Analysis of Trace Metals in Seawater using Pre-Concentration Techniques and Flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

Many trace metals are essential micronutrients for phytoplankton, and despite their low concentrations in seawater, trace metals can have large impacts on biological processes. Also due to their low concentrations, the measurement of trace metal concentrations requires precise analytical techniques. One common method utilizes expensive instrumentation that we do not have at HSU. In this research project, we adapted published methods to use the Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometer, an instrument in the HSU Chemistry Department. Results show successful adaptation of the method for zinc and manganese. Current work streamlines the method to allow for 8-fold faster sample preparation.

Analytical comparisons of American-European High School Life Science Education Systems and Methodology to Increase effective teaching and Intercultural Competence

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

In collaboration with HSU's P.E.E.R.S program and Lausanne, Swizterland's HEP school of education. Three HSU students collaborated with three Swiss students in order to create a lesson for highschool aged students from scratch as well as teach the lesson in in the United States and Switzerland. Our goal was to increase learning retention of the subject through research of effective methods and pedagogical strategies which we then utilize to regularly change and improve our lesson. Another goal included intercultural awareness and creating relevance for the students in a collaborative way with our peers that would translate into the individual classrooms in relation to the specific class.

Analyzing Landslide Susceptibility in Monterey County, California Using MaxEnt

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

Landslides are a destructive geological process that can destroy infrastructure, homes, and cause human fatalities. Over recent years there have been many damaging landslides along the California coast. Analyzing areas of high landslide risk potential can allow for preventative measures before the economic hardship of a massive repair or worst case scenario loss of life. This study aims to address the need of accurate predictive maps of landslide vulnerability in the Monterey County, CA. Weight of evidence based on prior landslides and selected triggering factors will be modeled within the MaxEnt software package to create landslide susceptibility maps.

Analyzing Resistance in Carbon Nanotube Networks

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

To inform the applicability of carbon nanotube networks for use as field-effect transistors or as biosensors, we have run computer simulations in order to characterize the electrical properties of these networks, and specifically, how the resistance of these networks changes with the metallicity, or the percentage of metallic to semiconducting carbon nanotubes. When running simulations over networks with varying metallicities, we find a trend where the resistance increases to a peak value then decreases.

Analyzing Trace Levels of Iron in Seawater: Expanding the Measurable Concentration Range

Brooke Stafford, Geology Undergraduate Student

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

Seawater samples are to be measured for the iron concentration content. We measured standard samples to better understand what concentration ranges we could measure. We are currently working on optimizing the method to measure higher concentrations.

Anatidae Feeding Behavior During Different Tides in a Managed Marsh

Javier Vizcardo Vizcardo, Wildlife Undergraduate Student

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

My research was focused on observing dabbling ducks at the Arcata Marsh, My question was if tide height was a significant factor in determining feeding behavior.

Anthropogenic feeding of California ground squirrels in an urban state park

Vanessa Ramirez, Wildlife Undergraduate Student

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

California ground squirrels are an abundant wildlife species at Candlestick Point State Recreation Area in San Francisco, where they are regularly fed by park visitors. The goal of this study was to provide the park with useful information about the ecology of their resident ground squirrel population including their activity patterns, the types of human foods in their diets, and potential impacts of access to anthropogenic food sources. Understanding how these squirrels interact with visitors and how these interactions influence their behavior and body condition is important for management of both park visitors and wildlife.

Aquaponics in the classroom, a students' perspective

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

Aquaponic systems are a combination of hydroponic gardening and a recirculating aquaculture system, which is a very efficient way to produce marketable products for growers. Humboldt State University’s (HSU) aquaculture class had the opportunity to assemble an aquaponics system (Nelson and Pade, Inc.) for the first time. Our class was provided with the equipment that allowed us to demonstrate our abilities in constructing a fully functional aquaponics system. From the knowledge acquired in the academic setting, we were able to create a hands-on, tangible system. White Sturgeon were grown in the system along with a wide variety of vegetables with great success.

Around the Bay in 80 Days: Investigating the Relationship between Bird Diversity and Plants

Quinlan House, Wildlife Undergraduate Student

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

The goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between plant species richness and bird diversity within the area of Humboldt Bay situated in north-western California. Humboldt Bay hosts a unique array of natural areas such as redwood forests, coastal dune forests, and wetlands. We examined the effect of plant species richness and diversity on bird diversity in these three habitats around Humboldt Bay by conducting point counts, plant species censusing, and plant density sampling across 10 plots at each habitat.

ASR Membrane Protein and ApoA1 Detection in Nanodisc via Western Blot Analysis

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

Anabaena sensory rhodopsin (ASR) is a prokaryotic photoactive transmembrane G protein coupled receptor extracted from the cyanobacterium Nostoc. The potential for ASR and its transducer, ASRT, to transcribe/translate prokaryotic genes into products by light signals is an extremely attractive possibility for future membrane research. Nanodiscs are a useful tool for studying membrane proteins because they serve to create a stable amphipathic environment. In the present study, 6x-His ASR has been extracted, isolated, purified, and inserted into a MSP nanodisc with ApoA1 and DMPC. We examine ApoA1 insertion into the nanodisc via SDS-PAGE and chemiluminescent western blot analysis.