Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Biology Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 30 of 34

Full-Text Articles in Biology

Changes In Biotic And Abiotic Processes Following Mangrove Clearing, Elise Granek, Benjamin I. Ruttenberg Dec 2008

Changes In Biotic And Abiotic Processes Following Mangrove Clearing, Elise Granek, Benjamin I. Ruttenberg

Biological Sciences

Mangrove forests, important tropical coastal habitats, are in decline worldwide primarily due to removal by humans. Changes to mangrove systems can alter ecosystem properties through direct effects on abiotic factors such as temperature, light and nutrient supply or through changes in biotic factors such as primary productivity or species composition. Despite the importance of mangroves as transitional habitats between land and sea, little research has examined changes that occur when they are cleared. We examined changes in a number of biotic and abiotic factors following the anthropogenic removal of red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle) in the Panamanian Caribbean, including …


Biological Responses In A Dynamic Bouyant River Plume, Mark A. Moline, Thomas K. Frazer, Robert Chant, Scott Glenn, Charles A. Jacoby, John R. Reinfelder, Jennifer Yost, Meng Zhou, Oscar Schofield Dec 2008

Biological Responses In A Dynamic Bouyant River Plume, Mark A. Moline, Thomas K. Frazer, Robert Chant, Scott Glenn, Charles A. Jacoby, John R. Reinfelder, Jennifer Yost, Meng Zhou, Oscar Schofield

Biological Sciences

Buoyant river plumes are highly dynamic and often characterized by marked physical and chemical gradients that interact to drive biological responses. For example, interactions among factors resulting in algal growth (e.g., nutrient and light availability) and algal loss (e.g., sinking and zooplankton grazing) vary with spatiotemporal changes in physics and chemistry. The nature of these interactions profoundly influences the transfer and transformation of materials carried by the plume, including nutrients and metals. In April 2005, during the Lagrangian Transport and Transformation Experiment (LaTTE), water from the Hudson River recirculated in a nearshore eddy before moving southward to mix with relatively …


Dispersal Of The Hudson River Plume In The New York Bight: Synthesis Of Observational And Numerical Studies During Latte, Robert J. Chant, John Wilkin, Weifeng Zhang, Byoung-Ju Choi, Eli Hunter, Renato Castelao, Scott Glenn, Joe Jurisa, Oscar Schofield, Robert Houghton, Josh Kohut, Thomas K. Frazer, Mark A. Moline Dec 2008

Dispersal Of The Hudson River Plume In The New York Bight: Synthesis Of Observational And Numerical Studies During Latte, Robert J. Chant, John Wilkin, Weifeng Zhang, Byoung-Ju Choi, Eli Hunter, Renato Castelao, Scott Glenn, Joe Jurisa, Oscar Schofield, Robert Houghton, Josh Kohut, Thomas K. Frazer, Mark A. Moline

Biological Sciences

Observations and modeling during the Lagrangian Transport and Transformation Experiment (LaTTE) characterized the variability of the Hudson River discharge and identified several freshwater transport pathways that lead to cross-shelf mixing of the Hudson plume. The plume’s variability is comprised of several different outflow configurations that are related to wind forcing, river discharge, and shelf circulation. The modes are characterized by coastal current formation and unsteady bulge recirculation. Coastal currents are favored during low-discharge conditions and downwelling winds, and represent a rapid downshelf transport pathway. Bulge formation is favored during high-discharge conditions and upwelling winds. The bulge is characterized by clockwise …


Dietary Exposure To 2,2´,4,4´-Tetrabromodiphenyl Ether (Pbde-47) Alters Thyroid Status And Thyroid Hormone–Regulated Gene Transcription In The Pituitary And Brain, Sean C. Lema, Jon T. Dickey, Irvin R. Schultz, Penny Swanson Dec 2008

Dietary Exposure To 2,2´,4,4´-Tetrabromodiphenyl Ether (Pbde-47) Alters Thyroid Status And Thyroid Hormone–Regulated Gene Transcription In The Pituitary And Brain, Sean C. Lema, Jon T. Dickey, Irvin R. Schultz, Penny Swanson

Biological Sciences

No abstract provided.


The Importance Of Physiological Limits In Determining Biogeographical Range Shifts Due To Global Climate Change: The Heat-Shock Response, Lars Tomanek Oct 2008

The Importance Of Physiological Limits In Determining Biogeographical Range Shifts Due To Global Climate Change: The Heat-Shock Response, Lars Tomanek

Biological Sciences

Physiological processes that set an organism’s thermal limits are in part determining recent shifts in biogeographic distribution ranges due to global climate change. Several characteristics of the heat-shock response (HSR), such as the onset, maximal, and upper limit of heat-shock protein (Hsp) synthesis, contribute to setting the acute upper thermal limits of most organisms. Aquatic animals from stable, moderately variable, or highly variable thermal environments differ in their HSR. Some animals living in extremely stable thermal environments lack the response altogether. In contrast, rocky intertidal animals that experience highly variable thermal conditions start synthesizing Hsps, that is, the onset of …


Recruitment Of Coastal Fishes And Oceanographic Variability In Central California, J. R. Wilson, B. R. Broitman, J. E. Caselle, D. E. Wendt Sep 2008

Recruitment Of Coastal Fishes And Oceanographic Variability In Central California, J. R. Wilson, B. R. Broitman, J. E. Caselle, D. E. Wendt

Biological Sciences

Recruitment of pelagic larval fishes to the nearshore environment is dependent on a suite of biological and physical processes operating at many spatial and temporal scales. Nearshore circulation processes associated with coastal upwelling are widely upheld as major determinants of year class strength for many rockfishes (Sebastes spp.), but the mechanism by which these processes drive recruitment is largely unknown. We used Standard Monitoring Units for the Recruitment of Fishes (SMURFs) to monitor recruitment of two rockfish complexes (Sebastes spp.) and cabezon (Scorpaenichthys marmoratus) from March to September of 2004 and 2005 at 3 sites along …


Genome Size Is A Strong Predictor Of Cell Size And Stomatal Density In Angiosperms, Jeremy M. Beaulieu, Ilia J. Leitch, Sunil Patil, Arjun Pendharkar, Charles A. Knight Sep 2008

Genome Size Is A Strong Predictor Of Cell Size And Stomatal Density In Angiosperms, Jeremy M. Beaulieu, Ilia J. Leitch, Sunil Patil, Arjun Pendharkar, Charles A. Knight

Biological Sciences

• Across eukaryotes phenotypic correlations with genome size are thought to scale from genome size effects on cell size. However, for plants the genome/cell size link has only been thoroughly documented within ploidy series and small subsets of herbaceous species. • Here, the first large-scale comparative analysis is made of the relationship between genome size and cell size across 101 species of angiosperms of varying growth forms. Guard cell length and epidermal cell area were used as two metrics of cell size and, in addition, stomatal density was measured. • There was a significant positive relationship between genome size and …


Synergistic Applications Of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles And Regional Ocean Modeling System In Coastal Ocean Forecasting, Yi Chao, Zhijin Li, John D. Farrara, Mark A. Moline, Oscar M.E. Schofield, Sharanya J. Majumdar Sep 2008

Synergistic Applications Of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles And Regional Ocean Modeling System In Coastal Ocean Forecasting, Yi Chao, Zhijin Li, John D. Farrara, Mark A. Moline, Oscar M.E. Schofield, Sharanya J. Majumdar

Biological Sciences

The potential for using synergistic combinations of measurements from autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and output from three-dimensional numerical models for studying the central California coastal region is demonstrated. Two case studies are used to illustrate the approach. In the first, propeller-driven AUV observations revealed a subsurface salinity minimum in northern Monterey Bay. A Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) reanalysis of the three-dimensional flow in the region suggested an offshore source for this water and particular propagation pathways from the south and west into the bay. In the second case study, the effectiveness of assimilating observations in improving the ROMS reanalysis …


Introduction To The Limnology And Oceanography Special Issue On Autonomous And Lagrangian Platforms And Sensors (Alps), Mark A. Moline, T. D. Dickey, E. C. Itsweire, M. J. Perry Sep 2008

Introduction To The Limnology And Oceanography Special Issue On Autonomous And Lagrangian Platforms And Sensors (Alps), Mark A. Moline, T. D. Dickey, E. C. Itsweire, M. J. Perry

Biological Sciences

This issue is devoted to recent developments of autonomous and Lagrangian platforms and sensors (ALPS) and their uses for solving a broad range of interdisciplinary aquatic problems. The collective papers treat a variety of problems that generally require measurements spanning a continuum of temporal and spatial scales. ALPS platforms in this issue include surface drifters, profiling and other types of subsurface floats, gliders, unmanned boats, autonomous underwater vehicles, and instrumented animals. ALPS platforms can provide access in difficult environments (e.g., under ice and in high-sea states). They are also important for emerging networked ocean and lake observing systems that require …


Improved Fine-Scale Transport Model Performance Using Auv And Hsi Feedback In A Tidally Dominated System, L. F. Hibler, A. R. Maxwell, L. M. Miller, N. P. Kohn, D. L. Woodruff, M. J. Montes, J. H. Bowles, Mark A. Moline Aug 2008

Improved Fine-Scale Transport Model Performance Using Auv And Hsi Feedback In A Tidally Dominated System, L. F. Hibler, A. R. Maxwell, L. M. Miller, N. P. Kohn, D. L. Woodruff, M. J. Montes, J. H. Bowles, Mark A. Moline

Biological Sciences

One of the challenges for model prediction and validation is providing them with data of appropriate spatial and temporal resolution. The maturation and increased application of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) in aquatic environments allows systematic data collection on these model-relevant scales. The goal of this study was to apply a fine-scale circulation and transport model (Delft3D) to improve AUV mission planning and use data collected by the AUV to evaluate and improve model performance. A dye release was conducted in a tidally dominated embayment, and a planning phase model based on the best available data was used as a baseline …


Teaching Mendelism, William D. Stansfield Aug 2008

Teaching Mendelism, William D. Stansfield

Biological Sciences

No abstract provided.


Mulched Cover Crops As An Alternative To Conventional Weed Management Systems In Vineyards, Scott J. Steinmaus, C. L. Elmore, R. J. Smith, D. Donaldson, E. A. Weber, J. A. Roncoroni, P. R.M. Miller Jun 2008

Mulched Cover Crops As An Alternative To Conventional Weed Management Systems In Vineyards, Scott J. Steinmaus, C. L. Elmore, R. J. Smith, D. Donaldson, E. A. Weber, J. A. Roncoroni, P. R.M. Miller

Biological Sciences

Conventional methods of weed management in vineyards rely primarily on herbicides and tillage. The desire to adopt alternatives to these methods is driven by environmental and economic reasons. Weed suppression and grape yield under mulched cover crop systems at two rainfed northern California vineyards were similar to, and at times exceeded, those under conventional tillage or herbicide management. Cover crop productivity was positively correlated with weed suppression and mulch decomposition rates and seemed to be determined primarily by location and then by cover crop type. The mulch from mowed cover crops averaged 603(± 94) gm−2 at the two sites. …


Climate Change And The Future Of California's Endemic Flora, Scott R. Loarie, Benjamin E. Carter, Katherine Hayhoe, Sean Mcmahon, Richard Moe, Charles A. Knight, David D. Ackerly Jun 2008

Climate Change And The Future Of California's Endemic Flora, Scott R. Loarie, Benjamin E. Carter, Katherine Hayhoe, Sean Mcmahon, Richard Moe, Charles A. Knight, David D. Ackerly

Biological Sciences

The flora of California, a global biodiversity hotspot, includes 2387 endemic plant taxa. With anticipated climate change, we project that up to 66% will experience >80% reductions in range size within a century. These results are comparable with other studies of fewer species or just samples of a region’s endemics. Projected reductions depend on the magnitude of future emissions and on the ability of species to disperse from their current locations. California’s varied terrain could cause species to move in very different directions, breaking up present-day floras. However, our projections also identify regions where species undergoing severe range reductions may …


Spatial And Temporal Variation In The Natal Otolith Chemistry Of A Hawaiian Reef Fish: Prospects For Measuring Population Connectivity, Benjamin I. Ruttenberg, Scott L. Hamilton, Robert R. Warner May 2008

Spatial And Temporal Variation In The Natal Otolith Chemistry Of A Hawaiian Reef Fish: Prospects For Measuring Population Connectivity, Benjamin I. Ruttenberg, Scott L. Hamilton, Robert R. Warner

Biological Sciences

One of the most compelling unanswered questions in marine ecology is the extent to which local populations are connected via larval exchange. Recent work has suggested that variation in the chemistry of otoliths (earstones) of fishes may function as a natural tag, potentially allowing investigators to determine sources of individual larvae and estimate larval connectivity. We analyzed the spatial and temporal variation in natal otolith chemistry of a benthic-spawning reef fish from the Hawaiian Islands. We found no consistent chemical variation at the largest scale (>100 km, among islands), but found significant variation at moderate scales (sites within islands, …


Inhibition Of Barnacle (Amphibalanus Amphitrite) Cyprid Settlement By Means Of Localized, Pulsed Electric Fields, Rodolfo E. Perez-Roa, Marc A. Anderson, Dan Rittschof, Beatriz Orihuela, Dean Wendt, Gregory L. Kowalke, Daniel R. Noguera May 2008

Inhibition Of Barnacle (Amphibalanus Amphitrite) Cyprid Settlement By Means Of Localized, Pulsed Electric Fields, Rodolfo E. Perez-Roa, Marc A. Anderson, Dan Rittschof, Beatriz Orihuela, Dean Wendt, Gregory L. Kowalke, Daniel R. Noguera

Biological Sciences

The increasing needs for environmental friendly antifouling coatings have led to investigation of new alternatives for replacing copper and TBT-based paints. In this study, results are presented from larval settlement assays of the barnacle Amphibalanus (= Balanus) amphitrite on planar, interdigitated electrodes (IDE), having 8 or 25 mum of inter-electrode spacing, upon the application of pulsed electric fields (PEF). Using pulses of 100 ms in duration, 200 Hz in frequency and 10 V in pulse amplitude, barnacle settlement below 5% was observed, while similar IDE surfaces without pulse application had an average of 40% settlement. The spacing between the electrodes …


Integrating Across Life-History Stages: Consequences Of Natal Habitat Effects On Dispersal, Michael F. Benard, Shannon J. Mccauley May 2008

Integrating Across Life-History Stages: Consequences Of Natal Habitat Effects On Dispersal, Michael F. Benard, Shannon J. Mccauley

Biological Sciences

Ecological and evolutionary processes are affected by forces acting at both local and regional scales, yet our understanding of how these scales interact has remained limited. These processes are fundamentally linked through individuals that develop as juveniles in one environment and then either remain in the natal habitat or disperse to new environments. Empirical studies in a diverse range of organisms have demonstrated that the conditions experienced in the natal habitat can have profound effects on the adult phenotype. This environmentally induced phenotypic variation can in turn affect the probability that an individual will disperse to a new environment and …


Genome Size Scaling Through Phenotype Space, Charles A. Knight, Jeremy M. Beaulieu Apr 2008

Genome Size Scaling Through Phenotype Space, Charles A. Knight, Jeremy M. Beaulieu

Biological Sciences

Background and Aims Early observations that genome size was positively correlated with cell size formed the basis of hypothesized consequences of genome size variation at higher phenotypic scales. This scaling was supported by several studies showing a positive relationship between genome size and seed mass, and various metrics of growth and leaf morphology. However, many of these studies were undertaken with limited species sets, and often performed within a single genus. Here we seek to generalize the relationship between genome size and the phenotype by examining eight phenotypic traits using large cross-species comparisons involving diverse assemblages of angiosperm and gymnosperm …


Maternal Effects Of Carotenoid Consumption In Guppies (Poecilia Reticulata), Gregory F. Grether, Gita R. Kolluru, K. Lin, M. A. Quiroz, G. Robertson, A. J. Snyder Apr 2008

Maternal Effects Of Carotenoid Consumption In Guppies (Poecilia Reticulata), Gregory F. Grether, Gita R. Kolluru, K. Lin, M. A. Quiroz, G. Robertson, A. J. Snyder

Biological Sciences

1. Carotenoids transferred from mother to offspring may enhance the quality of the offspring. Whether such maternal effects occur in guppies (Poecilia reticulata) has an important bearing on mate preference evolution.
2. By raising female guppies from birth on different dietary carotenoid levels, we examined the pattern of carotenoid allocation to maternal tissue (skin) vs. eggs. Skin carotenoid content was only weakly affected by carotenoid intake while egg carotenoid content was strongly affected.
3. We then tested for effects of maternal carotenoid intake on several measures of offspring quality, including size and condition at birth, juvenile growth rate, …


Oligonucleotide Primers For The Detection Of Bioluminescent Dinoflagellates Reveal Novel Luciferase Sequences And Information On The Molecular Evolution Of This Gene, Andrea Baker, Ian Robbins, Mark A. Moline, Maria Debora Iglesias-Rodriguez Apr 2008

Oligonucleotide Primers For The Detection Of Bioluminescent Dinoflagellates Reveal Novel Luciferase Sequences And Information On The Molecular Evolution Of This Gene, Andrea Baker, Ian Robbins, Mark A. Moline, Maria Debora Iglesias-Rodriguez

Biological Sciences

Bioluminescence is reported in members of 18 dinoflagellate genera. Species of dinoflagellates are known to have different bioluminescent signatures, making it difficult to assess the presence of particular species in the water column using optical tools, particularly when bioluminescent populations are in nonbloom conditions. A "universal" oligonucleotide primer set, along with species and genus-specific primers specific to the luciferase gene were developed for the detection of bioluminescent dinoflagellates. These primers amplified luciferase sequences from bioluminescent dinoflagellate cultures and from environmental samples containing bioluminescent dinoflagellate populations. Novel luciferase sequences were obtained for strains of Alexandrium cf. catenella (Whedon et Kof.) Balech …


Bio-Optics In Integrated Ocean Observing Networks: Potential For Studying Harmful Algal Blooms, Oscar Schofield, J. Bosch, Scott Glenn, Gary Kirkpatrick, John Kerfoot, Steven Lohrenz, Mark A. Moline, Matthew Oliver, Paul Bissett Apr 2008

Bio-Optics In Integrated Ocean Observing Networks: Potential For Studying Harmful Algal Blooms, Oscar Schofield, J. Bosch, Scott Glenn, Gary Kirkpatrick, John Kerfoot, Steven Lohrenz, Mark A. Moline, Matthew Oliver, Paul Bissett

Biological Sciences

Ships have a difficult time sampling the time and space scales relevant for understanding how the physics and chemistry regulates marine ecosystems (National Research Council 2000, 2003, Figure 3.1); therefore the biology in the oceans is chronically under-sampled. This is a major problem for policy makers and local governments charged with managing coastal resources who are increasingly being asked to develop ‘ecosystem-based management’ plans (US Ocean Commission on Ocean Policy, 2004). Th is is especially true in regions where Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) are present (Hallegraeff, 1993). Ecosystem-based management requires a quantitative understanding of the processes controlling marine food webs. …


Dimethylsulfoniopropionate As A Foraging Cue For Reef Fishes, Jennifer L. Debose, Sean C. Lema, Gabrielle A. Nevitt Mar 2008

Dimethylsulfoniopropionate As A Foraging Cue For Reef Fishes, Jennifer L. Debose, Sean C. Lema, Gabrielle A. Nevitt

Biological Sciences

No abstract provided.


Correlated Evolution Of Genome Size And Cell Volume In Diatoms (Bacillariophyceae), Jessica A. Connolly, Matthew J. Oliver, Jeremy M. Beaulieu, Charles A. Knight, Lars Tomanek, Mark A. Moline Feb 2008

Correlated Evolution Of Genome Size And Cell Volume In Diatoms (Bacillariophyceae), Jessica A. Connolly, Matthew J. Oliver, Jeremy M. Beaulieu, Charles A. Knight, Lars Tomanek, Mark A. Moline

Biological Sciences

A correlation between genome size and cell volume has been observed across diverse assemblages of eukaryotes. We examined this relationship in diatoms (Bacillariophyceae), a phylum in which cell volume is of critical ecological and biogeochemical importance. In addition to testing whether there is a predictive relationship across extant species, we tested whether evolutionary divergences in genome size were correlated with evolutionary divergences in cell size (using independent contrasts). We estimated total DNA content for 16 diatom species using a flow cytometer and estimated cell volumes using critical dimensions with scaling equations. Our independent contrast analyses indicated a significant correlated evolution …


Sub-Kilometer Length Scales In Coastal Waters, Shelley M. Blackwell, Mark A. Moline, Andrew Schaffner, Thomas Garrison, Grace Chang Feb 2008

Sub-Kilometer Length Scales In Coastal Waters, Shelley M. Blackwell, Mark A. Moline, Andrew Schaffner, Thomas Garrison, Grace Chang

Biological Sciences

Patchiness or spatial variability is ubiquitous in marine systems. With increasing anthropogenic impacts to coastal resources and coastal systems being disproportionately large contributors to ocean productivity, identifying the spatial scales of this patchiness, particularly in coastal waters, is of critical importance to understand coastal ecosystem dynamics. The current work focuses on fine scale structure in three coastal regions. More specifically, we utilize variogram analyses to identify sub-kilometer scales of variability in biological and physical parameters measured by an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) in the Mid-Atlantic Bight, Monterey Bay, and in San Luis Obispo Bay between 2001 and 2004. Critical scales …


Slow, Fast And In Between: Habitat Distribution And Behaviour Of Larvae In Nine Species Of Libellulid Dragonfly, Shannon J. Mccauley Feb 2008

Slow, Fast And In Between: Habitat Distribution And Behaviour Of Larvae In Nine Species Of Libellulid Dragonfly, Shannon J. Mccauley

Biological Sciences

1. Activity and microhabitat use are important factors determining species performance in habitats that differ in permanence and species composition of top predators. This study examined the relationship between the distribution across a gradient of habitat permanence and an associated transition in the composition of top predators and the behaviour of species of larval dragonflies. It also assessed the relationship between larval behaviour, body size and the duration of the larval stage. In laboratory mesocosms the mobility of the different species was measured, as was the extent to which they associated with artificial vegetation. 2. Species mobility was positively related …


Molecular Cloning And Sequence Analysis Of Multiple Cdna Variants For Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone Β Subunit (Tshβ) In The Fathead Minnow (Pimephales Promelas), Sean C. Lema, Jon T. Dickey, Penny Swanson Feb 2008

Molecular Cloning And Sequence Analysis Of Multiple Cdna Variants For Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone Β Subunit (Tshβ) In The Fathead Minnow (Pimephales Promelas), Sean C. Lema, Jon T. Dickey, Penny Swanson

Biological Sciences

We cloned and sequenced full-length cDNAs encoding the β subunit of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSHβ) from the pituitary of fathead minnow (Piephales promelas)using 5'-and 3'-rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). Three cDNA variants for TSHβ with lengths of 1184-, 1093-, and 818-bp were identified. The cDNA variant of 1184-bp included 453-bp of open-reading frame and 610-bp of 3' UTR followed by a poly(A)site. This cDNA encodes 150 amino acids including a 19 residue signal peptide and a mature TSHβ protein of 131 residues with sequence identities of 97–53% to other fishes and 42–39% to mammals. The 1093-bp cDNA variant …


A Fossil Skull Of The Extant Blue Marlin (Makaira Nigricans Lacapède, 1802) From The Late Miocene Of Orange County, California, Harry L. Fierstine Jan 2008

A Fossil Skull Of The Extant Blue Marlin (Makaira Nigricans Lacapède, 1802) From The Late Miocene Of Orange County, California, Harry L. Fierstine

Biological Sciences

A nearly complete fossil skull, including the rostrum, of blue marlin, Makaira nigricans Lacapède, 1802 (Perciformes: Xiphioidei: Istiophoridae), was collected from the Oso Member (latest Miocene) of the Capistrano Formation, Mission Viejo, Orange County, California. The specimen is compared with extant and fossil istiophorids, and 19 of its 20 morphological variables are within the range of values observed for extant M. nigricans, whereas only 13 or less variables are within the observed range of other extant istiophorids. Because extant M. nigricans usually inhabits a water column with a height of about 200 m or more and is the most …


Creationism, Catastrophism, And Velikovsky, William D. Stansfield Jan 2008

Creationism, Catastrophism, And Velikovsky, William D. Stansfield

Biological Sciences

No abstract provided.


High Latitude Changes In Ice Dynamics And Their Impact On Polar Marine Ecosystems, Mark A. Moline, Nina J. Karnovsky, Zachary Brown, George J. Divoky, Thomas K. Frazer, Charles A. Jacoby, Joseph J. Torres, William R. Fraser Jan 2008

High Latitude Changes In Ice Dynamics And Their Impact On Polar Marine Ecosystems, Mark A. Moline, Nina J. Karnovsky, Zachary Brown, George J. Divoky, Thomas K. Frazer, Charles A. Jacoby, Joseph J. Torres, William R. Fraser

Biological Sciences

Polar regions have experienced significant warming in recent decades. Warming has been most pronounced across the Arctic Ocean Basin and along the Antarctic Peninsula, with significant decreases in the extent and seasonal duration of sea ice. Rapid retreat of glaciers and disintegration of ice sheets have also been documented. The rate of warming is increasing and is predicted to continue well into the current century, with continued impacts on ice dynamics. Climate-mediated changes in ice dynamics are a concern as ice serves as primary habitat for marine organisms central to the food webs of these regions. Changes in the timing …


Spatial And Temporal Approaches In Analyzine Recreational Groundfish Data From Southern Central California And Their Application Toward Marine Protected Areas, Steven J. Rienecke, John S. Stephens Jr., Royden Nakamura, Erin Nakada, Dean E. Wendt Jan 2008

Spatial And Temporal Approaches In Analyzine Recreational Groundfish Data From Southern Central California And Their Application Toward Marine Protected Areas, Steven J. Rienecke, John S. Stephens Jr., Royden Nakamura, Erin Nakada, Dean E. Wendt

Biological Sciences

Many nearshore rockfish species have small homerange sizes and therefore may be affected by heavier localized fishing in nearport areas. For this study we examined longterm trends in rockfish and lingcod landings from the commercial passenger fishing vessel (CPFV) fishery along the south central coast (SCC) of California using data from two sources: California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) surveys from 1988–98 and California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) surveys in 2003–04. The objective was to make comparisons between areas close to port (that receive greater fishing effort) and those far from port (areas receiving less fishing effort). We …


An Automated Temperature-Based Option For Estimating Surface Activity And Refuge Use Patterns In Free-Ranging Animals, J R. Davis, E N. Taylor, D F. Denardo Jan 2008

An Automated Temperature-Based Option For Estimating Surface Activity And Refuge Use Patterns In Free-Ranging Animals, J R. Davis, E N. Taylor, D F. Denardo

Biological Sciences

Accurately assessing free-ranging animals’ patterns of surface activity and refuge use is critical, yet fundamentally challenging for biologists and wildlife managers. We evaluate the accuracy of an automated technique—temperature-based activity estimation (TBAE)—in estimating surface activity and refuge use patterns of two sympatric reptiles, the western diamond-backed rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) and the Gila monster (Heloderma suspectum) in the Sonoran Desert. TBAE derived from a comparison of body temperature to shaded air temperature was effective in estimating the overall percent surface activity for both rattlesnakes (observed surface activity 51.8%, TBAE estimated surface activity 48.2%) and Gila monsters (observed …