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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Strategies To Promote Value And Resilience In The American Lobster (Homarus Americanus) Industry, Nicole Orminski Dec 2022

Strategies To Promote Value And Resilience In The American Lobster (Homarus Americanus) Industry, Nicole Orminski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The American lobster (Homarus americanus) fishery is the most valuable single-species fishery in the United States and Canada (DFO, 2021; NOAA Fisheries, n.d.). Coastal communities on both sides of the border rely on the American lobster supply chain, which economically links the two countries with one another and with other countries around the globe. Ongoing disruptions (or shocks) threaten the functionality of the supply chain, and increased globalization leads to greater exposure to shocks as they are transmitted between systems. One research study described in this thesis aims to add value to the industry via post-harvest treatment of …


Using Reflex Actions To Predict Delayed Post-Harvest Mortality Of American Lobster (Homarus Americanus) In Maine’S Lobster Supply Chain, Cassandra Leeman Dec 2022

Using Reflex Actions To Predict Delayed Post-Harvest Mortality Of American Lobster (Homarus Americanus) In Maine’S Lobster Supply Chain, Cassandra Leeman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In live seafood industries, maintaining product quality and survivorship are critical aspects of the supply chain infrastructure. Post-harvest mortality in the American lobster (Homarus americanus) fishery can result in a significant loss in revenue for the largest single species fishery in North America. In Maine, the wholesale lobster distribution supply chain directly and indirectly supports state and local economies, providing almost $1 billion in revenue and dominates the fishery, producing 82% of the total lobster landings in the USA (Donihue, 2018; NOAA, 2021). However, at least 2% of the lobster landed in Maine die before they reach consumers, representing an …


Understanding The Impacts Of Anthropogenic Effects An Habitat Variability Interactions On Maine's Rocky Intertidal Ecosystem, Laura Braun Dec 2022

Understanding The Impacts Of Anthropogenic Effects An Habitat Variability Interactions On Maine's Rocky Intertidal Ecosystem, Laura Braun

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The rocky intertidal ecosystem is an important ecological and cultural aspect of the picturesque Maine coast, playing a vital role in not only Maine’s coastal ecosystem, but also to Maine’s economy. It’s distinct community structure along the sharp elevational gradient and the presence of daily stressors (wave action, heat, and desiccation), make the rocky intertidal ecosystem an important model ecosystem to monitor for effects from anthropogenic impacts. In this thesis, I describe attempts to monitor and understand the impacts of two of these anthropogenic impacts on this system: climate change and industrial harvesting of Ascophyllum nodosum along Maine’s coast. For …


Remotely Sensed Assessment Of The Preferred Habitat Of Alexandrium Catenella In The Gulf Of Maine And The Bay Of Fundy, Andre F. Bucci Aug 2022

Remotely Sensed Assessment Of The Preferred Habitat Of Alexandrium Catenella In The Gulf Of Maine And The Bay Of Fundy, Andre F. Bucci

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) of the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella are an annually recurring problem in the Gulf of Maine (GoM), resulting in risks to human health and substantial economic losses due to shellfish harvesting closures. The monitoring approaches in the region are restricted to real-time identification of the HABs events, when they are clearly underway and already causing deleterious effects to the environment. To fully function as an early warning system rather than an immediate response, monitoring strategies need to be focused on environmental conditions preceding A. catenella HABs. However, the current understanding of the preferred habitat for A. …


Modeling Life History And Population Dynamics Of American Lobster And Atlantic Sea Scallops In A Warming Gulf Of Maine, Cameron T. Hodgdon Aug 2022

Modeling Life History And Population Dynamics Of American Lobster And Atlantic Sea Scallops In A Warming Gulf Of Maine, Cameron T. Hodgdon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Climate change is impacting many marine species distributions, life histories, and behaviors, as well as their associated fisheries and overall production. This is perhaps especially true for the Gulf of Maine (GOM). Here, warming rates are exceeding a vast majority of the world’s oceans. This highly dynamic system supports myriad species, but is both economically recognized and culturally known for its Atlantic sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus) and American lobster (Homarus americanus) fisheries. This dissertation examines the influence of regional climate change on these species in an effort to predict how these stocks and their fisheries may …


Age, Growth, Foraging, And Trophic Ecology Of Bigeye (Thunnus Obesus) And Yellowfin (Thunnus Albacares) Tuna In Continental Shelf And Slope Regions Of The Northeast U.S., Riley S. Austin May 2022

Age, Growth, Foraging, And Trophic Ecology Of Bigeye (Thunnus Obesus) And Yellowfin (Thunnus Albacares) Tuna In Continental Shelf And Slope Regions Of The Northeast U.S., Riley S. Austin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Traditional stock assessments require, in part, accurate knowledge of growth relationships to estimate a variety of aspects involved in population conservation management of exploited species. In addition, the local distribution and condition of top pelagic predators is driven by detection of abundant forage aggregations and along with traditional stock assessments, should be considered for effective management of marine populations. Empirical analyses of these data are severely lacking for bigeye (Thunnus obesus) and yellowfin (Thunnus albacares) tuna in the Atlantic Ocean, especially for the former. Given historical studies’ observations of these two top predators use as biological samplers due to their …


Comparing Two Non-Invasive Methods For Assessing Marine Mammal Genetic Diversity: Environmental Dna Vs. Fecal Dna, Sydney Jackson May 2022

Comparing Two Non-Invasive Methods For Assessing Marine Mammal Genetic Diversity: Environmental Dna Vs. Fecal Dna, Sydney Jackson

Honors College

As technology and science progresses, the methodology behind observing, monitoring, and sampling marine mammals advances as well. One such technique is environmental DNA or eDNA, which entails extracting organismal DNA from water samples without ever handling or disturbing the organism. It is a cost-efficient and non-invasive method that can be utilized in the sampling of seal haulout sites as is its purpose for this research. Another method, using the DNA analysis of seal fecal samples, is a less invasive method that can also be utilized to monitor and assess marine mammals. Through collecting both fecal and water samples from gray …


Development Of A High Throughput, Whole Organism Assay For Studying Metabolic Capacity In Crassostrea Virginica, Avuntaura Gulledge May 2022

Development Of A High Throughput, Whole Organism Assay For Studying Metabolic Capacity In Crassostrea Virginica, Avuntaura Gulledge

Honors College

Genetic improvement of commercial lines has been a key component in the increased production of eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica). One form of genetic improvement, induced triploidy, is commonly used to produce sterile oysters with faster growth and higher meat quality. However, the details of the physiological advantage provided by triploidy are poorly understood. Whole animal respiration is an important indicator of an individual’s capacity to meet increased energetic demands for growth and stress response. I have developed an assay for the Agilent’s XFe96 Extracellular Flux Analyzer to measure metabolic capacity (i.e., rates of basal, maximal, mitochondrial, and non-mitochondrial oxygen consumption) …


Identifying Umbrella Species To Inform The Conservation Of Intertidal Areas In Acadia National Park, Abigiail Muscat May 2022

Identifying Umbrella Species To Inform The Conservation Of Intertidal Areas In Acadia National Park, Abigiail Muscat

Honors College

The nearshore ecosystem in Maine (USA) supports several bird species that rely on intertidal and subtidal zones, including high densities of migratory shorebirds and wintering waterfowl. Additionally, Acadia National Park (ANP) includes some of the country’s highest densities of both Purple Sandpipers (Calidris maritima) and Harlequin Ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus). Here I investigated whether conservation actions taken to preserve these two species of high conservation concern might also benefit the larger taxonomic groups to which they belong, a concept known as “umbrella species conservation”. To answer this question, bird abundance surveys were conducted within ANP during 2021, and detection and occupancy …


The Effect Of Large Wood Restoration On Algal Biomass And Spatial Distribution In The Narraguagus River, Kiera M. Luu May 2022

The Effect Of Large Wood Restoration On Algal Biomass And Spatial Distribution In The Narraguagus River, Kiera M. Luu

Honors College

The Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) is an anadromous fish native to the eastern US and Canada. Though they used to inhabit much of the eastern coasts of New England and Canada, the last of the United States’ wild Atlantic Salmon are now mostly limited to Maine. Due to habitat destruction from dams and historic logging activity, the quality of food sources, spawning grounds, and essential juvenile salmon habitat have been severely impacted. This habitat is the rearing area for many young salmon, and its quality influences their growth and recruitment into the overall Atlantic salmon population. Restoration of Atlantic salmon …


Linking Local Knowledge & Community Science In Support Of Coastal Marine Stewardship, Sarah Risley Apr 2022

Linking Local Knowledge & Community Science In Support Of Coastal Marine Stewardship, Sarah Risley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the last two decades, there has been a shift towards more integrated, ecosystem-based approaches to marine management, including fisheries. At the same time, there have been calls for greater inclusion of diverse perspectives in conservation science and practice. For these reasons, there is renewed interest in the integration of indigenous and local knowledge into science, management, and environmental decision making. Despite these developments, local knowledge often is poorly integrated or treated as something of lesser value than knowledge generated or curated by professional researchers. Novel methods that integrate social and ecological data and prioritize local knowledge and community-based approaches …