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Articles 1 - 14 of 14
Full-Text Articles in Marine Biology
Edna Metabarcoding And The Construction Of Primers For The Identification Of Gulf Of Mexico Elasmobranchs And Selachii, Isabella Lima
Edna Metabarcoding And The Construction Of Primers For The Identification Of Gulf Of Mexico Elasmobranchs And Selachii, Isabella Lima
Honors Projects
eDNA, or environmental DNA, is found free-existing in any environment. It can be extracted from its environment and used to identify organisms that were recently in the area. In recent years, eDNA metabarcoding has been used to help examine communities for overall species presence and biodiversity. This capstone sought to create a mock proposal for an eDNA survey of Gulf of Mexico elasmobranch and Selachii species due to their overall decline in numbers. Additionally, general and discriminatory PCR primers were created in-silico and assessed for initial quality. This capstone documents the feasibility of an eDNA study, constructing the necessary primers, …
Mitochondrial Adaptation In The Green Crab Hybrid Zone Of The Gulf Of Maine, Jared Lynch
Mitochondrial Adaptation In The Green Crab Hybrid Zone Of The Gulf Of Maine, Jared Lynch
Honors Projects
The mitochondrial genome has historically been relegated to a neutral genetic marker, but new evidence suggests mitochondrial DNA to be a target for adaptation to environmental stress. The invasive European green crab (Carcinus maenas) exemplifies this in the Gulf of Maine’s hybrid zone, where interbreeding populations exhibit thermal tolerances influenced by mitochondrial genotype. To better understand the mechanism behind this phenomenon, the effect of mitochondrial genotype on mitochondrial activity was tested by measuring mtDNA copy number (mtCN) and the activity of complex I, II, and IV of the electron transport system via high-resolution respirometry. Mitochondria isolated from frozen …
Physiological Responses Of The American Lobster Cardiovascular System To Neuropeptide Sgrnflrfamide (Sgrn), Andre Eden
Physiological Responses Of The American Lobster Cardiovascular System To Neuropeptide Sgrnflrfamide (Sgrn), Andre Eden
Honors Projects
During every second of a human’s life, the cardiovascular system is modulated by factors both intrinsic and extrinsic to the physiology of the heart. We can uncover new insights regarding the nature of our system through investigations of similar systems in other model species. One example materializes itself in the form of the American Lobster (Homarus americanus) whose single-chambered heart finds resemblance to the function and anatomy to that of humans. The lobster heart is powered by the cardiac ganglion (CG), a group of neurons that drive contractions of surrounding heart muscles, known as the myocardium. Both the …
To Hum Or Not To Hum: Analyzing And Provoking Sound Production In The American Lobster (Homarus Americanus), Renske Kerkhofs
To Hum Or Not To Hum: Analyzing And Provoking Sound Production In The American Lobster (Homarus Americanus), Renske Kerkhofs
Honors Projects
American lobsters (Homarus americanus) produce humming sounds by vibrating their carapace. These sounds have a fundamental frequency on the order of 100 Hz, with multiple higher harmonics. Though I found no relationship between lobster carapace length and hum frequency, I observed sounds similarly structured to hums but with frequencies an order of magnitude higher, suggesting that lobsters may use a wider range of sounds than previously thought. Using laser vibrometry, I was able to pick up high frequencies of carapace vibration that were similar to those I observed on sound recordings. Lobsters seem to hum most readily when …
Diatom Blooms In Harpswell Sound: Seasonality, Succession, And Origin, Charlie Francis O'Brien
Diatom Blooms In Harpswell Sound: Seasonality, Succession, And Origin, Charlie Francis O'Brien
Honors Projects
Harpswell Sound (HS) is an inlet in northeastern Casco Bay that exerts control on Gulf of Maine ecosystem health, yet its complex phytoplankton community dynamics have not been characterized with sufficiently detailed analyses. In this research, high-resolution automated microscopy and current velocity observations were used to test the seasonality, ecological succession, bloom origin location, and potential toxicity of populations in HS between 2020 and 2022. Winter months could exhibit slow accumulation of diatom biovolume. Cold, salty surface water has net outflow in winter as nutrients from depth are replenished during net upwelling conditions, and populations could be exported from the …
An Analysis Of Mesophotic Macroalgal Species Richness And Abundance In Puget Sound, Mathea Kurtz-Shaw
An Analysis Of Mesophotic Macroalgal Species Richness And Abundance In Puget Sound, Mathea Kurtz-Shaw
Honors Projects
Mesophotic ecosystems are important, light-dependent communities that act as an area of transition for shallow and deep-water organisms. Macroalgae are prominent members of these communities whose growth is influenced primarily by depth and light levels. Even though they are important community members and habitat-builders in these mesophotic ecosystems, macroalgae are highly understudied, especially in temperate environments. To examine these understudied communities, macroalgal coverage, richness, and light intensity at 3 different depth levels across 4 sites in Puget Sound, USA were compared using videos collected during SCUBA diving. All but three of the transects were within the surface irradiance limits classified …
Paralyzed Within A Plastic World, Gena Leib
Paralyzed Within A Plastic World, Gena Leib
Honors Projects
Our oceans are one of the largest ecosystems found on our planet, and they are also one of the driving forces to a balanced planet. I believe that it is very important to restore our oceans to the once clean environment, and it is up to mankind to make that first step to do so soon and without hesitation. I believe that many people are uniformed on the topics of pollution, and it is important to bring attention to the issues through a perspective that society can see. Social media has had a huge influence on helping this, but for …
Down In Arms: Marine Climate Stress Inhibits Growth And Calcification Of Regenerating Asterias Forbesi (Echinodermata: Asteroidea) Arms, Hannah L. Randazzo
Down In Arms: Marine Climate Stress Inhibits Growth And Calcification Of Regenerating Asterias Forbesi (Echinodermata: Asteroidea) Arms, Hannah L. Randazzo
Honors Projects
Anthropogenic CO2 is changing the pCO2, temperature, and carbonate chemistry of seawater. These processes are termed ocean acidification (OA) and ocean warming. Previous studies suggest two opposing hypotheses for the way in which marine climate stress will influence echinoderm calcification, metabolic efficiency, and reproduction: either an additive or synergistic effect. Sea stars have a regenerative capacity, which may be particularly affected while rebuilding calcium carbonate arm structures, leading to changes in arm growth and calcification. In this study, Asterias forbesi were exposed to ocean water of either ambient, high temperature, high pCO2, or high temperature …
Mutual Benefits Of Inducible Defenses To Crab Predators In The Blue Mussel Mytilus Edulis In A Multi-Predator Environment, Sophia Walton
Mutual Benefits Of Inducible Defenses To Crab Predators In The Blue Mussel Mytilus Edulis In A Multi-Predator Environment, Sophia Walton
Honors Projects
The blue mussel Mytilus edulis alters its phenotype in species-specific ways in response to either green crab (Carcinus maenus) or sea star (Asterias sp.) predation. Previous studies have shown that only sea stars induce changes in abductor muscle morphology, while green crabs generally alter the shape and thickness of shells. In the Western Gulf of Maine, Blue mussels collected from wave protected sites with abundant green crab predators were shown to have significantly thicker shells and larger adductor muscles than mussels collected from wave exposed sites with few green crab predators. The phenotypes of mussels originating …
Aortic Pressure And Heart Rate In The Lobster Homarus Americanus Are Modulated By Mechanical Feedback And Neuropeptides, Grace Marie Hambelton
Aortic Pressure And Heart Rate In The Lobster Homarus Americanus Are Modulated By Mechanical Feedback And Neuropeptides, Grace Marie Hambelton
Honors Projects
Baroreceptors are stretch receptors located in the aorta of mammals; in response to increased afterload, they elicit a decrease in heart rate, creating a negative feedback loop that lowers blood pressure. Although lobsters (Homarus americanus) do not have baroreceptors like mammals, closely related land crabs have been shown to have baroreceptor-like responses. Heart contraction is also regulated by the Frank-Starling response, where increasing stretch or preload increases the contractile force of the heart. In addition to these types of biomechanical modulations, lobsters use a central pattern generator, the cardiac ganglion, to maintain synchronicity of the heartbeat. The heart …
Saving The Planet Begins With Saving The Coral Reefs, Marla Maconochie
Saving The Planet Begins With Saving The Coral Reefs, Marla Maconochie
Honors Projects
This honors project uses a children’s book format to aid in explaining the importance of saving the coral reefs. This book will be informing the younger generations about important, yet complicated issues at hand in a way that they can understand and relate to. The book explains how coral reefs are important for oxygen production, biodiversity, research opportunities, protection of coastal environments and for the economy. The children’s book explains how human activities and natural stressors can impact coral survivorship. The book explains how overfishing allows for excessive algal growth that smothers corals and tackles how coral bleaching occurs and …
Some Like It Cold: The Relationship Between Thermal Tolerance And Mitochondrial Genotype In An Invasive Population Of The European Green Crab, Carcinus Maenas, Aidan Fisher Coyle
Some Like It Cold: The Relationship Between Thermal Tolerance And Mitochondrial Genotype In An Invasive Population Of The European Green Crab, Carcinus Maenas, Aidan Fisher Coyle
Honors Projects
Hybrid zones provide natural laboratories to study how specific genes, and interactions among genes, may influence fitness. On the east coast of North America, two separate populations of the European green crab (Carcinus maenas) have been introduced in the last two centuries. An early invasion from Southern Europe colonized New England around 1800, and was followed by a second invasion from Northern Europe to Nova Scotia in the early 1980s (Roman 2006). As these populations hybridize, new combinations of genes potentially adapted to different ends of a thermal spectrum are created in a hybrid zone. To test the hypothesis that …
Behavioral Effects Of Envrionmental Enrichment Devices Of Tursiops Truncatus, Stephanie Maiorano
Behavioral Effects Of Envrionmental Enrichment Devices Of Tursiops Truncatus, Stephanie Maiorano
Honors Projects
Many studies on environmental enrichment devices have been conducted throughout the years on both terrestrial and marine animals in captivity. However, little is known on the effect that submergible enrichment devices have on cetaceans in captivity. This study examines two male Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), Kaiko’o and Nalu, at Sea Life Park, Hawai’i and their interaction with the Magic Box: a device consisting of a submergible vegetable crate weighed down with a weight, flipped upside down with fish underneath. A total of 7 trials were conducted, with data collection on their surfacing behavior before and after the …
Characterizing The Influence Of Atlantic Water Intrusion On Water Mass Formation And Primary Production In Kongsfjorden, Svalbard, Courtney Michelle Payne
Characterizing The Influence Of Atlantic Water Intrusion On Water Mass Formation And Primary Production In Kongsfjorden, Svalbard, Courtney Michelle Payne
Honors Projects
With warming global temperatures and changes to large-scale ocean circulation patterns, warm water intrusion into Arctic fjords is increasingly affecting fragile polar ecosystems. This study investigated how warm Atlantic water intrusion and the tidewater glacial melting it causes impacted water mass formation and primary productivity in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard. Data were collected over a 2-week period during the height of the melt season in August near the Kronebreen/Kongsvegen glacier complex, the most rapidly retreating glacier in Spitsbergen. Since 1998, intruding waters have warmed between 4 and 5.5˚C, which has prevented sea ice formation and changed the characteristics of fjord bottom waters. …