Life Sciences Commons^™

Adverse Effects Of Microcystis Aeruginosa Exudates On The Filtration, Digestion, And Reproduction Organs Of Benthic Bivalve Corbicula Fluminea, Zijin Hong, Xinyun Chen, Junxiang Hu, Xuexiu Chang, Yu Qian

Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research Publications

Cyanobacteria bloom and the secondary metabolites released by the microorganism are extremely harmful to aquatic animals, yet study on their adverse effects in zoobenthos is rare. Corbicula fluminea widely distributed in freshwater environment with algal blooms. It is a typical filter feeding zoobenthos that may be affected by the secondary metabolites of cyanobacteria due to its high filtering rate. In this study, C. fluminea was exposed to Microcystis aeruginosa exudates (MaE) for 96 h, which was obtained from 5 × 105 cells/mL and 2.5 × 106 cells/mL exponential stage M. aeruginosa culture solution that represented cyanobacteria cell density needs environmental …

Biomass Distribution Of Benthosema Glaciale And Maurolicus Muelleri In The North Atlantic, Fabio Berzaghi, Laurene Merillet, Anna Conchon, Morten Skogen, Emma Dolmaire, Espen Strand, Douglas Speirs, Webjørn Melle, Mary S. Wisz

Datasets

This dataset contains maps of biomass estimates of Maurolicus muelleri and Benthosema glaciale created using the output of three models from the MEESO project. Maps represent an average biomass distribution and not any specific year, please note the distribution of biomass varies in time. For more details please consult the metadata on the ICES website.

199965, David Kerstetter

PERC Albacore sPAT Data

Datasets (and supporting material) from 4sPAT electronic tags deployed on albacore caught by pelagic longline gear in the western North Atlantic.

199953, David Kerstetter

PERC Albacore sPAT Data

Datasets (and supporting material) from 4sPAT electronic tags deployed on albacore caught by pelagic longline gear in the western North Atlantic.

199949, David Kerstetter

PERC Albacore sPAT Data

Datasets (and supporting material) from 4sPAT electronic tags deployed on albacore caught by pelagic longline gear in the western North Atlantic.

199946, David W. Kerstetter

PERC Albacore sPAT Data

Datasets (and supporting material) from 4sPAT electronic tags deployed on albacore caught by pelagic longline gear in the western North Atlantic.

Late Summer Plankton Community Variation In Near Shore Environments, Aidan Jacobs-Walker

Copley Library Undergraduate Research Awards

Phytoplankton communities have profound impacts on ecosystem health and function. In the Southern California Bight, hydrographic conditions play a key role in determining the composition of phytoplankton communities. This study conducted hydrographic and plankton community analyses of the nearshore environment off Dana Point, California, during late September. Similar to other studies in the SCB during fall, we observed weakly stratified, oligotrophic waters dominated by dinoflagellates under 10 μm. However, the recorded plankton abundances onshore vs. offshore deviated from the “green ribbon” typical of the SCB, in which phytoplankton are much more abundant onshore than offshore. Additionally, while the onshore community …

Targeting Ocean Conservation Outcomes Through Threat Reduction, Joseph A. Turner, Malcolm Starkey, Nicholas K. Dulvy, Frank Hawkins, Louise Mair, Adeline Serckx, Thomas Brooks, Beth Polidoro, Stuart H. M. Butchart, Kent Carpenter, Minna Epps, Rima W. Jabado, Nicholas B. W. Macfarlane, Leon Bennun

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Nations have committed to reductions in the global rate of species extinctions through the Sustainable Development Goals 14 and 15, for ocean and terrestrial species, respectively. Biodiversity loss is worsening despite rapid growth in the number and extent of protected areas, both at sea and on land. Resolving this requires targeting the locations and actions that will deliver positive conservation outcomes for biodiversity. The Species Threat Abatement and Restoration (STAR) metric, developed by a consortium of experts, quantifies the contributions that abating threats and restoring habitats in specific places offer towards reducing extinction risk based on the IUCN Red List …

Using Single Cell Genomics To Explore The Impact Of Marine Viruses On Microbial Respiration., Paxton Tomko

MCB Articles

Viral metabolic reprograming of marine prokaryotes, through the use of virally encoded auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs), plays a critical role in marine ecosystem function by influencing biochemical cycles and genetic diversity in these environments. Despite the fundamental role viruses play in global environmental ecosystems, they remain an understudied aspect of microbial ecology and evolution, in part due to the methods available for studying virus host interactions in natural systems. Thus far, metagenomic analyses have been used to study the interactions of virus host pairs, but these types of analyses have their limitations in accurately linking viruses to hosts, or culture-based …

Mapping The Tidal Marshes Of Coastal Virginia: A Hierarchical Transfer Learning Approach, Zhonghui Lv, Karinna Nunez, Ethan Brewer, Daniel Runfola

Arts & Sciences Articles

Coastal wetlands, especially tidal marshes, play a crucial role in supporting ecosystems and slowing shoreline erosion. Accurate and cost-effective identification and classification of various marsh types, such as high and low marshes, are important for effective coastal management and conservation endeavors. However, mapping tidal marshes is challenging due to heterogeneous coastal vegetation and dynamic tidal influences. In this study, we employ a deep learning segmentation model to automate the identification and classification of tidal marsh communities in coastal Virginia, USA, using seasonal, publicly available satellite and aerial images. This study leverages the combined capabilities of Sentinel-2 and National Agriculture Imagery …

Ecu-Mss-2 Dataset, A New Multi-Species Seagrass Dataset, Md K. Noman, Syed M. S. Islam, Seyed M. Jalali, Jumana Abu-Khalaf, Paul Lavery

Research Datasets

The "ECU-MSS-2' dataset contains four different habitats, 'Amphibolis' spp (hereafter 'Amphibolis"), 'Halophila' spp (hereafter 'Halophila'), 'Posidonia' spp (hereafter 'Posidonia') and 'Background'. We compiled this image dataset from different sources. The 'Halophila' images were collected by the Centre for Marine Ecosystems Research, Edith Cowan University, Western Australia.

The 'Amphibolis' 'Background' and 'Posidonia' images were collected by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA), Australia. The 'Amphibolis' class includes the seagrass species Amphibolis griffithii and Amphibolis Antarctica. The 'Halophila' class includes Halophila ovalis, while the 'Posidonia' class includes Posidonia sinuosa, Posidonia coriacea, and Posidonia Australis. The 'Background' class includes coral, sand, …

Editorial - Contemporary Marine Science, Its Utility And Influence On Regulation And Government Policy, Piers Larcombe, Angus Morrison-Saunders, Peter V. Ridd

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The purpose of this Research Topic is to evaluate the quality of contemporary marine science and to examine relationships between science, regulation and government policy in the marine environment. The quality of marine science matters; not just to advance knowledge on understanding marine ecosystems, but also to guide marine management. ...

Region-Specific Drivers Cause Low Organic Carbon Stocks And Sequestration Rates In The Saltmarsh Soils Of Southern Scandinavia, Carmen Leiva-Dueñas, Anna E. L. Graversen, Gary T. Banta, Jeppe N. Hansen, Marie L. K. Schrøter, Pere Masqué, Marianne Holmer, Dorte Krause-Jensen

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Saltmarshes are known for their ability to act as effective sinks of organic carbon (OC) and their protection and restoration could potentially slow down the pace of global warming. However, regional estimates of saltmarsh OC storage are often missing, including for the Nordic region. To address this knowledge gap, we assessed OC storage and accumulation rates in 17 saltmarshes distributed along the Danish coasts and investigated the main drivers of soil OC storage. Danish saltmarshes store a median of 10 kg OC m−2 (interquartile range, IQR: 13.5–7.6) in the top meter and sequester 31.5 g OC m−2 yr−1 (IQR: 41.6–15.7). …

Oliver Agee Catfish Neurocranium, Charlotte R. Oliver, Kristina Agee, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Neurocranium from 10.7 cm total length, [Catfish], collected by [Kerstetter].

Catfish Neurocranium 3-D Scan, Pamela Gonzalez, Jarod Johnson, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

No abstract provided.

Common Snook (Centropomus Undecimalis) Neurocranium, Ryan Robison, Lesley Wallace, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Neurocranium length of 16.5 cm Common Snook (Centropomus undecimalis), collected from Dr. Kerstetter's Lab on 10/23 by Ryan Robison and Lesley Wallace.

Yellow Grouper (Epinephelus Awoara), Tyler Jurain, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

No abstract provided.

Jack Crevalle Neurocranium, Rodolfo A. Heredia, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

No abstract provided.

Brown Bullhead Catfish (Ameiurus Nebulosus) Neurocranium, Reginald Leon Kempson Iii, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Neurocranium from [6.3] cm total length (30 cm) [Brown Bullhead Catfish (Ameiurus nebulosus)], collected from [Dr.Kerstetters lab] on [6/December/2023] by [Reginald Kempson III]

Gag Grouper (Mycteroperca Microlepis) Neurocranium, Sierra Potts, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

10 cm neurocranium from Gag Grouper, Mycteroperca microlepis, collected from Snapper Mike's on 05/11/2023 by Sierra Potts

Parrotfish Skull, Grace Mikus, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

No abstract provided.

Serranidae Spp. Neurocranium, Justin Abonce, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

No abstract provided.

Rainbow Parrotfish Neurocranium, Theophilus J. Hebert, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

No abstract provided.

Aquaculture Governance: Five Engagement Arenas For Sustainability Transformation, Darien D. Mizuta, Stefan Partelow

VIMS Articles

A greater focus on governance is needed to facilitate effective and substantive progress toward sustainability transformations in the aquaculture sector. Concerted governance efforts can help move the sector beyond fragmented technical questions associated with intensification and expansion, social and environmental impacts, and toward system-based approaches that address interconnected sustainability issues. Through a review and expert-elicitation process, we identify five engagement arenas to advance a governance agenda for aquaculture sustainability transformation: (1) setting sustainability transformation goals, (2) cross-sectoral linkages, (3) land–water–sea connectivity, (4) knowledge and innovation, and (5) value chains. We then outline the roles different actors and modes of …

The Sociocultural Significance Of Maine's Oyster Based On Media Coverage Analysis, Syeira Clark

Honors College

Throughout the last decade, the oyster aquaculture industry in Maine has boomed, with 6 million pounds of oysters being harvested in 2021, about the amount that was harvested in 2016 (Cough, 2022). According to the founders of the Maine Oyster Trail, there are over 150 oyster farms currently operating on Maine’s coast, which is about twice as many as there were in 2016 (Maine Sea Grant). With this boom in the industry has come a wave of opportunity, as well as news coverage about the shellfish. This study examines the socio-cultural significance to the state of Maine. While the oyster …

Effects Of Elevated Temperature On 8-Ohdg Expression In The American Oyster (Crassostrea Virginica): Induction Of Oxidative Stress Biomarkers, Cellular Apoptosis, Dna Damage And Γh2ax Signaling Pathways, Md Faizur Rahman, Mohammad Maruf Billah, Richard J. Kline, Md Saydur Rahman

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Global temperature is increasing due to anthropogenic activities and the effects of elevated temperature on DNA lesions are not well documented in marine organisms. The American oyster (Crassostrea virginica, an edible and commercially important marine mollusk) is an ideal shellfish species to study oxidative DNA lesions during heat stress. In this study, we examined the effects of elevated temperatures (24, 28, and 32 °C for one-week exposure) on heat shock protein-70 (HSP70, a biomarker of heat stress), 8-hydroxy-2’-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG, a biomarker of pro-mutagenic DNA lesion), double-stranded DNA (dsDNA), γ-histone family member X (γH2AX, a molecular biomarker of DNA damage), …

Substantial Blue Carbon Sequestration In The World’S Largest Seagrass Meadow, Chuancheng Fu, Sofia Frappi, Michelle N. Havlik, Wells Howe, S. David Harris, Elisa Laiolo, Austin J. Gallagher, Pere Masqué, Carlos M. Duarte

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Seagrass meadows are important sinks for organic carbon and provide co-benefits. However, data on the organic carbon stock in seagrass sediments are scarce for many regions, particularly The Bahamas, which accounts for up to 40.7% of the documented global seagrass area, limiting formulation of blue carbon strategies. Here, we sampled 10 seagrass meadows across an extensive island chain in The Bahamas. We estimate that Bahamas seagrass meadows store 0.42–0.59 Pg organic carbon in the top-meter sediments with an accumulation rate of 2.1–2.9 Tg annually, representing a substantial global blue carbon hotspot. Autochthonous organic carbon in sediments decreased from ~1980 onwards, …

Global Dataset Of Soil Organic Carbon In Tidal Marshes, Tania L. Maxwell, André S. Rovai, Maria F. Adame, Janine B. Adams, José Álvarez-Rogel, William E. N. Austin, Kim Beasy, Francesco Boscutti, Michael E. Böttcher, Tjeerd J. Bouma, Richard H. Bulmer, Annette Burden, Shannon A. Burke, Saritta Camacho, Doongar R. Chaudhary, Gail L. Chmura, Margareth Copertino, Grace M. Cott, Christopher Craft, John Day, Carmen B. De Los Santos, Lionel Denis, Weixin Ding, Joanna C. Ellison, Carolyn J. E. Lewis, Luise Giani, Maria Gispert, Swanne Gontharet, José A. González-Pérez, M. Nazaret González-Alcaraz, Connor Gorham, Anna E. L. Graversen, Anthony Grey, Roberta Guerra, Qiang He, James R. Holmquist, Alice R. Jones, José A. Juanes, Brian P. Kelleher, Karen E. Kohfeld, Dorte Krause-Jensen, Anna Lafratta, Paul S. Lavery, Edward A. Laws, Carmen Leiva-Dueñas, Pei S. Loh, Catherine E. Lovelock, Carolyn J. Lundquist, Peter I. Macreadie, Inés Mazarrasa, J. Patrick Megonigal, Joao M. Neto, Juliana Nogueira, Michael J. Osland, Jordi F. Pagès, Nipuni Perera, Eva-Maria Pfeiffer, Thomas Pollmann, Jacqueline L. Raw, María Recio, Ana C. Ruiz-Fernández, Sophie K. Russell, John M. Rybczyk, Marek Sammul, Christian Sanders, Rui Santos, Oscar Serrano, Matthias Siewert, Craig Smeaton, Zhaoliang Song, Carmen Trasar-Cepeda, Robert R. Twilley, Marijn Van De Broek, Stefano Vitti, Livia V. Antisari, Baptiste Voltz, Christy N. Wails, Raymond D. Ward, Melissa Ward, Jaxine Wolfe, Renmin Yang, Sebastian Zubrzycki, Emily Landis, Lindsey Smart, Mark Spalding, Thomas A. Worthington

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Tidal marshes store large amounts of organic carbon in their soils. Field data quantifying soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks provide an important resource for researchers, natural resource managers, and policy-makers working towards the protection, restoration, and valuation of these ecosystems. We collated a global dataset of tidal marsh soil organic carbon (MarSOC) from 99 studies that includes location, soil depth, site name, dry bulk density, SOC, and/or soil organic matter (SOM). The MarSOC dataset includes 17,454 data points from 2,329 unique locations, and 29 countries. We generated a general transfer function for the conversion of SOM to SOC. Using this …

Gut Microbial Communities Of Hybridising Pygmy Angelfishes Reflect Species Boundaries, Megan J. Huggett, Jean-Paul A. Hobbs, Federico Vitelli, Michael Stat, Tane H. Sinclair-Taylor, Michael Bunce, Joseph D. Dibattista

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Hybridisation and introgression of eukaryotic genomes can generate new species or subsume existing ones, with direct and indirect consequences for biodiversity. An understudied component of these evolutionary forces is their potentially rapid effect on host gut microbiomes, and whether these pliable microcosms may serve as early biological indicators of speciation. We address this hypothesis in a field study of angelfishes (genus Centropyge), which have one of the highest prevalence of hybridisation within coral reef fish. In our study region of the Eastern Indian Ocean, the parent fish species and their hybrids cohabit and display no differences in their diet, behaviour, …

Coral Restoration: Comparisons In Space, Time, Impacts, And Costs, Allison Fargo

Honors College

Seventy-five percent of coral reefs globally face crisis due to anthropogenic disturbances, prompting heightened global coral restoration initiatives to preserve these vital ecosystems. Various regions employ diverse active coral restoration methodologies, including coral gardening, transplantation, micro-fragmentation, artificial reefs, and sexual propagation. Of these methods, coral gardening stands out as one of the most common and highly successful methods, alongside widespread transplantation practices. Restoration efforts predominantly focus on acroporids due to their relatively rapid growth and asexual fragmentation; however, a diverse range of coral species, including large, slow-growing varieties, is also employed in these endeavors. Costs vary significantly, ranging from $10,000 …