Research Symposium

BIO

Hi, My name is Kevin Etienne, an undergrad student at Florida State University, majoring in Behavioral Neuroscience with a minor in French. I was born and raised in South Florida, and I am from Haiti. I am interested in different types of research. I currently work as a research assistant for FSU COM in a program called ACTS 2 (The African-American Alzheimer's Caregiving Training and Support 2), which is a faith-based, skills-training and support program for African-American caregivers taking care of a loved one who has dementia. Also, I am in a research lab with Dr.Kabbaj investigating and understanding the brain basis of emotional behavior involving the use of ketamine. I don't have a set plan after I graduate from FSU but I am thinking about graduate programs to get a Ph.D.

Chemogenetic Manipulation of nucleus accumbens medium spiny neurons in cue-induced reinstatment to ketamine

Abstract

In patients with Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD), a single infusion of low-dose ketamine (KET) has a rapid onset and improves depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts within 2 hours; however, patients require repeated infusions of KET to maintain remission. At high doses, KET is highly addictive, and as depression and addiction are highly comorbid, more research is needed to assess the safety of repeated KET exposure in TRD patients. Our lab has previously shown that female rats are more sensitive to the antidepressant/addictive-like effects of KET; male and female rats self-administer KET across a wide range of doses (0.1 - 0.5 mg/kg/inf) and under differing experimental conditions, suggesting that repeated exposure to KET has addictive potential. Reinstatement studies (an animal model of relapse) in KET and cocaine implicated the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a critical mediator of reward/reinforcement learning, in drug-seeking. We examined the role of D1R- and D2R-containing MSNs in the NAc in mediating the reinstatement of ketamine cues in both sexes. Additionally, we examined cFos and mCherry protein expression in cell-type-specific MSNs in the NAc to visualize neuronal activity and inhibition by CNO. Our findings reveal that ketamine, at a dose below what is currently used in treatment regimens, displays addiction-like behavior in male and female rats and warrants further research into repeated ketamine treatments for various psychopathologies.

Keywords: cue-induced reinstatement ketamine

BIO

Arianna Khan is a second-year FSU student pursuing a Psychology degree. As a UROP student, she assisted with editing and writing papers on suicide correlates and behaviors. Arianna is planning to continue DIS in the Joiner lab and hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in the future.

Examining the Relationship Between Religiosity and Fearlessness About Death

Abstract

This study aimed to determine if there was a relationship between religiosity and fearlessness about death (FAD). We sampled 118 undergraduate students from a large, southeastern university. Religiosity was measured through a sliding scale to indicate the depth of participants' religious belief. The Acquired Capability for Suicide Scale—Fearlessness About Death (ACSS-FAD) was used to determine participants fearlessness about death through the total scores from 7 item measures. After a linear regression analysis, it was determined that there was no significant relationship between religiosity and FAD, when religiosity was treated as the independent variable, and FAD as the dependent variable.

Keywords: religion, fearlessness, death

BIO

I am from Monroe Township, New Jersey. This project has truly fascinated and inspired to be attempt to double major with a second in economics. Research has taught me how too critically think, and helped me adjust from a high school student to living on mo own as a college student. I hope to attend Law School after graduating from Florida State University.

Perceived Fairness in Performance Appraisal and Political Behaviors: A List Experiment of Employee’s Reaction to Performance Appraisals

Abstract

In managerial research studying, perceived fairness of performance appraisal is an important and widely studied. This study adds to that with how the perceived fairness of a performance appraisal impacts or motivates employees to participate in political behavior at their place of work. The definition for perceived fairness of a performance appraisal is to the extent to which the employees feel the overall process of performance appraisal to be fair, accurate, and valid(T. Kim & Holzer, 2016).This idea is not as studied to the extent of general perceived fairness, and will utilize that literature as a background to help find information. For this study the goal is to find out how the perception of fairness in the performance appraisal will impact the probability of an employee to engage in political behaviors in the workplace. This experiment wants to test two hypothesis which are, is an employee with a perception of an unfair performance appraisal more likely to engage in ingratiation and more likely to engage in exchanges of favors The experiment also wanted to test if people who perceived their review as fair would play dumb or be more likely to engage in scape goating

Keywords: Fairness, Perceived, and Appraisal

BIO

Maria Aleman is a current sophomore completing a Political Science major and a minor in Museum Studies at FSU. Born in Cancun, Mexico, and raised in Monterrey, Mexico City, Indianapolis, and Weston, she currently resides in Tallahassee where she is doing her undergraduate degree. Later, she hopes to go to law school and focus on international business law. She is involved in FSU College Democrats as the Director of Membership, as well as works at FSU Campus Events Services as a Production Assistant. Her research interests surround gender bias, and intersectionality of gender and race in various spheres.

Gender Bias in Academic Letters of Recommendation

Abstract

This investigation evaluated the systematic effects of gender bias on the quality and integrity of letters of recommendation (LORs) from various academic disciplines. To do so, we analyzed the qualitative content of 54 LORs and calculated the relative frequencies of certain adjectives, descriptive phrases, and personal qualities in each letter. We then compared the frequency values to one another and identified any statistical disparities between male and female LORs. Our preliminary findings reflect the ongoing presence of gender bias in academia, as male applicants were more likely to be described as “reliable” when compared to their female counterparts. Similarly, a greater portion of letters written on behalf of male applicants contained “superlative” descriptions and references. Nevertheless, an unexpected proportion of male applicants were described using traditionally “feminine” language and terminology. These findings indicate that certain words have started to lose their gendered connotations in recent years. Ultimately, these results can be used to create educational resources that guide professors and faculty members through the process of writing unbiased LORs.

Keywords: Letters of Recommendation (LORs), Gender Bias, Higher Education, Florida State University, Teaching Assistant

BIO

I am from Wallingford, CT and I went to Sacred Heart Academy in Hamden, CT. I enjoy reading, embroidery and crocheting in my free time. I plan to apply to medical school after finishing my undergraduate education with goals of becoming an oncologist.

Exploration of Plasmonic WO3-X Nanocrystals Through Various Microwave Methods

Abstract

Nanoparticles are an emerging field in the world of chemistry with their distinct features and applications. There are various methods to synthesize and clean nanoparticles. In synthesizing WO3-x nanoparticles we investigate various synthesis and microwave methods as well the impact they made on the observed Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) and full width at half max (FWHM). We tested various microwave conditions such as open to air vs closed to air and constant power vs pulsing and their adequacy in having a visible LSPR. With this research, we will know more about effectively using nanoparticles for application in various fields such as biomedicine, materials chemistry, and more.

Keywords: Nanoparticles, Plasmon, LSPR, FWHM

BIO

Third-year Biomedical Engineering student looking to study neuro-engineering to improve brain-machine interfaces. Currently working to develop and characterize a polymer that has been bioinspired by proteoglycan.

Synthesis & Properties of Bottlebrush Polymers

Abstract

The molecular architecture of the bottlebrush (BB) polymers is inspired by that of proteoglycans, naturally occurring proteins in articular cartilage. Synthetic BBs have developed rapidly over last few decades, but the structure-property correlations are still not well understood. This project aims to create libraries of synthetic bottlebrush polymers to shed light onto their material and solution properties. Polynorbornene (PNB) has been widely used as the backbone of most synthetic bottlebrushes, however the cyclopentane tether sustained after ring-opening metathesis (ROMP) reduces rigidity and steric hinderance. Polypentenamer (PCP) macroinitiators show promise as an alternative synthetic route to BB with the same grafting density as PNB. A library of PNB and PCP based BBs will be synthesized with a varying of backbone and sidechain lengths to study what role the rigidity of the backbone plays in BB properties.

Keywords: Bottlebrush Polymer, ROMP, Bioinspired Material

BIO

Emie is a third year at Florida State majoring in psychology, with a minor and special interest in women's studies. She aims to counsel, speak, and write about mental health associated with body image, disordered eating, self-confidence, sexual health, and exercise. She aspires to later obtain her PhD and work as a professor of psychology or women’s studies.

Social media Use and Happiness During Covid-19

Abstract

Through the COVID-19 pandemic, students and teens have been challenged with learning remotely and relying ever more on technology to interact with each other. Our study investigates teen social media use and ratings of happiness. Focusing on the positive and negative attributes the participants feel utilizing distance learning and online friendships, we expand this investigation to include the changes in the personal habits and mental health of the participants. There were 43 participants from ages 12-18. Participants were interviewed twice for 1 hour with a researcher and kept week-long video diaries where they recounted their day and their use of social media. This was done for the summer of 2020 and 2021. Using the interviews and the personal video diaries, we utilize Qualtrics forms to code the data into the social media, personal habits, and schooling categories. We expect to find that most teens acknowledge social media as a positive attribute to their happiness with overuse generating negative effects on their happiness. To date, this research project is still in the preliminary phase, and in the future, it will be used to further expand our knowledge on mental health and social media usage.

Keywords: Social Media, Happiness, Teens

BIO

I have a passion for research and being able to gain more knowledge about topics I am unfamiliar with. I have done research in the past in psychology and microbiology; however, this is my first project in marine biology. I am a sophomore from Orlando, Florida majoring in Neuroscience, minoring in Chemistry, and acquiring a certificate in Leadership Studies. When I graduate, I plan on attending medical school.

Measuring Suspended Solids at Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica) Reefs in Apalachicola Bay

Abstract

The Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica) population has steadily declined in Apalachicola Bay over the last decade due to a multitude of factors. A causative factor behind the C. virginica population decline may be linked to the amount of suspended sediment at each reef. Suspended sediment is the continuous transportation and deposition of sediment throughout the water. To identify areas of higher and lower sediment load, water samples (surface and bottom) were taken opportunistically while performing subtidal oyster research in Apalachicola Bay. Each water sample was centrifuged, suspended sediment was extracted, dried, and weighed. Water quality parameters such as salinity values were considered, and the Oyster presence was recorded at each site. The results have revealed that the sedimentation loads vary spatially among the presence of Oysters at each reef. It was recorded that the amount of sediment was higher at the bottom sample where each reef was located and higher when samples were taken closer to the Apalachicola Bay River. The higher total suspended sediment may be partly to blame for the lack of reef structure and the absence of C. virginica. This may lead to further investigation on how the quantity of sedimentation may affect the condition of C. virginica and the effect on the reef structures.

Keywords: Sediment, Oysters, and Marine Biology

BIO

Abbigail is a current first year student majoring in Classical Archaeology here at Florida State University. She grew up here in Tallahassee, is an avid reader, and loves doing research on local and international archaeological sites. While she hopes to get the opportunity to do field work, she is currently aiming for a career in teaching archaeology and anthropology.

Evergreen Plantation and the African Diaspora

Abstract

Founded in 1777, and located on the banks of the Mississippi, Louisiana’s Evergreen Plantation holds the distinction as the South’s most intact plantation complex, with 37 structures on the National Register of Historic Places. During the time when slavery was still legal in the United States, Evergreen had over 400 enslaved individuals living in its 22 cabins. The Evergreen Plantation Archaeological Survey, which began in 2018, is a study of the lives of those enslaved persons involving the excavation of Evergreen’s slave cabins and a potential religious structure associated with the cabins. This project focuses on the analysis of artifacts found during excavations during the Summer of 2021. The purpose of the project, overall, is to create a better understanding of the lives of Evergreen’s enslaved population and further educate the public on slavery and plantation life. Part of this understanding comes from the analysis of the ceramic materials excavated from the site, by typing and dating the artifacts collected.

Keywords: Humanities, archaeology, ceramics analysis

BIO

Hello my name is Victor Manuel Benitez III is a transfer student here at Florida State University. My interest in research are studying different cultures and social aspects of communities. I am a proud Puerto Rican with a rich background and history so I love learning about different cultures and their history. I am from Ocala Florida. Currently I am majoring in International Affairs and hope to pursue my masters once I have completed my bachelors.

Exploring Social and Affective Aspects of Women’s Experience in Mathematics

Abstract

The research aims to explore social and affective aspects of women’s experience in mathematics. This includes the sense of belonging in mathematical environments where women are mostly underrepresented. The participants are women who are majoring in pure mathematics and secondary mathematics teaching. Interviews are used for data collection. Through narrative inquiry, we hope to understand women’s first-hand experience and their perspectives on mathematics departments. Our research findings shed light on potential strategies that women develop for a sense of belonging. Using mathematics students’ experiences, our research is promising to understand the influence of stereotypes on women’s confidence in mathematics, which hinders their participation. Also, our research contributes to the inclusion of women in mathematics, in that they feel more comfortable pursuing a career in mathematics. 

Keywords: mathematics, women’s experience, sense of belonging

BIO

Sergio Salazar Rodó is a senior studying Linguistics and Anthropology at Florida State University. Originally from San José, Costa Rica, he and his family moved to Miami over 15 years ago. As a result, linguistic diversity has been a daily fact of his life ever since. He fell in love with linguistics a decade ago through his hobby in language construction, beginning a long-lasting personal interest in the subject that has culminated in his goal to become a linguistics professor and pursue research like The Acoustic Properties of Rhotics in Costa Rican Spanish full time. Next year, he plans to continue his studies with an M.A. in Linguistics, continuing work in phonetics/phonology and hoping to branch out into language documentation and revitalization. In addition to his work in linguistics, Sergio works tutoring language and serves as an Honors Colloquium Leader, mentoring first-year students and helping them acclimate to Florida State University.

Properties of Rhotic Variants in Costa Rican Spanish

Abstract

Variation in the pronunciation of rhotic (‘r’-like) consonants in Spanish encompasses a wide range of possibilities, from typical trills and taps to less- common realizations such as fricatives, affricates, and approximants. Rhotic variation is widespread in the central-valley region of Costa Rica. Nonetheless, there is disagreement in the literature as to the nature of this variation. Previous studies report either approximants or assibilated fricatives as the main variants with limited acoustic evidence for these conclusions. This investigation contributes to the topic by assessing the rhotic distribution of this dialect with acoustic methods. The methodology involved the audio-recoding of the speech production of native speakers of Costa Rican Spanish performing a reading task. This task involved rhotic tokens distributed in multiple contexts. Rhotic production was analyzed via the phonetics-software Praat (Boersma and Weenink 2021) to determine , voicing, duration, specific realization (tap, trill, approximant, fricative), and frequency locus (for fricatives/approximants). Results demonstrate a distribution including attested tap and trill rhotics as well as both approximant and assibilated fricative rhotics. This in combination with the acoustic findings suggest a complex distribution and underscore the need for further study into this variation.

Keywords: linguistics rhotics Costa Rica Spanish

BIO

Mia Medney is a freshman at Florida State University majoring in Behavioral Neuroscience and plans to graduate in the spring of 2025. She grew up in New York City and currently resides in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Mia aspires to become a neuropsychiatrist. This would allow her to study the interaction of neuroscience and social psychology through helping others. Mia is extremely thankful for her UROP experience has it has taught her that research is everywhere. In addition, UROP has helped to expose her to explore potential future research opportunities through the skills she has learned this past year.

Literature Review on Administrative Discretion

Abstract

The objective of this project is to understand what administrative discretion is, how it works and to introduce the concept of discretion to the public. Discretion is the autonomy of professionals in their fields of work, it is flexible, subjective, and can there are different levels of discretion. Thus, administrative discretion can be open to interpretation. This interpretation is where it can get complicated as is it impossible to please everyone. Connecting sociology with social science we can see a strong correlation between social capital, client meaningfulness and the professionals’ willingness to implement policies. Social capital is based in the ideology of it’s not what you know, but who you know. Client meaningfulness is the perception of street-level bureaucrats implementing policy that has values for their clients. A professionals’ willingness to implement policies is the positive behavioral intention towards implementing policies by street-level bureaucrats. I will often use the term Street-level bureaucrats throughout the presentation, so to define it they are public employees who deal directly with clients and have discretion in their jobs. Examples of such are police officers, construction workers, teachers, and doctors. There are no previous studies that have done a review of administrative discretion in a systematic sense like this one. The journal articles used for this review were all found through JSTOR, a reliable source. In the poster, not only is there a clear outline of the research but there are also diagrams taken directly from the journal articles to illustrate the power of discretion.

Keywords: Administrative Discretion Literature Review

BIO

Kaitlyn Braica is a freshman at FSU majoring in Political Science, with further interests in accounting and economics. She is from Boca Raton, Florida.

Accounting Alumni Success Factors Project

Abstract

The Alumni Success Factors Research Project is designed to give FSU’s College of Business the crucial information they need so that they can better support the success of their accounting graduates. An archival study was conducted, where each former accounting student from FSU -graduate or undergraduate- was researched on Linked-in and other social media platforms, and data about their race, gender, employment history, further education, awards, and extracurricular activities were compiled into a spreadsheet. The second form of data collection was a qualtrics survey, which was emailed to every known accounting graduate, dating back to 1975. Both sets of data were used to conduct regression analysis and t-tests in order to identify which aspects of a resume correlate with high salaries and promotions to titles of CFO or Partner. There were many findings, the most notable being that there was not statistically significant evidence that FSU’s accounting graduates have been impeded by gender discrimination in the workplace. Using these conclusions, FSU’s Accounting program is able to identify systematic issues their graduates face and focus on developing opportunities for students that correlate directly with success in their careers.

Keywords: Accounting Alumni Success Factors

BIO

Natalia Chamizo is a second year Psychology Major on the Pre-Med track at Florida State University. Born and raised in Miami, Florida, Natalia graduated from Coral Reef Senior Highschool receiving the International Baccalaureate Diploma. Natalia intends to continue her studies in medical school to become a dermatologist. This would allow her to become specialized in conditions treating the skin, hair, and nails. She hopes to help people in the future and succeed in her future endeavors.

Prediction of Hurricane Paths through Neural Networks

Abstract

Background and purpose: Studies suggest that there are alternative methods to precisely predict hurricane trajectories. We examined past hurricanes to determine a pattern and cross-reference these neural-networks to create a new system of predicting through coding via python.​
Methods: Information was gathered from the past 20 years in the panhandle area of Florida. We observed and analyzed hurricane hits and considered wind patterns on the date and location of the event. Data was also gathered from each big hurricane that happened in the area specifically from the past 10 years such as Hurricane Michael and Irma. Information being collected is later converted into data points to develop a pattern including the date of landfall, the strength of the hurricane, diameter, etc.​
Results: Not yet determined (still in progress).​
Conclusions: In progress. Idea is that when peers are done implementing perception in regard to the hurricane trajectories through the python coding system, we can try different algorithms and begin to input data points from past hurricane events.

Keywords: Hurricane Prediction, Hurricane Trajectories, Hurricane Paths

BIO

I am currently a thrid year neuroscience student from Tallahassee, Florida. I transferred to FSU last fall after completing my associates in arts degree at Tallahassee Community College. Throughout my high school and college years it was important that I find an occupation that not only peaked my interest, but allowed me to contribute to a greater cause which is why I will be pursuing a medical degree after my time at FSU.

Winter Predation on Apalachicola Bay Oysters

Abstract

Apalachicola Bay, historically known for its productive oyster fishery, is experiencing a rapid decline in its oyster population since 2010. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared the bay’s oyster population a “Federal Fishery Disaster” in 2013, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted to halt wild oyster harvesting from 2020 until 2025. Researching the influence of contributing factors can help indicate where restoration efforts should be focused. Through our research, we provided information on the presence of specific oyster predators and the conditions they were in during the winter months. We sampled oysters from predetermined locations spanning from St. Vincent Sound to St. George Sound. We recorded the abundance of a list of oyster predators including oyster drills, crabs, and other invertebrates. We also recorded factors such as salinity and temperature from each site. Though there were fewer presence events, some associations between predator presence and these factors was found. We found that stone and porcelain crab abundance was inversely related to mud crab abundance; stone and porcelain crabs were more abundant during periods of low salinity and temperature while mud crabs were more abundant during periods of high salinity and temperature. It was also found that the other invertebrates were more abundant during periods of low salinity and temperature. Overall, predators were more abundant in lower temperature and salinity conditions. While this information is already known as common behavior for some of these species, getting this location-specific information could help with guiding the future conservation efforts.

Keywords: predation, pattern, oyster, Apalachicola, Bay

BIO

I am a sophomore from Cleveland, Ohio.

Is there evidence of gender-discrimination in Accounting graduates of Florida State University?

Abstract

The field of Accounting is rife with job growth and opportunities for undergraduate students to develop a lucrative career in business. This project focuses on the success rates of Florida State University alumni who graduated with a degree in Accounting, and whether their gender had correlations with measures of their success. Some of the variables associated with “success” examined were salary levels, whether or not participants had been promoted to C-suite positions, whether they had been promoted to partner, and if they reported experiencing discrimination. Our research team collected data through the use of an optional survey sent to all FSU Accounting graduates from the classes of 1975-2020, and using publicly-available online data about participants, primarily from LinkedIn.com. The results of this data collection are still undergoing, but it is crucial to understanding and minimizing gender discrimination in an industry with a history of such issues.

Keywords: Gender discrimination, accounting

BIO

I am a first-year environmental science student from South Florida. Exposed to conservation efforts at a young age, I have always been interested in sustainability and the environment. Therefore, coming to FSU, I knew I wanted to work with researchers working in conservation and have also gotten involved with Sustainable Campus. In the future, I hope to use my research experience and combine my interests in Indigenous studies and science to further environmental justice globally.

Disease Frequency in Restored vs. Wild Staghorn (Acropora cervicornis) Sites in Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean

Abstract

For the past few decades, coral mortality has increased drastically. According to other studies, corals, such as Acropora cervicornis, a major framework coral in the Caribbean, have decreased in numbers as a result of various stress factors, including disease. In our study, we looked at whether there was a difference in disease presence between natural sites and restored sites, and we hypothesized that there would be a higher presence of disease within natural sites compared to restored sites. We also looked into whether the percentage of dead A. cervicornis was the reasoning being the difference in disease presence between the two types of sites. Once we collected our data, we carried out a presence and absence test to examine the difference in disease frequency between natural sites and restored sites. We also conducted a two-tailed, unpaired t-test to see if there was any difference between natural and restored sites in regards to the percentage of dead A. cervicornis, which we followed with a correlation analysis to see if there was a positive correlation between disease frequency and percentage of dead A. cervicornis. The results that we gathered allowed us to better understand the conditions A. cervicornis are under, and they could potentially aid in the recovery of the vulnerable framework coral.

Keywords: Coral bleaching, disease, stressors, restoration

BIO

Deborah Olivier is an environmental scientist and musicologist who teaches at Florida State University as part of the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP). She has presented at conferences including the Florida Undergraduate Research Conference (FURC), and her research has led her to numerous other achievements including certification as an AAUS Scientific Diver. Her current research focuses on pre-colonial African music history and she plans to pursue graduate school in ethnomusicology.

Historical Perspectives on Music of the Mali Empire and Modern Jeliya Performance Practices

Abstract

Historical musicology has traditionally focused predominantly on the musics of western Europe, and in particular on European traditions preserved in notated scores, written treatises, and other forms of written or iconographic documentation. Unfortunately, this type of research is not frequently applied to other parts of the world, especially on the African continent, where oral/aural modes of transmission have been central and written documentation far less common. There are some notable exceptions, however, and these provide opportunities for deep, documentation-centered research on African musics of antiquity. The rise and fall of the empire of Mali from the 13th through the 17th centuries, for example, is well-documented, with notable travelers like Ibn Batuta having extensively chronicled their visits to this west African court. Considering also that this particular time period for the most part preceded European colonization, study of the Mali Empire provides a unique opportunity to delve into the history of music-making in this part of sub-Saharan Africa. This research aims to examine potential areas of future research in historical ethnomusicology, focusing particularly on modern-day jeliya ensembles and their similarities and differences to mentions of Malian court music in historical documents. This is designed to precede future work in this area, potentially in-situ, to consider the application of historical musicological practices in sub-Saharan west Africa.

Keywords: Music, West Africa, History, ethnomusicology

BIO

Morgan Dansby is from St. Petersburg, Florida. She is graduating in the summer of 2022 from the College of Art and Sciences with a B.S. in Environmental Science. She is interested in investigating the impacts of plastic pollution on the ocean and the influence of illegal bycatch on marine fish and reptile populations. She strives to pursue a career that would allow her to conduct research on anthropogenic impacts observed in the marine environment, implement mitigation strategies from her research findings, and share her discoveries with younger generations to create stewards of our ocean across the Earth. In the long term, her goal is to start a non-profit that is centered around ocean education, where she can travel to developing-coastal nations and implement a curriculum based on ocean awareness and conservation.

Microplastic Composition in Relation to Wastewater Treatment Plants

Abstract

The increasing global production and use of plastic by humans have led to an accumulation of enormous amounts of plastic litter in the world’s oceans. Wastewater treatment plants are a major pathway of plastics, especially microplastics (1 μm-5 mm), to the aquatic environment. To investigate the microplastic size distribution and composition in relation to wastewater treatment plants, samples were collected at two sites in areas of wastewater treatment plant outflow (Lynn Haven & Watson Bayou), and three sites in areas thought to be free of contamination (West Bay, East Bay & North Bay) in the St. Andrews Bay System in Panama City, Florida. Each site contained three stations and three sediment cores were collected with a percussion corer at each station. ImageJ was used to analyze the particle’s size and composition from each station. We found that the unpolluted sites contained 71.68% fiber, 21.64% fragment, 6.68% film, whereas the polluted sites contained 49.7% fiber, 48.4% fragment, and 1.9% film. We discovered that fiber particles were the most abundant across the embayment. Since different microplastic types are abundant across the polluted and unpolluted sites, the likelihood of marine organisms ingesting microplastic particles is relatively equal across the system. This study suggests that there is an urgent need for microplastic regulation and implementation of mitigation strategies across the St. Andrews Bay System and further research on the distribution to quantify the amount present to determine the likelihood of ingestion by organisms.

Keywords: Microplastics, Composition, Wastewater Treatment

BIO

I am a first-year environmental science student from South Florida. Exposed to conservation efforts at a young age, I have always been interested in sustainability and the environment. Therefore, coming to FSU, I knew I wanted to work with researchers working in conservation and have also gotten involved with Sustainable Campus. In the future, I hope to use my research experience and combine my interests in Indigenous studies and science to further environmental justice globally.

Estimation of Behavioral States in Migratory Post-Breeding Male Green Sea Turtles (Chelonia mydas) in Fernando de Noronha, Brazil 

Abstract

The study of animal movement through tagging (i.e., telemetry) studies have been increasingly used to understand an organism’s location and behavior. Although sea turtles have been extensively studied using satellite and acoustic telemetry methods, these studies have focused on juveniles and post-nesting adult females. To increase our understanding of movement patterns for both sexes across various life stages, data is needed on the movement patterns of adult male sea turtles. This study seeks to address this gap in spatial ecology by determining the behavioral states of adult male green turtles (Chelonia mydas). In 2021, eight post-breeding adult male green sea turtles were fitted with satellite transmitters in Fernando de Noronha off the coast of Brazil. To account for the location error, a continuous-time state-space model (SSM) was used. Continuous behavioral states were then estimated using this SSM which considers persistence in direction and velocity. One end of the continuum represents slow (ARS) behavior and the other fast transiting movements. We hypothesize there will be a clear distinction between behavioral states, where ARS behavior is exhibited near the shallow breeding site and foraging grounds, and fast transiting behavior during the migratory period over deep water. When data was regularized, we found a distinct change in behavior of the six turtles that migrated towards Brazil’s coast. Identifying these behavioral states and movement patterns of adult male green sea turtles can help inform conservation efforts and increase our understanding of spatial ecology.

Keywords: Turtle, conservation, marine, behavior, ocean