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Analysis Of The Spatial Dynamics Of The American Lobster (Homarus Americanus) Fishery Along The Coast Of Maine, Kevin M. Scheirer Dec 2003

Analysis Of The Spatial Dynamics Of The American Lobster (Homarus Americanus) Fishery Along The Coast Of Maine, Kevin M. Scheirer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The American lobster (Homarus americanus) supports the most valuable commercial fishery in the northeastern United States, thus the fishery is critical to Maine's economy. No systematic study has been done to collect information about, identify, and quantify the spatial dynamics of the Maine lobster fishery. This project helps to provide a better understanding of Maine's lobster fishery dynamics, and it will aid f'iture efforts to improve the stock assessment of Maine's lobster fishery. The analysis consists of three distinct parts: (1) comparison of data collected by two separate fishery dependent sampling programs; (2) spatial analysis of electronic logbook data; and …


Specific Dynamic Action, Growth And Development In Larval Atlantic Cod, Gadus Morhua, Jessica A. Geubtner Dec 2003

Specific Dynamic Action, Growth And Development In Larval Atlantic Cod, Gadus Morhua, Jessica A. Geubtner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The larval stage of marine fish is a period of rapid growth and development. Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) are approximately 4-5 rnm in length upon hatch and feed endogenously from their yolk sac for the first week. After this time, larval cod must successfully capture live prey to survive and to fuel high growth rates of greater than 10%d". Previous studies have found that during exogenous feeding and at growth rates greater than 8%d1 larvae experience what appears to be cost free growth, where mass specific metabolic rate does not decrease with increasing mass. Due to size and condition constraints …


Pond-Breeding Amphibian Species Distributions In A Beaver-Modified Landscape, Acadia National Park, Mount Desert Island, Maine, Jesse Cunningham Dec 2003

Pond-Breeding Amphibian Species Distributions In A Beaver-Modified Landscape, Acadia National Park, Mount Desert Island, Maine, Jesse Cunningham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In order to maintain pond-breeding amphibian species richness, it is important to understand how both natural and anthropogenic disturbances affect species assemblages and individual species distributions both at the scale of individual ponds and at a larger landscape scale. The goal of this project was to investigate what characteristics of ponds and the surrounding wetland landscape were most effective in predicting pond-breeding species richness and the individual occurrence of wood frog (Rana sylvatica), bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) and pickerel frog (Rana palustris) breeding sites in a beaver-modified landscape and how this landscape has changed over …


The Role Of Larval Thermal Tolerance In The Distribution Of Blue Mussel Species Within The Gulf Of Maine, Susan J. Limbeck Dec 2003

The Role Of Larval Thermal Tolerance In The Distribution Of Blue Mussel Species Within The Gulf Of Maine, Susan J. Limbeck

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Two species of blue mussel, Myrilus edulis and Myrilus trossulus, are sympatric throughout much of the Canadian Maritime Provinces and into the Gulf of Maine. While the distribution of M edulis extends south to the Mid-Atlantic, that of M. trossulus ends abruptly in the Gulf of Maine. I have hypothesized that these differences in adult distribution are the result of species-specific variation in larval thermal tolerances. Previously, it has been shown that when reared at 20 OC, from 36 hour post-fertilization through settlement, M. trossulus had significantly higher mortality rates than M. edulis. This study examined whether species-specific differences in …


An Investigation Of The Cumulative Impacts Of Shrimp Trawling On Mud Bottom Fishing Grounds In The Gulf Of Maine: Effects On Habitat And Macrofaunal Community Structure, Anne W. Simpson Dec 2003

An Investigation Of The Cumulative Impacts Of Shrimp Trawling On Mud Bottom Fishing Grounds In The Gulf Of Maine: Effects On Habitat And Macrofaunal Community Structure, Anne W. Simpson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite the widespread occurrence of trawl fisheries on mud-bottoms, there is limited knowledge concerning the effects of trawling induced disturbance on these habitats and their resident macrofaunal communities. I investigated the cumulative impacts of seasonal commercial shrimp trawling on infaunal habitat and macrofaunal community structure on two mud-bottom fishing grounds in the Gulf of Maine from June 2000 - December 2001. One fishing ground located near the Outer Pumpkin Ledges (Pumpkin) experienced trawling activity during the 2000-2001 fishing season. In contrast, the other fishing ground near Monhegan Island was not trawled during the same period because shrimp abundances were low. …


A Comparison Of The Ecological Integrity Of Headwater Streams Draining Harvested And Un-Harvested Watersheds In The Western Mountains Of Maine, U.S.A., Darlene Siegel Dec 2003

A Comparison Of The Ecological Integrity Of Headwater Streams Draining Harvested And Un-Harvested Watersheds In The Western Mountains Of Maine, U.S.A., Darlene Siegel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of four headwater streams draining forested watersheds were compared to determine the effectiveness of Riparian Management Zones (RMZs) in protecting aquatic ecological integrity from the effects of forest harvesting. Two of the watersheds were harvested with a 30% sheltenvood cut and a 75 foot buffer was left adjacent to the streams. The other two watersheds were un-harvested and were used as reference conditions for comparison with the harvested watersheds. General environmental conditions in these four headwater streams during the study period were characterized as follows. Each stream was located within a mixed- wood forest dominated …


Effects Of Nitrogen Deposition And Flow Permanence On Stream Organic Matter Dynamics, Michael Andrew Joseph Chadwick Aug 2003

Effects Of Nitrogen Deposition And Flow Permanence On Stream Organic Matter Dynamics, Michael Andrew Joseph Chadwick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of N enrichment and flow permanence on stream organic matter dynamics at the Bear Brook Watershed in Maine (BBWM). BBWM is a paired-catchment manipulation of atmospheric (NH4)2SO4 deposition, and the goal of the experiment is to understand how increased N affects forested catchments. The treatment has increased stream nitrate and foliar N concentrations in the treatment watershed. Because streams draining BBWM are intermittent, this investigation provided an opportunity to investigate the combined effects of stream flow permanence and human alteration of N cycling in a …


Resilience Of Green Sea Urchin (Strongylocentrotus Droebachiensis) Populations Following Fishing Mortality: Marine Protected Areas, Alternate Stable States, And Larval Ecology, John Vavrinec Iii Aug 2003

Resilience Of Green Sea Urchin (Strongylocentrotus Droebachiensis) Populations Following Fishing Mortality: Marine Protected Areas, Alternate Stable States, And Larval Ecology, John Vavrinec Iii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The green sea urchin Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis has been aggressively fished in Maine since 1986 resulting in severe population declines throughout portions of the state. This research used Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to evaluate the potential for recovery in depleted sea urchin populations. It was necessary to not only look at the direct impacts of the MPAs, but also at larval transport / supply and community interactions to gain a better understanding of the system. We found that MPAs in the Gulf of ~a!ne were of varied utility to restoring depleted sea urchin populations depending on location and community structure. MPAs …


The Use Of Acoustics To Resolve Nightly Excursions Of Hyperbenthos, Heather U. Abello May 2003

The Use Of Acoustics To Resolve Nightly Excursions Of Hyperbenthos, Heather U. Abello

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Acoustic analysis of die1 vertical migration in the Darnariscotta River estuary, Maine, showed a fairly regular nightly increase in biovolume (mm3 m'3) of organisms in the water column, presumed to be due to emergence, the entry of hyperbenthic organisms into the water column. Timing of these events was significantly correlated with time of sunset and time of sunrise for more than 50% of the dates where emergence and re-entry could be identified, between June and October 2002. Emergence traps indicate that the mysid shrimp, Neomysis americana, is the predominant migrator. Daily fluctuations in irradiance influence the timing of emergence fiom …


Modeling Bird Species Occurrence In Current And Future Landscapes, Stephen Nicholas Matthews May 2003

Modeling Bird Species Occurrence In Current And Future Landscapes, Stephen Nicholas Matthews

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With mounting evidence that global temperatures have increased significantly over the last century and the projections of greater changes in climate by the end of this century, understanding the potential consequences of these changes for species is essential to conservation efforts. Here I evaluate the potential response of birds to projected climate change by using regression tree analysis to create models of species distributions under current conditions from Breeding Bird Survey data and then project these models onto General Circulation Model (GCM) scenarios of global climate change. Before modeling species responses to climate change, I selected seventeen bird species to …


Population Dynamics And Spatial Analysis Of The Maine Green Sea Urchin (Strongylocentrotus Droebachiensis) Fishery, Robert C. Grabowski May 2003

Population Dynamics And Spatial Analysis Of The Maine Green Sea Urchin (Strongylocentrotus Droebachiensis) Fishery, Robert C. Grabowski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fisheries research on the green sea urchin in Maine has been limited despite its importance to the state's fishing industry. The objective of this thesis was to generate critical information for the management and monitoring of the Maine green sea urchin fishery. In particular there are three main areas of interest: (1) an investigation of biological reference points; (2) spatial analysis and biomass estimation, and (3) the development of a simulation framework approach to determine an optimal sampling strategy for the fishery-independent survey program. Biological reference points are markers conlrnonly used to monitor and manage fisheries. For the Maine sea …


Tidal Modulation Of Nocturnal Vertical Migration From The Benthos: A High-Resolution Acoustic Analysis, Leslie E. Taylor May 2003

Tidal Modulation Of Nocturnal Vertical Migration From The Benthos: A High-Resolution Acoustic Analysis, Leslie E. Taylor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Emergence-trap sampling has shown that several species living primarily on or in the sediment emerge nightly into the water column. This behavior was investigated using acoustic and traditional sampling methods. A TRACOR acoustic profiler, TAPS, was mounted on the sea bottom, looking upwards in approximately 10 m of water in the Damariscotta River estuary, Walpole, Maine. TAPS emits high-frequency (265-3000 kHz) sonar pulses and each minute measures backscatter from 12.5-cm range bins in the water column. TAPS data showed a distinct increase in backscatter in the water column most evenings, beginning around or after dusk and terminating before dawn. The …


Scope For Activity, Specific Dynamic Action And Growth In Early Juvenile Stages Of Atlantic Cod, Gadus Morhua, Sorren Lund Hansen May 2003

Scope For Activity, Specific Dynamic Action And Growth In Early Juvenile Stages Of Atlantic Cod, Gadus Morhua, Sorren Lund Hansen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Growth rates of early life stages of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) are very high, but decline, as the fish grow larger. Little is know about the physiological processes that facilitate and regulate this growth pattern. In this study, feeding and swimming metabolism were measured in individual juvenile Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in order to investigate how energy are allocated to swimming and growth in fast growing stages of fishes. Metabolic rates were measured by the means of oxygen consumption using two "Brett-type" respirometers. The metabolic measurements were repeated several times in individual juvenile Atlantic cod with a wet body mass …


Lipid Solubilization By Marine Benthic Invertebrates, Ian M. Voparil May 2003

Lipid Solubilization By Marine Benthic Invertebrates, Ian M. Voparil

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This work characterized the size of lipoidal colloids in benthic invertebrates' guts, using contact angle dilutions and imaging the fluorescence of the hydrophobic probe Nile Red. Deposit feeders and Nereis virens ingesting sediment were found to have micelles rather than emulsions in the gut. Gut fluids from Arenicola manna (a deposit-feeding polychaete) readily formed emulsions when incubated with mussel meat (Mytilus edulis; 80 g-mussel L"-gut fluid), suggesting that micelles form due to a paucity of emulsifying lipids in the gut. Lipid tracer contained in emulsion droplets was twice as likely to be captured by sediment than was tracer in micelles. …


An Interhemispheric Comparison Of The Recession Of Mountain Glaciers In The Last 150 Years, Colby Smith Jan 2003

An Interhemispheric Comparison Of The Recession Of Mountain Glaciers In The Last 150 Years, Colby Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Historical records in the Northern Hemisphere show overall glacier retreat since about AD 1860-1890. A glacial retreat of similar timing and magnitude in the Southern Hemisphere is less well established. Comparison of the timing and magnitude of glacial recession in the two polar hemispheres over the past century can elucidate mechanisms driving global climatic change. In order to determine the recession patterns of Murchison, Hooker, and Tasman Glaciers in the Southern Alps of New Zealand, geomorphic maps were constructed and recent glacial deposits were dated using lichenometry. Since the mid-to-late nineteenth century, each glacier terminus has retreated about 1.5 km. …


Stable Sulfur Isotope Rations From West Antarctica And The Tien Shan Mountains: Sulfur Cycle Characteristics From Two Environmentally Distinct Areas, Lee Pruett Jan 2003

Stable Sulfur Isotope Rations From West Antarctica And The Tien Shan Mountains: Sulfur Cycle Characteristics From Two Environmentally Distinct Areas, Lee Pruett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Continuous snow pit and ice core samples from two distinct environments (West Antarctica and the Tien Shan mountains in central Asia) were analyzed for 6 3 4 ~ and used to assess different regional sulfur cycle characteristics. In West Antarctica, 18 continuous samples were obtained from the RIDSA ice core (78.73"S, 116.33"W, 1740 m asl), covering the years 1935 to 1976. Each sample represents from 2 to 3 years of snow deposition, and the combination of summer and winter seasons varies by sample. 6 3 4 ~ values range from 3.1 %O to 9.9%0, and reflect the overall isotopic composition …