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Full-Text Articles in Marine Biology

Levels Of Autotrophy And Heterotrophy In Mesophotic Corals Near The End Photic Zone, Amy Carmignani, Veronica Z. Radice, Kathryn M. Mcmahon, Alex I. Holman, Karen Miller, Kliti Grice, Zoe Richards Jan 2023

Levels Of Autotrophy And Heterotrophy In Mesophotic Corals Near The End Photic Zone, Amy Carmignani, Veronica Z. Radice, Kathryn M. Mcmahon, Alex I. Holman, Karen Miller, Kliti Grice, Zoe Richards

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Mesophotic corals live at ~30-150 m depth and can sustain metabolic processes under light-limited conditions by enhancing autotrophy through specialized photoadaptations or increasing heterotrophic nutrient acquisition. These acclimatory processes are often species-specific, however mesophotic ecosystems are largely unexplored and acclimation limits for most species are unknown. This study examined mesophotic coral ecosystems using a remotely operated vehicle (Ashmore Reef, Western Australia at 40–75m depth) to investigate the trophic ecology of five species of scleractinian coral (from genera Leptoseris, Pachyseris, and Craterastrea) using stable isotope analyses (δ13C and δ15N) of host and symbiont tissues …


Sourcing And Evaluating The Use Of Detritus As A Supplementary Diet For Bivalve Aquaculture Using Stable Isotopes And Fatty Acid Biomarkers, Adrianus C. Both May 2020

Sourcing And Evaluating The Use Of Detritus As A Supplementary Diet For Bivalve Aquaculture Using Stable Isotopes And Fatty Acid Biomarkers, Adrianus C. Both

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Detritus is a ubiquitous component of ecosystems and an important fuel for secondary production. Due to the extractive nature of bivalve aquaculture, detritus is often incorporated into carrying capacity and growth models for cultured bivalves. However, despite the complexity and difficulty in obtaining direct measurements, detritus is often treated as a homogeneous food source in models. Further understanding the role detritus plays in the diet of cultured bivalves could lead to more comprehensive and accurate models as well as more informed site selection for growers. The purpose of this study was to assess the abundance, bioavailability, and contribution of detritus …


Spatial And Temporal Patterns Of Arctic Nearshore Fish Community And Food Web Structures, Mark B. Barton Jun 2018

Spatial And Temporal Patterns Of Arctic Nearshore Fish Community And Food Web Structures, Mark B. Barton

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Climate change and increasing anthropogenic activities are causing rapid changes to environmental and ecological processes in the Arctic Ocean. To better understand these changes, scientists have increased research efforts in these regions, but to date the number of studies on Arctic nearshore habitats are lacking. My dissertation responds to the paucity of information and investigates patterns in Arctic nearshore fish communities and food webs to gain insight to how these ecosystems may shift as these changes continue. I used multivariate statistical analysis to examine patterns in community structure and composition to determine that Arctic nearshore fish communities are largely driven …


Stable Isotope Analysis Reveals Different Trophic Niche Spaces For Wild And Hatchery Origin Juvenile Chinook Salmon In The Nisqually Delta, Melanie Davis, Isa Woo, Christopher S. Ellings, Sayre Hodgson, Susan De La Cruz Apr 2018

Stable Isotope Analysis Reveals Different Trophic Niche Spaces For Wild And Hatchery Origin Juvenile Chinook Salmon In The Nisqually Delta, Melanie Davis, Isa Woo, Christopher S. Ellings, Sayre Hodgson, Susan De La Cruz

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Hatchery programs have been used as a conservation tool to bolster declining Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) populations throughout much of the Salish Sea. In many watersheds, hatchery fish are released concurrently with the natural-origin population, thus raising the potential for density dependent effects via depleted prey resources, territorial behavior, and movement into sub-optimal habitats. Competition during the critical period for early marine growth and survival might have detrimental effects for wild Chinook salmon populations, highlighting the potential importance of a productive delta habitat mosaic. We used an integrated diet approach with stomach content and stable isotope analyses to evaluate differential …


Has Primary Productivity Declined In The Strait Of Georgia Since The 1970s?, Sophia Johannessen Apr 2018

Has Primary Productivity Declined In The Strait Of Georgia Since The 1970s?, Sophia Johannessen

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

A strong decline in phytoplankton productivity has been proposed as a principal cause of the decline in salmon survival in the Strait of Georgia over the last four decades. The best estimate of total annual primary productivity in the Strait in the 1970s was 280 gC m-2 yr-1 (Harrison et al., 1983). We tested whether or not primary productivity had declined since that time by calculating recent productivity from regional nitrogen budgets. We constructed the budgets using measurements (collected 2001-2011) of dissolved and particulate nitrogen and stable isotopes of nitrogen in seawater, river water, sinking particles, bottom sediments, atmospheric deposition, …


Trophic Ecology Of Green Turtles (Chelonia Mydas) From Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida, David C. Roche Dec 2016

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 …


Accurate Classification Of Juvenile Weakfish Cynoscion Regalis To Estuarine Nursery Areas Based On Chemical Signatures In Otoliths, Simon R. Thorrold, Cynthia M. Jones, Peter K. Swart, Timothy E. Targett Nov 1998

Accurate Classification Of Juvenile Weakfish Cynoscion Regalis To Estuarine Nursery Areas Based On Chemical Signatures In Otoliths, Simon R. Thorrold, Cynthia M. Jones, Peter K. Swart, Timothy E. Targett

OES Faculty Publications

We investigated the ability of trace element and isotopic signatures in otoliths to record the nursery areas of juvenile (young-of-the-year) weakfish Cynoscion regalis from the east coast of the USA. Juvenile C. regalis were captured with otter trawls at multiple sites in Doboy Sound (Georgia), Pamlico Sound (North Carolina), Chesapeake Bay (Virginia), Delaware Bay (Delaware) and Peconic Bay (New York), from July to September 1996. One sagittal otolith from each specimen was assayed for Mg/Ca, Mn/Ca, Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca ratios using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), while delta 13 C and delta 18 O values from the other sagittal …