Life Sciences Commons^™

Environmental Dna Identifies Coastal Plant Community Shift 1,000 Years Ago In Torrens Island, South Australia, Nicole R. Foster, Alice R. Jones, Oscar Serrano, Anna Lafratta, Paul S. Lavery, Kor-Jent Van Dijk, Ed Biffin, Bronwyn M. Gillanders, Jennifer Young, Pere Masque, Patricia S. Gadd, Geraldine E. Jacobsen, Atun Zawadzki, Andria Greene, Michelle Waycott

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Anthropogenic activities are causing detrimental changes to coastal plants– namely seagrass, mangrove, and tidal marshes. Looking beyond recent times to past vegetation dynamics is critical to assess the response and resilience of an environment to change. Here, we develop a high-resolution multi-proxy approach, providing a new evidence base to decipher long-term change in coastal plant communities. Combining targeted environmental DNA analysis with chemical analysis of soils, we reconstructed 4,000 years of change at a temperate wetland on Torrens Island South Australia and identified an ecosystem shift that occurred ~ 1000 years ago. What was once a subtidal seagrass system shifted …

With Love, ; An Interdisciplinary And Intersectional Look At Why Creativity Is Essential, Theo Starr Gardner

Whittier Scholars Program

My Whittier Scholars Program self-designed major, Teaching Creativity, is a mixture of Art, Literature, and Education classes. My research and praxis classes have been focused on the ‘how?’s and 'why?’s of creativity, so it felt only right that my project should be a constructivist, generative project. The project I have been working on throughout my time at Whittier, and that has just fully come to fruition on April 11th, 2024, was a solo art gallery/open mic event entitled ‘With Love,’. With Love, was conceptually inspired by the research I’ve conducted on creativity and creative arts education over the past few …

An Examination Of The Eastern Nebraska And Western Iowa Flash Flood Event Of 6-7 August 1999, Catherine M. Zapotocny

NOAA Technical Reports and Related Materials

Flash flooding occurs each summer in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. While 10-inch rains are extraordinary, it is not uncommon to have at least one excessive rain event during the annual convective season. A significant flash flood occurred in east central Nebraska and western Iowa the night of August 6, 1999 into the morning of August 7, 1999. Antecedent hydrologic conditions limited the loss of life, however considerable property damage resulted as the heavy rain fell over the urbanized areas in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa.

Several flash flood ingredients came together over the area. These meteorological factors are typical …

Rescape: Transforming Coral-Reefscape Images For Quantitative Analysis, Zachary Ferris, Eraldo Ribeiro, Tomofumi Nagata, Robert Van Woesik

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Ever since the first image of a coral reef was captured in 1885, people worldwide have been accumulating images of coral reefscapes that document the historic conditions of reefs. However, these innumerable reefscape images suffer from perspective distortion, which reduces the apparent size of distant taxa, rendering the images unusable for quantitative analysis of reef conditions. Here we solve this century-long distortion problem by developing a novel computer-vision algorithm, ReScape, which removes the perspective distortion from reefscape images by transforming them into top-down views, making them usable for quantitative analysis of reef conditions. In doing so, we demonstrate the …

Changes In Reef Tourism’S Adaptive Capacity After Severe Climate Disturbances, Henry Bartelet, Michele Barnes, Lalu Bakti, Graeme S. Cumming

Quantitative Methods and Information Technology Faculty Publications

Knowledge about adaptive capacity and its determinants has increased significantly over the last decade. However, most research on adaptive capacity has been static, not considering how adaptive capacity might change over time, particularly after severe disturbances. We studied the adaptive capacity dynamics of Asian-Pacific reef tourism operators affected by coral bleaching and tropical cyclones compared with a control group with non-affected operators. We found that impacts from tropical cyclones were associated with frequent changes in adaptive capacity. Notably, we found a reduction in tangible attributes (assets and flexibility) of adaptive capacity, whereas intangible attributes (agency and social organization) increased. Our …

Ecological Monitoring Program At Vims Esl: Annual Report 2023, Paige G. Ross, Richard A. Snyder

Reports

An Ecological Monitoring Program (EMP) has been established at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science Eastern Shore Laboratory (VIMS ESL) for the coastal environment near the Wachapreague lab. The goals of the initiative are to 1) provide status and trends information to scientists who study and regulators who manage Virginia’s marine resources, 2) provide a scientific context for short-term research and grant proposals 3) provide pedagogical enrichment for educators to use in their classes, and 4) build capacity in staff expertise and training of interns and students at VIMS ESL.

The program formalizes and standardizes data collection for a long-term …

Distribution Of Shell-Boring Polychaetes At Shellfish Aquaculture Sites Along The Northeast Coast Of The Us, Samantha Silverbrand

Honors College

Coastal shellfish aquaculture has expanded substantially in recent years in Maine and New England as traditional wild fishery stocks have declined. As shellfish aquaculture has expanded, producers have become more concerned about marine worm pests (i.e., polychaetes) that infest cultured bivalves. In particular, worms from the genus Polydora (also known as “polydorids”) burrow into oyster and scallop shells where they feed and deposit mud. Bivalves cover over the muddy burrows creating blisters that can decrease their market value and hinder growth. Farmers and researchers have identified methods to control infestations of P. websteri, one common species of shell-boring worm. However, …

The Impact Of Pricing Structure Change On Residential Water Consumption: A Long-Term Analysis Of Water Utilities In California, Juhee Lee, Mehdi Nemati, Maura Allaire, Ariel Dinar

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

California's demand-side urban water management policies, such as shifting water pricing structures from non-conservation to conservation-based rates, have received much attention in terms of meeting the state's short- and long-term water conservation policies. This paper quantifies the effect of pricing structure changes on residential water consumption using a survey dataset of 189 major California water utilities from 1994 to 2019. Results of our study demonstrate that residential per capita per day water consumption was reduced by an average of 2.6% when water agencies switched from non-conservation-based to conservation-based pricing structures. We also found evidence that the longer a utility maintained …

A 2,000-Year Record Of Eelgrass (Zostera Marina L.) Colonization Shows Substantial Gains In Blue Carbon Storage And Nutrient Retention, Martin Dahl, Martin Gullström, Irene Bernabeu, Oscar Serrano, Carmen Leiva-Dueñas, Hans W. Linderholm, Maria E. Asplund, Mats Björk, Tinghai Ou, J. Robin Svensson, Elinor Andrén, Thomas Andrén, Sanne Bergman, Sara Braun, Anneli Eklöf, Zilvinas Ežerinskis, Andrius Garbaras, Petter Hällberg, Elin Löfgren, Malin E. Kylander, Pere Masqué, Justina Šapolaitė, Rienk Smittenberg, Miguel A. Mateo

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Assessing historical environmental conditions linked to habitat colonization is important for understanding long-term resilience and improving conservation and restoration efforts. Such information is lacking for the seagrass Zostera marina, an important foundation species across cold-temperate coastal areas of the Northern Hemisphere. Here, we reconstructed environmental conditions during the last 14,000 years from sediment cores in two eelgrass (Z. marina) meadows along the Swedish west coast, with the main aims to identify the time frame of seagrass colonization and describe subsequent biogeochemical changes following establishment. Based on vegetation proxies (lipid biomarkers), eelgrass colonization occurred about 2,000 years ago after geomorphological changes …

Comstock Point, Lubec, Maine - A Natural And Photographic History, Willaim H. Schlesinger, Lisa M. Dellwo

Documents from Environmental Organizations

A natural and photographic history of our lands compiled by Lisa Dellwo and Bill Schlesinger, with the help of many friends and neighbors.

Ecological Risk Assessment For The Western Australian Cephalopod Resource, Cameron J. Desfosses, Kimberley A. Smith, Lachlan W.S. Strain, Dave Murphy, Keyley Hogan-West, Daniel Yeoh, Shannon Burchert, Linda Wiberg, Bec Oliver, Brett M. Crisafulli, Gabby E. Mitsopoulos

Fisheries research reports

On 27 October 2023, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD, Department) convened an ecological risk assessment (ERA) of the fisheries that access the statewide Cephalopod Resource (Resource), which comprises a range of octopus, squid and cuttlefish species. This document contains the background information used to support the ERA risk scoring process, and a summary of the workshop discussions that were relevant to the risk scoring. The background information includes an overview of Western Australian commercial fisheries that access the Resource, focusing primarily on the Octopus Interim Managed Fishery (OIMF), Cockburn Sound Line and Pot Managed Fishery (CSLPMF), …

Ecological Risk Assessment For The Western Australian Large Pelagic Fish Resource, Kimberley A. Smith, Paul Lewis, Kendra Travaille, Brett M. Crisafulli, Liv Rynvis, Gabby E. Mitsopoulos

Fisheries research reports

In December 2023, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD, the Department) convened an ecological risk assessment (ERA) of the fisheries that access the Statewide Large Pelagic Fish Resource (Resource). This Resource comprises a range of tropical and temperate species including mackerels, billfish, kingfish, cobia, mahi mahi and tunas. This document contains the background information used to support the ERA risk scoring process, scoring from the workshop and a summary of the workshop discussions that were relevant to the risk scoring. This includes an overview of Western Australian commercial fisheries that access the Resource, with a focus on …

A Global Database Of Dissolved Organic Matter (Dom) Concentration Measurements In Coastal Waters (Coastdom V1), Christian Lønborg, Cátia Carreira, Gwenaël Abril, Susana Agustí, Valentina Amaral, Agneta Andersson, Javier Arístegui, Punyasloke Bhadury, Mariana B. Bif, Alberto V. Borges, Steven Bouillon, Maria L. I. Calleja, Luiz C. Cotovicz, Stefano Cozzi, Maryló Doval, Carlos M. Duarte, Bradley Eyre, Cédric G. Fichot, E. Elena García-Martín, Alexandra Garzon-Garcia, Michele Giani, Rafael Gonçalves-Araujo, Renee Gruber, Dennis A. Hansell, Fuminori Hashihama, Ding He, Johnna M. Holding, William R. Hunter, J. Severino P. Ibánhez, Valeria Ibello, Shan Jiang, Guebuem Kim, Katja Klun, Piotr Kowalczuk, Atsushi Kubo, Choon-Weng Lee, Cláudia B. Lopes, Federica Maggioni, Paolo Magni, Celia Marrase, Patrick Martin, S. Leigh Mccallister, Roisin Mccallum, Patricia M. Medeiros, Xosé A. G. Morán, Frank E. Muller-Karger, Allison Myers-Pigg, Marit Norli, Joanne M. Oakes, Helena Osterholz, Hyekyung Park, Maria L. Paulsen, Judith A. Rosentreter, Jeff D. Ross, Digna Rueda-Roa, Chiara Santinelli, Yuan Shen, Eva Teira, Tinkara Tinta, Guenther Uher, Masahide Wakita, Nicholas Ward, Kenta Watanabe, Yu Xin, Youhei Yamashita, Liyang Yang, Jacob Yeo, Huamao Yuan, Qiang Zheng, Xosé A. Álvarez-Salgado

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Measurements of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), nitrogen (DON), and phosphorus (DOP) concentrations are used to characterize the dissolved organic matter (DOM) pool and are important components of biogeochemical cycling in the coastal ocean. Here, we present the first edition of a global database (CoastDOM v1; available at 10.1594/PANGAEA.964012, Lonborg et al., 2023) compiling previously published and unpublished measurements of DOC, DON, and DOP in coastal waters. These data are complemented by hydrographic data such as temperature and salinity and, to the extent possible, other biogeochemical variables (e.g. chlorophyll a, inorganic nutrients) and the inorganic carbon system (e.g. dissolved inorganic carbon …

Detection And Monitoring Of Plant Pathogens And Pests, Walter F. Mahaffee, Lindsey D. Thiessen, Kevin M. King, Robin A. Choudhury

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

No abstract provided.

Local Habitat Composition And Complexity Outweigh Seascape Effects On Fish Distributions Across A Tropical Seascape, Molly Moustaka, Richard D. Evans, Gary A. Kendrick, Glenn A. Hyndes, Michael V. W. Cuttler, Tahlia J. Bassett, Michael J. O’Leary, Shaun K. Wilson

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Context: The distribution of animals is influenced by a complex interplay of landscape, environmental, habitat, and anthropogenic factors. While the effects of each of these forces on fish assemblages have been studied in isolation, the implications of their combined influence within a seascape remain equivocal. Objectives: We assessed the importance of local habitat composition, seascape configuration, and environmental conditions for determining the abundance, diversity, and functional composition of fish assemblages across a tropical seascape. Methods: We quantified fish abundance in coral, macroalgal, mangrove, and sand habitats throughout the Dampier Archipelago, Western Australia. A full-subsets modelling approach was used that incorporated …

Salmonella In The Environment: A Review On Ecology, Antimicrobial Resistance, Seafood Contaminations, And Human Health Implications, Mohammad Maruf Billah, Md Saydur Rahman

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

Salmonella is a genus of Gram-negative bacteria that is responsible for numerous food poisoning outbreaks worldwide. With 93.8 million food-borne illnesses and 155,000 fatalities annually, it has emerged as a significant global public health issue. There are currently more than 2,500 distinct Salmonella serotypes, and more than half of them are associated with Salmonella enterica. An increasing global public health concern for humans and animals is antimicrobial resistance by Salmonella species worldwide. Salmonella infections can be lethal; conditioned with an increased prevalence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) strains in the future. The emergence of MDR Salmonella serotypes is considerably …

Animal Conservation In St. Louis, Kate O'Sullivan

Undergraduate Research Symposium

St. Louis has a multitude of organizations involved in the natural sciences. But how many of them actually contribute towards animal conservation? The St. Louis Zoo is an organization that focuses a lot of its effort on presentation, so how does that impact the funds that go towards actually saving the animals? I plan to dive into the different animal-based organizations in St. Louis and its surrounding areas, as well as discuss the positives and negatives of each organization. Furthermore, I will provide examples from several sources that I have been reviewing all year to support my claims. I plan …

Monitoring The Abundance Of American Shad And River Herring In Virginia's Rivers: 2023 Annual Report, Eric J. Hilton, Patrick E. Mcgrath, Ashleigh Magee, Timothy Hoyt

Reports

This report describes the results of the twenty-sixth year of a continuing study to estimate the relative abundance and assess the status of American shad (Alosa sapidissima) stocks in Virginia by monitoring the spawning runs in the James, York and Rappahannock rivers in spring 2023, evaluating hatchery programs, and contributing to coast-wide assessments (ASMFC 2007, ASMFC 2020). We also report on two fisheryindependent monitoring programs using anchor gillnets in the Rappahannock River (year 6) and a major tributary of the James River, the Chickahominy River (year 9), to determine relative abundance and stock structure for the adult spawning run of …

Broadscale Coral Disease Interventions Elicit Efficiencies In Endemic Disease Response, Kathryn A. Toth, Samantha F. Buckley, Hunter Noren, Karen L. Neely, Brian K. Walker

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

The presence and abundance of reef-building corals are crucial to the long-term existence of Caribbean coral reef ecosystems, providing both direct and indirect, local and global, ecological, economic, and social benefits. In 2014, stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) was first identified in southeast Florida and remains endemic to the region, while continuing to spread throughout the Caribbean. Effective in situ intervention treatments using antibiotic paste can halt lesion progression on Montastraea cavernosa up to 90% of the time. This study investigated intervention activities over a three-year period to identify efficiencies in disease response. Since May 2019, 1,037 corals, >85% …

Fauna, Flora, And Land Cover Changes Over The Last Two Decades In The Mobile-Tensaw River Delta, Gabriel De Oliveria, Steven R. Schultze, Guilherme Mataveli

Technical Reports

A technical report documenting ecosystem changes to the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta region due to urban expansion over approximately two decades (2001-2019).

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. ...

Dataset: Ribbed Mussel Carbon And Nitrogen Composition Data, Robert Isdell, Ashley Rose, Donna Marie Bilkovic, Randolph Chambers

Data

Ribbed mussel (Geukensia demissa) C:N ratios for tissue and shell samples are provided from a marsh in Virginia

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 …

Dataset For: “Shifts In Habitat, Habitat Use, And Demography Of American Lobsters In Coastal Maine Over The Past Quarter Century.”, Robert Jarrett Ii, Damian Brady, Richard Wahle, Robert Steneck

Non-Thesis Student Work

This is the dataset for the manuscript "Shifts in habitat, habitat use, and demography of American lobsters in coastal Maine over the past quarter century." Our study revisited 20 long-term monitored sites at 10 m depth along more than 320 km of the Gulf of Maine. Sampling used quadrat sampling via scuba divers. We recorded fundamental changes in lobster habitat use and distribution. The data include count, size, sex, number of claws, and shelter use of lobster in addition to substrate type, percent cover of kelp and other macroalgae. The data are included in six .csv format files: (1) data …

Training The Concept Of Innovate In Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) Is Both Creative And Cognitively Stimulating, Deirdre Yeater, Kathleen M. Dudzinski, Dawn Melzer, Andrew R. Magee, Michaela Robinett, Gonzalo Guerra, Kimberly Salazar, Terri Bolton, Heather Manitzas Hill

Psychology Faculty Publications

Creative or novel behaviors in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) can be indicators of flexible thinking and problem solving. Over 50 years ago, two rough-tooth dolphins demonstrated creative novel behaviors acquired through reinforcement training in human care. Since this novel training, a variety of species have been trained to respond to this conceptual cue. The current study assessed the creativity of 12 bottlenose dolphins (5 females, 7 males) housed at the Roatan Institute for Marine Sciences (RIMS) in Roatan, Honduras. Individual differences were found across four constructs measured for creativity: fluency, flexibility, elaboration, and originality. Variability in performance occurred across test …

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.