Aquaculture and Fisheries Commons^™

Freshwater Phytoplankton Populations Detected Using High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (Hplc) Of Taxon-Specific Pigments, Lauren Jeanne Simmons

Theses and Dissertations

Phytoplankton are key primary producers in aquatic ecosystems, and the principle food source for primary consumers. Individual phytoplankton species respond to different physical, chemical and biological parameters, so monitoring taxonomic composition of the phytoplankton community is a means to monitor changes in environmental conditions. Phytoplankton community changes have frequently been monitored by estimating biomass (using chlorophyll a, measured fluorometrically), and taxonomic data obtained from cell counts. While such methods are useful, they are time-consuming. I hypothesized that high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods, which have been frequently used in marine systems, would allow separation and identification of key pigments. …

Influences Of A Cladophora Bloom On The Diets Of Amblema Plicata And Elliptio Dilatata In The Upper Green River, Kentucky, Jennifer Maria Yates

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Freshwater mussels are the most imperiled group of freshwater invertebrates globally. Recent research suggests a better understanding of mussel feeding ecology may facilitate and improve conservation efforts. The use of stable isotopes is becoming an increasingly common method to study aquatic food webs. Carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) are two of the most frequently employed elements in food web studies. Differences in natural abundance of ¹³C/¹²C can indicate which food sources are the basal sources of carbon incorporated into a consumer’s tissue, while the ratio of ¹⁵N /¹⁴N provides a method of assessing trophic …

Strike Mechanics Of An Ambush Predator: The Spearing Mantis Shrimp, M. Devries, E. Murphy, S. Patek

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

Ambush predation is characterized by an animal scanning the environment from a concealed position and then rapidly executing a surprise attack. Mantis shrimp (Stomatopoda) consist of both ambush predators (‘spearers’) and foragers (‘smashers’). Spearers hide in sandy burrows and capture evasive prey, whereas smashers search for prey away from their burrows and typically hammer hard-shelled, sedentary prey. Here, we examined the kinematics, morphology and field behavior of spearing mantis shrimp and compared them with previously studied smashers. Using two species with dramatically different adult sizes, we found that strikes produced by the diminutive species, Alachosquilla vicina, were faster (mean peak …

Sub-Antarctic And High Antarctic Notothenioid Fishes: Ecology And Adaptational Biology Revealed By The Icefish 2004 Cruise Of Rvib Nathaniel B. Palmer, H. William Detrich Iii, Bradley A. Buckley, Daniel F. Doolittle, Christopher D. Jones, Susanne J. Lockhart

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The goal of the ICEFISH 2004 cruise, which was conducted on board RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer and traversed the transitional zones linking the South Atlantic to the Southern Ocean, was to compare the evolution, ecology, adaptational biology, community structure, and population dynamics of Antarctic notothenioid fishes relative to the cool/temperate notothenioids of the sub-Antarctic. To place this work in a comprehensive ecological context, cruise participants surveyed the benthos and geology of the biogeographic provinces and island shelves on either side of the Antarctic Polar Front (or Antarctic Convergence). Genome-enabled comparison of the responses of cold-living and temperate notothenioids to heat …

Nutritional Content Of Rhinoceros Auklet (Cerorhinca Monocerata) Bill Loads, Dustin Taylor, Ron Heintz

STAR Program Research Presentations

Nutritional Content of Rhinoceros Auklet Bill Loads

Dustin E Taylor

Abstract

An adult Rhinoceros Auklet (Cerorhinca monocerata) can only catch and carry a limited amount of prey to their nestlings after a foraging trip. The auklets therefore must maximize their efficiency by bringing back the most proportionally nutritious prey items to their nestlings. The prey carried back to the nesting sites (known as a ‘bill load’) can contain whole fish, as well as parts, most commonly fish heads. This study is aimed to determine whether returning with just heads to the nestlings was proportionally more nutritious than bringing …

Developing Monitoring Methods For Leptasterias Spp. As Sentinel Species In Detecting Local Environmental Changes, Zachary Sturbaum, Kathryn Nuessly, Riley J. Smith, C. Sarah Cohen

STAR Program Research Presentations

Leptasterias spp., a six-rayed sea star, is found in rocky intertidal habitats ranging from Alaska to central California. Leptasterias spp. can be monitored on a broad scale throughout their range by a variety of means using timed counts and random plot censusing in order to detect both large-scale and local-level changes in the environment due to climate change, land-based human activity, or other environmental events. Leptasterias brood their young externally until the embryos grow into fully developed juveniles. These juveniles disperse by crawling away, limiting their dispersal potential. This localized dispersal provides an opportunity to use Leptasterias spp …

Effects Of Pristane On Growth Of Pink Salmon (Oncorhynchus Gorbuscha), Brielle D. Kemis, Bonita Nelson

STAR Program Research Presentations

Pristane is a naturally occurring hydrocarbon that is generated by copepods in marine ecosystems. Organisms that eat copepods do not readily metabolize pristane, which causes it to accumulate throughout the marine food web. Understanding how pristane affects marine fish is essential because pristane is often used as a bioindicator in lab studies and may be influencing results in those studies. Also, this hydrocarbon may significantly reduce growth of marine fish in the wild. A previous study indicated that pristane is an appetite suppressant and growth retardant in fish. However, the study implemented a feeding regime with unnaturally high levels of …

Economic Impact Of Double-Crested Cormorant, Phalacrocorax Auritus, Depredation On Channel Catfish, Ictalurus Punctatus,Aquaculture In Mississippi, Usa, Brian S. Dorr, Loren W. Burger, Scott C. Barras, Kristina Casscles Godwin

Brian S Dorr

The Yazoo River Basin of Mississippi, USA, supports the largest concentration of hectares devoted to channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, aquaculture production in North America. The Yazoo Basin also supports large numbers of resident, wintering and migrating fish-eating birds, with the Double-crested Cormorant, Phalacrocorax auritus, implicated as the most serious depredating species. We used data from aerial surveys of numbers and distribution of cormorants in the Yazoo Basin and on commercial catfish ponds during winters (November–April) 2000–2001 and 2003–2004 to refine estimates of regional economic losses due to cormorant depredation. In both periods, the greatest monthly estimates of cormorant foraging occurred …

Genetic Variation In Potentially Virulent Vibrio Parahaemolyticus From The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Nicholas Felix Noriea Iii

Dissertations

Vibrio parahaemolyticus (V_p) is a gram-negative bacterium found naturally in marine and estuarine environments. V_p is found in oysters including those which are later consumed by the public. Sub-populations of potentially virulent Vp contain specific virulence factors and are relevant human pathogens capable of causing gastroenteritis, wound infection, and death. The tdh and trh genes, both encoding hemolysins, have been correlated with the majority of clinical V_p isolates but have not been shown to be the definitive virulence factors.

A total of 146 V_p isolates from the northern Gulf of Mexico were collected and probed …

Clam (Corbicula Fluminea) As A Potential Sentinel Of Human Norovirus Contamination In Freshwater, Xunyan Ye

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate and validate the use of the clam Corbicula fluminea as a sentinel of human noroviruses (HuNoV) contamination in freshwater. The first specific aim was to develop a new method to extract HuNoV RNA from contaminated bivalves (e.g. oysters, clams) that would be much faster than existing methods. The procedure developed includes an initial total RNA extraction using TRI Reagent, followed by HuNoV RNA concentration and purification using biotinylated probe-capture technology. HuNoV RNA is finally detected by real-time RT-PCR. Using bivalve homogenates spiked with HuNoV, 100 PCR detection units of the virus was …

Comparison Of Creel Survey Data To Traditional Sampling Techniques In Pit-Lake Fisheries Of Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, Derek L. Rupert

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Populations of largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides, and bluegill, Lepomis macrochirus, were evaluated from five pit-lakes in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, to determine if accurate proportional stock density (PSD) data can be obtained from a mandatory creel survey. It was hypothesized that the proportion of stock-to-quality (300-400mm) and quality (+400mm) largemouth bass from four years (2007-2010) of creel survey data would be statistically similar to those generated through on-site sampling in 2011. Fish were collected via a combination of gill netting, seining, hook-and-line fishing, and boat-mounted electro-fishing. In two of the pit-lakes, the sampling-generated length frequency data was not significantly …

Introduced Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha) In Lake Huron: Do They Spawn At The Right Time?, Meghan T. Gerson

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), following their introduction to the Great Lakes, have successfully colonized many tributaries. Under the hypothesis that colonization success is facilitated by intrinsic factors (i.e., preadaptation), I predicted that patterns of reproductive timing in an introduced population would show similarities with those in their native range. To test this prediction, attributes of reproductive timing were characterized in Chinook salmon from the Sydenham River, Ontario. In their native range, female Chinook salmon exhibit a seasonal decline in reproductive lifespan, a decline in fat stores, low egg retention at death (< 0.5%), and spawning at temperatures below 12.8°C. In contrast, Sydenham River Chinook salmon showed no seasonal decline in reproductive lifespan or fat stores and nineteen of twenty females had egg retention greater or equal to 0.5%. Also, many individuals (30%) spawned when water temperatures exceeded 12.8°C. Thus, individuals do not appear to be pre-adapted in this system.

Double-Crested Cormorant Distribution On Catfish Aquaculture In The Yazoo River Basin Of Mississippi, Brian S. Dorr, Loren W. Burger, Scott C. Barras, Kristina Casscles Godwin

Brian S Dorr

No abstract provided.

Research, Monitoring, Assessment And Development Plan 2011 – 2012, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries occasional publications

No abstract provided.

Efficacy, Effort, And Cost Comparisons Of Trapping And Acetaminophen-Baiting For Control Of Brown Treesnakes On Guam, Larry Clark, Peter J. Savarie, John A. Shivik, Stewart W. Breck, Brian S. Dorr

Brian S Dorr

Abstract: Brown treesnakes (Boiga irregularis) are an invasive species to the island of Guam. Because they have extirpated the native forest avifauna on Guam and are a threat to other Pacific islands, the development of efficient and cost-effective methods to control them is desired. We compared the efficacy, cost, and effort required to remove brown treesnakes on 6-ha plots in forest scrub on Guam, using 2 methods: trapping and poison baiting. Toxic baits consisted of dead neonatal mice adulterated with 80-mg acetaminophen. To assess efficacy, we used mark-recapture methods to estimate snake abundance on plots 12 days before and 12 …

The Direction Of Research And Management Of Double-Crested Cormorants Heading Into The 2000s: Symposium Overview And Future Information Needs, Brian S. Dorr, Christopher Somers

Brian S Dorr

Abstract.—An overview is provided of a symposium on the direction of research and management of Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) heading into the 2000s. The current symposium built on previous efforts and described a number of focus areas of informational need, including cormorant impacts on natural resources, demographics of cormorants, assessment of control efforts, assessment of fish consumption and bioenergetics, and cormorant spatial ecology and influences on movements. The cormorant symposium highlighted a shift in research focus relative to earlier symposia, from evaluating potential impacts on commercial and natural resources to evaluating management actions in attaining desired goals. In addition, the …

Modification Of Net Configurations Of The Coda Netlauncher© To Enhance Bird Capture, Amanda M. Prisock, Brian S. Dorr, James C. Cumbee

Brian S Dorr

Abstract: We modified and evaluated capture nets fi red from the Coda Netlauncher® as a tool for capturing various avian species. We modified the netlauncher by using customized nets to maximize the area of the capture zone. We captured 137 birds, comprising 12 species, in 23 attempts between July 2008 and October 2009 using this method. Capture success rates varied from 25 to 69% were comparable to success rates reported for other capture methods for these species. However, individual capture success for different net configurations varied greatly from 3 to 65%. Minimal injuries and 2 bird fatalities were reported. The …

Management Of Double-Crested Cormorants To Improve Sport Fisheries In Michigan: Three Case Studies, Brian S. Dorr, Shauna L. Hanisch, Peter H. Butchko, David G. Fielder

Brian S Dorr

No abstract provided.

Towards Optimized Population Control Efficiency In Space And Time: A Modelling Framework Adapted To A Colonial Waterbird, Alban Guillaumet, Brian S. Dorr, Guiming Wang

Brian S Dorr

The double-crested cormorant is a native North American waterbird that recently underwent a dramatic population expansion. Population control efforts in the USA and Canada attempt to mitigate cormorant damages to natural resources and aquaculture. However, there is currently no coordination among the various stakeholders involved in management activities as well as no attempt to optimize population control efficiency. In this paper, we present for the first time a spatially explicit stage-structured metapopulation model parameterized for the cormorant. We developed simulation tools to get insights into the efficiency gain that can be expected from a better planning of management activities in …

Summer And Migrational Movements Of Satellite-Marked Double-Crested Cormorants From A Breeding Colony Managed By Egg-Oiling In Lake Ontario, Usa, Brian S. Dorr, Jimmy D. Taylor Ii, Scott J. Werner, D. Tommy King, James F. Farquhar, Irene M. Mazzocchi, Russell D. Mccullough

Brian S Dorr

Abstract.—A two-year satellite telemetry study was initiated in May 2000 at a Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) breeding colony on Little Galloo Island (LGI) in eastern Lake Ontario, New York, USA, which is managed by egg-oiling. The objective was to describe cormorant (N = 26/year) movements, specifically during the period of reproductive management by egg-oiling and seasonally (breeding, migration and wintering). Egg-oiling at two-week intervals resulted in a hatch success on LGI of 5.7% for 2000 and 2001, combined. The majority (97%) of core use areas of marked cormorants contained LGI throughout three egg-oiling treatments (six weeks), and 71% still contained …

Inheritance Of Humeral Spotting In The Croaking Gourami (Osphronemidae: Trichopsis Vittatus), Jack Frankel, Lisa Alder-Golden, Andre Porter

Department of Biology Faculty Publications

The croaking gourami (Trichopsis vittatus) exhibits two phenotypes associated with humeral spotting. Fish possess a prominent, dark humeral patch or spot located behind the operculum or lack this spotting pattern. Segregation patterns observed from the progenies of eleven different crosses support the hypothesis that the inheritance of humeral spotting in T. vittatus is controlled by the action of a single autosomal locus, with complete dominance of the allele controlling the spotted phenotype.

Nutrient Transport By Shrimp Hepatopancreas, Tamla A. Simmons

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Purified brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV) were isolated to characterize primary cellular transport mechanisms for white shrimp. The ultimate goal is to determine the effective components of a shrimp’s diet, thereby enhancing growth, as well as nutrient content. Juvenile shrimp are dependent on plant material as a food source. Potassium is a key component of plants, thus it may play a role in nutrient transport. In addition, divalent metals have been shown to act as co-transporters in several other organisms, thus they may serve as a transport mechanism for shrimp.

Fresh, live, white or brown shrimp were obtained, and from …

Inheritance Of Humeral Spotting In The Croaking Gourami (Osphronemidae: Trichopsis Vittatus), Jack Frankel, Lisa Alder-Golden, Andre Porter

Jack Frankel