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This version of NSU News has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of NSU News, visit news.nova.edu.
This version of SharkBytes has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of SharkBytes, visit sharkbytes.nova.edu.
NSU Alumni Spotlight: Halmos College Alumna Publishes Study in Journal of Water and Health
Diana Aranda, M.S., alumna of the Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography, has published her thesis in the Journal of Water and Health.
Aranda, who graduated in April 2013 with an M.S. in Coastal Zone Management, was the lead author of “Using Probabilities of Enterococci Exceedance and Logistic Regression to Evaluate Long-Term Weekly Beach Monitoring Data.”
“Recreational water quality surveillance involves comparing bacterial levels to set threshold values to determine beach closure,” Aranda wrote. “Bacterial levels can be predicted through models which are traditionally based upon multiple linear regression. The objective of this study was to evaluate exceedance probabilities, as opposed to bacterial levels, as an alternate method to express beach risk.”
The study is a “prime example of collaboration between NSU units,” said Jose V. Lopez, Ph.D., a professor at the college who served as Aranda’s thesis advisor and co-author of the study.
Jay Fleisher, Ph.D., associate professor at NSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, was also a co-author and provided crucial interpretation and assistance to Aranda.
“This paper discusses methods to assess the quality of our local beaches using a retrospective approach and big data,” Lopez said. “This work is consistent with our lab’s concern for seawater quality as it may affect the local habitats, such as mangroves, reefs, and beaches. We are carrying out more genomics-based approaches; however, all studies are complementary.”