Life Sciences Commons^™

Implications Of Salinity Normalization Of Seawater Total Alkalinity In Coral Reef Metabolism Studies, Travis A. Courtney, Tyler Cyronak, Alyssa J. Griffin, Andreas J. Andersson

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Salinity normalization of total alkalinity (TA) and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) data is commonly used to account for conservative mixing processes when inferring net metabolic modification of seawater by coral reefs. Salinity (S), TA, and DIC can be accurately and precisely measured, but salinity normalization of TA (nTA) and DIC (nDIC) can generate considerable and unrecognized uncertainties in coral reef metabolic rate estimates. While salinity normalization errors apply to nTA, nDIC, and other ions of interest in coral reefs, here, we focus on nTA due to its application as a proxy for net coral reef calcification and the importance for …

People That Score High On Psychopathic Traits Are Less Likely To Yawn Contagiously, Andrew Gallup, Mariska E. Kret, Omar T. Eldakar, Julia Folz, Jorg J. M. Massen

Biology Faculty Articles

Considerable variation exists in the contagiousness of yawning, and numerous studies have been conducted to investigate the proximate mechanisms involved in this response. Yet, findings within the psychological literature are mixed, with many studies conducted on relatively small and homogeneous samples. Here, we aimed to replicate and extend upon research suggesting a negative relationship between psychopathic traits and yawn contagion in community samples. In the largest study of contagious yawning to date (N = 458), which included both university students and community members from across 50 nationalities, participants completed an online study in which they self-reported on their yawn contagion …

Predation Efficiency Of Lionfish (Pterois Volitans And P. Miles) In Differing Levels Of Habitat Complexity, Abigail Ehlers Kimbrel

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

The invasion of the Indo-Pacific lionfish (Pterois sp.) into the Atlantic and Caribbean has received attention around the globe. Venomous spines, over-sized fanlike pectoral fins, slow movement, and novel feeding strategies have allowed lionfish to become effective apex- predators. Recent research has determined that lionfish use inshore mangrove habitats as foraging grounds, which are also used as nursery habitats for juvenile fish, thus reducing recruitment of native fish populations. The purpose of this study was three-fold: (1) determine the predation efficiency of lionfish in differing mangrove habitat complexities, (2) examine the influence of temperature and behavior of prey commonly found …

Optimizing The Time To Transfer Sexually Produced Corals Of Porites Astreoides, Agaricia Agaricites, And Montastraea Cavernosa To An Offshore Nursery, Rachel Ionata

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

As reefs continue to decline globally and become unable to recover on their own, restoration becomes essential to abate reef degradation and boost reef recovery until the main sources of the degradation are addressed. Sexual propagation is an important restoration technique that still requires optimization. One of the major knowledge gaps is determining the optimal time to transfer newly-settled sexually-produced corals from an aquarium to an offshore nursery without compromising their survival and growth. This study transferred settlers from Porites astreoides, Agaricia agaricites, and Montastraea cavernosa to an offshore nursery at approximately one week, five weeks, and nine weeks post-settlement, …

Element Contamination In Port Everglades – Preparing For Ecological Impacts, Laura White

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Port dredging is of economic importance worldwide but its impacts to the marine environment through the remobilization of elemental contaminants are not well understood. A massive deepening and widening of Port Everglades, Florida, will begin in 2023. Contaminated sediment disturbed during the dredging process could be released and prove to be harmful to three coral reef tracks located beginning 1.5 miles away from the port. This study focused on identifying and quantifying 14 different trace elements: arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), nickel (Ni), selenium (Se), tin (Sn), …

Spatiotemporal Variation Of An Eastern Tropical Pacific Pelagic Community Assessed With Free-Drifting Bruvs, Tyler Stephen Plum

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Information about pelagic community diversity and ecology generally lags far behind that of coastal communities, and largely derives from fisheries data that do not reflect small and non-target species. We describe spatiotemporal vertebrate species diversity and variability over a 3,486 km² area of highly productive pelagic marine ecosystem in Pacific Panama using drifting baited remote underwater video stations (BRUVS), a non-invasive fishery-independent sampling technique. We observed 26 taxa from 17 families, including 1 mammal, 3 reptile, 5 elasmobranch, and 17 teleost species. Community assemblages differed on and off the continental shelf and between wet (April – December) and dry …

Responses Of Benthic Calcifying Algae To Ocean Acidification Differ Between Laboratory And Field Settings, Heather N. Page, Keisha D. Bahr, Tyler Cyronak, Elizabeth B. Jewett, Maggie D. Johnson, Sophie J. Mccoy

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Accurately predicting the effects of ocean and coastal acidification on marine ecosystems requires understanding how responses scale from laboratory experiments to the natural world. Using benthic calcifying macroalgae as a model system, we performed a semi-quantitative synthesis to compare directional responses between laboratory experiments and field studies. Variability in ecological, spatial, and temporal scales across studies, and the disparity in the number of responses documented in laboratory and field settings, make direct comparisons difficult. Despite these differences, some responses, including community-level measurements, were consistent across laboratory and field studies. However, there were also mismatches in the directionality of many responses …

Impacts Of Deepwater Horizon On Fish And Fisheries: What Have We Learned About Resilience And Vulnerability In A Coupled Human-Natural System?, S.A. Murawski, C.B. Paris, Tracey Sutton, M. Cockrell, S. O'Farrell, J. Sanchirico, E. Chancellor, L. Perruso

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches, Lectures

The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill occurred in a region of the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) supporting abundant, diverse and valuable communities of fishes and fishers. The economy of the northern GoM is inextricably tied to the natural resource bases of the region (tourism, fishing, oil and gas, etc.) and thus the coupling between the human and ecological systems is tight and subject both feed-back and, to some extent, feed-forward controls. Management actions taken during the 87-day DWH spill incident included the closure of over 280,000 km² of productive fishing area (about 1/3 of USA federal waters in the …

Pelagic Habitat Use By Benthic Fishes – Juvenile Scorpaenoids Of The Oceanic Gulf Of Mexico, Drew W. Mertzlufft

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

The suborder Scorpaenoidei is among the most speciose fish taxa of the World Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Most adult scorpionfishes are benthic and have a pelagic juvenile phase. Although the species descriptions and distributions of adult scorpionfishes within the GoM are well documented, their juvenile forms are largely undescribed. Due to the poorly resolved taxonomic status of juvenile scorpionfishes, their assemblage dynamics have not been accurately assessed. Specimens were collected from the GoM during seven research cruises (2010-2011), as part of the NOAA-supported Offshore Nekton Sampling and Analysis Program (ONSAP), and during six research cruises (2015-2018), as …

A Temporal Analysis Of The Microbiota And Biofouling Development On Artificial Substrates In The Port Everglades Inlet, Florida, Denise Swack

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

A pilot project was deployed in Port Everglades Inlet, Florida that aimed to evaluate the biofilm composing the microbiome on ecologically engineered artificial substrates used to build Coastal Marine Infrastructure. In April of 2017, an Articulated Concrete Block Mattress comprised of an ecological engineered concrete substrate and a standard smooth surface control substrates were compared. This study will provide a profile on the microbiome community on artificial substrates within Port Everglades Inlet on bio-enhancing concrete-based solutions in our Coastal Marine Infrastructure. To study the microbial community, the 16s rRNA technology was used in Illumina’s high-throughput DNA sequencing. Samples were collected …

Validation Of Landsat 8 High Resolution Sea Surface Temperature Using Surfers, Quinton Vanhellemont, Robert J. W. Brewin, Philip J. Bresnahan, Tyler Cyronak

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Nearshore coastal waters are highly dynamic in both space and time. They can be difficult to sample using conventional methods due to their shallow depth, tidal variability, and the presence of breaking waves. High resolution satellite sensors can be used to provide synoptic views of Surface Temperature (ST), but the performance of such ST products in the nearshore zone is poorly understood. Close to the shoreline, the ST pixels can be influenced by mixed composition of water and land, as a result of the sensor’s spatial resolution. This can cause thermal adjacency effects due to the highly different diurnal temperature …

Genome-Wide Association Study Reveals Genetic Variants Associated With Hiv-1c Infection In A Botswana Study Population, Andrey Shevchenko, Daria V. Zhernakova, Sergey Malov, Aleksey Komissarov, Sofia Kolchanova, Gaik Tamazian, Alexey Antonik, Nikolay Cherkasov, Sergey Kliver, Anastasiia Turenko, Mikhail Rotkevich, Igor Evsyukov, David Vlahov, Prisca K. Thami, Simani Gaseitsiwe, Vladimir Novitsky, Myron Essex, Stephen James O'Brien

Biology Faculty Articles

Although there have been many studies of gene variant association with different stages of HIV/AIDS progression in United States and European cohorts, few gene-association studies have assessed genic determinants in sub-Saharan African populations, which have the highest density of HIV infections worldwide. We carried out genome-wide association studies on 766 study participants at risk for HIV-1 subtype C (HIV-1C) infection in Botswana. Three gene associations (AP3B1, PTPRA, and NEO1) were shown to have significant association with HIV-1C acquisition. Each gene association was replicated within Botswana or in the United States–African American or United States–European American AIDS …

Bacterial Cooperation Through Horizontal Gene Transfer, Isaiah Paolo A. Lee, Omar T. Eldakar, J. Peter Gogarten, Cheryl P. Andam

Biology Faculty Articles

Cooperation exists across all scales of biological organization, from genetic elements to complex human societies. Bacteria cooperate by secreting molecules that benefit all individuals in the population (i.e., public goods). Genes associated with cooperation can spread among strains through horizontal gene transfer (HGT). We discuss recent findings on how HGT mediated by mobile genetic elements promotes bacterial cooperation, how cooperation in turn can facilitate more frequent HGT, and how the act of HGT itself may be considered as a form of cooperation. We propose that HGT is an important enforcement mechanism in bacterial populations, thus creating a positive feedback loop …

A Coral Spawning Calendar For Sesoko Station, Okinawa, Japan, Andrew H. Baird, Alasdair J. Edwards, James R. Guest, Saki Harii, Masayuki Hatta, Liam Lachs, Hanaka Mera, Frederic Sinniger, David Abrego, Or Ben-Zvi, Omri Bronstein, Patrick C. Cabaitan, Vivian R. Cumbo, Gal Eyal, Lee Eyal-Shaham, Bar Feldman, Joana Figueiredo, Jean-François Flot, Mila Grinblat, Andrew Heyward, Michio Hidaka, Mamiko Hirose, Akira Iguchi, Naoko Isomura, Robert A. Kinzie, Seiya Kitanobo, Alyson Kuba, Oren Levy, Yossi Loya, Takuma Mezaki, Amin R. Mohamed, Masaya Morita, Satoshi Nojima, Yoko Nozawa, Rian Prasetia, Eneour Puill-Stephan, Catalina Ramirez-Portilla, Hanna Rapuano, Yaeli Rosenberg, Yusuke Sakai, Kazuhiko Sakai, Tom Shlesinger, Tullia I. Terraneo, Irina Yakovleva, Hiromi H. Yamamoto, Kiyoshi Yamazato

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Sesoko Station, Okinawa, has been the site of many significant advances in coral reproductive research and it continues to be a preferred destination for both Japanese and international researchers. Consequently, there are decades of spawning observations, which we present and explore here with the aim of making it easier to predict when species spawn at Sesoko Station. The data include over 700 spawning observations from 87 species of reef-building hermatypic corals. Almost all spawning occurred between dusk and dawn, with most spawning activity concentrated in the 2 to 4 hours after sunset. Some phylogenetic patterns were evident: most Acropora species …

Perceptual Fatigability And Neuromuscular Responses During A Sustained, Isometric Forearm Flexion Muscle Action Anchored To A Constant Level Of Perceived Exertion, Robert W. Smith, John Paul V. Anders, Tyler J. Neltner, Jocelyn E. Arnett, Joshua L. Keller, Terry J. Housh, Richard J. Schmidt, Glen O. Johnson

Journal for Sports Neuroscience

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to examine the fatigue-induced changes in torque, and the electromyographic (EMG) and mechanomyographic (MMG) responses during a sustained submaximal, isometric forearm flexion muscle action anchored to a constant rating of perceived exertion (RPE). Methods: Eleven women (mean ± SD: age = 20.5 ± 1.9 yrs.; height = 169.9 ± 6.6 cm; body mass = 73.2 ± 15.9 kg) performed 2, 3s forearm flexion maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVIC) before a sustained isometric muscle action anchored to RPE = 7 until task failure (defined as torque that would require RPE > 7, or the …

Resource Allocation And Phenotypic Plasticity Of Simultaneous Hermaphroditic Turtle Barnacles (Chelonibia Testudinaria), Kevin C. Cash

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

This research addresses the knowledge gap of phenotypic plasticity in a commonly found and important species of epizoic barnacle, Chelonibia testudinaria. Limited research has been published regarding how phenotypic expression is mediated the spatial distribution of barnacles on a mobile host. To investigate this potential relationship, barnacles were collected from the backs of turtles along the beaches of Fort Lauderdale Florida. These barnacles were assessed for various phenotypic traits as well as their corresponding spatial distribution on the turtle carapace. Barnacles were safely removed from the carapace using a chisel before their preservation in ethanol. Barnacles were then numbered …

Peruvian Fur Seals As Archivists Of El Niño Southern Oscillation Effects, Mickie Rae Edwards, Susana Cardenas-Alayza, Michael Adkesson, Mya Daniels-Abdulahad, Amy Hirons

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Peru’s coastal waters are characterized by significant environmental fluctuation due to periodic El Niño- La Niña- Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events. This variability results in ecosystem-wide food web changes which are reflected in the tissues of the Peruvian fur seal (Arctocephalus australis). Stable isotope ratios (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) in Peruvian fur seal vibrissae (whiskers) are used to infer temporal primary production and dietary variations in individuals. Sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) recordings from the Niño 1+2 Index region captured corresponding ENSO conditions. Fluctuations in δ¹⁵N values were correlated to SSTA records, indicating that …

Temporal Baseline Of Essential And Non-Essential Elements Recorded In Baleen Of Western Arctic Bowhead Whale (Balaena Mysticetus), Samantha Shore, Dimitri Giarikos, Lawrence K. Duffy, Mickie Rae Edwards, Amy Hirons

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

This study established the first baseline of changing elemental concentrations in bowhead whale baleen over time (1958–1999). From previously published stable isotope data, year, season (summer or winter), and location (Beaufort or Bering/Chukchi seas) were attributed to each sample. Thirteen elements (Al, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, V, Zn) in baleen from nine subsistence-harvested bowhead whales (n = 138) were detected. Al, Cu, and Fe were the highest concentrations while Cd and V were among the lowest. Our data supports absorption as the main route of exposure to environmental elements rather than biomagnification due to …

Carpe Diem: Winner And Loser Effects Are Constrained To Same-Day Competitions In Collegiate Baseball, Omar Tonsi Eldakar, Natalie Buckwold, Andrew C. Gallup

Biology Faculty Articles

Competitive outcomes can be significantly influenced by previous experience of winning and losing, whereby all things considered, winners are likely to continue winning and losers are likely to keep losing. Although short-lived, the underlying hormonal changes associated with these effects have been observed into the following day. Here, we assess the functional persistence of winner and loser effects in college baseball by investigating outcomes (splits vs. sweeps) of multigame series played over one or more days. Results show that sweeps occur at disproportionately higher frequencies in single-day series, but drop off to expected levels for multiday series.

Assessing A Novel Adaptation To Cci Devices To Model Human Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, William R. Kochen, Kristen Craven, Rachel E. Barkey, Jane M. Flinn, David D. Cerri

Journal for Sports Neuroscience

Background: Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) are a health crisis with over a million people suffering injuries each year in the United States. The majority of TBIs are mild injuries which often produce no period of unconsciousness and no gross damage to the brain or skull. A range of TBI animal models exist but many produce injuries too severe to characterize as mild. One TBI induction method commonly used is Controlled Cortical Impact (CCI) devices.

New Method: The purpose of this study is to assess a novel adaptation to CCI devices that allows for the induction of mild injuries that …

Climate Process Team: Improvement Of Ocean Component Of Noaa Climate Forecast System Relevant To Madden-Julian Oscillation Simulations, Toshiaki Shinoda, Suyang Pei, Wanqiu Wang, Joshua X. Fu, Ren-Chieh Lien, Hyodae Seo, Alexander Soloviev

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Given the increasing attention in forecasting weather and climate on the subseasonal time scale in recent years, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced to support Climate Process Teams (CPTs) which aim to improve the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) prediction by NOAA’s global forecasting models. Our team supported by this CPT program focuses primarily on the improvement of upper ocean mixing parameterization and air-sea fluxes in the NOAA Climate Forecast System (CFS). Major improvement includes the increase of the vertical resolution in the upper ocean and the implementation of General Ocean Turbulence Model (GOTM) in CFS. In addition to existing mixing …

The Impact Of #365papers: A Daily Scientific Twitter Campaign To Disseminate Exercise Oncology Literature, Kendra Zadravec, Sarah Weller, Logan Meyers, Kirstin Lane, Jeffrey Kong, Kristin L. Campbell

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Many health researchers and practitioners use Twitter to stimulate scientific dialogue and collaboration among peers, as well as the general public. In 2018, the Clinical Exercise Physiology Lab (CEPL) undertook a year-long scientific Twitter campaign (#365Papers) where one peer-reviewed publication related to cancer and exercise/physical activity was tweeted per day. Features of this campaign included Throwback Thursdays (selected article published before 2018) and guest tweeters (article chosen by other exercise oncology researchers). We report on the impact of the #365Papers campaign based on Twitter Analytics data (i.e., engagement rate). We also explore how engagement rate differed depending on publication …

Summer Internship Program In Biomedical Research (Sip), Snigdha Marivada

Trick to the Treat of Internships and Research

No abstract provided.

Trick To The Treat: Science Alive At Nova Southeastern University, Neha Joshi, Alina Poothurail, Shashank Nutalapati, Science Alive Team

Trick to the Treat of Internships and Research

No abstract provided.

Shadowing Opportunity With Dr. Khan, Faraz Zia

Trick to the Treat of Internships and Research

No abstract provided.

Crest Project: Protein Modeling Internship, Emily Schmitt Lavin, Lyla Abbas, Arthur Sikora, Pujita Julakanti, Feza Abbas, Sanjana Likki, Matthew Hunt, Carol Manikkuttiyil, Christo Manikkuttiyil, Carolina Alzamora

Trick to the Treat of Internships and Research

No abstract provided.

Internship At Levit Dermatology, Laser, And Cosmetic Surgery Center, Michelle Volis

Trick to the Treat of Internships and Research

No abstract provided.

My Internship Experience At Vardy Orthodontics And Family Dentistry, Beanna Cumella

Trick to the Treat of Internships and Research

No abstract provided.

How To Actually Get An Internship, Zachary Lawrence

Trick to the Treat of Internships and Research

No abstract provided.

Telescribe Scribeamerica - Undergraduate Research Halmos College Of Arts And Sciences, Tanya Mariah

Trick to the Treat of Internships and Research

No abstract provided.