Oyster reefs are biodiverse communities that provide many ecological and commercial benefits. However, oyster reefs have declined around the world from human activities. Oyster reef restoration programs have begun to limit some of the decline, but the need for determining the success of a program has been problematic. Passive acoustic techniques can use naturally occurring sounds produced by organisms to assess biodiversity. Passive acoustics was utilized to compare the sounds in natural and restored oyster reefs, with special attention on snapping shrimp (Alpheus spp.) snap sounds, in the St. Lucie Estuary, Florida over a one year period. Season, estuary region, habitat and day period had an effect on sound production. Passive acoustic monitoring of snapping shrimp sound production may be a useful non-destructive technique for monitoring the progress of oyster reef restoration projects once further correlations are established between environmental effects and sound production. / by Hilde P. Zenil Becerra. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2012. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2012. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

This research examined the influence of hydrochory (seed dispersal via water), anemochory (seed dispersal via wind), and zoochory (seed dispersal by animals) on the re-establishment of the important floodplain vegetation communities of the Kissimmee River floodplain. Fifty-eight seed species were identified from 19,849 and 43, 894 seeds trapped in hydrochory traps in sites north and south of Oak Creek, respectively. Seeds trapped by anemochory were measurable but were found to be far less important than hydrochory, while results showed no evidence of zoochory .... A number of interafting factors, e.g. hydrology, lack of remnants, seed phenology, etc. are limiting the dispersal of broadleaf marsh species north of Oak Creek, delaying range, expansion, and further community restoration. / by Garren Mezza. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2012. / Includes bibliography. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / System requirements: Adobe Reader.

During pre-Columbian times, the Lake Okeechobee Region was home to people of the Belle Glade culture. The lake provided an area rich in resources that facilitated not only the hunter-gatherer-fisher lifestyle of the people but also supported increased cultural complexity. Over time, people participated in an exchange network, trading materials with cultural groups from a variety of locations. This thesis provides an analysis of those non-local artifacts, their probable points of origins and the type of exchange that facilitated the movement of these goods into the region. / by Gregory J. Mount. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2009. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2009. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

This study compared data related to National Board Certification (NBC) of mathematics teachers in a South Florida school district. Data included 1,162 student scores on the 2014 AP Calculus AB exam, student gender, student grade level, and eligibility for free or reduced price lunch (FRL) status. Teachers completed the Standards' Beliefs Instrument (SBI) (Zollman & Mason, 1992) to determine alignment of their beliefs with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) standards. Interviews were conducted with five NBC mathematics teachers to understand how they incorporate best mathematics teaching practices in their daily instruction. A t-test analysis revealed that students taught by NBC teachers scored significantly higher (M = 3.70) on the AP Calculus AB Exam than those taught by non-NBCTs (M = 2.74); Cohen's d (.6429) indicated a moderately large effect size. No causation is to be implied; various confounding factors may also contribute to the variance in student scores. Three factorial ANOVA tests were performed to test interaction effects. Two significant interaction effects were detected: (1) NBCT status and student grade level; and (2) NBCT status and student FRL (free and reduced price lunch) status. No significant interaction was found between NBCT status and student gender. With a reliability estimate using Cronbach's alpha, a second t-test was conducted. A statistically significant difference was found regarding the mean scores of NBCTs and non-NBCTs regarding their beliefs according to the vision of the NCTM. NBCTs generally have practices that align more with the NCTM mathematics teaching standards. Interviews with five NBC teachers of AP Calculus provided rich qualitative descriptions of their teaching philosophies, approaches, and best practices contributing to student success. The results of this study reinforce evidence from previous research that the process of obtaining the NBC contributes to a teacher's professional expertise and is related to student success; however, since there may be other confounding factors related to teachers, students, and their schools, the NBC cannot be considered the sole factor contributing to student success in AP coursework and exams. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2015. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

The goal of this study was to develop an alternative approach to typical seagrass transplantation techniques that damage the donor bed. Floating individuals of Halodule wrightii were collected in the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), Florida, during fall of 2013 and spring of 2014, with the fall collection planted in outdoor tanks. Only 25% of individuals collected in the fall survived the winter in the tanks. Individuals from both collections were deployed onto biodegradable mats in a capped dredge hole in the IRL in March, 2014. Approximately 66% of the mats survived the six-month experiment, and the area covered by seagrass quadrupled. Growth in shoot count, average height, horizontal spread, and biomass was similar for both fall and spring treatments. Thus, time and effort of overwintering had no benefit over spring harvesting. The use of floating individuals can provide a more practical, environmentally friendly alternative to traditional transplanting for seagrass re storation. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2015. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Schools must have adequate classroom space available in order to educate the growing population of school age students in Florida. School concurrency is one method used to attempt to have seats available in schools as the need arises. Two Florida counties that have attempted to implement school concurrency are presented in a case study format as well as a Nevada county that has taken a different approach to managing the same issue. Through an analysis of documents, interviews and district data, a hypothesized model is tested and modified to present one method of providing adequate classroom space in Florida schools. / by Tracey Miller. / Thesis (Ed.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2009. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2009. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

The purpose of this study was to explore outcomes of a GIS/GPS integration process: to (a) examine student responses to GIS and GPS inclusion in their curriculum, (b) determine whether a relationship exists between inclusion of GIS into existing K-12 curriculum and student achievement, (c) examine the effectiveness of GIS professional development for teachers, and (d) evaluate teacher perceptions of the value of integrating GIS into their existing curricula. This study was quantitative and quasi-experimental in design. The samples consisted of 1,425 students from one middle school and 62 teachers from Palm Beach County School District. Two instruments were used in this study: student surveys and teacher feedback forms. Data from the student surveys indicated that students perceive their learning is enhanced by inclusion of GIS and GPS. Data from the teacher feedback forms revealed positive perceptions of the GIS/GPS program as an integrative tool for their existing curricula and a positive assessment of the GIS professional development training. The relationship between GIS instruction and student academic achievement was evaluated, measured by FCAT reading scores and final grades in science and social studies. The findings support the constructivist theory that students learn best when actively engaged in the process. In this study standardized FCAT reading test results and science and social studies grades corroborate the students' perceptions that GIS and GPS integration enhances their learning. Study results show FCAT reading scores were higher for GIS students than for non-GIS students. The research further indicated a significant increase in FCAT reading scores for non-native English speaking GIS students and a significantly higher average science grade for non-White GIS students. / The findings also show that students who had a greater frequency of GIS instruction had higher averages in science and social studies grades. Education reform requires bold initiatives and an organizational culture supportive of innovative ideas. The structured model for development and implementation of GIS in the K-12 public school system presented at the end of this study includes collaboration between district leadership, administrators and teachers, and a comprehensive approach to professional development. / by Donna L. Goldstein. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2010. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2010. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Title from PDF of title page. / Document formatted into pages; contains 113 pages. / Thesis (M.S.)--University of South Florida, 1983. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: Bunces Key, a narrow, linear, barrier island on the west-central coast of Florida, was formed in 1961. Its growth and development since that time is well documented by aerial photography. Cores taken from the Key and surrounding areas reveal a stratigraphic succession of facies reflecting rapid vertical aggradation. Sedimentation began on a gently sloping platform through the landward migration of large scale bedforms (sand waves) during fair weather periods. Migration of these bedforms ceased when emergence and lack of continued overwash precluded further movement. / Vertical accretion to supratidal levels resulted from the continued onshore transport of sediment and subsequent welding to the previously formed bars. Stratigraphically, the barrier exhibits a "layer-cake" type of stratigraphy, with nearshore sediments overlain by foreshore, backbeach, and dune deposits. The backbarrier generally exhibits muddy lagoon sediments intercalated with washover and channel margin sediments.Fining upward washover sequences reflect the unstable nature of the island. / Low pressure systems commonly cause overtopping of the barrier, with the subsequent formation of tidal inlets and washover fans. Aerial photographs document the formation of an initial barrier that was breached twice prior to 1973. A second barrier formed in late 1973 just seaward of the initial island and subsequently grew through littoral drift to a length of 1.8 km. A narrow inlet (30 m) formed through the northern end of the island in 1982. / System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Arquitecto / La presente memoria de título explicará las problemáticas que reflejan los hilos fundamentales del porqué Santiago no está funcionando correctamente. De ninguna manera se pretende hacer un detallado análisis de la sociedad chilena, sino evidenciar hechos urbanos tangibles que detonan y contribuyen a este cambio en el principal objetivo de la ciudad. Temáticas como la segregación y exclusión de la periferia, la actual estrategia de urbanización en el pie de monte, la nula relación con los ecosistemas naturales de la región, y los actuales “polos de desarrollo urbano” que la actual planificación de Santiago fomenta, son los principales temas que se analizarán.

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the characteristics of the successful small black-owned enterprises in Dade County, Florida. A descriptive and correlational research approach was employed in this study, in which there were two phases: an initial questionnaire study of 353 small black-owned businesses, and an interview study of 20 randomly selected most successful and 20 least successful small black entrepreneurs. The main conclusions in the study are (1) the characteristics are not the same for all successful small black-owned firms, (2) success factors are not identical for all small black-owned firms, (3) the majority of small black-owned firms are deficient in critical successs factors, (4) the relationship between staff development, leadership styles, HRD skills and success is significant, (5) the majority of small black entrepreneurs are not extremely aware of the value of staff development to the success of their firms. The recommendations for further research are (1) experimental studies need to be carried out to analyse further the relationship between HRD skills and success in black-owned firms as the findings of this study should be treated as exploratory, (2) to confirm or disconfirm the findings as, unlike this study, other studies have reported a significant relationship between certain selected critical factors and success in small firms, (3) to test the relationship between the awareness of staff development (as a success factor) and success in small black-owned firms, and (4) to examine further the relationship between leadership styles and success in small black-owned firms.