Life Sciences Commons^™

Causes And Consequences Of Individual Phenotypic Differences In Brachyuran Crabs With A Focus On Behavior, Benjamin A. Belgrad

Theses and Dissertations

Individual variation defines almost every morphological, physiological, and behavioral aspect of populations and is a fundamental component of many ecosystem processes. Recent work indicates that accounting for these individual differences can enhance our ability to predict community responses to environmental disturbances which is becoming increasingly important in an era of extraordinary global change. However, our understanding of how different individual characteristics are connected to each other and governed by the environment remains limited.

This study sought to evaluate the relationship between individual behavior, physiological condition, and local habitat for Brachyuran crabs as well as the subsequent strength of their predator-prey …

Fate And Behavior Of Silver Nanoparticles To The Estuarine Organisms, Prorocentrum Minimum And Crassostrea Virginica, Shelby Victoria Butz

Theses and Dissertations

Nanoparticles are known to be entering the environment and are shown to have adverse effects on aquatic organisms (Fabrega et.al. 2011, Lapresta-Fernandez et.al. 2012, Matranga and Corsi 2012, Moore 2006). The purpose of this study was to quantify the uptake of AgNPs by two estuarine organisms and determine the associated toxic effects of accumulation. There are multiple procedures for nanoparticle (NP) synthesis that involve various core and surface materials, which result in various characteristics such as size, shape, and surface coating. In this study silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized by a chemical reduction of silver salts and characterized in stock …