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Theses/Dissertations

Life Sciences

2009

William & Mary

Articles 1 - 25 of 25

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Anthropogenic Causes Of Copepod Mortality And Bacterial Decomposition Of Copepod Carcasses, Samantha L. Bickel Jan 2009

Anthropogenic Causes Of Copepod Mortality And Bacterial Decomposition Of Copepod Carcasses, Samantha L. Bickel

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Although zooplankton carcasses can be quite prevalent within aquatic systems, they have largely been overlooked in most zooplankton population studies. Anthropogenic stressors can potentially increase the overall abundance of carcasses on a local scale. Once a carcass is present within a system, the fate of its biomass is of considerable interest as it may be remineralized within the water column or transported to depth. Through the collection of field samples I assessed the possibility of an anthropogenic stressor (boat-generated turbulence) as a potential source of nonconsumptive mortality. I also conducted a series of laboratory experiments to monitor the decomposition of …


A Numerical Modeling Study On Barotropic And Baroclinic Responses Of The Chesapeake Bay To Hurricane Events, Kyoung-Ho Cho Jan 2009

A Numerical Modeling Study On Barotropic And Baroclinic Responses Of The Chesapeake Bay To Hurricane Events, Kyoung-Ho Cho

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The barotropic and baroclinic responses of the Chesapeake Bay to forcings from two hurricanes were investigated by using unstructured-grid three-dimensional hydrodynamic models. The model domain includes Chesapeake Bay proper, the tributaries, and its extended continental shelf in the mid-Atlantic Bight. Two hurricanes were studied: Hurricane Floyd of September, 1999 and Hurricane Isabel of September, 2003, both of which made landfall within 100 km of the Chesapeake Bay mouth. Hurricane Floyd in 1999 passed through the entrance of the Bay from southwest to northeast along the coastlines of Virginia as a Category 1 storm, whereas Hurricane Isabel in 2003 made landfall …


Identification And Quantification Of Polycyclic Musks And Methyl-Triclosan In Unknown Freshwater Fish Tissue Samples, Elizabeth Mara Jacobs Jan 2009

Identification And Quantification Of Polycyclic Musks And Methyl-Triclosan In Unknown Freshwater Fish Tissue Samples, Elizabeth Mara Jacobs

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


The Effects Of Adolescent Nicotine Exposure On Adult Learning, Andrea Marie Spaeth Jan 2009

The Effects Of Adolescent Nicotine Exposure On Adult Learning, Andrea Marie Spaeth

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Analyzing Anticipatory Muscle Tensing As A Measure Of Prospective Action, Kristin Michelle Reardon Jan 2009

Analyzing Anticipatory Muscle Tensing As A Measure Of Prospective Action, Kristin Michelle Reardon

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Cultural Eutrophication And The Clam Macoma Balthica: Evidence For Trophic Disruption And Effects On Blue Crabs, Bryce J. Brylawski Jan 2009

Cultural Eutrophication And The Clam Macoma Balthica: Evidence For Trophic Disruption And Effects On Blue Crabs, Bryce J. Brylawski

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Cultural eutrophication (CE) is the allochthonous input introduction of a quantity of matter, such as sediments, organic material, or nutrients, into a water body over the pre-anthropogenic (natural) levels. In most coastal estuaries CE has come to refer primarily to an increase in the concentration of phyto-nutrients. CE has been identified as the cause of very graphic phenomena such as hypoxia and fish kills. In this work I examine the potential for CE to alter the composition of the primary producer community and potentially alter or disrupt the benthic food web, using Macoma balthica as an indicator species. A series …


Assessing Genetic Variation Within And Among Native Populations And Hatchery Stocks Of Crassostrea Ariakensis Using Microsatellite Markers, Jie Xiao Jan 2009

Assessing Genetic Variation Within And Among Native Populations And Hatchery Stocks Of Crassostrea Ariakensis Using Microsatellite Markers, Jie Xiao

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Assessing genetic variation within and among native populations and hatchery stocks of Crassostrea ariakensis using microsatellite markers In response to the dramatic decline of eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) populations in the Chesapeake Bay, introduction of the non-native Asian oyster Crassostrea ariakensis has been proposed. Currently several hatchery stocks of C. ariakensis, derived from a few wild populations along the coast of Japan and China, are being maintained in U.S. hatcheries in the Pacific northwest and on the east coast. In recent years, as the risks of the proposed introduction are being assessed, these hatchery animals have been widely used for …


"The Coffee House (Where I Occasionally Sometimes Go)": Examining Diversity In The Urban Meat Diet Of Williamsburg In The Mid-Eighteenth Century, Kelsey J. Noack Jan 2009

"The Coffee House (Where I Occasionally Sometimes Go)": Examining Diversity In The Urban Meat Diet Of Williamsburg In The Mid-Eighteenth Century, Kelsey J. Noack

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Blockade Of Muscarinic M1 Receptors Disrupts Performance On An Attention-Demanding Visual Discrimination Task, Andrea Maureen Robinson Jan 2009

Blockade Of Muscarinic M1 Receptors Disrupts Performance On An Attention-Demanding Visual Discrimination Task, Andrea Maureen Robinson

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Effects Of Systemic And Intrabasalis Administration Of The Orexin-1 Receptor Antagonist, Sb-334867, On Attentional Performance In Rats, Karen Elizabeth Boschen Jan 2009

Effects Of Systemic And Intrabasalis Administration Of The Orexin-1 Receptor Antagonist, Sb-334867, On Attentional Performance In Rats, Karen Elizabeth Boschen

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Mud And Mucus: Feeding Selectivity In A Suspension-Feeding Detritivorous Fish, Marie Louise Lammons Jan 2009

Mud And Mucus: Feeding Selectivity In A Suspension-Feeding Detritivorous Fish, Marie Louise Lammons

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Songbirds, Pesticides, And Golf Courses: Exposure And Effects, Ryan Brennan Burdge Jan 2009

Songbirds, Pesticides, And Golf Courses: Exposure And Effects, Ryan Brennan Burdge

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Does Humor Benefit Health In Retirement?: Exploring Humor As A Moderator, Gillian P. Freeman Jan 2009

Does Humor Benefit Health In Retirement?: Exploring Humor As A Moderator, Gillian P. Freeman

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Toxicology Of Decabromodiphenyl Ether In Avian Embryos: Disposition Of The Flame Retardant Bde-209 In Yolk-Injected Chicken Embryos (Gallus Gallus), Samantha D. Sifleet Jan 2009

Toxicology Of Decabromodiphenyl Ether In Avian Embryos: Disposition Of The Flame Retardant Bde-209 In Yolk-Injected Chicken Embryos (Gallus Gallus), Samantha D. Sifleet

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are flame retardant chemicals of toxicological concern present in humans, wildlife, and the environment. Deca-BDE is the highest production product due to historical use patterns and recent regulatory limitations on the other two commercial formulations (Penta-BDE and Octa-BDE) in the U.S and Europe. The EU banned Deca-BDE starting July 1, 2008. However, it remains in usage in North America and elsewhere in the world. BDE-209 is the dominant congener in all Deca- BDE commercial products. BDE-209 has been reported to under go metabolic debromination to lesser brominated and more toxic and bioaccumulative congeners. However, insufficient data …


Multi-System Analysis Of Nitrogen Use By Phytoplankton And Heterotrophic Bacteria, Paul B. Bradley Jan 2009

Multi-System Analysis Of Nitrogen Use By Phytoplankton And Heterotrophic Bacteria, Paul B. Bradley

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Traditional measurements of phytoplankton N uptake have been confounded by bacterial retention on filters used in 15N uptake studies, and such methodological obstacles have limited our understanding of phytoplankton-bacterial interactions regarding N cycling. In this research, uptake of various inorganic and organic N substrates by phytoplankton and bacteria was measured in several marine ecosystems using two distinct approaches: size fractionation into phytoplankton and bacterial size classes, and flow cytometric (FCM) sorting of autotrophic cells. Comprehensive assessments of N uptake dynamics were conducted in Chesapeake Bay, the Mid-Atlantic Bight, and Raunefjord, Norway, with supplementary data collected from the York River, Virginia …


Prey Utilization And Energy Demand Of A Breeding Peregrine Falcon (Falco Peregrinus) Population, Elizabeth Claire Long Jan 2009

Prey Utilization And Energy Demand Of A Breeding Peregrine Falcon (Falco Peregrinus) Population, Elizabeth Claire Long

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Female Plumage Coloration In Eastern Bluebirds, Sialia Sialis: Is It A Sexually Selected Trait?, Joanna Kay Hubbard Jan 2009

Female Plumage Coloration In Eastern Bluebirds, Sialia Sialis: Is It A Sexually Selected Trait?, Joanna Kay Hubbard

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Hydrography And Phytoplankton Distribution In The Amundsen And Ross Seas, Glaucia M. Fragoso Jan 2009

Hydrography And Phytoplankton Distribution In The Amundsen And Ross Seas, Glaucia M. Fragoso

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The phytoplankton of the Ross Sea have been intensively studied during the last decade, as opposed to the Amundsen Sea, where virtually nothing is known about phytoplankton taxonomy and distribution. Blooms in the Ross Sea are usually composed of diatoms and the prymnesiophyte Phaeocystis antarctica; diatoms are often dominant in strongly stratified waters during the summer, whereas P. antarctica usually dominates in less stratified waters in the south-central polynya during spring. This study focused on understanding the environmental variables that influence the spatial patterns of phytoplankton assemblages during late summer and early fall, 2007, and late spring and early summer, …


Investigating The Relationships Between Recruitment Indices And Estimates Of Adult Abundance For Striped Bass, Weakfish, And Atlantic Croaker, Justine R. Woodward Jan 2009

Investigating The Relationships Between Recruitment Indices And Estimates Of Adult Abundance For Striped Bass, Weakfish, And Atlantic Croaker, Justine R. Woodward

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Establishing the relationships between recruitment indices and estimates of adult abundance using fishery-independent data continues to remain one of the principal challenges faced by fisheries scientists due to the lack of concurrent monitoring programs designed to target different life stages of the same species. In Chesapeake Bay, however, multiple, fishery-independent surveys currently monitor the relative abundance of YOY and adult fishes. Using the available data from these surveys, the relationships between estimates of relative abundance for young-of-year and adults of striped bass (Morone saxatilis), weakfish (Cynoscion regalis), and Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus) were examined. Year-class strength was reflected in subsequent …


Evolutionary Analysis Of The Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase 67 Immediate Upstream Region In African Clawed Frogs, Jonathan Lomax Boyd Jan 2009

Evolutionary Analysis Of The Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase 67 Immediate Upstream Region In African Clawed Frogs, Jonathan Lomax Boyd

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Previous Experience Shapes Mate Preferences Of Female Zebra Finches (Taeniopygia Guttata), Kelly Caroline Minton Jan 2009

Previous Experience Shapes Mate Preferences Of Female Zebra Finches (Taeniopygia Guttata), Kelly Caroline Minton

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


A Bayesian Network Approach To Feature Selection In Mass Spectrometry Data, Karl W. Kuschner Jan 2009

A Bayesian Network Approach To Feature Selection In Mass Spectrometry Data, Karl W. Kuschner

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

One of the key goals of current cancer research is the identification of biologic molecules that allow non-invasive detection of existing cancers or cancer precursors. One way to begin this process of biomarker discovery is by using time-of-flight mass spectroscopy to identify proteins or other molecules in tissue or serum that correlate to certain cancers. However, there are many difficulties associated with the output of such experiments. The distribution of protein abundances in a population is unknown, the mass spectroscopy measurements have high variability, and high correlations between variables cause problems with popular methods of data mining. to mitigate these …


Comparative Sensory And Energetic Ecology Of Sciaenid Fishes And Their Competitors In Chesapeake Bay, Va, Andrij Z. Horodysky Jan 2009

Comparative Sensory And Energetic Ecology Of Sciaenid Fishes And Their Competitors In Chesapeake Bay, Va, Andrij Z. Horodysky

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Coastal fishes of the western North Atlantic, such as sciaenids and their competitors, support substantial commercial and recreational fisheries in waters that may vary widely in temperature, salinity, light intensity and spectral distrubution, and dissolved oxygen levels, yet their ecophysiological abilities to cope with such variability have received little attention. I therefore applied multidisciplinary comparative techniques to investigate aspects of the sensory and energetic ecophysiology of several sciaenid fishes and non-sciaenid competitors common in the western North Atlantic. Auditory brainstem response experiments demonstrated that sciaenid fishes have greatest auditory sensitivity at low frequencies that match their vocalizations. Based upon both …


Egg Capsule Hatching Success In Rapana Venosa And Urosalpinx Cinerea In Relation To Temperature And Salinity, Stephanie M. Gera Jan 2009

Egg Capsule Hatching Success In Rapana Venosa And Urosalpinx Cinerea In Relation To Temperature And Salinity, Stephanie M. Gera

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The maintenance of a population within the geographic range is influenced by the physical and environmental conditions under which breeding occurs. It is hypothesized that environmental conditions under which egg capsules are successfully hatched will influence the range of potential habitat of the invasive veined rapa whelk, Rapana venosa, and the native Atlantic oyster drill, Urosalpinx cinerea, in the Chesapeake Bay. This study examines the environmental conditions of temperature, salinity, and the time of deposition of egg capsules within the reproductive period (here quantified as cumulative number of day degrees at egg capsule deposition). The range of R. venosa and …


Function Of Seed-Bank Ecology In Mid-Atlantic Semi-Annual And Perennial Zostera Marina Beds, Jessie C. Jarvis Jan 2009

Function Of Seed-Bank Ecology In Mid-Atlantic Semi-Annual And Perennial Zostera Marina Beds, Jessie C. Jarvis

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The effects of water quality and sediment composition on mid-Atlantic semi-annual and perennial Zostera marina reproductive success, seed-bank viability, and seed germination were elucidated using laboratory and in situ experiments, quantitative field observations, and ecological model simulations. The sediment seed-bank was found to play a large role in the recovery of perennial Z. marina beds in the Chesapeake Bay and in the yearly re-establishment of beds in North Carolina which were determined to have a semi-annual life history. However, the resiliency provided by sediment seed-bank for both semi-annual and perennial Z. marina beds was limited as seeds remained viable for …