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Chautauqua Lake is a eutrophic lake located in western New York that is frequently impaired by cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cHABs). cHABs generally occur in systems with high nutrient concentrations, but factors including lake morphology and temperature also contribute to growth and development of cyanobacteria. cHABs often result in production of hepatotoxins (e.g., microcystins) and neurotoxins (e.g., saxitoxins) that are harmful to living organisms. This study focuses on examining the environmental drivers of toxin production in Chautauqua Lake through nutrient addition experiments to determine which conditions favor toxin production. Findings will help in lake management efforts, specifically by reducing toxin concentrations. This project consists of long-term nutrient diffusing substrata trays deployed at the benthos and short-term nutrient amendment bottle experiments. The trays were deployed in two-week to month long periods from July to October 2020, and the bottle experiments were performed in 2020 and 2021. It was found that nutrient limitation in Chautauqua Lake changes through the summer season corresponding to taxa present in the bloom. Overall, when Gloeotrichia was the dominating taxon in 2020, nutrient additions did not influence toxin concentrations, mcyE copies, or sxtA copies in the water column. In contrast, 2021 data demonstrated phosphorus (P) limitation. However, when Microcystis was the dominating taxon in the bloom, nitrogen (N) limitation was observed in the water column in both years. The benthos in 2020 exhibited changing nutrient limitation throughout August to October, where data suggest P may be limiting chlorophyll-a in August through September, and in September through October data suggests dual N and P limitation.

The massive mortality rates of the American Civil War challenged mid-nineteenth century Americans' understandings and relationship with death. Faced with inadequate methods of individual identification and record-keeping that were unable to keep up with the overwhelming mobilization of both men and resources that the war demanded, many soldiers simply disappeared or were buried under a stone marked "unknown." Even soldiers who kept their names died far from home, away from family, in a manner that challenged nineteenth century traditions of death. These factors caused many soldiers to seek some manner of permanence to ensure that their name would not be forgotten following death. This project examines the ways in which soldiers used visual culture, particularly graffiti, drawings, and studio photographs, to find permanence amidst the destruction and death of war. By looking at the subjects of and the ways that soldiers used the visual culture they created, this thesis seeks to understand the value of visual culture as both an outlet for soldiers of the Civil War and as an invaluable source for historical research today. This project first explores the role of religion as both a subject of and an influence on visual culture. It then moves on to examine how soldiers used visual culture as a means finding permanence, including as a means of claiming a place in and piece of the war and as a form of memorialization. By examining the power of visual culture for finding permanence, this project provides insight into the ways in which soldiers sought to remember each other and their own experiences while also adding to the human conversation on mortality.