Habitat alteration in coastal and marine habitats following dam removal on the Elwha River

The ongoing removal of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams on the Elwha River have mobilized a massive amount of sediment that has accumulated and altered habitats throughout the watershed. Accumulation has been particularly high in the estuaries and nearshore, significantly altering physical and biological conditions. We have been measuring a suite of parameters since 2010 to better understand how sediment accumulation and suspended sediment alter physical and biological conditions, and how those changes alter habitat conditions. In estuarine and nearshore habitats we are measuring salinity, temperature, turbidity, primary productivity, light availability, and nutrient concentration. In the estuary we are additionally measuring pH, dissolved oxygen concentration; in the nearshore we are additionally measuring current direction and speed, wave height and direction, and sediment deposition and residence time. Our data show that conditions in the estuary changed from a tidally influenced, brackish estuary to a freshwater estuary that is episodically isolated from the river within one year of dam removal. In addition to the fine sediment that has accumulated in the estuary, this hydrologic change has resulted in ecological changes to the estuary, including a shift in species composition of fish and invertebrates. In the nearshore, light availability has decreased during the dam removal process, and the incidence of seafloor sedimentation has increased, which is ephemeral owing to winnowing from periodic strong currents. Burial, scouring, and reduced light availability caused by increased sedimentation are likely negatively impacting algal communities in the nearshore that are within the Elwha River plume. This study advances our understanding of how the timing and magnitude of sediment delivery affects habitat availability, species persistence, and community composition change with implications to future land-use changes

Changes in Kelp and Other Seaweeds Following Elwha Dam Removal

Kelps are ecologically important seaweeds that dominated the nearshore vegetation community prior to dam removal on the Elwha River. Dam removal is expected to trigger a shift from kelps to vegetation types that are characteristic of soft-sediment communities through restoring natural sediment supply. This study is investigating how nearshore vegetation responds to restoration of the natural sediment regime, both initially when large amounts of sediment entrained in the reservoirs are released and over longer time periods. We assessed vegetation at multiple spatial scales using three approaches. First, we measured floating kelp canopy area using aerial photography. Second, we assessed the abundance of understory kelp and seagrasses with towed videography along 50 km of shoreline. Third, scuba divers recorded density of kelp species and other seaweeds along 10 km of shoreline bracketing the river mouth. Results show profound changes in vegetation and a strong gradient in magnitude of impact related to distance from the river mouth. Floating kelp canopy area decreased 74% in the Elwha Drift Cell in the first year following project initiation (year 1), with lower magnitude losses throughout the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Area of prostrate kelps decreased by 45% (400 ha) and of stipitate kelps by 30% (130 ha) in the Elwha Drift Cell in year 1. Mean kelp density near the river mouth decreased 77% in year 1 and 95% in year 2. While all 10 kelp species declined, annuals were more impacted than perennials. In contrast to the general decline, juveniles of several kelp species appeared in late August of year 2, a substantial delay compared to typical spring timing of juvenile growth. What caused the large kelp losses and apparent delay of juvenile growth? Likely candidates include light reduction from the river plume and scour, burial or settlement inhibition from deposition. These candidates will be explored using physical data from the multidisciplinary research effort

The Grizzly, March 20, 1981

Special Olympics at Ursinus This Weekend • IFC All Set for Dance • Basketball Team Shootin\u27 for National Title • St. Andrews Scholarship Applications Being Taken • McQuillan Warns of Student Loan Cuts • USGA Notes • Evening Student Awarded Phillips Prize • Departmental Focus: Economics / Business Administration • Texan in New York • Rush Clarifies Itself in Moving Pictures • Positive Rock Radio • Midsummer Night\u27s Dream in Final Preparation • UC Secretaries: Service Beyond the Call of Duty • Classics Club Announces Movie • Course Offerings 1981-1982 • Ursinus Basketball in Final Four • All-American Giff Earns Third • Gymnastics Season Seen as a Successhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1055/thumbnail.jp

“After a finding of Noncompliance, What?!”

Treaties have long been the cornerstones of international relations. They can be seen as one of the sole mechanisms to formalize agreements between sovereign states. In principle, these agreements are legally binding. In practice, the result is less certain. Issues ranging from the how the country views itself on the international stage to the specific treaty terms and enforcement mechanisms can all effect prospects for compliance. What is certain is the disruption and uncertainty that noncompliance causes. If not addressed, a treaty’s utility will eventually erode to the point where the agreement has no force. Other countries would also perceive little value in treaty ratification if compliance cannot be sufficiently verified. This report focuses on current issues of noncompliance with Russia, Syria, Iran, and North. Korea. Key themes arise across these cases and point to specific factors that impact treaty compliance. The report distills these key themes into general and case-specific recommendations for bringing a country back from noncompliance

The Grizzly, February 13, 1981

Water Crisis Worsens: TCE Also a Problem • Pett Leaving Economics Department • Mobley Breaks Basketball Record • News Briefs: Meistersingers concert in Oreland; Ursinus professor published • Departmental Focus: English Department; History Department • Orientation Committee Applications Being Taken • 1981 Fraternity Pledge Classes • Music News • Female Artists Topic of Forum • Coffeehouse: A Folk Touch • Candidates for USGA Offices • Women\u27s B-Ball Undefeated 9 Straight • Tight Season Ahead for Intramural B-Ball • Badminton Team Playin\u27 Tough • Hoopsters Claim Two More Victims • Grizzly Grapplers Mark at 7-4-1 • Aquabears Dunk Foes: Swimmers Living Up to .500 Goalhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1052/thumbnail.jp

The Grizzly, November 21, 1980

Dean of Students\u27 Office Releases Vandalism Figures • Maintenance Working To Conserve Energy • Weight Room Relocated In Helfferich • College Union Attempts World\u27s Largest Molecule • Ursinus News In Brief: Espadas to speak today in Illinois; Maintenance planting new trees; Placement interviews coming soon • Rassias Method Explored for Languages • Journalism To Be Added To Curriculum • Medical Ethics Course Offered • Phil. & Rel. Dept. Lecture On Judaism • College To Host 43rd Messiah Performance • Foghat and Outlaws Perform for \u27Serious Rockers\u27 • Forum On Radiation Draws Mixed Views • Art Exhibit On Display In Wismer • Open House Planned By Astronomy Club • A Look At This Year\u27s Basketball Season • Cross Country To Compete In Nationals This Weekend • Gridders Lose Early Lead to Tie Gettysburghttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1048/thumbnail.jp

The Grizzly, September 26, 1980

Equipment Stolen From New Ritter Center • Conversion Eases Skyrocketing Utility Costs • Dean\u27s Office Discloses Frat GPAs • New Windows for NMD • New Spanish Lecturers Interviewed • IF, USGA to Sponsor Fall Picnic • Anderson Addresses College Crowd At Phila. Rally • College Invaded By World Of Technology • Draft Registration Closely Examined • Campus Grounds Receive Face Lift • Hamilton Presents Astronomy Discoveries • Try-outs for Trial by Jury • Weekends at Ursinus • Harriers Place 2nd At Lafayette Invitational • Grizzly Football Handled By W. Maryland • Sports Profile: Craig Walck • Field Hockey Finishes Week Undefeated • Strong Hitting By Bear V-Ball Outdoes Moravian • Offense Sputters As Bears Lose • Kreiger Powers Heathenshttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1041/thumbnail.jp

Hubble Space Telescope and Ground-Based Observations of the Type Iax Supernovae SN 2005hk and SN 2008A

We present Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and ground-based optical and near-infrared observations of SN 2005hk and SN 2008A, typical members of the Type Iax class of supernovae (SNe). Here we focus on late-time observations, where these objects deviate most dramatically from all other SN types. Instead of the dominant nebular emission lines that are observed in other SNe at late phases, spectra of SNe 2005hk and 2008A show lines of Fe II, Ca II, and Fe I more than a year past maximum light, along with narrow [Fe II] and [Ca II] emission. We use spectral features to constrain the temperature and density of the ejecta, and find high densities at late times, with n_e >~ 10^9 cm^-3. Such high densities should yield enhanced cooling of the ejecta, making these objects good candidates to observe the expected "infrared catastrophe," a generic feature of SN Ia models. However, our HST photometry of SN 2008A does not match the predictions of an infrared catastrophe. Moreover, our HST observations rule out a "complete deflagration" that fully disrupts the white dwarf for these peculiar SNe, showing no evidence for unburned material at late times. Deflagration explosion models that leave behind a bound remnant can match some of the observed properties of SNe Iax, but no published model is consistent with all of our observations of SNe 2005hk and 2008A.Comment: 20 pages, 15 figure

High-throughput identification of genotype-specific cancer vulnerabilities in mixtures of barcoded tumor cell lines.

Hundreds of genetically characterized cell lines are available for the discovery of genotype-specific cancer vulnerabilities. However, screening large numbers of compounds against large numbers of cell lines is currently impractical, and such experiments are often difficult to control. Here we report a method called PRISM that allows pooled screening of mixtures of cancer cell lines by labeling each cell line with 24-nucleotide barcodes. PRISM revealed the expected patterns of cell killing seen in conventional (unpooled) assays. In a screen of 102 cell lines across 8,400 compounds, PRISM led to the identification of BRD-7880 as a potent and highly specific inhibitor of aurora kinases B and C. Cell line pools also efficiently formed tumors as xenografts, and PRISM recapitulated the expected pattern of erlotinib sensitivity in vivo