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Marine Biology Commons

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Full-Text Articles in Marine Biology

Effects Of Age, Mass, And Terrestrial Duration On Oxygen Store Development In Phocids And Otariids, Rachael M. Stevenson Nov 2018

Effects Of Age, Mass, And Terrestrial Duration On Oxygen Store Development In Phocids And Otariids, Rachael M. Stevenson

HCNSO Student Capstones

Diving ontogeny among pinniped species was explored to determine how oxygen store development was affected by age, mass, and terrestrial duration between Phocidae and Otariidae. Distinct physiological and post-natal developmental differences exist between the two families which contribute to oxygen store and diving development. Blood oxygen data for six phocids and otariids and muscle oxygen data for two phocids and otariids were obtained. Body mass significantly (p


Blue Marlin (Makaira Nigricans) Horizontal Movements In The Western South Atlantic, Eduardo W. Wanick Nov 2018

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 …


Next Generation Sequencing Methods For Coastal Zone Water Quality Monitoring, Catherine Iskrenko Aug 2018

Next Generation Sequencing Methods For Coastal Zone Water Quality Monitoring, Catherine Iskrenko

HCNSO Student Capstones

When analyzing the water quality of the coastal zone, culture-based techniques have been utilized most often to identify Fecal Indicator Bacteria in samples. Since the advent of the Sanger Method for DNA sequencing, other techniques have arisen that provide significantly more information on the microorganisms in sample, but they are still not the mainstream for water quality analysis. This capstone reviews and compares culture-based techniques, DNA sequencing, RNA sequencing, qPCR for biomarker, and 16S rDNA sequencing to highlight their merits and shortcomings for analyzing environmental water samples. The technique presented that provides the broadest range of information (including the identification …


Meta-Analytic Summary Of Parasites And Diseases Of Elasmobranchs Found In Florida Waters, Alexis S. Modzelesky Aug 2018

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 …


Biological And Abiotic Factors Influencing Cetacean Mass Strandings In The Northeastern United States, Octavia Williams May 2018

Biological And Abiotic Factors Influencing Cetacean Mass Strandings In The Northeastern United States, Octavia Williams

HCNSO Student Capstones

Marine mammal strandings are frequent occurrences along many coastal areas around the world. The significance of stranded cetaceans has been of interest since around 300 B.C. when philosophers, like Aristotle, pondered why marine mammals, including whales, dolphins and porpoise beach themselves; and famous authors, like Henry David Thoreau, whose fascination in mammal strandings lead him to write a book about these mass occurrences off the coast of Cape Cod. Numerous hypothetical theories have been developed to explain these mass stranding phenomena. Though the causes of mass strandings remain unresolved, recent investigations suggest contributing factors could include environmental elements. Less emphasis …


Toxicological Effects Of Commercial Sunscreens On Coral Reef Ecosystems: New Protocols For Coral Restoration, Emilie C. Johnsen Apr 2018

Toxicological Effects Of Commercial Sunscreens On Coral Reef Ecosystems: New Protocols For Coral Restoration, Emilie C. Johnsen

HCNSO Student Capstones

The primary purpose of consumer-grade sunscreen is to protect skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays. This market has grown during the past 80 years, and environmental contamination from increasing amounts of sunscreen compounds have created concern. In particular, impacts on ocean ecosystems have inspired investigations and toxicological research on their effects on marine life. Unfortunately, such studies using marine flora and fauna are scarce, and the impact of chemical exposure to consumer sunscreens is neither adequately measured nor completely understood. In a pilot study by the Coral Restoration Foundation, in situ toxicity exposure to 10 different brands of sunscreens …