2015 Young Naturalist Awards Winners, Finalists and Semifinalists

2015 YNA Winners

7th Grade

• Jonathan S. “The Effect of Water Temperature, Water Acidity, and Animal Age/Body Size on the Opercular Respiratory Rate of Brown Bullhead Catfish”
• Manashree P. “Greening Under the Evergreens: A Biochar Soil Amendment Study”

8th Grade

• Ashley A. “Harboring a Problem with Dissolved Oxygen Levels”
• Kacey M. “Mango Skins: An Effective Organic Pest Deterrent”

9th Grade

• Catherine S. “Goldfish as a Model for Understanding Learning and Memory: More Complex than you Think”
• William B. “Dripping with Life: Investigating Bacteria in Speleothem Carbonates from Natural and Artificial Surfaces”

10th Grade

• Katherine H. “Temporal Changes in the Vertebrate Scavenger Community in Association with Wildebeest Carcasses”
• Zachary W. “Digging in the Dark: Broad-Scale Sea Turtle Nesting Patterns vis-á-vis Satellite-Derived Measures of Artificial Lighting”

11th Grade 

• Anne D. “The Effects of Varying Conductivity on Phytoplankton Concentration and Species Composition in the Presence of Nitrogen and Phosphorus in Lake Mattamuskeet”
• Soon il H. “The Identification of Cutaneous Bacteria on Salamanders that Inhibit the Chytrid Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis”

12th Grade

• Beatrice B. “Forecasting Hurricane Hazards for the Long Island Area”
• Lilith S. “Chytrid Treatments and Their Compatibility with Amphibian Tissue”

2015 YNA Finalists

7^th Grade

• Bryce B.  “White Tail Deer: Feeding Habits and Preferences”
• Caroline R. “A Study of Food Preference of Winter Birds in Western Pennsylvania”
• Cassidy H. “Tree Asymmetry: Investigating the Relationship Between Access to Sunlight and Tree Morphology”
• Spencer M. “Testing the Waters: The Rio Grande”
• William T. “What Are You Swimming In?”

8^th Grade

• Colby B. “A Comparison of Animal Species Near Different Urban Water Environments”
• Elijah M. “The Effect of a Research-based Redesign of a Bird Feeding Area on the Number and Variety of Birds Visiting the Area”
• Emily A. “Certification of New Jersey’s Vernal Pools”
• Gauri G. “What Material Best Absorbs Oil?”
• Isabella N. “A Pisaster Disaster: A Study of the Sea Star Wasting Disease at Lighthouse Field State Beach”
• Lexi E. “Preferred Autumn Browse of Rocky Mountain Mule Deer “
• Nicholas B. “Tolerance of Daphnia to Varying Water pH Levels”

9^th Grade

• Andy K. “Salinity Impact on the Growth of Marine Nannochloropsis and Freshwater Haematococcus Algae”
• Dustin B. “Cleaning Up Copper: Investigating Mycoremediation of Copper in Water”
• James T. “Aquatic Aliens : Examining the Effects of the Invasive Asian Shore Crab (Hemigrapsus sanguineus) on the Crustacean Biodiversity of Narragansett Bay’s Rocky Shores”
• Shreyas S. “An Investigation into the Effects of Air Pollution on Lichens”

10^th Grade 

• Emma F. “Sustainable Future for Endangered Species? Predicting the Impacts of the Wilmar Policy on Bornean Orangutan Populations”
• Jessica Y. “The Effects of Magnesium Chloride on Florida Apple Snails’ Shell Development”
• Samarah R. “The Effect of Magnesium and Selenium on the Biomass, Growth Rate and Structure of Anabaena”
• Truth M. “Crustacean Custodians: Combating Eutrophication and Red Tide with Sustainable Population Increase of Native Crayfish and Lobsters via Aquaculture”

11^th Grade

• Benjamin S. “Using Geochemical Mapping of Marsh Foraminifera Tests to Analyze Cytoplasmic Deposition of Trace Elements”
• Helen L. “A Step Toward Reducing Air Pollution: Understanding Soot Formation in Diesel Surrogate Fuels”
• Kimberly B. “Struggling to Coexist: The Effects of Urbanization on Woodpecker Diversity and Foraging Site Availability”
• Rebecca N. “Regenerating Oak Trees: The Effect of Percent Canopy Thinning on the Percent Canopy Openness and Primary and Secondary Growth of Quercus alba and Quercus rubra Seedlings”
• Stephen B. “Two-year Study of Daily Development of Tree Swallows and Eastern Bluebirds”
• Sterling F. “Metal Menace: An Analysis of water Quality and Biota in Birds Creek”

12^th Grade

• Alison B. “Aqui-S®20E: optimizing dosage and analyzing behavioral responses for a possible  zero-withdrawal sedative in several marine species: Common Snook (Centropomus undecimalis), Spotted Seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus), and Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus)”
• Alta D. “Conclusions from a IV Year Research Study; Ocean Acidification in Prince William Sound, Alaska”
• Chase L. “Wolf Spiders (Tigrosa georgicola) as Indicators of Contaminant Subsidies from Aquatic to Terrestrial Food Webs”
• Emma M. “Orangutan Interaction and Exhibit Use Study”
• Gerrit Y. “Astronomy - New Space Travel”
• Meagan B. “Non-invasive Analysis of Genetic Diversity Using Microsatellites and Mitochondrial DNA to identify individuals, Diet, and Minimum Number of Pumas (Puma concolor) In Sonora, Mexico”

2015 Semifinalists

7^th Grade

• Aaryamik V. “Muddy Microbes”
• Abigail J. "Temperatures' Effect on air Molecule Movement"
• Alex R. “The Relation Between Water Temperatures and Bush Bean Growth”
• Alyssa P. “Fruit Ripening”
• Anahi C. “Investigating Plant Pigments”
• Andrew M. “A Comparison of the Effectiveness of Various Materials to Repair Damaged Plants”
• Anjali P. “Comparison of Different Plant Soils used to Grow a Plant”
• Arjun P. “The Effect of Different Polluntants on the Growth and Harvest of Lima Beans”
• Benjamin V. “Alternative Light Sources and Their Effect on Clover Growth”
• Charles B. "Comparison of Salt and Acid on the Growth of Peas"
• Clay P. “Study of Which Light Color Causes Maximum Photosynthesis”
• Conner C. “What Grows Grass the Tallest, Manure or Commercial Fertilizer?”
• Dalton H. “The Myth About Moss”
• David M. “Worms’ Preference of Light and Darkness”
• Din J. “A Comparison of Mold Growth Development”
• Egypt C. “Do Ladybugs Affect the Growth of Basil Plants?”
• Emmett B. “The Effects of Saltwater on Snapdragon Flowers”
• Ethan I. “Composition of Soil and its Effects on the Growth of Tomato Plant Seeds”
• Hannah K. “The Effects of Air Quality on Plants in Southern California”
• Isaiah Y. “Avocado Ailments”
• Jack C. “What Sugars or Sugar Substitutes Feed Yeast?”
• Jacqueline P. “How Does a Sunflower’s Position Affect its Growth?”
• Jennifer M. “Comparison of Different Antacid Strengths”
• Jirote J. “Neutralizing Stomach Acids”
• Jose Maria R. “Pansies in Variable Atmospheres”
• Kaelin A. “The Firmer the Berry... The Effect of Cow's Whey and Goat's Whey on the Decomposition of Strawberries and Blueberries – Year II”
• Kale H. “Tree Habitats”
• Levi C. “How Does the Type of Liquid Affect the Growth of Beans?”
• MaddyLee A. "Do Temperature Drops Affect the Speed of Fish?"
• Max M. “Treatment to Stop Mold Growth on Raspberries”
• Nicole C. "Is organic Really Better?"
• Rebekah B. “Environmental Stress and the Susceptibility of Maple Trees to Sooty Mold and Powdery Mildew”
• Sabrina C. “Sunflowers’ Growth with Different Amounts of Sunlight”
• Samira E: “Which Has a Higher Boiling Point?”
• Scott S. “Food Preference of Red Harvest Ants”

8^th Grade

• Abdel R. “Does SPF Protect Skin and DNA from UV Radiation?”
• Amaya S. “The Weathered Monarch”
• Ameya T. “Avian City”
• Angela C. “De-icing the Problem”
• Annora M. “The Real Fish Experience”
• Anupama J. “Utilizing Sodium Polyacrylate as a Soil Additive to Promote Plant Growth under Varying Patterns of Precipitation”
• Arturo M. “Drought Effects on Salmon”
• Benjamin G. “Relationship Between Temperature and Bacteria Growth in Environmental Waters”
• Brandon K. “The State of Prior Lake”
• Brian A.  “Environmental Sustainability for Eastern Bluebirds in New Jersey”
• Carolyn F. “Using Natural Scents as Squirrel Repellent”
• Collette H. “Fun Fishing”
• Eeshan T.  “Breathe Easy and Carry On: Continuous Monitoring System for Indoor Air Quality and Development of a Responsive Air Cleaning System
• Elijah S. “The Effect of Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) Nanoparticles on the Growth and MicroRNA Expression of the Cellulosic Biofuel Crop Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)”
• Elise A. “How Do Paperwhites Grow Best?”
• Gabrielah P. “How Does The Type Of Day Affect The Number Of Bald Eagles?”
• Jack B. “Sustaining Ideal Backyard Environments for Red-bellied Woodpeckers”
• Julia P.  “Which Types of Moss Works Best for Absorbency”
• Lupine C. “Timing of Waterfowl Migration at the Bear River Bird Refuge”
• Owen N. “What’s Under the Mulch?”
• Tony M.  “How does Compost Affect the Growth of Pea Plants?”
• Vinit M. “Mathematical Analysis of an Asteroid Impacting the Moon”
• Zachary W. “The Decline of Chinook Salmon”

9^th Grade

• Ahn T. C.  “Effects of Different Soils on Zucchini Plants' Height”
• Alexander H. “Comparing Ponds in and Around Plainsboro, New Jersey”
• Alexander K. “Testing the Water Quality of the Delaware and Raritan Canal”
• Anita G. “Pathogen Detection in Southern California Water Using a Particle Counter”
• Ashley P. “Is My Local Hazardous Waste Site Safe?”
• Brian B. “An Analysis of Fish Activities and Human Interference”
• Brian S. “Wetlands: A Natural Solution to Purify Waterways Polluted by Urbanization”
• Benjamin W. “Finding Fascinating Fungi”
• Caroline N. “Filtering Agricultural Effluent with Fungal Mycelia, Year 2
• Catherine K. “Pollutants From Road Runoff Found in the Delaware-Raritan Canal”
• Chelsea C.  “A Study of the Antifouling Efficacy of Select Products in Dissuading Dreissena polymorpha from Attaching to Boat Docks in the Great Lakes Area”
• Elizabeth P. “The Effects of Street Runoff on the Health of a Neighborhood Stream”
• Esther C. “The Factors in the Growth and Quality of a Lichen.”
• Liana H. “Investigation of the Delaware and Raritan Canal”
• Michael R. "Microorganisms in Canal Water"
• Navaya M. "Seasons Change, So do Leaves"
• Sahar K. “Early Warning System Using Computer Science”
• Shiv P. “Identification of Ferns in the Plainsboro Preserve”
• Varnita P. “Birds in Plainsboro”
• Varun S. "Comparing Man-made and Natural Aquatic Ecosystems in Fairfax County, Virginia"

10^th Grade

• Asma B. “The Effect of Different Selenium and Zinc Ratios On The Mortality and Reproduction of Brachionus plicatilis”
• Ayisha S. “The Effect of Nutrient Fertilzers on the Growth and Development of Brissica hirta, grown Hydroponically”
• Carla C. “The Phytoremediation of Copper ions (Cu 2+) and Iron ions (Fe3+)  using the macrophyte Lemna minor”
• Diana K. "The Effect  of UVB Radiation and Sulphur Dioxide Gas on the Growth, Vitamin C and Chlorophyll Content of Komatsuna"
• Emily L. “The Effect of UVB radiation and Sulphur Dioxide Gas on the Growth, Vitamin C and Chlorophyll Content of Komatsuna”

• Julieta H-S: "The Effect of Chromium Concentrations on the Avoidance Behavior of Lumbricus terrestris"
• Juliet S. "The Effect of Iron Ions (Fe3+) and pH on the Behavior, Mobility, and Mortality of Coenobita clypeatus"
• Lee Ann B. " The Assessment of Water Quality from the Gowanus Canal and the Effects of Nitrates and Phosphates on the Mortality of Daphnia magna"

• Marya M-W. “The Assessment of Water Quality from the Gowanus Canal and the Effects of Nitrates and Phosphates on the Mortality of Daphnia magna”
• Nirja S. “Particle Sizes of Saturn's Rings”
• Sabreen M.  “Algal Biofuel: Investigating the Effect of Different Fertilizers on the Cell Count and Lipid Extraction of Nannochloropsis”
• Stephanie T. “The Effect of Varying Wavelength Light on Carbon Dioxide Uptake of Spinach Plant in Stimulated Photosynthesis”
• Theresa S. “The Effect of Boat Paint on Marine Zinc Levels”
• Uttkarshni T. “Profitable Phytoremediation Process: Combating Eutrophication by Utilizing Excess Nutrient Pollution for Hydroponic Farming of Vetiver Grass”
• Zachary A. “Lead Levels in Vehicular and Non-vehicular Areas”

11^th Grade

• Amy D. “The Effect of Spices on E. coli”
• Amy P. “The Effect of Water Temperature on the Mussel's Byssal Thread Protein Composition”
• Anna H. “Coquerel’sSifaka Behavior Study”
• Annabelle S. “The Effect of Triclosan, a Personal Care Product, on Fresh Water Algae in Different Types of Lakes”
• Blandon S. “Assessing The Influence of Swamp Areas on Rangeland Stream Flow Rate at Blair Wallis, Wyoming”
• Brian O. “Spatial Variability and Contributions Affecting Relative Sea Level Change Along the North American East Coast”
• Hyungjun Y. “Differences in Shell Strengths of Eastern Mud Snails (Ilyanassa obsoleta) May Determine the Diets of Jamaica Bay and Oyster Bay Diamondback Terrapins”
• Ivy L.  “The Epigenetic Effect of Stimulants on Drosophila melanogaster”
• Jacqueline F. “The Fault in Our Sea Stars”
• Jen M. “Determining the Impact of Invasive Plants, Japanese Knotweed and Japanese Stiltgrass on the Eastern Redbacked Salamander”
• Jennifer A. “The Analysis of Environmentally Friendly Cleaning Agents in Comparison to Dawn Detergent in Removing Hazardous Oil from the Feathers of Four Species of Birds”
• Jeremy R. “Documenting the Abundance of Suburban Wildlife in the Irvington Woods Through Camera Traps”
• Jeremy S. “Quantifying the Spatial Variability of Trace Metals in Long Island, NY Barrier Beach Island Salt Marsh Sediments”
• Katelyn B. "Climate Change Threatens Marine Ecosystems- How Rising Sea Surface Temperature and Altered Nutrient Availability Impact the Abundance and Growth Behavior of Phytoplankton"
• Kiran G. “Tracing The Genetic Basis For Phenotypic Plasticity of Body Depth in Malaw Cichlids”
• Madison M. “The Nesting Preferences in Eastern Bluebirds”
• Neehar B.  “An A-peel-ing New Water Filtration Method: Using Ground Orange Peels in the Biosorption of Iron (Fe 3+)”
• Pratima R. “The Effects of High Temperature on Symbiont Coral Densities”
• Robin P. “Batch Adsorption of Heavy Metals onto Chai Tea Residues for the Bioremediation of Industrial Runoffs”
• Samuel K. “Effects of Varying pH on Feeding Rates of Juvenile Mytilus edulis, the Blue Mussel”
• Shriya G. “Determining the Optimal Range of Light Intensity at which Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Maximizes its Carbon Concentrating Mechanism: Implications for the Global Carbon Cycle”
• Tristen W. “The Effect of PERC and TCE on Parkinson Rate in D. melanogaster”

12^th Grade

• Abby W. “The Potential of Cellulosic Ethanol Production from Areas of Sorghum, Switch Grass, and Backyard Grass”
• Aisha A. “The Effect of the Deletion of the tklA Gene on the Normal Cell Signaling and Formation of Fruiting Bodies in D. discoideum”
• Angelica D. “The Behavioral Effects of Anthropogenic Noise in Goldfish (Carassius auratus) in Regard to Temporary Threshold Shift”
• Arthur I. “A Geological Analysis of the Depositional Environment of Beach Sand Deposits: Robert Moses State Park, Long Island, New York”
• Catherine C. “A Novel Approach to Sustainable Water Purification: Providing Safe Drinking Water to Developing Countries”
• Ciarra R. “Effects of Pollution on Plants”
• Daniel K. “Utilizing MATLAB to Implement a Predicted Zone to Detect Sun Oriented Celestial Bodies”
• Deborah A. “Comparing phenotypic variation in the social behavior of the spider Anelosimus studiosus at similar latitudes but different longitudes”
• Deepak S. “The Effect of Various Concentrations of Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE) on the Growth of the Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae”
• Deepika K. “Novel Photocatalytic Pervious Composites for Purifying Water”
• Enrique G. “Physical and Geochemical Analyses of Beach Sands in an Attempt to Understand the Effects of Erosion by Super Storm Sandy: Robert Moses State Park, Fire Island, NY”
• Farrell L. “California Sea Lion Animal Behavior Study”
• Gabrielle M. "The Relationship Between Temperature and the Hatching Rate of Limulus polyphemus"
• Grant G. “Functional Regulation of Dendritic Cells by Estrogen”
• Grant T.B. “Effects of Early Mdewakanton Dakota settlement patterns on the Ecology of Mde Maka Ska (Lake Calhoun) in Minneapolis, MN”
• Hannah H. “Using Chlamydomonas reinhardtii as a Bioremediation Agent in Contaminated Water”
• Indira R. “Cranberry Extracts: A Quorum Sensing Inhibitor and the Novel Application of Cranberry Extracts as an Environmental Measure to Inhibit Pectobacterium carotovorum in Crops”
• Isabel A. “Can a Healthy Stream Thrive Without a Healthy Riparian Zone?”
• Janelle M. “Testing the Mislabeling of Fish Using DNA Barcoding”
• Jassmeen K. Metagenomic analysis of coelomic fluid and gut microbiomes of the sea star, Patiria miniata”
• Jennifer H. “Diverse Evolutionary Pathways of Osmo-heterotrophic Protists”
• Jett C. “Iontophoretic Inactivation of Freshwater Bacteria via Electric Current”
• Jihyun Lily L. “The Cleanliness of Water in Lafayette Hill”
• Kaitlin B. “What is the Desiccation Tolerance of Antarctica Fungi?”
• Kaitlin W. “A comparison of the populations of the endangered plant species Amaranthus pumilus on Sandy Hook from 2000 to 2014”
• Karsten S. “Zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) Preference for Colonization on Macrophytes in Lake Minnetonka, MN”
• Kevin C. “A Comparison of Genetic Diversity Within Ex Situ Collections of Brighamia insignis To Aid Restoration Efforts”
• Kevin R. “Denitrification of Long Island's Drinking Water”
• Kylinn A. “Truly Vegetarian? Using DNA Barcoding to Detect the Possible Contamination of Vegetarian Products”
• Kyra J. “The Role of the Riparian Buffer on the Qualtiy of Water in Tookany Creek”
• Lauren O. “A Comparison of Various Natural Fertilizers on Soil Quality and Growth of Glycine max in a Stress-free Environment”
• Leilani G. “Urban Avifaunal Diversity: An Indicator of Anthropogenic Pressures in Northwestern Metropolitan Atlanta”
• Lucy L. “Degradation of TPH-Diesel in Soil through Mycoremediation”
• Luke O. “How safe are our water supplies? Impacts of Biomagnification of the Antibiotic Triclosan”
• Madelyn S. “The Effects of Temperature on Shortnose Sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) and Atlantic Sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrhynchus)”
• Maluba M. “The Effect of Selected Spices Piper nigrum (black pepper), Allium sativum (garlic powder), Cinnamomum cassia (cinnamon), and Cuminum cyminum (cumin) on Bacterial Growth in Yogurt”
• Maria M. “Comparing Tuckermannopsis chrolophylla - A Proposed New Species for Southeastern Alaska”
• Matthew R. “The Effects of Contaminants on the Early Life Stages of Short Nose (Acipenser brevirostrum) and Atlantic (A. oxyrynchus) Sturgeon”
• Meredith A. “The Activity Levels of Black-tailed Prairie Dogs in the Morning and Afternoon”
• Michael R. “Microorganisms in Canal Water”
• Mirza A. “The Effect of Caffeinated Beverages on the Memory of Dugesia tigrina”
• Mohini J. “The Effect of Added Phosphate on the Biosynthesis of Vitamin C through the L-galactose Pathway in Inorganically and Organically Fertilized Hydroponic Spinach”
• Monique P. “Kinematics of the Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) During Courtship Rituals”
• Muhammad A. “Chamber Analysis of Monk Parakeet Nests”
• Natalie G. “The Effect of an Experimental Oil Spill on Hudson River Microbes”
• Navaya M. “Seasons Change, So Do Leaves”
• Nicholas C. “Geospatial Modeling to Predict Potential Natural Range Expansion of the Eastern Coyote, Canis latrans, in Suffolk County, New York”
• Nicole G. “Is Methylcobalamin (B12) Responsible for Mutagenesis in Drosophila melanogaster?”
• Olivia K. “Analysis of Mitochondrial DNA of the Southern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys volans) to Assess the Frequency of Micro-mutations Related to Site Contamination”
• Olivia S. “A Population Study of Sterna hirundo on The Great Gull Island: A Comparison of Early and Late Hatching Chicks Versus Early and Late Nesting Adults
• Rachel M. “The Effect of Glyphosate, Atrazine, and 2,4-D on Dissolved Oxygen Levels in Nannochloropsis oculata”
• Sagar S. “The Effect of Atmospheric Conditions on the Amount of Insolation in Bethpage, NY”
• Sindhu A. “Determining the Optimal Parameters for the Efficiency and Stability of the Flavylium Ion in a Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell”
• Sita S. “How does Cigarette Butt Litter Impact Organisms in our Environment?”
• Sonam P. “Biodegradable Plastics”
• Susan H. “Analysis of the Pedal Morphology of the Early Primate Notharctus tenebrosus with Implications  for Reconstruction of Locomotor Mode”
• Suzan E. “The Ratio of Males to Females Limulus polyphemus in the Sandy Hook Bay-Raritan Bay Complex in 2014”
• Tara E. “The Comparison of Winter Flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) Larval Otolith Microstructure to Biotic and Abiotic factors within Barnegat Bay Estuary”
• Theresa A. “The Correlation Between the Density of Visitor Traffic To Beaches per Day and Average Fledge Rates of Charadrius melodus in Gateway National Recreation Area, New Jersey”
• Tori H. “The Role of Thermoregulation and Sexual Selection on Secondary Sexual Characteristics in the Male Fiddler Crabs (Uca panacea and Uca pugilator)”
• Wen Li W. “Remediation of Contaminated Soil in Urban Environments with Pleurotus ostreatus and Microorganisms”
• Yukie W. “Seasonal Variation in Group Size of Monk Parakeets”

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