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Coral Disease in Chumbe Island Coral Park: A baseline survey of the prevalence of coral disease and other afflictions within Chumbe Marine Protected Area
Get PDFCoral mortality from disease and other afflictions is a rising concern for reefs around the world. The aim of this study was to provide to a baseline for the prevalence of coral disease and other afflictions, which indicate compromised coral health, in Chumbe Island Coral Park, Zanzibar, Tanzania. Chumbe\u27s reef experienced a widespread bleaching event earlier this year and this baseline study will provide a starting point to see how the bleaching event affected the prevalence of disease and other afflictions within the reef. A baseline study will also allow the park to investigate if their current monitoring procedures are effective in protecting the coral from disease and other afflictions. Results based mostly on signs of compromised reef health indicate that the north is the unhealthiest region of the reef, while the south is the healthiest. Infectious disease is currently at relatively low numbers on the reef, but if the other afflictions are not addressed the numbers could rise drastically in the near future
Una mueca irónica: !El travestismo como recurso artístico de las Yeguas del Apocalipsis / An ironic grin: ! Cross-dressing as an artistic resource of the Apocalypseof the Yeguas
No full textThe Yeguas del Apocalipsis (Mares of the Apocalypse), were an art collective consisting of two men, Pedro Lemebel and Francisco Casas, who revolutionized the way transvestism was used in performance art. Active between 1988 and 1997, the Yeguas lit the way out of the dictatorship and into the post-regime transition period. For this reason, the context in which Lemebel and Casas made their art was more conducive to their own open criticism and explicit commentary of the political and social landscape, than that of the performance artists who functioned during the authoritarian dictatorship itself. This gave the Yeguas’ performances a unique twist, an acerbic vigor.
In this investigation, I seek to explore the ways in which transvestism served as a vehicle to pull the country out of the dictatorship and separate the people from the fear and violence of their past. I will present conversations I had with personal friends of Lemebel and demonstrate how their words provide evidence for my conclusions. Through my research, interviews, and discussion of various works by the Yeguas, this investigation will consider the socio-political context, artistic backdrop, and state of human rights of the era.
I conclude that the Yeguas’ transvestism affected the transmission of their performances on three different fronts. Firstly, the manner in which they straddle the gender gap, through cross dressing, attempts to deconstruct the patriarchal hierarchy produced, not only by a machista society, but also by the structure of the dictatorship itself. Second, the historical context in which they operate, the post-regime transition period, allows for their transvestism to act as an intensifying force, instead of a mechanism to disguise their criticism, as it was used during the regime. Third, and finally, the fluid nature of their gender, in other words, the lack of a clear gender binary, and the ephemerality of their performances serve to reject the intense consumerism of the transition period. By creating a product which is, in fact, not a product at all but a moment in time, the Yeguas interrupt the burgeoning capitalism and rigidity of expression
The Importance of Rivers in Protected Areas: Macroinvertebrate Sampling Reveals the Impact of Humans and Highways on Water Quality
Get PDFThe water quality and level of contamination of two rivers in a cloud forest ecosystem in the Mejía region of Ecuador, the Tupí River and the Pilatón River were assessed through benthic macroinvertebrate sampling at various sites along the rivers. Many different biological indices were then used to assess water quality at each site. Pollution in the form of grey water, black water, and petroleum negatively impacted the water quality of the both rivers as they pass through the town of La Esperie. Differences in river structure and size also played a role in determining the prevalence of certain benthic macroinvertebrates: the bigger size and better oxygenation of the Pilatón allowed for more abundance of macroinvertebrates, and a higher percentage of certain pollution sensitive taxa. Therefore, differences between testing sites were not solely due to contamination. Overall, the water quality of the rivers was good to excellent before the town of La Esperie, and moderately to slightly contaminated afterwards, suggesting that waste management remains an issue in this region
Benthic algae and diatom communities in seagrass meadows under three different human impact regimes in Bocas del Toro, Panamá
Get PDFIn Bocas del Toro, Panamá, widespread tourism has been the main source of revenue and has become an increasing threat to seagrass meadows and the organisms they support. This study aimed to investigate and describe algae and diatom communities under three different regimes of anthropogenic disturbance: high, medium and low human impact. The biodiversity was analyzed by measuring the algae and diatom assemblages with Shannon-Weiner’s Biodiversity Index, Evenness Index and Sorensen’s coefficient. The data obtained from these three diversity indices were compared to the areas along an anthropogenic disturbance gradient of high, medium and low impact. A total of 12 species of algae and 25 genera of diatoms were found using the marine belt transect and quadrat method in triplicate for each site. Analysis showed that in the site with high human impact, the seagrass density was significantly lower, while algae biodiversity and abundance, and diatom biodiversity, were significantly higher. This study demonstrated that algae and diatom communities do, in fact, change in differing human impact sites. Thus, algae and diatoms can be accurate bioindicators of water quality and can be used to limit human impact on seagrass meadows
When The Hunt Is Over: Culture and Conservation in Kazakh Eagle Falconry
Get PDFThe last large scale practice of falconry that uses Golden Eagles takes place in Bayan- Ulgii, Mongolia. Recent media exposure allowed for the development of a tourism industry in the region that culminates in two annual festivals celebrating the cultural heritage. Modern eagle falconry practices have been shown to deviate from traditional hunting and training methods. While Golden Eagles are listed with a regional conservation status of Least Concern by the Mongolian Red List, these new practices place the health of Golden Eagle populations in the region at risk, especially as tourism continues to grow. Furthermore, a changing environmental climate and Mongolia’s susceptibility to climate change and desertification put not only the eagles, but also their prey base at risk.
This research examined perspective of local environmental officials, tourism representatives, and local eagle hunters with respect to the status of Golden Eagles, their prey base, the health of the general ecosystem, and how tourism and modern eagle falconry practices have diverged from historical norms and the impact of such changes. Findings in literature were reviewed against the responses of Uglii officials as well as hunters from the countryside. The results show conflicting perceptions of the stability of eagle populations in the area and slight decreases in the prey base of golden eagles. In addition, data revealed that eagle hunters perceive the land of the countryside to be generally lessening in health. Falconers and officials cited growing numbers of livestock as the reason for decreasing pasturelands. Analysis of falconry methods also showed that eagle hunters are turning to trapping as the main source of attaining the raptors, and there is a growing base of people that only hold eagles for business and tourism purposes.
More research should be conducted into the absolute status of the prey base to confirm local observations. The market for eagles should be examined more thoroughly, and more quantitate data should be collected in regard to land type change and other major threats to Golden Eagle populations
Orchestrating Words for Symphonic Effects
No full textConductors bring together the right instruments to produce the musical effects they want to achieve. Together we will explore a topic for which we want symphonic effects. We will carefully orchestrate our words in concert with other well-placed instruments of speech and discuss the potential power of their effects
An Acculturation Program for Foreign-Born Workers at Multinational Companies Transferred to Offices in the United States
Get PDFThe purpose of this study is to create an acculturation program that multinational companies can use to ease the transition of foreign-born employees who are transferred to the United States. There are a number of challenges for these employees, from navigating the logistics of finding a place to live, setting up a bank account and filling out taxes to the social emotional issues of trying to adapt to another culture, build community and be successful in a new work environment. Through interviews with foreign-born employees, Human Resources professionals, and intercultural trainers, qualitative and quantitative data was collected to understand current gaps and best practices in acculturation programs at multinational companies. The findings show that some companies have no formal acculturation programs and while others have well-developed processes, they only address practical aspects of living in the United States, and ignore social emotional needs. Using the data collected, the study contains a proposed acculturation program framework which multinational companies can adapt to their organizational culture in helping to implement clearly defined processes and procedures to ease the foreign-born employee’s transition to the United States
L’insecte Sage in the Age of Global Climate Crisis: A Biocultural and Ontological Study of Vulnerability and Resilience in the Manakara Beekeeping Network
Get PDFThe effects of climate change are felt unevenly throughout the globe. Impoverished populations with high levels of subsistence agriculture are particularly vulnerable due to their direct dependence on the land. However, these populations are also the possible agents of change and solutions, as their traditional ecological knowledge has evolved in relation to their context. The honeybee is directly implicated in climate change vulnerability due to its role in pollination services, by ensuring food security. In the past decade, honeybees have risen to international fame and scrutiny due to a global vanishing of bees, attributed in part to climate change and the increasing biological insecurity of a globalized honey market. This global event raised the questions, “what would be lost with the loss of bees, and what can be done?” As one of the most impoverished nations and high number of subsistence farmers, Madagascar has been identified as one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change. Furthermore, its re-‐entrance into the global market of honey due to modernization in 2009 has exposed its bee populations to the threats of the varroa mite, exacerbating this endemic population’s vulnerability to climate change. This study seeks to examine the ontological and bio-‐cultural significance of the honeybee in the region of Vatovavy Fitovinany, within the district of Manakara, to understand the vulnerability of the beekeeping network and their resilience to climate change. Ultimately, this project examines the concept of entangled ecological vulnerability, of both humans and the honeybee, and how traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) can be incorporated in a multi-‐species framework for climate change mitigation and decision-‐ making
Trauma and Recovery in Post-Conflict Northern Uganda: An analysis of Trauma and its effects on the Family
Get PDFTrauma in Northern Uganda stems from the atrocities that occurred during the Lord’s Resistance Army conflict. Because of this, thousands of victims were left traumatized by their experiences with disparities in aid to help them with their trauma. Utilizing the rural and urban areas in Kitgum and Gulu Municipality, this research seeks to understand how trauma presents itself in the Northern Uganda region and how it is defined by the population who treat it. This includes a list of disorders resulting from trauma and their symptoms. In addition, the efforts towards trauma healing and recovery are analyzed, including the different forms of treatment and how they affect the population. In this section, these forms are criticized and analyzed with their given challenges. With these challenges, the research takes an in-depth look at how trauma affects the family unit and what it means for Northern Uganda to develop a “trickling trauma” problem. Lastly, recommendations are given to try to mitigate the challenges that face trauma treatment today in Northern Uganda.
This qualitative research was conducted over the course of a month. During this time, interviews and focus groups were utilized in an attempt to better understand the topic of trauma in northern Uganda. These interviews were conducted amongst a population of NGO workers, local government, medical staff, and victims of trauma themselves. These respondents were specifically targeted for their relevance to trauma and its treatment. By snowball sampling, key informants were identified and then those key informants recommended other respondents that would aid in the researching of this topic. Each interview was recorded by taking notes and/or recorded by voice recorder with the consent of each respondent.
It was found that depression, anxiety, paranoia, and post-traumatic stress disorder were the most prevalent of the disorders that stem from trauma. Through these disorders many different demographics of people are affected and come are interconnected in the family unit. This means that a father’s PTSD may result in gender-based violence which then traumatizes both the mother and the child, thus creating a new generation of trauma that was not directly affected by the war. Efforts towards treating these disorders range from psychosocial support, counseling, and medication prescriptions, each of these come with their own criticisms and recommendations are given in order to aid in mitigating the challenges they face
The Political Participation, Engagement, and Perceptions of President Magufuli Among Students at the College of African Wildlife Management
Get PDFIn 2015, John Pombe Magufuli won the Tanzanian presidential election, continuing on the 54-year reign of CCM, the political party founded by the country’s “father,” Julius Nyerere. Before the end of his political career, Nyerere had massive influence in selecting the future candidates of the CCM party that would take the presidential office. However, 2015 was the first election in which the CCM candidate was not selected, influenced, or supported by Nyerere. While CCM has been in power since independence, opposition parties have been steadily increasing in support. For this reason, the 2015 election was critical in determining whether Tanzanians would maintain support for the ruling party or push for shift in political power. Magufuli was victorious with 58% of the vote, revealing that citizens still support the CCM political platform.
Throughout his 6 months in office, Magufuli has received world-wide press for being a politician determined to make changes to the Tanzanian government. Immediately after taking office, he removed multiple high-ranking government officials accused of corruption, cancelled the Independence Day celebrations to conserve funds, and ordered new medical equipment after witnessing dismal conditions of hospitals. Consequently, Magufuli has earned an overwhelming amount of support from Tanzanians with a national approval rating of 90%. However, a national survey commissioned by Mwananchi Communications Limited revealed that young people gave Magufuli the lowest approval rating of 78.3% (Nyanje, 2016).
For my Independent Study Project, I researched the frequency of political participation, engagement, and perceptions of Magufuli by distributing a survey to 120 students at the College of African Wildlife Management located in Mweka. The sample frame was the entirety of the approximate 600 students attending CAWM, but my sample population was the 120 students I surveyed during my 14 day data collection period from April 6th to the 14th This study was non-random and non-representative. The quantitative survey data reveals gender differences in the frequency of political participation, as well as non-gendered trends regarding perceptions of President Magufuli. The survey data also corresponded to the results of the national survey, as male respondents 18 to 24 had a lower approval rating of President Magufuli in comparison to students aged 25 and older. Lastly, qualitative data was recorded from a student focus group and faculty interviews to incorporate a cultural, political, and economic context into the study