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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Habitat And Fish Population Dynamics: Advancing Stock Assessments Of Highly Migratory Species, Patrick D. Lynch
Habitat And Fish Population Dynamics: Advancing Stock Assessments Of Highly Migratory Species, Patrick D. Lynch
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Fisheries sustainability is inherently linked to an understanding of the population-level effects of fishing. With an accurate characterization of historical fish and fishery dynamics, management agencies are more equipped to create regulations that sustain fishery resources over the long term. The overarching goal of this dissertation is to contribute to the advancement of fisheries stock assessment and promote resource sustainability. My research focused on highly migratory species (HMS), particularly fishes that reside in the open ocean. These species constitute some of the highest valued global fisheries; however, numerous factors compromise HMS stock assessment and management. These challenges are fully described …
Ecologically-Framed Mercury Database, Exposure Modeling And Risk/Benefit Communication To Lower Chesapeake Bay Fish Consumers, Xiaoyu Xu
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Mercury concentrations and determinants of mercury accumulation were examined for ten finfish species from the lower Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. None of the sampled fish had total mercury concentrations approaching the U.S. EPA human health screening value. Mercury concentrations in different fish species generally increased with increasing delta 15N, but not delta 13C, suggesting that trophic position, but not dietary carbon source was a dominant determinant. A methylmercury biomagnification model was built to estimate a food web magnification factor of approximately 10-fold increase per trophic level in Chesapeake Bay. Based on otolith strontium-calcium ratios, Atlantic croaker inhabiting less saline …
Modeling The Formation Of Periodic Hypoxia In Partially Mixed Estuaries And Its Response To Oligotrophication And Climate Change, Samuel J. Lake
Modeling The Formation Of Periodic Hypoxia In Partially Mixed Estuaries And Its Response To Oligotrophication And Climate Change, Samuel J. Lake
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
The development of hypoxia represents one of the most common and ecologically detrimental effects of anthropogenic nutrient enrichment in coastal marine ecosystems. Due to the physiological importance of oxygen as a key component of metabolic processes, the development and persistence of hypoxia can reduce the distribution of important species, modify food webs, decrease diversity and richness, and sub-lethally affect growth and reproductive rates. While many recent studies have focused on the global increase in hypoxia and highlighted the need for nutrient reduction strategies, some key processes associated with hypoxia remain understudied. of particular importance is the resolution of the major …
Foraging Ecology And Habitat Use Of The Northern Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys Terrapin Terrapin) In Southern Chesapeake Bay, Diane C. Tulipani
Foraging Ecology And Habitat Use Of The Northern Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys Terrapin Terrapin) In Southern Chesapeake Bay, Diane C. Tulipani
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
The northern diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin ) is the only estuarine turtle residing along western Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts of North America. Through predation, terrapins may be a key species in coastal marine habitats by exerting top-down control on marsh invertebrates, and thereby help to maintain healthy marshes. Despite the terrapin's ecological importance, there has not been a thorough study of terrapin foraging ecology and movements in lower Chesapeake Bay. In this dissertation, the research focused on the foraging habits of diamondback terrapins and their effects within salt marsh and seagrass habitats of lower Chesapeake Bay. I provided …