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Full-Text Articles in Marine Biology
Population Density, Distribution, Richness & Health Of Shallow Water Caribbean Porifera From An Unesco Biosphere Reserve, St. John, Usvi, Patrick Michael Vojnyk
Population Density, Distribution, Richness & Health Of Shallow Water Caribbean Porifera From An Unesco Biosphere Reserve, St. John, Usvi, Patrick Michael Vojnyk
Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects
Porifera is an important phylum of organisms in benthic ecosystems that filter water, act as biogenic habitat, and provide 3-dimentional structure. Sponge diversity and abundance are often used as bio-indicators for good or improving water quality in a system. Transects were performed during July 2015, January 2016, and July 2016 to determine species richness, density, and assess necrotic pinacoderm tissue decay of species of poriferans in St. John, USVI. 6,800 individuals and 17 different species were recorded during observation periods in Great and Little Lameshur Bays. Results indicate that the non-cryptic species Amphimedon compressa and Aplysina fiulva had the highest …
Distribution And Potential Impact Of Microplastics In The Ribbed Marsh Mussel Geukensia Demissa, Matthew Byron Khan
Distribution And Potential Impact Of Microplastics In The Ribbed Marsh Mussel Geukensia Demissa, Matthew Byron Khan
Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects
Human activities have generated large quantities of plastics that are actively dumped or indirectly deposited into oceans. In particular, the use of single-use packaging and microplastics in cosmetics and manufacturing has led to significant increases of these contaminants in coastal waters. These plastics, because of their size, can be ingested by filter-, suspension-, and deposit-feeding organisms who coincidentally consume them as potential food sources. As a result, organisms may experience marked reductions in growth and/or health due to the accumulation of these plastics in their digestive tracts. While research has concentrated on the commercially harvested blue mussel Mytilus edulis, none …
Grazing Potential Of Bucktooth Parrotfish (Sparisoma Radians) On Invasive Seagrass, Halophila Stipulacea, And Native Seagrass, Thalassia Testudinum, In St. John, Usvi, An Unesco Biosphere Reserve, Elizabeth Elise Pudlak
Grazing Potential Of Bucktooth Parrotfish (Sparisoma Radians) On Invasive Seagrass, Halophila Stipulacea, And Native Seagrass, Thalassia Testudinum, In St. John, Usvi, An Unesco Biosphere Reserve, Elizabeth Elise Pudlak
Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects
Seagrass beds are considered essential habitats, because they provide food and refuge for a variety of organisms, and they also deliver ecosystem services such as sediment stabilization and carbon sequestration. Seagrass communities worldwide are under threat from a variety of human impacts like eutrophication, dredging, and climate change, but they are also facing threats from non-native species. As a critical primary producer, grazing on seagrass provides a fundamental trophic link to higher level consumers. The bucktooth parrotfish (Sparisoma radians) is a dominant herbivore of seagrasses in tropical and subtropical marine systems. In St. John, United States Virgin Islands, field and …
Road Salt Impact On A Stream-Dwelling Salamander, Eurycea Bislineata : A Low Threshold For Behavioral And Physiological Effects, Kelly Ann Krolik
Road Salt Impact On A Stream-Dwelling Salamander, Eurycea Bislineata : A Low Threshold For Behavioral And Physiological Effects, Kelly Ann Krolik
Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects
Road salt runoff into aquatic habitats is a major ecological issue for amphibian species due to potential toxic effects from chemicals such as hydrocarbons, de-icing agents and salts. Road salt runoff can affect different aspects of amphibian biology, such as osmotic balance, growth, reproduction, behavior, and survival. This study investigated the behavioral and physiological salinity tolerance of adult two-lined salamanders, Eurycea bislineata. Two-lined salamanders are found in small streams and rivulets and may be exposed directly to salt runoff. In laboratory behavior trials, E. bislineata showed strong aversion to increasing salinity concentrations. They spent less time in higher NaCl concentrations …