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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Effects Of Light Intensity And Predator Chemical Cues On Juvenile And Adult Daphnia Magna Diel Vertical Migration, Mira Johnson Jun 2024

Effects Of Light Intensity And Predator Chemical Cues On Juvenile And Adult Daphnia Magna Diel Vertical Migration, Mira Johnson

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Many species of zooplankton exhibit the predator avoidance behavior called diel vertical migration (DVM). During typical DVM, zooplankton ascend to surface waters during the night and descend to deeper water during the day where predation by visual predators is reduced due to lower light levels (Goldman and Horne 1983; Wetzel 1983). DVM is highly variable and the degree to which it is induced can fluctuate based on factors such as zooplankton size, changes in light intensity, and predator chemical cues (Van Gool and Ringelberg 1995, cited in Weber and Noordwijk 2002). Although DVM has been well studied using the genus …


Building A High-Throughput Yeast Two-Hybrid Assay To Screen For Novel Chronic Hepatitis B Drugs, Benjamin Glazer Jan 2023

Building A High-Throughput Yeast Two-Hybrid Assay To Screen For Novel Chronic Hepatitis B Drugs, Benjamin Glazer

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Hepatitis B is a vaccine preventable liver disease caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV). Chronic hepatitis B currently affects about 296 million people around the world, killing 820,000 annually. There is currently no cure for chronic hepatitis B, but research over the last decade has identified hepatitis B X protein (HBx) as a promising therapeutic target. Specifically, inhibiting the interaction between HBx and human protein DDB1 could disrupt HBx function. An essential step in the drug development process is to create an assay that is capable of high-throughput screening millions of compounds for activity against HBx-DDB1. This research aims to …


Gangliogenesis And Embryonic Development In Biomphalaria Glabrata, Subhiksha Srinivasan Jan 2023

Gangliogenesis And Embryonic Development In Biomphalaria Glabrata, Subhiksha Srinivasan

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Biomphalaria glabrata is an intermediate host for a parasitic species, Schistosoma mansoni, which can infect humans causing schistosomiasis. The majority of research conducted on these snails focuses on host-parasite relationships. Thus, very little is known regarding their nervous system, especially during embryonic and juvenile development. This project aims to investigate the transition from the embryonic nervous system consisting of a network of neurons to a developed ganglionic nervous system consisting of a separation between clusters of nerve cell bodies, or ganglia, and connectives. To investigate when this process, known as gangliogenesis, occurs, immunofluorescence is used to visualize the serotonergic nervous …


Methods For Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Of Biomphalaria Glabrata Nf-Κb, Marissa A. Zintel Jan 2023

Methods For Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Of Biomphalaria Glabrata Nf-Κb, Marissa A. Zintel

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Biomphalaria glabrata is a species of freshwater snail that is an intermediate host to the parasite Schistosoma mansoni, a causative agent of human schistosomiasis. Substantial research has focused on the B. glabrata immune system, but progress is restricted by the limited molecular tools available for molluscan organisms. While many studies have described the anti-parasitic defenses of B. glabrata, the initiation and regulation of these defenses remain unclear. One important immune regulator, well known in both human and Drosophila immunology, is nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB). Research has shown that B. glabrata NF-κB transcripts are upregulated in response to …


The Biomechanics Of The Softball Swing In Seven Stages: Optimizing Exit Velocity, Ceara A. Larson Jun 2021

The Biomechanics Of The Softball Swing In Seven Stages: Optimizing Exit Velocity, Ceara A. Larson

Lawrence University Honors Projects

The study of sports biomechanics is a rapidly developing field that can be used to analyze an athlete’s most critical motions and improve their performance. In the world of baseball, sports biomechanists, scientists dedicated to the field of sports biomechanics, help keep pitchers healthy, optimize pitch performance, and improve a batter’s swing efficiency. Because of their surface-level similarities, the findings of baseball biomechanical studies have been projected onto the sport of women’s fastpitch softball, despite their substantial differences in physiology, field dimensions, pitch delivery, and classifications of hitters. The purpose of this study is to produce a biomechanical analysis unique …


Development Of A Split Green Fluorescent Protein Reporting System For Angiogenin, Phan QuỳNh ChâU Lê Jun 2021

Development Of A Split Green Fluorescent Protein Reporting System For Angiogenin, Phan QuỳNh ChâU Lê

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Angiogenin (ANG) is a secreted protein that holds important implications in the growth and survival for a variety of cell types—from healthy endothelial or neuronal cells, to diseased cancer cells. Currently, we lack a complete understanding of ANG’s mechanism of action. Our work aims to develop a functional fluorescence-based reporting system to study ANG internalization activity in cancer cells. Specifically, we utilize a split green fluorescent protein (split GFP) system, in which the 11th strand of the GFP molecule (GFP11) is attached to ANG, while the remaining non-fluorescent GFP1-10 fragment is expressed in our target HeLaGFP1-10 cell line. The reconstitution …


Programming Simulations Of Diel Vertical Migration Behavior Of Zooplankton, Bennett J. Mcafee Jun 2021

Programming Simulations Of Diel Vertical Migration Behavior Of Zooplankton, Bennett J. Mcafee

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Diel vertical migration of zooplankton is the daily cycle of movement towards and away from the surfaceof a lake that results from the need to avoid predation and forage for food.The process of diel vertical migration is one of the main forces creating the spatial and temporal structure of aquatic food webs, often acting as the biological pump that moves carbon around an aquatic environment(Brierley 2014).In Daphnia, a genus of crustacean zooplankton, this behavior is triggered in response to both lightintensity and chemical signaling by predators. As a result, diel vertical migration changes in intensity in response to fish populations …


No Mow May Lawns Have Higher Pollinator Richness And Abundances: An Engaged Community Provides Floral Resources For Pollinators, Relena R. Ribbons, Israel Del Toro Sep 2020

No Mow May Lawns Have Higher Pollinator Richness And Abundances: An Engaged Community Provides Floral Resources For Pollinators, Relena R. Ribbons, Israel Del Toro

Faculty Publications

No Mow May is a community science initiative popularized in recent years that encourages property owners to limit their lawn mowing practices during the month of May. The goal of No Mow May is to provide early season foraging resources for pollinators that emerge in the spring, especially in urban landscapes when few floral resources are available. We worked with the city council of Appleton, Wisconsin, USA. to allow No Mow May to take place in May 2020. Four hundred and thirty-five property owners registered for No Mow May in Appleton. We measured floral and bee richness and abundance in …


5-Ht Receptor Subtype May Mediate Crh Production In Hypothalamus, Bailey Underwood Jul 2020

5-Ht Receptor Subtype May Mediate Crh Production In Hypothalamus, Bailey Underwood

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Increased levels of corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) are associated with anxiety, as are decreased levels of serotonin (5-HT). Do 5-HT levels influence CRH production and anxiety? The ventral hippocampus is associated with anxiety behavior, contains cells expressing 5-HT receptors (including 5HT7R), and extends axons into CRH producing regions of the hypothalamus (Jalewa et al., 2014; Jiminez et al., 2018). Therefore, 5-HT responsive neurons may play a role in the anxiety response and CRH production. To analyze how 5-HT may influence anxiety, 5dpf Danio rerio were examined following application of a 5-HT7R agonist (AS-19) and antagonist (SB-258179). A distance assay was …


Effects Of The Invasive Zooplankter Bythotrephes Longimanus On The Aquatic Food Web In Green Bay, Lake Michigan, Arianna Neumeyer May 2019

Effects Of The Invasive Zooplankter Bythotrephes Longimanus On The Aquatic Food Web In Green Bay, Lake Michigan, Arianna Neumeyer

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Bythotrephes longimanus, also known as the spiny water flea, is an invasive planktonic crustacean in the Great Lakes. Bythotrephes competes with fish for smaller planktonic prey. We sampled southern Green Bay, WI during the summers of 2017 and 2018 to determine population structure and dynamics of zooplankton in this important body of water. The biomass of Bythotrephes in 2017 express high numbers in mid-June and experience a mid-summer crash in early-July. Biomass then began to rise steadily until reaching their peak in late-August and September. We observed this crash in biomass for Bythotrephes and Leptodora in both 2017 and …


An Overview Of American Ginseng Through The Lens Of Healing, Conservation And Trade, Margaret Wulfsberg May 2019

An Overview Of American Ginseng Through The Lens Of Healing, Conservation And Trade, Margaret Wulfsberg

Lawrence University Honors Projects

American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) is an herbaceous plant found in the eastern United States and Canada. Due to the high demand for ginseng roots on the Chinese market, it has been harvested at unsustainable rates. If this continues, overharvest along with other environmental factors will lead it to become extinct in the wild. American ginseng became popular due to its similarities with Asian ginseng, (Panax ginseng), a related plant that has been used in Chinese medicine for hundreds of years. Since there is so little Asian ginseng left in the wild, American ginseng now helps satisfy …


Nf-Κb In Biomphalaria Glabrata: A Genetic Fluke?, Paige Stocker May 2019

Nf-Κb In Biomphalaria Glabrata: A Genetic Fluke?, Paige Stocker

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Biomphalaria glabrata is the intermediate host to the disease causing parasitic worm, Schistosoma mansoni. Previous work has identified homologs of NF-κB, a known immune related transcription factor, in B. glabrata and work has also been done to establish putative κB sites. It has also been observed that the p65 homologous subunit has an extended N-terminal region not present in other homologs. The goal of the present study is twofold: investigate DNA binding affinity of two NF-κB subunits, Bg-p65 and Bg-p50, and characterize the nature of the N-terminal extension of Bg-p65. In the current work, it is shown through the …


Novel Characterization Of The Role Of Orthologous Xap5 In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Nabor Vazquez May 2019

Novel Characterization Of The Role Of Orthologous Xap5 In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Nabor Vazquez

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Cilia are one of the oldest and most well conserved cellular organelles. Cilia provide an essential role in cellular locomotion, fluid regulation, and are a site for signal transduction pathways involved in sensation. A new study suggests that XAP5 is a transcription factor in a unicellular organism, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, which regulates gene expression needed for proper cilium assembly. Our study investigates the conservation of the role of XAP5 in a multicellular system, Caenorhabditis elegans. Alignments between protein, coding region, and promoter sequences for XAP5 orthologs from related species show a good conservation in DNA and protein sequences. As part of …


Examining Lateral Line Development Through Cxcl14 Modulation Of Cxcl12-Cxcr4 Mediated Gene Expression In Danio Rerio, Ariana Calderon-Zavala May 2019

Examining Lateral Line Development Through Cxcl14 Modulation Of Cxcl12-Cxcr4 Mediated Gene Expression In Danio Rerio, Ariana Calderon-Zavala

Lawrence University Honors Projects

The lateral line is a mechanosensory system used by fish to sense the movement of water. It is evolutionarily related to the inner-ear in humans. For both organisms, the binding of the CXCL12 (SDF-1 ligand) to the CXCR4 receptor induces conformational changes needed to activate signal transduction. This signaling results in numerous cellular responses such as cell fate, chemotaxis, and gene transcription. Interestingly, researchers have found that another signaling molecule, CXCL14, can also bind to the CXCR4 receptor with high affinity (Tanegashima et al., 2013). As a result, we hypothesize that CXCL14 modulates CXCL12-mediated chemotaxis, presumably acting as an allosteric …


Comparison Of An Electron Transport System (Ets) Enzyme-Mediated Reduction Assay And Respiration Rate Of The Invasive Copepod Eurytemora Carolleeae In Green Bay, Wi, Usa, Alexander Timpe May 2019

Comparison Of An Electron Transport System (Ets) Enzyme-Mediated Reduction Assay And Respiration Rate Of The Invasive Copepod Eurytemora Carolleeae In Green Bay, Wi, Usa, Alexander Timpe

Lawrence University Honors Projects

The use of aquatic resources for agriculture, trade, and recreation adds stress to water-dwelling organisms. Rapid changes in abiotic conditions, such as warming due to climate change and nutrient loading from agricultural runoff and urban areas, threaten to induce profound alterations to aquatic environments. These changes affect interspecific community interactions and may cause an aquatic resource to lose its functionality that is valuable to humans. Studying organisms such as plankton that form an ecosystem’s foundation is an important step towards understanding the entire food web and predicting how it may or may not be able to respond to a changing …


Population Genetics And Bumble Bee Conservation: Saving Species By Thinking Small, Cady Greenslit May 2018

Population Genetics And Bumble Bee Conservation: Saving Species By Thinking Small, Cady Greenslit

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Pollinators have experienced a severe decline over the last few decades, and this includes bumble bee populations (g. Bombus). Bumble bees are important native pollinators, and here I investigate the health of local populations with molecular tools. The field of conservation genetics has created useful methodology for investigating the health and informing management strategies of threatened populations. This work investigates and describes the applications of population genetics, which uses span across the board. These applications are then brought back into the context of bumble bee conservation, and how they fit into the experimental plan I originally designed. I designed …


Mapping Out Head Country: Expression Of Daf-19c In The Head Neurons Of C. Elegans, Hanwenheng (Billy) Liu May 2018

Mapping Out Head Country: Expression Of Daf-19c In The Head Neurons Of C. Elegans, Hanwenheng (Billy) Liu

Lawrence University Honors Projects

C. elegans has been used as a model system for studies of nervous system development and function for over 50 years due to its relative simplicity and strong similarity to other animals. One of such similarities is the presence of an RFX transcription factor, which is responsible for controlling gene expression in a handful of important organs, including the brain. RFX proteins are a family of highly evolutionarily conserved proteins that usually function by binding to a specific region (called the X-box) in the promoter of their target genes. A single RFX-coding gene has been found in C. elegans, …


Creating A Learning Community In The Sciences, Bart De Stasio, Beth De Stasio, Brian Piasecki Aug 2017

Creating A Learning Community In The Sciences, Bart De Stasio, Beth De Stasio, Brian Piasecki

Diversity Conference 2017

Science is a collaborative discipline that is best learned through discussion, experimentation and group activity. But several groups of students—particularly students of color, first generation college students and some international students— are often marginalized in our classrooms, labs and are left out of study groups. Their voices aren’t heard, their points of view and interpretations aren’t always appreciated and the learning of these students is thwarted. To address these issues, we have been involved in forming and designing two groups that have been functioning for the past two years: LEDS (Lawrentians Enhancing Diversity in the Sciences) and BioCore, a supplementary …


The Weevil Next Door: Exploring The Impact Of Associational Effects On C. Pitcheri To Better Biological Control Practices, Tina Czaplinska May 2017

The Weevil Next Door: Exploring The Impact Of Associational Effects On C. Pitcheri To Better Biological Control Practices, Tina Czaplinska

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Lake Michigan dwelling dune thistle, Circium pitcheri, is a federally threatened plant, whose reproduction is affected by a non-native weevil, Larinus planus. Originally introduced as a biological control agent to combat the spread of Canada thistle, Circium arvense, this weevil is instead using C. pitcheri as a host for its larvae. Associational susceptibility is an important factor to consider in hopes of preventing the damage to this endangered plant. The goal of this study was to observe L. planus behavior to determine why there is a correlation between increased density of beach grass and high levels of C. …


A Spiny Water Flea Invasion And Effects On The Zooplankton Community In Southern Green Bay, Lake Michigan, Casey Ann Merkle May 2017

A Spiny Water Flea Invasion And Effects On The Zooplankton Community In Southern Green Bay, Lake Michigan, Casey Ann Merkle

Lawrence University Honors Projects

The spiny water flea (Bythotrephes longimanus) is an invertebrate aquatic invasive species (AIS) in the Great Lakes that competes with native fish species for zooplankton, perhaps contributing to a decline of fish populations or changes in zooplankton communities in Lake Michigan. Bythotrephes produce two types of eggs, immediately hatching versus resting eggs which are tolerant to harsh conditions and allow for rapid dispersal. We determined Bythotrephes population density and population dynamics in Green Bay during the summer months of 2015 and 2016. Population dynamics were similar at both sites in Green Bay in each year, with peak population …


Abiotic Conditions Of Rare Pitcher's Thistle Attract Selection By An Invasive Weevil, Monica Paniagua Montoya Apr 2017

Abiotic Conditions Of Rare Pitcher's Thistle Attract Selection By An Invasive Weevil, Monica Paniagua Montoya

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Plant associations occur when host selection of a focal plant is reduced or increased by the presence of another plant species. Larinus planus is an invasive weevil whose larvae feed in the flower heads of native and federally threatened Pitcher’s thistle (Cirsium pitcheri). Studies have linked the presence of neighboring plants to increased host selection of Pitcher’s thistle by the weevil, but the factors contributing to host selection remain unknown. In our study, we determined if there were differences among abiotic factors, host selection and weevil behavior at Pitcher’s thistles surrounded by beach grass, sand and at high …


Assessment Of Daf-19 Related Behavioral Defects, Loraina A. Stinson Jun 2016

Assessment Of Daf-19 Related Behavioral Defects, Loraina A. Stinson

Lawrence University Honors Projects

The daf-19 gene encodes the only RFX transcription factors in C. elegans, producing at least four related protein isoforms, one of which, DAF-19C, is responsible for ciliogenesis. Previous work by Senti and Swoboda (2008) demonstrated that adult worms deficient in all four DAF-19 proteins have extremely aberrant dwelling and roaming behavior on bacterial food. Most intriguingly, the addition of cDNA encoding the DAF-19C isoform restores cilia formation, but does not fully restore wild-type dwelling and roaming behavior. We are suggesting that additional neuron functions are needed to properly execute behaviors and these neuron functions require the activity of other …


Activation Of Target Gene Expression In Neurons By The C. Elegans Rfx Transcription Factor, Daf-19, Katherine P. Mueller Jun 2016

Activation Of Target Gene Expression In Neurons By The C. Elegans Rfx Transcription Factor, Daf-19, Katherine P. Mueller

Lawrence University Honors Projects

DAF-19, the only RFX transcription factor found in C. elegans, is required for the formation of neuronal sensory cilia. Four isoforms of the DAF-19 protein have been reported, and the m86 nonsense (null) mutation affecting all four isoforms has been shown to prevent cilia formation. Transcriptome analyses employing microarrays of L1 and adult stage worms were completed using RNA from daf-19(m86) worms and an isogenic wild type strain to identify additional putative DAF-19 target genes. Using transcriptional fusions with GFP, we compared the expression patterns of several potential gene targets using fluorescence confocal microscopy. Expression patterns were characterized in …


Characterization Of Nuclear Factor-Kappab Binding Sites In The Freshwater Snail, Biomphalaria Glabrata, Laura E. Deneckere Jun 2016

Characterization Of Nuclear Factor-Kappab Binding Sites In The Freshwater Snail, Biomphalaria Glabrata, Laura E. Deneckere

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Biomphalaria glabrata is an intermediate snail host for the digenean trematode, Schistosoma mansoni, which causes the human disease schistosomiasis. A lot of research has focused on the snail-schistosome interaction, especially in regards to the immune response of the snail. The nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) pathway, which is involved in regulating the immune response, can be triggered by the Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling pathway. However, not much is known about the specific molecular mechanisms regulating these responses. Both NF-κB and TLR homologues have recently been reported in B. glabrata so it is of great interest to determine if BgNF-κB can regulate …


The Role Of Daf-19 In Non-Ciliated Neurons: How Is Neural Development Regulated By Different Daf-19 Isoforms?, Zabdiel Ek Vazquez Jun 2016

The Role Of Daf-19 In Non-Ciliated Neurons: How Is Neural Development Regulated By Different Daf-19 Isoforms?, Zabdiel Ek Vazquez

Lawrence University Honors Projects

A degenerative disease-like phenotype, specifically reduction in synaptic protein levels in adult worms, is correlated with loss-of-function of the only RFX transcription factor gene, daf-19, in C. elegans. This gene encodes four known transcription factor isoforms, two of which are correlated with particular functions. The DAF-19C isoform activates genes responsible for cilia development, while DAF-19M is needed for cilia specification in males. A comparison of the transcriptome of daf-19 null and isogenic wild type adult worms suggests both positive and negative regulation of gene expression is correlated with the presence of DAF-19 proteins. We have assessed DAF-19 regulation …


Diel Vertical Migration Of An Invasive Calanoid Copepod, Eurytemora Affinis, In Little Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, Alexandra N. Poli Jun 2015

Diel Vertical Migration Of An Invasive Calanoid Copepod, Eurytemora Affinis, In Little Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, Alexandra N. Poli

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Eurytemora affinis, a calanoid copepod, is known to be a versatile, prolific invader of freshwater ecosystems across the globe. It has recently been documented in the Laurentian Great Lakes, including in Little Sturgeon Bay, an embayment of Lake Michigan. One survival mechanism that could make E. affinis a successful invader is diel vertical migration (DVM), a behavior in which animals move to different lakes depths at different times of day in order to avoid predation. Much is known about DVM of E. affinis, but primarily from studies in marine and brackish systems. Our goal was to investigate how …


Flowers In Space Attacked By Aliens: Understanding The Spatial Ecology Behind The Devastating Damage By A Thistle Bud Weevil On Pitcher’S Thistle At Whitefish Dunes State Park, Wi, Zechariah D. Meunier Jun 2015

Flowers In Space Attacked By Aliens: Understanding The Spatial Ecology Behind The Devastating Damage By A Thistle Bud Weevil On Pitcher’S Thistle At Whitefish Dunes State Park, Wi, Zechariah D. Meunier

Lawrence University Honors Projects

One of the most threatened plants in the Great Lakes region is Pitcher’s thistle (Cirsium pitcheri), which inhabits sand dunes along the shorelines of Lakes Michigan, Huron, and Superior. In addition to risks from habitat loss and invasive species, C. pitcheri are imperiled by a thistle bud weevil (Larinus planus) that was originally distributed for biological control of nonnative thistles. During the summer of 2014, we empirically studied the devastating damage caused by L. planus on a population of C. pitcheri at Whitefish Dunes State Park, WI, to determine what factors influence the distribution and intensity …


Tolerance Of The Invasive New Zealand Mud Snail To Various Decontamination Procedures, Christopher N. Acy Jun 2015

Tolerance Of The Invasive New Zealand Mud Snail To Various Decontamination Procedures, Christopher N. Acy

Lawrence University Honors Projects

In an attempt to stop the spread of invasive species, state governments have established decontamination procedures for use on contaminated equipment. However, different species can tolerate various procedures depending on their morphology and physiology. The New Zealand mud snail (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) is invasive to the United States and may alter the food web of streams due to the snail’s high reproductive ability, causing potential problems for native trout populations and local economies. We collected mud snails from the recently invaded Black Earth Creek, WI and tested their tolerance to decontamination protocols being considered by the Wisconsin Department of …


The Characterization Of A Vital Wisconsin Waterway: A Biological Assessment Of The Lower Fox River From 2006-2014, Emily L. Kiehnau Jun 2015

The Characterization Of A Vital Wisconsin Waterway: A Biological Assessment Of The Lower Fox River From 2006-2014, Emily L. Kiehnau

Lawrence University Honors Projects

The Lower Fox River has historically been used as a navigational crossroads, a waste disposal system, and source of hydroelectric power. Over the years, heavy use of the river has negatively affected water quality and the overall health of the system. Unhealthy rivers cannot function properly. Biological assessment based on animal surveys are often used to determine river health. I used data from the Lawrence University and Fox River Navigational System Authority invasive species-monitoring project to explore how the distribution of animals in the Fox River has changed over time and across locations. Monitoring surveys have taken place between June …


Factors In Long-Term Algal Composition Of Cayman Reefs: Determining Effects Of Natural Disturbance And Grazer Pressures, Patrick J. Doughty Jun 2014

Factors In Long-Term Algal Composition Of Cayman Reefs: Determining Effects Of Natural Disturbance And Grazer Pressures, Patrick J. Doughty

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Abstract. Current research shows a worldwide shift in the population dynamics of reefs attributed to increasing human disturbance. With increasing nutrient additions, competitive populations of turf and macroalgae bloom and dominate coral reefs leading to decreased health of the reef as a whole. Unfortunately, few studies have been done showing the long-term changes in algae composition on reefs. In order to find the significant factors in the long-term composition of algae on reefs, algae and fish abundance data were collected through the Lawrence University Marine Program and analyzed for this study. Algae were split into three functional groups: encrusting, turf …