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Fishes Associated With Oil And Gas Platforms In Louisiana's River-Influenced Nearshore Waters, Ryan Thomas Munnelly
Fishes Associated With Oil And Gas Platforms In Louisiana's River-Influenced Nearshore Waters, Ryan Thomas Munnelly
LSU Master's Theses
A distinctive feature of coastal Louisiana is the unrivaled network of oil and gas installations (platforms) extending from inshore waters to the deep Gulf of Mexico. Since 2007 there has been a 38% reduction in platform numbers with the highest removal rates occurring in shallow (< 18 m) nearshore waters. Many fishes and invertebrates are attracted to platforms, presenting a unique opportunity to study detailed species-specific responses to the river-influenced hydrographic characteristics of Louisiana’s nearshore zone (5–25 km water depth). Prior studies of fishes around platforms focused on a few relatively large platforms in water depths ≥ 18 m. However, about one-third of all platforms are small, unmanned and non-drilling platforms located in waters < 18 m depth. Paired video and hydrographic data were collected at 150 small platforms in < 18 m water depth during the summers of 2013–2014. Fifty-four species of fishes were associated with small platforms. The assemblage(s) included juveniles of 29 species, indicating the importance of nearshore platforms as diverse nursery habitat. The coastal zone was divided into three regions based on broad-scale interactions between freshwater input and bathymetry driving major distinctions in interregional hydrography and fish assemblages. Co-occurring within this expansive artificial reef network is the second largest hypoxic area (dissolved oxygen (DO) < 2.0 mg l−1) on Earth. Platforms offer reef-like habitat features in the upper water column that may offer refugia for some reef-associated species during hypoxic events. Significant intraregional differences in physicochemical features were related to the presence of hypoxia (defined as DO < 50% saturation), as well as the distribution of sandy shoals. Eleven species accounted for most of the assemblage dissimilarities, composing ~93% of fishes observed. Habitat suitability indices for these 11 species provided information about habitat selection across horizontal and vertical physicochemical gradients throughout the coastal zone, and within hypoxic and well-oxygenated stratified water columns. East Bay, near the outlet of the Mississippi River, exhibited less hypoxia and a distinct fauna that included four adult goliath grouper (Epinephelus itajara). This endangered fish was observed during spawning season (summer), suggesting that East Bay might support a spawning aggregation.
Measuring Primary Health Care Accessibility In Mississippi State Using An Extended Kernel Density 2sfca Method, Lijie Zhang
Measuring Primary Health Care Accessibility In Mississippi State Using An Extended Kernel Density 2sfca Method, Lijie Zhang
LSU Master's Theses
The accessibility of primary health care is fundamentally important to people’s life quality and wellbeing. Based on the block group level 2010 census data from the U.S. Census Bureau and primary health care data from Association of American Medical Colleges, this study focuses on measuring the primary health care accessibility using an extended kernel-density two Step Float Catchment Area method. The study area is the Mississippi State, which is ranked last state for health care. The objectives of this study are to calculate the accessibility and analyze the spatial and non-spatial disadvantages of communities in accessibility of primary health care …
Long-Term Total Suspended Sediment Yield Of Coastal Louisiana Rivers With Spatiotemporal Analysis Of The Atchafalaya River Basin And Delta Complex, Timothy Rosen
LSU Master's Theses
The modern day Mississippi River Delta Plain and the Louisiana Chenier Plain have been greatly altered through anthropogenic changes to course and hydrological conditions of the Mississippi River and local rivers, most notably by levees that have excluded the Mississippi River from the delta plain. This has slowed accretion and increased land loss destroying vast quantities of marsh, endangering many coastal communities. This master’s thesis examined long-term total suspended sediment yield of four Chenier Plain rivers, total suspended sediment yield of the Mississippi River under different flow conditions, and total suspended sediment dynamics of the Atchafalaya River in relation to …
Status Of Wintering Grassland Birds In A Post-Hurricane, Salvage-Logged Forest, Matthew Edward Brooks
Status Of Wintering Grassland Birds In A Post-Hurricane, Salvage-Logged Forest, Matthew Edward Brooks
LSU Master's Theses
North American grassland birds have been declining at an alarming rate. Winter habitat for grassland species in the southeastern U.S. generally occurs within forests subject to management. I studied wintering grassland bird communities in De Soto National Forest in southern Mississippi. My objectives were to: 1) Assess bird communities and vegetation structure in upland forest stands that were salvage-logged following Hurricane Katrina, in stands managed for Red-cockaded Woodpeckers (Picoides borealis, RCW), and in stands containing bogs; and 2) Determine the extent of the association between vegetation and occurrence of the common wintering grassland birds. I conducted bird and vegetation surveys …
Geologic Variability And Holocene Sedimentary Record On The Northern Gulf Of Mexico Inner To Mid-Continental Shelf, Triniti A. Dufrene
Geologic Variability And Holocene Sedimentary Record On The Northern Gulf Of Mexico Inner To Mid-Continental Shelf, Triniti A. Dufrene
LSU Master's Theses
Sidescan Sonar, chirp sonar sub-bottom profiles, and grab samples were collected on the north-central Gulf of Mexico continental shelf as part of an interdisciplinary study mapping juvenile red snapper habitat. Demarcation of essential fish habitat for juvenile red snapper (Lutjanus campechansis) in the Gulf of Mexico is considered critical for effective management of this valuable species. The first goal of this study was to map and describe the geology of this region. The second goal was to attempt to relate variations in geology to juvenile red snapper abundance and distribution. Sidescan mosaics were created for ten polygons, ranging in size …