Marine Biology Commons^™

Identification Of Novel Biosynthetic Gene Clusters Encoding For Polyketide/Nrps-Producing Chemotherapeutic Compounds From Marine-Derived Streptomyces Hygroscopicus From A Marine Sanctuary, Hannah Ruth Flaherty

Honors Theses and Capstones

Nearly one out of six deaths in 2020, around ten million people, were caused by cancer, making it a leading cause of death worldwide (WHO, 2022). This major public health issue, in addition to the rise of multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens, provides a high demand for the discovery of new pharmaceutical drugs to be used clinically to treat these conditions. The Streptomyces genus accounts to produce 39% of all microbial metabolites currently approved for human health, indicating its potential as an important species to study for antimicrobial and anticancer agents. The long linear genome of Streptomyces contains specialized sequences known as …

Place-Based Estuary Science Education At Machicomoco State Park, Anna Caputo

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Project description:

This experiential estuary science field trip program was initially created as a master's capstone project by Anna Caputo in partnership with Machicomoco State Park, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), and the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (CBNERR). The ultimate goal of the project is to strengthen community estuarine literacy in the local area by teaching students who will be future marine scientists, community leaders, watermen, and environmentally conscious citizens. The program is designed to highlight the coastal habitats at the state park, the issues those habitats are facing, and how science and monitoring efforts done …

Impacts And Uncertainties Of Climate Change On The Chesapeake Bay, Kyle E. Hinson

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Climate change impacts in the Chesapeake Bay will limit the efficacy of nutrient reduction efforts and decrease dissolved oxygen, but uncertainties associated with the magnitude of these effects remain. An understanding of underlying mechanisms that have driven recent warming trends will narrow uncertainties for future pathways of temperature change. Additionally, future simulations of climate impacts in the estuary are dependent on multiple different sources of uncertainty, many of which have not yet been fully evaluated. This dissertation used a three- dimensional coupled hydrodynamic-biogeochemical model to investigate recent warming trends as well as underlying uncertainties likely to influence regional projections of …

Investigating Salinity Intrusion Effects On Sapelo Island, Georgia Using Benthic Macroinvertebrate Bioindicators, Raymond Paul Kidder Ii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Coastal wetlands are threatened by the compounding effects of sea level rise and historical land modification. Historically, much of Sapelo Island, Georgia was deforested and drained using a series of ditches and canals to create arable land fit for agriculture and to provide drainage to the inhabited parts of the island. Today, this network of artificial channels is believed to be facilitating the movement of saltwater from the nearby estuary into freshwater areas on the interior of the island. This study aimed to better understand the frequency and magnitude of salinity intrusion events along with their resulting impacts to the …

Host-Microbe Interactions In Non-Native Estuarine Anemones: Biogeography And Temperature, Parker K. Lund

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Non-native species are increasing in prevalence around the world, resulting in negative economic and ecological impacts. However, the broad distributions of non-native species also offer a system for investigating the response of host-associated microbial communities to environmental factors across a range of ecological scales. At the broadest scale, I investigated the geography of microbial communities in the non-native estuarine anemone Diadumene lineata on the west coast of the United States of America. Across latitudes, microbial community composition was very similar and displayed a high percentage of Klebsiella spp. at all sites. However, the communities in California tended to exhibit higher …

Effects Of Ph, Eelgrass, And Settlement Substrate On The Growth Of Juvenile Magallana (Crassostrea) Gigas, A Commercially Important Oyster Species, Johnny S. Roche

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Worsening ocean acidification (OA), resulting from ongoing absorption of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) by the oceans, threatens marine life globally. Calcifying organisms, especially their early life stages, are particularly vulnerable; this includes the economically important Pacific oyster, Magallana (Crassostrea) gigas. Uptake of dissolved CO₂ through photosynthesis by seagrasses, like eelgrass (Zostera marina), may benefit calcifying organisms by increasing pH and carbonate availability. I conducted laboratory and field experiments to quantify carbonate chemistry modification by eelgrass and potential mitigation of OA impacts on growth in juvenile Pacific oysters. In the laboratory experiment, daytime …

Inferring Exposure To Harmful Pseudo-Nitzschia Blooms From Ocean-To-Estuary Gradients In Domoic Acid Concentrations In Humboldt Bay Bivalves, Natasha Hope Ficzycz Winnacott

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) result from outbreaks of any of several different species of toxin-producing phytoplankton and that can have major detrimental effects on marine ecosystems and pose severe health and economic threats to human communities. Of particular concern along the United States West Coast are HABs of pennate diatom genus Pseudo-nitzschia that produce the potent neurotoxin domoic acid (DA). The coastal ocean between Cape Mendocino, CA, and Cape Blanco, OR is a hotspot for Pseudo-nitzschia spp. HABs. Such blooms impact coastal fisheries and pose a potential threat to aquaculture operations in Humboldt Bay, California’s second largest estuary and largest …

Diversity And Distribution Of Bryozoans Of The Northern To Central Rocky Outer Coast Of California, Ismael Chowdhury

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The phylum Bryozoa is one of the most diverse groups of marine invertebrates, with a global distribution that spans marine and fresh waters. This study analyzes the Bryozoa in infralittoral communities on rocky surfaces from northern California (Point Saint George) to central California (Estero Bay), spanning 940 kilometers and encompassing 12 rocky intertidal sites. Although recent studies on bryozoan taxonomy and phylogeny have increased due to scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high throughput sequencing, there is still a lack of studies on species found in shallow waters at intertidal depths, particularly in the northeastern Pacific. This study aims to expand …

Are Biodiverse Communities More Resistant To Invasion? A Case Study With Marine Fouling Communities, Taylor Robert Bruntil

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The theory of biotic resistance predicts that more diverse communities should be less susceptible to invasion by novel species, but given the opposing results of multiple observational and experimental studies in marine systems, it is unclear how changes in environmental conditions can affect invasion success in communities that differ in diversity. I used marine fouling communities to test how the diversity of the species present in an initial community (hereafter termed “resident species”) affected the establishment and growth of all species not present in the initial communities (hereafter termed “novel species”) at two locations at the Eureka Public Marina, in …

Investigating The Relationship Between Sea Ice Extent And Erignathus Barbatus Breeding Phenology In The Alaskan Arctic, Rachel E. Lewis

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Use Of Hematological Markers To Assess Physiological Condition And Health Status In Free-Ranging Sand Tiger Sharks (Carcharius Taurus), Chestina N. Craig

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The contents of blood can provide information about the physiological condition and health of vertebrates. This study seeks to better understand the stress physiology and blood bacteria presence of the sand tiger shark (Carcharius taurus), as sharks are known to have unique physiology and immune systems. In this study the blood metabolites glucose, lactate, and ketones (3-hydroxybuteric acid and acetoacetate), were used to understand how biotic and abiotic factors affect the acute stress response to capture and handling. Metabolite concentrations from blood plasma were analyzed using colorimetric assays. Glucose and ketones showed no significant responses to capture and …

Field Assessment Of The Pervious Oyster Shell Habitat: Enhancement Of Intertidal Habitat For The Eastern Oyster And Associated Nekton In Northeast Florida, Hunter Mathews

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A dramatic global decline in oyster reef habitat has led to widespread deployment of oyster restoration projects. Efforts are underway to move away from polluting methods like plastic mesh bags in oyster deployments. Additionally, increasing pressure on our estuaries from recreational boat wakes and intensified storms requires more robust structures for shoreline protection. The “Pervious Oyster Shell Habitat” (POSH) is a novel artificial reef structure composed of oyster shell bound by a thin layer of Portland cement, into the shape of a dome. The structure’s makeup greatly reduces its environmental impact, while providing quality substrate for provision of oyster reef …