Matching Items (87)
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Description
The Gulf of Mexico (or “Gulf”) is of critical significance to the oil and gas industries’ offshore production, but the potential for accidental petrochemical influx into the Gulf due to such processes is high; two of the largest marine oil spills in history, Pemex's Ixtoc I spill (1979) and British

The Gulf of Mexico (or “Gulf”) is of critical significance to the oil and gas industries’ offshore production, but the potential for accidental petrochemical influx into the Gulf due to such processes is high; two of the largest marine oil spills in history, Pemex's Ixtoc I spill (1979) and British Petroleum's (BP) Deepwater Horizon (2010), have occurred in the region. However, the Gulf is also of critical significance to thousands of unique species, many of which may be irreparably harmed by accidental petrochemical exposure. To better manage the conservation and recovery of marine species in the Gulf ecosystem, a Petrochemical Vulnerability Index was developed to determine the potential impact of a petrochemical influx on Gulf marine fishes, therein providing an objective framework with which to determine the best immediate and long term management strategies for resource managers and decision-makers. The resulting Petrochemical Vulnerability Index (PVI) was developed and applied to all bony fishes and shark/ray species in the Gulf of Mexico (1,670 spp), based on a theoretical petrochemical vulnerability framework developed by peer review. The PVI for fishes embodies three key facets of species vulnerability: likelihood of exposure, individual sensitivity, and population resilience, and comprised of 11 total metrics (Distribution, Longevity, Mobility, Habitat, Pre-Adult Stage Length, Pre-Adult Exposure; Increased Adult Sensitivity Due to UV Light, Increased Pre-Adult Sensitivity Due to UV Light; and Abundance, Reproductive Turnover Rate, Diet/Habitat Specialization). The resulting PVI can be used to guide attention to the species potentially most in need of immediate attention in the event of an oil spill or other petrochemical influx, as well as those species that may require intensive long-term recovery. The scored relative vulnerability rankings can also provide information on species that ought to be the focus of future toxicological research, by indicating which species lack toxicological data, and may potentially experience significant impacts.
ContributorsWoodyard, Megan (Author) / Polidoro, Beth (Thesis advisor) / Saul, Steven (Thesis advisor) / Matson, Cole (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020
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This paper addresses the issue of conservation funding in Arizona, particularly for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. This department is traditionally funded by the Pittman-Robertson act, which places excise taxes on hunting equipment to fund species conservation, and sales of hunting tags and licenses, but there is concern that

This paper addresses the issue of conservation funding in Arizona, particularly for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. This department is traditionally funded by the Pittman-Robertson act, which places excise taxes on hunting equipment to fund species conservation, and sales of hunting tags and licenses, but there is concern that these sources are unable to cover the increasing costs of climate change. A decrease in hunter participation and expenditures on hunting equipment also brings into question the stability of these revenue sources. This paper explains and analyzes four methods to supplement the department's funding to ensure adequate financial resources are available to conserve state wildlife and wildlife areas and draws conclusions about which method is best for the state of Arizona.
ContributorsGibson, Braxton (Author) / Leonard, Bryan (Thesis director) / Abbott, Joshua (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning (Contributor)
Created2022-05
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In 1996, a floral and faunal inventory of the southeastern slopes of the Marojejy Massif, which falls in a protected area known as the Parc national de Marojejy, was conducted in an ascending series of altitudinal transect zones. The 1996 research team worked in five altitudinal zones (referred to as

In 1996, a floral and faunal inventory of the southeastern slopes of the Marojejy Massif, which falls in a protected area known as the Parc national de Marojejy, was conducted in an ascending series of altitudinal transect zones. The 1996 research team worked in five altitudinal zones (referred to as transect zones). Between 3 October and 15 November 2021, a floral and faunal inventory was completed, replicating the locations surveyed in 1996 and closely the dates. Detected bird species were analyzed for changes in elevational distribution between 1996 and 2021. Birds were divided into three feeding behavior groups and tolerance to forest habitat degradation was considered.

ContributorsLangrand, Tahiry (Author) / Schoon, Michael (Thesis director) / Goodman, Steve (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Complex Adaptive Systems (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor)
Created2022-05
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Wildlife rehabilitation as a practice in the United States exists in a complicated ethical landscape. The Wildlife Rehabilitator's Code of Ethics exists to guide the profession and states that rehabilitators must respect the wildness and maintain the dignity of an animal in their care. This thesis explores the question: How

Wildlife rehabilitation as a practice in the United States exists in a complicated ethical landscape. The Wildlife Rehabilitator's Code of Ethics exists to guide the profession and states that rehabilitators must respect the wildness and maintain the dignity of an animal in their care. This thesis explores the question: How do the attitudes and actions of wildlife rehabilitators exemplify the ways in which they understand and enact respect for an animal’s dignity and wildness while in their care? Additionally, in what circumstances do rehabilitators align and diverge from each other in their interpretation and demonstration of this respect? These questions were answered through a literature review, interviews with rehabilitators, and site visits to wildlife rehabilitation centers in the Phoenix metropolitan area. My results suggest that rehabilitators are aligned in their understanding of respect for wildness and dignity as it applies to the animals in their care that are actively undergoing rehabilitation. Rehabilitators achieved consensus on the idea that they should interact with the animals as little as possible while providing their medically necessary care. Rehabilitators began to diverge when considering the animals in their sanctuary spaces. Specifically, they varied in their perception of wildness in sanctuary animals, which informed how some saw their responsibilities to the animals. Lesser perceived wildness correlated to increased acceptance of forming affectionate relationships with the sanctuary animals, and even feelings of obligation to form these relationships. Based on my research, I argue that the Wildlife Rehabilitator's Code of Ethics should be revised to reflect the specific boundary that wildlife rehabilitators identified in the rehabilitation space and provide substantive guidance as to what respecting wildness and dignity means in this field.
ContributorsBernat, Isabella Elyse (Author) / Minteer, Ben (Thesis advisor) / Ellison, Karin (Committee member) / Schoon, Michael (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
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Revive and Restore is a California-based nonprofit that uses genetic engineering to help solve conservation problems, such as saving endangered species and increasing the biodiversity of ecosystems. To facilitate their solutions, Revive and Restore utilizes genetic engineering, which is the process of making changes to an organism’s DNA, or the

Revive and Restore is a California-based nonprofit that uses genetic engineering to help solve conservation problems, such as saving endangered species and increasing the biodiversity of ecosystems. To facilitate their solutions, Revive and Restore utilizes genetic engineering, which is the process of making changes to an organism’s DNA, or the set of instructions for how an organism develops and functions. One of their broad solutions is genetic rescue, which involves imbuing populations of endangered species with a wider variety of traits to make them more adaptable to a changing environment. Their other solution is de-extinction, which takes a more radical approach by attempting to recreate extinct species that performed important roles in their ecosystems. While scientists working with Revive and Restore have helped advance genome editing technology on a theoretical and technical level, their research has also prompted practical and ethical concerns over the extent of permissible human interference with nature, even when attempting to conserve it.

Created2020-12-16
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In 2015, Revive & Restore launched the Woolly Mammoth Revival Project with a goal of engineering a creature with genes from the woolly mammoth and introducing it back into the tundra to combat climate change. Revive & Restore is a nonprofit in California that uses genome editing technologies to enhance

In 2015, Revive & Restore launched the Woolly Mammoth Revival Project with a goal of engineering a creature with genes from the woolly mammoth and introducing it back into the tundra to combat climate change. Revive & Restore is a nonprofit in California that uses genome editing technologies to enhance conservation efforts in sometimes controversial ways. In order to de-extinct the woolly mammoth, researchers theorize that they can manipulate the genome of the Asian elephant, which is the mammoth’s closest living evolutionary relative, to make it resemble the genome of the extinct woolly mammoth. While their goal is to create a new elephant-mammoth hybrid species, or a mammophant, that looks and functions like the extinct woolly mammoth, critics have suggested researchers involved in the project have misled and exaggerated the process. As of 2021, researchers have not yet succeeded in their efforts to de-extinct the woolly mammoth, but have expressed that it may become a reality within a decade.

Created2021-01-19
Description
The objective of this project is to allow viewers to follow along a visual representation of my journey through the Galápagos Islands as well as around the city of Phoenix. Through a curated collection of artwork and personal photographs, this exhibition highlights the beauty, uniqueness, and conservation challenges of Arizona

The objective of this project is to allow viewers to follow along a visual representation of my journey through the Galápagos Islands as well as around the city of Phoenix. Through a curated collection of artwork and personal photographs, this exhibition highlights the beauty, uniqueness, and conservation challenges of Arizona and the Galápagos Islands. By presenting a range of artistic interpretations, my project fosters appreciation for the intricate ecosystems and remarkable biodiversity found in these regions. In addition to appreciation, my exhibition serves as a means to raise awareness about the importance of wildlife conservation. To begin my research, I traveled to the Galápagos Islands to study and observe the wildlife found in these island ecosystems. This trip consisted of volunteer and field work at several locations, such as tortoise breeding centers and the Sierra Negra Volcano. Further research was conducted around the city of Phoenix. This research was completed in a field research course through Arizona State University and required travel to several ecological sites around the city. The field work involved comparing the different abiotic and biotic factors of each site and observing how local taxa was affected by non-native species. This exhibition takes place in the School of Art building on the Arizona State University Tempe campus. My exhibition utilizes the 3D art display case, which allows my project to have a three-dimensional element that provides a more interactive experience to viewers. My exhibition will consist of approximately thirty personal photographs as well as fifteen traditional paintings and drawings. My work depicts several easily recognizable species, such as the Galápagos giant tortoise, blue-footed booby, prickly pear cactus, and velvet mesquite. These species are an array of species from the Galápagos as well as native species that viewers can find in their Arizona backyards. The images used are direct references collected during my excursions to the Galápagos Islands and around Arizona. To enhance engagement and learning, visitors will be able to interact with my personal field journals as well as mementos from my trip to the Galápagos Islands.
ContributorsSilva, Sarah (Author) / Chew, Matthew (Thesis director) / Meissinger, Ellen (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2024-05
ContributorsSilva, Sarah (Author) / Chew, Matthew (Thesis director) / Meissinger, Ellen (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2024-05
ContributorsSilva, Sarah (Author) / Chew, Matthew (Thesis director) / Meissinger, Ellen (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
Environmental ethics is often described on a continuum of anthropocentrism to biocentrism. Pet ownership has been shown to correlate with biocentrism. This study aims to answer how strong the correlation is between pet ownership and biocentrism and how pet owners react when pets' needs conflict with the environment. Findings from

Environmental ethics is often described on a continuum of anthropocentrism to biocentrism. Pet ownership has been shown to correlate with biocentrism. This study aims to answer how strong the correlation is between pet ownership and biocentrism and how pet owners react when pets' needs conflict with the environment. Findings from the study confirm previous research that pet owners lean biocentric, but their biocentric beliefs end when their pet's well-being misaligns with environmental concerns.
ContributorsCrawford-Paz Soldan, Esme (Author) / Wynne, Clive (Thesis director) / Minteer, Ben (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2024-05