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Estimating Density And Residency Of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) In Three Estuarine Sites In South Carolina, Jessica Nicole Conway Dec 2017

Estimating Density And Residency Of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) In Three Estuarine Sites In South Carolina, Jessica Nicole Conway

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Of the three estuarine bottlenose dolphin stocks in South Carolina, two are considered data insufficient, with no minimum population estimate or assigned potential biological removal value. Additionally, the Northern Georgia Southern South Carolina Estuarine System (NGSSCES) stock’s boundaries are based on sighting data that do not extend to the full area encompassed by the boundary lines. In areas where stock boundaries are not clearly defined and data is insufficient for traditional methods of estimating abundance, density may provide insight into local distributions and serve as a proxy for actual abundance. Photo-identification surveys were conducted in three sites, representative of the …


Habitat Use Of Blacktip Sharks (Carcharhinus Limbatus) At Fishing Piers, Kelsey L. Spencer Dec 2017

Habitat Use Of Blacktip Sharks (Carcharhinus Limbatus) At Fishing Piers, Kelsey L. Spencer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Blacktip sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus) can be observed near fishing piers throughout the summer along the northeast coast of South Carolina. These piers attract and support a wide variety of potential prey and sharks are able to forage on fishers’ discards with minimal energetic cost. I tagged 12 blacktip sharks with acoustic transmitters, monitored piers with acoustic receivers, and conducted pier-creel surveys to determine the habitat use of blacktip sharks at fishing piers, factors that influenced residence time and presence/absence at piers, and any cyclical patterns in visits to piers. Data were analyzed with pier association indices (PAI), mixed models, and …


Geological Framework Of The Continental Shelf Of South Carolina Winyah Bay: Paleodrainage, Transgressions And Essential Fish Habitat, Amanda Roach Dec 2017

Geological Framework Of The Continental Shelf Of South Carolina Winyah Bay: Paleodrainage, Transgressions And Essential Fish Habitat, Amanda Roach

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A regional geophysical survey of the inner continental shelf off central South Carolina was completed on a cooperative cruise between NOAA and Coastal Carolina University in July 2015. An integrated mapping suite comprised of subbottom echosounder, side scan, multibeam and split beam sonars was used to define the regional geologic framework, including paleodrainage patterns across the shelf and to identify potential fish habitat locations that will provide additional inputs to a thematic habitat mapping routine developed by NOAA. Results from the thematic mapper characterization suggest that large-scale framework elements such as paleochannel networks may play a role in determining benthic …


The Application Of Proper Orthogonal Decomposition To Numerically Modeled And Measured Ocean Surface Wave Fields Remotely Sensed By Radar, Andrew Joseph Kammerer Aug 2017

The Application Of Proper Orthogonal Decomposition To Numerically Modeled And Measured Ocean Surface Wave Fields Remotely Sensed By Radar, Andrew Joseph Kammerer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Phase-resolved ocean surface wave elevation maps provide important information for many scientific research areas (e.g., rogue waves, wave-current interactions, and wave evolution/growth) as well as for commercial and defense applications (e.g., naval and shipping operations). To produce these maps, measurements in both time and space are necessary. While conventional wave sensing techniques are limited spatially, marine radar has proven to be a complex yet promising remote sensing tool capable of providing both temporal and spatial wave measurements. The radar return from the sea surface is complex because it contains contributions from many sources only part of which provide information about …


The Effect Of Artificial Light Pollution On Orientation Of Hatchling Loggerhead Sea Turtles (Caretta Caretta) In The Grand Strand Region, South Carolina, Emily S. Asp Jan 2017

The Effect Of Artificial Light Pollution On Orientation Of Hatchling Loggerhead Sea Turtles (Caretta Caretta) In The Grand Strand Region, South Carolina, Emily S. Asp

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sea turtle hatchlings primarily utilize sight to detect differences in elevation and light intensity present along the horizon to navigate from the nest to the water’s edge. The addition of artificial lights can cause visual misdirection, resulting in disorientation (aimlessly wandering in circular paths) or misorientation (moving in distinct paths away from ocean). Extensive research has been done on effects of high levels of artificial light but little on effects of comparatively lower levels of artificial light on hatchling sea turtle orientation. This study examined these lower intensity areas to identify if there is a threshold of artificial light above …


Characterizing Coastal Marsh Groundwater Hydrology With Multichannel Electrical Resistivity Tomography, Matthew R. Kestner Jan 2017

Characterizing Coastal Marsh Groundwater Hydrology With Multichannel Electrical Resistivity Tomography, Matthew R. Kestner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Subsurface waters are highly enriched in nutrients compared to surface waters in the coastal salt marsh environment and may, therefore, have a large effect on biogeochemical processes. There have been numerous studies examining marsh platform hydrology, however, there is a lack of information on the hyporheic zone within tidal creeks in coastal salt marsh environments. Hyporheic exchange has been studied in various non-tidal freshwater systems and verified as a significant pathway for solute transport in typical stream settings. The total volume of water cycled through salt marsh tidal creek hyporheic zones could prove to be a significant component of the …


The Spatial Ecology Of The Southern Copperhead In A Fragmented And Non-Fragmented Habitat, Megan Veronica Novak Jan 2017

The Spatial Ecology Of The Southern Copperhead In A Fragmented And Non-Fragmented Habitat, Megan Veronica Novak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Habitat fragmentation may alter the spatial ecology of organisms inhabiting the fragmented landscape by limiting the area of habitat available and altering microhabitat features. I quantified and compared movement of southern copperheads (Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix) in a fragmented and non-fragmented habitat to determine the effects of habitat fragmentation on the spatial ecology of the southern copperhead. Effective distance moved by each individual was measured by the use of thread bobbins attached via medical tape to the posterior quarter of the snake. Straight-line distance moved and occupied area were calculated with the GPS coordinates recorded at each snake sighting. Straight-line distance …


Paleodrainage Insights Into The Fluvial And Glacial History Of The Western Chukchi Margin, Arctic Alaska, Brittany A. Stockmaster Jan 2017

Paleodrainage Insights Into The Fluvial And Glacial History Of The Western Chukchi Margin, Arctic Alaska, Brittany A. Stockmaster

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chirp subbottom data collected from the Chukchi shelf, offshore of northwest Alaska, revealed extensive paleodrainage networks that incised the margin during sea level lowstands. These features are cut into folded Cretaceous bedrock strata and represent multiple sea level cycles. Several large incised valleys, 10s of km wide and up to 54 m deep, as well as numerous smaller, individual channels were identified. Sources of fluvial input include several, smaller rivers on the northwest Alaskan coast, such as the Kokolik, Kuk, Kukpowruk, and the Utukok Rivers. Correlation of sediment infill patterns provided insight to paleochannels and paleovalleys as well as outlined …


Sources And Long-Term Trends In Fecal Bacteria Contamination In The Fresh And Marine Waters Of The Grand Strand, Cara E. Schildtknecht Jan 2017

Sources And Long-Term Trends In Fecal Bacteria Contamination In The Fresh And Marine Waters Of The Grand Strand, Cara E. Schildtknecht

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Microbial water quality is of significant concern in the two watersheds of the Grand Stand. Polluted runoff, malfunctioning septic tanks, and centralized sanitary sewer failures are common sources of fecal bacteria contamination in coastal areas and pose a threat to human health through recreational use of waterbodies and shellfish consumption. Volunteer water quality monitoring programs are crucial in expanding upon assessments of fecal bacteria contamination by regulatory monitoring. Bacteria monitoring data collected by volunteers and Coastal Carolina University’s Environmental Quality Laboratory has been used to identify sites to be investigated by microbial source tracking. Microbial source tracking has been used …