Biology Commons^™

Daily Activity Budgets Reveal A Quasi-Flightless Stage During Non-Breeding In Hawaiian Albatrosses, Sarah Gutowsky, Lee Gutowsky, Ian Jonsen, Marty Leonard, Maura Naughton, Marc Romano, Scott A. Shaffer

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

Background Animals adjust activity budgets as competing demands for limited time and energy shift across life history phases. For far-ranging migrants and especially pelagic seabirds, activity during breeding and migration are generally well studied but the “overwinter” phase of non-breeding has received less attention. Yet this is a critical time for recovery from breeding, plumage replacement and gaining energy stores for return migration and the next breeding attempt. We aimed to identify patterns in daily activity budgets (i.e. time in flight, floating on the water’s surface and active foraging) and associated spatial distributions during overwinter for the laysan Phoebastria immutabilis …

Non-Consumptive Effects Of Predators In Coral Reef Communities And The Indirect Consequences Of Marine Protected Areas, Laura Catano

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Predators exert strong direct and indirect effects on ecological communities by intimidating their prey. Non-consumptive effects (NCEs) of predators are important features of many ecosystems and have changed the way we understand predator-prey interactions, but are not well understood in some systems. For my dissertation research I combined a variety of approaches to examine the effect of predation risk on herbivore foraging and reproductive behaviors in a coral reef ecosystem. In the first part of my dissertation, I investigated how diet and territoriality of herbivorous fish varied across multiple reefs with different levels of predator biomass in the Florida Keys …

Scaling Of Olfactory Antennae Of The Terrestrial Hermit Crabs Coenobita Rugosus And Coenobita Perlatus During Ontogeny, Lindsay D. Waldrop, Roxanne M. Bantay, Quang V. Nguyen

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Although many lineages of terrestrial crustaceans have poor olfactory capabilities, crabs in the family Coenobitidae, including the terrestrial hermit crabs in the genus Coenobita, are able to locate food and water using olfactory antennae (antennules) to capture odors from the surrounding air. Terrestrial hermit crabs begin their lives as small marine larvae and must find a suitable place to undergo metamorphosis into a juvenile form, which initiates their transition to land. Juveniles increase in size by more than an order of magnitude to reach adult size. Since odor capture is a process heavily dependent on the size and speed …

Seagrasses In The Age Of Sea Turtle Conservation And Shark Overfishing, Michael R. Heithaus, Teresa Allcoverro, Rohan Arthur, Derek Burkholder, Kathryn A. Coates, Marjolijn J.A. Christianen, Nachiket Kelkar, Sarah A. Manuel, Aaron J. Wirsing, W. Judson Kenworthy, James W. Fourqurean

Department of Biological Sciences

Efforts to conserve globally declining herbivorous green sea turtles have resulted in promising growth of some populations. These trends could significantly impact critical ecosystem services provided by seagrass meadows on which turtles feed. Expanding turtle populations could improve seagrass ecosystem health by removing seagrass biomass and preventing of the formation of sediment anoxia. However, overfishing of large sharks, the primary green turtle predators, could facilitate turtle populations growing beyond historical sizes and trigger detrimental ecosystem impacts mirroring those on land when top predators were extirpated. Experimental data from multiple ocean basins suggest that increasing turtle populations can negatively impact seagrasses, …

Salinity And Temperature Distribution Of Jellyfish In The San Francisco Estuary, Trisha Huynh, Brooke Bemowski, Lindsay Sullivan, Wim Kimmerer

STAR Program Research Presentations

Jellyfish are generally characterized by their jelly-like bodies and internal lining (two tissue layers). They found both in the phylum Ctenophora and the phylum Cnidaria. Ctenophores differ from cnidarians primarily due to the rows of “combs”, or cilia, which are used for transportation. Additionally, ctenophores possess sticky cells while cindarians possess stinging cells. Jellyfish depend on zooplankton (small floating aquatic animals) as a food source; as a result, they are potential competitors and predators to plankton-eating fish and may negatively impact fish populations.

As recently as 1950, jellyfish have entered the San Francisco Bay from the Mediterranean Sea (probably …

Habitat Preference Of The Introduced Green Crab Carcinus Maenas, Brittany Susan Daum, Andy Chang

STAR Program Research Presentations

The aim of this experiment was to determine if Carcinus Maenas (European Green Crab) hhas a habitat preference in Seadrift Lagoon located in Stinson Beach, California. This experiment was accomplished by placing crab traps on the two types of substrate in Seadrift (sand and algae). The traps were pulled up every 24 hours and the size and sex of crabs was recorded. The data was analyzed to see if there was a difference in habitat preference based upon size, sex, and number of crabs. Using a Poisson Regression model, the size and sex of crabs were not significantly different between …

Melanin As An Oto-Protective Pigment In Two Fish Species: Poecilia Latipinna And Cyprinus Carpio , Bethany N. Coffey

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Melanin is the dark pigment found in most organisms that gives color to the skin, hair, feathers, and eyes of vertebrates. While melanin is known to also be present in the stria vascularis of the mammalian cochlea, its function in the inner ear is still unknown. Some previous studies have indicated that melanin may serve to protect the mammalian ear from hearing loss. Minimal previous research on melanin within the inner ears of fishes has been conducted. In this study, the melanin levels in the inner ears of different color morphs of two fish species (Poecilia latipinna and Cyprinus …

Coral-Fish Dynamics And Interactions: A Case Study Of Grand Cayman, Eileen Shea Davis

Lawrence University Honors Projects

To better understand the ecological interactions of coral reefs, it is important to understand the mechanisms that control the distribution and abundance of reef-building corals as well as the mechanisms that control the diversity and abundance of the fish community that inhabits these reef habitats. The purpose of this study was to identify specific coral-fish interactions among the reefs of Grand Cayman in order to gain insight into the biological effects of fish on the assemblage of hard corals. Using data collected by the Lawrence University Marine Program (LUMP), a number of exploratory statistical analyses were run in order to …

Abundance And Diversity Of Ammonia-Oxidizing Archaea And Bacteria In Sediments Of Trophic End Members Of The Laurentian Great Lakes, Erie And Superior, Annette Bollmann, George S. Bullerjahn, Robert Michael Mckay

Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research Publications

Ammonia oxidation is the first step of nitrification carried out by ammonia-oxidizing Archaea (AOA) and Bacteria (AOB). Lake Superior and Erie are part of the Great Lakes system differing in trophic status with Lake Superior being oligotrophic and Lake Erie meso- to eutrophic. Sediment samples were collected from both lakes and used to characterize abundance and diversity of AOA and AOB based on the ammonia monooxygenase (amoA) gene. Diversity was accessed by a pyro-sequencing approach and the obtained sequences were used to determine the phylogeny and alpha and beta diversity of the AOA and AOB populations. In Lake Erie copy …

Spatial Variability In Iron Nutritional Status Of Large Diatoms In The Sea Of Okhotsk With Special Reference To The Amur River Discharge, K. Suzuki, A. Hattori-Saito, Y. Sekiguchi, J. Nishioka, M. Shigemitsu, T. Isada, H. Liu, R. M.L. Mckay

Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research Publications

The Sea of Okhotsk is known as one of the most biologically productive regions among the world's oceans, and its productivity is supported in part by the discharge of iron (Fe)-rich water from the Amur River. However, little is known about the effect of riverine-derived Fe input on the physiology of the large diatoms which often flourish in surface waters of the productive continental shelf region. We conducted diatom-specific immunochemical ferredoxin (Fd) and flavodoxin (Fld) assays in order to investigate the spatial variability of Fe nutritional status in the microplankton-sized (20-200 1/4m; hereafter micro-sized) diatoms. The Fd index, defined as …

The Last Frontier: Catch Records Of White Sharks (Carcharodon Carcharias) In The Northwest Pacific Ocean, Heather M. Christianson, Victor Lin, Sho Tanaka, Anatoly Velikanov, Henry F. Mollet, Sabine T. Wintner, Sonja V. Fordham, Aaron T. Fisk, Nigel E. Hussey

Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research Publications

White sharks are highly migratory apex predators, globally distributed in temperate, sub-tropical, and tropical waters. Knowledge of white shark biology and ecology has increased recently based on research at known aggregation sites in the Indian, Atlantic, and Northeast Pacific Oceans; however, few data are available for the Northwest Pacific Ocean. This study provides a meta-analysis of 240 observations of white sharks from the Northwest Pacific Ocean between 1951 and 2012. Records comprise reports of bycatch in commercial fisheries, media accounts, personal communications, and documentation of shark-human interactions from Russia (n = 8), Republic of Korea (22), Japan (129), China (32), …

Environmental Influences On Bacterio-Phytoplanktonic Coupling And Bacterial Growth Efficiency In A Sub-Tropical Estuary, Rachel Kotkowski

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bacterio-phytoplanktonic coupling and bacterial growth efficiency (BGE) measurements were used to analyze microbial trophic dynamics and the influence of environmental factors in Florida Bay, Florida. Phytoplankton gross primary productivity (GPP) was measured using 24-hour in situ oxygen incubations; bacterial productivity (BP) was measured using ³H- thymidine incorporation. Weak bacterio-phytoplanktonic coupling was observed over the sampling period. BP was more influenced by local total nitrogen concentrations while GPP was more evenly distributed. BGE rates were low but consistent with marine and estuarine ecosystems worldwide. Results suggest that bacterioplankton growth in Florida Bay is relatively uncoupled from phytoplankton production, which may …

Anthropogenic Disturbances In Estuarine Ecosystems: The Effects Of Altered Freshwater Inflow, Introduction Of Invasive Species, And Habitat Alteration In The Loxahatchee River, Fl, Zachary R. Jud

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With the majority of Earth’s population living in coastal areas, estuarine ecosystems have been particularly affected by anthropogenic disturbances. My dissertation research focused on three interrelated types of human disturbance that affect estuaries: Anthropogenic alteration of freshwater inflow, the introduction of invasive species, and habitat alteration. Using the LoxahatcheeRiver(Jupiter, FL) as a model system, my goal was to understand how these disturbances affect estuarine organisms, particularly fishes. One of the most ecologically harmful disturbances affecting estuaries is anthropogenic alteration of freshwater inflow (and resulting changes in salinity patterns). To identify effects of freshwater inflow on the behavior of an ecologically …

The Roles Of Microcystin And Sulfide In Physiology And Tactic Responses Of Pathogenic And Non-Pathogenic Mat-Forming Cyanobacteria, Abigael C. Brownell

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Planktothricoides raciborskii and Roseofilum reptotaenium are physiologically similar, yet ecologically distinct organisms found in a hot spring outflow and coral black band disease (BBD), respectively. The aim of this study was to elucidate the relationship between R. reptotaenium and sulfide in BBD, to compare microcystin (MC) production in response to environmental factors, and to determine chemotactic responses to MC and sulfide by the two organisms. Results showed that the pathogenicity of R. reptotaenium in BBD is dependent on sulfate-reducing bacteria as secondary pathogens. Roseofilum reptotaenium produced significantly more MC than P. raciborskii, as measured using ELISA. Roseofilum reptotaenium …

Environmental And Individual Factors Shaping The Habitat Use And Trophic Interactions Of Juvenile Bull Sharks (Carcharhinus Leucas) In A Subtropical Estuary, Philip Matich

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Top predators serve important roles within their respective ecosystem through top-down and bottom-up effects, yet understanding how these roles vary among individuals within predator populations is still in its early stages. Such individuality can have important implications for the functional roles predators play within their respective ecosystems. Therefore, elucidating the factors that drive persistent individual differences within populations is crucial for understanding how individuals, and in turn populations, will respond to environmental changes and anthropogenic stressors, and the implications of these responses for particular ecological functions. In this dissertation I investigated the movements, residency patterns, and trophic interactions of a …

Seasonal Changes In Microbial Community Structure And Activity Imply Winter Production Is Linked To Summer Hypoxia In A Large Lake, Steven W. Wilhelm, Gary R. Lecleir, George S. Bullerjahn, Robert M. Mckay, Matthew A. Saxton, Michael R. Twiss, Richard A. Bourbonniere

Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research Publications

Carbon and nutrient cycles in large temperate lakes such as Lake Erie are primarily driven by phototrophic and heterotrophic microorganisms, although our understanding of these is often constrained to late spring through summer due to logistical constraints. During periods of > 90% ice cover in February of 2008, 2009, and 2010, we collected samples from an icebreaker for an examination of bacterial production as well as microbial community structure. In comparison with summer months (August 2002 and 2010), we tested hypotheses concerning seasonal changes in microbial community diversity and production. Bacterial production estimates were c. 2 orders of magnitude higher (volume …

Movement Patterns Of Brook Trout In A Restored Coastal Stream System In Southern Massachusetts, Erin L. Snook

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Populations of anadromous brook trout can be found from northern Canada into New England. It is believed that the extent of anadromy exhibited by coastal brook trout populations decreases with latitude, but the ecology and movements of the more southern populations are less studied. A 33-month acoustic telemetry study of anadromous brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) was conducted in a restored coastal stream and adjacent marine system in southeastern Massachusetts. Movement and migration patterns of 54 brook trout were investigated for individual differences and common features. Individuals exhibited a range of movement patterns. Some were more resident and only …

Streamwise Vortices Destabilize Swimming Bluegill Sunfish, Anabela Maia, Alex P. Sheltzer, Eric D. Tytell

Faculty Publications

In their natural environment, fish must swim stably through unsteady flows and vortices, including vertical vortices, typically shed by posts in a flow, horizontal cross-flow vortices, often produced by a step or a waterfall in a stream, and streamwise vortices, where the axis of rotation is aligned with the direction of the flow. Streamwise vortices are commonly shed by bluff bodies in streams and by ships’ propellers and axial turbines, but we know little about their effects on fish. Here, we describe how bluegill sunfish use more energy and are destabilized more often in flow with strong streamwise vorticity. The …

Determining The Standard Metabolic Rate Of The Mantis Shrimp, Squilla Empusa: The First Step In Calculating The Heat Increment Of Feeding, Emeline Marie Kelley

Biology Theses

The heat increment of feeding (HI_F) is the metabolic response following a feeding period. There is an increase in metabolism following a meal. The heat increment of feeding of the mantis shrimp, Squilla empusa, has not been studied before, although almost half of the published invertebrate HI_F studies have been on crustaceans.

The standard metabolic rate is the minimum metabolic rate of a postabsorptive ectotherm, at rest, during its non-active period, at a defined temperature. The standard metabolic rate (SMR) of the mantis shrimp was measured using indirect calorimetry, measuring the dissolved oxygen concentrations of the …

Energetic Demands Of Immature Sea Otters From Birth To Weaning: Implications For Maternal Costs, Reproductive Behavior And Population-Level Trends, Nicole Thometz, M. T. Tinker, M. M. Staedler, K. A. Mayer, T. M. Williams

Biology Faculty Publications

Sea otters (Enhydra lutris) have the highest mass-specific metabolic rate of any marine mammal, which is superimposed on the inherently high costs of reproduction and lactation in adult females. These combined energetic demands have been implicated in the poor body condition and increased mortality of female sea otters nearing the end of lactation along the central California coast. However, the cost of lactation is unknown and currently cannot be directly measured for this marine species in the wild. Here, we quantified the energetic demands of immature sea otters across five developmental stages as a means of assessing the …

A Revision Of The Octocoral Genus Ovabunda Alderslade, 2001 (Anthozoa, Octocorallia, Xeniidae), Catherine S. Mcfadden, Yehuda Benayahu, Anna Halász, Dafna Aharonovich, Robert Toonen

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

The family Xeniidae (Octocorallia) constitutes an abundant benthic component on many Indo-West Pacific coral reefs and is ecologically important in the Red Sea. The genus Ovabunda Alderslade, 2001 was recently established to accommodate previous Xenia species with sclerites comprised of a mass of minute corpuscle-shaped microscleres. The aim of the present study was to examine type material of Xenia species in order to verify their generic affiliation. We present here a comprehensive account of the genus Ovabunda, using scanning electron microscopy to depict sclerite microstructure. We assign three Xenia species to the genus: O. ainex comb. n., O. …

A New Species Of Ovabunda (Octocorallia, Xeniidae) From The Andaman Sea, Thailand With Notes On The Biogeography Of This Genus, Catherine S. Mcfadden, Michael P. Janes, Thanongsak Chanmethakul

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

A survey of xeniid octocorals was carried out in the waters off Southwestern Thailand in September, 2007. Microscopic investigation of the colonies revealed that three specimens belonged to the genus Ovabunda. Gross morphological examination is presented here accompanied by scanning electron micrographs of the sclerites. Molecular phylogenetic analysis showed identical genotypes at mtMutS, COI, and 28S rDNA for all three specimens and supports their generic assignment. Colony size and shape, sclerite size, and pinnule arrangement differ from nominal species of Ovabunda and thus a new species, O. andamanensis is introduced here. This work also presents a new …