Projects

Addition of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi to Seeds at Alta Vicente in Palos Verdes Peninsula

Student(s): E Ahn, J Chiang, C Chui, M Varner, S Vaughn, and S Wittenberg Client: Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy Advisor: Travis Brooks Final Report Coastal sage scrub (CSS) is…

Crow Density and Anthropogenic Subsidies Near the Venice, California Least Tern Colony

Students: Margarita Armendariz, Allison Davison, Alessandro Maganuco, and Aaron Whitby Client: Los Angeles Audubon Advisor: Travis Longcore Final Report Crow predation on California Least Tern colonies is a well-documented activity…

Current and Historical Distribution of Vegetation Communities at Paramount Ranch, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area

Student(s): Ross Bernet, Morgan Fahlman, Kevin Kawakami, Charles Le, Jessica Savio, and Karly Wagner Client: National Parks Service Advisor: Travis Brooks Final Report Vegetation boundaries change naturally over time, but…

Effect of Urban Runoff on Water Quality Indicators in Ballona Creek, CA

Students: Uma Bhandaram, Andrew Guerra, Brooke Robertson, Heather Slattery, Kailey Tran Client: Heal The Bay Advisor: Dr. Rebecca Shipe Final Report Urban runoff has the potential to dramatically affect water…

Measuring Carbon Efficiency

Students: Thomas Britt, Mitchell Howard, Andrew Hwang, Yohsuke Kobayashi, Jennifer Lu, Carly Lyons, Akhtar Masood, and Jae Suh Client: Climate Earth Advisor: Chien-Ming Chen Final Report There is currently no…

Retrofitting Commercial Real Estate: Current Trends and Challenges in Increasing Building Energy Efficiency

Students: Adam Benson, Edgar Vargas, James Bunts, Justin Ong, Kelsey Hammond, Lindsey Reeves, Mack Chaplin, and Peter Duan Client: CB Richard Ellis Advisor: Paul Bunje Final Report The U.S. has…

Southern California surf zone water quality: Fecal indicator bacteria and harmful algal bloom cells at the Santa Monica Pier and Malibu Surfrider Beach

Students: Tristan J. Acob, Taylor Cochran, Soo Yeun Park, Samuele L. Schoenberg, Samantha Tang, and Shannon Walker Client: Heal The Bay Advisor: Dr. Rebecca Shipe Final Report Surf zone water…

The Impact of External Variables on Management Practices in Protected Areas: An Analysis

Students: Naomi Elliott, Anni Gill, Amanda Grossi, Daniel Hogan, Ben Kertman, David Molmen, Shannon Skelton, and Charlotte Stanley Client: Conservation International Advisor: Kristen Cruise Final Report Our research focuses on…

To Certify or Not to Certify: A Dive into the Tannic Underbelly of the Organic Wine Industry

Students: Hayley Moller, Geoff Wright, Danny Suits, Jon Gim, John Lee, and David Wolk Client: California Certified Organic Farmers Advisor: Magali Delmas Final Report The present study aims to evaluate…

Wildlife Use of the Los Piñetos Underpass, Santa Clarita, California

Students: Robert Freidin, Diane Schreck, Brooke Scruggs, Elise Shulman, Alissa Swauger, Allison Tashnek Client: Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority Advisor: Travis Longcore and Erin Boydston Final Report Corridors between fragmented…

Contribution of Diatoms to Carbon Export in Coastal Oceans

Student: Sarah E. A. Diringer Independent Project Advisor: Dr. Rebecca Shipe Single celled marine primary producers provide a sink for excess CO2 in the atmosphere caused by burning fossil fuels…

Corporate Climate Stewardship – does it pay to think green? A pre- and post- Copenhagen analysis

Students: Victor Weisberg Independent Project Advisor: Matthew Kahn Most profit-driven managers would like to believe that it is not their responsibility to be environmentally conscious. Yet several researches have documented…