The University of Washington Tacoma Environmental Program hosts an annual Environmental Research Symposium (UWaTERS). This event showcases the capstone research projects carried out by seniors in the Environmental Program.

The 2009 UWaTERS abstracts and presentations are coming soon!

2008 UWaTERS Abstracts

Analyzing the impact to water and soil quality resulting from agricultural practices and residential use for Taylor Bay Watershed in Pierce County, WA
Joey Denbo (internship supervisor Erin Ewald, Pierce Conservation District)

Agriculture runoff, failing septic tanks, poor development practices, fertilizers, wildlife and pets are all potential sources of non point pollution within a watershed that can be directly correlated to human population. Taylor Bay is a small, rural sub basin located at the south end of the Key Peninsula, Gig Harbor and Islands watershed of south Puget Sound. The basin saw a marked increase in population of 44.9% from 1990-2000. To determine whether water quality has decreased and which common non point source has the highest probability to impact the basin's surface and marine water quality, three main variables were analyzed. Changes in land use were identified through aerial photography review. Agriculture land management was assessed and rated for impacts through ground reconnaissance, and water quality data provided by the State health department was reviewed for spikes in the bacteria fecal coliform. The compilation of data, aerial views and agriculture best management practice ratings for Taylor Bay watershed indicate that agricultural practices are of minimal impact to the non point source pollutants in Taylor Bay watershed. Further testing with an emphasis on residential contributions and the private sewer system that drains directly into Taylor Bay is required to determine non point source pollutants origins within Taylor Bay watershed.

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Arsenic distribution in the water column and sediments of shallow lakes impacted by the ASARCO smelter near Tacoma, Washington
Kara King (research mentor Jim Gawel, UWT)

Arsenic, a known toxin and carcinogen, has been dispersed regionally by the American Smelting and Refining Company (ASARCO) located near Tacoma, Washington. Historic operations have resulted in elevated air, water, and soil concentrations, consistent with the prevailing wind patterns to the north and east, leading to a potential widespread reduction in the environmental health of freshwater systems. This research focuses on shallow lakes, ranging from 0.7 to 4.0 meters in depth. Shallow lakes are particularly susceptible to the remobilization of sediment-bound arsenic into the water column. An analysis of the distribution of arsenic in sediments and in the water column of five urban lakes in the South Puget Sound Region was performed to investigate the mobility of arsenic contamination. Water column, surface sediment grab samples, and sediment core samples were collected in order to formulate a model of arsenic fate and transport in these lakes. Arsenic levels in surface sediments were spatially distributed consistent with the ASARCO smelter as the primary course, with a maximum concentration of 148.2 mg/kg. Our results also show maximum water column concentrations of arsenic reached 15.8 ppb at depth and 6.7 ppb at the surface. All of the shallow lakes studied mixed arsenic throughout the water column signaling a distinct increase in human health hazard potential caused by transport of higher arsenic concentrations to surface waters.

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Timeline of deposition of lead in lake sediments
Shawna Donley-McClure (research mentor Jim Gawel, UWT)

A long industrial history in the lowlands of Puget Sound has left the land and water with mild to severe environmental contamination. The ASARCO smelter in Ruston, Washington, now a Superfund cleanup site near Tacoma, effectively contaminated much of the south-central Puget Sound over a one hundred year history. Previous studies have shown that metal levels are elevated not only in proximity to the ASARCO smelter, but also in areas away from the smelter in the direction of the dominant wind patterns for the region. Lake sediments in the region record a timeline of metal contamination transported through the atmosphere. This study examines the spatial and temporal pattern of lead deposition to lakes in the region, and the relative role of ASARCO in local sediment contamination. The lakes studied follow trajectories consistent with the dominant wind patterns that would have carried particles emitted from ASARCO. Sediment cores from sixteen lakes were collected, digested and analyzed for Pb concentrations and dated using 210Pb techniques. The sediments from the lake cores show that levels of lead increase significantly around the era of the industrial boom in Puget Sound and continue to today. Moreover, the influence of the ASARCO smelter on regional sediment contamination may dwarf other sources of lead emissions, including historical use of leaded gasoline.

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Designing and evaluating a website focused on Cascade igneous rock samples of the Pacific Northwest at the University of Washington Tacoma
Susan Black (research mentor Siân Davies-Vollum, UWT)

The purpose of this study is to determine the educational use of a website that provides information about the igneous Cascade rock samples at the University of Washington Tacoma (UWT). Prior to research the entire rock collection was curated and a database was established. During the curation process unknown samples were identified based on composition and other characteristics. The process of developing the website included learning how to produce a webpage, writing the verbiage for the website in terms that a non-specialist can understand, emphasize rock samples from the Pacific Northwest and choose samples from the North Cascades, Mt. St. Helens, and Newberry National Volcanic Monument, photographs were then taken of each sample selected, and website was designed around these samples and photographs. The research also includes testing how well the website is understood by an entry-level geology class and receiving feedback from the students in the geology class on how to improve the website design. Testing of the website is based on a set of questions provided to the students. The students used the website to answer these questions on geologic time, processes, local geology, etc. Evaluation of the website by the students was performed using a survey that asked how helpful and educational the website was, how it could be improved, how it could be changed, and if they would recommend it to others. The results expected from the student feedback include positive points on how the questions and website helped them better understand the geology of the Cascades. It is also expected that the students will provide comments on how to improve the website.

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Puget Sound has a long history of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP). Over the last four decades there has been an increase in toxic outbreaks in Puget Sound. The primary organism that causes PSP in Puget Sound is a dinoflagellate called Alexandrium catenella. A. catenella produces saxitoxin which is the toxin that is absorbed by shellfish and causes PSP if shellfish are eaten by humans or animals. Part of A. catenella’s life cycle is spent as a cyst in the sediment and the other part is spent in the water column. Due the increase in PSP outbreaks in Puget Sound a survey of Puget Sound sediments was done in 2005 to determine the distribution of A. catenella cysts in Puget Sound. The results showed that the concentration of Alexandrium catenella cysts is two orders of magnitude higher in Quartermaster Harbor (QMH) than any other location in Puget Sound. A year long water property and plankton study of QMH was undertaken from October 2006 to December 2007 in order to learn more about the environmental conditions where Alexandrium catenella thrives. Results from the QMH water property survey are presented here.

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Alexandrium catenella in Quartermaster Harbor, Puget Sound: past and present
Audrey Hackett (research mentor Cheryl Greengrove, UWT)

Harmful algal blooms caused by the dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella have increased throughout the world in the last 30 years. Saxitoxin, the neurotoxin produced by A. catenella, can be concentrated in the tissues of shellfish which filter-feed the plankton, causing Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP). Although the toxin is not usually harmful to shellfish, people that ingest the shellfish can suffer from loss of coordination, numbness, and even death. The international and U.S. harvesting limit for this toxin in shellfish is 80 μg toxin/100 g of tissue. Quartermaster Harbor (QMH) in Puget Sound has a high abundance of A. catenella cysts in the sediment and harvesting is frequently closed due to exceedance of the PSP limit for saxitoxin. To further investigate plankton patterns and environmental conditions conducive to the increased production of A. catenella, we sampled water properties and phytoplankton at seven stations within QMH. A historical timeline for saxitoxin concentration in shellfish was also created using Washington State Department of Health’s (WDOH) data from 1980-2005 in QMH. Quantitative phytoplankton counts from water samples identified the presence of A. catenella in the months of April, July, and August, 2007. This is consistent with the WDOH historical timeline which frequently showed increased saxitoxin levels between June and October annually. Additional research is needed to determine the cell concentrations of A. catenella necessary to produce enough saxitoxin to exceed the shellfish harvesting limit.

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In situ culturing of larval sand dollars, Dendraster excentricus, in Friday Harbor, Washington
Hannah Julich (research mentor Bonnie Becker, UWT)

Scientists have utilized various systems to attempt to raise larvae in the ocean to answer questions about their ecology, biology, and behavior in nature. The artificial nature of in-situ culturing often leads to high mortality and highly unrealistic results. In order to attempt a more realistic approach, large mesh enclosures (150L) were used to raise larval sand dollars (Dendraster excentricus) off of Friday Harbor Laboratories, San Juan Island, Washington. Mesocosms were designed to maximize water flow and facilitate cleaning, while providing a stable and relatively inexpensive study vessel for larvae. Thirteen-day old D. excentricus larvae were introduced into the mesocosms for one week. Daily water samples were taken to assess the number of surviving larvae and the physical and chemical water parameters. At the end of the study period, the mesocosms were retrieved and the contents were concentrated and filtered to determine the number of surviving larvae. A comparison of most physical parameters inside and outside of mesocosms revealed small differences that were not significant at the p=0.1 level. However, temperature and light results revealed several unexpected anomalies, indicating that mesocosms act as insulators, preventing to some degree the normal diurnal light and temperature fluctuations experienced by larvae in a marine environment. Follow up experiments are being conducted to examine the insulation effect and results are pending. These results are important because larval growth and chemical makeup have been shown to be affected by temperature, thus affecting potential ecological and elemental fingerprinting applications of this in situ larval culturing technique.

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The implications of contemporary evolution: a look at phenotypic plasticity in Crassostrea gigas in response to an invasive predatory snail
Amanda Ruby (research mentor Bonnie Becker, UWT)

Phenotypic plasticity- the amount by which the expressions of individual characters of hereditary information are changed by different environments- in response to predation is evolutionarily relevant in terms of species success. Research has shown this to be true not only when exposed to naturalized predators but invasive predators as well. Changes in morphology have been shown to be survival adaptations in species such as the mussel, clam and conch in response to these stresses. Most typically, increases in shell thickness, abductor muscle strength, or the growth of apertural teeth are responses elicited by the presence or attempted predation event of an animal’s predator. This study looks at the response of an introduced species, the Pacific Oyster (Crassostrea gigas) in response to the predation of an invasive species, the Japanese Oyster drill (Cerastoma inornatum). Oysters will be exposed to predators, and morphology (shell length, width, height and wet and dry weights) will be measured to determine whether or not C. gigas has a phonotypical plastic response to the presence of a predator. It is hypothesized that the oyster will develop a response in the form of increased shell thickness in order to prevent or slow the attack of the oyster drill. These findings may be relevant in light of increasing numbers of invasive species and their evolutionary effect on native animals.

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The possible persistence of E. coli in soils treated with biosolids or septage
Matt Ridgway (research mentor Erica Cline, UWT)

Much research has been done recently to find environmentally safe methods of fertilizing forest land to accelerate growth. Current trends of research aim to increase the growth rate of forests to make the lumber a more renewable resource. Two methods that have been attempted recently include the application of biosolids and septage to the Charles L. Pack Experimental Forest in western Washington; biosolids are dried municipal wastes that were sprayed on the forest in the mid 1980’s and septage is waste from portable restrooms that is treated with lime until it reaches a pH of 12 for a period of at least 30 minutes. Our study focuses primarily on the possible persistence of pathogenic E. coli (E. coli O157) in the forest soils. Eight soil samples were taken in each of three treatments: biosolids, septage, and control. DNA was extracted from each soil sample using a kit and tested for the presence of the rfbE O-antigen synthesis gene (specific to pathogenic E. coli). Testing was performed using a polymerase chain reaction PCR with an E. coli O157 specific primer. Presence/absence tests for pathogenic E. coli are ongoing. A presence of pathogenic E. coli would indicate that current methods of treatment are inadequate and in need of reevaluation.

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Effect of biosolids and septage applications on Douglas-fir growth
Jeff Smith (research mentor Erica Cline, UWT)

Forestry is a billion dollar industry in Washington State. By improving fertilization techniques, it might be possible to improve soil health, while increasing yields. Biosolids are an alternative to traditional fertilizer. They consist of treated organic effluent. Fertilization with biosolids could reduce costs of storing and maintaining organic effluent. This study focuses on growth response measures in Douglas-fir trees, which have been treated with biosolids. Biosolids were applied to Douglas-fir Pseudotsuga menziesii tree stands in the Charles L. Pack experimental Forest located near Eatonville, W.A. It was determined whether stands historically treated with biosolids and application of septage to biosolids twenty-five years after initial biosolids application, would show significant increases in DBH, height, and live crown ratio over a control. In addition annual growth increment was observed in 5 year intervals over a ten year period before septage application. Moreover, septage application to biosolids was compared to biosolids plot in 2006 for annual growth increment. Pelletized biosolids were applied in 1982. Effects of biosolids on DBH and height were determined not significantly different. Live crown ratio (ratio of total tree height to total foliar growth) was significantly greater in control plots, but to little extent. Tree ring analysis indicated reduction of annual growth increment with application of septage to biosolids in 2006, but the difference was not significant. On the other hand, overall annual growth increment was greater in biosolids plots than in control in the first observed five-year period. Application of biosolids did not significantly increase growth response measures, except for the first five year period of annual growth increment. Application of septage in addition to historic biosolids resulted in reduced live crown ratio and annual growth increment in treatment plots during 2006. The absence of a significant growth response with application of biosolids and application of septage to biosolids is of particular interest. It warrants further study.

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Mapping sensitive habitat restoration sites in Commencement Bay, Washington using ArcGIS software
Lindsay France (research mentor Bonnie Becker, UWT)

In 1983, Commencement Bay in Tacoma, WA was named as one of the first Superfund sites in the nation as a result of landscape changes, rapid urbanization, extreme industrial pollution, and extensive habitat loss. The 12-square mile Commencement Bay Superfund site encompasses shoreline, subtidal, intertidal, upland, and wetland habitats. Citizens for a Healthy Bay is a non-profit organization which focuses on community and volunteer efforts in restoration and protection of Commencement Bay, as well as surrounding waters and habitat. Currently over 300 acres of critical shoreline habitat has been restored without negatively impacting urban and economic growth. Although CHB working collaboratively with several Commencement Bay stakeholders has made significant strides towards restoring a clean, healthy Commencement Bay, the actual size and area of each restoration site is not documented. A visual representation of site location and ownership will be invaluable for future grant proposals, identification of potential restoration sites, and city planning. The purpose of this project is to identify and create a spatial representation using ArcGIS to illustrate land ownership, relative scale of restoration, total acreage and distribution of critical habitat restoration sites on the coastline of Commencement Bay, Washington.

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Recovery 1, Inc., site analysis to improve effluent water quality
Shane Workman (internship supervisor Terry Gillis, Recovery 1, Inc.)

Recovery 1, Inc. is a recycling company located on the tide flats of Tacoma, Washington. At this site, a variety of construction and demolition debris is separated, sorted, and refined to the purest product possible. As an industrial site their storm water effluent produces and is monitored by the Dept. of Ecology for heavy metals, turbidity, and other toxins. To address these pollutants, Recovery 1, Inc. has constructed an elaborate filtration system including a bio-swale pond. They have been successful in most categories; however, they continue to struggle with zinc, turbidity, and BOD. The current filtration system was examined and analyzed to determine any possible solutions for reduction. BOD and turbidity were measured at various stages along the filtration system and the pond. It was discovered that the current filtration system works well and that the pond was indeed contributing to BOD and turbidity. Therefore, it is suggested the pond be converted into a slow sand filter. This slow sand filter would provide additional filtration to reduce zinc, turbidity, and BOD while occupying half the area of the current pond.

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Atmospheric nitrogen deposition in western Washington: a predictive mathematical model
Jaime Foreman (internship supervisor Rich Sheibley, US Geological Survey)

The movement of nitrogen through organisms represents one of the most important nutrient cycles in terrestrial ecosystems. Cellular proteins and amino acids are formed from nitrogen as it is taken up from the soil, water, and atmosphere. The National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) has detected increased amounts of nitrogen from automobile exhaust, manufacturing, and agricultural operations throughout the western coast of the United States. Research conducted by the US Geological Survey in Colorado’s Front Range has shown that atmospheric pollution can change the ecosystem dynamics of high alpine lakes. Similarities in the Pacific Northwest’s topography and rapid urban development also make it a prime target for alpine ecosystem change. Because these Washington lakes are located in remote regions, research has been geared toward describing nitrogen deposition on site through the use of proxies such as surface water chemistry (obtained from previous studies), statistical comparison with low elevation monitoring stations, and biological indicators of ecosystem eutrophication. This study uses existing geographic information system layers of population density, precipitation, and altitude, as well as field samples from a US Forest Service program measuring nitrogen residuals in lichen thali, to develop a mathematical model that forecasts nitrogen deposition in kreiged blocks throughout Washington’s three National Parks. Park managers will be able to choose sensitive lakes for additional monitoring and potential remediation from a computer, rather than through random and expensive field sampling.

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The Puyallup River watershed: a video case study
Arabie Jaloway (research mentor Jim Gawel, UWT)

The Puyallup watershed, third largest in the Puget Sound region, is in many ways typical of the region and thus provides a useful case study to understand challenges and approaches to water management. Interviews were conducted with a wide range of stakeholders, from the Puyallup Indian tribe to the Port of Tacoma to the Washington state Department of Ecology, inquiring into the concerns, philosophies, and practical approaches of those who manage the Pierce County’s water supply. These stakeholders face deepening concerns over sufficient water quality and quantity for human users, adequate habitat for the plants and animals that simultaneously require and ensure water quality, and increasing human demand. Compounding this are murky water laws and the fact that watersheds are broken into various Cities, counties, tribes, etc. These jurisdictions are politically separate, but must cooperate as regards the watershed, creating a variety of challenges. Lack of cooperation between them, perhaps an outgrowth of an historic lack of trust between such entities, is a major issue behind the issues facing the watershed. Another “behind-the-scenes” issue is the conflict between special interests and ecology. The former informs politics and, by definition, is frequently blind to general societal concerns, like the shared resource of water. Background research on the state of the watershed, habitat, quality, and quantity issues was used to select and organize interview excerpts so that differing stakeholder views could be easily compared by the viewer. Several issues emerge clearly and consistently from the footage. One is the need for a comprehensive conservation approach that creates adequate habitat and corridors throughout the watershed, with conflicting approaches being proposed by various stakeholders. Another is the difficulty of ensuring adequate water quantity for the rapidly growing industrial, commercial, and residential populations in the region. Yet another is enforcing the in-place legislation intended to create environmental protections for the watershed. Connected are the issues of inadequate personnel working for fragmented regulatory bodies, unclear or inadequate repercussions for violations of environmental legislation, and the general opacity in watershed management to the layman. The task of the citizen is another theme within the interviews, as it is he or she who must understand the legislative process, hold legislators accountable, and demand adequate enforcement budgets during an economic downturn. This no small issue with when water is so vital to each watershed resident’s well-being. Finally, there is climate change, which will likely exacerbate most, if not all, of these problems with rapid habitat destabilization, droughts, floods, rain-on-snow events, reduced aquifer recharge and raised water levels in Puget Sound all possible future challenges that could radically recast many of the current issues grappled with by water managers. The video examines these issues and explores fledgling attempts to overcome them with inter-jurisdiction cooperation, including the formation of Watershed councils. In the PRWC, public, private, and tribal entities as well as citizens can communicate and attempt to better optimize their tremendous individual efforts into cohesive collective action.

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2007 Student Presentations:

Student Name: Alexander Abrahamson
Presentation Title: Do Sediment Conditions Affect the Incidence of Alexandrium Catenalla and Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning?

Student Names: David Anderson, Noah Halvorsen, Brandon Kemperman, Nels Parvi, Dena Reaugh, Jeanine Riss
Presentation Title: Tacoma Community College Restoration Project

Student Name: Timothy Dillavou
Presentation Title: Deposition of organic-rich sediments in floodplain lakes in an avulsive river system (The Cumberland Marshes, Saskatchewan, Canada)

Student Name: Katie Gage
Presentation Title: Developing K-12 instructional materials for the Rock Detective program using the Lyons Sandstone

Student Name: Jonathan Neville
Presentation Title: Alexandrium catenella cyst concentrations in surface sediments at Quartermaster Harbor and Dyes Inlet of Puget Sound, Washington

Student Name: Trisha O'Hearne
Presentation Title: Analysis of Citizens for a Healthy Bay 2006 Pollution Hotline

Student Name: Janet Roach
Presentation Title: Can Mytilus galloprovincialis larvae utilize dissolved organic material to survive?

Student Name: Katherine Tran
Presentation Title: Analysis of the relationship between Alexandrium catenella cyst abundance and grain size and total organic carbon content in surface sediment in Dyes Inlet and Quartermaster Harbor

Student Name: Thomas Tran
Presentation Title: Organic deposits associated with an avulsion belt, forming in Cumberland Marshes of Saskatchewan, Canada

Student Name: Nina Volk
Presentation Title: Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Documentary on Urban Water Management Issues

Abstracts from the 2005 UWT Environmental Research Symposium (UWaTERS)

• 2008 UWaTERS Presentations
• 2007 UWaTERS Presentations