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2002

The University of Maine

Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology

Articles 1 - 8 of 8

Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Peet: Biogeography, Morphology, And Molecular Systematics Of Cumaceans: Training Taxonomists For The 21st Century, Leslie E. Watling, Irving Kornfield Dec 2002

Peet: Biogeography, Morphology, And Molecular Systematics Of Cumaceans: Training Taxonomists For The 21st Century, Leslie E. Watling, Irving Kornfield

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

The crustacean order Cumacea is largely unknown for large areas of the world's oceans and continental margins. Cumaceans are small crustaceans, allied with amphipods, isopods, and several other groups, all of whom carry their young about in a brood pouch. In many shallow marine habits they are important food items in the diets of young fish. Virtually nothing is known about the evolutionary history of the group. There is also uncertainty associated with many of the characters used in the taxonomy of cumaceans, a feature which characterizes several other groups of small crustaceans, therefore, principles developed for this group may …

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Modeling The Role Of No-Take Marine Reserves In Fisheries Management, Deidre F. Gilbert Dec 2002

Modeling The Role Of No-Take Marine Reserves In Fisheries Management, Deidre F. Gilbert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years there has been increasing interest in the potential of no-take marine reserves to benefit fisheries management. Scientific reviews have shown that reserves often lead to substantial increases in the density, biomass, size and diversity of marine fishes inside their boundaries. However, little empirical work has been done to determine the effect of reserves on the fisheries outside their boundaries, such as potential changes in yield, size of fleet, or variability in catch. In order to explore the interaction between the biological growth and dispersion processes of the harvested stock and the changing economic incentives of harvesters created …

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Satellite-Measured Chlorophyll Variability Within The Upwelling Zone Near Heceta Bank, Oregon, Jennifer Bosch Dec 2002

Satellite-Measured Chlorophyll Variability Within The Upwelling Zone Near Heceta Bank, Oregon, Jennifer Bosch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Heceta Bank, a unique shallow bank on the southern Oregon shelf, is located within the California Current upwelling system. Four years (1998-2001) of 1-km resolution SeaWiFS ocean color satellite data of the Oregon coast are used to provide the first systematic description, and quantification of seasonal and interannual surface chlorophyll variability in the Heceta Bank region of coastal Oregon. The variability over the bank is examined with respect to wind forcing and surface temperature, and compared to the variability observed in topographically simpler shelf regions north and south of the bank. A seasonal cycle with lowest concentrations in the fall …

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An Ecosystem Dynamics Model Of Monterey Bay, California, Lawrence S. Klein Aug 2002

An Ecosystem Dynamics Model Of Monterey Bay, California, Lawrence S. Klein

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Monterey Bay is an upwelling region with high biological productivity in the California Coastal Current System. Several moorings, developed and maintained by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), have produced a long-term, highquality time series oceanographic data set for the Monterey Bay. The data set has revealed a more comprehensive picture of physical-biological interaction on seasonal and interannual variability. To improve our understanding of how the marine ecosystem responds to physical forcing, especially upwelling, an open ocean ecosystem model was modified for the Monterey Bay upwelling region. The result was a nine-component ecosystem model of Monterey Bay, which produced …

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A Pilot Study To Test Ventless Traps As A Means To Quantify Populations Of The American Lobster (Homarus Americanus), Carin Louise Poeschel Aug 2002

A Pilot Study To Test Ventless Traps As A Means To Quantify Populations Of The American Lobster (Homarus Americanus), Carin Louise Poeschel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The American lobster, Homarus americanus, is Maine's most valuable marine fishery. The state of Maine has an economic interest in the protection of this resource. The health of this industry depends on effective management for sustainability. However, there is little quantitative information on American lobsters less than harvestable size. A study was conducted to evaluate the utility of traps modified to catch sublegal lobsters. With the aid of fishernlen fiom six of the eight Maine coastal counties over a four-month time period (July through October, 2000), data were recorded to compare catch rates in experimental traps with no escape vents …

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An Assessment Of Methods For Testing The Reliability Of Wildlife Occurrence Models Used In Gap Analysis, Sandra M. Schaefer Aug 2002

An Assessment Of Methods For Testing The Reliability Of Wildlife Occurrence Models Used In Gap Analysis, Sandra M. Schaefer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Habitat association models designed to predict species occurrence are often tested by comparing predictions to field observations. Two types of error are then reported, omission (Yo of species not predicted but present on a site) and commission (% of species predicted but not present on a site). The purpose of this research was to assess the Maine Gap Analysis vertebrate predictions using the traditional site-specific approach and to determine what factors influence the amounts of error reported. I also developed a species-specific approach for testing the accuracy of the vertebrate predictions and compared these results to the site-specific method. When …

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Systematics Of Northeastern Meadow Vole (Microtus Pennsylvanicus) Subspecies, With Empasis On The Island Endemic (M. P. Shattucki, Howe 1901) In Penobscot Bay, Maine, Jennifer Marie Lowry Aug 2002

Systematics Of Northeastern Meadow Vole (Microtus Pennsylvanicus) Subspecies, With Empasis On The Island Endemic (M. P. Shattucki, Howe 1901) In Penobscot Bay, Maine, Jennifer Marie Lowry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Penobscot meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus shattucki) (PMV) is an insular subspecies of meadow vole (M. pennsylvanicus) inhabiting the islands of North Haven, Islesboro, and Tumbledown Dick in Penobscot Bay, Maine. It is one in a suite of island meadow vole subspecies which has been described from southern New England through eastern Canada. The subspecific recognition of M. p. shattucki, along with the others in this group, was solely based on a univariate analysis of a few morphological characters, which has fostered debate about the validity of the subspecies. Despite this uncertainty, the taxonomy is …

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Marine Protected Areas In The Gulf Of Maine: Policy For A Common Resource, Carolyn F. Skinder May 2002

Marine Protected Areas In The Gulf Of Maine: Policy For A Common Resource, Carolyn F. Skinder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the wake of 25 years of unsuccessful single-fisheries management in the Gulf of Maine, there has been growing support for reform. Ecosystem management has been proposed as one alternative, but the information needed to manage whole ecosystems is greatly lacking. Implementing fully-protected marine protected areas (MPAs) is one way to preserve habitat while at the same time acquiring data for future ecosystem management. Under the current institutional arrangement in the Gulf, engineering agreement for MPAs is difficult due to the differing goals of varied user groups. The situation is reflective of a common property resource problem in that there …

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