After two years of working as a biologist for two different firms, I’m happy to say I’m back at CSUCI! Not as a student this time, but as the new Environmental Science & Resource Management Lab Tech. The previous tech, Emily Gaston, has moved on to new horizons and left some pretty big shoes to […]
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One of the most rewarding and educational experiences we get in ESRM at CSUCI are the times we conduct mini experiments for labs. Working with our unique riparian habitat in Calleguas creek for ESRM 351 – Field Methods – went out to set up a baseline for insect and megafaunal diversity that will be continued […]
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As with any scientific examination of something, avoid biases is critical. When creating an index biases tend to weigh in when it comes to the relative importance of each attribute as compared to the others. For instance when measuring beach accessibility, making sure we give enough credit to the presence of lifeguards when it comes […]
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A large part of the ability to assess anything about a physical space is the need to attribute the ownership or management to the space itself, making the information provided applicable. In 1977 the California Coastal Act designated the coastal zone of California according to a few maps… In the modern age having a digital […]
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Last week after discussing the proposed plan with my advisor, Dr. Reineman, we decided that creating an index for almost twenty indices was a task too momentous to accomplish by the end of this semester. Instead the analysis of a combination of a few attributes to better address the needs of specific demographics. According to […]
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Having a plethora of information as to the recreational and accessible amenities led to a dilemma as to how to categorize and quantify each one for the sake of analyses. As the data is presented in spreadsheet form with a general binary response pattern for input, it dawned on me the idea of making an […]
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At the start of summer 2018 (when I started my initial work on this project as a part of the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship) I was dropped into the world of coastal environmental equity and justice with little knowledge of anything related to the matter beyond the mere existence of legislation from previous […]
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In order to properly understand the complexity of an issue such as unequal coastal access, we must set definintions as to what is meant. Having been originally written in the California Constitution, and later reinforced in the California Coastal Act of 1972 (both quoted below), public accessibility to beaches and other “navigable waters” is a […]
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Although Big Rock may not be what most would refer to as a coastal access point, it is essential to see the value that such areas pose for the coast. Ensuring the cleanliness of this ecological amenity provides major benefit for those downstream; which in this case happens to be one of Ventura’s most popular […]
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According to the California Coastal Act, we own the coast from mean high water down, so don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Private property signs and physical blockages of coastal access points have led to an elitist attitude being held by many seeking to move to the California coast. It is imperative that we establish […]
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