program - university of massachusetts boston · charles muirhead umb, graduate conservation scott...

U M A S S B O S T O N S C H O O L F O R T H E E N V I R O N M E N T

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100!Morrissey!Blvd.!

Boston,!MA!02125!

Phone:!617.287.7440!!!Fax:!617.287.7474!

EAMail:[email protected]!!!Web:!www.umb.edu!

PROGRAM

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Welcome to the 4th Annual Environmental Research Colloquium at the University of Massachusetts Boston!

The!School!for!the!Environment!at!the!University!of!Massachusetts!Boston!(UMB)!has!the!pleasure!of!welcoming!you!to!the!4th!Annual!Environmental!Research!Colloquium.!For!the!first!time!this!year,!we!have!extended!participation!in!the!Colloquium!to!colleges!and!universities!across!Massachusetts.!SixtyAseven!student!researchers—14!undergraduates!and!53!graduates—representing!six!public!and!private!higher!education!institutions!in!Massachusetts!and!beyond,!are!convening!for!this!day!of!sharing!and!learning.!Students!from!UMB,!Mount!Holyoke!College,!Stonehill!College,!Boston!University,!Worcester!State!University,!and!Norfolk!State!University!will!be!delivering!presentations!among!peers,!professors,!employers,!and!the!public!today,!making!the!2016!Environmental!Research!Colloquium!bigger!than!ever.!

Throughout!the!day,!students!will!be!presenting!their!environmentArelated!research,!both!completed!and!in!progress.!The!top!three!poster!and!oral!presentations!will!receive!certificates!and!awards.!Students!will!be!exhibiting!their!passion!to!better!understand!aspects!of!our!world!and!contribute!to!solutions!by!examining!environmental!issues!from!multiple!perspectives,!in!fields!that!include!freshwater!and!marine!ecology,!marine!science,!molecular!ecotoxicology,!ocean!acidification!geochemistry,!hydrology,!environmental!chemistry,!biogeochemistry,!remote!sensing,!archaeology,!paleoclimatology,!precipitation,!conservation,!climate!change,!governance,!environmental!policy,!oceanography,!and!renewable!energy.!!

For!the!first!time,!the!Colloquium!has!invited!environmental!organizations!to!participate,!offering!students!a!chance!to!connect!with!potential!employers!while!sharing!ideas!and!research!interests.!Government,!company,!and!nonprofit!organizations!will!be!providing!information!about!employment!and!internship!opportunities!to!participating!students.!Visit!the!representatives’!tables!following!the!keynote!address!and!throughout!the!rest!of!the!day.!

The!Colloquium!is!coAsponsored!by!the!School!for!the!Environment,!the!Office!of!Career!Services!and!Internships,!and!MassCEC.!

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Table of Contents

Welcome 2

Campus Map 4

Event Floor Layouts 5

Colloquium Schedule 6

Keynote Speakers 7

Scouting Employers 9

Colleges and Universities Represented 10

Acknowledgments 11

Oral Sessions (Times and Locations) 12

Poster Sessions (Times and Locations) 14

Oral Abstracts 17

Poster Abstracts 29!

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Campus Map

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Event Floor Layouts

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Floor box Floor box

Floor box Floor box

2 ft. 8.0 in. x2 ft. 8.0 in.

2 ft. 8.0 in. x2 ft. 8.0 in.

2 ft. 8.0 in. x2 ft. 8.0 in.

Podium

4th Annual SFE ColloquiumApril 20, 2016

ISC first floor atrium

To Quinn Administration

Building

Elevators

ISC!1st!Floor!Atrium!

(Employers!and!!

Keynote!Speakers)!

ISC!2nd!Floor!

Poster!Arrangement!(a.m.)!

ISC!2nd!Floor!

Poster!Arrangement!(p.m.)!

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Colloquium Schedule !

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Registration!! ! ISC!Atrium,!1st!Floor!(employers)!!!!8:30!a.m.!–!9:00!a.m.!

! ! ! ! ISC!2nd!Floor!(all!other!participants)!!!

Keynote!Address! ! ISC!Atrium,!1st!Floor! ! 9:00!a.m.!–!9:30!a.m.!

Poster!Session!(I)! ! ISC!2nd!Floor!! ! ! 9:30!a.m.!–!11:00!a.m.!

Oral!Session!(A)!!! ! ISC!Room!1400,!1st!Floor! ! 10:30!a.m.!–!12:00!p.m.!

Oral!Session!(B)!!! ! ISC!Room!5300,!5th!Floor!!! 10:30!a.m.!–!12:00!p.m.!

Lunch!Address! ! ISC!Atrium,!1st!Floor! ! 12:00!p.m.!–!1:00!p.m.!

Oral!Session!(C)!! ! ISC!Room!1400,!1st!Floor!!! 1:30!p.m.!–!3:00!p.m.!

Oral!Session!(D)!! ! ISC!Room!5300,!5th!Floor! ! 1:30!p.m.!–!3:00!p.m.!

Poster!Session!(II)!!! ISC!2nd!Floor!! ! ! 2:30!p.m.!–!4:00!p.m.!

Closing!Remarks!! ! ISC!Atrium,!1st!Floor! ! 4:00!p.m.!–!4:30!p.m.!

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Keynote Speakers

Bud Ris, M.S., M.L.A.

Bud!is!currently!Senior!Advisor,!Climate,!at!the!Barr!Foundation!in!Boston.!Bud!advises!the!foundation!on!the!strategic!direction!of!its!climate!change!program!and!is!working!with!the!City!of!Boston!and!the!Green!Ribbon!Commission!on!a!multiAyear!initiative!to!prepare!Boston!for!the!impacts!of!climate!change.!!

From!2005!to!2014,!Bud!served!as!President!and!CEO!of!the!New!England!Aquarium!in!Boston.!Under!his!leadership,!the!Aquarium!renovated!all!of!its!major!exhibits!and!greatly!expanded!its!marine!education!and!conservation!programs.!Also!under!his!leadership,!the!Aquarium!launched!a!nationwide!consortium!of!aquaria!and!zoos!aimed!at!educating!millions!of!Americans!about!the!impacts!of,!and!solutions!to,!climate!change.!!

Bud!serves!on!Boston’s!Green!Ribbon!Commission,!which!brings!together!leaders!from!the!business,!governmental,!and!nonAprofit!sectors!to!collaborate!on!climate!change!mitigation!and!preparedness.!He!is!a!member!of!Boston’s!Climate!Action!Plan!Steering!Committee!and!served!on!the!Climate!Change!Adaptation!Advisory!Committee!convened!by!Massachusetts!Governor!Duval!Patrick.!

From!2004!to!2005,!Bud!was!a!Senior!Fellow!at!the!World!Economic!Forum!in!Switzerland,!where!he!led!the!Davos!group’s!program!on!climate!change!for!UK!Prime!Minister!Tony!Blair.!From!1996!to!2003,!Bud!chaired!a!coalition!of!the!nation’s!largest!environmental!organizations!in!support!of!domestic!and!international!action!on!climate!change.!In!1997,!he!led!the!delegation!of!US!NGO’s!to!the!international!negotiations!in!Japan!that!culminated!in!the!Kyoto!Protocol.!!

From!1984!through!2003,!Bud!served!as!the!chief!executive!officer!of!the!Union!of!Concerned!Scientists,!which!has!long!been!in!the!forefront!of!research,!education,!and!policy!advocacy!on!climate!change,!energy,!and!transportation!issues.!!In!2014,!Bud!received!a!Life!Time!Achievement!Award!from!the!US!Environmental!Protection!Agency!for!his!contributions!to!environmental!education!and!policyAmaking.!!

Bud!serves!as!a!Trustee!on!boards!of!the!Rose!Kennedy!Greenway!Conservancy!and!Boston!Harbor!Now!and!is!a!member!of!the!Magellan!Society!at!the!New!England!Aquarium.!He!received!his!BA!in!Mathematics!from!Duke!University!and!an!MS/MLA!from!the!College!of!Environmental!Science!and!Forestry!at!the!State!University!of!NY.!!

Ken!is!currently!Professor!and!Director!of!the!UMass!Boston!Graduate!Program!in!Urban!Planning!and!Community!Development.!Prior!to!joining!UMass!Boston,!Ken!taught!urban!planning!at!the!University!of!Illinois!at!UrbanaAChampaign,!Cornell!University,!and!The!University!of!Memphis.!Ken!has!a!long!history!of!mobilizing!university!resources!to!support!residentAled!revitalization!efforts!in!economically!distressed!neighborhoods.!His!most!recent!publication,!Rebuilding*Community*after*Katrina:*Transformative*Education*in*the*New*Orleans*Planning*Initiative,*coAedited!with!John!Forester!of!Cornell,!describes!the!efforts!of!Cornell,!Columbia,!and!Illinois!planning!students!in!supporting!ACORN’s!efforts!to!secure!Lower!9th!Ward!residents!a!voice!in!New!Orleans’!postAdisaster!recovery!process.!

Robyn!is!the!founding!Dean!of!the!School!for!the!Environment!at!UMass!Boston.!Her!research!ties!together!three!strands!centered!on!understanding!climate!change!through!evaluation!of!changes!in!ocean!pH!and!temperature!in!Earth’s!deep!past,!experimental!manipulations!of!ocean!climate!conditions,!and!the!development!of!new!proxies!for!climate!conditions!to!understand!the!impact!of!climate!change!on!marine!systems.!Dr.!Hannigan!has!a!BS!in!Biology!from!the!College!of!New!Jersey,!MA!in!Paleontology!from!SUNYABuffalo,!and!an!MS!and!a!PhD!in!Geochemistry!from!the!University!of!Rochester.!

Ken Reardon, Ph.D.

Robyn Hannigan, Ph.D.

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Scouting Employers

Graduate!and!undergraduate!students—whether!seeking!summer!internships!or!permanent!employment—are!invited!to!visit!with!representatives!from!these!Massachusetts!organizations!to!collect!information!about!employment!opportunities.!The!following!representatives!will!be!at!their!tables!throughout!the!day,!beginning!after!the!keynote!address.!The!tables!are!located!in!the!Integrated!Science!Center!Atrium!level.!

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Featuring!one!of!the!employers!and!main!sponsors!of!the!Colloquium!

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The!Massachusetts!Clean!Energy!Center!(MassCEC)!

MassCEC!is!a!publiclyAfunded!agency!dedicated!to!accelerating!the!success!of!clean!energy!technologies,!companies!and!projects!in!the!Commonwealth—while!creating!highAquality!jobs!and!longAterm!economic!growth!for!the!people!of!Massachusetts.!Since!it!began!operating!in!2009,!MassCEC!has!helped!clean!energy!companies!grow,!supported!municipal!clean!energy!projects!and!invested!in!residential!and!commercial!renewable!energy!installations!creating!a!robust!marketplace!for!innovative!clean!technology!companies!and!service!providers.!

With!economic!growth!in!mind,!MassCEC!invests!in!earlyAstage!clean!energy!companies!helping!them!to!bring!ideas!to!the!marketplace.!MassCEC!supports!responsibly!sited!renewable!energy!projects!and!provides!municipalities,!homeowners!and!businesses!with!the!tools!needed!to!finance!and!locate!renewable!energy!projects!like!wind!and!solar.!MassCEC!also!develops!programs!to!support!the!academic!clean!energy!ecosystem!and!build!a!strong!clean!energy!workforce!–!including!a!successful!statewide!internship!program!–!to!give!the!clean!energy!generation!the!skills!to!compete!for!jobs!in!this!emerging!space.!!!

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Scouting Employers (Continued)

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COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES REPRESENTED

Acknowledgments

We!would!like!to!acknowledge!all!of!the!faculty!members!who!volunteered!their!time!and!expertise!to!evaluate!poster!and!oral!presentations,!and!give!invaluable!guidance!to!student!presenters.!

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Faculty Evaluators:

Elizabeth!!Boyle!

Jarrett!!Byrnes!

Alan!!Christian!

Heidi!!Gengenbach!

Robyn!!Hannigan!

Simone!!Hasenbein!

John!!Mandelman!

Helen!!Poynton!

William!!Robinson!

Vesela!!Veleva!

Shirley!!Vincent!

Jessica!!Carilli!

Bob!Chen!!

Allen!!Gontz!

José!E.!!MartínezAReyes!

Maria!!Petrova!

Ken!!Reardon!

Douglas!!Woodhams!

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We!would!also!like!to!give!special!recognition!to!the!students!from!the!SFE!Seminar!class:!Amy!E!Johnston,!Avery!P!Palardy,!Charles!A!Muirhead,!Christine!San!Antonio,!Connor!W!Capizzano!Daniel!Genest,!Gregory!M!Davies,!Isaac!Rosenthal,!Kerry!L!McNally,!Lucy!A!Lockwood,!Lynette!L!Laffea,!Michael!E!O'Neill!3,!Monica!VelezAOrtiz,!Patrick!D!Sheldon,!Peter!B!Boucher,!Raphael!D!Fennimore,!Ryan!J!Knotek,!Sean!P!McNally,!Tyler!O'Brien,!Zachary!G!Mertz,!Zhehai!Shang,!Gawne!F!Peter,!and!Charles!R!Major.!Special!recognition!goes!also!to!Robyn!Hannigan,!Dean!SFE,!Michael!Alderman,!Assistant!Dean;!Maria!Petrova,!SFE!Program!Manager,!and!the!faculty,!staff,!and!students!from!the!School!for!the!Environment!for!their!time!and!support!of!the!Colloquium.!

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Abstract #

First Name Last Name College/University

Graduate/Undergr Research Area Research Advisor Title

O-1 Charles Muirhead UMB, Graduate Conservation Scott Kraus Presence of river dolphins (Inia geoffrensis) and (Sotalia fluviatilis) near an urbanized area of the Amazon River

O-2 Connor Capizzano UMB, Graduate Fisheries Science John W. Mandelman

Estimating and mitigating discard mortality to address the challenges of managing the Gulf of Maine recreational groundfish fishery

O-3 Helenmary Hotz UMB, Graduate GIS Alan D. Christian

Influence of Global Change Drivers on a Tropical Lake and Watershed, Étang Saumâtre, Haiti

O-4 Lynette Laffea UMB, Graduate Biogeochemistry Dr. Bob Chen Measuring Carbon Sequestration Processes in a Subapline Forest Using Multi-Scale Wireless Sensor Arrays

O-5 Steven Nye UMB, Graduate Geochemistry Robyn Hannigan Using Geochemical Techniques to Decipher Paleo-Environmental Changes Across the Permian-Triassic Extinction in Eastern Greenland

O-6 Jeremiah Asaka UMB, Graduate Conservation Governance

Prof. Timothy M. Shaw

Transformations in Conservation Governance and Implications for Human Security: The Case of Kenya’s Northern Rangelands

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Abstract #



O-7 Peter Boucher UMB, Graduate Env History and Toxicology

Conevery Bolton Valencius

Resistance is not futile: Pesticide Use and Criticisms of Rachel Carson Over the Last Century

O-8 Kaley Major UMB, Graduate Aquatic Ecotoxicology

Helen Poynton Identifying and differentiating among target-site alleles conferring pesticide resistance in the amphipod, Hyalella azteca

O-9 Kristin Osborne UMB, Graduate Ecotoxicology Helen Poynton Invading the “dirty waters” of urban harbors: quantifying invasive tunicate tolerance to marine pollution

O-10 Megan Byers Mount Holyoke College, Undergrad

Ecotoxicology Renae Brodie Crayfish on Prozac: Fluoxetine Reduces Aggression Behavior of Rusty Crayfish (Orconectes rusticus) at a Low, Ecologically-relevant Dose

O-11 Bonnie Blalock UMB, Graduate Molecular ecotoxicology

Dr. Helen Poynton

Endocrine Disruption in Marine Mussels: Development of a Robust Field Assay by Linking Transcriptomic Responses to Biological Effects

O-12 Charles Major UMB, Graduate Environmental Toxicology

Juanita Urban-Rich

Effects of microplastic polystrene beads exposed to zinc oxide nanoparticles or gemfibrozil on the larval bay scallop (Argopecten irradians)

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Abstract #



O-13 Kerry McNally UMB, Graduate Microbiology Jennifer Bowen Characterizing the bacterial and fungal respiratory microbiome of Kemp’s ridley turtles (Lepidochelys kempii)

O-14 Michael Roy UMB, Graduate Marine Ecology Dr. Jarrett Byrnes

Assessing rates of infection by a trematode parasite on palaemonid shrimp, Palaemon pugio and P. vulgaris, in Long Island and Bronx, NY

O-15 Robert Holmberg UMB, Graduate Marine Science Robyn Hannigan Ocean Acidification Impacts Otolith Morphology and Mineralogy in Larval Haemulon chrysargyreum

O-16 Peter Gawne UMB, Graduate Marine Science Dr. Jessica Carilli

The effect of temperature on iron-enriched reefs in the Central Pacific

O-17 Sean McNally UMB, Graduate Marine Science Dr. Jessica Carilli

Bleach and Survive: Lipid and Isotopic Analysis of Central Pacific Coral Communities through a Natural Bleaching Event

O-18 Thomas Dimino UMB, Graduate Ecology Alan Christian Quantifying Habitat Heterogeneity in Low Gradient Headwater Streams using a Distance Based Model

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Abstract # First Name Last Name College/University


O-19 Alexander Metzger UMB, Graduate Human Ecology Ellen Douglas Models that Matter: Agent-Based Models for Social Learning and Climate Change Adaptation

O-20 Ram Barankin UMB, Graduate Environmental policy

Bowen and Kirshen

Measuring the Vulnerability of Coastal Transportation Assets Using Indicators

O-21 Debra Butler UMB, Graduate Climate Change David Levy The Lesson of Cuba under Scarcity: A Model of Environmental and Social Resilience

O-22 Jamila Gilliam UMB, Graduate Organizations & Social Change

Banu Ozkazanc-Pan

Social Enterprise Entrepreneurs and National Biogas Programs/Partnerships as Dissemination agents in Ethiopia

O-23 V. Miranda Chase UMB, Graduate Environmental Policy

n.a. Fishery Management Projects in the Lower Amazon Basin: Promoting Sustainable Development or simply Environmental Conservation?

O-24 Natalia Escobar-Pemberthy

UMB, Graduate Environmental Policy

Maria Ivanova Species, States and Secretariats: The role of CITES in protecting wildlife

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Abstract/ Board # First Name Last Name College/University


P-1 Xiaofeng Zhang UMB, Graduate Multi-component reaction

Wei Zhang One-pot double [3+2] cycloadditions for diastereoselective synthesis of a novel triazolobenzodiazepine-fused polycyclic skeleton

P-2 Raphael Fennimore UMB, Graduate Marine Observation Technologies

Scott Kraus Long Wave Infrared (LWIR) Sensing in Marine Environments: a Comparison of a High-End, High-Resolution Sensor and a Self-Assembled, Low-Resolution Unit

P-3 Michael O'Neill UMB, Graduate Ecotoxicology Helen Poynton Gulf Stream Orphan Sighting Distribution and Abundance

P-4 Melina Gjoni Worcester State U, Undergrad

Alternative fuel source

Maura Collins Pavao

Cellulomonas flavigina produces electricity (an alternative fuel source)

P-5 Amy Johnston UMB, Graduate Paleoclimate, Geochemistry,

Robyn Hannigan Paleoclimate reconstruction of the Gulf of Maine during the recent Holocene (past 5000 years) using Archaeological Mollusk Shells

P-6 Rachel Vincent UMB, Undergrad Microbial ecology Jennifer Bowen Determining the bacterial communities on the shell of American lobsters, Homarus americanus, over time and space

P-7 Edward Saenz UMB, Graduate Earth Sciences Crystal Schaaf Utilizing a Hyper-portable Terrestrial Lidar to classify a Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Infestation

P-8 Kristin Bulpett UMB, Graduate Blue Carbon, Env Chemistry

Robert Chen Carbon dioxide emissions associated with the restoration of a tidal salt marsh in Boston, Massachusetts

P-9 Jack Payette UMB, Graduate Ocean Edu / Biol Oceanography

Juanita Urban-Rich

Utilizing social media for informal ocean conservation and education: The BioOceanography Project

P-10 Isaac Rosenthal UMB, Graduate Marine Ecology Jarrett Byrnes Floating Forests: Utilizing Citizen Science to Answer Global Ecological Questions

P-11 Greg, Christine, Nichole

Davies, SanAntonio, Weber

UMB, Graduate IGERT Maria Petrova Development and Climate Adaptation: Mangroves and Coral Reefs

P-12 Arnold Fernandes Boston University, Graduate

Earth Science Sergio Fagherazzi

Dynamics of coastal regimes and its relation to forest regeneration in the Virginia Coastal Reserve

P-13 Daniel Genest UMB, Graduate Ecology Crystal Schaaf Spartina alterniflora and Spartina patens distributions in Plum Island Ecosystem, Rowley, Massachusetts

P-14 Farah Ahmad UMB, Undergrad Salt Marsh Ecology Jarret Byrnes Importance of Bird Predation in Reshaping the Ecology of New England Salt Marshes

P-15 Andrew Pineda Boston University, Undergraduate,

Urban Climate Model

Dan Li The impact of snow on the microclimate and hydrology in the city of Boston: a modeling study

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P-16 Alan Stebbins UMB, Graduate Geochemistry, Paleoclimatology

Robyn Hannigan Reconstruction of bottom-water oxygenation conditions in the Late Permian Neo-Tethys

P-17 TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD

P-18 Jeremy Hyatt UMB, Undergrad Green Synthetic Chemistry

Wei Zhang Recyclable Organocatalytic Quadruple Cascade Reactions for Asymmetric Synthesis of Fluorinated Cyclohexanes Bearing Six Contiguous Stereocenters

P-19 Delilah Bethel Norfolk State University, Undergrad

Freshwater Ecology Alan Christian Examination of Macroinvertebrate Community Changes in Response to Passive Restoration of a Cranberry Farm in Plymouth, MA

P-20 Guoqing Wang UMB, Graduate Ocean optics Zhongping Lee Phytoplantkon distribution in Boston Harbor based on imaging flow cytobot


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P-22 Zach Mertz UMB, Graduate Hydrology Ellen Douglas Tracking the Flood – Using Socio-hydrology to Gain a New Perspective on Flood Management in Boston

P-23 Tyler O'Brien UMB, Graduate Marine Science and Technology MS

Juanita Urban-Rich

Microplastics in Savin Hill Cove

P-24 Linda Holcombe UMB, Graduate International Relations

Maria Ivanova The Crime-Conservation Nexus: Interdisciplinarity in Practice

P-25 Laurissa Gulich UMB, Graduate Freshwater Ecology Alan Christian Path flow analysis of hierarchical drivers on water quality in the Charles River watershed tributaries, Massachusetts

P-26 Lauren Laskey UMB, Graduate Social Sciences John Duff Buy-out or Build back? What does Sandy teach us about how we respond post-disaster?

P-27 Patrick Sheldon UMB, Graduate coastal remote sensing

Chen Satellite Monitoring of Boston Harbor Water Quality: Initial Investigations

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P-28 J. Michael Denney UMB, Graduate International Agricultural Develop

Maria Ivanova Building a Resilient Landscape in Djibouti

P-29 Ryan Knotek UMB, Graduate Fisheries Biology Dr. John Mandelman

Identifying bottom trawl bycatch hotspots and “best practice” guidelines to reduce the discard mortality of an overfished Species of Concern – the thorny skate – in the Gulf of Maine

P-30 Anastasia Mozharova UMB, Graduate Invasive Species Rick Kesseli Sexual vs. asexual reproduction in populations of Myriophyllum spicatum in Massachusetts

P-31 Gregory Davies UMB, Graduate Ecology and Theology

John Duff Holy Green Dots: Ethiopia's Church Forests

P-32 Christine San Antonio UMB, Graduate Climate change, ocean acidification

Dr. Robyn Hannigan

Interactive effects of ocean acidification and temperature increase on shell development and response to disease in the American Lobster, Homarus americanus

P-33 Alexis Johnson Stonehill College, Undergrad

Oceanography Kristin Burkholder

Changes to Lagrangian pathways of the Gulf of Maine Coastal Current from 1988-2015

P-34 Avery Palardy UMB, Graduate Climate Change Ellen Douglas The Impact of Sea Level Rise on Hazardous Waste and Oil Contaminated Areas in Boston

P-35 Victoria LaBate UMB, Graduate Policy John Duff Taking our management cues from nature - littorally

P-36 AnnaMae Maillet UMB, Undergrad Sustainable energy massPIRG 100% clean energy

P-37 Patrick Farrington Stonehill College, Undergrad

Precipitation Kristin Burkholder

An analysis of Massachusetts precipitation: changes in the frequency and intensity of rainfall events

P-38 Zhehai Shang UMB, Graduate Ocean Science Zhongping Lee Monte-Carlo simulation for self-shading correction of in-situ optical measurement

P-39 Christine Nguyen UMB, Undergrad Civic engagement Debra Metzel Civic engagement reflection

P-40 Yvetane Moreau UMB, Undergrad microbial ecology Shiaris Michael Minimizing shellfish closures: Testing archiving methods for Vibrio parahaemolyticus recovery from oyster tissue

P-41 Monica Velez-Ortiz UMB, Graduate Earth Science Allen Gontz Stratigraphic architecture of a former lowland kauri swamp in Ruakaka, North Island, New Zealand


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ORAL%SESSION%ABSTRACTS%

O-1!!Charles!Muirhead!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!Presence!of!river!dolphins!(Inia%geoffrensis)!and!(Sotalia%fluviatilis)!near!an!urbanized!area!of!the!Amazon!River!

Populations!of!river!dolphins!throughout!the!world!are!in!decline!as!a!direct!result!of!intensified!anthropogenic!activity!along!river!systems.!Construction!of!dams,!release!of!pollutants,!inundation!of!noise,!and!intensified!fishing!practices!are!known!factors!contributing!to!the!extinction!of!the!Yangtze!river!dolphin!(Lipotes%vexillifer)!and!declining!populations!of!the!Indus!and!Ganges!river!dolphins!(Platanista%gangetica),!Irrawady!dolphin!(Orcaella%brevirostris),!finless!porpoise!(Neophocaena%phocaenoides)!and!La!Plata!river!dolphin!(Pontoporia%blanvillei).!!Currently,!the!Amazon!river!dolphin!(Inia%geoffrensis)!and!coexisting!tucuxi!(Sotalia%fluviatilis)!remain!listed!as!data!deficient.!There!is!limited!information!regarding!potential!changes!in!their!population!sizes,!distributions,!and!habitat!suitability.!!

This!project!examines!the!presence!of!Inia%geoffrensis!and!Sotalia%fluviatilis!within!habitats!subject!to!different!degrees!of!human!use.!Surveys!were!conducted!through!acoustic!monitoring!of!echolocation!and!whistling!activity,!which!allows!for!continuous!monitoring!of!large!remote!areas,!for!long!periods!of!time,!regardless!of!weather,!daylight,!or!visibility!of!dolphin!surfacing!behavior.!Audio!recorders!were!deployed!for!two!weeks!at!locations!distant!from,!and!proximate!to,!Iquitos!Peru.!!

Preliminary!results!indicate!a!41%!reduction!of!presence!in!areas!near!the!city!of!Iquitos.!This!analysis!will!supplement!currently!limited!knowledge!of!distribution!patterns!among!impacted!habitats!in!an!effort!to!identify!and!mitigate!anthropogenic!threats.!Moreover,!this!study!will!generate!baseline!data!needed!for!future!examinations!of!largeQscale!changes!likely!to!occur!over!time.!The!methods!demonstrated!here!are!applicable!to!survey!efforts!of!all!river!dolphin!species.!!!O-2!!Connor!Capizzano!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!Estimating!and!mitigating!discard!mortality!to!address!the!challenges!of!managing!the!Gulf!of!Maine!recreational!groundfish!fishery!

The!Gulf!of!Maine!recreational!groundfish!fishery,!which!primarily!targets!Atlantic!cod!(Gadus%morhua)!and!haddock!(Melanogrammus%aeglefinus),!is!managed!using!a!bioQeconomic!model!that!is!sensitive!to!estimates!of!discard!mortality.!When!determining!fishery!management!measures,!the!stock!size!and!discard!mortality!estimates!for!one!species!influences!the!management!of!the!other.!However,!the!lack!of!directed!discard!mortality!studies!in!this!Gulf!of!Maine!recreational!fishery!leaves!uncertainty!in!total!fishing!mortality!estimates!(landings!and!discards),!which!complicates!effective!management.!Reliable!discard!mortality!estimates!are!therefore!required!for!management!and!quantification!of!fishery!removals,!which!can!represent!a!considerable!portion!of!the!total!annual!catch!for!this!fishery.!As!a!result,!we!partnered!with!industry!to!conduct!field!studies!using!acoustic!telemetry!to!empiricallyQderive!cod!and!haddock!discard!mortality!rates!for!consideration!in!stock!assessments!and!fishery!management!plans.!These!projects!have!also!identified!“best!practice”!guidelines!to!reduce!the!

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mortality!of!discarded!fish.!Such!guidelines!are!especially!timely!given!the!increase!in!recreational!discards!in!this!fishery!due!to!increased!recreational!fishing!effort,!strict!regulations,!and!haddock!abundances!in!recent!years.!Opportunistic!movement!data!collected!from!cod!and!haddock!will!provide!further!insights!into!habitat!utilization!on!these!fishing!grounds.!Results!from!both!studies!can!assist!with!future!management!decisions!and!reduce!incidental!mortality!of!these!discarded!groundfish.!!!O-3!!Helenmary!Hotz!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!Influence!of!Global!Change!Drivers!on!a!Tropical!Lake!and!Watershed,!Étang!Saumâtre,!Haiti!

Haiti,!located!on!the!Caribbean!island!of!Hispaniola,!is!the!poorest!country!in!the!western!hemisphere.!It!is!suffering!by!a!myriad!of!anthropogenic!and!natural!global!change!drivers,!which!impact!ecosystems!and!result!in!environmental!degradation!(Hylkema,!2011;!Churches,!2014).!Additionally,!socioQeconomic!drivers!have!impeded!Haiti’s!ability!to!manage!its!resources!in!a!sustainable!and!progressive!way.!Rapid!expansion!of!Étang!Saumâtre,!the!largest!lake!in!Haiti,!and!increased!rates!of!deforestation!continue!to!flood!homes!and!infrastructure!(Hotz,!2015).!Additionally,!lack!of!easily!accessible!and!reliable!data!has!demonstrated!the!need!for!high!resolution!mapping!and!remote!sensing!of!the!region!(Churches!et!al.,!2014).!Due!to!the!paucity!of!data!on!Haiti,!data!collection!and!creation!are!of!primary!importance!to!characterize!the!Cul!de!Sac!watershed!and!Étang!Saumâtre!to!study!the!effects!of!global!change!drivers!on!this!region.!!!O-4!!Lynette!Laffea!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!Measuring!Carbon!Sequestration!Processes!in!a!Subapline!Forest!Using!MultiQScale!Wireless!Sensor!Arrays!

During!the!past!century!global!atmospheric!concentrations!of!carbon!dioxide!have!increased!markedly!as!a!result!of!human!activity!(IPCC!2013).!!This!increase!has!contributed!to!observed!changes!in!radiative!forcing!and!hence!to!global!climate.!The!most!recent!budget!for!atmospheric!CO2!prepared!by!the!Intergovernmental!Panel!on!Climate!Change!(IPCC,!2013)!estimates!that!over!half!the!anthropogenic!CO2!emissions!in!the!atmosphere!are!removed!by!carbon!sinks!on!the!land!(28%)!and!in!the!ocean!(29%).!However,!scientists!are!unable!to!completely!reconcile!the!processes!contributing!to!the!ocean!and!terrestrial!biosphere!sinks!leading!to!contrasting!predictions!of!how!they!will!respond!to!increasing!levels!in!the!future!(IPCC,!2013,!Sun!et!al!2010,!Schimel!et!al!1996,!2002).!In!addition,!gaps!in!understanding!the!global!carbon!cycle!cause!significant!uncertainty!in!models!that!attempt!to!predict!environmental!impacts!of!increasing!emissions.!As!such,!these!uncertainties!represent!a!major!impediment!to!the!formulation!of!policies!for!mitigating!the!growth!of!atmospheric!levels!of!CO2!(IPCC!2013).!!

One!cause!for!this!uncertainty!lies!in!the!complexity!of!quantifying!biogeochemical!processes!with!limited!observations!(IPCC,!2013,!Sun!et!al!2010,!Rundel!et!al!2009,!Estrin!et!al!2003,!Akyildez!2001).!As!such,!I!proposed!to!explore!how!multiQscale!sensor!array!technologies!can!be!used!to!explore!complex!ecological!processes!to!improve!our!understanding!of!CO2!exchange!in!a!mountainous!terrain!

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ecosystem.!!In!one!set!of!studies,!I!developed!a!wireless!network!of!photon!flux!sensors!to!explore!the!influence!of!conifers!trees!on!the!local!light!environment!and!therefore!its!influence!on!photosynthesis!within!the!canopy.!!!In!a!second!set!of!studies,!I!measured!soil!respiration!below!a!CO2!flux!tower!to!assist!efforts!quantifying!the!down!slope,!advective!fluxes!of!CO2,!which!traditional!instrumentation!fails!to!obtain.!These!sensors!were!coQlocated!with!other!wireless!instruments!Q!The!Transact!Measurement!System!or!TRAM,!which!is!a!meteorological!and!CO2!flux!sensor!system!designed!by!Dr.!Steven!P.!Oncley!from!the!National!Center!for!Atmospheric!Research!(Oncley!et!al.!2008)!and!a!series!of!soil!moisture,!soil!temperature,!air!temperature!and!PAR!(Photosynthetic!Active!Radiation)!sensors!that!were!designed!to!communicate!in!peerQtoQpeer!fashion!to!explore!controls!of!respiration.!My!intent!was!to!use!these!sensors!with!established!soil!respiration!measurements!at!the!site!to!predict!spatial!variability!in!soil!respiration!rate!and!determine!if!the!predictions!can!be!used!to!close!the!budget.!!!O-5!!Steven!Nye!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!Using!Geochemical!Techniques!to!Decipher!PaleoQEnvironmental!Changes!Across!the!PermianQTriassic!Extinction!in!Eastern!Greenland!

The!PermianQTriassic!Boundary!represents!an!extinction!event!that!occurred!around!250!mya.!Volcanic!activity!originating!in!Siberia!may!have!been!the!driver!that!tipped!global!climate!towards!unrecoverable!conditions!leading!to!the!loss!of!close!to!96%!of!marine!species.!Studies!of!this!time!in!Earth’s!history!are!typically!focused!on!the!paleoQequitorial!Tethys!Ocean!basin.!Here!we!integrate!data!from!the!southern!Boreal!Sea!region!with!lower!latitude!data!to!present!a!richer!understanding!of!ocean!conditions!at!the!time!of!this!extinction.!!

Samples!(n=85)!were!collected!from!the!Oskedal!member!of!the!Woodie!Creek!Formation!along!the!northeast!coast!of!the!Østgrønland!region!of!Eastern!Greenland.!The!samples!are!mostly!shales!and!crossbedded!sandstones!that!cover!the!uppermost!Permian!across!the!boundary!into!the!Triassic.!Samples!were!powdered!and!homogenized!and!major!as!well!as!trace!element!composition!were!analyzed!by!XQRay!Fluorescence!and!Inductively!Coupled!Plasma!Mass!Spectrometry,!respectively.!!We!also!analyzed!stable!carbon!isotopic!composition!(inorganic!and!organic)!via!IsotopeQRatio!Mass!Spectrometry.!These!data!were!used!to!chemostratigraphically!integrate!this!section!into!the!global!δ13C!stratigraphy!as!well!as!to!reconstruct!the!paleoenvironmental!conditions.!!We!identified!changes!in!paleoproductivity!approaching!the!boundary!that!support!wideQspread!anoxia!at!this!time!with!these!data!also!revealing!localized!conditions!of!shelf!anoxia.!!!O-6%%Jeremiah!Asaka!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!Transformations!in!Conservation!Governance!and!Implications!for!Human!Security:!The!Case!of!Kenya’s!Northern!Rangelands!

For!most!of!the!20th!century,!conservation!was!stateQcentric!and!science!oriented.!People,!particularly!conservation!area!communities,!were!excluded!from!protected!areas!designed!to!safely!contain!'nature'!from!the!threat!of!human!beings!(with!the!exception!of!tourists!and!park!rangers).!

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However,!in!late!20th!century,!a!shift!towards!'destatisation'!and!'indigenisation'!particularly!in!the!African!continent,!but!also!elsewhere,!emerged.!This!shift!continues!today!(in!the!21st!century)!in!places!like!northern!rangelands!of!Kenya!with!implications!for!conservation!area!communities.!The!proposed!study!seeks!to!analyse!conservation!governance!at!the!global!and!local!level.!In!part,!to!understand!how!conservation!is!governed!at!those!two!levels!and!how!such!governance!has!changed!over!time!since!1980;!and!in!part,!to!understand!local!human!security!implications!of!such!transformations.!It!will!employ!key!informant!interviews,!household!survey,!observation!and!digital!photography!to!collect!qualitative!and!quantitative!data.!!!O-7%%Peter!Boucher!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!Resistance!is!not!futile:!Pesticide!Use!and!Criticisms!of!Rachel!Carson!Over!the!Last!Century!

In!the!1960s,!Rachel!Carson’s!Silent!Spring!brought!about!a!public!outcry!that!led!to!federal!action!to!regulate!pesticides!in!the!US,!including!a!ban!on!the!use!of!DDT.!The!weight!of!scientific!knowledge!behind!Carson’s!call!for!pesticide!regulation!has!greatly!strengthened!over!the!years,!yet!antiQCarson!rhetoric!in!the!media!remains!at!large!in!the!US.!Recently,!this!hateful!rhetoric!labelled!Rachel!Carson!as!a!“massQmurderer”!for!bringing!about!the!ban!of!DDT.!!!Now,!the!reinstatement!of!DDT!for!use!as!a!mosquito!control!is!even!being!considered!by!the!Centers!for!Disease!Control!(CDC),!as!climate!change!and!international!exchange!make!the!advance!of!mosquito!borne!illnesses!(like!the!Zika!virus)!inevitable.!!

Given!the!weight!of!the!scientific!evidence!about!the!dangers!and!the!ineffectiveness!of!unregulated!pesticide!use,!why!is!the!regulation!of!pesticides!still!a!debatable!issue!today?!Drawing!from!historical!works!and!scientific!papers,!this!presentation!outlines!arguments!for!and!against!pesticide!use!in!the!20th!century!in!an!attempt!to!improve!future!communication!about!pesticides,!industry,!and!science.!!!O-8%%Kaley!Major!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!Identifying!and!differentiating!among!targetQsite!alleles!conferring!pesticide!resistance!in!the!amphipod,!Hyalella%azteca!

Select!populations!of!the!nonQtarget!amphipod,!Hyalella%azteca,!in!California!have!demonstrated!resistance!to!pyrethroid!and/or!organophosphate!pesticides.!!While!pyrethroid!resistance!has!been!correlated!with!two!distinct!mutations!in!the!voltage!gated!sodium!channel,!the!source!of!the!organophosphate!resistance!remains!uninvestigated.!!In!an!effort!to!better!understand!the!impacts!of!pesticide!selective!pressures!on!population!structure,!we!endeavor!to!create!and!validate!a!Taqman!qPCR!assay!for!the!quick!identification!of!known!pyrethroid!resistance!alleles!in!Hyalella.!Further,!to!determine!whether!a!targetQsite!mutation!is!the!source!of!organophosphate!resistance!in!Hyalella,!we!will!be!cloning!and!sequencing!the!acetylcholinesterase!gene!to!discriminate!allele!frequencies!among!sensitive!and!resistant!populations.!Once!alleles!can!be!differentiated,!we!will!design!Taqman!qPCR!assays!specific!to!the!acetylcholinesterase!alleles!to!determine!allele!frequencies!among!populations!in!

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the!state!of!California.!!Later,!these!assays!will!be!used!in!the!determination!of!resistance!allele!frequencies!in!Hyalella!from!other!uninvestigated!areas!of!North!America.!!Understanding!the!geographic!extent!and!prevalence!of!resistance!allele!frequencies!in!Hyalella!is!key!determining!the!ecological!implications!of!extensive!pesticide!use!in!the!environment.!!!O-9%%Kristin!Osborne!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!Invading!the!“dirty!waters”!of!urban!harbors:!quantifying!invasive!tunicate!tolerance!to!marine!pollution!

Invasive!marine!tunicates!pose!a!significant!threat!to!recipient!communities!as!a!result!of!strong!competition!for!resources,!decreasing!native!biodiversity,!and!fouling!of!commercially!valuable!species.!Botrylloides%violaceus!was!introduced!to!the!Gulf!of!Maine!(GOM)!via!commercial!shipping!activities!in!the!1980’s.!Originating!from!Asian!waters,!this!species!has!spread!and!established!along!coastlines!around!the!world.!Since!its!introduction!into!the!GOM,!B.!violaceus!has!become!increasingly!dominant!in!a!number!of!systems!along!the!New!England!coast.!Alternatively,!Botryllus%schlosseri!is!an!invasive!tunicate!that!has!been!documented!in!the!GOM!for!well!over!100!years.!This!species!has!been!slowly!increasing!its!range!northward,!thus!continuing!in!its!invasive!nature!to!spread!and!proliferate!into!native!systems,!but!at!a!much!slower!rate!than!that!of!B.!violaceus.!Both!of!these!species!are!able!to!establish!and!proliferate!in!urban!harbors!despite!these!often!being!heavily!polluted!environments.!!Therefore,!the!goal!of!this!research!is!to!understand!their!tolerance!to!pollution!and!the!role!it!may!play!in!invasion!success.!!The!first!research!aim!is!to!identify!sensitive!life!stages!and!endpoints!of!these!invaders!and!a!native!counterpart,!Aplidium%glabrum,!to!pollution.!This!will!provide!guidance!to!establish!standard!methods!for!short!and!longQterm!toxicity!bioassays!using!copper!since!it!has!become!one!of!the!primary!active!ingredients!in!antifouling!agents.!Endpoints!which!are!reliable,!costQeffective!measures!of!toxicity!to!invasive!colonial!tunicates!will!be!identified!and!included!to!streamline!future!testing.!Threshold!values!(e.g.!LC/EC50)!will!then!be!compared!with!reported!sensitivities!of!native!fauna!using!a!species!sensitivity!distribution!(SSD)!approach!to!determine!the!relative!tolerance!of!invasive!colonial!tunicates!with!that!of!indigenous!biofouling!community!members.!!!O-10%%Megan!Byers!Mount!Holyoke!College,!Undergrad!Crayfish!on!Prozac:!Fluoxetine!Reduces!Aggression!Behavior!of!Rusty!Crayfish!(Orconectes%rusticus)!at!a!Low,!EcologicallyQrelevant!Dose!

Because!municipal!waste!facilities!do!not!filter!dissolved!particles!from!human!wastewater,!all!dissolved!elements!Q!including!medicinal!drugs!Q!enter!aquatic!ecosystems!upon!release.!Fluoxetine!is!the!active!compound!in!the!commonly!prescribed!antidepressant!drug!Prozac.!Crayfish!proved!an!ideal!study!species!to!examine!behavioral!effects!of!fluoxetine!contamination!because!they!are!a!model!organism!in!neurophysical!research!and!they!perform!characteristic!aggression!behaviors.!In!this!study,!crayfish!were!exposed!to!1,!10,!or!100µm/L!of!fluoxetine!and!scored!on!a!1Q5!ethogram!by!distinct!aggression!behaviors!in!response!to!a!glass!rod!stimulus!over!a!period!of!ten!days.!Aggressive!behaviors!were!expected!to!increase!monotonically!with!greater!fluoxetine!doses!QQ!however,!the!1µm/L!

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treatment!group!(which!is!also!the!most!ecologically!relevant)!demonstrated!significantly!greater!frequency!of!tail!flips,!the!most!defensive!behavior,!and!consequently!showed!significantly!lower!aggression!scores!than!the!other!treatments.!This!finding!indicates!that!fluoxetine!alters!crayfish!behavior!nonQmonotonically.!Decreased!aggression!in!their!natural!habitat!could!mean!that!contaminated!crayfish!have!difficulty!obtaining!or!defending!their!right!to!shelter,!mates,!and/or!food.!Future!research!examining!crayfish!responses!to!fluoxetine!and!other!common!drugs!would!prove!valuable!to!ecotoxicologists’!understanding!of!how!contaminants!influence!the!behavior!and!fitness!of!aquatic!organisms.!!!O-11%%Bonnie!Blalock!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!Endocrine!Disruption!in!Marine!Mussels:!!!!Development!of!a!Robust!Field!Assay!by!Linking!!!Transcriptomic!Responses!to!Biological!Effects!

Endocrine!disrupting!compounds!(EDCs)!interfere!with!natural!hormone!function!and!cause!developmental!and!reproductive!impairments!such!as!gender!reversal!at!low,!environmentally!relevant!concentrations.!!These!compounds!enter!coastal!environments!primarily!from!the!effluents!of!Waste!Water!Treatment!Facilities,!and!have!become!ubiquitous!in!marine!surface!waters,!sediments!and!biota.!!To!monitor!exposure!and!effects!of!EDCs!to!marine!biota,!we!are!developing!the!Coastal!Biosensors!for!Endocrine!Disruption!(CQBED)!Assay!that!is!specific!for!two!of!the!most!widely!detected!EDCs!in!coastal!environments,!17QalphaQethinylestradiol!(EE2)!and!4Qnonylphenol!(4NP),!using!the!sentinel!species,!Mytilus%edulis.!We!exposed!M.%edulis!to!EE2!(5!and!50ng/L)!and!4NP!(1!and!100μg/L),!sampled!mussels!at!4wk!and!5wk,!and!performed!gene!expression!analysis!on!digestive!gland!tissue!using!a!M.%edulis%microarray.!!Candidate!biomarkers!for!CQBED!Assay!development!are!being!identified!based!on!specificity!to!either!EE2!or!4NP,!correlation!with!tissue!concentration,!and!consistent!expression!patterns!at!both!time!points.!While!we!are!actively!identifying!and!testing!candidate!genes!for!the!CQBED!Assay,!we!have!also!uncovered!unsettling!impacts!of!the!chemical!exposures.!!M.%edulis!exposed!to!intermediate!and!high!levels!of!EE2!have!higher!expression!levels!of!femaleQspecific!transcripts,!suggesting!that!EE2!may!cause!sex!reversal!in!male!M.%edulis,!a!finding!that!has!not!been!previously!linked!to!EDC!exposures!in!this!species.!!Additional!preliminary!results!provide!evidence!for!the!“nonQgenomic”!response!to!estrogens!that!is!proposed!to!be!the!primary!mechanism!for!estrogen!signaling!in!bivalves.!!!O-12%%Charles!Major!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!Effects!of!microplastic!polystrene!beads!exposed!to!zinc!oxide!nanoparticles!or!gemfibrozil!on!the!larval!bay!scallop!(Argopecten%irradians)!

Plastics!are!a!major!contaminant!in!our!ocean,!and!the!extent!to!which!plastics!of!the!microQsize!are!abundant!has!recently!alarmed!scientists!and!policy!makers!alike.!A!component!of!the!threat!that!microplastics!serve!as!to!estuarine!and!marine!ecosystems!is!the!ability!of!compounds!to!adsorb!to!the!surface!of!these!small!particles,!aggregating!other!pollutants!into!a!single!object!of!higher!potency.!This!

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talk!will!outline!work!that!will!be!done!to!determine!the!ability!of!polystyrene!bead!adsorption!of!two!

compounds!from!the!EPA’s!list!of!contaminants!of!emerging!concern,!both!the!nanoparticle!Zinc!Oxide!

and!the!pharmaceutical!Gemfibrozil!through!toxicity!testing!on!the!larval!Bay!Scallop!(Argopecten%irradians).!10!μm!polystyrene!beads!exposed!to!these!contaminants!will!be!introduced!in!24!hour!acute!

exposure!experiments!that!will!analyze!latent!effects!on!the!bay!scallop!larval!development.!

Experiments!will!be!performed!testing!for!toxicity!through!polystyrene!bead!adsorption!across!both!

contaminants!and!for!different!concentrations!during!polystyrene!bead!exposure!in!Zinc!Oxide!

nanoparticles.!Mortality,!size,!and!lipid!concentration!during!larval!development!will!serve!as!

measurement!endpoints.!!This!talk!will!introduce!the!experiments,!discuss!why!they!are!important,!

explain!the!objectives!and!methods!to!be!used,!and!discuss!potential!impacts!of!results.!

!

!

O-13%%Kerry!McNally!

UMass!Boston,!Graduate!

Characterizing!the!bacterial!and!fungal!respiratory!microbiome!of!Kemp’s!ridley!turtles!(Lepidochelys%kempii)!

Kemp’s!ridley!turtles!(Lepidochelys%kempii)!are!a!critically!endangered!species!of!sea!turtle!that!strand!every!fall!from!coldQstunning,!or!hypothermia,!on!Cape!Cod,!Massachusetts.!!An!average!of!half!

of!these!turtles!per!coldQstun!event!present!with!respiratory!abnormalities!during!rehabilitation!at!the!

New!England!Aquarium!(NEAQ).!!The!respiratory!bacterial!and!fungal!communities!(microbiome)!play!a!

role!in!the!health!of!these!animals!as!well!as!in!disease!states,!such!as!pneumonia,!and!

immunocompromised!conditions,!such!as!coldQstunning.!!To!understand!the!role!that!the!microbial!

community!of!bacteria!and!fungi!play,!an!evaluation!of!the!cloacal,!oral!and!respiratory!microbiome!will!

be!conducted!for!coldQstunned!turtles!throughout!rehabilitation,!with!a!comparison!of!animals!with!or!

without!pneumonia.!!High!throughput!DNA!sequencing!will!be!performed!on!cloacal,!oral!and!

respiratory!samples!to!achieve!a!full!understanding!of!the!microbiome!across!disease!states!as!well!as!

relationships!between!gastrointestinal!and!oral!microbiome.!The!effects!of!hospitalization!and!antibiotic!

therapy!on!the!respiratory!microbiome!will!also!be!examined!based!on!serial!samples!of!the!same!

individual!while!in!the!hospital.!!The!results!of!this!study!will!allow!for!improved!medical!management!of!

sea!turtles!in!rehabilitation!and!ultimately!may!increase!survival!rates.!!!

!

!

O-14%%Michael!Roy!


Assessing!rates!of!infection!by!a!trematode!parasite!on!palaemonid!shrimp,!Palaemon%pugio!and!P.%vulgaris,!in!Long!Island!and!Bronx,!NY!

Trematode!parasites!are!important,!yet!oftenQoverlooked!components!of!both!food!web!

dynamics!and!native/invasive!interactions.!!Here!we!present!Here!I!present!a!study!that!analyzeding!

rates!of!trematode!infection!on!northwest!Atlantic!palaemonid!shrimp!Palaemon%pugio!and!P.%vulgaris.!We!determined!whether!these!two!coQoccurring!shrimp!hosts!exhibited!differential!intensities!(number!

of!parasites!per!infected!individual)!and!prevalences!of!infection!(proportion!infected!of!all!sampled!

individuals).!!Shrimp!were!collected!between!July!and!August!2014!in!Bronx,!New!York!and!along!the!

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north!and!south!shores!of!Long!Island,!New!York!(n=12!sites).!!Among!more!than!roughly!1000!individuals!of!shrimp!processed!for!species,!abundance,!and!total!metacercaria!per!individual,!P.alaemon%vulgaris!exhibited!a!significantly!higher!intensity!(F=9.9290,!df=1,!p=0.0019)!and!prevalence!(F=8.9711,!df=1,!p=0.0053)!of!infection!than!P.%pugio.!!In!addition,!P.alaemon%pugio!(5.06+1.98!mean!individuals)!exhibited!a!significantly!higher!mean!abundance!over!P.%vulgaris%(1.98+0.29!mean!individuals),!indicating!a!negative!correlation!between!abundance!and!rates!of!parasitic!infection!(F=6.3622,!df=1,!p=0.0120).!!Given!the!presence!of!the!novel!Asian!shrimp!Palaemon%macrodactylus!in!the!NYC!area,!these!results!may!prove!critical!to!understand!interactions!between!native!and!invasive!species,!such!as!the!effect!of!enemy!release!and!altered!community!structure.!!!O-15%%Robert!Holmberg!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!Ocean!Acidification!Impacts!Otolith!Morphology!and!Mineralogy!in!Larval!Haemulon%chrysargyreum!

Ocean!acidification!is!expected!to!influence!calcification!of!otoliths!in!teleost!fishes,!which!may!have!profound!consequences!for!hearing!and!gravisense.!We!selected!the!smallmouth!grunt!(Haemulon%chrysargyreum)!for!its!long!larval!cycle,!and!analysed!otolith!morphology!and!mineralogy!after!rearing!in!pCO2!treatments!that!simulate!future!ocean!scenarios.!Multiple!thousand!H.%chrysargyreum!larvae!were!reared!in!4!pCO2!treatments!(pH!8.1,!7.8,!7.6,!7.3)!until!settlement.!Treatment!setpoints!were!achieved!by!dosing!CO2!into!continuouslyQmonitored!experimental!aquaria!with!our!dynamic!pHQstat!CO2!dosing!system.!Aquaria!were!replicated!5x!for!20!independentlyQcontrolled!experimental!units.!Otolith!stereomicrographs!were!analysed!for!area,!perimeter,!and!circularity.!Otolith!scanning!electron!micrographs!were!scored!for!crystal!habit,!mineralogy!(proportion!of!vaterite!vs.!aragonite),!%!visible!minerals,!and!core!development.!Fish!standard!length!peaked!in!moderate!pCO2!before!levelling!and!finally!plummeting!in!highest!pCO2.!Right!lapilli!circularity!decreased!and!right!asterisci!circularity!increased!with!increasing!pCO2.!Changes!to!otolith!mineralogy,!including!enhanced!core!development!and!shifting!crystal!habit,!were!observed!between!treatments.!Sagittae!in!which!crystal!habit!shifted!from!orthorhombic!aragonite!to!100%!amorphous!CaCO3!were!observed!in!acidified!treatments.!Our!study!boasted!3x!longer!exposure!relative!to!earlier!studies!involving!clownfishes,!facilitating!observation!of!longerQterm!ocean!acidification!effects!on!teleost!reef!fishes.!It!is!the!first!of!its!kind!to!observe!any!effect!of!ocean!acidification!on!asterisci!in!fishes.!Furthermore,!it!represents!an!unprecedented!analysis!of!otolith!mineralogy!in!the!context!of!ocean!acidification.!!!O-16%%Peter!Gawne!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!The!effect!of!temperature!on!ironQenriched!reefs!in!the!Central!Pacific!

Island!groups!in!the!Central!Pacific!have!long!evolved!in!the!absence!of!iron.!!Dissolved!iron!is!usually!sourced!from!three!main!pathways:!dust,!marginal!sediments,!and!hydrothermal!venting.!!The!remote!nature!of!many!island!groups!in!the!Central!Pacific,!far!from!ironQrich!airborne!dust!and!runoff,!coupled!with!their!geological!lack!of!emergent!basaltic!crust!has!made!iron!a!limiting!resource!for!primary!production!in!algae!and!bacteria!in!these!systems.!!A!source!of!iron!has!emerged!in!the!form!of!

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shipwreck!debris!and!abandoned!ground!gear.!!Waters!surrounding!these!iron!sources!are!increasingly!characterized!by!decreased!coral!cover,!increased!algal!and!bacterial!populations,!and!increased!turbidity,!thought!to!be!driven!by!introduction!of!iron!into!the!environment.!!This!study!explores!the!relationship!between!coral!health!and!temperature!in!the!presence!of!iron.!!As!temperature!increases,!the!negative!effect!of!iron!on!reefQbuilding!coral!is!amplified.!!With!ocean!temperatures!expected!to!rise!by!0.2°C!per!decade,!ironQenriched!waters!associated!with!ship!debris!pose!a!major!threat!to!coral!reef!health!in!the!Central!Pacific.!!!!!O-17%%Sean!McNally!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!Bleach!and!Survive:!Lipid!and!Isotopic!Analysis!of!Central!Pacific!Coral!Communities!through!a!Natural!Bleaching!Event!

Corals!are!animals!that!host!symbiotic!algae!in!their!tissues!called!zooxanthellae.!In!a!perfect!system!corals!provide!shelter!and!nutrients!like!nitrogen!and!phosphorus!to!the!algae,!and!the!algae!provide!the!corals!with!sufficient!food!to!grow.!However,!chronic!or!episodic!stress!can!push!this!relationship!out!of!whack,!leading!to!the!coral!host!expelling!its!symbionts!and!becoming!“bleached.”!

Currently,!we!are!seeing!an!extreme!climatic!event!occurring!in!the!pacific!with!the!recent!El!Niño,!where!increasing!sea!surface!temperatures!are!significantly!higher!than!average!for!this!time!of!year!and!has!caused!mass!bleaching!events!across!a!large!portion!of!the!coral!reef!atolls!across!the!Central!Pacific.!In!a!collaborative!effort!with!researchers!from!both!Georgia!Tech!and!the!University!of!Victoria!we!were!able!to!track!lipid!stores!through!the!current!natural!bleaching!event!as!well!as!assessing!spatial!differences!associated!with!variable!heterotrophic!feeding.!

Previous!experimental!work!and!field!based!evidence!has!shown!that!corals!with!higher!fat!stores!are!more!resilient!to!heat!stress,!and!that!corals!fed!with!zooplankton!are!also!more!resilient.!However,!no!work!has!been!done!assessing!coral!resilience!associated!with!heterotrophy!or!lipid!stores!before,!during,!and!after!a!natural!bleaching!event.!We!expect!that!corals!with!higher!lipid!content!prior!to!bleaching,!and/or!better!access!to!food!(higher!upwelling)!will!better!survive!the!event.!!!O-18%%Thomas!Dimino!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!Quantifying!Habitat!Heterogeneity!in!Low!Gradient!Headwater!Streams!using!a!Distance!Based!Model!

Habitat!heterogeneity,!or!spatial!variation,!is!critical!for!diverse!communities!to!persist.!!The!degree!to!which!this!concept!explains!biodiversity!patterns!is!a!matter!of!debate.!!There!is!a!need!for!a!standard!framework!to!measure!habitat!heterogeneity!across!systems!in!order!to!test!hypotheses!regarding!the!diversity!of!habitat!types.!!I!propose!that!by!using!a!distance!based!model!from!a!theoretical!“least!diverse”!system!that!a!measure!of!total!habitat!heterogeneity!can!be!estimated.!We!reduced!habitat!parameters!using!ecological!metrics!typically!applied!to!species!diversity!to!calculate!a!composite!heterogeneity!value.!!I!provide!support!to!the!hypothesis!that!an!agricultural!system!has!a!lower!degree!of!habitat!heterogeneity!than!a!forested!system!(ANOVA,!F(2,7)!=100.86,!p!<!0.001).!!This!framework!serves!as!an!exploratory!analysis!and!will!be!expanded!to!a!larger!research!project.!

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O-19%!Alexander!Metzger!


Models!that!Matter:!AgentQBased!Models!for!Social!Learning!and!Climate!Change!Adaptation!

Extreme!precipitation!events!cause!damaging!and!costly!impacts!to!many!coastal!urban!areas!

through!inland!and!storm!swell!flooding.!These!impacts!are!determined!though!a!complex!combination!

of!storm!characteristics,!local!environmental!conditions,!and!human!flood!management!decisions.!

Climate!change!is!expected!to!cause!more!frequent!and!intense!precipitation!events!in!the!Northeastern!

United!States!and!alter!floodQrelated!environmental!conditions.!Localized,!predictive!hydrological!

models!for!Boston,!MA!show!an!increase!in!flood!intensity!as!a!result.!Flood!managers!face!a!great!deal!

of!uncertainty!in!how!to!adapt!to!changing!conditions!as!a!unified!community!in!order!to!mitigate!flood!

impacts!and!maximize!use!of!management!resources.!In!this!talk,!we!discuss!how!participatory!agentQ

based!models!(ABM’s)!can!be!used!to!create!a!more!informed!flood!management!community!by!

facilitating!multiQscale!learning!about!storm!and!flood!dynamics,!decisionQmaking!strategies,!and!

adaptation!alternatives.!Interviews!with!various!flood!managers!will!be!used!to!identify!management!

decisions!that!greatly!influence!flooding!outcomes,!but!whose!decisionQmaking!strategies!are!not!

common!knowledge!among!the!community.!A!realistic!decision!space!will!be!modeled!using!ABM!

software!with!guidance!of!the!appropriate!decisionQmakers.!Participants!will!then!interact!with!realistic!

scenarios!programmed!into!the!model!in!a!‘serious!gaming’!setting!in!order!to!observe!decision!

thresholds!and!strategies.!Participants!will!also!interact!with!simulated!climate!change!scenarios!

parameterized!with!predictive!hydrological!models!for!experimentation!with!different!strategies!and!to!

facilitate!learning!about!adaptation!of!management!decisions.!Findings!will!be!discussed!in!workshops!

with!the!flood!management!community.!

!

!

O-20%%Ram!Barankin!


Measuring!the!Vulnerability!of!Coastal!Transportation!Assets!Using!Indicators!

Coastal!areas!all!over!the!world!are!experiencing!the!effects!of!climate!change,!such!as!severe!

floods.!Consequently,!various!studies!have!focused!on!measuring!the!vulnerability!of!different!systems!

(such!as!ecosystems,!social!systems!and!infrastructure)!to!such!events.!Assessing!vulnerabilities,!in!

general,!can!be!divided!into!three!main!components:!assessing!exposure!(i.e.,!whether!the!asset!will!be!

exposed!to!the!climate!stressor),!assessing!sensitivity!(i.e.,!once!a!given!asset!has!been!exposed!to!a!

climate!stressor,!what!will!be!the!magnitude!of!impact),!and!adaptive!capacity!(i.e.,!what!is!the!

significance!of!the!impact).!The!current!study!takes!this!approach!to!assess!the!vulnerability!of!the!

transportation!system!of!Massachusetts!to!coastal!floods.!The!transportation!system!in!this!area!

includes,!interQalia,!roads,!railroads,!train!stations,!and!ports.!

In!particular,!the!current!study!focuses!on!the!sensitivity!and!adaptive!capacity!components!of!

vulnerability,!using!an!indicatorsQbased!approach.!According!to!the!latter,!the!qualitative!variables!(i.e.,!

sensitivity!and!adaptive!capacity)!are!measured!through!different!physical!and!socioQeconomic!

indicators,!i.e.,!measurable!attributes!that!are!relevant!to!the!examined!asset.!The!area,!in!this!case,!is!

divided!into!different!segments,!and!the!indicators!are!measured!over!space!and!time.!The!indicators!

are!aggregated!to!a!single!value!to!assess!the!vulnerability!of!each!asset!or!spatial!unit.!Consequently,!

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policyQmaker!can!recognize!the!vulnerable!parts!of!the!system!and!direct!adaptation!efforts!toward!those,!in!order!to!increase!their!resilience!to!climate!change.!!!O-21%%Debra!Butler!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!The!Lesson!of!Cuba!under!Scarcity:!A!Model!of!Environmental!and!Social!Resilience!

This!paper!examines!the!phenomena!of!Cuba’s!organizational!transition!of!“fields”!in!the!midst!of!postQsanction!“FidelQtoQRaul”!transformation!of!its!organizations.!!My!research!focuses!on!the!convergence!of!science,!business,!law,!economics,!social!justice,!security,!philanthropy!and!politics!Q!within!environmental,!historical!and!cultural!contextsQ!transformation!in!and!through!organizations.!!!Organizations!are!systems!that!manage!disruptions,!connections,!chaos!and!synergies!which!impact!distribution!of!scarce!resources!QQaccess!to!information,!shelter,!clean!air!and!water,!food,!timely!and!purposeful!responses!to!climatic!events,!domestic/!international!security,!deQdemocratization!of!civil!rights,!militarization!of!security!and!financialization!of!governance.!!

During!the!“Special!Period!1989Q2002”,!Cuba!demonstrated!incredible!resilience!under!conditions!of!scarce!resources!and!economic!restrictions.!Cuba!is!an!example!of!beneficial!“deQgrowth”!which!benefited!environmental!end!ecological!systems,!and!a!reQcoupling!of!humanQnonhuman!resource!relationships!in!energy,!medicine!and!agriculture.!Socialism,!the!US!embargo,!the!influence!of!the!former!Soviet!Union,!Cuba’s!intervention!on!the!African!continent,!and!regional!alliances!with!other!Americas!created!hybrids!in!virtually!every!sector.!!!

Currently,!mutations!in!Cuba’s!civil!code,!agricultural!policy,!trade!relationships!and!capital!markets!are!unpredictable,!chaotic!and!fluid.!As!government!continues!to!ease!constraints!throughout!civil!society,!organizations!will!transform!to!redistribute/!enormous!human,!physical!and!capital!resources,!inQ!country!and!through!exchanges!with!diaspora.!!

Environmental!issues!include:!(1)!What!kinds!of!organizations!facilitate!or!coordinate!regional!expansion!of!climate!change!policy!in!the!Americas?!How!are!such!interventions!materialized!(i.e.,!the!offQshore,!deep!water!port!in!Mariel)?!(2)!Is!reQforesting!a!sustainable!land!use!(reform)!strategy!for!long!term!mitigation!of!climate!change!impact?!Can!the!forest!“commons”!also!serve!as!an!economic!driver!in!capital!markets!through!carbon!capture!and!carbon–trading!schemes?!(3)!To!what!extent!does!access!to!information!facilitate!resilience!and!new!models!for!resilience?!What!is!the!potential!of!offQgrid!solar,!thermal!or!wind!technologies!supported!by!mobile,!cloud!based!infrastructure!for!agriculture!distribution!channels!and!supply?!!

I!argue!that!networks!of!small!or!medium!size!entities!support!sustainable!communities!in!ways!that!larger,!single!organizations!cannot.!This!paper!will!propose!theoretical!frameworks!for!legal/judiciary!and!nonQstate!organizational!agency!through!which!emprende!(entrepreneurship)!initiatives!are!promoted,!constrained!or!impeded.!!!%%%%

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O-22%%Jamilia!Gilliam!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!Social!Enterprise!Entrepreneurs!and!National!Biogas!Programs/Partnerships!as!Dissemination!agents!in!Ethiopia!

As!Ethiopia!continues!pushing!forward!with!policy!initiatives!in!alignment!with!the!newly!released!GTP!II,!climate!change,!mitigation!of!green!house!gas!emissions,!and!climate!adaptation!are!center!of!focus.!Hydropower,!and!Wind!energy!have!been!gaining!traction!as!the!major!agenda!is!set!to!build!climate!resilient!economy.!While!access!to!electricity!service!coverage!has!increased!13.2%!between!2009!and!2013,!approximately!70%!of!Ethiopian!households!continue!to!use!biomass!(wood)!for!cooking.!Traditional!cooking!practices!in!Ethiopia!have!not!only!significantly!contributed!to!Ethiopia’s!deforestation!problem,!but!have!also!become!a!major!public!health!issue.!This!paper!aims!to!examine!the!roles!of!social!enterprise!entrepreneurs,!national!biogas!programs!and!partnerships!in!the!continuing!yet!challenging!process!of!biogas!technology!dissemination!throughout!rural!Ethiopian!households.!Research!in!this!area!has!directed!attention!toward!the!challenges!faced!in!reference!to!diffusion!of!innovation,!socioQeconomic!factors,!cultural!issues,!and!feasibility!in!regards!to!affordability!of!biogas!and!biogas!cook!stoves.!This!study!will!examine!how!social!enterprise!entrepreneurs!operationalize!marketing!and!distribution!strategies,!identify!and!outline!connections!between!social!enterprise!organizations!and!national!partnership!programs!that!may!have!developed!in!efforts!to!reach!common!goals!on!the!journey!to!establishing!sustainable!energy!resource!accessibility!in!rural!Ethiopia.!!!O-23%%V.!Miranda!Chase!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!Fishery!Management!Projects!in!the!Lower!Amazon!Basin:!Promoting!Sustainable!Development!or!simply!Environmental!Conservation?!

The!Amazon!region!is!blessed!with!a!wealth!of!natural!resources,!yet!its!inhabitants!are!faced!with!poverty!on!a!daily!basis.!This!juxtaposition!presents!challenges!for!both!policy!makers!and!environmentalists.!In!the!Lower!Amazon,!fishery!management!projects!seek!to!reduce!this!human!burden!through!economic!development,!while!still!sustaining!environmental!resources.!The!research!question!here!is!to!investigate!the!extent!to!which!these!enterprises!effectively!contribute!to!this!goal.!The!main!objective!is!to!appraise!the!performance!of!fishery!management!projects!according!to!principles!related!to!the!area!of!Integrated!Water!Resource!Management!(IRWM).!I!conducted!field!research!using!CommunityQBased!Participatory!Research!methods,!and!identified!common!issues!across!many!caseQstudies,!such!as!community!conflicts,!surveillance!of!communitarian!lakes,!and!economic!incentives!for!joining!or!implementing!fishing!agreements.!This!analysis!has!found!the!fishery!projects!to!be!environmentally!sustainable!and!somewhat!socially!equitable,!as!they!abide!by!principles!of!intergenerational!equity,!precaution,!and!good!governance.!However,!although!these!schemes!achieved!poverty!reduction!through!food!security,!it!is!vital!to!understand!that!their!inefficient!operation!and!excessive!maintenance!costs,!along!with!unsatisfactory!enforcement!mechanisms,!impede!continued!economic!development!in!the!region.!Beyond!that,!these!projects!are!also!heavily!genderQbiased.!Furthermore,!conclusions!also!point!towards!flawed!governance!practices!that!hinder!social!

! 30!

emancipation!and!economic!development,!since!wellQintentioned!but!poorlyQdesigned!policies!allow!loopholes!for!corruption!and!natural!resource!depletion.!!!O-24%%Natalia!EscobarQPemberthy!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!Species,!States!and!Secretariats:!The!role!of!CITES!in!protecting!wildlife!

Global!environmental!conventions!facilitate!collective!action!to!environmental!challenges.!Still,!not!all!the!agreements!are!successful!in!terms!of!solving!the!problems!they!were!designed!for,!and!evidence!is!inconclusive!regarding!the!factors!that!determine!this!process.!Considering!this,!the!purpose!of!this!paper!is!to!present!an!evaluation!of!the!effectiveness!of!CITES,!through!the!construction!of!an!index!that!measures!each!state!party’s!fulfillment!of!the!obligations!under!this!treaty,!its!effect!in!terms!of!the!protection!of!endangered!species!and!the!role!of!CITES’!Executive!Secretariat!in!the!overall!working!of!the!convention.!

An!assessment!of!CITES!effectiveness!decisionQmakers!with!the!necessary!information!to!correct!any!possible!pitfalls!in!the!process!Additionally,!it!raises!awareness!about!the!need!to!constantly!monitor!this!type!of!international!agreements.!The!analysis!of!the!factors!behind!the!role!of!the!convention!in!the!protection!of!wildlife!will!demonstrate!that!there!is!no!specific!correlation!that!evidences!a!strong!link!between!effectiveness!and!the!specific!national,!systemic!or!agenda!variables!that!characterize!a!country.!On!the!contrary,!the!effectiveness!of!the!convention!is!multidimensional!and!results!from!a!specific!combination!of!determining!factors.!CITES!and!other!environmental!agreements!need!to!understand!this!approach!to!provide!the!member!states!with!the!best!information!and!policy!recommendations!to!improve!the!results.!!!!

POSTER%SESSION%ABSTRACTS%!P-1%Xiaofeng!Zhang!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!OneQpot!double![3+2]!cycloadditions!for!diastereoselective!synthesis!of!a!novel!triazolobenzodiazepineQfused!polycyclic!skeleton!

Cascade!double![3+2]!cycloaddition!reactions!of!azomethine!ylide!and!triazo!for!the!synthesis!of!novel!triazolobenzodiazepineQfused!polycyclic!compounds!are!introduced.!This!oneQpot!reaction!generates!six!bonds,!four!rings,!and!four!stereogenic!centers!to!afford!the!product!scaffold!with!high!diastereoselectivity.!Performing!sequential!cycloaddition!and!cyclization!reactions!is!a!common!and!powerful!method!for!the!construction!of!polycyclic!scaffolds!containing!nitrogen!heterocyclic!rings.!Our!group!has!previously!reported![3+2]!cycloaddition!of!azomethine!ylide!followed!by!cyclization!and/or!cycloaddition!reactions!such!as![3+2]!or![4+2]!for!the!synthesis!of!polycyclic!scaffolds!AQE!(Scheme1).!!Introduced!in!this!paper!is!a!new!sequence!through!the!combination!of!azomethine!ylide![3+2]!cycloaddition!and!triazo![3+2]!(the!click)!cycloaddition!reactions!for!the!synthesis!of!triazolobenzodiazepines.!

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P-2%Raphael!Fennimore!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!Long!Wave!Infrared!(LWIR)!Sensing!in!Marine!Environments:!a!Comparison!of!a!HighQEnd,!HighQResolution!Sensor!and!a!SelfQAssembled,!LowQResolution!Unit!

Most!optical!marine!observation!efforts!have!focused!on!light!within!the!visible!spectrum,!but!many!studies!have!shown!Long!Wave!Infrared!(LWIR)!to!be!a!valuable!indicator!of!environmental!constituents!as!well.!LWIR!sensors!are!best!known!for!producing!Infrared!Thermography!(IRT)!images!from!thermal!radiation,!and!this!work!will!use!two!uncooled!LWIR!sensors!to!observe!marine!environments,!with!the!longQterm!goal!of!assessing!each!for!megafauna!detection.!Both!sensors!detect!LWIR!radiation!in!the!8Q14!μm!spectrum!and!have!thermal!sensitivities!of!50mK!(.05°C),!but!the!sensors!vary!greatly!in!spatial!resolution,!size!and!cost.!For!highQresolution!imaging,!this!study!will!use!the!Sofradir!ATOM!1024,!the!first!commercially!available!highQdefinition!infrared!camera,!which!outputs!an!XGA!resolution!of!1024x768.!The!lowQresolution!imaging!will!be!performed!by!the!world’s!smallest!commercially!available!LWIR!sensor:!FLIR’s!dimeQsized!Lepton!sensor,!which!has!a!resolution!of!80x60.!The!Lepton!sensor!has!been!integrated!into!a!custom!socket!board!connected!to!an!interpreting!microcontroller!in!order!to!achieve!a!very!affordable,!very!useful!fieldQready!LWIR!detector.!!!P-3%Michael!O’Neill!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!Gulf!Stream!Orphan!Sighting!Distribution!and!Abundance!

Each!summer,!the!Gulf!Stream!is!responsible!for!transporting!tropical!and!subtropical!fish,!larvae,!and!eggs!north!to!the!coast!of!New!England.!!Warm!Core!Rings!are!the!dominant!mechanism!of!transport!which!approach!the!New!England!coastline!and!allow!for!the!survival!of!these!tropical!species!during!the!summer.!Many,!if!not!all,!will!fail!to!survive!their!first!New!England!winter!as!water!temperatures!drop!below!the!tolerance!of!these!Caribbean!species.!For!decades,!marine!research!institutions,!universities,!aquariums,!divers,!and!hobbyists!have!known!about!this!seasonal!phenomenon!and!have!independently!collected!data!and!specimens!but!the!transmission!of!data!has!been!largely!anecdotal.!The!goal!of!GSOproject.org!is!to!build!a!comprehensive!data!set!with!contributions!from!researchers!and!citizen!scientists!to!better!understand!the!phenomenon!of!Gulf!Stream!Orphans!and!their!environmental!impact.!In!addition!to!abundance!and!distribution,!Gulf!Stream!Orphan!sightings!may!be!useful!in!gauging!climate!change!and!environmental!perturbations!in!the!northwest!Atlantic.!!!P-4%Melina!Gjoni!Worcester!State!University,!Undergraduate!Cellulomonas%flavigina!produces!electricity!(an!alternative!fuel!source)!

Microbes!in!the!soil!have!the!ability!to!transfer!electrons!to!a!titanium!wire!in!a!microbial!fuel!cell,!thereby!generating!electricity!as!the!electron!is!pulled!from!the!anode!to!the!cathode.!The!organisms!involved!often!grow!on!the!anode,!forming!biofilms!as!part!of!the!process.!Both!aerobes!and!anaerobes!have!the!ability!to!do!this.!This!study!examines!the!organism!Cellulomonas%flavigena,!and!its!

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ability!to!generate!electricity.!It!is!an!aerobic!bacterium!known!for!its!degradation!of!cellulose!and!hemicellulose.!To!determine!if!Cellulomonas%flavigena!has!the!ability!to!generate!an!electric!current,!sterile!soil!was!inoculated!with!Cellulomonas%flavigena!and!placed!in!a!Mudwatt!fuel!cell.!This!study!demonstrated!that!Cellulomonas%flavigenia!is!an!electrogenic!bacterium!that!has!the!potential!as!an!alternative,!ecofriendly!fuel!source.!!!P-5%Amy!Johnston!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!Paleoclimate!reconstruction!of!the!Gulf!of!Maine!during!the!recent!Holocene!(past!5000!years)!using!Archaeological!Mollusk!Shells!

The!paleoclimate!of!the!Gulf!of!Maine!(GOM)!during!the!recent!Holocene!can!be!examined!through!archaeological!shell!middens!in!Maine!(Turner!Farm)!and!Nantucket!Island,!MA.!We!reconstructed!the!ocean!conditions!across!the!Holocene!occupation!at!these!sites!(~!5000!years)!using!trace!element!chemistry!of!SoftQshell!and!HardQshell!clams!(Mya%arenaria!and!Mercenaria%mercenaria)!and!Eastern!oyster!(Crassostrea%virginica).!The!location!of!each!site!is!at!the!extreme!north!and!south!of!the!GOM!providing!boundary!conditions!for!the!ocean!chemistry!across!this!time!period.!We!analyzed!trace!element!composition!along!the!growth!axis!using!laser!ablation!inductively!coupled!plasma!mass!spectrometry!(LAQICPQMS).!Trace!element!composition!was!analyzed!to!help!reconstruct!trophic!structure,!pH,!salinity,!and!temperature.!Moreover,!since!the!midden!species!are!extant!in!these!regions,!it!is!possible!for!us!to!groundQtruth!temperature,!salinity,!and!pH!proxy!data!with!modern!specimens.!Paleoenvironmental!reconstruction!and!the!study!of!events!associated!with!humanQenvironment!interactions!shapes!our!understanding!of!future!climate!change.!Preliminary!results!indicate!whether!variations!in!trace!element!composition!of!archaeological!midden!shells!can!be!used!to!reconstruct!the!recent!Holocene!climate!of!the!GOM.!This!research!helps!further!our!understanding!of!long!term!trends!in!shellfish!population!distributions!and!the!interactions!between!humans!and!natural!resources.!!!P-6%Rachel!Vincent!UMass!Boston,!Undergraduate!Determining!the!bacterial!communities!on!the!shell!of!American!lobsters,!Homarus%americanus,!over!time!and!space!

Shell!disease!in!American!lobsters!(Homarus%americanus)!has!been!rising!in!frequency!throughout!southern!New!England!over!the!last!15!years!and,!more!recently,!in!the!Gulf!of!Maine.!Shell!disease!has!a!negative!effect!on!this!important!commercial!fishery!due!to!visually!unappealing!lesions!and!increased!mortality.!The!purpose!of!this!study!was!to!determine!the!bacterial!communities!on!different!parts!of!the!American!lobster!shell!and!examine!how!these!communities!changed!over!the!progression!of!molt!cycles!and!disease!states.!We!hypothesized!that!bacterial!communities!would!change!over!both!space!and!time.!We!sampled!initially!diseaseQfree!lobsters!at!the!New!England!Aquarium!by!using!sterile!toothpicks!to!sample!the!shell!biofilm!in!four!locations:!both!claws,!the!carapace,!and!the!tail.!We!took!samples!every!ten!days!until!every!lobster!had!gone!through!a!molt!

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cycle.!At!some!point!during!sampling!all!lobsters!showed!at!least!initial!signs!of!disease.!We!extracted!DNA!from!these!samples!and!amplified!it!with!bacterial!specific!16S!primers!designed!for!the!Illumina!MiSeq!high!throughput!sequencer.!All!downstream!sequence!analysis!was!done!with!QIIME,!allowing!us!to!examine!the!relationships!between!bacterial!communities!from!different!samples.!Our!results!indicated!that!bacterial!community!composition!and!diversity!changed!through!the!course!of!molt!cycles!and!across!shell!location.!The!communities!varied!extensively!with!disease!progression!and!decreased!in!diversity!as!disease!progressed.!This!information!helps!us!better!understand!the!bacteria!found!on!lobster!shells!and!those!that!are!potential!causative!agents!of!shell!disease.!!!P-7%Edward!Saenz!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!Utilizing!a!HyperQportable!Terrestrial!Lidar!to!classify!a!Hemlock!Woolly!Adelgid!Infestation!

Over!the!past!50!years,!hemlock!forest!stands!in!the!eastern!United!States!have!been!under!attack!by!the!invasive!Hemlock!Woolly!Adelgid.!!During!the!spring!through!autumn,!this!insect!lays!(cottonQlike)!eggs!along!the!base!of!needles!and!limit!vital!nutrients!to!the!hemlock!tree.!!This!infestation!is!the!focus!of!numerous!biological!studies,!but!this!research!focuses!on!the!use!of!terrestrial!laser!scanners,!as!an!emerging!technology,!to!characterize!the!spatial!distribution!(spread)!of!the!HWA!in!eastern!hemlock!forests.!!! !

Lidar!(light!detection!and!ranging)!instruments!are!increasingly!being!used!to!provide!information!on!the!fine!scale!structural!characteristics!of!forest!ecosystems.!!Much!of!the!lidar!data!collected!and!analyzed!today!are!being!utilized!for!objectQlevel!reconstruction.!!This!means!that!multiple!scans!are!acquired!over!a!limited!area!of!an!ecosystem!to!generate!a!threeQdimensional!representation!(from!the!multiple!viewing!angles)!of!the!individual!objects!in!that!area!(such!as!trees)!and!this!threeQdimensional!reconstruction!is!used!to!extract!biophysical!parameters!and!a!better!understanding!of!forest!ecosystem!function.!!Here,!we!utilize!a!novel!metaproperty!classification!model,!by!analyzing!various!distributions!of!laser!pulse!properties,!meaningful!information!about!the!environment!that!is!captured!in!lidar!datasets.!!The!integration!of!all!of!these!emergent!metaproperties!can!then!be!incorporated!in!a!classification!model!to!investigate!the!diagnostic!features!of!the!hemlock!woolly!adelgid!infestation!at!Harvard!Forest.!!%%P-8%Kristin!Bulpett!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!Carbon!dioxide!emissions!associated!with!the!restoration!of!a!tidal!salt!marsh!in!Boston,!Massachusetts!

An!11Qacre!area,!underlain!by!dredge!spoil,!contributed!to!the!domination!of!P.%australis!in!the!Neponset!River!salt!marshes!in!Boston,!Massachusetts.!!In!2005,!restoration!of!this!section!involved!excavating!approximately!46,700!cubic!yards!of!dredged!materials;!lowering!the!marsh!platform!by!1.5!feet!to!reestablish!tidal!flushing.!!The!removed!materials!were!relocated!to!the!northern!portion!of!the!site,!deemed!unfit!for!future!restoration!efforts.!!The!mitigation!has!been!considered!successful!as!seawater!inundation!has!promoted!the!replacement!of!the!P.%australis!with!native!Spartina%alterniflora.!!!

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However,!the!excavation!exposed!previously!buried!marsh!sediments!to!the!atmosphere,!releasing!the!stored!carbon!as!carbon!dioxide.!!Our!research!aims!to!evaluate!the!success!of!the!restoration!effort,!in!terms!carbon!dioxide!emissions,!by!comparing!soil!CO2!fluxes!and!percent!organic!carbon!of!the!remediated!site,!remaining!degraded!area,!and!dredge!spoils.!Ten!years!after!the!restoration,!direct!measurements!of!CO2!fluxes!from!these!soils!reveal!differing!in!emission!rates;!measuring!at!1.54!±!0.70!μmol/m2/s!in!the!remediated!site,!5.48!±!2.68!μmol/m2/s!in!the!remaining!degraded!area!and!9.57!±!2.09!μmol/m2/s!in!the!relocated!dredge!spoils.!!Our!measurements!suggest!that!the!restoration!had!resulted!in!a!significant!release!of!previously!sequestered!carbon!to!the!atmosphere!but!was!also!successful!in!preventing!CO2!emissions.!!Estimations!of!potential!emissions!and!avoided!emissions!resulting!from!coastal!restoration!projects!are!necessary!in!evaluating!mitigation!policies!and!practices!and!managing!conservation!efforts!of!these!essential!ecosystems.!!!P-9%%Jack!Payette!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!Utilizing!social!media!for!informal!ocean!conservation!and!education:!The!BioOceanography!Project!

Science!communication!through!the!use!of!social!media!is!a!rapidly!evolving!and!growing!pursuits!in!academic!and!scientific!circles.!Other!online!tools!and!social!media!are!being!used!in!not!only!scientific!communication!but!also!scientific!publication,!education,!and!outreach.!Standards!and!usage!of!social!media!as!well!as!other!online!tools!for!communication,!networking,!outreach,!and!publication,!etc.!are!always!in!development.!Caution!and!a!conservative!attitude!towards!these!novel!“Science!2.0”!tools!is!understandable!because!of!their!rapidly!changing!nature!and!the!lack!of!professional!standards!for!using!them.!However!there!are!some!key!benefits!and!unique!ways!social!media,!online!systems,!and!other!open!or!open!source!technologies,!software,!and!“Science!2.0”!tools!can!be!utilized!for!academic!purposes!such!as!education!and!outreach.!Diverse!efforts!for!ocean!conservation!and!education!have!and!will!likely!continue!to!utilize!social!media!for!a!variety!of!purposes.!The!BioOceanography!project!is!an!informal!communication,!education,!outreach,!and!conservation!initiative!created!for!enhancing!knowledge!related!to!Oceanography!and!Marine!Science!with!an!unbiased!yet!conservationQminded!approach!and!in!an!Open!Source!format.!The!BioOceanography!project!is!ongoing!and!still!evolving,!but!has!already!contributed!to!ocean!education!and!conservation!communication!in!key!ways!through!a!concerted!web!presence!since!2013,!including!a!curated!twitter!account!@_Oceanography!and!BioOceanography!blog!style!website.!Social!media!tools!like!Twitter!and!this!project,!if!used!properly!can!be!highly!effective!and!valuable!tools!for!encouraging!students,!networking!with!researchers,!and!educating!the!general!public!in!Oceanography.!!!P-10%Isaac!Rosenthal!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!Floating!Forests:!Utilizing!Citizen!Science!to!Answer!Global!Ecological!Questions!

Coastal!ecosystems!are!known!to!be!vulnerable!to!human!activities.!Kelp!forests!in!particular!sit!at!an!intersection!of!high!value!and!high!vulnerability.!They!are!a!global,!multi!billionQdollar!resource!providing!food!and!income!for!millions!of!people.!Because!of!their!global!distribution!there!have!been!

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relatively!few!successful!efforts!to!study!large!scale!trends,!primarily!due!to!logistical!constraints.!Floating!Forests!is!a!citizen!science!effort!that!seeks!to!fill!this!knowledge!gap.!

The!goal!of!the!Floating!Forests!project!is!to!document!global!coverage!of!kelp!forests!for!the!entirety!of!the!Landsat!data!series,!beginning!in!1984.!Floating!Forests!is!a!web!based!service!(through!Zooniverse)!that!allows!website!visitors!to!view!satellite!images!of!coastline!and!mark!off!areas!of!kelp!cover.!By!embracing!citizen!science,!it!will!be!possible!to!process!an!unprecedented!amount!of!data,!giving!rise!to!a!host!of!novel!analyses!and!investigations.!

This!project!is!still!in!the!data!collection!phase!but!results!are!promising.!Over!6000!webQbased!citizens!have!analyzed!almost!2.5!million!images.!School!curricula!has!also!been!developed!and!implemented!in!collaboration!with!public!school!teachers.!!This!level!of!involvement!is!encouraging!and!is!an!indication!of!the!high!level!of!community!engagement!the!project!has!already!achieved.!By!working!with!the!public!this!project!aims!to!generate!interest!in!kelp!as!well!as!science!in!general.!Another!key!benefit!of!citizen!science!is!a!high!level!of!transparency!and!communication!between!researchers!and!the!general!public.!!!%P-11%Greg!Davies,!Christine!San!Antonio,!and!Nichole!Weber!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!Development!and!Climate!Adaptation:!Mangroves!and!Coral!Reefs!

Developing!countries!face!the!simultaneous!challenges!of!economic!development!and!climate!change!preparedness.!Djibouti,!a!country!located!in!the!Horn!of!Africa,!is!one!of!the!territories!most!vulnerable!to!climate!change!and!among!the!least!prepared!(NDQGain,!2016).!Djibouti!is!the!only!relatively!stable!country!in!the!Horn!of!Africa!with!an!available!coastline!for!port!development.!Due!in!part!to!its!strategic!location!and!relative!stability,!Djibouti’s!370!km!coastline!is!expected!to!host!upwards!of!nine!ports!for!international!clients.!The!proposed!coastal!development!poses!a!threat!to!already!stressed!mangroves!and!coral!reefs,!essential!components!of!marine!ecosystem!and!natural!barriers!to!climate!change!(see!Witsen,!2012).!At!the!moment,!Djibouti!has!the!potential!to!do!what!no!other!port!city!in!a!developing!nation!has!done!–!build!sustainably!in!partnership!with!the!coastal!ecosystem!and!community.!In!order!to!accomplish!economic!development!without!serious!repercussions!for!marine!ecosystem!services,!through!archival!research!and!discussions!with!key!stakeholders!in!the!region,!we!have!preliminarily!identified!pressures!to!marine!ecosystem!services!from!port!development,!key!stakeholders!in!development,!and!viable!solutions!to!engage!stakeholders!in!planning!for!both!economic!security!and!climate!change!preparedness.!!!P-12%Arnold!Fernandes!Boston!University,!Graduate!Dynamics!of!coastal!regimes!and!its!relation!to!forest!regeneration!in!the!Virginia!Coastal!Reserve!

Changing!vegetation!patterns!provide!information!useful!to!understand!the!effects!of!environmental!changes!on!estuarine!systems!like!the!Virginia!Coastal!Reserve.!On!the!eastern!shore!of!Virginia!National!Wildlife!Refuge,!a!steep!decline!in!the!regeneration!of!young!saplings!compared!to!

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their!mature!counterparts!has!been!observed!post!loss!of!initial!forest!cover.!This!decline!in!regeneration!of!young!saplings!could!be!linked!to!storm!surges,!and!increase!in!ground!and!soil!water!salinity.!This!project!aims!to!reconstruct!and!monitor!the!environmental!conditions!at!the!Virginia!Coastal!Reserve!to!understand!their!impact!on!vegetation!patterns!and!the!effects!of!climate!change!on!the!dynamics!of!this!terrestrialQcoastal!boundary!ecosystem.!To!reconstruct!climatic!signals!and!changes!in!nutrient!availability,!wood!increment!core!samples!from!Pinus!taeda(L.)!are!being!analysed!using!dendrochronological!methods.!Integrating!the!results!from!tree!ring!records,!with!NOAA!storm!and!precipitation!records,!will!provide!an!overview!on!the!relative!roles!played!by!climate,!sea!level,!groundwater!and!nutrient!availability!in!potentially!causing!the!decline!in!recruitment!of!young!saplings!on!the!eastern!shore!of!Virginia!National!Wildlife!Refuge.!This!project!will!provide!insights!for!ecological!and!bioQgeoscience!research!which!can!be!extended!to!understand!the!dynamics!of!other!terrestrialQcoastal!boundary!ecosystems!globally.!!!P-13%Daniel!Genest!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!Spartina%alterniflora!and!Spartina%patens!distributions!in!Plum!Island!Ecosystem,!Rowley,!Massachusetts!

In!recent!years,!blue!carbon!systems!have!increasingly!become!a!focus!of!environmental!concern.!!Coastal!marsh,!mangrove,!and!seagrass!systems!sequester!and!store!carbon!at!rates!that!are!vastly!more!efficient!per!unit!area!than!many!terrestrial!ecosystems!(noaa.gov).!!Such!systems!are!increasingly!under!duress!as!they!reside!on!the!landQcoast!interface,!where!the!majority!of!the!world’s!population!resides.!!The!Great!Marsh,!extending!from!Gloucester,!Massachusetts!to!Salisbury,!New!Hampshire,!is!one!such!system.!!European!colonists!arriving!in!North!America!heavily!relied!on!salt!marsh!hay!for!livestock!feed!and!for!other!purposes.!!Consequently,!the!Great!Marsh!was!heavily!modified!over!the!last!four!centuries,!especially!in!the!last!100!years,!with!drainage!ditches!designed!to!both!reduce!mosquito!populations!as!well!as!drain!the!marsh!platform!to!make!hay!retrieval!easier.!!A!GIS!analysis!was!undertaken!to!examine!the!extent!to!which!these!hydrological!alterations!to!the!Great!Marsh!affected!the!distribution!of!the!primary!species!found!on!the!marsh!platform:!Spartina%patens!and!Spartina%alterniflora.!!A!relationship!between!species!distribution!and!ditch!location!was!observed.!!Further!work!will!seek!to!quantify!how!this!modification!of!species!distribution!affects!the!carbon!sequestration!and!storage!capabilities!of!the!marsh.!!!P-14%Farah!Ahmad!UMass!Boston,!Undergraduate!Importance!of!Bird!Predation!in!Reshaping!the!Ecology!of!New!England!Salt!Marshes!

Top!predators!can!shape!ecosystems!via!consumption!of!ecosystem!engineers,!removal!of!alternate!prey,!foraging!activities,!and!nutrient!regeneration.!Teasing!apart!these!contributions!can!be!difficult.!The!range!expansion!of!fiddler!crabs!(Uca%pugnax)!in!New!England!provides!an!opportunity!to!examine!the!indirect!effects!of!one!of!their!predators,!birds,!on!salt!marsh!structure!and!function.!Fiddler!crabs!change!marshes!through!burrowing,!engaging!in!a!wide!variety!of!positive!and!negative!ecological!interactions.!Consequently,!birdQdriven!reductions!in!crab!abundances!could!alter!crabQ

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related!salt!marsh!ecosystem!functions.!To!test!this!idea,!we!conducted!a!bird!exclusion!experiment!at!

four!different!locations!in!New!England!–!two!with!and!two!without!large!populations!of!fiddlers.!We!

monitored!a!suite!of!community!and!ecosystem!functions!from!plant!cover!to!the!abundance!of!bird!

prey!items!to!benthic!sediment!properties!such!as!chlorophyll!a.!We!find!that!in!areas!where!fiddler!

crabs!occurred,!caging!reduced!fiddler!densities!and!had!a!cascading!effect!on!chlorophyll!a.!In!areas!

with!few!crabs,!the!treatment!had!little!effect.!Our!results!indicate!that!the!effect!of!birds!on!salt!

marshes!might!largely!be!via!their!effect!on!ecosystem!engineers.!

!

!

P-15%Andrew!Pineda!

Boston!University,!Undergraduate!

The!impact!of!snow!on!the!microclimate!and!hydrology!in!the!city!of!Boston:!a!modeling!study!

Urbanization!is!an!extreme!case!of!landQuse!and!landQcover!change!that!transforms!green!spaces!

into!urban!landscapes!that!include!roads,!buildings,!ports,!factories,!etc.!From!this!change!an!

environmental!phenomenon!known!as!the!urban!heat!island!(UHI)!effect!occurs.!It!is!crucial!to!study!the!

effects!of!the!UHI!since!urban!areas!are!home!to!half!the!world’s!population!with!projections!for!

continued!increase.!However,!“studies!from!across!the!globe!have!examined!this!phenomenon,!but!

relatively!few!have!focused!on!coldQwinter!cities!and!the!effects!of!snow!cover!and!snow!fall”!(Klink,!

2011).!Studying!snow!and!its!effect!in!cities!is!particularly!interesting!not!only!from!a!microclimatic!

perspective!but!also!from!a!hydrological!perspective!since!snow!is!an!important!component!of!the!water!

cycle!and!snow!melting!can!cause!serious!flooding!issues.!

This!research!project!aims!to!study!snow’s!effects!on!the!microclimate!and!water!balance!in!the!

city!of!Boston!using!of!a!stateQofQtheQart!urban!climate!model!that!is!coupled!with!the!Geophysical!Fluid!

Dynamics!Laboratory!global!climate!models.!The!city!of!Boston!is!a!perfect!case!study!to!begin!our!

research!and!understanding!because!of!Boston’s!high!snow!levels!and!high!urban!density.!Furthermore,!

studying!Boston!hits!home!on!the!issue!of!climate!change!and!the!weight!of!potential!impacts!by!

researching!a!place!we!actively!call!home.!Specifically,!we!examine!the!effects!of!certain!variables!(such!

as!the!snow!albedo!and!the!snow!location)!that!are!influenced!strongly!by!human!activities!by!

performing!sensitivity!studies.!Such!sensitivity!tests!will!allow!the!information!gained!from!this!research!

to!potentially!contribute!to!global!climate!models!that!are!still!under!development.!By!starting!this!

research!we!hope!to!open!a!discussion!so!that!in!the!future!modelers!appreciate!the!importance!of!

snow!in!cities,!as!well!as!to!provide!a!platform!for!investigating!the!effects!of!snow!in!complex!urban!

terrain.!

!

!

P-16%Alan!Stebbins!


Reconstruction!of!bottomQwater!oxygenation!conditions!in!the!Late!Permian!NeoQTethys!

The!consequences!of!the!current!climate!change!situation!can!be!partially!predicted!through!the!

investigation!of!climate!change!events!in!Earth's!past.!!Through!the!geological!the!paleoQenvironmental!

conditions!prior!to,!during,!and!after!a!climate!change!event!can!be!reconstructed.!!One!of!the!most!

important!events!in!Earth's!past!is!the!endQPermian!mass!extinction,!the!largest!extinction!in!Earth's!

! 38!

history.!Similar!to!the!currently!projected!climate!change!scenarios,!the!Late!Permian!was!a!period!of!increasing!temperatures,!rising!sea!level,!and!ocean!acidification.!!However,!not!all!aspects!or!the!exact!sequence!of!events!associated!with!the!endQPermian!extinction!are!completely!understood!including!the!global!extent!and!timing!of!oceanic!anoxia.!!In!this!study,!we!present!framboidal!pyrite!size!distributions,!δ34Spyr!values,!and!sulfur!to!carbon!(S/C)!ratios!for!three!Late!Permian!sections!(Mud,!Lingti,!Attargoo)!from!the!southern!NeoQTethys!(Spiti!Valley,!Himachal!Pradesh,!India)!to!determine!bottomQwater!oxygenation!conditions!of!this!understudied!region.!!Each!section!consists!of!black!to!silty!shales!from!the!Late!Permian!Gungri!Formation!which!is!uncomformably!overlain!by!a!5Q10!cm!ferruginous!layer!(FL).!!The!diameter!of!individual!pyrite!frambiods!is!measured!using!a!Scanning!Electron!Microscope!in!backscatter!electron!mode.!Pyritic!sulfur!was!extracted!using!the!chromium!reduction!method!and!isotopes!values!are!measured!by!Isotope!RatioQMass!Spectrometry.!!Results!suggest!that,!in!the!Late!Permian,!oxygen!limitation!(dysoxia!to!euxinia)!was!present!in!the!bottomQwaters!of!the!southern!NeoQTethys!for!an!extended!period!of!time!(Wuchiapingian!to!early!Changhsingian)!well!prior!to!the!endQPermian!extinction.!!!!!P-17%Title:!TBD!!!P-18%Jeremy!Hyatt!UMass!Boston,!Undergraduate!Recyclable!Organocatalytic!Quadruple!Cascade!Reactions!for!Asymmetric!Synthesis!of!Fluorinated!Cyclohexanes!Bearing!Six!Contiguous!Stereocenters!

The!incorporation!of!fluorine!into!biologically!interesting!molecules!can!have!a!significant!impact!on!its!biological!activity,!bioavailability!and!metabolic!stability.!Due!to!these!effects,!organofluorine!technology!–!including!asymmetric!fluorination!–!has!become!a!highly!active!research!topic!in!medicinal!and!agricultural!chemistry.!Polyfunctional!cyclohexanes!are!the!framework!of!diterpenoid!alkaloid!natural!products!and!are!present!in!many!pharmaceutically!relevant!chemicals.!As!part!of!our!effort!to!broaded!the!scope!of!organocatalytic!reactions,!we!have!recently!studied!the!use!of!a!fluorous!bifunctional!cinchona!alkaloid–thiourea!catalyst!for!asymmetric!synthesis!of!fluorinated!Michael!adducts!by!oneQpot!fluorination/Michael!addition!reactions!and!fluorinated!polysubstituted!2Qpiperidinones!by!Michael/Mannich/lactamization!reactions.!Introduced!in!this!poster!is!a!novel!quadruple!cascade!fluorination/Michael/Michael/aldol!sequence!catalyzed!by!a!recyclable!fluorous!bifunctional!cinchona!alkaloid/thiourea!for!the!synthesis!of!cyclohexanes!bearing!six!contiguous!stereocenters.!The!oneQpot!reactions!gave!polysubstituted!cyclohexanes!in!45Q80%!yields!with!excellent!stereoselectivities!(up!99%!ee!and!20:1!dr).!

!!

!!%%

! 39!

P-19%Delilah!Bethel!

Norfolk!State!University,!Undergraduate!

Examination!of!Macroinvertebrate!Community!Changes!in!Response!to!Passive!Restoration!of!a!

Cranberry!Farm!in!Plymouth,!MA!

Streams!are!shaped!by!natural!and!anthropogenic!disturbance!regimes,!which!affect!inQstream!

productivity!and!biodiversity.!!Agricultural!activities!act!as!press!disturbances!on!stream!systems,!thus!

the!removal!of!an!agricultural!press!disturbance!should!yield!a!response!from!the!biological!community.!

Meanwhile,!the!River!Continuum!Concept!(RCC)!describes!how!both!biotic!and!abiotic!conditions!along!a!

stream!gradient!shapes!the!functional!aspects!of!benthic!macroinvertebrate!communities.!Our!research!

question!is!how!does!the!macroinvertebrate!community!respond!compositionally!and!functionally!to!the!

release!from!an!agricultural!press!disturbance.!Our!study!system!is!Tidmarsh!Farms,!a!former!flowQ

through!cranberry!bog!in!Plymouth,!Massachusetts.!This!system!has!undergone!five!years!of!passive!

restoration!in!which!water!controls!have!been!removed!coinciding!with!the!cessation!of!farming.!We!

examined!multiQhabitat!dip!net!samples!of!the!benthic!macroinvertebrate!community!at!three!sites!for!

the!last!three!years!of!passive!restoration!obtained!seasonally!(spring,!summer,!autumn).!We!used!nonQ

metric!multidimensional!scaling!(NMDS)!analysis!to!assess!shifts!in!the!community!assemblage!and!

compared!functional!feeding!group!(FFG)!percentages!against!RCC!expectations!for!headwater!streams!

as!well!as!comparison!sites!(least!disturbed!headwater!stream!and!active!cranberry!bog).!We!expect!to!

see!slight!changes!to!the!community!assemblage,!consistent!with!ecological!succession,!rather!than!an!

extensive!shift!more!common!to!a!pulse!disturbance!recovery.!We!also!predict!FFG!percentages!to!be!

more!similar!to!the!active!cranberry!farm!FFG!percentages!than!either!RCC!expectations!or!least!

disturbed!condition!FFG!percentages.!!!!!!

!

!

P-20%Guoqing!Wang!


Phytoplantkon!distribution!in!Boston!Harbor!based!on!imaging!flow!cytobot!

A!new!instrument!imaging!flow!cytobot!(IFCB)!was!used!to!monitor!the!phytoplankton!

composition!and!distribution!in!Boston!Harbor.!Combining!the!microscope!and!camera,!the!IFCB!can!

look!at!the!phytoplankton!cells!in!the!water!and!takes!images!of!them!one!by!one.!By!a!systematic!

analyzing!and!long!term!monitoring,!a!vivid!story!about!the!phytoplankton!composition!and!variances!

could!be!told!about!the!Boston!Harbor.!

!

!

P-21%Title:!TBD!

!

!

!

!

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! 40!

P-22%Zach!Mertz!


Tracking!the!Flood!–!Using!SocioQhydrology!to!Gain!a!New!Perspective!on!Flood!Management!in!Boston!

SocioQhydrology!is!a!new!subQdiscipline!for!identifying!the!emergent!properties!of!humanQflood!

interactions.!The!Charles!and!the!Mystic!Rivers!in!eastern!Massachusetts!have!been!the!subject!of!such!

interactions!for!hundreds!of!years.!Over!time,!human!dependency!and!settlement!have!altered!the!

natural!conditions!of!the!rivers,!and!changed!the!potential!for!floods!and!property!damage.!As!a!result,!

flood!management!strategies!have!been!enacted!to!counter!this!potential.!Before!we!can!assess!how!

human!vulnerability!and!actions!related!to!river!flooding!will!change!under!future!climate!conditions,!we!

must!first!document!the!evolution!of!flooding!and!flood!management!and!understand!the!motivations!

and!thresholds!of!response!that!describe!how!the!system!has!evolved!in!the!past.!In!this!research,!

historical!data!from!traditional!and!nonQtraditional!sources!were!mined!and!have!“mental!models”!were!

developed!from!inQdepth!interviews!of!key!personnel.!The!result!is!a!socioQhydrological!characterization!

of!the!current!system,!and!the!events!that!drove!it!to!exist!as!it!does!today.!

!

!

P-23%Tyler!O’Brien!


Microplastics!in!Savin!Hill!Cove!

Microplastics!Q!small!plastic!pieces!in!the!environment!that!are!less!than!5!mm!in!length!(Cole,!

2014)!Q!are!infiltrating!the!world's!oceans!and!causing!increased!problems!for!the!organisms!they!come!

in!contact!with.!Understanding!the!extent!of!the!presence!of!microplastics!and!their!ability!to!travel!

through!multiple!oceanic!trophic!levels!via!primary!consumers!like!zooplankton!is!important!and!is!the!

goal!of!this!study.!Data!will!be!collected!at!Savin!Hill!Cove!near!UMB!over!a!period!of!eight!months!in!

order!to!establish!a!base!level!understanding!of!the!abundance!of!microplastics!at!that!site.!Several!

different!analytical!techniques!will!be!used!to!classify!the!types!of!microplastics!found!within!the!

collected!samples.!Further!investigation!will!measure!the!amount!of!ingested!plastic!within!zooplankton!

species.!Knowledge!of!the!presence!or!absence!of!plastic!in!wild!zooplankton!will!allow!further!

understanding!of!the!ability!of!microplastics!to!travel!through!multiple!trophic!levels.!This!data!can!be!

used!in!the!future!to!affect!education/policy,!organism!health,!and!human!health.!

!

!

P-24%Linda!Holcombe!


The!CrimeQConservation!Nexus:!Interdisciplinarity!in!Practice!

There!is!much!talk!in!academics!and!the!literature!about!interQ!and!transdisciplinarity.!What!

does!it!look!like?!How!can!one!practice!it?!This!presentation!will!highlight!current!issues!in!an!ongoing!

problem!that!transcends!disciplines!as!easily!as!it!does!international!borders.!What!are!key!debates!

within!this!nexus?!Where!are!there!gaps!in!either!attention!or!knowledge?!This!project!will!explore!

these!questions!and!make!suggestions!going!forward!to!address!these!issues.!

!

! 41!

P-25%Laurissa!Gulich!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!Path!flow!analysis!of!hierarchical!drivers!on!water!quality!in!the!Charles!River!watershed!tributaries,!Massachusetts!!

Global!change!drivers,!such!as!land!use!land!cover,!affect!a!watershed’s!hydrologic!regime!and!stream!biotic!life.!In!2012!and!2013,!physical!and!chemical!data!was!collected!in!conjunction!with!the!USQEPA!Streamside!Biosurvey!for!Macroinvertebrates!(SBM)!for!ten!sites!throughout!the!Charles!River!Watershed.!Geographic!Information!Systems!also!was!used!to!gather!LULC!and!impervious!cover!data!at!the!regional!subwatershed!and!local!buffer!scale.!A!path!analysis!model!was!developed!in!order!to!determine!the!path!of!influence!of!development!on!stream!biotic!life!and!ultimately!water!quality.!At!the!buffer!scale,!water!quality!was!influenced!more!directly!by!the!percentage!of!developed!land!area!versus!the!percentage!of!impervious!cover.!While!both!buffer!development!and!habitat!were!directly!correlated!with!SBM,!development!also!directly!hindered!habitat!quality!and!therefore!indirectly!influenced!SBM!through!habitat.!SBM!scores!were!shown!to!be!more!sensitive!to!development!within!the!buffer!versus!the!subQwatershed!scale,!whereas!impervious!cover!was!a!better!indicator!of!stream!health.!MapShed!complemented!these!findings!by!providing!sediment,!nitrogen!and!phosphorus!loads!and!sources!for!the!Charles!River!Watershed!and!assisting!in!developing!management!strategy!recommendations!for!the!Charles!River!Watershed!Association!including!reducing!impervious!cover,!stabilizing!stream!banks,!and!constructing!vegetative!buffers!and!bioretention!areas.!Over!the!long!term,!the!key!to!improving!water!quality!in!this!watershed!stems!from!making!watershedQscale!management!changes!in!an!effort!to!reduce!nutrient!loads,!improve!the!quality!of!habitat,!and!minimize!our!alteration!of!the!natural!flow!regime.!!!P-26%Lauren!Laskey!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!BuyQout!or!Build!back?!!What!does!Sandy!teach!us!about!how!we!respond!postQdisaster?!

In!late!October!2012,!Superstorm!Sandy!devastated!many!states!along!the!Atlantic.!With!recordQbreaking!storm!surges!and!flooding,!Sandy!became!one!of!the!costliest!and!most!dangerous!hurricanes!in!U.S.!history.!On!January!29,!2013,!the!Disaster!Relief!Appropriations!Act,!known!as!Sandy!Supplemental,!made!over!$49!billion!of!funding!from!19!federal!agencies!available!to!aid!the!areas!most!heavily!impacted!by!Sandy!and!other!declared!disasters!between!2011!and!2013.!These!funds!supported!a!large!variety!of!approaches!to!disaster!recovery!to!reduce!vulnerability!and!increase!resilience!to!the!impacts!of!climate!change.!This!research!assesses!and!compares!existing!and!prospective!disaster!responses!and!mitigation!laws!and!policies!in!Northeast!states.!We!address!the!question:!what!have!storms,!like!Sandy,!taught!us!about!how!we!respond!postQdisasters,!especially!regarding!rebuilding!and!retreat!strategies?!!!%%%

! 42!

P-27%Patrick!Sheldon!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!Satellite!Monitoring!of!Boston!Harbor!Water!Quality:!Initial!Investigations!

The!transformation!of!Boston!Harbor!(BH)!from!the!“dirtiest!in!harbor!America"!to!a!National!Park!Area!is!one!of!the!most!remarkable!estuarine!recoveries!in!the!world.!A!longQterm!water!quality!dataset!from!1991!to!present!exists!in!BH!due!to!a!$6!billion!lawsuit!requiring!the!harbor!cleanQup.!This!project!uses!discrete!water!sampling!and!underway!transects!with!a!towed!vehicle!coordinated!with!LandsatQ7!and!LandsatQ8!overpass!to!create!surface!maps!of!chlorophyll!a!(Chl!a),!chromophoric!dissolved!organic!matter!(CDOM),!total!suspended!matter!(TSM),!and!photic!depth.!In!addition,!3!buoys!have!been!designed,!constructed,!and!deployed!in!BH!to!autonomously!measure!(and!report!realQ!time!via!cesn.org)!inQ!water!optical!properties!and!air/!sea!conditions.!!I!will!report!on!in!situ!data!collected!over!7!field!campaigns!from!June!Q!October!2015!and!show!LandsatQ8!derived!distributions!of!water!quality!parameters.!Future!work!includes!another!field!season!to!accurately!adjust!QAA,!OC3,!Kd2!algorithms!for!the!specific!physical,!chemical,!and!biological!conditions!of!BH!and!using!Landsat!relevant!MWRA!historical!data!(Chl!a,!TSM,!attenuation,!photic!depth)!to!illustrate!the!progress!of!the!Boston!Harbor!Project!from!1991Q!present.!!!P-28%J.!Michael!Denney!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!Building!a!Resilient!Landscape!in!Djibouti!

Djibouti!is!a!vibrant!cityQstate!located!on!the!coast!of!the!Horn!of!Africa!where!the!Red!Sea!meets!the!Gulf!of!Aden.!Though!its!economy!is!growing!quickly!due!to!its!robust!transportation,!shipping,!and!services!industries,!Djibouti!is!extremely!vulnerable!to!climate!change.!It!is!almost!100%!reliant!on!food!imports,!is!prone!to!desertification,!and!suffers!from!sea!to!groundwater!infiltration.!Djibouti’s!economic!growth!has!been!unequal,!and!a!majority!of!households!remain!chronically!food!insecure.!Thus!far,!all!of!the!targeted!development!projects!have!failed!to!decrease!Djibouti’s!reliance!on!imported!foods!and!improve!household!food!security.!A!shock!to!the!system,!such!as!a!breakdown!in!trade!relations!with!Ethiopia,!would!have!disastrous!consequences!for!the!majority!of!Djiboutians.!The!city!must!improve!its!resilience!if!it!is!to!prosper!in!the!coming!century.!!!P-29%Ryan!Knotek!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!Identifying!bottom!trawl!bycatch!hotspots!and!“best!practice”!guidelines!to!reduce!the!discard!mortality!of!an!overfished!Species!of!Concern!–!the!thorny!skate!–!in!the!Gulf!of!Maine!

Thorny!skate!(Amblyraja%radiata)!is!one!of!the!most!overfished!stocks!in!New!England!waters,!currently!experiencing!overfishing!and!at!its!lowest!documented!biomass!level.!Due!to!the!thorny!skate’s!chronically!poor!stock!status!in!the!U.S.,!management!has!recognized!the!thorny!skate!as!a!prohibited!(zeroQpossession)!species!since!2003,!whereby!federal!regulations!mandate!that!all!thorny!skates!captured!during!commercial!fishing!operations!must!be!discarded.!In!the!Gulf!of!Maine!(GOM),!

! 43!

bottom!(otter)!trawl!is!the!primary!gear!responsible!for!the!capture!and!discard!of!thorny!skates.!Consequently,!quantification!of!the!postQrelease!mortality!(PRM)!of!trawled!skates!under!a!wide!range!of!true!commercial!conditions!is!vital!toward,!among!other!endpoints,!estimating!exploitation!rates!and!establishing!total!allowable!landings.!This!study!will!take!a!multifaceted!approach!to!address!this!issue!by!first!examining!existing!fisheriesQdependent!and!independent!data!to!identify!locations!and!times!where!the!likelihood!of!capture!is!high!(bycatch!hotspots)!within!the!GOM.!Next,!working!with!a!commercial!fisherman,!evaluation!of!physical!trauma!and!reflex!impairment!of!trawlQcaught!thorny!skates!will!be!conducted!and!a!subsample!tagged!with!PSAT!tags!to!monitor!PRM!for!up!to!30!days.!Results!from!each!component!will!be!integrated!to!develop!practical!bycatch!avoidance!strategies!for!thorny!skates!in!the!GOM!(e.g.,!geographic!areas!that!should!be!avoided!in!space!and!time)!and!to!provide!clear!recommendations!on!“best!practice”!methods!(e.g.,!maximum!tow!times,!handling!methods,!optimal!time!on!deck)!for!reducing!PRM!in!trawlQcaught!thorny!skates.!!%P-30%Anastasia!Mozharova!!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!Sexual!vs.!asexual!reproduction!in!populations!of!Myriophyllum!spicatum!in!Massachusetts!

Many!invasive!plant!species!are!capable!of!vegetative!reproduction!and!it!is!often!assumed!that!this!clonal!reproduction!is!the!key!factor!in!the!invasion!success!of!a!species.!Although,!it!has!been!explicitly!demonstrated!that!Eurasian!watermilfoil!(M.!spicatum)!reproduces!sexually!and!hybridizes!with!the!native!North!American!congener,!M.!sibiricum,!it!is!mostly!thought!of!and!treated!as!a!species!that!reproduces!clonally.!More!details!about!this!life!history!trait!of!M.!spicatum!are!required!for!better!management!of!the!species:!if!sexual!reproduction!plays!a!significant!role!in!sustaining!its!populations,!control!of!seed!set!might!be!just!as!important!as!prevention!of!the!spread!of!vegetative!fragments.!Moreover,!it!might!be!even!more!important!to!prevent!the!seed!set,!because!sexual!reproduction!creates!genetically!diverse!populations!in!which!the!appearance!of!novel!genetic!lineages!is!possible.!Drastic!changes!to!management!strategies!might!be!required!in!case!this!novelty!involves!herbicide!resistance,!for!instance.!!The!purpose!of!the!current!research!project!is!to!quantify!the!relative!frequency!of!sexual!and!asexual!reproduction!in!populations!of!M.!spicatum!in!Massachusetts!using!microsatellite!markers.!Four!populations!of!M.!spicatum!were!sampled!along!transects!for!genetic!analysis.!Seven!microsatellite!markers!were!used!to!amplify!corresponding!regions.!My!data!suggests!that!the!populations!in!question!are!exclusively!clonal,!and!it!is!possible!that!all!or!most!of!the!populations!in!Massachusetts!and!surrounding!areas!are!one!huge!clone,!because!all!of!the!analyzed!samples!from!the!region!have!identical!microsatellite!profiles.!!!

%% %

! 44!

P-31%Gregory!Davies!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!Holy!Green!Dots:!Ethiopia's!Church!Forests!

The!native!forests!of!northern!Ethiopia!have!all!but!disappeared.!Massive!deforestation!resulting!both!from!shifting!desert!boundaries!and!human!use!of!timber!produced!a!denuded!Ethiopian!landscape.!However,!dotting!the!otherwise!barren!terrain!are!circular!patches!of!green,!tiny!groves!of!trees!that!surround!church!buildings!of!the!Ethiopian!Orthodox!Christian!tradition.!Known!as!the!Tewahedo!Church!Faith!and!Order,!the!Christian!tradition!of!Ethiopia!has!ensured!that!small!bastions!of!forests!survive.!In!the!Tewahedo!view,!the!forests!serve!two!purposes:!they!stand!as!a!reminder!of!the!Garden!of!Eden,!and!they!prevent!prayers!from!being!lost!to!the!sky.!This!project!begins!with!an!examination!of!the!theology!that!has!preserved!the!last!vestiges!of!Ethiopia’s!forests,!and!attempts!to!articulate!lessons!for!ecological!protection!that!can!apply!far!beyond!the!Tewahedo!tradition.!!!P-32%Christine!San!Antonio!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!Interactive!effects!of!ocean!acidification!and!temperature!increase!on!shell!development!and!response!to!disease!in!the!American!Lobster,!Homarus%americanus!

The!American!lobster!fishery!is!a!substantial!and!significant!component!of!the!coastal!New!England!economy!and!community.!Previous!research!on!the!American!lobster!has!been!limited!to!single!stressor!(pH)!lab!experiments!to!determine!the!effects!on!calcification,!growth,!and!survival!rates.!The!purpose!of!this!study!is!to!examine!the!potential!synergistic!effects!of!elevated!temperatures!and!decreased!pH!on!larval!shell!development!in!the!American!lobster,!Homarus%americanus!and!to!consider!how!these!effects!relate!to!whole!body!responses!to!epizootic!shell!disease.!Larval!lobsters!will!be!reared!under!elevated!pCO2!and!temperature!in!a!3x3!nested!factorial!design!with!pH!of!8.1,!7.8,!and!7.6!and!temperatures!of!18C,!21C,!and!24C.!Shell!morphology!will!be!assessed!using!a!scanning!electron!microscopy!(minerology)!and!fourierQtransform!infrared!spectroscopy!(inorganic!and!organic!composition).!Elemental!composition!will!be!measured!using!laser!ablation!inductively!coupled!plasma!mass!spectrometry.!We!expect!to!see!a!direct!link!between!ocean!acidification!and!temperature!stressors!and!the!onset!and!prevalence!of!epizootic!shell!disease!in!the!American!lobster,!as!evidenced!by!responsive!changes!in!shell!morphology.!!!P-33%Alexis!Johnson!Stonehill!College,!Undergraduate!Changes!to!Lagrangian!pathways!of!the!Gulf!of!Maine!Coastal!Current!from!1988Q2015!

The!Gulf!of!Maine!is!warming!faster!than!99%!of!the!planet’s!oceans!due!to!climate!change.!This!rapid!warming!can!be!linked!to!enhanced!warming!of!the!open!North!Atlantic,!whose!waters!feed!into!the!Gulf!of!Maine!via!the!Northwest!Channel.!!With!this!study,!we!aim!to!determine!whether!the!increased!temperatures!in!the!Gulf!have!been!accompanied!by!variability!in!the!surface!current!pathways!in!the!region,!an!impact!that!could!alter!nutrient!accumulation!and!ecosystem!functioning!in!

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the!Gulf.!Specifically,!this!study!uses!data!collected!from!satellite!tracked!surface!drifters!deployed!in!the!Gulf!of!Maine!between!1988!and!2015!to!identity!changes!in!Lagrangian!pathways.!Six!major!regions!within!the!Gulf!of!Maine!Coastal!Current!are!analyzed!to!determine!the!percentage!of!floats!retained!within!the!current!and!locations!where!high!numbers!of!floats!are!lost!offshore.!Pre!and!post!2008!data!is!compared!with!results!from!previous!studies!to!determine!how!pathways!within!these!regions!have!changed!in!recent!years.!!!P-34%Avery!Palardy!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!The!Impact!of!Sea!Level!Rise!on!Hazardous!Waste!and!Oil!Contaminated!Areas!in!Boston!

Located!along!the!shorelines!of!the!City!of!Boston!are!thousands!of!contaminated!sites,!buildings!and!storage!tanks.!These!include,!but!are!not!limited!to!state!designated!hazardous!waste!sites!(21E!Sites),!underground!hazardous!waste!and!oil!storage!tanks,!above!ground!hazardous!waste!and!oil!storage!tanks,!sites!which!have!been!deemed!activity!use!limited!due!to!the!contaminants!located!there,!and!hazardous!waste!facilities!that!require!a!permit!to!operate.!!All!of!these!sites!are!regulated!according!to!state!and!federal!standards!and!regulations,!which!works,!for!the!most!part,!to!contain!these!hazardous!wastes,!keep!them!away!from!the!public,!and!out!of!our!waterways.!!In!the!near!future,!these!regulations!and!standards!may!not!be!enough.!! Sea!level!rise!due!to!climate!change!is!projected!to!have!a!significant!impact!on!the!City!of!Boston.!!There!has!been!speculation!in!previous!adaptation,!mitigation!and!climate!projection!reports!about!the!impact!that!climate!change!will!have!on!these!contaminated!sites.!It!has!been!predicted!that!significant!health!risks!will!arise!when!coastal!flooding!due!to!sea!level!rise!inundates!the!known!and!unknown!hazardous!waste!areas!along!the!shorelines!of!the!city,!but!quantitative!research!into!these!potential!public!health!risks!has!not!been!conducted.!This!poster!will!map!the!outline!of!the!methods!that!will!be!used!in!order!to!quantify!or!at!least!gain!a!better!understanding!of!how!many!contaminated!areas!will!be!impacted!by!sea!level!rise!and!the!potential!health!risks!caused!by!the!hazardous!waste!inundation.!!!P-35%Victoria!LaBate!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!Taking!our!management!cues!from!nature!Q!littorally!

As!shorelines!recede!with!rising!sea!levels,!and!as!coastal!regions!become!more!developed,!increasingly!more!communities!are!considering!costly!engineering!solutions!to!address!coastal!change.!Given!that!the!shoreline!is!strongly!coupled!alongcoast!by!waveQdriven!coastal!sediment!transport,!actions!taken!locally!to!protect!residences,!businesses,!and!public!infrastructure!can!have!farQfield!effects!on!the!natural!system!that!can!then!affect!future!protection!measures,!both!locally!and!distally.!Focusing!on!the!littoral!cell—the!alongshoreQconnected!series!of!geologic!environments!from!upcoast!sediment!sources!(headlands!and!bluffs)!to!downdrift!coastal!stretches—this!research!aims!to!characterize!the!biQdirectional!interactions!between!the!natural!processes!that!sculpt!the!shore!and!local!human!responses!to!shoreline!change.!

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P-36%AnnaMae!Maillet!UMass!Boston,!Undergraduate!100%!clean!energy!

I!do!not!have!an!advisor!or!research!team,!however!I!have!been!volunteering!with!MassPIRG!the!past!two!semesters.!There!is!an!initiative!to!get!Boston!to!go!100%!clean!energy.!MassPIRG!is!raising!awareness!and!gaining!public!support!of!the!movement.!Research!on!how,!where!and!what!type!of!renewable!energies!are!feasible!in!the!city!is!crucial.!I!would!like!to!give!a!general!presentation!of!feasible!and!cost!efficient!ways!to!green!up!Boston!and!create!new!sources!of!energy!with!the!goal!of!100%!renewables.!!!P-37%Patrick!Farrington!Stonehill!College,!Undergraduate!An!analysis!of!Massachusetts!precipitation:!changes!in!the!frequency!and!intensity!of!rainfall!events!

The!changing!of!weather!patterns!occurring!in!New!England!is!strongly!suggested!to!be!linked!to!climate!change:!as!air!warms!and!is!able!to!hold!more!moisture,!it!effects!processes!such!as!evaporation!and!precipitation.!Such!effects!are!demonstrated!by!storms!like!Hurricane!Sandy!which!have!tremendous!socioeconomic!impacts.!This!megaQstorm!alone!was!estimated!to!cost!the!northeast!economy!$50!billion!in!flooding!damages!and!left!millions!without!power,!highlighting!the!relevance!of!climate!change!in!our!lives.!This!study!examines!the!ways!in!which!precipitation!patterns!are!shifting!in!Massachusetts,!so!that!better!preparation!can!be!taken!when!considering!strategic!planning!for!the!future.!Specifically,!we!use!daily!records!of!precipitation!gathered!from!12!stations!across!Massachusetts!in!order!to!investigate!how!the!total!amount!of!rain,!the!frequency!of!rain!event,!and!intensity!of!extreme!rain!events!have!changes!since!the!record!began!in!1893.!Our!analysis!reveals!that!significant!changes!in!precipitation!have!occurred!for!many!of!these!measurements.!!!P-38%Zhehai!Shang!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!MonteQCarlo!simulation!for!selfQshading!correction!of!inQsitu!optical!measurement!

SelfQShading!effect,!which!is!caused!by!the!blocking!of!sun!light!and!sky!light!by!inQwater!(or!above!water)!radiometer!in!field!measurement,!is!inevitable!and!quite!hard!to!be!accurately!estimated!due!to!multiQinteractive!factors!(etc.!inherent!water!properties!(absorption!;!scattering),!wave,!cloud,!height!of!sun).!In!this!study,!MonteQCarlo!simulation!will!be!used!to!simulate!the!light!distribution!under!different!circumstances.!InQsitu!measurement!from!HyperQpro!(an!above!water!platform!that!can!measure!both!upwelling!light!and!downwelling!light!at!the!same!time)!will!be!used!as!a!reference.!The!primary!object!is!to!develop!a!more!precise!analytical!model!specially!designed!for!HyperQpro!shading!effect!correction.!Also,!in!the!future,!we!hope!to!develop!models!that!are!adequate!for!shading!correction!of!various!inQsitu!sensors!and!reduce!errors.!!!

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P-39%Christine!Nguyen!UMass!Boston,!Undergraduate!Civic!Engagement!Reflection!! What I did during my 15 hours of civic engagement working with the campus kitchen at UMB and cleaning up the greenway park; how it influenced me to be a better person in my community. !!P-40%Yvetane!Moreau!UMass!Boston,!Undergraduate!Minimizing!shellfish!closures:!Testing!archiving!methods!for!Vibrio%parahaemolyticus!recovery!from!oyster!tissue!

Shellfish!poisoning!is!a!growing!concern!for!both!consumers!and!producers.!Vibrio%parahaemolyticus%is!one!of!the!major!bacterial!pathogens!causing!human!gastroenteritis!from!the!consumption!of!shellfish.!We!sought!to!design!an!economical!and!effective!method!of!preserving!oyster!tissues!for!the!purpose!of!recovering!viable!V.%parahaemolyticus!cells.!In!the!case!of!a!disease!outbreak,!a!shortQterm!archive!serves!as!a!platform!for!bacterial!isolation!and!genetic!analysis.!We!inoculated!whole!oysters!with!V.%parahaemolyticus!and!archived!half!in!a!25%!glycerol!saline!solution!at!Q20°C.!We!used!the!most!probable!number!method!to!enrich!and!count!V.%parahaemolyticus!in!a!selective!medium.!Individual!isolates!were!identified!at!the!species!level!by!PCR!amplification!and!sequencing!of!their!16S!rRNA!genes.!Taqman!qPCR!quantified!vibrios!directly!in!oyster!tissue.!We!hypothesized!that!total!Vibrio!numbers!would!not!change!in!archived!tissues,!while!viable!numbers!would!decrease!with!time.!Our!results!indicate!an!average!49%!decrease!of!viable!cells!for!25%!glycerol!saline!treatment!and!a!80%!decrease!for!saline!treatment!within!the!first!week.!MPN!counts!remained!constant!for!the!next!four!weeks!for!tissues!that!were!preserved!in!25%!glycerol!saline!solution,!with!a!small!decrease!after!six!weeks.!However,!for!control!tissues!in!saline!water,!we!saw!a!gradual!decrease!of!20%!per!week.!Our!results!show!that!preservation!of!oyster!tissue!in!a!glycerolQsaline!solution!in!a!freezer!is!a!simple,!practical!method!for!archival!of!harvested!shellfish!for!postQoutbreak!bacterial!analysis.!!!P-41%Monica!VelezQOrtiz!UMass!Boston,!Graduate!Stratigraphic!architecture!of!a!former!lowland!kauri!swamp!in!Ruakaka,!North!Island,!New!Zealand!

The!longQlived!Kauri!(Agathis%australis)!is!an!endemic!conifer!that!presently!exists!within!4%!of!their!preQhuman!contact!range!in!northern!New!Zealand.!Kauri!preserve!well!in!anoxic!swamp!and!wetland!environments!in!the!lowlands!across!Northland!and!buried,!subfossil!samples!of!this!species!are!commonly!termed!‘swamp!kauri’.!Subfossil!kauri!have!been!recently!employed!as!a!proxy!to!reconstruct!past!climate!and!establish!a!long!dendrochronological!records!that!have!direct!use!for!building!the!radiocarbon!calibration!curve.!One!component!of!work!related!to!interpreting!ancient!kauri!tree!ring!records!is!improving!the!understanding!of!the!stratigraphic!and!geomorphic!history!of!former!lowland!kauri!environments!to!outline!the!role!of!environmental!change!in!preserving!this!ancient!wood!resource.!!

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This!study!contributes!to!improving!general!understanding!the!subsurface!stratigraphy!of!former!lowland!swamp!kauri!sites.!A!combination!of!ground!penetrating!radar,!sediment!cores,!probing!transects!and!trench!exposures,!provide!details!for!the!stratigraphic!relationships!for!one!type!of!swamp!kauri!site!–relic!coastal!dune!sequencesQ!that!will!form!a!basis!for!future!sediment!and!geochemistry!work.!Based!on!GPR!and!trenches,!the!stratigraphy!includes!several!units!–Peat,!woody!debris,!dune!sand,!and!coastal!sand.!Thickness!of!the!peat,!which!usually!contains!the!subfossil!kauri,!varies!from!thin!veneers!over!antecedent!coastal!deposits!10Q50cm!to!>!2.2m,!with!the!thickest!peat!accumulation!located!between!relic!foredune!ridges.!!

Prior!work!at!locations!nearby!have!shown!Rotoehu!Tephra!(>45ka)!has!been!observed!as!a!40!cm!thick!deposit.!Early!sedimentary!analysis!suggests!the!Rotoehu!is!present!at!our!study!site,!but!it!is!possibly!disseminated!and!bioturbation!may!have!mixed!the!tephra!into!the!underlying!peat!sediments.!OSL!samples!and!peat!sediment!samples!were!recovered!for!future!chemical!and!chronological!analysis!from!selected!locations!based!on!GPR!and!trench!sections.!%P-42%Title:!TBD!!!!!

program - university of massachusetts boston · charles muirhead umb, graduate conservation scott...

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