Award Data

Red snapper, Lutjanus campechanus, is one of the most economically important fish species in the Gulf of Mexico. While there are numerous species of snapper marketed worldwide, in the United States L. campechanus is known as the true red snapper and the only species that can legally be labeled simply "Red Snapper". Another snapper species, Lutjanus purpureus, which is harvested in the South Atlant ...

Currently, there is no standardized process for assessing the accessibility of recreation elements used for outdoor recreation, picnic and camping facilities although standards for specific outdoor recreation elements exist, the Forest Service Outdoor Recreation Accessibility Guidelines and the draft US Access Board Regulatory Negotiation Committee on Accessibility Guidelines for Outdoor Developed ...

In the 2007 State of the Union address, President Bush called for 35 billion gallons of alternative fuel use in the US by 2017 which would replace 20% of the nation's petroleum consumption. It is apparent that this goal cannot be achieved with existing technology and existing feedstocks alone. New technology is needed to improve the conversion of non-grain (cellulosic) feedstocks. In the US, total ...

Situation or Problem In order to provide timely and reliable assessments of the global crop market, it is necessary to move from limited, in situ crop assessments to operational crop monitoring on regional and global scales with multi-temporal remotely sensed (RS) data. Due to timeliness requirements and large volumes of imagery needed for operational agricultural monitoring, it is important that ...

Anaerobic digesters are capable of producing methane-rich biogas from animal manure and also offer the advantages of controlling odors, reducing pathogens, and minimizing the environmental impact of the waste. The biogas produced from anaerobic digesters is a renewable, distributed source of energy that can be used to generate electricity to offset power consumption on farms. Unfortunately, biogas ...

The work proposed will provide a demonstration of feasibility and specific design recommendations for building an elevated-temperature resonating crystal balance with nanogram sensitivity. The approach will build upon existing technology commercialized by Masscal for operating a QCM in a temperature-controlled calorimeter. Precise temperature control and new types of crystal sensors will be used t ...

This research examines the use of solid metal catalysts to solve two interrelated problems associated with current biodiesel process technologies: the use of toxic chemicals in the conventional production process and the economic feasibility of processing feedstock with high water and free fatty acid content. The potential gains include the reduction of toxic chemicals in the process, the eliminat ...

Modern supercontinuum (SC) light sources are generated by non-linear interactions between ultrashort pulse lasers and optical fibers. Output in near-ultraviolet to near-infrared wavelength ranges has been demonstrated. These light sources have high brightness and are spatially coherent. Recently, output to 4.5 µm was achieved using fluoride glass fibers; optical absorption by the fiber prevents l ...

The U.S. forest products industry had sales of $262B in 1997, of which two thirds was used for building construction. The use of wood for home construction is an effective, efficient, environmentally friendly, renewable construction material. A key issue in using wood materials in construction is their susceptibility to mold, fungi, and termite infestation resulting in over $10B combined damage pe ...

Ornamentals are one of the most valuable sectors of the nations specialty crop industry. They not only provide an essential source of income and jobs for those involved in the industry but also serve to enrich the quality of life for gardeners and the general public alike. Although the tools of biotechnology have been successfully used for the development of commodity grain and fiber crops they ha ...