Life Sciences Commons^™

Evolutionary Heritage Influences Amazon Tree Ecology, Fernanda Coelho De Souza, Kyle G. Dexter, Oliver L. Phillips, Roel J. W. Brienen, Jerome Chave, David Galbraith, Gabriela Lopez Gonzalez, Abel Monteagudo M., R. Toby Pennington, Lourens Poorter, Miguel Alexiades, Esteban Alvarez Davila, Ana Andrade, Luiz E. O. C. Aragao, Alejandro Araujo-Murakami, Eric Arets, Gerardo A. Aymard C., Christopher Baraloto, Jorcely Barroso, Damien Bonal, Rene G. A. Boot, Jose Luis C. Camargo, James A. Comiskey, Fernando Cornejo Valverde, Plinio Barbosa De Camargo, Anthony Di Fiore, Fernando Elias, Terry L. Erwin, Ted R. Feldpausch, Leandro Ferreira, Nikolaos M. Fyllas, Manuel Gloor, Bruno Herault, Rafael Herrera, Niro Higuchi, Euridice N. Honorio Coronado, Timothy Killeen, William F. Laurance, Susan G. W. Laurance, Jon Lloyd, Thomas E. Lovejoy, Yadvinder Malhi, Leandro Maracahipes, Beatriz S. Marimon, Ben-Hur Marimon Jr., Casimiro Mendoza, Paulo S. Morandi, David Neill, Percy Nunez Vargas, Edmar A. Oliveira, Eddie Lenza, Walter Palacios, Maria C. Penuela-Mora, John J. Pipoly Iii, Nigel C. A. Pitman, Adriana Prieto, Carlos A. Quesada, Hirma Ramirez-Angulo, Agustin Rudas, Kalle Ruokolainen, Rafael P. Salomao, Marcos Silveira, Juliana Stropp, Hans Ter Steege, Raquel Thomas, Peter Van Der Hout, Geertje Van Der Heijden, Peter J. Van Der Meer, Rodolfo V. Vasquez, Simone A. Vieira, Emilio Vilanova, Vincent A. Vos, Ophelia Wang, Kenneth R. Young, Roderick J. Zagt

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Lineages tend to retain ecological characteristics of their ancestors through time. However, for some traits, selection during evolutionary history may have also played a role in determining trait values. To address the relative importance of these processes requires large-scale quantification of traits and evolutionary relationships among species. The Amazonian tree flora comprises a high diversity of angiosperm lineages and species with widely differing life-history characteristics, providing an excellent system to investigate the combined influences of evolutionary heritage and selection in determining trait variation. We used trait data related to the major axes of life-history variation among tropical trees (e.g. growth …

Using Gis To Predict Cetacean Strandings Related To Harmful Algal Blooms, Jessica L. Boyd

HCNSO Student Capstones

Exposure to harmful algal bloom (HAB) toxins, such as Karenia brevis, has been linked to cetacean strandings and mortalities. Biological and environmental data from a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) Unusual Mortality Event (UME) in 2004 are compared to those from pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus) mass stranding events in 2013-2014 in western Florida. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) maps have been created by overlaying stranding locations and select K. brevis presence data in order to identify common spatial and temporal trends. Preliminary results indicate that elevated K. brevis levels (>10,000 cells/L) in Sarasota Bay during January-February and November may …

A Review Of Present And Alternative Lionfish Controls In The Western Atlantic, Adam Rittermann

HCNSO Student Capstones

Lionfish (Pterois volitans and Pterois miles) are the first recorded invasive piscivore in the Caribbean and have become a threat to native species. As generalist consumers, lionfish have a broad diet and reduce prey and competitor abundance and juvenile recruitment. To confront this problem, this paper serves to review all of the current and alternative future controls available to manage lionfish populations in the Western Atlantic and determine where focus is lacking. Derby and cull efforts are the only management efforts in place and are not effective in their current state as these local events have short-term benefits, …

An Evaluation Of The Seagrass Habitat In North Biscayne Bay, Florida, In Relation To A Changing Environment And Urbanization In The Port Of Miami Harbor Basin 2005-2011, Sara M. Jarossy

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Seagrass habitats in South Florida are exceptionally valuable. They play an important ecological role in the coastal environment by stabilizing sediment, providing habitat for other species and supporting a whole food web. The availability of light and nutrients in aquatic ecosystems are the driving factors behind seagrass distribution. Water quality has been known to influence the abundance, distribution and composition of seagrass beds. South Florida has extensive diverse coastal communities. Throughout its human development dramatic changes have occurred in its natural ecosystems. In South Florida, many examples of seagrass habitat loss are documented, with a variety of contributing factors. The …

Population Demographics And Sexual Reproduction Potential Of The Pillar Coral, Dendrogyra Cylindrus, On The Florida Reef Tract, Lystina Kabay

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The pillar coral, Dendrogyra cylindrus, has been commonly described as widely distributed, but rare throughout its geographical range in the Caribbean. Having recently been listed as Threatened under the US Endangered Species Act, an understanding of population status is needed to promote species conservation and population recovery. Previous to this study the status of the pillar coral population in the state waters of Florida, U.S.A, was relatively unknown primarily due to few colonies being recorded and no comprehensive summary of population abundance, distribution or health being completed. Along with various environmental and anthropogenic factors affecting the pillar coral population …

Vectored Intracerebral Immunization With The Anti-Tau Monoclonal Antibody Phf1 Markedly Reduces Tau Pathology In Mutant Tau Transgenic Mice, Wencheng Liu, Lingzhi Zhao, Brittany Blackman, Mayur Parmar, Man Ying Wong, Thomas Woo, Fangmin Yu, Maria J. Chiuchiolo, Dolan Sondhi, Stephen M. Kaminsky, Ronald G. Crystal, Steven M. Paul

HPD Articles

UNLABELLED: Passive immunization with anti-tau monoclonal antibodies has been shown by several laboratories to reduce age-dependent tau pathology and neurodegeneration in mutant tau transgenic mice. These studies have used repeated high weekly doses of various tau antibodies administered systemically for several months and have reported reduced tau pathology of ∼40-50% in various brain regions. Here we show that direct intrahippocampal administration of the adeno-associated virus (AAV)-vectored anti-phospho-tau antibody PHF1 to P301S tau transgenic mice results in high and durable antibody expression, primarily in neurons. Hippocampal antibody levels achieved after AAV delivery were ∼50-fold more than those reported following repeated systemic …

Coral Recovery On Phase-Shifted Reefs Depend Upon The Type Of Macroalgae Present, Justin N. Voss

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The Florida Keys experienced some of the most drastic transitions from coral to macroalgae dominated states, known as phase-or regime-shifts, of any reefs in the Caribbean. Macroalgae on coral reefs lower coral recruitment by deterring coral settlement either directly through competition or indirectly by changing the chemical environment near the benthos. With evidence of species-specific interactions to coral-macroalgae competition, the type of macroalgae on a phase-shifted coral reef might be more important than just identifying a reef transition. To answer this question, I tested the effect of Laurencia intricata (a macroalgae related to the settlement inducing crustose coralline algae) and …

Effects Of 17 Β-Estradiol And Progesterone On Acropora Cervicornis And Porites Astreoides Growth And Reproduction, Joshua L. Stocker

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Reef-building coral populations throughout the world are being threatened by numerous stressors and continue to decline. As potent endocrine-disrupting compounds, exogenous sex steroid contamination has been a largely overlooked stressor to corals. Previous research indicates these compounds are prevalent in marine environments, fluctuate annually along with reproductive cycles, can bioaccumulate, and have had variable effects on growth and reproduction in several cnidarian species. This project had three primary objectives: (1) establish environmental estradiol and progesterone concentrations in Broward County and lower Florida Keys reef environments, (2) conduct 17 β-estradiol and progesterone larval assays on P. astreoides larvae to determine the …

The Vertical And Horizontal Distribution Of Deep-Sea Crustaceans Of The Order Euphausiacea (Malacostraca: Eucarida) From The Northern Gulf Of Mexico With Notes On Reproductive Seasonality., Charles Douglas Fine

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The vertical and horizontal distributions of Euphausiacea in the northern Gulf of Mexico, including the location of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, were analyzed from 340 trawl samples collected between April-June, 2011. This study is the first comprehensive survey of euphausiid distributions from depths deeper than 1000 m in the Gulf of Mexico and included stratified sampling from five discrete depth ranges (0-200 m, 200-600 m, 600-1000 m, 1000-1200 m, and 1200-1500 m). In addition, this study encompasses the region heavily impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Data presented here could potentially be used in ecosystem models investigating trophic …

Trophic Ecology Of Green Turtles (Chelonia Mydas) From Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida, David C. Roche

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Located 100 km west of Key West, Florida, Dry Tortugas National Park (DRTO) is a largely untouched subtropical marine ecosystem that serves as an important developmental habitat, nesting ground, and foraging area for several species of sea turtles, including green turtles. The Park supports a recovering population of green turtles comprised of resident juveniles, subadults, and adults of both sexes; nesting females include residents and migrating females that only return to nest. Stable isotope analysis has been applied widely to describe the trophic ecology of green turtles, from urbanized bays with significant anthropogenic input, to relatively pristine ecosystems with healthy …

Lipid Composition Of Oil Extracted From Wasted Norway Lobster (Nephrops Norvegicus) Heads And Comparison With Oil Extracted From Antarctic Krill (Euphasia Superba), Amaya Albalat, Lauren E. Nadler, Nicholas Foo, James R. Dick, Andrew J. R. Watts, Heather Philp, Douglas M. Neil, Oscar Monroig

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

In the UK, the Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) supports its most important shellfish fishery. Nephrops are sold either whole, or as “tails-only” for the scampi trade. In the “tailing” process, the “head” (cephalothorax) is discarded as waste. A smaller crustacean species, the Antarctic krill Euphasia superba, represents an economically valuable industry, as its extractable oil is sold as a human dietary supplement. The aim of this study was to determine the amount and composition of the oil contained in discarded Nephrops heads and to compare its composition to the oil extracted from krill. Differences due to Geographical …

Ports, Prosperity, And Pests: Assessing The Threat Of Aquatic Invasive Species Introduced By Maritime Shipping Activity In Cuba, Charleen O'Brien

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are biological pollutants that cause detrimental ecological, economic, and sociological effects on non-native communities. With increasing globalization through maritime trade, coastal ports are vulnerable to AIS introductions transported by commercial vessels. As Cuba’s Port Mariel becomes a competitive transshipment hub within the Caribbean, it is essential to identify the potential threat that AIS may pose with a likely increase in shipping activity. It is equally important to understand the status of established AIS in Cuba and control measures presently being implemented by the country. This information can provide guidance for establishing or improving Cuban AIS preventative …

Otopathogenic Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Enters And Survives Inside Macrophages, Rahul Mittal, Christopher V. Lisi, Hansi Kumari, M'Hamed Grati, Patricia Blackwelder, Denise Yan, Chaitanya Jain, Kalai Mathee, Paulo H. Weckwerth, Xue Zhong Liu

Biology Faculty Articles

Otitis media (OM) is a broad term describing a group of infectious and inflammatory disorders of the middle ear. Despite antibiotic therapy, acute OM can progress to chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) characterized by ear drum perforation and purulent discharge. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the most common pathogen associated with CSOM. Although, macrophages play an important role in innate immune responses but their role in the pathogenesis of P. aeruginosa-induced CSOM is not known. The objective of this study is to examine the interaction of P. aeruginosa with primary macrophages. We observed that P. aeruginosa enters and multiplies inside human …

The Interplay Of Tlr9, Myeloid Cells, And A20 In Periodontal Inflammation, Katie E. Crump, Jennifer C. Oakley, Xia Xia-Juan, Theandra C. Madu, Swathi Devaki, Erin C. Mooney, Sinem E. Sahingur

Biology Faculty Articles

TLR9 deficient (TLR9^-/-) mice are resistant to periodontitis, a disease characterized by a dysbiotic microbiota and deregulated immune response resulting in tooth loss and various systemic conditions. However, the mechanisms and biological pathways by which TLR9 instigates periodontal inflammation are yet to be identified. In a ligature-induced model of periodontitis, we demonstrate TLR9^-/- mice exhibited significantly less alveolar bone loss compared to their wild-type (WT) counterparts. Consistent with the disease phenotype, gingival tissues showed significantly more inflammatory cell infiltrate in the WT ligated but not in the TLR9^-/- ligated mice compared to their unligated controls. Peritoneal …

Effect Of Elevated Carbon Dioxide On Shoal Familiarity And Metabolism In A Coral Reef Fish, Lauren E. Nadler, Shaun S. Killen, Mark I. Mccormick, Sue-Ann Watson, Philip L. Munday

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Atmospheric CO₂ is expected to more than double by the end of the century. The resulting changes in ocean chemistry will affect the behaviour, sensory systems and physiology of a range of fish species. Although a number of past studies have examined effects of CO₂ in gregarious fishes, most have assessed individuals in social isolation, which can alter individual behaviour and metabolism in social species. Within social groups, a learned familiarity can develop following a prolonged period of interaction between individuals, with fishes preferentially associating with familiar conspecifics because of benefits such as improved social learning and greater …

27 Years Of Benthic And Coral Community Dynamics On Turbid, Highly Urbanised Reefs Off Singapore, James R. Guest, K. Tun, Jeffrey A. Low, A. Vergés, Ezequiel M. Marzinelli, A. H. Campbell, Andrew G. Bauman, David A. Feary, Loke Ming Chou, Peter D. Steinberg

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Coral cover on reefs is declining globally due to coastal development, overfishing and climate change. Reefs isolated from direct human influence can recover from natural acute disturbances, but little is known about long term recovery of reefs experiencing chronic human disturbances. Here we investigate responses to acute bleaching disturbances on turbid reefs off Singapore, at two depths over a period of 27 years. Coral cover declined and there were marked changes in coral and benthic community structure during the first decade of monitoring at both depths. At shallower reef crest sites (3–4 m), benthic community structure recovered towards pre-disturbance states …

Antagonistic Effects Of Ocean Acidification And Rising Sea Surface Temperature On The Dissolution Of Coral Reef Carbonate Sediments, Daniel Trnovsky, Laura Stoltenberg, Tyler Cyronak, Bradley D. Eyre

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Increasing atmospheric CO₂ is raising sea surface temperature (SST) and increasing seawater CO₂ concentrations, resulting in a lower oceanic pH (ocean acidification; OA), which is expected to reduce the accretion of coral reef ecosystems. Although sediments comprise most of the calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) within coral reefs, no in situ studies have looked at the combined effects of increased SST and OA on the dissolution of coral reef CaCO₃ sediments. In situ benthic chamber incubations were used to measure dissolution rates in permeable CaCO₃ sands under future OA and SST scenarios in a coral reef …

Whole-Genome Identification, Phylogeny, And Evolution Of The Cytochrome P450 Family 2 (Cyp2) Subfamilies In Birds, Daniela Almeida, Emanuel Maldonado, Imran Khan, Liliana Silva, M. Thomas P. Gilbert, Guojie Zhang, Erich D. Jarvis, Stephen J. O'Brien, Warren E. Johnson, Agostinho Antunes

Biology Faculty Articles

The cytochrome P450 (CYP) superfamily defends organisms from endogenous and noxious environmental compounds, and thus is crucial for survival. However, beyond mammals the molecular evolution of CYP2 subfamilies is poorly understood. Here, we characterized the CYP2 family across 48 avian whole genomes representing all major extant bird clades. Overall,12 CYP2 subfamilies were identified, including the first description of the CYP2F, CYP2G, and several CYP2AF genes in avian genomes. Some of the CYP2 genes previously described as being lineage-specific, such as CYP2K and CYP2W, are ubiquitous to all avian groups. Furthermore, we identified a large number of CYP2J copies, which have …

Koalas (Phascolarctos Cinereus) From Queensland Are Genetically Distinct From 2 Populations In Victoria, Christina T. Ruiz-Rodriguez, Yasuko Ishida, Neil D. Murray, Stephen J. O'Brien, Jennifer A.M. Graves, Alex D. Greenwood, Alfred L. Roca

Biology Faculty Articles

The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) suffered population declines and local extirpation due to hunting in the early 20th century, especially in southern Australia. Koalas were subsequently reintroduced to the Brisbane Ranges (BR) and Stony Rises (SR) by translocating individuals from a population on French Island descended from a small number of founders. To examine genetic diversity and north-south differentiation, we genotyped 13 microsatellite markers in 46 wild koalas from the BR and SR, and 27 Queensland koalas kept at the US zoos. The Queensland koalas displayed much higher heterozygosity (H O = 0.73) than the 2 southern Australian koala populations examined: …

Human Anatomy & Physiology Society ( Haps ) Southern Regional Meeting 2016, Cheryl Purvis

Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches and Lectures

No abstract provided.

Biology Internship In Austria, Maria Gabriela Herrera, Valentina Ramirez

Trick to the Treat of Internships and Research

The summer biology internship in Austria is an excellent opportunity for students who desire to pursue the field of medicine. As part of the program, students will be assigned to the organ transplant team where they will have the opportunity to not only observe such surgeries, but also actually participate and assist during the procedure. Other possible specialties during this program include plastic surgery, orthopedic surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, and urology depending on availability. The selected students will travel to Graz, Austria and meet with the organ transplant team and learn how to prepare for and assist in surgery. The …

The Scripps Research Institute Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, Ezana Assefa

Trick to the Treat of Internships and Research

This program is a 10-week internship designed for undergraduates interested in the scientific field to engage in current research. Students have the option of requesting to work under three mentors, one of which they will be paired. Students will work in the lab with the principal investigator and other members of the lab. Along with working in the lab, students in the program will also attend bi-weekly talks/lectures from researchers, grad students, and professionals at TSRI as well as participating in two presentations and a final poster or oral presentation.

Abundance And Diversity Of Deep-Sea Crustaceans Of Bear Seamount, New England Seamount Chain, Valerie Renee Miranda

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Bear Seamount (39° 55’ N; 67° 30’ W) is the westernmost peak of extinct undersea volcanoes in the New England Seamount Chain (Moore et al., 2003). It is located on the continental slope off Georges Bank, and is governed by unique environmental factors and currents that may be unlike those of the other seamounts (Moore et al., 2003). Previous cruises to this seamount have been successful in capturing abundant fishes, cephalopods and invertebrates (Moore et al., 2003; Moore et al., 2004; Moore et al., 2008), but only the distribution patterns of the fishes and cephalopods have been examined, leaving a …

Comparison Of Carnivore, Omnivore, And Herbivore Mammalian Genomes With A New Leopard Assembly, Soonok Kim, Yun Sung Cho, Hak Min Kim, Oksung Chung, Hyunho Kim, Sungwoong Jho, Hong Seomun, Jeongho Kim, Woo Young Bang, Changmu Kim, Junghwa An, Chang Hwan Bae, Youngjune Bhak, Sungwon Jeon, Hyejun Yoon, Yumi Kim, Je Hoon Jun, Hye Jin Lee, Suan Cho, Olga Uphyrkina, Aleksey Kostyria, John Goodrich, Dale Miquelle, Melody Roelke, John Lewis, Andrey Yurchenko, Anton Bankevich, Juok Cho, Semin Lee

Biology Faculty Articles

Background: There are three main dietary groups in mammals: carnivores, omnivores, and herbivores. Currently, there is limited comparative genomics insight into the evolution of dietary specializations in mammals. Due to recent advances in sequencing technologies, we were able to perform in-depth whole genome analyses of representatives of these three dietary groups. Results: We investigated the evolution of carnivory by comparing 18 representative genomes from across Mammalia with carnivorous, omnivorous, and herbivorous dietary specializations, focusing on Felidae (domestic cat, tiger, lion, cheetah, and leopard), Hominidae, and Bovidae genomes. We generated a new high-quality leopard genome assembly, as well as two wild …

Glycoside Hydrolases Family 20 (Gh20) Represent Putative Virulence Factors That Are Shared By Animal Pathogenic Oomycetes, But Are Absent In Phytopathogens, Isabel Olivera, Katrina Fins, Sara Rodriguez, Sumayyah K. Abiff, Jaime Tartar, Aurelien Tartar

Biology Faculty Articles

Background

Although interest in animal pathogenic oomycetes is increasing, the molecular basis mediating oomycete-animal relationships remains virtually unknown. Crinkler (CRN) genes, which have been traditionally associated with the cytotoxic activity displayed by plant pathogenic oomycetes, were recently detected in transcriptome sequences from the entomopathogenic oomycete Lagenidium giganteum, suggesting that these genes may represent virulence factors conserved in both animal and plant pathogenic oomycetes. In order to further characterize the L. giganteum pathogenome, an on-going genomic survey was mined to reveal novel putative virulence factors, including canonical oomycete effectors Crinkler 13 (CRN13) orthologs. These novel sequences provided a basis to …

Improving The Spatial Allocation Of Functional Group Biomasses In Spatially-Explicit Ecosystem Models: Insights From Three Gulf Of Mexico Models, Arnaud Gruss, Elizabeth A. Babcock, Skyler Sagarese, Michael Drexler, David D. Chagaris, Cameron H. Ainsworth, Brad Penta, Sergio Derada, Tracey Sutton

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Spatially-explicit ecosystem models, such as Ecospace, Atlantis, and OSMOSE, are key tools for achieving ecosystem-based fisheries management in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). In spatially-explicit ecosystem models, trophic interactions strongly depend on the way functional group biomasses are allocated spatially, which conditions patterns of spatial overlap between predators, prey, and competitors. Here, we review realized and ongoing improvements in the spatial allocation of functional group biomasses in Ecospace and OSMOSE models of the West Florida Shelf ("WFS Reef fish Ecospace" and "OSMOSE-WFS") and in the Atlantis model of the GOM ("Atlantis-GOM"). A habitat capacity model, which defines the spatial distribution …

Pangolin Genomes And The Evolution Of Mammalian Scales And Immunity, Siew Who Choo, Mike Rayko, Tze King Tan, Ranjeev Hari, Aleksey Komissarov, Wei Yee Wee, Andrey A. Yurchenko, Sergey Kliver, Gaik Tamazian, Agostinho Antunes, Richard K. Wilson, Wesley C. Warren, Klaus Peter Koepfli, Patrick Minx, Ksenia Krasheninnikova, Antoinette Kotze, Desire L. Dalton, Elaine Vermaak, Ian C. Paterson, Pavel Dobrynin, Frankie Thomas Sitam, Jeffrine J. Rovie-Ryan, Warren E. Johnson, Aini Mohamed Yusoff, Shu Jin Luo, Kayal Vizi Karuppannan, Gang Fang, Deyou Zheng, Mark B. Gerstein

Biology Faculty Articles

Pangolins, unique mammals with scales over most of their body, no teeth, poor vision, and an acute olfactory system, comprise the only placental order (Pholidota) without a whole-genome map. To investigate pangolin biology and evolution, we developed genome assemblies of the Malayan (Manis javanica) and Chinese (M. pentadactyla) pangolins. Strikingly, we found that interferon epsilon (IFNE), exclusively expressed in epithelial cells and important in skin and mucosal immunity, is pseudogenized in all African and Asian pangolin species that we examined, perhaps impacting resistance to infection. We propose that scale development was an innovation that provided protection against injuries or stress …

The Lli Chronicle Volume 7 Number 3, Nova Southeastern University

Lifelong Learning Institute Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Feralisation Targets Different Genomic Loci To Domestication In The Chicken, M. Johnsson, Eben Gering, P. Willis, S. Lopez, L. Van Dorp, G. Hellenthal, R. Henriksen, U. Friberg, D. Wright

Biology Faculty Articles

Feralisation occurs when a domestic population recolonizes the wild, escaping its previous restricted environment, and has been considered as the reverse of domestication. We have previously shown that Kauai Island's feral chickens are a highly variable and admixed population. Here we map selective sweeps in feral Kauai chickens using whole-genome sequencing. The detected sweeps were mostly unique to feralisation and distinct to those selected for during domestication. To ascribe potential phenotypic functions to these genes we utilize a laboratory-controlled equivalent to the Kauai population—an advanced intercross between Red Junglefowl and domestic layer birds that has been used previously for both …

Investigating The Spatial Distribution And Effects Of Nearshore Topography On Acropora Cervicornis Abundance In Southeast Florida, Nicole D'Antonio, David S. Gilliam, Brian K. Walker

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Dense Acropora cervicornis aggregations, or patches, have been documented within nearshore habitats in Southeast Florida (SE FL) despite close proximity to numerous anthropogenic stressors and subjection to frequent natural disturbance events. Limited information has been published concerning the distribution and abundance of A. cervicornis outside of these known dense patches. The first goal of this study was to conduct a spatially extensive and inclusive survey (9.78 km²) to determine whether A. cervicornis distribution in the nearshore habitat of SE FL was spatially uniform or clustered. The second goal was to investigate potential relationships between broad-scale seafloor topography and …