Along the shoreline of Possession Sound, located in the southern basin of the Salish Sea are 10 outflows of combined sewage systems. Combined sewage systems collect rainwater, untreated domestic sewage, and industrial wastewater within a single sewer line. When heavy rainfall occurs, these systems overflow and are directed into designated combined sewage outflows (CSOs), which then empty into the estuary, releasing E. coli (Escherichia coli) directly into the estuarine ecosystem. These CSOs, along with other factors, change the pH of the waters within the basin. Preliminary analysis of primary literature suggests a relationship exists between pH and E. coli growth. The pH change affects the enzyme growth within E. coli. As river discharge fluctuates, so does the amount of outflow from the CSOs which then cascades into pH changes at the site closer to the CSOs. The guidelines and regulations in place today allow for significant volumes of sanitary waste to be overflowed into marine systems. When river discharge increases, the overall pH within the Sound decreases. It was hypothesized that when there is a large amount of rainfall that leads to heavy river discharge and low pH, there will be more Escherichia coli growth at all of the sites throughout the Sound. Ocean Research College Academy students collected bacterial sample data at 12 stations in Possession Sound from 2009 to 2019. All data were recorded with distance from a CSO. A Niskin bottle was deployed at the surface and halocline with a YSI 650 testing pH. Samples were tested for bacterial count and compared with other samples taken after heavy rainfalls. Further research will define the trends in river discharge, pH and E.coli for Possession Sound.

Eelgrass beds in central Salish Sea are critical components of healthy ecosystems that are vulnerable to anthropogenic impacts. This study utilized two locations in Possession Sound to monitor water chemistry within and near two different eelgrass beds; one unmapped, and one established. The study compared these two locations and investigated the impact of location on water chemistry within the bed. Data-sharing and collaboration with the Samish Indian Nation Department of Natural Resources’ work on eelgrass beds in Fidalgo Bay provided a broader scope into regional differences within the central Salish Sea. This study was conducted by Ocean Research College Academy (ORCA) students at eelgrass beds in Possession Sound located near Mukilteo and Hat Island. The study ran from October 2019 to spring 2020, and utilized background data from past studies to inform studies at the bed near Mukilteo. Data were collected using a combination cast of a camera collecting visual data and a CastAway CTD, which collected vertical profiles of salinity and temperature at recorded geographic coordinates. Data were collected during a free drift across the eelgrass bed. An EXO Sonde was temporarily installed in the bed to collect chlorophyll and turbidity data in a longitudinal manner. The study primarily explored how location impacts the water chemistry eelgrass beds in central Salish Sea both within the bed and within a region. Research going forward could study remote beds more comprehensively using technology previously tested such as drones and SONAR, as well as a longer-term collaboration between the Samish DNR and ORCA.

As climate impacts are amplified in the nearshore regions, the Possession Sound located near the heart of the Salish Sea is a key study area of the local marine ecosystem. Systems such as these are very sensitive to fluctuations in temperature. For example, in 2015, “The Blob,” which was a massive body of abnormally warm water that ranged from California north to Alaska, raised salinity and lowered DO causing high mortality rates in a range of taxa. Events such as these are referred to as Marine Heat Waves (MHW). In 2019 analysis of satellite thermal imagery data concluded that another Marine Heat Wave had struck the West Coast displaying temperatures reaching as high as seven degrees Fahrenheit above average. Additionally, parts of the Salish Sea have observed some possible influence of the MHW from the Pacific. In order to determine the localized impact of these Marine Heat Waves, I used data from a fixed CTD probe from the Ocean Research College Academy were analyzed, focusing on parameters temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen. I hypothesized that there is a delay of increased temperature from the Pacific due to possible mixing of coastal currents traveling through the Juan de Fuca Strait into the Salish Sea. When exploring this data set, I have found that since 2009 average water temperatures have risen, 2019 average temperature is .4 degrees higher than in 2009, with 2015 having a peak temperature average of 11.5 degrees Celsius, 1.1 degrees higher than 2009, which aligns with “The Blob” of 2015. Trends have shown an increase in average temperature since 2009, with MHWs event being a prevalent factor in rising average temperatures, and lower dissolved oxygen averages.

Tabletop Role-Playing Games (TTRPGs) are an increasingly popular group activity known both for their collaborative nature and creative demands. Despite the growing popularity, TTRPGs have yet to escape their reputation as a medium for social outcasts to construct escapist power fantasies. The intent of my research is to show that these “power-fantasies,” can actually become a valuable way to explore political and personal identity. I constructed a TTRPG called Blank Spaces, designed for exploring identity, and played with 6 different groups for 22 hours. After each session, I interviewed the players and used recordings of these sessions to qualitatively analyze player experiences. Players were often surprised that they had unwittingly performed meaningful self-criticism and world-criticism, all while simply enjoying a game. This has demonstrated that TTRPGs can be incredibly powerful self-exploration, critisim, and development tools.

Lateral roots are branches originating from the main branch of a primary root. They provide stability to the plant, and assist in acquisition of nutrients and water, similar to the primary root. It is well understood from studies in Arabidopsis thaliana that lateral root development is regulated by the plant hormone auxin. A few undifferentiated cells respond to a  pulsatile auxin signal to become ‘specified’ lateral root stem cells, retaining potential to proliferate and ability to differentiate into a lateral root. These specified lateral root stem cells are arrested in G2 phase of cell cycle, respond to auxin signaling and undergo rounds of cell division marking the onset of lateral root development. The focus of my study is to better understand how cell cycle control influences lateral root developmental transitions from undifferentiated to specification to initiation. In particular, I am interested in addressing the question of whether cell cycle arrest in G2 phase crucial for lateral root development, and if so at which step of cellular transitions get altered specification or initiation. An important tool necessary to address this question is the ability to control the length of G2 cell cycle arrest for lateral root stem cells, and we have recently generated transgenic lines for this purpose. I am inducing lateral roots in a number of transgenic plant lines and using fluorescence microscopy to observe the early stage of lateral root development. These experiments allow viewing of both the staging of development and cell cycle stage associated with development over time. The understanding gained from these experiments will help build a framework for how cell cycle contributes to lateral root development, allowing for future genetic modifications to improve root structure in crop plants.

Nitrate, silicate, and phosphate are essential nutrients in diatom based food webs. Chlorophyll and nutrients are good indicators of phytoplankton abundance and diversity. Phytoplankton, being integral to the Possession Sound ecosystem, can be indicators of greater change in an ecosystem. By studying phytoplankton abundance and diversity along with chlorophyll and nutrient levels spatially and temporally, correlation can be determined and used to help understand the health of Possession Sound. It was predicted that nutrients and chlorophyll abundance are inversely proportional, while chlorophyll and phytoplankton abundance and diversity are directly related. Thus, higher nutrient levels indicate less chlorophyll and fewer nutrients indicate higher chlorophyll and plankton abundance and diversity. Increased levels of nutrients in the fall and winter were expected, with greater chlorophyll and plankton levels in the spring and summer. The chlorophyll and plankton abundance and diversity were anticipated to have gone down over the past four years, while nutrient levels will have gone up slightly. Students at the Ocean Research College Academy (ORCA) collect monthly samples as part of the longitudinal study: State of Possession Sound (SOPS). Results from three locations were utilized from 2016 to 2019. Chlorophyll is measured by a YSI EXO2 Sonde, while nutrient samples are taken using the Niskin bottle and sent to the University of Washington Marine Chemistry lab to test for results. By evaluating seasonal data, temporal trends of chlorophyll, nutrients, and plankton abundance and diversity were discovered. Changes in data can be linked to environmental and anthropogenic variations. It would be compelling to analyze ecosystem changes by exploring dissolved oxygen and pH levels.

Phytoplankton, one of the primary sources of dissolved oxygen in marine ecosystems, are dependent upon nutrients for growth. However, there is evidence that eutrophication, the overabundance of nutrients, can lead to hypoxia in marine ecosystems. Because they are a primary source of dissolved oxygen and are dependent upon nutrients, phytoplankton density can indicate how nutrients are affecting dissolved oxygen at depth. It was hypothesized that an increase in phosphates, nitrates, and nitrites would correlate with an increase in phytoplankton density. Furthermore, it was predicted that with greater phytoplankton density there would be a greater difference in dissolved oxygen at the halocline versus dissolved oxygen 30 meters below the halocline. This study used data collected from 2016 to 2019 by students at the Ocean Research College Academy (ORCA) at two sampling stations in Possession Sound, WA. Water was collected and sent to the University of Washington Marine Chemistry Lab for nutrient analysis. Phytoplankton density was calculated using samples collected during 3-minute horizontal tows at the halocline. Dissolved oxygen data was collected using a YSI Exo2 Sonde at different depths. Preliminary results suggest that greater levels of phosphates, nitrates, and nitrites may show a steeper oxycline due to an increase in density of phytoplankton from the nutrients. The potential for hypoxia is increasing because of anthropogenic nutrients, so understanding the influence humans have over nutrients in marine environments is critical. This study will help us to understand how humans are influencing Possession Sound and marine ecosystems as a whole as a result of the impact of nutrients on phytoplankton and dissolved oxygen.

The Port of Everett is tucked into the Snohomish River Estuary in the small city of Everett, Washington. The Snohomish River feeds into Possession Sound, an inlet of Puget Sound, creating a salt wedge estuary that is host to a lively ecosystem, which can be greatly harmed by the presence of plastic debris. Students of Everett Community College’s Ocean Research College Academy (ORCA) program began collecting data from a Seabin located on the Port of Everett’s K Dock in November 2019. The Seabin is a device with a mesh net set inside a pump designed to draw surface water and floating plastic marine debris into it. However, observations of the Seabin located in Everett, Washington show it also collects natural and other anthropogenic debris. It was hypothesized that river discharge would have a positive correlation with mass collected by the Seabin. Data were collected weekly and cataloged by mass and qualitative observations. Each catch was weighted both wet and dry, then sorted when dry to determine the composition of each catch. Anthropogenic debris was separated and cataloged into one of the following eight categories: plastics, metals, textile fibers, cement, oils, papers, paints, and fiberglass, while natural debris was recorded similarly as plant matter, algae, dirt or mud, hair, fish, birds (including feathers), and live organisms such as bugs, fish and plankton. The wet and dry mass of each catch were recorded as well and compared to river discharge data recorded by the United States Geological Survey from a probe set in the Snohomish River. Data from this project will be part of an awareness campaign for educating marina goers.

During September and October, endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles have been observed swimming up onto the beaches of Salinas Grandes, Nicaragua to nest. Literature has identified different environmental factors that affect sea turtle nesting activity. This study compared moon phase, lunar illumination, and tide height to the number of nests observed. The data for these factors were collected by tides4fishing, a company that collects data on tides, solunar activity, moon phases, lunar illumination, and fishing sites in North and Central America. Data for the number of nests, along with the time of night they were counted, were provided by Turtle Tribe, a sea turtle conservation project run by a non-profit called Water and Light International in Salinas Grandes, Nicaragua. I partnered with Turtle Tribe to use their data for conducting research that could aid in future conservation efforts; I even collected some nest data myself when I traveled to Nicaragua. It was hypothesized that the greatest number of nests would occur when there is the least amount of lunar illumination and at a high tide level. The limited light could act as protection for the sea turtles from predators and the high tide would allow them to walk farther up the beach where the nests are not in danger of being drowned by the tide. Least-squares regression analysis was performed to check for correlation between these factors. The hypothesis was not supported by these data. More data are needed to conclusively determine whether there is a correlation between these environmental factors and the number of Olive Ridley sea turtle nests. Additional years of data and environmental factors such as the steepness of the beach would be useful.

In the study of plankton, it is common to count and identify them manually with the use of a microscope and sampling containers, which can be a tedious process. To address this problem, a Python-based neural network will be created to automatically identify common phytoplankton genera in Possession Sound. Since the most abundant phytoplankton in Possession Sound are diatoms, which include Thalassiosira, Coscinodiscus, and Chaetoceros, the network’s primary purpose will be to identify these genera. The neural network will be trained using approximately 1000 photos of each genus in varying orientations and lighting conditions, with the images being drawn from research trips aboard the Ocean Research College Academy vessel Phocoena beginning in 2007. After completing the training process, the network’s performance will be validated using samples taken at two sites around Possession sound, and it will be determined whether it meets a benchmark of 80% accuracy. It is expected that a number of challenges will be encountered with distinguishing between phytoplankton that are distorted or layered on top of one another, and these issues could be further addressed in the future. Despite these possible problems, the neural network shows promise as a low-cost alternative to current automated phytoplankton identification devices such as the FlowCAM, which can cost upwards of $100,000.