Digital Commons Network^™

Larval Ecology Of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus Thynnus): New Insights From Otolith Microstructure, Biotic, And Abiotic Analyses From The Gulf Of Mexico And Mediterranean Sea, Estrella Malca

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Atlantic bluefin tuna (ABT), Thunnus thynnus, spawn in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) and the Mediterranean Sea (MED). Spawning occurs within narrow temporal and environmental parameters. Efforts to characterize growth of ABT in wild conditions revealed a wide range of growth variability during the early life stages. This series of studies examined potential biotic and abiotic influences of larval growth from seven ABT cohorts, and identified several key drivers of growth for this commercially valuable species. A detailed investigation of larval dynamics using otolith microstructure was conducted as follows. First, companion growth curves and stable isotope analysis from the same …

Spatial Variation In Hard Bottom Coral Communities Of The Coastal West Florida Shelf, Nicole Blank, Sandra D. Brooke, Brian K. Walker

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Hard bottom coral and sponge communities differ along portions of the West Florida Shelf (WFS) in species occurrence, diversity, and/or size. However, the composition and spatial distribution of these communities are not well understood. Community transitions have been proposed in the central portion of the WFS around Tampa Bay, Cedar Key, and as far south as Charlotte Harbor, but supporting data are sparse. Fifteen sites in three regions of Florida were surveyed for species distribution, density, and demographics. Distinct communities were found between St Teresa, Hudson, and Tarpon Springs. Coral and sponge densities were highest off Tarpon Springs followed by …

Limited Rigor In Studies Of Raptor Mortality And Mitigation At Wind Power Facilities, Tara J. Conkling, Christopher J.W. Mcclure, Sandra Cuadros, Scott R. Loss, Todd E. Katzner

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Wind power is an expanding source of renewable energy. However, there are ecological challenges related to wind energy generation, including collisions of wildlife with turbines. Lack of rigor, and variation in study design, together limit efforts to understand the broad-scale effects of wind power infrastructure on wildlife populations. It is not clear, however, whether these types of limitations apply to groups of birds such as raptors that are particularly vulnerable to negative effects of wind energy. We reviewed 672 peer-reviewed publications, unpublished reports, and citations from 321 wind facilities in 12 countries to evaluate methods used to monitor and mitigate …

Growth And Reproduction In Gulf Of Mexico Black Corals (Antipatharians) In Field And Laboratory Studies, Victoria E. Salinas

Theses and Dissertations

Black corals provide an important ecosystem of marine life and are found throughout all the oceans of the world at depths between 2 and 8,600 m. However, little is understood about their life history and the factors that control the distribution of black corals, particularly in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Given the impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on soft corals (e.g., black corals and octocorals) in the GoM, studies of their growth and reproductive biology in both natural and aquaculture environments are crucial for restoration efforts. The objectives of this study were to examine reproductive processes, compare …

In Situ Observations Of Fish Attraction To Light-Emitting Diodes On An Undersea Observation Deck, Makoto Tomiyasu, Yoko Tanouchi, Yasuzumi Fujimori, Minato Kaji, Takuma Hayashi, Naoto Matsubara, Hiroki Yasuma, Susumu Shimizu, Seiji Katakura

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

Many fisheries employ fishing lights to manipulate the behaviors of target fish and to attract them toward the light; however, relatively few long-time observations of fish attraction have been performed in the field. Here, an underwater observation deck was used to examine the differences in the fish-attracting effect of light-emitting diode (LED) lights on the number of attracted fish and on their behavior in the field, using white-edged rockfish as the target species. A total of 604 ± 324, 307 ± 203 and 171 ± 106 white-edged rockfish individuals were attracted to the observation window when it was illuminated with …

Analysis Of Edna To Assess Effects Of Water Quality On Freshwater Fungal Diversity In A Virginia Coastal Watershed, Lauren French

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Freshwater fungi comprise a phylogenetically and functionally diverse group which contributes to wide-ranging ecosystem processes in aquatic systems. Saprotrophic fungi convert detritus into nutrient-rich food sources for fish and invertebrates, whereas pathogenic and parasitic fungi can cause disease and population declines of other aquatic organisms. With their diverse and important roles, changes in freshwater fungal community structure may have far-reaching impacts on ecosystems. To understand how natural and anthropogenic stressors to freshwater systems impact fungal-mediated ecosystem processes, a greater understanding of the taxonomic and functional composition of freshwater fungal communities is needed. We assessed relationships among freshwater habitat types, water …

Anthropogenic Impacts On The Glowworm Cave, Waitomo, New Zealand: A Microclimate Management Approach, Chris Hendy, David J. Merritt, Shannon Corkill

International Journal of Speleology

Waitomo Glowworm Cave is a highly visited cave where the highlight is viewing the bioluminescence display of a large colony of glowworms. The visitation levels result in the build-up of anthropogenic CO₂, to the extent that it could cause corrosion of speleothems. The cave experiences chimney-effect ventilation with air flowing either upward or downward through the main cave chambers depending on air density differences between the cave and the outside environment. Lack of airflow leads to CO₂ build-up; however, unrestricted airflow can draw in cool, dry air which is harmful to the glowworms. Consequently, airflow is managed …

Lake Huron Shoreline Analysis, Shubham Satish Nandanwar

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Lake Huron is a popular tourist destination and is home to several businesses and residents. Since the shoreline is dynamic and is subject to change over the years due to several factors such as a change in water level, soil type, human encroachment, etc., these locations tend to encounter floods due to increased water levels and wind speed. This causes erosion and loss to the properties along the shoreline.

This study is based on two areas of interest named Pinery Provincial Park and Sauble Beach which are located on the shoreline of Lake Huron where Pinery Provincial Park is a …

Marine Heatwaves In The Chesapeake Bay, Piero L. F. Mazzini, Cassia Pianca

VIMS Articles

Prolonged events of anomalously warm sea water temperature, or marine heatwaves (MHWs), have major detrimental effects to marine ecosystems and the world's economy. While frequency, duration and intensity of MHWs have been observed to increase in the global oceans, little is known about their potential occurrence and variability in estuarine systems due to limited data in these environments. In the present study we analyzed a novel data set with over three decades of continuous in situ temperature records to investigate MHWs in the largest and most productive estuary in the US: the Chesapeake Bay. MHWs occurred on average twice per …