Nicholas School of the Environment
Master's projects by Nicholas School of the Environment students, including the Duke Marine Laboratory.
The masters project is done in partial fulfillment of the degree requirements for the professional Master of Environmental Management or the Master of Forestry degree. While the MP may include original laboratory or field research, it may also take the form of management plans, handbooks, educational curricula, or other such products. Each student is advised by a faculty member who reviews and approves the project prior to completion.
A masters projects that is original research should not be as large as a masters thesis although it should be of publishable quality but not necessarily comprehensive enough to stand alone as a publication. A masters projects that does not follow the usual format for scientific research should follow a framework that is considered good practice in an appropriate field.
Duke migrated to an electronic-only system for masters projects between 2006 and 2010. As such, projects completed between 2006 and 2010 may not be part of this system, and those created before 2006 are not hosted here except for a small number that have been digitized.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Recent Submissions
-
Research on Species Distribution and Population Dynamics of the Reintroduced Chinese Alligators in Chongming Dongtan, Shanghai
(2023-05-04)The Chinese alligator is a critically endangered species that is endemic to China, with fewer than 200 individuals in the wild and over 13,000 in captivity. Reintroduction is crucial to restore its wild population, and Dongtan ... -
Entanglement: A Community Art Approach to Environmental Education
(2023-05)Entanglement was first defined in 1997 by David W. Laist, marine mammal expert and policy analyst, as the ways in which loops and openings of marine debris may entrap an animal. Entanglement has documented effects on 354 ... -
Increasing Water Affordability through a Statewide Customer Assistance Program in California
(2023-04-28)California has adopted a statewide policy where “every human being has the right to clean, safe, affordable, and accessible water.” Yet having the right to clean and affordable water is not the same as having clean and affordable ... -
Food Sovereignty and Conservation
(2023-04-28)This Master's Project examines the intersections between food sovereignty and conservation. Interviews and focus groups with community members and experts inform the recommendations. Equitable access to food, land, funding, ... -
COVID-19 risk perceptions and attitudes toward the environment: Evidence from longitudinal data
(2023-04-28)This study investigated the role of perceived risks triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic in enhancing positive attitudes toward the environment, liberal attitudes toward politics, and pro-environmental behavioral intentions. ... -
Constitutional Conservation in California: Evaluation of Environmental Rights in Law and Governance
(2023-04-28)The United States legal system has played a crucial role in modern environmental protection. However, environmental laws are difficult to enforce, reactive, and do not adequately protect ecosystems and human health. New ... -
Who Receives Relief Aid? Understanding the Effects of Household Income and Education on Aid in Nepal
(2023-04-28)Risk and vulnerability of a community towards environmental or nonenvironmental shocks determine their ability to receive relief aid. This study aims to understand the effect of socioeconomic factors such as income and education ... -
Legacies of Lead Paint Contamination in the Mineral Soils Adjacent to Historic Buildings
(2023-04-28)For hundreds of years, compounds containing the element lead (Pb) have been added to paint in order to improve the texture and weather resistance. Across the United States, millions of homes and buildings were painted with ... -
Water Quality Study at the Pauli Murray Center in Durham, North Carolina
(2023-04-28)This project examined Maplewood Cemetery's effects on the groundwater quality of the Pauli Murray Center for History and Social Justice (PMC). Maplewood Cemetery and the PMC are located in the West End neighborhood of Durham, ... -
Sustainable Business Strategies for a Small, Women-Owned, Zero-Waste Shop
(2023-04-28)The impacts of global climate change are felt around the globe, as is the increasing pressure to make sustainable differences to reduce pollution and emissions. Many climate change solutions are geared towards larger entities ... -
Spatiotemporal Behavior & Interactions of Neotropical Felids
(2023-04-28)The intraguild dynamics of apex and meso-carnivores contribute to the structure and resiliency of ecosystems, but temperature change and habitat loss threaten carnivores globally. This study explores the spatial and temporal ... -
Drones and Machine Learning for Marine Animal Behavior Analysis
(2023-04-28)Understanding the behavior of marine animals is critical to effective management especially as they fall under increasing anthropogenic pressures. Recent advances in two technologies, drones and machine learning offer versatile, ... -
Analysis of Marine Mammal Biologically Important Areas and Species Density on the East Coast
(2023-04-28)In accordance with various federal regulations, any agency or organization planning to conduct activities in the marine environment that may harm marine mammals must undergo an impact assessment process. Two available tools ... -
Assessing Inclusion of Social Equity Principles in 30x30 Coastal Conservation and Management Policies Using an Access-based Equity Framework
(2023-04-28)Coastal Indigenous peoples and local communities face issues of non-equitable distribution of coastal resources when conservation policies restrict entry to marine areas. Restrictions bar traditional community access to ... -
Spatiotemporal Behavior & Interactions of Neotropical Felids
(2023-04-28)The intraguild dynamics of apex and meso-carnivores contribute to the structure and resiliency of ecosystems, but temperature change and habitat loss threaten carnivores globally. This study explores the spatial and temporal ... -
Conserving the Cape Fear River Basin: A Watershed-Scale Parcel Prioritization
(2023-04-28)The Cape Fear River Basin (CFRB) spans over 9,000 square miles of North Carolina’s Piedmont and Coastal Plains, supporting a rapidly increasing human population and extensive agricultural operations. However, its communities ... -
A Geospatial Approach to Understanding Poaching Behavior of ESA-listed and Endemic Dudleya on Santa Cruz Island within Channel Islands National Park
(2023-04-28)The Covid 19 pandemic has catalyzed the increase in plant poaching incidents, particularly with species of Dudleya in California. As people were confined to their homes, houseplant collecting popularity rose worldwide. For ... -
A Geospatial Approach to Understanding Poaching Behavior of ESA-listed and Endemic Dudleya on Santa Cruz Island within Channel Islands National Park
(2023-04-28)The Covid 19 pandemic has catalyzed the increase in plant poaching incidents, particularly with species of Dudleya in California. As people were confined to their homes, houseplant collecting popularity rose worldwide. For ... -
Assessing Consumer Preferences for Seafood Products in a North Carolinian Community-Supported Fishery
(2023-04-28)In recent years, Community Supported Fisheries (CSFs) have gained prominence in the North American seafood industry, with Walking Fish CSF in North Carolina being one of the pioneering efforts. However, due to the relatively ... -
Cutting the Green Tape in North Carolina
(2023-04-28)Regulators and practitioners can face significant barriers to ecosystem conservation and restoration. This study attempts to identify those barriers in North Carolina and develops recommendations for increasing the pace ...
RSS 1.0