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Michael Anthony Poirrier, Hyun Jung Cho, Patrick D. Biber, Martin T. O'Connell, Carol D. Franz Jan 2024

Michael Anthony Poirrier, Hyun Jung Cho, Patrick D. Biber, Martin T. O'Connell, Carol D. Franz

Gulf and Caribbean Research

No abstract provided.


Benthic Habitat Mapping Of Mountain Top Bank Within The Northern Gulf Of Mexico Through Integrated Geophysical And Visual Data Analysis, Bethany Pertain Mar 2023

Benthic Habitat Mapping Of Mountain Top Bank Within The Northern Gulf Of Mexico Through Integrated Geophysical And Visual Data Analysis, Bethany Pertain

Master's Theses

Mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) are among the seafloor ecosystems that have been poorly studied throughout the world’s oceans, but they are a vital and diverse ecosystem that should be prioritized for future mapping and ecological studies. Priority should be given to them because they possess natural, social, and economic values, and face a variety of threats, all of which, if not better understood will result in the loss of this unique ecosystem. Insights into these ecosystems, among other deep-sea environments, are lacking due to difficulty accessing them, inherent lag between data collection by an autonomous system and observation by a …


Analysis Of Ecological Tradeoffs Between Congeneric Shrimp In Coastal Mississippi Waters, Baylor K. Lynch Dec 2022

Analysis Of Ecological Tradeoffs Between Congeneric Shrimp In Coastal Mississippi Waters, Baylor K. Lynch

Honors Theses

Palaemonidae is an ecologically important and abundant family of shrimp that link the benthos to many estuarine food webs. Palaemon pugio and Palaemon vulgaris regularly co-occur along estuarine edge habitats despite previous studies suggesting different preferred sediment types and salinity regimes. The objective was to determine if competition is occurring between the congeners by comparing their relative abundance and assessing isotope niche space along an estuarine gradient. I seasonally sampled various edge habitats at four sites throughout Biloxi Bay, MS, using fyke nets fished over a tidal cycle from November 2020 to November 2021. Collected organisms were identified to the …


Population Genetics Of Cownose Rays, Rhinoptera Spp. In The Western Atlantic, Helen Weber Jul 2022

Population Genetics Of Cownose Rays, Rhinoptera Spp. In The Western Atlantic, Helen Weber

Master's Theses

Using molecular tools (e.g., the NADH subunit II mitochondrial gene), this study was the first to document the Brazilian cownose ray, Rhinoptera brasiliensis, within the northwestern Atlantic (NWA), and was the first study to examine population structure in R. brasiliensis within the NWA or northern Gulf of Mexico (GMX), revealing novel insights into the population biology of the animal and extending its range by nearly 1,500 km. This study also examined the sympatrically occurring American cownose ray, R. bonasus, and found population structure between the NWA and the GMX and the NWA and the southwestern Atlantic (SWA). High …


Kinorhynch Diversity In The Southern Gulf Of Mexico And A Description Of Dracoderes Chaac Sp. Nov., Stephen C. Landers, Kellan Hoffman, Nuria Sanchez, Martin Sorensen Jan 2022

Kinorhynch Diversity In The Southern Gulf Of Mexico And A Description Of Dracoderes Chaac Sp. Nov., Stephen C. Landers, Kellan Hoffman, Nuria Sanchez, Martin Sorensen

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Sediment collections from the southern Gulf of Mexico between the Texas—Mexico border and the Yucatán Peninsula have resulted in many new kinorhynch species distribution records and the finding and taxonomic description of a new species, Dracoderes chaac sp. nov. This study focused on the non—echinoderid members of the Phylum Kinorhyncha, many of which are rare or restricted to only a few locations. A total of 136 specimens were identified from 24 sediment stations, distributed among the following species: Antygomonas gwenae, Campyloderes vanhoeffeni, Centroderes readae, Condyloderes flosfimbriatus, Co. rohalorum, Cristaphyes panamensis, Dracoderes chaac sp. nov., …


Microplankton Dynamics In The River-Dominated Mississippi Bight, Adam D. Boyette May 2021

Microplankton Dynamics In The River-Dominated Mississippi Bight, Adam D. Boyette

Dissertations

The Mississippi Bight (MSB) is a river-dominated continental margin influenced by multiple large river systems, including the Mississippi River, Alabama and Tombigbee rivers via Mobile Bay, and numerous smaller rivers, creeks, and bayous. This is part of a biologically-rich ecosystem that supports the second largest fishery industry by volume in the United States. Despite our understanding of the linkages between primary production with higher trophic levels, there remains limited studies quantifying these trophic interactions in this system. Microplankton (µm) community dynamics and trophic connectivity between primary producers and heterotrophic protists represent a critical nexus influencing overall biological productivity in this …


Temporal And Spatial Blood Feeding Patterns Of Urban Mosquitoes In The San Juan Metropolitan Area, Puerto Rico, Matthew W. Hopken, Limarie J. Reyes-Torres, Nicole Scavo, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Zaid Abdo, Daniel Taylor, James Pierce, Donald A. Yee Feb 2021

Temporal And Spatial Blood Feeding Patterns Of Urban Mosquitoes In The San Juan Metropolitan Area, Puerto Rico, Matthew W. Hopken, Limarie J. Reyes-Torres, Nicole Scavo, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Zaid Abdo, Daniel Taylor, James Pierce, Donald A. Yee

Faculty Publications

Urban ecosystems are a patchwork of habitats that host a broad diversity of animal species. Insects comprise a large portion of urban biodiversity which includes many pest species, including those that transmit pathogens. Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) inhabit urban environments and rely on sympatric vertebrate species to complete their life cycles, and in this process transmit pathogens to animals and humans. Given that mosquitoes feed upon vertebrates, they can also act as efficient samplers that facilitate detection of vertebrate species that utilize urban ecosystems. In this study, we analyzed DNA extracted from mosquito blood meals collected temporally in multiple neighborhoods of …


Patterns Of Dispersion, Movement And Feeding Of The Sea Urchin Lytechinus Variegatus, And The Potential Implications For Grazing Impact On Live Seagrass, Adrianna Parson, Joseph M. Dirnberger, Troy Mutchler Jan 2021

Patterns Of Dispersion, Movement And Feeding Of The Sea Urchin Lytechinus Variegatus, And The Potential Implications For Grazing Impact On Live Seagrass, Adrianna Parson, Joseph M. Dirnberger, Troy Mutchler

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus is a known grazer of both living and dead tissue of turtlegrass, Thalassia testudinum, occasionally denuding large areas of seagrass. Field studies have attempted to assess effects of herbivory on seagrass by enclosing urchins at various densities. However, it is unclear how unrestricted urchins affect seagrass at lower densities more typically observed in the field. This study describes movement, feeding, and distribution of L. variegatus within beds of T. testudinum in St. Joseph Bay, Florida (USA) to quantify this urchin’s impact as a seagrass grazer. Urchins were absent from portions of seagrass beds closest to …


Exploring Scale In Ocean And Coastal Governance In The Wider Caribbean, Robin C. Mahon Jan 2020

Exploring Scale In Ocean And Coastal Governance In The Wider Caribbean, Robin C. Mahon

Gulf and Caribbean Research

An early childhood attraction to the sea led to a career in marine ecology, fisheries and ocean and coastal governance. This paper tracks the development of my career from tertiary education, through a variety of jobs and positions with government, private sector, international and academic organizations. These positions took me from national to regional levels of governance, then down to local levels and ultimately back up to regional and global levels. At each stage new concepts join those already there to build what is ultimately a multilevel perspective on ocean and coastal governance. This perspective is built around ideas of …


Abundance And Occurrence Of Common Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) In Three Estuaries Of The Northwestern Gulf Of Mexico, Errol Ronje, Heidi Whitehead, Kevin Barry, Sarah Piwetz, Juliane Struve, Vincent Lecours, Lance Garrison, Randall S. Wells, Keith D. Mullin Jan 2020

Abundance And Occurrence Of Common Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) In Three Estuaries Of The Northwestern Gulf Of Mexico, Errol Ronje, Heidi Whitehead, Kevin Barry, Sarah Piwetz, Juliane Struve, Vincent Lecours, Lance Garrison, Randall S. Wells, Keith D. Mullin

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Current abundance estimates for populations of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus, Montagu, 1821) in bays, sounds, and estuaries are lacking throughout most of the northwestern Gulf of Mexico, including areas of Texas and western Louisiana. To address this issue, we conducted 92 small-boat photographic identification surveys covering ~2000 km2 and comprising ~11,000 km of track-line in winter and summer seasons in West Bay, TX (2014 – 2015, n = 25), the Galveston Bay, TX system (2016, n = 50), Sabine Lake, TX (2017, n = 17), and adjacent coastal waters. Individual dolphin encounter histories were constrained by …


Development And Employment Of Environmental Dna Methods For The Detection Of Bull Sharks (Carcharhinus Leucas) In A Freshwater And Estuarine Interface In The Mobile-Tensaw Delta And Mobile Bay, Alabama, Katherine Schweiss Dec 2019

Development And Employment Of Environmental Dna Methods For The Detection Of Bull Sharks (Carcharhinus Leucas) In A Freshwater And Estuarine Interface In The Mobile-Tensaw Delta And Mobile Bay, Alabama, Katherine Schweiss

Master's Theses

Species conservation and management is influenced by the quality of monitoring methods employed, especially when targeting elusive, but ecologically significant species, like elasmobranchs. Bull Sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) are highly mobile predators that rely on estuaries and freshwater rivers for maturation, resources, and refuge; their ability to withstand changing environmental conditions may mean they are linking ecosystems through their habitat usage and movements. Rather than setting nets or attaching acoustic monitoring devices, which can be expensive, time-consuming, and invasive, the analysis of environmental DNA (eDNA) for tracing species presence was used to target C. leucasDNA. The present research …


Effects Of Water Table Depth And Edaphic Characteristics On Plant Diversity In A Southern Mississippi Pitcher Plant Bog, Patrick Kirby Dec 2019

Effects Of Water Table Depth And Edaphic Characteristics On Plant Diversity In A Southern Mississippi Pitcher Plant Bog, Patrick Kirby

Master's Theses

This study examined the effects that water table depth and soil characteristics have on plant species richness and species composition within pitcher plant bogs across seasons. Eight piezometers were installed at random distances to monitor long-term water table depth and pressure fluctuations along a ~710-meter line transect traversing upland and bog habitats. Vegetation sampling quadrats (n=128) were set up near each piezometer. Cover data and water table depths were collected in spring and late summer. Soil samples collected from each treatment group were used to obtain soil texture and nutrient data. The summer collection period yielded a total gdiversity of …


The Effect Of Historic Shipwrecks On Sediment Microbiomes In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Melissa Brock Dec 2019

The Effect Of Historic Shipwrecks On Sediment Microbiomes In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Melissa Brock

Master's Theses

Microorganisms are ubiquitously distributed across all aquatic habitats, but it is the environmental conditions of a habitat that determine which microorganisms can thrive in terms of abundance or metabolic activity. Habitats that experience consistent physical and chemical environmental conditions repeatedly favor specific taxonomic groups which may result in a microbial assemblage that is commonly associated with that habitat (i.e., a core microbiome). Core microbiomes have been identified for a variety of natural marine habitats including methane seeps, wood falls, octocoral, and deep-sea sediments. However, it was unknown if the presence of man-made structures on the seafloor, including historic shipwrecks, also …


Spatial Dynamics And Mixing Of Bluefin Tuna In The Atlantic Ocean And Mediterranean Sea Revealed Using Next-Generation Sequencing, Gregory N. Puncher, Alessia Cariani, Gregory E. Maes, Jeroen Van Houdt, Koen Herten, Rita Cannas, Naiara Rodriguez-Ezpeleta, Aitor Albania, Andone Estonba, Molly Lutcavage, Alex Hanke, Jay Rooker, James S. Franks, Joseph M. Quattro, Gualtiero Basilone, Igaratza Fraile, Urtzi Laconcha, Nicolas Goñi, Ai Kimoto, David Macías, Francisco Alemany, Simeon Deguara, Salem W. Zgozi, Fulvio Garibaldi, Isik K. Oray, Firdes Saadet Karakulak, Noureddine Abid, Miguel N. Santos, Piero Addis, Haritz Arrizabalaga, Fausto Tinti May 2018

Spatial Dynamics And Mixing Of Bluefin Tuna In The Atlantic Ocean And Mediterranean Sea Revealed Using Next-Generation Sequencing, Gregory N. Puncher, Alessia Cariani, Gregory E. Maes, Jeroen Van Houdt, Koen Herten, Rita Cannas, Naiara Rodriguez-Ezpeleta, Aitor Albania, Andone Estonba, Molly Lutcavage, Alex Hanke, Jay Rooker, James S. Franks, Joseph M. Quattro, Gualtiero Basilone, Igaratza Fraile, Urtzi Laconcha, Nicolas Goñi, Ai Kimoto, David Macías, Francisco Alemany, Simeon Deguara, Salem W. Zgozi, Fulvio Garibaldi, Isik K. Oray, Firdes Saadet Karakulak, Noureddine Abid, Miguel N. Santos, Piero Addis, Haritz Arrizabalaga, Fausto Tinti

Faculty Publications

The Atlantic bluefin tuna is a highly migratory species emblematic of the challenges associated with shared fisheries management. In an effort to resolve the species’ stock dynamics, a genomewide search for spatially informative single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was undertaken, by way of sequencing reduced representation libraries. An allele frequency approach to SNP discovery was used, combining the data of 555 larvae and young‐of‐the‐year (LYOY) into pools representing major geographical areas and mapping against a newly assembled genomic reference. From a set of 184,895 candidate loci, 384 were selected for validation using 167 LYOY. A highly discriminatory genotyping panel of 95 …


Descriptive Density Models Of Scyphozoan Jellyfish In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Katrina T. Aleksa, Redwood W. Nero, Jerry D. Wiggert, William M. Graham Mar 2018

Descriptive Density Models Of Scyphozoan Jellyfish In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Katrina T. Aleksa, Redwood W. Nero, Jerry D. Wiggert, William M. Graham

Faculty Publications

Jellyfish play an important role in the food web of many coastal environments but are generally considered a nuisance to scientific fieldwork and industrial and economic trades. A better understanding of how jellyfish densities and distributions are affected by environmental parameters could elucidate population trends and provide assistance in ecological research and undesirable human interactions. In this study, abundance data for scyphozoan medusae, Chrysaora sp. and Aurelia spp., were extracted from Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program trawling surveys for the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGoM) during the summer and fall months. Both in situ and satellite oceanographic measurements were …


Clarifying The Range Of The Endangered Largetooth Sawfish In The United States, Jason C. Seitz, John D. Waters Jan 2018

Clarifying The Range Of The Endangered Largetooth Sawfish In The United States, Jason C. Seitz, John D. Waters

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The United States population of the endangered Largetooth Sawfish (Pristis pristis) has a high probability of extinction. It is critical to identify areas with valid historical records as these areas may be important to the recovery of the species. The U.S. range is reported to extend as far east as Florida based on one vouchered specimen and 3 historical records from this state. Three of these reports presume a local capture location despite a lack of locality data. The vouchered specimen was presumed captured in southern Florida, but evidence suggests otherwise. Dried specimens observed in Florida were most likely imported …


Ecological And Oceanographic Influences On Leatherback Turtle Behavior And Scyphozoan Jellyfish Distributions In The Gulf Of Mexico, Katrina Aleksa Dec 2017

Ecological And Oceanographic Influences On Leatherback Turtle Behavior And Scyphozoan Jellyfish Distributions In The Gulf Of Mexico, Katrina Aleksa

Dissertations

Leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) are a wide-ranging, oceanic species that feed exclusively on gelatinous zooplankton. Leatherback have been spotted in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) for several decades and consistently had a high level of interactions with longline fisheries. However, no quantitative studies have been performed to address the spatiotemporal distribution of these turtles in the GoM. This research determines 1) leatherback movements and high-use areas in the GoM, 2) their association with oceanographic features, 3) the distribution and density of two abundant medusae in the northern GoM and any association with biophysical parameters, and 4) the body …


Evaluating Social Network Dynamics Of Bigg’S Killer Whales (Orcinus Orca) And Vessel Traffic Within A Transboundary Region: Implications For Conservation Management, Courtney Smith Dec 2017

Evaluating Social Network Dynamics Of Bigg’S Killer Whales (Orcinus Orca) And Vessel Traffic Within A Transboundary Region: Implications For Conservation Management, Courtney Smith

Dissertations

The social lives of animals are defined by group dynamics based on the nature and strength of associations and movements between individuals, often resulting in highly complex and interconnected social networks. However, understanding of how environmental variables may shape this structure is poorly understood. Within the inland waters of Washington State and southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, mammal-eating Bigg’s (transient) killer whales occur in relatively small, but stable social groups. Group size and occurrence in recent years has increased, coinciding with a growing whale watching industry. Given the central importance of the social network within killer whale population dynamics, such …


Connecting The Dots: Stopover Strategies Of An Intercontinental Migratory Songbird In The Context Of The Annual Cycle, Kristina Paxton, Frank R. Moore Sep 2017

Connecting The Dots: Stopover Strategies Of An Intercontinental Migratory Songbird In The Context Of The Annual Cycle, Kristina Paxton, Frank R. Moore

Faculty Publications

The phases of the annual cycle for migratory species are inextricably linked. Yet, less than five percent of ecological studies examine seasonal interactions. In this study, we utilized stable hydrogen isotopes to geographically link individual black-and-white warblers (Mniotilta varia) captured during spring migration with breeding destinations to understand a migrant's stopover strategy in the context of other phases of the annual cycle. We found that stopover strategy is not only a function of a bird's current energetic state, but also the distance remaining to breeding destination and a bird's time-schedule, which has previously been linked to habitat conditions experienced …


Effects Of Wave Action On The Structure Of Fish Assemblages Across An Exposure Gradient, Lauren Liddon Aug 2017

Effects Of Wave Action On The Structure Of Fish Assemblages Across An Exposure Gradient, Lauren Liddon

Master's Theses

Disturbance affects the function and diversity of ecosystems. Increased wave exposure to salt marsh can disturb sediments and cause a loss of habitat. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of increased wave exposure on diversity, abundance, and functional ecology of estuarine fishes. If increased wave exposure is acting as a disturbance to these habitats, ecological theory (Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis) predicts that diversity will peak at intermediate frequencies and intensities of disturbance. Fish were sampled from 10 sites monthly for 6 years. The sites were assigned to different exposure categories (Open, Intermediate, and Sheltered) using an exposure …


Revisioning Ecology: Oikos Logos And A Human Niche, James Inabinet May 2017

Revisioning Ecology: Oikos Logos And A Human Niche, James Inabinet

Coastlines

No abstract provided.


Fishery Habitat In Estuaries Of The Gulf Of Mexico: Reflections On Geographical Variability In Salt Marsh Value And Function, Thomas J. Minello Jan 2017

Fishery Habitat In Estuaries Of The Gulf Of Mexico: Reflections On Geographical Variability In Salt Marsh Value And Function, Thomas J. Minello

Gulf and Caribbean Research

After 35 years working with many estuarine ecologists, I have concluded that all salt marshes are not created equal. This may seem like a trivial conclusion, but not everyone is a believer. While coastal salt marshes have many important ecological functions, their ability to support marine fisheries appears dependent on some specific characteristics. Extensive flooding of the marsh surface and a large amount of edge per area of vegetation have been identified as important in supporting production of juvenile brown shrimp (Farfantepenaeus aztecus), white shrimp (Litopenaeus setiferus), and blue crab (Callinectes sapidus). Data on other species are limited, but …


Worldwide Ethics 2017, Dr. Sheila Davis Jan 2017

Worldwide Ethics 2017, Dr. Sheila Davis

Journal of Health Ethics

Editor's introduction to Volume 13, Issue 1 of the Online Journal of Health Ethics.


Slis Connecting Volume 5, Issue 2, Stacy Creel, Teresa S. Welsh Ph.D., Mlis Dec 2016

Slis Connecting Volume 5, Issue 2, Stacy Creel, Teresa S. Welsh Ph.D., Mlis

SLIS Connecting

SLIS Connecting Volume 5, Issue 2 (Fall/Winter 2016)


Core Values: Intellectual Freedom And Privacy In Public Libraries, Stephanie A. Evans Dec 2016

Core Values: Intellectual Freedom And Privacy In Public Libraries, Stephanie A. Evans

SLIS Connecting

With the passing of the USA Patriot Act in 2001 following the events of 9/11, libraries on the national scale have had to staunchly defend issues of privacy and confidentially more-so than ever before. Evidence of this lies not only in statements within the ALA’s Resolution on the USA PATRIOT Act and Libraries but also in other core documents which guide policy development in public libraries (ALA 2005). Intellectual Freedom and privacy are two of the major issues addressed and protected by the American Library Association through the Office of Intellectual Freedom and the Library Bill of Rights (ALA 1996).


Effect Of Fragmentation And Habitat Type On Coastal Nekton In Mississippi, Thomas Bennett Sevick Dec 2016

Effect Of Fragmentation And Habitat Type On Coastal Nekton In Mississippi, Thomas Bennett Sevick

Master's Theses

Coastal wetlands are extremely productive ecosystems that support an abundance of organisms at higher tropic levels. Coastal wetlands also act as important buffers from storms and help protect major cornerstones of coastal economies, such as tourism and fisheries. Despite the clear need for the protection of these habitats, anthropogenic use of coastal wetlands has increased in frequency and intensity, resulting in the fragmentation of once continuous habitats. A central challenge to assessing the impact of marsh fragmentation is the lack of quantitative distribution and abundance data from specific habitat types. This is especially true for species that are not commercially …


Black Corals Of The Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, Dennis M. Opresko, Marissa F. Nuttall, Emma L. Hickerson Jan 2016

Black Corals Of The Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, Dennis M. Opresko, Marissa F. Nuttall, Emma L. Hickerson

Gulf of Mexico Science

Black corals (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Antipatharia) of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) are described. A key to the species is provided and supplemented with in situ and laboratory photos. The microscopic skeletal features of the species are illustrated from photographs taken with a scanning electron microscope. Thirteen species of black corals are found in the FGBNMS, belonging to the families Antipathidae (Antipathes furcata Gray 1857; Antipathes atlantica Gray 1857, Stichopathes luetkeni Brook 1889; Stichopathes pourtalesi Brook 1889, and Stichopathes sp.); Aphanipathidae [Aphanipathes pedata (Gray 1857), Elatopathes abietina (Pourtalès 1874), Acanthopathes thyoides (Pourtalès 1880) and Phanopathes expansa …


Recreation Ecology Of Colorado Fourteeners: An Assessment Of Trail Usage And Impacts, James C. Ewing Dec 2015

Recreation Ecology Of Colorado Fourteeners: An Assessment Of Trail Usage And Impacts, James C. Ewing

Master's Theses

The popularity of climbing Colorado’s 14,000 ft. peaks, or “Fourteeners”, has risen dramatically in recent years, raising important sustainability and management questions. Moreover, groups managing the peaks operate with major capital constraints so their efforts need to be informed, prioritized, and efficient. This paper gauges the dynamics of trail usage, explanatory variables, and recreational impacts across all 58 Fourteeners, and details evaluation adjustments that minimize error and produce results in-step with the resource management framework. Relative to a baseline study completed in 2005, substantial changes occurred in trail usage and impact dynamics. The greatest changes were concentrated on peaks previously …


How Diverse Detrital Environments Influence Nutrient Stoichiometry Between Males And Females Of The Co-Occurring Container Mosquitoes Aedes Albopictus, Ae. Aegypti, And Culex Quinquefasciatus, Donald A. Yee, Michael G. Kaufman, Nnaemeka F. Ezeakacha Aug 2015

How Diverse Detrital Environments Influence Nutrient Stoichiometry Between Males And Females Of The Co-Occurring Container Mosquitoes Aedes Albopictus, Ae. Aegypti, And Culex Quinquefasciatus, Donald A. Yee, Michael G. Kaufman, Nnaemeka F. Ezeakacha

Faculty Publications

Allocation patterns of carbon and nitrogen in animals are influenced by food quality and quantity, as well as by inherent metabolic and physiological constraints within organisms. Whole body stoichiometry also may vary between the sexes who differ in development rates and reproductive allocation patterns. In aquatic containers, such as tree holes and tires, detrital inputs, which vary in amounts of carbon and nitrogen, form the basis of the mosquito-dominated food web. Differences in development times and mass between male and female mosquitoes may be the result of different reproductive constraints, which could also influence patterns of nutrient allocation. We examined …


Living On The Edge: Settlement Patterns By The Symbiotic Barnacle Xenobalanus Globicipitis On Small Cetaceans, Juan M. Carillo, Robin M. Overstreet, Juan A. Raga, Francisco J. Aznar Jun 2015

Living On The Edge: Settlement Patterns By The Symbiotic Barnacle Xenobalanus Globicipitis On Small Cetaceans, Juan M. Carillo, Robin M. Overstreet, Juan A. Raga, Francisco J. Aznar

Faculty Publications

The highly specialized coronulid barnacle Xenobalanus globicipitis attaches exclusively on cetaceans worldwide, but little is known about the factors that drive the microhabitat patterns on its hosts. We investigate this issue based on data on occurrence, abundance, distribution, orientation, and size of X. globicipitis collected from 242 striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) that were stranded along the Mediterranean coast of Spain. Barnacles exclusively infested the fins, particularly along the trailing edge. Occurrence, abundance, and density of X. globicipitis were significantly higher, and barnacles were significantly larger, on the caudal fin than on the flippers and dorsal fin. …