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Full-Text Articles in Marine Biology
Demographics, Production, And Benthic -Pelagic Coupling By The Suspension Feeding Polychaete Chaetopterus Pergamentaceus In The Lower Chesapeake Bay, Michelle Lynne Thompson Neubauer
Demographics, Production, And Benthic -Pelagic Coupling By The Suspension Feeding Polychaete Chaetopterus Pergamentaceus In The Lower Chesapeake Bay, Michelle Lynne Thompson Neubauer
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
For many shallow water environments, ecosystem function depends on the cycling and flow of materials and energy between benthic and pelagic subsystems. Benthic suspension feeders often are important links between the water column and sediment in coastal ecosystems. Populations of the suspension feeding polychaete Chaetopterus pergamentaceus (previously reported as Chaetopterus variopedatus) are widely distributed along the United States East Coast, ranging from New England to Florida. This species is a structurally and functionally important member of the lower Chesapeake Bay benthic community, where it has maintained stable populations for at least the last 15 years. Little is known regarding the …
Ecological Interactions Between Benthic Oyster Reef Fishes And Oysters, Juliana Maria Harding
Ecological Interactions Between Benthic Oyster Reef Fishes And Oysters, Juliana Maria Harding
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Restoration of oyster reef structures rehabilitates habitats and the multi-level ecological communities built on eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica), the keystone species. Quantitative descriptions of ecological interactions within a habitat are required to delineate essential fish habitats for management and protection. Parallel development of primary (oysters) and secondary trophic levels (benthic fishes) offer an ecological metric of restoration progress over time. The interaction between larval oysters and larval fishes (e.g., Gobiosoma bosc, Chasmodes bosquianus) is quantitatively examined. Oyster settlement estimates for Palace Bar reef, Piankatank River, Virginia are of the same order of magnitude as field densities of recently settled oysters. …
Ecological Dispersal Mechanisms, Reproductive Ecology, And The Importance Of Scale In Zostera Marina In Chesapeake Bay, Matthew C. Harwell
Ecological Dispersal Mechanisms, Reproductive Ecology, And The Importance Of Scale In Zostera Marina In Chesapeake Bay, Matthew C. Harwell
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Previous knowledge of the seed ecology of the clonal seagrass Zostera marina L. (eelgrass) suggests that sexual reproduction is not very important to the population dynamics of eelgrass; however, researchers have hypothesized long-distance dispersal for nearly a century. From a bay-wide sampling effort, viable eelgrass seeds in the seed bank were found throughout most of the lower and middle Chesapeake Bay, but abundance of seeds was highly variable. Lower seed-bank densities were found in middle Chesapeake Bay, the region with slow recovery of eelgrass populations. From natural and artificially created eelgrass populations, regional environmental conditions were found to have a …
Organic Matter Composition Of Sediments And The History Of Eutrophication And Anoxia In The Mesohaline Chesapeake Bay, Andrew R. Zimmerman
Organic Matter Composition Of Sediments And The History Of Eutrophication And Anoxia In The Mesohaline Chesapeake Bay, Andrew R. Zimmerman
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
To evaluate the effects of anthropogenic alteration of the Chesapeake Bay (CB) watershed since European settlement, the historical progression of eutrophication and anoxia in the mesohaline region of CB was reconstructed. Lipid biomarker and carbon and nitrogen stable isotopic and elemental composition of CB surficial sediments were examined seasonally in order to identify the present sources of organic matter to CB sediments and the processes controlling their distribution. Temporal variability in surficial sediment composition could be linked to seasonal changes in phytoplankton community composition and biomass while spatial variation was dominated by the delivery of alloclithonous versus autochthonous sources of …
The Role Of Stress In Determining Community Structure: Effects Of Hypoxia On An Estuarine Epifaunal Community, Alessandra Sagasti
The Role Of Stress In Determining Community Structure: Effects Of Hypoxia On An Estuarine Epifaunal Community, Alessandra Sagasti
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Community models predict the effects of stress on community structure and processes. I tested the Menge and Sutherland 1987 model in an estuarine epifaunal community experiencing low oxygen stress, termed hypoxia. Epifauna, animals living on the surfaces of substrates, are ecologically important in many estuaries where hypoxia occurs, yet little is known about the effects of hypoxia on these communities. Epifauna formed dense communities in the York River, a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, USA, despite frequent hypoxia. Abundance and species composition was similar in two areas of the river, even though the downstream study area often experienced lower oxygen …