Some species of dinoflagellates develop into dormant, spore-like structures known as ‘cysts’ that sink to the sediment as a part of their lifecycle. Causes of the production of cysts include changes in water temperature and nutrient concentrations as well as sexual reproduction. Studying the role of cysts as a means of proliferation and expansion of dinoflagellate populations is an important part of understanding their place within the ecosystem. The study of cysts can strengthen our understanding of how dinoflagellate blooms can affect other populations within an ecosystem through their functions as producers and consumers as well as their roles in the global carbon cycle. If the dominant species in these blooms is capable of producing toxins that are dangerous to humans and other organisms, predicting the location and density of the blooms is vital. This study investigates the differences in concentrations and diversity of dinoflagellate cysts within the shallow sediments among Effingham Inlet, Uchucklesit Inlet, and the head of Imperial Eagle Channel in Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Sampling took place between January 22nd and February 3rd, 2013 aboard the University of Washington’s R/V Thomas G. Thompson. A comparison of the dinoflagellate cyst assemblages among the basins will be performed through the use of sediment cores, stains, and epifluorescence microscopy. The dinoflagellate cysts will be enumerated using a modified version of the method described by Yamaguchi et al. (1995). Previous studies have found variations in the composition of assemblages of dinoflagellate cysts within these basins that could be attributed to differing circulation patterns affecting the distributions and diversity of the dinoflagellate cyst assemblages. It is reasonable to hypothesize that these differences will be reflected in variations in the relative abundance and variety of cysts found in these locations.

With the rise of atmospheric carbon dioxide, understanding the various facets of the carbon cycle is critical. In temperate coastal systems, the phytoplankton group of diatoms play a key role in the carbon cycle by sequestering carbon from the atmosphere into deep ocean sediments. Many scientists turn to laboratory culturing experiments to make predictions about the response of phytoplankton to changes in climate. But do these laboratory studies serve as realistic proxies for environmental responses? This study will compare growth rates of phytoplankton communities from Barkley Sound, British Columbia using field and laboratory experiments. Field experiments will comprise an in situ community growth rate measured using diffusion chambers in addition to on-ship incubations measuring the community growth rate in response to added nutrients. Field samples will be used to isolate the three dominant diatom species into a mixed-species culture for laboratory experiments. An analogous culture using laboratory isolates of the same species will be created, and the two cultures will be kept in a semi-continuous batch culture experiment tracking the growth rates in response to added nutrients. Comparisons of the growth rates in situ, shipboard, and in the laboratory will indicate how growth rates differ between natural phytoplankton assemblages and laboratory settings. Growth rates will be calculated using changes in chlorophyll a levels, a proxy for cell densities. If growth rates are much higher in the laboratory cultures than in the wild cultures, the implication is that there are limitations to growth in the natural environment that should be factored in when correlating laboratory experiments to the responses of natural phytoplankton assemblages. However, if there is no significant difference in growth rates between the experiments, then the laboratory conditions can provide similar conditions as in the field and laboratory culture experiments and can be easily used to predict environmental responses.

Previous studies have shown that music can raise or lower the “stress” hormone, cortisol. This project builds on this work by examining whether specific components of the music—the tempo and the lyrics—are responsible for modifying cortisol levels. The first part of the study tested whether different tempos affect cortisol. The second part tested whether angry lyrics raise cortisol levels while happy lyrics lower them. 46 participants (aged 18 to 28 years) were split into two groups. The first group listened to music without words that were either slow or fast tempo. The second group listened to music with words portraying a happy or angry message. Saliva specimens were collected from the participants before, during, and after listening to one of the four types of music. After an hour break, participants listened to the second corresponding type of music and provided three more samples. Saliva specimens were assayed for cortisol using an enzyme immunoassay. 46 individuals (29 females and 17 males) completed the study with 276 total saliva specimens. The mean age of the sample is 21.304 years. The average intra and inter assay coefficients of variability were 6.61% (high control) and 6.57% (low control). The hypothesized trends of significant increase or decrease of cortisol across the time span from baseline to post music salivary specimens are not evident in preliminary analyses. The highest baseline average was for the angry music group (3236.08 ng/ml), and the largest decline, though not statistically significant, was in the angry music group. All forms of music appeared to lower cortisol, although this was not statistically significant. Contrary to expectations, listening to angry music may reduce stress levels more than happy, slow or fast music. Future work with larger samples and more controlled conditions may reveal stronger associations.

Promiscuity and casual sex are points of contention within many societies, especially when discussing the concept that men are allowed to engage in casual sex while women are not (the sexual double standard). Although the media may be showing that perhaps this stigma against women is diminishing, there is evidence that people hold biases against women who engage in promiscuity. Our objective was to study the relationship between promiscuity and likability in a social, platonic context. We used the Reyson Likability Scale to measure perception of one of 6 profiles, one male and one female, each with 3 levels of promiscuity (high, low, or none). In the online survey, a link randomizer directed the participant to one of the profiles. We also asked for the gender and age of the participant. We collected 103 responses and found that although there is not a statistically significant difference between the promiscuous profiles and the non-promiscuous profiles (p=0.688), there is a significant difference in reported likability between the two genders (p=0.039) in favor of men. Men received a mean likability score of 51.28 (SD=8.45), while women averaged a score of 45.39 (SD=13.56). Because both profiles were identical in information and presentation, and all mentioned "hooking up" as the promiscuity indicator, women may have received lower scores because the mere mentioning of hooking up is negative in the social perception of women. Upon investigation of respondents' open-ended feedback on the good and bad characteristics of the profiles, many people mentioned hooking up as unfavorable. Theories of biological anthropology can provide a possible explanation of this behavior through the evolution of the different reproductive goals of men and women. Further research could use a similar method but conducted with the addition of another profile without any mention of hooking up at all.