Marine Biology Commons^™

Investigating The Regulation Of The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Interrenal Axis In Atlantic Sturgeon (Acipenser Oxyrinchus) Following An Acute Stressor, Liam Doherty

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

This study investigated the response to acute stress in Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus) and HPI axis regulation of glucocorticoid production during stress by examining the expression of key genes― corticotropin-releasing hormone (crh), corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor (crhr), proopiomelanocortin (pomca/pomcb), melanocortin 2 receptor (mc2r), and steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (star)―that are associated with hypothalamus/pituitary/interrenal (HPI) axis of bony fishes. Additionally, tyrosine hydrogenase (th1 and th2) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (pepck), found in catecholamine-producing cells in the head kidney of the sturgeon, were investigated …

Evaluating Habitat Use By Nekton In Widgeon Grass (Ruppia Maritima), Shoal Grass (Halodule Wrightii), And Unvegetated Bottom Habitats In The Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Jessica Woodall

Master's Theses

Seagrass beds support high biodiversity and animal abundance, serve as feeding grounds for a variety of animals, offer shelter from predation, and act as a nursery habitat for juveniles. The species composition of seagrass beds can impact their use as habitat by animals. Two common species of seagrass in the Gulf of Mexico are Ruppia maritima (widgeon grass) and Halodule wrightii (shoal grass). The shallow coastal waters of the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) support both species, but the use of each seagrass as habitat by nekton is poorly understood, which can limit management decision-making. Nekton communities were …

Effects Of Short-Term Pesticides Exposure On Swimming Behavior, Tissue Morphology, Oxidative-Nitrative Stress, Antioxidant Expression, And Cellular Apoptosis In Kidneys Of Goldfish, Esmirna Cantú

Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence of pesticides in the aquatic environment continues to increase due to anthropogenic activities and poses a threat to aquatic organisms. The aim of this study was to determine the short-term exposure (one-week) of pesticide mixtures (metolachlor, linuron, isoproturon, tebucanazole, alconifen, atrazine, pendimethalin; azinphos-methyl) on swimming behaviors, kidney morphology, and expression of nitrotyrosine protein (NTP), dinitrophenyl protein (DNP), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), renin, and cellular apoptosis in goldfish (Carassius auratus). Results indicated that both low- and high-dose pesticide mixtures decreased the distance swimming behavior. Histological analysis showed pesticide exposure alters kidney morphology. DNP, NTP, and renin expressions, and …

The Impacts Of Embryonic Arsenic Exposure Of Fundulus Heteroclitus, Torey Bowser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Arsenic is a toxic metalloid that exceeds safe drinking water standards in groundwater in many locations worldwide. Arsenic exposure in fish has been linked to destruction of gill tissues, impairment of growth, decreased muscle mass, memory impairment, increased aggression, and avoidance behaviors. We examined the behavior of mummichogs (Fundulus heteroclitus) following arsenic exposure during development in two studies. Embryos were collected from fish from three reference sites: Scorton Creek (SC), Massachusetts, Wells Harbor (WE), Maine, and Block Island (BLOC), Rhode Island and two contaminated sites: Callahan Mine (CM), Brooksville, Maine, and New Bedford Harbor (NBH), Massachusetts. Embryos were …

Fisheries Food Webs: Quantifying Habitat-Use, Trophic Structure, And Energetic Pathways In Coastal Tanzania, Mario Fernando Hernandez

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Commercial and recreational fisheries are a valuable resource to millions of people around the world. Developing countries are particularly dependent on the revenue provided by locally harvested fish with total exports from these nations valued at $80 billion USD. For Tanzania, fisheries provide not only a source of revenue but an important source of protein with an estimated 25 to 30kg of fish consumed per person every year. There is no doubt that high fisheries production is critical to the well-being of millions of livelihoods along the Tanzanian coast. An important but poorly understood driver of fisheries production is the …

Trophic Ecology Of Mesopelagic Fish Larvae And Juveniles In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Emily Gipson

Master's Theses

The deep-pelagic environment encompasses ocean waters below 200 m depth, and comprises 90% of the volume of the Gulf of Mexico. Deep-pelagic fishes are important prey for many oceanic consumers, but relatively little is known about their early life history, including larval fish trophic ecology. An understanding of the role deep-pelagic fish larvae have in oceanic food webs is important in the development of ecosystem models that examine the connectivity (via vertical migrations) between the deep-pelagic and epipelagic environments with respect to trophic interactions, nutrient cycling, and carbon sequestration. In this study, archived plankton samples collected during 2010 and 2011 …

Historical Ecology Of The San Diego Sport Fishery: Catch Composition, Species Trends, And Fishing Effort From 1959 To 2011, Rebecca Schwartz Lesberg

Theses

Like ocean systems around the world, species targeted by the San Diego sportfishery are subject to myriad threats from human activity, with several species already showing documented decline. However, long-term fisheries datasets are often lacking, limiting natural resource managers’ ability to appropriately manage these ecologically and economically important species. Therefore, this study used daily reports published in two Southern California newspapers to examine changes in catch composition, effort, and catch per unit effort (CPUE) from 1959-2011 for the San Diego commercial passenger fishing vessel (CPFV) sportfishery. This study then tested the relationship between those patterns and three large scale oceanographic …

Larval Fish Mortality And Vertical Chlorophyll Structures: Reexamination Of The Stable Ocean Hypothesis In The Southern California Current, Brendan D. Turley

Theses and Dissertations

The natural mortality of fishes is an important component for understanding population dynamics. The larval stages of pelagic fishes living in the open ocean are particularly vulnerable to high rates of mortality, and fluctuations in these rates are thought to exert a large influence on the number of fish maturing into the spawning population. Early stage larval fishes are thought to undergo a critical period after hatching when they must find food or succumb to starvation. While the availability of suitable food for larval fishes is, on average, too low in the open ocean to support survival, patchy distributions of …

Blue Marlin (Makaira Nigricans) Horizontal Movements In The Western South Atlantic, Eduardo W. Wanick

HCNSO Student Capstones

Blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) have been documented to undertake long – and sometimes transoceanic – migrations, according to electronic pop-up satellite archival tag (PSAT) data obtained primarily in the western North Atlantic, with additional reported deployments from selected locations in the Pacific. Information on the movements of blue marlin in the South Atlantic, however, is lacking, despite evidence of spawning aggregations off the coast of Brazil during the Southern Hemisphere’s late spring and summer. Additionally, there are no reported long-term PSAT tag deployments on blue marlin in the western South Atlantic. Therefore, their movements in that large area …

Meta-Analytic Summary Of Parasites And Diseases Of Elasmobranchs Found In Florida Waters, Alexis S. Modzelesky

HCNSO Student Capstones

Elasmobranchs have conservational and commercial importance. There is a need for a more complete understanding of their health, due to their ability to shape trophic webs and their money-making potential with fishers and ecotourists. Sharks have been known to influence the strength of food webs, including reef ecosystems where many fish species are harvested for food. The investigation of pathogenic agents and diseases in elasmobranchs has been biased to favor those natural enemies that inhabit the digestive system and epidermal surfaces. Certain groups of parasites such as cestodes, copepods, and monogeneans, were most often recorded in this study. The bacterial …

The Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 (Igf1) System As A Potential Biomarker For Nutritional Status And Growth Rate In Pacific Rockfish (Sebastes Spp.), Nicole L. Hack

Master's Theses

Growth performance in vertebrates is regulated by environmental factors including the quality and quantity of food, which influences growth via endocrine pathways such as the growth hormone (GH) / insulin-like growth factor somatotropic axis. In several teleost fishes, circulating concentrations of insulin-like growth factor-1 (Igf1) correlate positively with growth rate, and it has been proposed that plasma Igf1 levels may serve as an indicator of growth variation for fisheries and aquaculture applications. Here, I tested whether plasma Igf1 concentrations might serve as an indicator of somatic growth in olive rockfish (Sebastes serranoides), one species among dozens of rockfishes …

Pelagic Fish Diversity And Density On And Off Restored Oyster Reef Habitat, Danielle Mcculloch

Theses and Dissertations

The heterogeneity provided by structured habitats is important in supporting diverse and dense fish communities. The biogenic reefs created by the native Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea virginica, were once the dominant structural habitat in Chesapeake Bay, and have since declined to less than 1% of historic estimates. Conflicting results on the effects of oyster reef restoration on pelagic fish assemblages make further investigation necessary. Incorporating multiple sampling strategies may help elucidate oyster reef habitat influence on fish assemblages. This study used multi-panel gillnets, hydroacoustic technology, and day-night sampling to describe pelagic fish assemblages on and off oyster reef habitat in the …

Flight Of The Freshwater Fish, Michael H. Wilson

Capstones

Michael H. Wilson

Capstone Abstract

December 27, 2016

Flight of the Freshwater Fish

The Hudson River provides for millions of people as a path for commercial and private transportation, a source of food and energy, and perhaps most importantly for many living in the tri-state area as a destination for recreation and relaxation. The most overlooked feature of the river is how the wildlife shows clear signs of a changing climate and rapid environmental response to the impacts of global warming on the river.

Entire populations of fish species in the lower Hudson have been forced to leave the river …

Hydroacoustic Analysis Of The Effects Of A Tidal Power Turbine On Fishes, Haley Viehman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Tidal currents help shape coastal marine environments and are essential in life cycles of many fish species. Areas with strong tidal currents are also targeted by humans for energy extraction via tidal energy turbines. The effects of these devices on fishes are difficult to predict because fish behavior within fast tidal currents is largely unstudied. Based at a tidal energy site in Cobscook Bay, Maine, this work sought to describe fish reactions to a tidal energy device, to understand the natural presence of fish at the site, and to provide guidance for future monitoring of tidal energy device effects in …

Summer 2015 Gis Analyst Internship At The Connecticut Department Of Energy & Environmental Protection, Old Lyme, Connecticut, Stuart R. Deland

Sustainability and Social Justice

I worked as the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Internee for the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (CT DEEP) from May 18, 2015 through August 14th of the same year. I was stationed at the Old Lyme Field office and worked under the direct supervision of Deb Pacileo, my boss and GIS analyst for CT DEEP. My function in the agency was similar to my supervisor's as I had no single project that dominated my time, but was given a multitude of projects to create, edit, oversee, and produce. Some of these project included editing python scripts of former …

A Missing Link In The Ionoregulatory Strategy Of Larval Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon Marinus) And African Lungfish (Protopterus Annectens): A Closer Look Into The Role Of The Non-Gastric H+/K+-Atpase, Justine E. Doherty

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Fishes living in freshwater need to actively compensate for the diffusive loss of ions and osmotic gain of water. The gill is the primary organ of ion regulation and contains an array of ion transport proteins to help maintain homeostasis. Two of the more well studied ion pumps are the Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase (NKA) and vacuolar type proton ATPase (V-ATPase). This thesis focuses on another ion pump known as the non-gastric H⁺/K⁺-ATPase (ngHKA). The ngHKA (gene: atp12a) has not been found in any of the teleost fishes, indicating loss from that lineage. In …

Evaluation Of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals In The Florida Coastal Pelagic Fish Complex Following The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Event, Rachel Hickey

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Following the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill event, there was a critical need to assess the effects of the oil and dispersant chemicals on the coastal pelagic fish complex in the Gulf of Mexico and the Florida Straits. The objective of this study was to determine if spilled crude oil and dispersant chemicals have posed an ecological risk to the coastal pelagic fish complex through the detection of vitellogenesis. Crude oil containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), dispersant chemicals and other estrogen-mimicking compounds are suspected to induce vitellogenin production in male and immature female fish, normally only produced by sexually mature …

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Metabolites As A Biomarker Of Exposure To Oil In Demersal Fishes Following The Deepwater Horizon Blowout, Susan Susan Snyder

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Deepwater Horizon blowout occurred on April 20th, 2010, releasing 4.9 million barrels of Louisiana crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Subsequent to the Deepwater Horizon blowout, sediment cores revealed oil on the northern GoM seafloor and abnormal skin lesions were seen in GoM fishes. Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a component of crude oil, in fish has been associated with many sublethal effects, including cancer and population-level effects. Using a biomarker of exposure to PAHs, this thesis evaluates inter-species, temporal and spatial differences in exposure to hydrocarbon contamination between three species of fish with varying levels …

A Female Audience Increases Frequency Of Showy Agonistic Displays In Male Siamese Fighting Fish, Raisa Lück

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

The audience effect refers to a situation where individuals alter displays in the presence of bystanders. By changing display choice, displayers can optimize their effectiveness against both the opponent and audience. Many displays – territorial, aggressive, warning, and threatening – fall into the broad category of agonistic behavior. Male Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens) are known for being territorial, and they use the same set of stereotypical displays repeatedly from one male to the next. I observed effects of a female audience on male Betta displays to determine if males use certain displays more frequently than others when a female …

Stream Crossing Barrier Prioritization Methods For Increasing Eastern Brook Trout Habitat In The Little Androscoggin River Watershed, Michele Windsor

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

Eastern Brook Trout (Salvelinas fontanalis) are an important cold water fishery in the state of Maine. While populations in Maine are relatively abundant there has been decline in some parts of its range due in part to loss of habitat connectivity. Brook trout require access to specific types of stream habitat for spawning, feeding, and seasonal thermal refuges. Stream crossing structures such as undersized, poorly installed, or blocked culverts, as well as small remnant dams, can create barriers to accessing important stream habitat for brook trout. A recent Fish Barrier/Culvert Survey in the Little Androscoggin River Watershed provided data about …

Changes In A Tropical Seagrass Environment After Installation Of Small Artificial Reefs, Joseph M. Penta

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The 3-dimensional structural complexity of coral reef environments is positively correlated with measurements of biodiversity and biomass. EcoReefs are a type of artificial reef that resemble branching corals, such as Acropora cervicornis, which provide an environment of high structural diversity, and that are effective at recruiting and sustaining fish populations. Little is known, however, about the effects of EcoReefs on the surrounding environments in which they are deployed, so this study examined the results after installing Ecoreef modules in a seagrass environment. The installation occurred in March 2009 at Coco Cay in the Berry Island chain in the Bahamas …

A Phylogeny Of The Snappers (Lutjanidae; Percoidei) Inferred From Cytochrome B Sequence Data, Matthew R. Semcheski

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The Lutjanidae are economically and ecologically important fishes commonly known as snappers. A morphological study of Lutjanidae concluded that it contained four subfamilies and that together with the family Caesionidae, form the superfamily Lutjanoidea. Although this view was supported elsewhere in the literature, it was later contradicted, treating the caesionids as members of the Lutjanidae. In order to infer a phylogeny of genera within Lutjanidae, the complete cytochrome b gene (1140bp) of 21 lutjanid taxa was sequenced and analyzed along with 19 lutjanid, caesionid, and outgroup sequences obtained from GenBank. Data were analyzed for base composition stationarity and saturation. Phylogenetic …

Reproductive Biology Of Chesapeake Bay Black Drum, Pogonias Cromis, With An Assessment Of Fixatives And Stains For Histological Examination Of Teleost Ovaries, Brian K. Wells

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Based on three years of data collection on the periodicity of the spawning run, the gonadosomatic index (GSI), and gonad histology, the spawning season for Chesapeake Bay black drum was found to be significantly shorter and later compared to populations from Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. The GSI is maximal in early April when black drum first enter the Chesapeake Bay region in contrast to data from Florida where GSI peaks during February and March. I confirm that black drum from the Chesapeake Bay are batch spawners. These results match those found for populations of black drum in the …

Myology And Osteology Of Lupinoblennius Herre (Pisces: Blenniidae, William A. Roumillat

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Certain osteological characters of the genus Lupinoblennius Herre (Pisces: Blenniidae) indicate that it is a specialized member of the tribe Blenniini. Two of these characters are similar to those reported in more advanced tribes. Unifying this genus with the Blenniini are certain muscle patterns that appear unique for the tribe. A comprehensive description of blenny musculature is presented to correct previous literature misinterpretations, and to lay the groundwork for future infrafamilial comparative anatomical studies.

Morphological Variation Among 14 Species Of Callogobius Bleeker (Pisces: Gobiidae), James Francis Mckinney

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

A survey of the variation among the species of the Callogobius complex has been accomplished in order to determine if recognition of more than one genus is warranted for this assemblage of species. Emphasis has been placed on the osteological variation. Relationships among certain species within the Callogobius complex have been exposed. Although there are two well defined species groups within the complex, it is felt that inclusion of all of the examined species within the single genus Callogobius is the most parsimonious course of action.

Contributions To The Reproductive Biology And Natural History Of The Pirateperch, Aphredoderus Sayanus, Edward O. Murdy

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the micro and macro-anatomy of the reproductive system and the testicular and ovarian development in Aphredoderus sayanus.

Specimens were collected at least once a month from September, 1976, through May, 1977, in Cypress Pond, a part of the Dismal Swamp drainage, outside of Suffolk, Virginia. Forty-three specimens had their gonads examined histologically, of these 13 were males, 29 were females and in one specimen the sex was not determinable.

Aphredoderus sayanus is a spring spawner, spent gonads were found on and after April 13, 1977. Gonads began to ripen in the …