Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation

This capstone project tells the untold story of marine diamond mining, tracing its origins from the shores of Namibia to the fjords of Greenland. Despite the stark differences between these two locales, they share striking similarities in diamond potential. In Namibia, marine diamond mining flourished prior to the country's independence and the establishment of international mining laws, setting a precedent for potential challenges in Greenland's current political landscape. Through in-depth research, stakeholder interviews, and media production, this project fosters an informed storyline for a full-length documentary film. The capstone deliverables encompass a film treatment, budget, film plan, concise trailer, and transcribed interviews, strategically crafted towards securing future support of the project. The outcome of such seeking to advocate for greater transparency in the diamond industry and policies that prioritize both economic development and environmental integrity. The final film will engage audiences worldwide in considering the implications of marine diamond mining for Greenland's evolving climate and economy.

CLARITY film treatment can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/ClarityTreatment

CLARITY interview transcriptions can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/ClarityTranscriptions

Coral reefs are facing unprecedented threats due to climate change and local stressors,necessitating a better understanding of their responses and resilience mechanisms regionally. This study examines the impacts of the 2020 mass bleaching event on coral reef dynamics in Kenting National Park, Taiwan, using large-area imaging (LAI) technology. Four sites were analyzed, revealing insights into coral abundance, planar area, size distribution, and survivalrates of two common coral taxa, corymbose Pocillopora and massive Porites. Whilerestricted in scope, our findings highlight the resilience and adaptability of coral species inthe face of environmental stressors. Despite limitations, our study underscores the importance of LAI data in providing detailed insights into coral reef demography and dynamics, serving as both a scientific analysis tool and a means of effective science communication. Further research is needed to fully understand underlying mechanisms and ensure the long-termsustainability of coral reef ecosystems in Kenting National Park.

Environmental DNA (eDNA) has become an important tool for marine biodiversity monitoring, offering a non-invasive alternative to traditional sampling methods. This bioinformatic analysis of eDNA samples collected from 24 stations between the years 2014-2016, aims to compare eDNA sampling with more conventional fish larvae sampling methods in assessing teleost fish diversity within the California Current. Specifically, the project determines where there are overlapping findings between the eDNA and corresponding fish larvae samples from the same locations sampled at the same time. The project also analyzes potential correlations between certain environmental and physical variables and the eDNA samples. Due to a limited number of overall fish reads resulting from the eDNA samples, a PCR optimization experiment was also conducted as part of the project to test variables that may increase fish reads. Overall findings from the study demonstrate that a rigorous data analysis was able to be conducted from the sample set, yet future efforts to improve the amount of fish reads would be beneficial. The data show that eDNA is best used in conjunction with other, more traditional methods to gain a full scope of the fish community composition within an ecosystem.

Please see link below for other media created for this project: https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/6622f6c4958a4d2e8a721e5ef0db3ac1__;!!Mih3wA!GlGiNAE79s4UK1Xk23d_ivUCh6A7WiEdh5PbbXll_jgGhNlCM968ty_kz0ixWPYXlIrmCR_PXcw3R7tCfF8$

The global seaweed aquaculture industry is rapidly expanding due to the diversity of applications and sustainability benefits. Despite its global historical and cultural significance, seaweed remains underutilized in Western diets. This project investigates barriers to the culinary use of domestically-farmed seaweed in the United States, focusing on chefs' perceptions and knowledge gaps. Through collaboration with chefs and seaweed farms, the project developed educational resources and recipes to showcase the culinary versatility of eight seaweed species. The findings highlight challenges in seaweed accessibility and consumer acceptance, proposing targeted educational initiatives to enhance the domestic seaweed market and promote its culinary adoption.

Please see media created for this project here: https://tinyurl.com/5n88mk8n

This capstone project is a completed draft of an illustrated field guide of Southern California seaweeds. The purpose of this was to create a region-specific and user-friendly guide for readers to learn about local seaweeds. This was done by collecting life specimens and illustrating them by hand with watercolor. The illustrations were digitized and put into a draft, along with supporting information about each species. The completed draft will be prepared and submitted for publication in print.

As many marine species face dwindling populations due to the effects of climate change, it is vital to gain crucial information on what this means for the future of these organisms and their surrounding ecosystems. In order to gain insight to what ocean ecosystems might look like with shifting climate variability, we can look to the past. The goal of this project is to produce a two-million-year record of abundance of pelagic fish and sharks in the waters off Cape Town, South Africa. A Ichthyolith Accumulation Rate (IAR) was established to identify fish and shark production over the span of 2 million years. Results from this study show significant fluctuations of IAR, potentially contributing to the glacial-interglacial cycles that characterize the Pleistocene. When compared to complementary data, IAR data from this site is significantly higher compared to other subtropical regions. This increased IAR may be attributed to the behavior of the Agulhas Current that flows around the southern end of the Cape of Good Hope. This project aims to expand the geological history of fish abundances, providing baseline data to fill gaps in knowledge and guide future management efforts.

See the storymap created for this project here: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/9e02851bc352487db26e5c4aa9fed27b

Despite the massive scale of the Great Southern Reef, which hugs the coastline from New South Wales to Western Australia, many residents are unaware of its existence. Even fewer residents understand the large amount of biodiversity found in this interconnected temperate system characterized by kelp forests and rocky reefs. Efforts to publicize the area and gain traction for funding and conservation are in their infancy. Conservation funding remains disproportionately low compared to the Great Southern Reef’s counterpart, the Great Barrier Reef. Visibility is a tool that can be used to generate greater awareness, and by extension, balance funding and protection for the Great Southern Reef. To raise awareness, this project uses science communication tools and engages with local communities across the Great Southern Reef. By utilizing illustrative storytelling through film, this project looks through SeadragonSearch, a specific community that has come together to protect the endemic seadragon through photography. The goal in documenting this community is to enhance understanding of the Great Southern Reef while also encouraging the public to find their own community science action that can spark a movement of change. 

The blue economy is an area of growing investment and evolution across industries, governments, and communities. The rising global population coupled with rapid development in technology and trade has spurred governments across the world to look to the ocean for new sources of economic growth. While the ocean has historically been seen as an endless source of protein and extractive resources, the impacts of climate change are revealing the fallacy of this long-held assumption. Ocean acidification, warmer temperatures, and rising sea levels are resulting in habitat and biodiversity loss, extreme weather patterns, and changes to fish stock compositions and migration patterns. As a result of these changes, it is increasingly important to ensure a sustainable coexistence between humans and marine ecosystems. By developing a blue economy that prioritizes not only economic growth, but also the health of the environment and the livelihoods of local communities, it is possible to build a lasting blue economy for generations to come. The following paper analyzes existing blue economy frameworks utilized around the world to inform a model that assesses the feasibility of implementing blue economy programs in U.S. National Marine Sanctuaries.

The El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve is located in Baja California Sur, Mexico. This vast protected area is renowned for its biodiversity and ecological significance, particularly as a critical habitat for the Eastern subpopulation of the North Pacific Gray Whale. This project explores the perception and sustainability of the whale-watching industry in Guerrero Negro, and its role in conservation efforts. Through stakeholder interviews and analysis of management plans and specific research, the study examines the success of conservation strategies and the potential for increased tourism in the region. The end product, an informational StoryMap created using ArcGIS Pro, aims to promote ecotourism while fostering a deeper understanding of the importance of proper management and collaboration among stakeholders in preserving this unique marine environment. The project’s success will be measured by its ability to engage a wider audience and facilitate the connection between ecotourism and conservation in El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve.

Please see media created for this project here: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/10ca0e02402440b1b9f0a113b1accb89

The purpose of this tool is to create a method for understanding the community-level impacts of marine spatial planning through the lens of well-being. Well-being consists of three dimensions, material, relational, and subjective. Assigning measurable indicators to each produces a quantitative and holistic measurement of well-being. Here, household well-being is measured through an 11-question, subjective survey, complemented by an additional set of subjective resilience questions. The household well-being and resilience scores generated from the surveys are aggregated to produce community-level well-being and resilience scores. These scores are useful for guiding marine spatial planners, as they identify vulnerable communities, highlight differences in communities, and track changes in community well-being over time. The insights gained from these scores can inform adaptive management measures, help planners select optimal locations for marine spatial plans, and inform planners’ understanding of changes in community well-being associated with marine spatial planning. This tool addresses the need for holistic, practical, and transferrable approaches and promotes mutually beneficial marine spatial plans.