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Succession Of The Late Summer Phytoplankton Blooms In The York River Estuary, Va, Heather Kathleen Corson
Succession Of The Late Summer Phytoplankton Blooms In The York River Estuary, Va, Heather Kathleen Corson
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
The influence of bottom-up and top-down controls on the formation and persistence of phytoplankton blooms has been well studied. However, the relative importance of these bottom-up and top-down controls vary spatially and temporally. In the tidal tributaries and mainstem of Chesapeake Bay, the summer dinoflagellate population follows a succession of bloom-producing species. The dinoflagellate species Margalefidinium polykrikoides and Alexandrium monilatum are currently considered the end of this succession. These species form near-annual blooms in the lower half of Chesapeake Bay and are considered harmful algal bloom (HAB) species due to their negative ecological impacts. However, analysis of long-term monitoring data …
Reconstructing Coastal Forest Retreat And Marsh Migration Response To Historical Sea Level Rise, Nathalie Schieder
Reconstructing Coastal Forest Retreat And Marsh Migration Response To Historical Sea Level Rise, Nathalie Schieder
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Climate change assessments predict that rates of relative sea level rise will increase in the future, leading to enhanced inundation of low-lying coastal regions and a 20 – 50 % decline in salt marsh area by 2100. Global sea level rise began accelerating in the late 19th to early 20th century, and local rates along the U.S. mid-Atlantic coast are twice as fast as global estimates. Frequent flooding and salt stress associated with sea level rise lead to coastal transgression, and the survival of ecosystems depends on their ability to migrate inland faster than they erode and submerge. Here, I …
Myctophid Feeding Ecology And Carbon Transport Along The Northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Jeanna M. Hudson
Myctophid Feeding Ecology And Carbon Transport Along The Northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Jeanna M. Hudson
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
The Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) is the largest topographic feature in the Atlantic Ocean, yet little is known about the food web structure and trophic ecology of fishes inhabiting mesopelagic waters along the MAR. To better understand the food web structure and to compare the feeding ecology of abundant MAR fishes to those in offridge areas, MAR-ECO, a Mid-Atlantic Ridge ecosystem field project of the Census of Marine Life, sampled the pelagic fauna of the northern MAR (Iceland to the Azores) during June-July, 2004. Samples were collected with two midwater trawls outfitted with multiple opening and closing cod ends to sample …
Estimating Detection Probabilities In Beach Seine Surveys For Estuarine Fishes, Branson D. Williams
Estimating Detection Probabilities In Beach Seine Surveys For Estuarine Fishes, Branson D. Williams
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Detectability, the probability that a species is encountered if it inhabits a site, is often overlooked in fisheries research despite its potential to obscure habitat use inferences. Detectability can be estimated using models that also provide an estimate of occupancy (Ψ), the probability that a species inhabits a site. I used these models to estimate both probabilities, and to examine factors affecting detectability and occupancy for three fishes in Chesapeake Bay tributaries: young-of-the-year striped bass (Morone saxatilis), yearling Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus), and spottail shiner (Notropis hudsonius). Occupancy models were fitted to data from a seine survey conducted during summer, …
Copepod Carcasses, Mortality And Population Dynamics In The Tributaries Of The Lower Chesapeake Bay, David Thomas. Elliott
Copepod Carcasses, Mortality And Population Dynamics In The Tributaries Of The Lower Chesapeake Bay, David Thomas. Elliott
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Several studies have documented the occurrence of substantial numbers of zooplankton carcasses in marine field samples. However, the potential effect of carcasses on conclusions resting on zooplankton abundance estimates, and the reasons for carcass occurrence have been largely disregarded. Many field studies do not account for the presence of carcasses in their sampling methodology. Zooplankton carcasses in situ are significant for several reasons. as concentrated particles of organic matter in the water column, zooplankton carcasses can be important vehicles for organic matter transport and hotspots of microbial abundance and activity. If dead animals are treated alive, carcasses could bias the …
The Life History Of Longnose Gar, Lepisosteus Osseus, An Apex Predator In The Tidal Waters Of Virginia, Patrick E. Mcgrath
The Life History Of Longnose Gar, Lepisosteus Osseus, An Apex Predator In The Tidal Waters Of Virginia, Patrick E. Mcgrath
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Longnose gar (Lepisosteus osseus) inhabit all of the major tributaries of Chesapeake Bay in Virginia, extending from fresh to estuarine waters. Literature concerning longnose gar from tidal environments is limited and this is study concerns important aspects of the life history (e.g., growth, reproduction, dimorphism, movements, and diet). Age, growth, and reproduction are important life history aspects for understanding the biology of fishes and may be affected by the environment in which an individual lives. This study found no differences in the age, growth, and fecundity parameters between longnose gar from tidal portions of Chesapeake Bay tributaries and previous studies …
Variability In Juvenile Growth, Mortality, Maturity, And Abundance Of American Shad And Blueback Herring In Virginia, Troy D. Tuckey
Variability In Juvenile Growth, Mortality, Maturity, And Abundance Of American Shad And Blueback Herring In Virginia, Troy D. Tuckey
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Young-of-year (YOY) population dynamics of American shad and blueback herring in Virginia's rivers were examined with an emphasis on variability in growth and mortality rates. In addition, an analysis was conducted to relate juvenile abundance indices of American shad to adult indices to establish a stock-recruitment relationship. to accomplish the stock recruitment relationship, an additional study that examined maturation schedules and inter-annual variability in maturation schedules among stocks was performed. Results of population dynamics studies found that growth and mortality rates of American shad and blueback herring varied by river and year and that conspecific abundance was an important factor …
Mortality Of Diamondback Terrapins In Blue Crab Traps: Population Changes And Conservation In Southeastern Virginia, Megan Ann Rook
Mortality Of Diamondback Terrapins In Blue Crab Traps: Population Changes And Conservation In Southeastern Virginia, Megan Ann Rook
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
The Survival Benefit Of Benthic Macroalgae Gracilaria Vermiculophylla As An Alternative Nursery Habitat For Juvenile Blue Crabs, Justin A. Falls
The Survival Benefit Of Benthic Macroalgae Gracilaria Vermiculophylla As An Alternative Nursery Habitat For Juvenile Blue Crabs, Justin A. Falls
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
The Chesapeake Bay blue crab is in decline. One of the threats to it is the loss of its once plentiful nursery habitat, seagrass, due to baywide eutrophication and climate change. The emergence of the non-native benthic macroalga Gracilaria vermiculophylla may offer the blue crab an alternative nursery if it can provide juvenile crabs a refuge from predation. The ability of Gracilaria to protect juvenile blue crabs was investigated in mesocosm and field survival studies, which were combined into a larger dataset. All of these studies used tethering and therefore a tethering validation study in mesocosms accompanied these experiments. In …
Mercury Levels In Newly Independent Songbirds, Anne Moire Condon
Mercury Levels In Newly Independent Songbirds, Anne Moire Condon
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
Broad Spatial Trends In Osprey Provisioning, Reproductive Success, And Population Growth Within Lower Chesapeake Bay, Kenneth Andrew Glass
Broad Spatial Trends In Osprey Provisioning, Reproductive Success, And Population Growth Within Lower Chesapeake Bay, Kenneth Andrew Glass
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
The Effects Of Mercury On The Nesting Success And Return Rate Of Tree Swallows (Tachycineta Bicolor), Rebecka L. Brasso
The Effects Of Mercury On The Nesting Success And Return Rate Of Tree Swallows (Tachycineta Bicolor), Rebecka L. Brasso
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
The Influence Of Predation On The Nesting Ecology Of Diamondback Terrapins (Malaclemys Terrapin) In The Lower Chesapeake Bay, Victoria Ann Ruzicka
The Influence Of Predation On The Nesting Ecology Of Diamondback Terrapins (Malaclemys Terrapin) In The Lower Chesapeake Bay, Victoria Ann Ruzicka
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
Parasitism In Deep-Sea Chemosynthetic Mussels: Parasitism In Bathymodiolus Mussels From Deep-Sea Seep And Hydrothermal Vents, Megan E. Ward
Parasitism In Deep-Sea Chemosynthetic Mussels: Parasitism In Bathymodiolus Mussels From Deep-Sea Seep And Hydrothermal Vents, Megan E. Ward
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
Comparison Of Mussel-Bed Faunas At Blake Ridge And Florida Escarpment Seeps, Kathleen Elizabeth Knick
Comparison Of Mussel-Bed Faunas At Blake Ridge And Florida Escarpment Seeps, Kathleen Elizabeth Knick
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
Long Term Permanent Vegetation Plot Studies In The Matoaka Woods, Williamsburg, Virginia : Establishment And Initial Data Analysis Of Plots Established With The North Carolina Vegetation Survey Protocol, Resampling Of Single Circular Plots And A Comparison Of Results From North Carolina Vegetation Survey Protocol And Single Circular Plot Methods, Jacob Robert George Kribel
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
Use Of Remote Sensing To Identify Essential Habitat For Aeschynomene Virginica (L) Bsp, A Threatened Tidal Freshwater Wetland Plant, Elizabeth M. Mountz
Use Of Remote Sensing To Identify Essential Habitat For Aeschynomene Virginica (L) Bsp, A Threatened Tidal Freshwater Wetland Plant, Elizabeth M. Mountz
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
The Habitat Utilization Of Juvenile Hawksbill Sea Turtles (Eretmochelys Imbricata) At Buck Island Reef National Monument, St Croix, U.S Virgin Islands, Roy A. Pemberton
The Habitat Utilization Of Juvenile Hawksbill Sea Turtles (Eretmochelys Imbricata) At Buck Island Reef National Monument, St Croix, U.S Virgin Islands, Roy A. Pemberton
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
Tidal Freshwater And Oligohaline Benthos: Evaluating The Development Of A Benthic Index Of Biological Integrity For Chesapeake Bay, Robyn C. Draheim
Tidal Freshwater And Oligohaline Benthos: Evaluating The Development Of A Benthic Index Of Biological Integrity For Chesapeake Bay, Robyn C. Draheim
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
Ecosystem Analysis Of Water Column Processes In The York River Estuary, Virginia: Historical Records, Field Studies And Modeling Analysis, Yongsik Sin
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Analyses of EPA long-term datasets (1985--1994) combined with field studies and ecosystem model development were used to investigate phytoplankton and nutrient dynamics in the York River estuary. Analysis of the EPA dataset showed that algal blooms occurred during winter-spring followed by smaller summer blooms. Peak phytoplankton biomass during the winter-spring blooms occurred in the mid reach of the mesohaline zone whereas during the summer bloom it occurred in the tidal fresh-mesolialine transition zone. River discharge appears to be the major factor controlling the location and timing of the winter-spring blooms and the relative degree of potential nitrogen (N) and phosphorus …
Correspondence Between Environmental Gradients And The Assemblage Structure Of Littoral Fishes In The Tidal Portion Of Three Virginia Coastal Plain Rivers, Clifford Michael Wagner
Correspondence Between Environmental Gradients And The Assemblage Structure Of Littoral Fishes In The Tidal Portion Of Three Virginia Coastal Plain Rivers, Clifford Michael Wagner
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
Habitat Complexity As A Determinant Of Juvenile Blue Crab Survival, Jessica L. Schulman
Habitat Complexity As A Determinant Of Juvenile Blue Crab Survival, Jessica L. Schulman
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
Use Of A Landscape-Level Approach To Determine The Habitat Requirements Of The Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron, Nycticorax Violaceus, In The Lower Chesapeake Bay, Ellen L. Bentley
Use Of A Landscape-Level Approach To Determine The Habitat Requirements Of The Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron, Nycticorax Violaceus, In The Lower Chesapeake Bay, Ellen L. Bentley
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
The Role Of Predation On Zostera Marina L (Eelgrass) Seed Abundance, James Fishman
The Role Of Predation On Zostera Marina L (Eelgrass) Seed Abundance, James Fishman
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
Vegetation Ecology Of Tidal Freshwater Swamps Of The Lower Chesapeake Bay, United States Of America, Richard D. Rheinhardt
Vegetation Ecology Of Tidal Freshwater Swamps Of The Lower Chesapeake Bay, United States Of America, Richard D. Rheinhardt
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Woody and herbaceous vegetation were sampled in 23 tidal swamps along a tidal freshwater tributary of lower Chesapeake Bay. Four vegetative categories were ordinated with Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DECORANA). Species distribution patterns of each strata were compared with respect to edaphic factors, a wetness index, and mean water table depth. Woody species are restricted to hummocks (topographic highs). Hummocks drain as quickly as the tide drops and so are partially inundated for only short periods each day. Although low in canopy diversity, tidal swamps are floristically rich in herbaceous and woody understory species, ranking them among the most speciose in …
Mitochondrial Dna Variation In Striped Bass, Morone Saxatilis, From The Rappahannock River, Virginia, Carol Furman
Mitochondrial Dna Variation In Striped Bass, Morone Saxatilis, From The Rappahannock River, Virginia, Carol Furman
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
Availability Of Lead, Zinc, Copper, And Cadmium To The Peregrine Falcon (Falco Peregrinus) From Waterfowl Of The Craney Island Disposal Area, Douglas Stephen Davis
Availability Of Lead, Zinc, Copper, And Cadmium To The Peregrine Falcon (Falco Peregrinus) From Waterfowl Of The Craney Island Disposal Area, Douglas Stephen Davis
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
The Respiratory Response Of Busycon Canaliculatum (L) To Seasonal Variation Of Water Temperature, Salinity, And Oxygen, Harry Gregory Polites
The Respiratory Response Of Busycon Canaliculatum (L) To Seasonal Variation Of Water Temperature, Salinity, And Oxygen, Harry Gregory Polites
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
Effects Of Disruptive Grazing By The Mud Snail Ilyanassa Obsoleta On Mudflat Nematode Populations, David Ludwig
Effects Of Disruptive Grazing By The Mud Snail Ilyanassa Obsoleta On Mudflat Nematode Populations, David Ludwig
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Population densities of the mud snail Ilyanassa obsoleta were manipulated in caging experiments on a salt marsh mudflat and in laboratory microcosms. Mud snails outcompete nematodes for food resources, but may increase resources available to deposit feeding groups. Mud snails reduce annelid (polychaete and oligochaete) populations by substrate disruption. Reduced annelid densities provide the nematode community with some release from predation and competition. In mudflat sediments, the nematode community responds to both primary (predation) and secondary (envirorm1ental release, food competition) interactions. Multiple levels of interactive coupling should be considered in any systems level investigation in this habitat.
Macrobenthic Colonization Of Muddy And Sandy Substrates In The York River, Virginia, Thomas J. Fredette
Macrobenthic Colonization Of Muddy And Sandy Substrates In The York River, Virginia, Thomas J. Fredette
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.