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Effects Of Increasing Temperature And Ocean Acidification On The Microstages Of Two Populations Of Saccharina Latissima In The Northwest Atlantic, Sarah Redmond Dec 2013

Effects Of Increasing Temperature And Ocean Acidification On The Microstages Of Two Populations Of Saccharina Latissima In The Northwest Atlantic, Sarah Redmond

Master's Theses

Saccharina latissima (Linnaeus) C.E.Lane, C.Mayes, L.D. Druehl and G.W.Saunders, is the most widely distributed species of kelp in the western North Atlantic, occurring from the Arctic to Long Island Sound. The effects of global climate change on these ecologically and economically important cold temperate species at the southern range of their distribution are unknown. This study investigated the impact of the combined stressors of increased temperature (16, 19, 22, 25 & 28°C) and reduced pH (7.9, 7.8, 7.7, & 7.6) on the gametophyte and juvenile sporophyte stages of sugar kelp populations from Maine and Long Island Sound. Spore germination and …


Can Acartia Spp. Adapt To Climatic Warming? Heritable Within-Population Genetic Variation In Life History Traits, Benjamin L. Cournoyer Aug 2013

Can Acartia Spp. Adapt To Climatic Warming? Heritable Within-Population Genetic Variation In Life History Traits, Benjamin L. Cournoyer

Master's Theses

To predict the response of the biota to environmental change requires information on intrapopulation variation in life history traits and the proportion of phenotypic variation attributable to genes, heritability. Yet, knowledge of these parameters in marine populations is very limited. In the present study, I consider phenotypic plasticity and heritability of temperature-dependent, fitness-related life history traits in two coastal copepod species, Acartia tonsa and Acartia hudsonica, from Long Island Sound, a temperate estuary on the east coast of the USA. Acartia hudsonica is a purportedly cold-adapted species and A. tonsa a warm-adapted one. I used a full-sibling, split family design …


Administrative Draft: Sea-Level Rise & Climate Adaptation Plan For The City Of Carpinteria, Jean Long Jun 2013

Administrative Draft: Sea-Level Rise & Climate Adaptation Plan For The City Of Carpinteria, Jean Long

Master's Theses

Sea-level rise (SLR) is one consequence of global climate change and given Carpinteria's location right along the coast, the City will likely face the threats of sea-level rise and other impacts in greater frequency and intensity. The intent of this administrative draft is to provide a foundation for future development of a Climate Adaptation Plan, a starting point for the City’s climate initiatives. This administrative draft consists of background information on Carpinteria, a preliminary vulnerability assessment, and a list of potential strategies for City-led implementation. An adaptation plan is sound planning that recognizes the community’s vulnerabilities and attempts to minimize …


Assessing Physiological Thresholds For Eelgrass (Zostera Marina L.) Survival In The Face Of Climate Change, Carolyn Jane Ewers Jun 2013

Assessing Physiological Thresholds For Eelgrass (Zostera Marina L.) Survival In The Face Of Climate Change, Carolyn Jane Ewers

Master's Theses

Seagrasses are well known for the important ecological roles they play in coastal marine waters worldwide. However, the severe rate of decline observed in seagrasses this century is expected to accelerate with climate change. Conservation efforts can be improved by quantifying physiological thresholds of seagrasses and using these estimates in modeling to forecast changes in distribution. This study examines the response of eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) across current temperatures to look for early warning signs of vulnerability and to evaluate the ways we determine critical thresholds for survival. Whole eelgrass ramets, collected from three beds in Morro Bay, California, …