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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Reproductive Isolation And Hybridization Dynamics In Threatened Caribbean Acroporid Corals, Nicole D. Fogarty
Reproductive Isolation And Hybridization Dynamics In Threatened Caribbean Acroporid Corals, Nicole D. Fogarty
Oceanography Faculty Theses and Dissertations
The Caribbean corals, Acropora palmata and A. cervicornis, are abundant in fossil records but have recently undergone drastic declines primarily as a result of disease. Acropora prolifera, a hybrid of these species, has no fossil record and was previously considered rare and to occupy nonparental habitats. Now, hybrids have equivalent or greater abundance than the parental species and have expanded into the parental habitat at some sites. Previous molecular studies have demonstrated regional variability in unidirectional introgression of A. palmata genes into A. cervicornis. The goals of this dissertation are (1) to determine the strength of prezygotic …
Evolution Of Host Associations In Symbiotic Zoanthidea, Timothy D. Swain
Evolution Of Host Associations In Symbiotic Zoanthidea, Timothy D. Swain
Oceanography Faculty Theses and Dissertations
Symbioses are pervasive in life and confer novel adaptive capabilities that enable ecological expansion into unexplored niches. Evolutionary transitions in symbiosis (terminations, origins, host shifts, or changes in relationship outcomes) can therefore have dramatic effects on the fitness, life history, and distribution of organisms. Because symbiotic interactions require coordination among traits that control recognition, colonization, and maintenance of symbiosis, transitions in symbiosis should generally be rare and conserved across evolutionary time. Cnidarians in the order Zoanthidea (class Anthozoa) are symbionts of taxa representing at least five invertebrate phyla and occur in most major benthic habitats from the intertidal to the …
A Seascape Approach To Predicting Reef Fish Distribution, Brian K. Walker
A Seascape Approach To Predicting Reef Fish Distribution, Brian K. Walker
Oceanography Faculty Theses and Dissertations
Linking small-scale measurements of species distributions to broad-scale seascapes is necessary to understanding and predicting organismal distributions and their dynamics. This applies to reef fish populations as well. Reef fish studies are often limited to small spatial scales because of logistical and economic constraints; however, viewing the data at larger spatial scales might elucidate unforeseen relationships and patterns and facilitate regional management and conservation efforts. To address this growing need, an empirical model was created to predict reef fish abundance and species richness for the entire seascape using the relationship between the fish, benthic habitats, and GIS-derived topographic complexity metrics …
Trophic Dynamics Of Pinniped Populations In Alaska Using Stable Carbon And Nitrogen Isotope Ratios, Amy Hirons
Trophic Dynamics Of Pinniped Populations In Alaska Using Stable Carbon And Nitrogen Isotope Ratios, Amy Hirons
Oceanography Faculty Theses and Dissertations
Trophic changes in populations of Stellar sea lions (Eumetorias jubatus), northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) and harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) in the eastern Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska were studied using stable isotope analysis. Declining populations of all three species of pinnipeds prompted this study to determine if changes in diet, likely resulting from food limitation, contributed to the declines. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios were analyzed in the vibrissae (whiskers) and body tissues of pinnipeds from 1993-1998 and compared with muscle tissue from prey species during the same time period to determine pinniped trophic dynamics. Vibrissae growth …
Pagurapseudes (Crustacea: Tanaidacea) In Southeastern Florida: Functional Morphology, Post-Marsupial Development, Ecology And Shell Use, Charles Messing
Pagurapseudes (Crustacea: Tanaidacea) In Southeastern Florida: Functional Morphology, Post-Marsupial Development, Ecology And Shell Use, Charles Messing
Oceanography Faculty Theses and Dissertations
Members of the genus Pagurapseudes occupy vacant microgastropod shells. Functional and behavioral convergence with paguridean decapods (hermit crabs) is treated using a combination of gross morphological, histological and scanning electron microscopic analyses, as well as observations of living animals. Post-embryological development is described and compared with that of other tanaidaceans. The proposed life history differs from that of other tanaidaceans in several respects and is the first described for any member of the suborder Monokonophora based on investigations using experimentally reared specimens. Variations in a population over the course of 1.5 years are discussed as are apparent habitat preferences. Preferences …