Life Sciences Commons^™

Density Dependent Refueling Of Migratory Songbirds During Stopover Within An Urbanizing Coastal Landscape, Emily B. Cohen, Jill M. Lafleur, Frank R. Moore

Faculty Publications

Refueling performance is the primary currency of a successful migration as birds must maintain energy stores to achieve an optimal travel schedule. Migrating birds can anticipate heightened energy demand, not to mention increased uncertainty that energy demands will be satisfied, especially within an urbanizing landscape following long-distance flights. We tested the expectation that refueling performance of songbirds is reduced as densities increase at stopover sites in an urbanizing coastline of the Gulf of Mexico. We measured the density of migrating birds, their refueling performance, and arthropod abundance in two large tracts of contiguous forest paired with two small isolated patches …

The Strength Of Migratory Connectivity For Birds En Route To Breeding Through The Gulf Of Mexico, Emily B. Cohen, Clark R. Rushing, Frank R. Moore, Michael T. Hallworth, Jeffrey A. Hostetler, Mariamar Gutierrez Ramirez, Peter P. Marra

Faculty Publications

The strength of migratory connectivity is a measure of the cohesion of populations among phases of the annual cycle, including breeding, migration, and wintering. Many Nearctic‐Neotropical species have strong migratory connectivity between breeding and wintering phases of the annual cycle. It is less clear if this strength persists during migration when multiple endogenous and exogenous factors may decrease the cohesion of populations among routes or through time along the same routes. We sampled three bird species, American redstart Setophaga ruticilla, ovenbird Seiurus aurocapilla, and wood thrush Hylocichla mustelina, during spring migration through the Gulf of Mexico region …

Seascape Connectivity Of Gulf Sturgeon Acipenser Oxyrinchus Desotoi Population Units Across The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Page E. Vick, Mark S. Peterson, William T. Slack

Faculty Publications

Critical habitat was designated in 2003 for federally threatened anadromous Gulf sturgeon to aid in population recovery. This study examined overwintering Gulf sturgeon spatial use and movement through critical habitat monitored by the Ship Island acoustic array from 2011 to 2015. Previous studies observed western population Gulf sturgeon (Pearl and Pascagoula rivers) overwintering near the ends and within the passes of the barrier islands of the Mississippi Sound, USA. Recent telemetry studies detected eastern population fish (Escambia, Blackwater, Yellow, and Choctawhatchee rivers) overwintering as far west as Mobile Bay, Alabama; however, this study is the first to observe eastern population …

Temporal Migration Patterns Between Natal Locations Of Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds (Archilochus Colubris) And Their Gulf Coast Stopover Site, Theodore J. Zenzal Jr., Andrea J. Contina, Jeffrey F. Kelly, Frank R. Moore

Faculty Publications

Background

Autumn latitudinal migrations generally exhibit one of two different temporal migration patterns: type 1 where southern populations migrate south before northern populations, or type 2 where northern populations overtake southern populations en route. The ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) is a species with an expansive breeding range, which allows opportunities to examine variation in the timing of migration. Our objective was to determine a relationship between natal origin of ruby-throated hummingbirds and arrival at a Gulf coast stopover site; and if so, what factors, such as differences in body size across the range as well as the …

Dynamin As A Mover And Pincher During Cell Migration And Invasion, Anne E. Kruchten, Mark A. Mcniven

Faculty Publications

The large GTPase dynamin, long known for its role in endocytosis, has most recently been implicated as a facilitator of cell migration and invasion. Recent observations link dynamin to the cycle of membrane expansion and retraction essential for cell motility. Its role in actin polymerization, membrane deformation and vesiculation, and focal adhesion dynamics are all important for this process, and the new findings provide exciting directions for studies of this ubiquitous and diverse protein family.

Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! Not Just For Children Anymore! Seeking A National Perspective, David L. Kulhavy

Faculty Publications

Insects as interpretive tools are an invaluable resource for the interpreter. There are many uses, from live insect displays to pinned specimens to the use of insects puppets in classrooms, conferences or other interpretive arenas. In this paper, the use of mealworms, the monarch butterfly as a candidate for our national insect, and the demonstration of insect locomotion are presented. The key to successful interpretation using insects is to encourage audience participation, exude enthusiasm, and promote the use of insects as an easy resource to acquire.