Florida’s Indian River Lagoon (IRL) has experienced myriad anthropogenic impacts and knowledge on elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) in the southern IRL is lacking. A fishery independent survey (longline/gillnet) was implemented to 1) assess the effects of bait type [striped mullet (Mugil cephalus) versus Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus)] and mesh size (15.2 cm versus 20.3 cm stretch mesh) on elasmobranch species composition, catch-per-unit effort, and size distributions and 2) characterize elasmobranch abundance and distribution. From 2016 - 2018, 630 individuals (16 species) were captured, more often in the gillnet than the longline. Catch-per-unit-effort was significantly higher with mullet than mackerel. Species composition differed among gears. Although dependent on gear, there was evidence of seasonal and spatial patterns in abundance and species composition. This study provides the first baseline abundance indices for many elasmobranchs in the IRL and develops the capacity to understand how elasmobranchs may respond to changes in this highly modified estuary. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2019. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

The effect of corrosion on the performance of rock support and reinforcement in Australian underground mines has not been widely researched and is generally not well understood. This is despite the number of safety concerns and operational difficulties created by corrosion in reducing the capacity and life expectancy of ground support. This thesis aims to investigate corrosion and relate how the environmental conditions in Australian underground hard rock mines impact on the service life of rock support and primarily rock reinforcement. Environmental characterisation of underground environments was completed at a number of mine sites located across Australia. This provided an improved understanding of the environmental conditions in Australian underground hard rock mines. Long-term testing on the impact of corrosion on the load bearing capacity of reinforcement and support under controlled experimental conditions was conducted in simulated underground environments. Rock reinforcement elements were examined in-situ by means of overcoring of the installed reinforcement and surrounding rock mass. Laboratory testing of the core determined changes in load transfer properties due to corrosion damage. These investigations provided an excellent understanding of the corrosion processes and mechanisms at work. Corrosion rates for a range of underground environments were established through the direct exposure and evaluation of metallic coupons in underground in-situ and simulated environments. / It was found that the study of corrosion is challenging due to the time required to gather meaningful data. In particular, the wide range of materials that comprise ground support systems means that it is impossible to examine all the possible combinations of variables and their potential influence on the observed levels of corrosion and measured corrosion rates. Despite these challenges, the systematic investigation has resulted in new corrosivity classifications for both groundwater and atmospheric driven corrosion processes for various reinforcement and support systems used in the Australian underground mining industry. Previous corrosivity classifications were not found applicable. Furthermore, these new corrosivity classifications are simpler than previous classifications and corrosion rates may be predicted from readily obtained measurements of ground water dissolved oxygen and atmospheric relative humidity. Different types of reinforcement and surface support systems have been rated with respect to their corrosion resistance and estimates have been made for the expected service life for various rates of corrosion.

This portfolio documents the development and application of a new conceptual framework for the effective implementation of Global Education knowledge, perspectives, values and citizenship in the New South Wales Geography curricula for Years 7-8 (Stage 4), Years 9-10 (Stage 5), and Years 11-12 (Stage 6) (Board of Studies, 1998; 1999; 2003), related teaching and learning resources, and pre-service and in-service courses for teachers. The New South Wales Secondary Global Education Project, funded by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), is managed by the researcher for the Geography Teachers’ Association of New South Wales. The researcher, as manager, was required to publish refereed papers and teaching and learning resources. As such, this portfolio represents a synergistic bringing together of scholarly academic work and professional practice. / Doctor of Education (Ed. D.)

The objective of this study was to determine if the presence of two ALS inhibiting herbicide residues in three Saskatchewan soils would result in an additive, synergistic, or antagonistic interaction. This was determined through field trials where herbicides were applied sequentially over the course of two years and through dose-response modelling. The herbicides examined in these experiments were imazamethabenz, flucarbazone-sodium, sulfosulfuron, and florasulam, each in combination with imazamox/imazethapyr. The phytotoxicity and persistence of the herbicides in soil was assessed using an Oriental mustard root inhibition bioassay. The determination of herbicide interaction was made through the comparison of the experimentally observed values to theoretically expected values derived from a mathematical equation.<p>The dose response curves created by placing incremental concentrations of these herbicides in soil were compared using the I50 parameter, which is the concentration resulting in a 50% reduction in root length. It appeared that soil organic matter followed by soil pH had the greatest effect in reducing herbicide residue phytotoxicity in the tested soils. Based on the bioassay analysis of sequentially applied ALS inhibiting herbicides, it is proposed that the phytotoxic effect of herbicide residues in soil result in additive injury effects rather than synergistic or antagonistic interactions.

The objective of this study was to determine if the presence of two ALS inhibiting herbicide residues in three Saskatchewan soils would result in an additive, synergistic, or antagonistic interaction. This was determined through field trials where herbicides were applied sequentially over the course of two years and through dose-response modelling. The herbicides examined in these experiments were imazamethabenz, flucarbazone-sodium, sulfosulfuron, and florasulam, each in combination with imazamox/imazethapyr. The phytotoxicity and persistence of the herbicides in soil was assessed using an Oriental mustard root inhibition bioassay. The determination of herbicide interaction was made through the comparison of the experimentally observed values to theoretically expected values derived from a mathematical equation.<p>The dose response curves created by placing incremental concentrations of these herbicides in soil were compared using the I50 parameter, which is the concentration resulting in a 50% reduction in root length. It appeared that soil organic matter followed by soil pH had the greatest effect in reducing herbicide residue phytotoxicity in the tested soils. Based on the bioassay analysis of sequentially applied ALS inhibiting herbicides, it is proposed that the phytotoxic effect of herbicide residues in soil result in additive injury effects rather than synergistic or antagonistic interactions.

A multi-proxy approach was used to generate a continuous, sensitive Holocene palaeoclimatic record for Glen Affric, north west Scotland. Fluctuations in lake-level were used as a proxy for shifts in precipitation. Rigorous site selection criteria and a new methodology were developed to interpret the lacustrine sediment record in terms of climatically driven changes in water depth by separating (a) allogenic from autogenic sediment inputs and (b) explicitly linking the marginal fen peat system responded to changes in lake-level. The sedimentary record from the lake site, Loch Coulavie, suggests that lake-level has fluctuated repeatedly throughout the Holocene. The comparative magnitude of changes in lake-level defined the relative intensity of shifts in precipitation. Variations in mire surface wetness, as determined through humification analysis, from a series of four hydrologically isolated ombrotrophic blanket mire sites through the east-west trending glen, were used to generate a record of changes in effective precipitation. A reliable radiocarbon chronology obtained from both proxy records allowed the synthesis of these data sets and the definition of Holocene climate change in terms of relative shifts in temperature and precipitation. The data suggests that the early Holocene was more stable in terms of both temperature and precipitation, but that after c. 6200 BP (7200 cal. BP) both temperature and precipitation became highly variable. Several short-lived, abrupt high intensity shifts to increased precipitation occur at c. 6200 BP (7200 cal. BP), c. 5000 BP (5700 cal. BP), c. 3000 BP (3200 cal. BP) and c. 2400 BP (2350 cal. BP). Holocene climatic variability within Glen Affric corresponds to records of changes in North Atlantic oceanic circulation patterns. The predominance of atmospheric systems, such as Atlantic westerlies, may also have controlled spatial climatic variability within the glen, with the periodic establishment of very steep west-east climatic gradients, steeper than at the present day.

In the context of a deepening environmental crisis, there are growing calls for a planning framework informed by environmental ethics. In response, I locate this research in the ecocentric discourse and argue the need to challenge both ecological destruction and patriarchy. I raise feminist concerns about the marginalization of women from the processes by which we come to understand and respond to environmental concerns, and adopt a feminist methodology, qualitative methods, and a case study strategy to explore the subjective dimension of women's environmental activism in the context of growing concerns about the forests of Clayoquot Sound, British Columbia. The purpose of this research is to identify: (a) the critical insights that these women bring to their activism; (b) the patriarchal barriers they face in the course of their activism; and (c) the implications of the research findings for an action-oriented ecofeminism and ethics-based planning for sustainability. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 women and their feedback (transcripts, workshop, draft research findings) incorporated into the final report. The research findings confirm that these women have critical insights to offer and that patriarchal barriers frustrate but do not totally constrain their activism. These women offer insight into the complex set of values and structures that protect the status quo, and the forest industry in particular, expose patriarchal structures and values that constrain their activism and protect the interests of a male-dominated industry, and suggest a normative foundation for sustainability that takes seriously the well-being of human and nonhuman nature, male and female. In analysing these findings, I argue for an action-based ecofeminism that moves beyond ideal notions of the ecological self, promotes a public ethic of care, challenges both constructs and structures, and critically supports the emergence of women's insights and contributions from the economic, political, and cultural margins. Furthermore, I argue that these women's insights and experiences have significant substantive and procedural implications for planning. I propose an ethics-based planning framework committed to the ecological and social integrity of 'place' and to the well-being of all who live there—human and nonhuman, male and female. In challenging the status quo, this ethics-based planning involves struggles with both external structures and internally held values. In doing so, it links the political to the personal and contributes to both structural and personal transformation.

The full exploitation of bacterial whole-cell biosensing systems in field applications requires the survival of bacterial cells and long term-preservation of their sensing ability during transportation and on-site storage of such analytical systems. Specifically, there is a need for rapid, simple and inexpensive biosensing systems for monitoring human health and the environment in remote areas which often suffer from harsh atmospheric conditions and inadequate commercial distribution and storage facilities. Our laboratory has previously reported the successful use of bacterial spores as vehicles for the long-term preservation and storage of whole-cell biosensing systems at room temperature. In the present research, we have accomplished a year-long study to investigate the effect of extreme climatic conditions on the stability of spores-based whole-cell biosensing systems. The spores were stored in laboratory conditions that simulated those found in real harsh environments and germination ability and analytical performance of the spore-based sensing systems upon storage in such conditions was monitored. Our results proved that the intrinsic resistance of spores to harsh environmental conditions helped maintain the integrity of the sensor bacteria. The revived active cells actually retained their analytical performance during the course of the twelve-month storage study.

Wick action is the transport of water through a concrete element from a face in contact with water to a drying face as occurs in basements, tunnels, slabs on grade and hollow offshore structures. Water transport through concrete due to wick action is many times greater due to pressure permeability under typical environmental conditions. Therefore wick action plays an important role in the watertightness and durability of concrete structures. Current models of wick action are based on an equilibrium developing between the rate of water entering concrete by sorptivity and leaving by water vapour diffusion where initial moisture content should not change the steady state rate, only the dominant factor in the early stages. / Wick action tests were conducted on concrete specimens of varying initial moisture condition, thickness, orientation and composition over periods ranging up to 450 days. Some wick action tests were conducted at 50% and 75% relative humidity and using a penetrating solution of reduced surface tension. The rate of wick action was found to be inversely proportional to thickness regardless of the initial moisture content of the specimen. Initial saturation was found to significantly increase wick action and moisture flow in ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and hydrophobic (HI) concretes drying at 75% RH and HI concrete drying at 50% RH. The data are consistent with the well documented hysteresis between sorption/desorption isotherms. Concretes containing silica fume (SF) and ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) did not exhibit such hysteresis. Reducing the surface tension of the pentrating solution profoundly reduced the sorptivity into dried specimens but not the depth of penetration or the steady state wick action rate. Direct measurements on osmotic flow through vacuum saturated specimens showed that osmotic effects had a limited effect on wick action at salt concentrations expected in most environmental conditions. / The research demonstrates that desorptivity from the drying surface rather than sorptivity into the wetting surface is the dominant factor determining wick action through concrete. The ease with which desorptivity can be measured and the simple empirical model developed provides practicising engineers with a useful tool to estimate water transport due to wick action through concrete in partially immersed conditions.

The aim of my thesis is to evaluated the dynamics of selected hematological and biochemical parameters in blood plasma of calves reared in different environmental conditions. Totally were collected 120 blood samples of calves in age of 1 to 124 days. The animals came from three different breeds with different ways of rearing. The total blood parameters tested in all observed groups were in the normal range. Dynamics of selected hematological and biochemical parameters in blood plasma of calves in all groups were relatively similar. It is clear that the calves, while preserving the basic animal hygiene conditions of livestock, can cope with the effects of different technologies of rearing and environmental conditions.