances, the genre of gentility, but instead, turns to the more common fabliau and sermon. Thus, as Chaucer writes about the ordinary pilgrims in ordinary English with ordinary genres, he would have included queer-identifying people. Recognizing the important work that has already been done with the Pardoner's non-heteronormativity, I look
beyond the Pardoner and the Wife of Bath to fill in the gaps in scholarship. I look to the Knight's Tale, the Miller's Tale, and the Man of Law's Tale, and especially the characters of Emelye, Alisoun, Nicholas, Absolon, the Sultaness, Donegild, Custance, and Hermengyld as further examples of the commonplace queerness within Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.
In these three tales, all of which precede the commonly examined Pardoner's Tale, Chaucer establishes a normalcy of queerness in mediaeval England and in the Tales. Queerness in the Canterbury Tales is not limited to homosexual desire, but encompasses the breaking of the gender binary, and many forms of non-heterosexuality. From these varied examples it is concluded that queerness was an ordinary facet of the everyday lives of ordinary pilgrims in Chaucer's day, and that this includes more characters than just the Pardoner – at least on the road from London to Canterbury
Evaluating Alewife passage efficiency at a modified culvert on Robinson Brook, Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada
No full textAlewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) are an anadromous species of herring that live in the Atlantic Ocean From South Carolina USA, North to Newfoundland Canada. Adult Alewife spend most of their life in the ocean and only return to freshwater lakes to spawn. Alewife hold ecological value as a marine and freshwater species when they migrate and bring marine derived nutrients in freshwater systems. Although there has been research conducted on various styles of fishways and their efficiency, there is little information about the effects of culverts on migration runs of Alewife. Culverts are typically not monitored in any capacity and often create a barrier that prevents Alewife from reaching their natal spawning grounds. This can have a negative impact on the ecosystems as they are prey and predator species. In this study I assessed the passage efficiency of a culvert that is located on Robinson Brook, as well as factors that contribute to the efficiency rate. 291 Alewife were tagged at Robinson brook Culvert to determine the passage efficiency. It was determined that only nine percent of Alewife were successful in ascending the culvert. There was also no significant size difference between the alewife that were detected at the downstream antenna and those that attempted to ascend the fishway indicating that size selectivity may not present at heavily obstructed fishways. The low success rate can be attributed to the design of the culvert. The smooth concrete bottom increases water velocity beyond the swimming abilities of the Alewife. The culvert also creates a vertical overhang that makes make difficult for Alewife to ascend the fishway
Preparation of amino phosphonates for carbon dioxide sequestering
No full textIncreasing levels of greenhouse gases, in particular atmospheric CO2, has become a widely studied topic in the scientific community. Due to increasing observable changes in the climate, innovative solutions have been proposed to deal with the carbon dioxide. Currently, most captured carbon dioxide is sequestered post-combustion and stored underground. Capture methods include physical absorption, membrane separation, and chemical absorption. Since chemical absorption with amines is known to be effective, as seen from industrial level amine scrubbing, CO2 capture with an amino phosphonate would give possibility for functionalization. With help of a metal catalyst carbon dioxide can be reduced using H2 to give alternative fuels such as methane and methanol.
Alkyl and aryl phosphonates were synthesized in order to prepare amino phosphonates. Diphenyl, dimethyl, and diethyl phosphonates were prepared from phosphorus trichloride and the appropriate alcohol. Dimethyl phosphonate was synthesized in the highest purity with a yield of 66%. Since it was easier to purify this compound over its diphenyl and diethyl counterpart, dimethyl phosphonate was used in the synthesis of bis(2-aminoethyl) phosphonate. Bis(2-aminoethyl) phosphonate was synthesized from the alkyl phosphonate and 2-aminoethanol. While the data suggests this was achieved, it was in very low yields compared to the starting reagents. Due to time constraints, it was not determined if the prepared amine could be used to capture CO2. Characterization of the compounds was done using 1H and 13C{1H} NMR spectroscopy
Using stable isotopes to assess whether trophic feeding position predicts plastic ingestion in two species of gull (Larus argentatus and L. marinus)
No full textPlastic pollution is increasingly recognized as one of the most significant environmental concerns in the modern era. Organisms in marine environments are particularly susceptible to effects of plastic pollution via ingestion, entanglement, and toxicity. Seabirds are useful bioindicators of ongoing issues in marine systems, and they can be studied to learn more about how pollutants move throughout an ecosystem. I studied gut contents of 44 herring gulls (Larus argentatus), and 44 great black-backed gulls (L. marinus) to compare ingested plastic and other anthropogenic debris between species, with respect to their average trophic feeding positions (based on stable isotopes of nitrogen and carbon) and time of year. Although great black-backed gulls fed predictably at a higher trophic level, there were no differences in ingestion rates, plastic mass, or seasonal ingestion of plastics between species. I interpret these results as suggesting, first, that herring gulls rely more heavily on low trophic level landfill food subsidies during the winter (leftover food scraps), and
shift to more natural higher trophic level marine foods (e.g., invertebrates, scavenging fisheries wastes) in the breeding period. Second, I interpret great black-backed gulls to be more likely feeding on more on natural foods (or directly scavenging fisheries by-products) throughout the year, while incorporating items from the landfill as a supplementary source of food. Finally, I comment on the need for more standardized methods in the field of plastic ingestion research and compare my findings to those in other literature
"Open wide!" effects of air and hydrogen sulphide acclimation on buccal cavity tissue structure in an amphibious fish
No full textPhenotypic plasticity occurs in many organisms and supports the development of alternate phenotypes in different environments. Mangrove rivulus (Kryptolebias marmoratus) is a neotropical amphibious fish exposed to high concentrations of hydrogen sulphide, normally toxic, in its mangrove environment. This fish can be aerially exposed for months and is capable of cutaneous respiration, a plastic trait, supplemented by air gulping. We tested the effects of air (3d, 7d) and 3d aquatic hydrogen sulphide (H2S) exposure on the tissue structure of the buccal cavity (mouth) and skin, and specifically, on the number of mucus cells. Results demonstrated a significant increase in the number of mucus cells in the buccal cavity epithelium in the 3 and 7-day air acclimation, as well as in the 3-day H2S group. No significant differences in mucus cells were detected in the skin (epidermis) when the fish were exposed to 3 and 7 days of air acclimation, or to the 3-day H2S acclimation. This study suggests that tissues of the buccal cavity acclimate quickly to air and aquatic H2S and supports the hypothesis that air gulping is an important behaviour during aerial exposure
Adult sexual assault experienced by lesbian, bisexual, and heterosexual women: group differences in psychological health outcomes and perpetrator characteristics
No full textThere is a lack of research on adult sexual assault perpetrated against sexual minority women, psychological health among those with an adult sexual assault history, and perpetrator characteristics. In this study
participants were recruited through social media and Amazon's Mechanical Turk, and 136 women completed the survey on LimeSurvey. Among those with an adult sexual assault history, group differences in psychological health outcomes between lesbian, bisexual and heterosexual women were analyzed, with no significant differences found. Bisexual and lesbian women were more likely to experience male perpetrated than female perpetrated sexual assault, both bisexual and lesbian women experienced more female perpetrated sexual assault than heterosexual women, and bisexual women experienced more male perpetrated
sexual assault than lesbian and heterosexual women