The purpose of this thesis is to develop a comprehensive educational program involving student activities related to the biotope of the garden pond. The theoretical part deals with general issues of inquiry-based education and the utilization of school gardens. The main contribution of the thesis is the creation of a concrete educational program, comprising seven activities which employ the environment of a garden pond. It is designated for biology and geography classes at middle/secondary schools. Each activity portfolio consists of a methodological sheet for teachers and a work sheet for students. Most activities can be carried in the environment of any water tank; some activities can be also done in the school building. The training program was pilot tested with elementary school teachers and subsequently with sixth and seventh grade students. Concurrently, an evaluation of the program's effectiveness was implemented in the form of written tests. The thesis discusses the findings from this evaluation as well as the practical verification of the suggested program that was carried out on teachers and on students.

This diploma thesis discusses the possibilities of diversifying the teaching on the issue of germination in the form of worksheets as well as possibility of using germination tests in the inquiry-based teaching of biology at elementary schools and lower secondary schools. The readers are introduced into the general issues regarding seed development, construction and germination. It then deals with iquiry-based teaching, which is one of the most used methods in biology education in recent years. Worksheets created for this purpose are therefore validated through teaching practice and subsequently processed and evaluated. The paper discusses whether germination is a suitable biological material for inquiry-based teaching and also whether these worksheets can be recommended as a didactic teaching material for the development of skills and theoretical knowledge of germination.

Submitted by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2018-09-19T11:37:46Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Dezyrê Mendes Peixoto - 2018.pdf: 3507023 bytes, checksum: 312e4a47d9bf8140e29d4d24990a99d2 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2018-09-19T12:48:18Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Dezyrê Mendes Peixoto - 2018.pdf: 3507023 bytes, checksum: 312e4a47d9bf8140e29d4d24990a99d2 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-09-19T12:48:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Dezyrê Mendes Peixoto - 2018.pdf: 3507023 bytes, checksum: 312e4a47d9bf8140e29d4d24990a99d2 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-06-27 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / In this research, we approached Pedagogical Conceptions that are manifested in practice and Brazilian pedagogical ideology, considering that they are based on socio-historical, philosophical, political and economic movements, and that they express the temporality of the thoughts in the educational field. The main objective of this study was to analyze the discourse and the action of teachers of Science and Biology, temporary and effective in Goiânia, and its relation with the initial formation of these teachers. The qualitative approach was adequate to the objectives and given the specificity of the reality in research and the subjects involved, the research was developed through a case study. The data were collected with the teachers, using questionnaire, interview and observation, as well as documentary analysis, regarding documents from different periods. For the data treatment, content analysis and triangulation were used. The study points out that teachers act in a complex and contradictory reality, with little radicality and objectivity in relation to the Pedagogical Conceptions. The pedagogical practice of these teachers is influenced by current educational policies, and their training has given priority to the professional biologist to the detriment of the professional teacher. This way, that happens during the school year, is articulated to the knowledge built by the teachers and is expressed by a Pedagogy of its own, that of reality. The roots, understood here as initial formation, seem fragile in terms of the philosophical, epistemological and historical concepts of Pedagogical Conceptions and in relation to the teaching of Science and Biology. The results of this research invite us to discuss and reflect on the weaknesses of teacher education, in the didactic-pedagogical aspect as well as on the working conditions of teachers. They are also an invitation to undergraduate courses, to the teachers of formation, to the teachers of basic education and to the students, to the rescue of the Pedagogical Conceptions and their appropriation, articulated to the history of Science Teaching and the present reality, as an element of resistance and of improvement for Science Education. / Neste trabalho, abordou-se as Concepções Pedagógicas que se manifestam na prática e no ideário pedagógico brasileiro, considerando que as mesmas estão baseadas em movimentos sócio-históricos, filosóficos, políticos e econômicos, e que expressam a temporalidade dos pensamentos no campo educacional. Para tanto, o estudo teve como principal objetivo, analisar o discurso e a ação de professores de Ciências e Biologia, temporários e efetivos da Rede Estadual, em Goiânia, e a relação destes com a formação inicial destes professores. A abordagem qualitativa se fez adequada aos objetivos e dada a especificidade da realidade em investigação e dos sujeitos envolvidos, a pesquisa se desenvolveu por meio de um estudo de caso. Os dados foram coletados junto aos professores, utilizando questionário, entrevista e observação, e análise documental, relativa aos documentos de diferentes períodos que nortearam a formação dos docentes. Para o tratamento dos dados, empregou-se a análise de conteúdo e a triangulação. O estudo aponta que os professores atuam em uma realidade complexa e contraditória, com pouca radicalidade e objetividade em relação às Concepções Pedagógicas. Por um lado, a prática pedagógica desses professores sofre influências das políticas educacionais vigentes, sua formação, por outro lado, se deu priorizando o profissional biólogo em detrimento do profissional professor. Desta forma, o que acontece ao longo do ano letivo, articula-se aos saberes construídos pelos docentes e expressa-se por uma Pedagogia própria, a da realidade. As raízes, compreendidas aqui como formação inicial, parecem frágeis no que se refere aos conceitos filosóficos, epistemológicos e históricos das Concepções Pedagógicas e na sua relação com o ensino de Ciências e de Biologia. Assim, os resultados desta investigação nos convidam a discutir e refletir sobre as fragilidades da formação docente, no aspecto didático-pedagógico bem como sobre as condições de trabalho dos professores. São também um convite aos cursos de licenciatura, aos professores formadores, aos professores da educação básica e aos licenciandos, para o resgate das Concepções Pedagógicas e para sua apropriação, articuladas à história do Ensino de Ciências e a atual realidade, como elemento de resistência e de melhoria para a Educação em Ciências.

Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico - CNPq / The Teaching of Sciences has been indicated as an important foundation in the school education for the formation of the citizen with the capacity to reflect and criticize the society, giving to this one the power and the desire to collaborate in its improvement. The present research had the purpose of analyzing the conceptions of science teachers of the state public school of education of the State of Sergipe on the teaching of Zoology. In order to do so, we sought to understand some specific points about the daily life of the teacher's classroom, such as: the teachers' conceptions regarding the content of Zoology of the textbooks used in the classroom; The resources that are most used by teachers when addressing the topics in Zoology; The occurrence or not of contextualization in the teaching of zoology and the mechanisms used to reach it; And what difficulties they encounter in the exercise of teaching. The research was structured in three stages, the first consisted in the survey of articles, dissertations and theses on teaching of Zoology and its contextualization; The second stage had the purpose of collecting data related to the beginning of teaching of teachers and their difficulties in the teaching of Zoology from the application of questionnaires, with closed and open questions, to 32 professors of Sciences and Biology; And the third part involved the application of semi-structured interviews with 10 teachers from the public school system, in order to deepen the questions about the teaching of Zoology, obtained in the questionnaires. The data indicate that the majority of teachers studied here are trained in the field of Biological Sciences Degree, and a few in Biomedicine and Pedagogy. Most teachers (88%) use the textbook, but a small portion (40%) considers that the book presents the contents of Zoology in an attractive and contextualized way. Most of the teachers (90%) affirm that they use the student's daily life, bringing their life experiences to the school context, and consider that this is contextualizing the teaching; however, their testimonies show that they only want to facilitate the understanding of the student, without raising questions and solving problems that lead to the formation of critical citizens. Most teachers claim to know how to make teaching motivational, but cannot find resources in school for this. Approximately half of the teachers (52%) said they had difficulties at the beginning of teaching and of these; the majority (38%) still did not overcome them. The most used methodology is the lecture class, but for these teachers the best methodology for the teaching of Zoology is the practical classes (39%). The greatest difficulties pointed out by teachers for the teaching of Zoology, verified both in the questionnaires and in the interviews, refer to those structures of the institution and the scarce time available to work the contents, being external to the teacher figure. / O Ensino de Ciências tem sido indicado como um fundamento importante na educação escolar para a formação do cidadão com a capacidade de refletir e criticar a sociedade, dando a este o poder e o desejo de colaborar em sua melhoria. A presente pesquisa teve como propósito analisar as concepções de professores de Ciências da rede pública estadual de ensino do Estado de Sergipe sobre o ensino de Zoologia. Para tal, buscou-se compreender alguns pontos específicos acerca do cotidiano da sala de aula do professor, como: as concepções dos professores a respeito do conteúdo de Zoologia dos livros didáticos utilizados em sala de aula; os recursos que são mais utilizados pelos professores ao abordar os temas na Zoologia; a ocorrência ou não de contextualização no ensino de zoologia e os mecanismos utilizados para atingi-lo; e, quais as dificuldades encontradas por eles no exercício da docência. A pesquisa foi estruturada em três etapas, a primeira consistiu no levantamento de artigos, dissertações e teses sobre ensino de Zoologia e sua contextualização; a segunda etapa teve o proposito de levantar dados relacionados ao início da docência dos professores e suas dificuldades no ensino de Zoologia a partir da aplicação de questionários, com questões fechadas e abertas, a 32 professores de Ciências e Biologia; e a terceira parte envolveu a aplicação de entrevistas semiestruturadas com 10 professores da rede pública de ensino, com objetivo de aprofundar as questões sobre o ensino de Zoologia, obtidas nos questionários. Os dados apontam que a maioria dos professores aqui pesquisados são formados na área das Ciências Biológicas Licenciatura, e alguns poucos em Biomedicina e Pedagogia. A maioria dos professores (88%) faz uso do livro didático, mas uma pequena parcela (40%) considera que o livro apresenta o conteúdo de Zoologia de forma atrativa e contextualizada. A maioria dos docentes (90%) afirma que se utiliza do cotidiano do aluno, trazendo suas experiências de vida para o contexto escolar, e considera que com isto está contextualizando o ensino, entretanto seus depoimentos mostram que pretendem apenas facilitar o entendimento do aluno, sem levantar questionamentos e resolução de problemas que levem a formação de cidadãos críticos. A maioria dos professores afirma saber como tornar o ensino motivador, mas não encontra recursos na escola para isso. Aproximadamente metade dos professores (52%) afirma ter enfrentado dificuldades no início da docência e destes, a maioria (38%) ainda não as superou. A metodologia mais utilizada é a aula expositiva, porém para esses professores a melhor metodologia para o ensino de Zoologia são as aulas práticas (39%). As maiores dificuldades apontadas pelos docentes para o ensino de Zoologia, verificada tanto nos questionários quanto nas entrevistas, referem-se aquelas estruturais da instituição e ao escasso tempo de que dispõem para trabalhar os conteúdos, sendo externas à figura do docente. / São Cristóvão, SE

The development of effective management plans for animal populations relies on an understanding of how the population is utilizing the habitat as well as the identification of any critical habitat areas. The St. Johns River (SJR), an urban estuary with a high level of anthropogenic disturbance, is home to a resident population of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). In chapter one, SJR dolphin habitat use patterns, the factors that influenced these patterns, and the critical habitat areas were identified. Significant associations were found in most pair-wise comparisons between season, behavioral state, group size, water depth, and location, indicating that the overall habitat use patterns of SJR dolphins were influenced by complex interactions among these variables. Additionally, two critical habitat areas were identified. Both critical habitats had high levels of anthropogenic activity and the SJR will undergo further development during the Jacksonville Port expansion project. In conjunction with increasing levels of activity, anthropogenic sound can have numerous effects on cetaceans including the masking of signals, alterations in behavior, abandonment of critical habitats, and physiological stress. In chapter two, the soundscape of the SJR was characterized to evaluate the potential impacts of anthropogenic sound on SJR dolphins. Sound levels in the SJR were consistently high and anthropogenic sound was pervasive throughout the river. Therefore, the dolphins in the SJR are at risk of experiencing long-term behavioral and physiological stress due to anthropogenic sound. Together, this work provides valuable knowledge about dolphin habitat use and the soundscape ecology of an urbanized estuary that will enable more informed management decisions and hopefully lead to more effective conservation practices.

Sucralose is a zero calorie sweetener developed and manufactured by Tate and Lyle Sweetener Company in the 1980’s. They sell the sweetener compounded with maltodextrin and dextrose under the brand name Splenda®. Sucralose was developed as a low cost artificial sweetener that is non-metabolizable in humans and can withstand changes in pH and temperature. It is not degraded by the waste water treatment process. Since the molecule can withstand heat, acidification and microbial degradation it is accumulating in the environment, and has been found in waste water, estuaries, rivers and the Gulf Stream. The highest concentration of environmental sucralose detected to date is 300 ng/L (Torres et al., 2009). Our lab has isolated six bacterial species from areas that may have been exposed to sucralose, given that sucralose has been detected throughout the aquatic environment (Mead et al., 2009). These isolates were cultured in the presence of sucralose looking for potential sucralose metabolism or growth acceleration. Sucralose was found to be nonnutritive, and we found bacteriostatic effects on all six isolates. This inhibition was directly proportional to the concentration of sucralose exposure. The amount of the growth inhibition appears to be species specific. The bacteriostatic effect may be due to a decrease in sucrose uptake by bacteria exposed to sucralose. We have determined that sucralose inhibits invertase and sucrose permease. These enzymes cannot catalyze hydrolysis or be effective in transmembrane transport of the sugar substitute. As sucralose builds up in the environment we must consider it a contaminant due to its bacteriostatic effect. Sucralose may also destabilize or shift the compositions of the bacterial communities in microenvironments such as the mammalian gut.

Estuaries are widely recognized as important habitats for the early life history stages of commercially and recreationally important marine fish species. In general the estuaries of northeast Florida are understudied, and there is a need to characterize the ichthyoplankton community at this important faunal boundary between temperate and tropical marine zones. To determine community structure and temporal patterns in the distribution and abundance of larval fish ingressing in to the Guana-Tolomato-Matanzas (GTM) estuary through its two inlets (St. Augustine and Matanzas), ichthyoplankton were sampled bi-weekly for one year at both inlets during nighttime spring flood tides beginning in March 2012. Samples were collected with a plankton net (1 m diameter with 1mm mesh) suspended 1 m below the surface in the water column. Over 30,000 individuals were collected, representing 74 taxa. Four families made up 90 % of the collection: Gobiidae (34.8 %), Sciaenidae (26.1 %), Engraulidae (19.3 %), and Gerreidae (9.3 %). Examination of the ichthyoplankton community revealed seasonal trends in species richness and in larval fish density; species richness and larval fish density were generally greatest during the protracted summer season. Spring and summer pulses in recruitment were evident in nearshore summer spawners (e.g., gobiids and engraulids), and winter peaks in recruitment were evident in marine spawned species (e.g., sciaenids, sparids, haemulids). The variety of taxa collected, and the patterns in the seasonal species assemblage of the ichthyoplankton community of the GTM estuary align with its geographical position near a faunal boundary.

In the present investigation two container breeding mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus were exposed to Sindbis virus (SINV). Mosquitoes were proffered a viremic bloodmeal using a vertical membrane feeder in an attempt to infect females while preserving virus-gut interactions that are speculated to be responsible for amplification and selective roles encountered in nature. Cohorts of 50 mosquitoes of each species were exposed to SINV strain TR339 or EMEM in a bloodmeal and incubated in insectary conditions for 30 days. Once infected, the mosquito remains persistently infected for life, accumulating mutations in the virus RNA genome. Plaque size variants may indicate changes to the virus genome, therefore in this investigation TR339 persistent disseminated isolates (TR339-PDIs) were isolated from mosquito legs 30 days post infection (p.i.) and assayed for plaque size differences. These TR339-PDIs represent virus selected for by the whole mosquito. TR339-PDIs following a long term infection were used to study virus adaptations selected for during persistent infection of the mosquito host. The two mosquito species exhibited different host responses to SINV; survivorship, dissemination rates, and immunohistochemistry of mosquito midguts and hindguts were assayed at 30 days p.i. Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus along with SINV strain TR339 provide a good model system to study the selective pressures that occur within the whole mosquito. Greater knowledge of the mechanisms of virus persistence in the mosquito host is vital for controlling arthropod-borne disease at the vector level.

Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich.) is native to freshwater wetlands of Florida. The vitality of cypress within coastal freshwater wetlands is threatened by saltwater intrusion. Biomarkers to detect sub-lethal salinity stress were developed using a controlled greenhouse study. Cypress saplings maintained at elevated salinities of 4 and 8‰ exhibited a decrease in maximum quantum yield (MQY) and an increase in non-photochemical quenching (NPQ). Cypress leaves exhibited an increase in Na+, H2O2, and free proline content compared to plants maintained in freshwater. These biomarkers were used to detect salinity stress within a population of cypress associated with the lower St. Johns River where saltwater intrusion is occurring. Cypress in a basin swamp exhibited signs of salinity stress with low MQY and elevated NPQ values compared to Cypress at other sites. Cypress leaves at the basin swamp also had the highest Na+, lipid peroxidation, and proline content compared to plants at other sites. Detached Cypress leaf experiments were conducted to explore the mechanisms of salt tolerance. Detached cypress leaves were first exposed to elevated NaCl concentrations for 24, 48, or 72 hours. Elevated salinity caused a decrease in leaf transpiration for all times tested. Total peroxidase activity exhibited an increase in response to salt stress after 48 hours. Enhanced peroxidase activity was found to be associated with the induction of a ~37 kDa peroxidase isoform. Treatment of leaves with clofibrate caused an increase in activity of the ~37 kDa peroxidase. Pre-treatment of leaves with brefeldin A (BFA) blocked the induction of the ~37 kDa peroxidase associated with salt stress. Pre-treatment of Cypress leaves with diphenyliodonium (DPI) blocked the decrease in transpiration associated with salt stress, suggesting that H2O2 is enzymatically produced within the stomata in response to salt stress

Reproductive biology is a necessary element for the management of elasmobranch fisheries. Traditionally, characterization of elasmobranch reproduction has involved lethal sampling to examine gross reproductive structures and development of embryos. However, this method is counterproductive to the conservation of shark populations. One non-lethal alternative is the measurement of serum hormones, which often vary according to reproductive events. Radioimmunoassay (RIA) has been used to measure hormone concentrations in reproductive endocrinology, but can be problematic for researchers. Alternatively, chemiluminescence immunoassays (CLIA) are routinely used for measuring circulating hormone concentrations in low-volume, non-extracted human serum samples. However these assays have not been previously examined for use with elasmobranch blood. In the first component of this study, I examined whether CLIA was a suitable alternative for detecting seasonal profiles of these hormones in the bonnethead, Sphyrna tiburo. This was accomplished by collecting serum from sexually mature male (n = 35) and female (n = 32) bonnetheads , measuring reproductive organs for maturity and reproductive stage, and measuring concentrations of testosterone (T) in males, and 17β-estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) in females using RIA and CLIA. CLIA was successfully validated for use with shark serum by assessing parallelism and spike recovery. CLIA-derived measurements were significantly correlated with those obtained with RIA (r = 0.809, 0.773, and 0.908 for T, E2, and P4, respectively; p