RSS 1.0Student Research and Creative Activity (SRCA) Showcase
SUNY Oneonta's Student Research and Creative Activity (SRCA) Showcase is an annual event to showcase the scholarship of our undergraduate and graduate students.
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All About SUNY Oneonta Open Access RepositoryThe SUNY Open Access Repository (SOAR) is an online digital repository that makes scholarly works of SUNY campuses widely available. This is an available resource for both faculty and students that should be more used and known about throughout our community. I have worked with our campus’ head of scholarly communications, in the backend of the SOAR website uploading these documents and making the website more readily accessible to our community. After working closely with SOAR while also attending SUNY Oneonta, I have realized how little students know about it along with how rarely faculty members and professors advertise SOAR as a resource for not only getting reliable information but also promoting their scholarly works. My goal for this research is to spread awareness of the benefits of SOAR and Open Access as a whole, along with what qualifications your work must meet in order to be eligible for submission into the repository. Furthermore, I wish to share my knowledge of open access scholarly works and the pros and cons that come with them.
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Analyzing Water Levels and Harmful Algal Blooms in Moreau LakeAnalyzing Water Levels and Harmful Algal Blooms in Moreau Lake Moreau Lake is a 122-acre (49- hectare) lake located in the Town of Moreau, Saratoga County, New York in NYSDEC Region 5. The lake is located within Moreau Lake State Park, offering an assortment of recreational activities for tourists and residents. In recent years, stakeholders have become concerned with the changes in water level along with the reoccurring algal blooms, though it has been deemed a mild risk at this time. The goal of this project is to collect profile data, assess the stakeholder’s concerns, and compile previous data to create a comprehensive management plan of the state of Moreau Lake. This will be the first management plan ever created for a lake located within the NYSDEC park system, bringing new light to the need for management plans of this kind.
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Putting Your Data to Work! Using Long-Term Volunteer Data to Establish Water Quality TrendsCraine Lake is a 26-acre lake located in Madison County, New York. The Craine Lake Association has been a consistent participant in the Citizen Statewide Lake Assessment Program (CSLAP) and is entering its 35thyear of participation. This long-term dataset allows us to analyze trends and investigate how water quality parameters may relate to stakeholder concerns such as harmful algal blooms, sedimentation, and nuisance levels of aquatic plants. The lake has a long history of summertime blue-green algae and was used as one of the first lakes in the NYSDEC harmful algal bloom reporting program. The eventual management plan for the lake aims to utilize the long-term dataset along with our own lake profiling and mapping to inform future management strategies.
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Analysis of Northwestern Montana Lakes Based on Transparency and TemperatureLakes in virtually unmodified regions such as national parks are indicators of shifts in the climate and other ecological agitations caused by humans, often responding with physical, chemical, and biological changes. To better understand responses of lakes to regional and large-scale climatological changes, lakes near Glacier National Park have been regularly monitored through the Northwest Montana Lakes Network since 1992. Citizen science volunteers measured Secchi disk depths, temperature, and total phosphorus in over 40 lakes in Montana, USA, to assess water quality and monitor long-term trends in lakes between June and August from 1992 through 2021. We modeled trends in Secchi depth, temperature, and total phosphorus concentrations to determine support for hypotheses regarding long-term, seasonal, and regional variability. Secchi depth varied by month differently among lakes, generally decreasing from June through August, and there was a slight decrease in Secchi depth by year across all lakes. Peak temperatures were reached during July across all years and lakes on average, and long-term temperature changes varied among lakes. Total phosphorus concentrations varied between lakes but did not display any variability across years. The results suggest that while trends in lake water quality parameters over time can be detected, these changes may be lake-specific, and some parameters may not change over time at all. Measurements of total nitrogen and chlorophyll a collected alongside total phosphorus will be used to formulate a comprehensive analysis of trophic shifts concurrent with climate change.
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Using long-term and seasonal data to characterize nutrient balances in Duane Lake, NYDuane Lake is a private, artificial lake located in Schenectady County, NY and is classified as a class B lake. The lake is 120 acres, draining a 547-acre watershed composed primarily of pasture and hay fields, open water, and developed land. The lake is mainly used for fishing and for aesthetic purposes. To address concerns about harmful algal blooms, aquatic plants, and nutrients in the lake, we compiled and analyzed historical data from the lake and watershed, collected and analyzed limnological profile data, created a bathymetric map for surface area and volumetrics, and developed a preliminary nutrient budget for the lake. Long-term and seasonal limnological parameters were analyzed to determine mixing regimes, potential from internal loading due to anoxia during summer months, and long-term changes in water quality parameters. Results were used to parameterize a lake loading response model and identify potential sources of nutrients in the lake. The results of this work will provide the Duane Lake Association with much of the information needed to create a 9-Element watershed management plan and will assist with management and decision making moving forward.
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Growth in the Eyes of A Digital DesignerAs a graduating senior, looking back on my college career I have gained a lot of useful knowledge and experience through mentorship from faculty members in the art department, and through my internship at the Teaching Learning Technology Center (TLTC). The design skills I already possess aligned with the projects presented for redesign. As a result of research and trial and error, I developed a clear sense of how to express my visual ideas and concepts. Additionally, I learned how to create compositions that are contemporary yet functional, serve a purpose and pass accessibility tests, the process of approval, presenting to multiple department chairs, and remaining within the style guidelines of the institution. In order to be successful, we had to learn how to accept criticism. Among the five projects presented, four were sent back with comments and revisions were requested. As they were sent back for revision I learned to listen to the client, adjust designs based on feedback, and advocate for strong messaging. I am grateful to be chosen for these opportunities and am very pleased with the outcomes. My experience and knowledge from SUNY Oneonta will serve me well in the next phase of my career, as I continue to produce creative works.
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Genetic Diversity of Rhyacophila fuscula (Walker) throughout the Upper Susquehanna River CatchmentCaddisfly larvae are aquatic insects that can be found in eastern North America. Certain species of caddisflies can be used as bioindicators, such as Rhyacophila fuscula (Walker), due to their sensitivity to environmental changes. Populations with high genetic diversity are more likely to persist in a changing environment, so examining the diversity of populations is important for assessing population sustainability. The genetic diversity of Rhyacophila fuscula was examined by sequencing the gene Cytochrome Oxidase I from 240 individuals (20 individuals for all 12 sites). A high number of unique haplotypes were found, many with a frequency at the minimum detection level. This suggests that the actual level of genetic diversity is even higher than sampled.
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Molecular Identification of Chironomidae to Aid in Ecological ResearchWe collaborated with Dr. Christopher Solomon from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies and Dr. Stuart Jones from the University of Notre Dame to molecularly identify Chironomidae (a family of aquatic insects) from a long-term carbon input study. We choose to molecularly identify the Chironomidae because many people do not have the skills required to accurately identify the organisms by looking at them, many of the organisms are hard to identify, and molecular identification is a simpler way to identify the organisms accurately and quickly. The samples were taken to the lab where we performed DNA extractions, PCRs, gel electrophoresis, DNA purifications, and then sent the samples to be sequenced. We then received the sequences and compared them to sequences stored on GenBank. Currently, we have processed 116 individuals, which we were able to confidently identify into 8 unique species and 19 unique operational taxonomic units (OTUs). The species IDs are already helping to make sense of changes in carbon input in the pond Drs. Solomon and Jones are studying.
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The Effect Of Age On Kicking Latency In Callosobruchus maculatusCallosobruchus maculatus mating behavior has been extensively studied. In this species, females are known to kick their mates during copulation. In this study I use previous experiments as a base to observe if this behavior, referred to as Kicking Latency, is affected by the age of the male she is mating with. I observed virgin males and virgin females mating and timed how long it took for kicking to begin along with recording the ages of the individuals copulating. After using a linear regression to analyze the data, I found that female age had a positive, significant impact on kicking latency while male age has a negative, nonsignificant impact on kicking latency.
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Lead in the Red-Zone: A Population Structure Analysis of Red-Backed Salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) with an Unexpected Color Morph in Upstate NYPolymorphisms, such as variations in color, within a species can be a clear visual marker of genetic variation in a population. The eastern red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus) appears in two distinct color morphs (lead-back or unstriped, and red-back or striped), which are heritable and vary in frequency among populations. Previous work suggests that variation in P. cinereus color morph frequencies correlates with changes in elevation and climate, but these correlations are not consistent across this salamander’s range. On Long Island, NY, a gradient in color morph frequencies occurs along the environmental gradient of the island. Western populations are entirely striped and eastern populations entirely unstriped; these populations are also genetically distinct. Interestingly, in the Catskill Mts. of upstate NY, entirely striped populations occur in close proximity to polymorphic populations. Starting in spring 2021, we sampled 11 populations of P. cinereus in Schoharie County, NY. We use RAD-sequencing to describe the genetic variation of the sampled salamander populations and test whether morph frequencies, elevation, or climate affected population connectivity. As there is still no clear consensus regarding why P. cinereus color morphs persist or why their frequencies vary among populations, this research may shed further light on this fascinating natural phenomenon. Also, as the protocol of RAD-sequencing for genetic analysis becomes the field standard, this research may serve as a comparable study for future work studying population connectivity in P. cinereus. Although P. cinereus is both abundant and ubiquitous, the results from this research are applicable to more vulnerable amphibians which may be impacted more by climate change and habitat loss.
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Creating a 3-year Strategic Plan for West Lake Art Conservation CenterAs its primary project this Cooperstown Graduate Program (CGP) class develops and facilitates work each year to create a three-year strategic plan for regional nonprofit organizations. In the fall of 2022, students worked with the newly formed West Lake Art Conservation Center (WLACC) in Skaneateles, NY. Working together and led by CGP students, West Lake Conservators (WLC) staff, WLACC trustees, and WLACC community stakeholders created a plan for achieving the organization’s vision for 2023-2025. The CGP team began by creating planning task forces based on feedback from members of the Board of Trustees. Task forces included: Facilities and Infrastructure Acquisition; Administration and Technology; Fundraising and Marketing; and Programs and Services. CGP students then conducted financial and programmatic research, and conducted and summarized numerous key informant interviews. Students also prepared a situational analysis to better understand the context in which WLACC operates. In addition, students planned and facilitated three virtual retreats with all participants to solicit feedback and discuss the diverse perspectives of all planning team members. Student-led task forces met several times with members from WLC’s staff, WLACC’s Board of Trustees, and stakeholders to refine and develop a consensus on institutional direction. Distilling its research and discussion with all stakeholders, students developed a nearly 30-page document that included new mission, vision and values and identified critical issues, goals and action steps for 2023-2025. The plan will serve as a guide for WLACC as it begins operation as a new nonprofit organization.
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Comparison of Invasive Mussels in Otsego Lake, NYInvasive mussels, quagga mussels (Dreissena bugensis) and zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha), were collected from Otsego Lake, NY throughout most of 2021. Zebra mussels were first introduced to the lake in 2008 and were able to establish themselves prior to the introduction of quagga mussels in 2019. These mussels disrupt the lake ecosystem and are associated with harmful cyanobacterial blooms. We were interested in tracking how the new invader, quagga mussels, established itself and competed with the earlier invader, zebra mussels. Using mussel sampler plates, we aimed to evaluate the survival and development of the quagga and zebra mussels on new substrates. Plate samplers were placed at three different depths, 7.62 meters (25 feet), 12.19 meters th (40 feet), and 21.34 meters (70 feet). The plates were deployed on June 17 , 2021, and retrieved on th October 17 , 2021. The mussels were then scraped off each the plates and washed with lake water over a mesh net to collect any smaller mussels that might have fallen off. They were placed in 70% ethanol and then brought back to the lab to be identified, sized, and aged. The data will then be used to determine if one species is outcompeting the other species within the lake. The previous wintertime sample set from this study showed that the quagga mussels were outcompeting the zebra mussels over the winter. This set of samples is from the summer time to see if the quagga mussels are still outcompeting zebra mussels. Overall, the quagga mussels are in greater densities than the zebra mussels at all three depths for this sample set, with the greatest difference in the deepest depth. The average age of the quagga mussels was younger than the zebra mussels, and the average length of the quagga mussels collected were smaller than that of the zebra mussels.
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The Gender Wage Gap: Through the IndustriesSince the 1860s, research has been shown a difference in wages for men and women who are doing the same work which this started the gender wage gap. In 2022, women earned a average of 82 percentage of what men earned which is higher from the 60 percent in the 1950s. This paper examines the difference in jobs for men and women in which there is a gender difference in wage. Using the Consumer Price Index (CPS) data from 2015-2021, I will show what industries have the largest and smallest gender wage gap. I affect that happened in this sample period was Covid in which it is shown that both genders had worked less hours than previous years but also shown that males work more hours than females. With the change in gender roles through history, women have become more educated than men. Things that can affect the wage gap are age, experience, education, Marial status, race, and number of children. The results show which industries/occupations that have a bigger wage gap in gender differences.
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Estimating the Impact of Attendance at MLB Games on Local Air PollutionBaseball games draw tens of thousands of fans to a single stadium on game days. These individuals have different means of getting to the venue, but one of the most popular methods is using personal vehicles. These vehicles are known to produce many pollutants, including nitrogen oxides and certain volatile organic compounds that create ozone if they react in the air. This paper studies the impacts of Major League Baseball attendances on ozone Air Quality Index values between 2010 and 2019 in the 28 American cities that host MLB teams. I follow Locke (2019), who found a statistically significant but negligible link between MLB attendance and ozone. I test the robustness of this result by including three additional years’ worth of data as well as control variables for NBA and NHL games occurring in the same city on the same day, which could account for some of the additional ozone observed.
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Nutrition Education for Students with Developmental DisabilitiesNutrition education is an important component for students of all ages, as it can assist in living a healthy lifestyle once outside of school. In an educational setting, finding ways to resonate with students and identifying whether the nutrition intervention worked is complicated. In this research, a needs assessment was conducted to discover nutrition problems in the given population. Two nutrition problems were identified, and nutrition interventions of handwashing and portion control education were implemented to properly educate 4 non-verbal, non-reading, non-writing high school- aged students ages 16-19. Methods selected for this nutrition education session were an interactive handwashing demonstration, and an interactive portion control food demonstration, measured by observational pre- and post-tests which analyzed the immediate success of the intervention. The outcome results indicated 75% (n=4) of students showed improvement in handwashing practices after the intervention, with an average length of handwashing duration increasing by 13.85 seconds. Results also showed 66.7% (n=3) of students were able to correctly portion meals post intervention, yet 75% of students still consumed inappropriate portions post intervention. The results suggest that in the population studied, interactive nutrition education interventions have a positive impact on nutrition education and intervention outcomes. However, this project was not free of limitations; as the sample size was very small (n=4). Further research is needed to identify the potential for success in using this method with a larger sample sized classroom with similar demographics to this population.
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The Impact of Water Infrastructure on Refugee Populations GloballyOften a scarcity of resources can be linked to migration, and access to water and its surrounding infrastructure has become increasingly scarce. Water deficits impact an area's agriculture, economy, and population. It acts as a push and pulls factor for migration. Looking at a lack of water and its infrastructure, one could start to understand migration patterns and explore water infrastructure's impact and significance on migration. The UN is aware of these issues and has provided access to safe water for areas with less access to water, but is this enough? Analysis shows that the continuing lack of water infrastructure impact migration and can shift the demographics of an area. The results show how these factors still significantly impact the refugee population and the movement of people in and out of certain areas. Improving the infrastructure for water would increase countries' economic growth and poverty reduction as well as increase overall global health.
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Challenges of Reservoir Sedimentation and Public Policy: What the sedimentary record can teach us and how to communicate the findings to the public and stakeholders.Dams are historically essential for supplying drinking water, energy, and flood mitigation on the global, regional, and local levels and therefore are useful, however, they have a finite life span. Sedimentation rates in reservoirs around the world appear to be increasing with climate change. Increased sedimentation limits the dams from being used effectively as designed. The loss of efficiency causes a decrease in water storage and floodplain levels rising leading to higher needs for flood mitigation. Governments have reacted differently to the problems, deploying a variety of methods. In this study, we use one of the 173 documented dams in Otsego County, NY found in the City of Oneonta's watershed. The focus is on the sustainability of the city drinking water source, sedimentation rates, and communicating the problems and results to the stakeholders. While the reservoir was draining sediment cores were collected using manual and Vibracors techniques, and sediment profiling. Coring produced 101 cm of a useable section which bottomed out in a coarse gravel layer while the Vibrasors had a recovery rate of 68%. These cores were augmented by a 1.5 m sediment core collected from a stream bank downcutting through the lake sediments. The cores document a sequence of alternating layers of clay, silty clay, silty clay rich in organics, and gravel. The sequence of lake sediments is interpreted to show sedimentation is driven by high precipitation, and snow melt flows events during fall and spring. Also, organics appear to be concentrated towards the top of most sections, possibly showing an increase in organics during flooding events. The local dams are insignificant compared to dams worldwide but may yet pose significant problems locally and downstream. Finally, we summarize lessons learned from current and past research so the information can be incorporated into a more informed decision-making process and effectively communicated to the public and stakeholders.
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Are Yellow Spots a “Red Flag”? Testing the Potential Deterrence of Nocturnal Mammalian Predators of the Spotted Salamander, Ambystoma maculatum.Aposematism is an evolutionary tactic used by animals across many phyla in which they display bright colors, distinctive patterns, or other features to warn predators of their potential threats, such as toxins. Studies have shown that predators of aposematic organisms learn to recognize their warning signals, so aposematic signals reduce predation risk. The vertebrate class Amphibia includes many species with toxic or distasteful skin secretions that also possess aposematic characteristics. For example, Ambystoma maculatum, the spotted salamander, has 2 lines of bright, yellow, or sometimes cream-colored spots on their dorsal side against a black or blue-black blue body. Although spotted salamanders have been described as aposematic, few studies test if their color pattern induces predator avoidance, as predicted for an aposematic trait. For this study we used clay models, a common method for testing predator responses to variation in prey coloration, to determine whether nocturnal mammalian predators preferentially avoid the color pattern of the spotted salamander.
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Overwintering Site Selection of Nicrophorus orbicollis Say in New York (Coleoptera: Silphidae)We consider overwintering site selection a factor that will affect the post release viability of the Endangered Nicrophorus americanus Oliver (American Burying Beetle) from Block Island, Rhodes Island, back to New York. Through use of the congener most closely related to American Burying Beetle, Nicrophorus orbicollis Say, we conducted a laboratory olfactometer study comparing two populations of the surrogate species aimed to detect significant differences in frequency of choice between them when acclimated to overwintering conditions. When presented with four choices: leaf litter from a mixed hardwood forest, forest soil, Peromyscus species nesting material, and a blank control, we found there is no significant evidence that there is a difference in choice between a population of Nicrophorus orbicollis indigenous to NY and a population from Block Island, RI. These results may suggest that the conservation of current overwintering habitats in NY are more appropriate than the development of habitat related to that of Block Island, RI.
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Thermal acclimation across the active season of wild, free-living eastern red-backed salamandersRising global temperatures due to climate change pose a threat to a wide variety of organisms, but ectotherms such as amphibians may be particularly vulnerable. This group possesses a range of temperatures that they can withstand and remain behaviorally and reproductively active. With this study, we investigated whether the eastern red-backed salamander, Plethodon cinereus, becomes acclimated to changing temperatures throughout its active seasons. The critical thermal maximum, CTmax, and critical thermal minimum, CTmin, of the eastern red-backed salamander were determined under field conditions over several months in the spring and fall to determine any changes over this time period. Results of the study show that there was a significant effect of day of the year on the critical thermal maximum of the salamanders but not on the critical thermal minimum. It was also found that snout-vent length, SVL, had a significant effect on the critical thermal minimum but not on the critical thermal maximum of individuals.
