Previous research has shown that biochar is a supplement in fertile soil productivity. Biochar functions as a water and nutrient retention tool. Biochar helps prevent and decrease local eutrophication in local streams and water ecosystems by reducing the amount of fertilizers applied. Moreover, it’s essential in reducing the amount of water used, thus critical with projected looming drought conditions. In order to test the validity of the impacts of biochar in crops growth, we compared the diameter measurements of approximately 270 Capsicum annuum bell pepper plants. We selected bell peppers as our experimental crop for their practicality as an economical, simple crop and their pertinence of larger diameters which was correlated to the soil. According to preliminary results, we recommend the use of biochar as an enhancement product in pepper farming. Future research could explore the impacts of biochar on crop size on the different crops in the region. This research will provide beneficial information about enhancements to current agricultural practices regarding water and nutrient efficiency in crop growth.

Plants are affected by various abiotic and biotic stressors such as pollution, high salinity, drought, and pathogens which can inhibit growth or cause disease. High salinity, a type of abiotic stress that decreases crop productivity and quality, is especially widespread with nearly half of the world’s cropland facing salinity stress in 2010. This is problematic because there are very few plants that can tolerate high levels of salt and the process of remediation is water and energy intensive. However, endophytes, the beneficial bacteria that live within plants, have shown potential in helping plants tolerate these stressors in a more natural way either by directly reducing the stressor or indirectly by modulating the plant’s response to the stress. The main goal of this study was to isolate and test endophytes to determine whether they colonize other plants and help these plants tolerate high salinity conditions. In this study, a total of 15 salt tolerant endophytes were isolated from pickleweed and wild wheat growing in a marine estuary. These strains were then tested on bush beans and poplar to test salt tolerance conference. There were visible signs of higher stress tolerance in bush beans inoculated with endophyte SSP1 and poplar inoculated with SSP8. The results for the remaining endophyte strains are pending. By improving plant growth under abiotic stress, these bacteria will help promote sustainable agriculture practices and bioenergy production.

Prevention of aquatic invasive species transmission by recreational fishing and boating is a fundamental management challenge. These activities can entrain non-native plants and animals via tangled lines, bait buckets, or hull encrustation, leading to introductions into new waterbodies. With hundreds of millions of people participating in fishing trips each year, understanding angler movement behavior can provide critical insight into the most effective locations and scales at which to apply preventative measures. Angler behavior is often inferred from infrequently and sparsely conducted surveys that provide limited spatial and temporal insight into this challenge. Here we capitalize on a big data opportunity provided by ReelSonar’s recently launched iBobber, a sonar-enabled bobber with over 3,000,000 records of fishing location, water depth, and environmental variables collected over three years. By quantifying geographic patterns of fishing activities and assessing how these patterns change seasonally, we explore angler behavior in terms of fishing frequency and distance traveled between sites, and characterize the attributes of fished ecosystems. Our study offers novel insight into spatiotemporal patterns of angler behavior and carries important implications for predicting and preventing future transmission of aquatic invasive species via recreational fishing.

The purpose of the project is to use benthic foraminifera to investigate the condition of the ecosystem of Possession Sound, Everett, WA, part of Puget Sound. Puget Sound is a polluted water system due to the ports, oil refineries, paper mills, agricultural runoff, and previously, a smelter. Possession Sound itself is home to private properties, a naval station, ports, marinas, and an asphalt plant on the waterfront. Foraminifera are marine protists with calcareous or agglutinated shells (tests) that are readily preserved in sediments. Because they are sensitive to environmental conditions such as bottom water pH, organic and metal pollutants, and change in temperature, they can be indicators of environmental conditions at the sediment/water interface. Calcareous foraminifera exposed to water with decreasing pH have increasing levels of test dissolution, however, agglutinated species don’t dissolve. For this study, sediment samples were collected by the Washington State Department of Ecology; and sub-samples were sent to the Burke Museum. Thirty samples were processed; each was washed through a 63 screen, floated in trichloroethylene to remove the heavier sediment, then picked for around 300 foraminifera/sample. Foraminifera were identified for analysis of their assemblages, condition, and signs of dissolution. These signs are chalkiness, pitting, holes in the shells, and removal of shell layers. The hypotheses are as follows. Dissolution will have increased over time as Puget Sound water quality has decreased in recent years. Worse water quality will result in fewer calcareous species. Foraminifera will be fewer in number since 1997, with a higher proportion being agglutinated species. Results of this investigation will deliver insight into benthic conditions of Puget Sound, specifically Possession Sound, but could also provide useful information for people who rely on Puget Sound’s benthic conditions, such as the oyster and crab industry.

This abstract is no longer available. Please contact urp@uw.edu if you have any questions.

Icelandic wetlands have ecological, climatological, and historical significance. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment defines ecosystem services as the benefits humans receive from nature. Many of these benefits are not included in the economic market which leaves them out of cost-benefit analysis in decision making. Although the Kyoto Protocol approved wetland restoration as an official climate mitigation activity, wetland restoration activities in Iceland have yet to catch up. Valuing the ecosystem service of carbon sequestration can help clarify for Icelandic policy-makers that the benefits outweigh the costs of restoration. This study conducts an economic valuation of the carbon sequestration service in Úlfarsárdalur to provide the city of Reykjavik with new information to include in a cost-benefit analysis of restoration. Three methods are used to quantify the monetary benefit provided by potential carbon sequestration in Úlfarsárdalur – direct market pricing, damage avoidance cost, and replacement cost. The results relied on physical data provided by the Verkís report of restoration potential in Úlfarsárdalur as well as data collected by Hlynur Óskarsson, a wetland ecology expert. In accordance with claims from the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, all three methods reflected that the economic benefits of carbon sequestration exceed the costs of restoration by a significant amount. The direct market pricing and replacement cost methods yielded similar values, while the damage avoidance cost came out much lower. These findings suggest that wetland restoration to promote carbon sequestration could serve as a cost-effective climate mitigation measure. Researchers must continue to investigate the accuracy of such valuation techniques as well as their transferability and scalability to larger ecosystems.

Few communities within the Madre de Dios region of Peru are recognized by local governments, and less are allocated the necessary resources to meet basic needs such as waste management. The aim of this study is to develop a toolkit to understand the amount of waste, the composition, the levels of water contamination, and the mentalities towards waste management, specifically within the Las Piedras district, in the Madre de Dios region, of Peru. The damaging effects of absent waste management and unsustainable landfills affect the environmental, social, and economic sectors of the surrounding environment. To raise awareness of waste management and find tangible solutions, the Waste Management Toolkit includes waste auditing, water sampling, and mentality survey strategies which were conducted in three remote communities, as well as within the Las Piedras Muncipality. Results have shown evidence of both human health and environmental health impacts from improper waste management due to burning, burial, and dumping practices. Mentality surveys have shown distrust in the local municipalities, a lack of education when it comes to waste management practices and impacts, as well a district wide absence of infrastructure to support waste systems. The Waste Management Toolkit has successfully led to the implementation of a communal waste pit in the community of Lucerna in the field season of 2016 and 2017, as well as in the community of Puerto Nuevo in Spring of 2018. The community of Boca Pariamanu has been studied and results have been reported to the local municipality in Spring of 2018 to support waste management systems since they are accessible from the closest large city, Puerto Maldonado to export waste. These three communities have become the pioneers within the region. Future endeavors will include the replication of the Waste Management Toolkit in surrounding communities and municipalities.

Climate change is an issue that affects every region of the world, but it has a disproportionate impact on coastal communities and developing countries. Fitting both of these criteria, Costa Rica is extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Currently, Costa Ricans are known for living “pura vida”, or the pure life, and the country consistently ranks #1 on the Happy Planet Index, a global index of sustainable wellbeing. The main goal of my study was to assess how closely a relationship with the environment impacts one’s perception of success. As an intern for Frontier Programs in Costa Rica, I engaged in conservation research in the Osa Peninsula, subsequently interviewing twenty locals to attempt to answer how environmental relationships and definitions of success are intertwined. Frontier Programs’ goal is to seek out conservation hotspots and work with locals to empower them in future conservation action. My results support the argument that a connection to the environment affects factors people use to define success: happiness, health, and job security. Costa Rica is already feeling the effects of climate change and a loss of biodiversity, and further degradation of this unique natural area has the potential to lead to a decreased connection to nature. This creates a compelling argument for enhancing the climate resiliency of Costa Rica. Closer to home, my work could be extended to make the case that Americans can increase their overall perceptions of success by developing closer relationships with the natural world. 

It is no secret environmental issues are increasing in quantity and severity with passing time. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is tasked with addressing these issues through its programs and regulatory authority. With a large portion of the EPA's budget allotted to grants, it becomes increasingly important to measure the success of funded projects to ensure they are achieving their intended goals. Grants awarded for environmental education specifically bring awareness to environmental literature and curriculum. This in turn inspires critical thinking, problem solving, and action. Through my internship with the Office of Public Engagement and Environmental Education at the EPA, I aimed to discover what prescriptive criteria EPA should require from their grantees, in hopes of funding impactful projects and collecting data to leverage the program's legacy. I synthesized final reports of environmental education grants issued since 2012, interviewed EPA personnel, interviewed grantees, and conducted a thorough review of documents within the environmental education grant process. I discovered stark differences in the definitions of "success" between the grantees and their communities as compared to political and agency structures. Realigning these measurements of success allows EPA to allocate grants to promising projects and use the limited available funding to make a difference. Empowering communities through grants allows them to educate their communities in ways they know best, but also provides them with the encouragement to commit to action and use public involvement for solving environmental challenges.

The United States recycles or composts only a quarter of its waste, with the remainder being buried in landfills. Organics, paper, and plastics, which can be recycled and composted, comprise the three largest categories of landfilled materials. It has been demonstrated that familiarizing youth with proper waste disposal methods increases landfill diversion at school and home, resulting in behaviors that continue through adulthood. In this study, I used a solid waste audit to characterize the waste disposal of a large Washington middle school. Initially, I used a survey and focus group to better understand the research needs of this particular school. Targeted goals and specific research questions were then derived from these data, which had been collected from the school’s green team. Fifteen students from the green team completed the survey, while seven participated in a focus group to further articulate their goals and aims. The overall goals were to reduce the school’s total amount of food waste and improve sorting efficiencies. Research questions included: how much waste is improperly disposed of, which materials are misplaced most, and how well do teachers sort their waste compared to students. I then conducted the audit during Spring quarter. Waste was collected from three student lunch periods as well as the teacher’s lounge and was then sorted into disposal categories, examined for contamination, and weighed. Data analysis included identifying barriers to disposal. In collaboration with the school’s green team, I then used my findings to help inform the creation of more targeted and efficient interventions. Participation in the waste audit’s design and analysis helped create a more meaningful experience for students to reflect on their own disposal habits. Hopefully, this research may act as a guide or template so other schools may incorporate waste audits into their own recycling or composting programs.

King County is home to many non-English speaking populations. Language and cultural barriers must be accounted for in risk communication materials to limit adverse health risks following extreme weather events. During the summer of 2017, Washington experienced a heat wave and increase in air pollution from wildfires. In King County, exposure to extreme heat has been shown to increase risk of all cause mortality by 10%, while poor air quality contributes to 16% of all deaths worldwide.. Despite the growing evidence about communication with non-English populations during extreme weather events, research has yet to examine ethnic media outlets’ approaches to communicating health risks. In Washington state, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Somali are the top 5 non-English languages spoken. In response, we sought to assess if and how local ethnic newspapers disseminated risk communication information during the 2017 heat wave and air quality event. We used descriptive statistics to compare the number of ethnic news media messages to the Seattle Times, the predominant newspaper in King County, and assessed the messages communicated based on air quality day. The research findings show that non-English newspapers included fewer risk communication messages, including on days with air quality levels known to increase health risks. On the other hand, the Seattle Times included messages about health prevention methods, daily weather forecasts, and informational articles on the cause of the events. Our findings suggest that there is a need to improve risk communication during wildfire and heat events to populations with limited English proficiency in King County. We recommend engaging members of non-English speaking communities to identify the best communication methods, and work with newspapers serving these communities to promote awareness during future extreme weather events.

Having access to clean drinking water is a crucial component of enjoying positive health outcomes, especially for at-risk populations such as children undergoing developmental stages and pregnant mothers. Unfortunately, pristine drinking water is not a universal norm. Peru is a prominent example of a nation with wide diversity in ecology as well as human activity and demography, where the range of access to clean drinking water varies greatly across the country. Contaminants that contribute to polluted drinking water have many probable sources, caused by environmental factors and/or anthropogenic activity. Implications being able to test where contaminants enter the system and their relative levels include relating the outcomes to various socioeconomic and environmental factors which influence community development. Through conducting water quality assessments and interviews with six communities, I understand which economic, cultural, political, and environmental conditions are most related to securing positive opportunities for the respective community’s residents. Three of the communities are remotely located within the Amazonian environment, and three are located along the interoceanic highway with more rapid rates of development. The parameters that have been chosen for this assessment include pH, turbidity, nitrates, chlorine, and total and fecal coliforms. Depending on individual results, communities have been left with economically and technologically feasible recommendations for improving contamination sources as necessary. The water quality assessment was also shared with local government authorities to draw attention to communities most in need as well as to encourage government assistance in resource distribution. Hoja Nueva, a non-profit working in the remote Las Piedras region of Peru, will continue to monitor water quality in the future with respect to the changing environmental and socioeconomic conditions of the communities using the water quality assessment methodology I create as a baseline for comparison.

Amazonian soils are notoriously nutrient-poor, making it difficult to grow crops without the use of slash and burn practices or synthetic fertilizers. Communities outside of urban areas do not have access to sufficient nutritional variation in their diets. This results in dietary deficiencies, especially in children, as well as more time and money spent importing food items from nearby cities. The objective of my research was to evaluate an approach for developing a community-centered permaculture planting plan. From January through March 2018, I interned for Hoja Nueva, which works with remote native and migrant communities that are generally neglected by the government due to their inaccessibility. The case study focused on a community located on the Las Piedras River in the Peruvian Amazon called Puerto Nuevo, which is known as the ‘forgotten village’ because it lacks an active health post, water treatment, and waste management system. In February, I conducted individual interviews about current diet and desired fruits and vegetables with villagers and held community meetings about potential garden sites. Additionally, two potential sites identified by the community were tested for macronutrient concentrations (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium), pH, texture, moisture levels, and environmental variables like light exposure, temperature, relative humidity, and other microclimate variables. These data were critical for determining which site will best support certain plants requested by the community. The complete permaculture plan was delivered in March and included designs for a fruiting forest and vegetable garden with native plants and a compost system to help replenish the soils. Once completed, the mature permaculture site will greatly enhance the diet of the Puerto Nuevo community. The opportunities and challenges inherent in this community-centered approach are discussed.

Understanding the permeability structure of sedimentary rocks is important for predicting migration of fluids like water, hydrocarbons, contaminants or CO₂ in the subsurface. Movement of pressurized pore fluid can cause coarse sediments to be injected into fine-grained, low-permeability sedimentary layers, forming “clastic pipes.” Clastic pipes are important because they create pathways that enable fluid to migrate through the cross-cut impermeable layers. We studied the clastic pipes in the Jurassic Carmel Formation, Utah, to understand their formation conditions and timing, and their relationship with hydrocarbon migration in the region. Specifically, we used petrography including cathodoluminescence observations of calcite cements that grew from the migrating fluids to understand whether fluid migration through the pipes occurred in multiple generations or in one single event. Preliminary results of the cathodoluminescence observations show multiple generations of cementation and fluid migration. Some samples exhibit non-luminescent cements, which are typical of near-surface fluids and may represent syn-depositional fluid flow during initial pipe injection and formation. Other samples showed multiple generations of luminescent cements, which are typical of basin fluids. This included (1) large dull orange calcite crystals, with (2) bright yellow luminescent cement deposited along cleavage planes that are cross-cut by brittle fractures. Some of the large grains in these samples were partially coated with (3) dull orange-yellow luminescent cement with blotchy texture that cross cuts calcite generations 1 and 2. Further work in this study will be to use clumped, C and O isotopes to constrain the temperature and source of the different generations of fluids from which the cements grew. The obtained fluid temperatures will then be related to the burial history (temperature-time) curve for the region to understand the timing of fluid flow through the pipes and its relationship with hydrocarbon migration in the region.