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Environmental Sciences

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

2012

Articles 1 - 9 of 9

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Movements, Growth, And Mortality Of Chesapeake Bay Summer Flounder Based On Multiple Tagging Technologies, Mark J. Henderson Jan 2012

Movements, Growth, And Mortality Of Chesapeake Bay Summer Flounder Based On Multiple Tagging Technologies, Mark J. Henderson

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The research projects presented in this dissertation used multiple tagging technologies to examine the movements, growth, and mortality rates of summer flounder tagged and released in Chesapeake Bay. In the first two chapters, I used acoustic, archival, and conventional tags to examine the behavior of summer flounder on different spatial scales. Investigating the movement behavior of individuals on different scales is an important step towards understanding how large-scale distributions of a population are established. Based on the observed behaviors of summer flounder, I hypothesize that the movements of these fish are primarily related to foraging behavior while they are resident …


A Community-Based Participatory Assessment Of Fish Consumption And Dietary Mercury Exposure Along The Lower James River, Virginia Usa, Erica Lynnette Holloman Jan 2012

A Community-Based Participatory Assessment Of Fish Consumption And Dietary Mercury Exposure Along The Lower James River, Virginia Usa, Erica Lynnette Holloman

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The use of community-based participatory research (CBPR) methods to conduct environmental exposure assessments provides valuable insight about disparities in fish consumption and contaminant exposure. Ninety-five community-specific fish consumption surveys were administered to low-income African American women (ages 16--49) residing in the Southeast community of Newport News, Virginia, USA, in 2008. The mean fish consumption rate for the women surveyed was 147.8 g/day (95% CI: 117.6-185.8), a rate substantially higher than the mean fish consumption rate reported for U.S. women (1.8 g/day 95% CI: 1.51-2.04). Through collaborative partnerships established between current researchers and The Moton Community House (a local community center), …


Unprecedented Restoration Of A Native Oyster Metapopulation, David M. Schulte Jan 2012

Unprecedented Restoration Of A Native Oyster Metapopulation, David M. Schulte

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


A Case Study In The Effectiveness Of Marine Protected Areas (Mpas): The Islands Of Bonaire And Curacao, Dutch Caribbean, Noelle J. Relles Jan 2012

A Case Study In The Effectiveness Of Marine Protected Areas (Mpas): The Islands Of Bonaire And Curacao, Dutch Caribbean, Noelle J. Relles

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The islands of Bonaire and Curacao, Dutch Caribbean, were both mapped along their leeward coasts for dominant coral community and other benthic cover in the early 1980s. This mapping effort offers a unique baseline for comparing changes in the benthic community of the two islands since that time, particularly given the marked differences between the two islands. Bonaire is well-protected and completely surrounded by a marine protected area (MPA), which includes two no-diving marine reserves; additionally, Bonaire's population is only around 15,000. In contrast, the island of Curacao is home to 140,000 inhabitants and marine protection is limited, with a …


Microburst Damage Assessment And Forest Composition Reconstruction After Hurricane Isabel In The College Woods, Williamsburg, Va, Kjarstin Alane Carlson-Drexler Jan 2012

Microburst Damage Assessment And Forest Composition Reconstruction After Hurricane Isabel In The College Woods, Williamsburg, Va, Kjarstin Alane Carlson-Drexler

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Sublethal Effects Of Methylmercury On The Songbird Immune Response: An Experimental Study, Catherine Ann Lewis Jan 2012

Sublethal Effects Of Methylmercury On The Songbird Immune Response: An Experimental Study, Catherine Ann Lewis

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


The Consequences Of Shoreline Development For Near-Shore Communities In Chesapeake Bay, Usa: A Before-After Control-Impact Study, Theresa M. Davenport Jan 2012

The Consequences Of Shoreline Development For Near-Shore Communities In Chesapeake Bay, Usa: A Before-After Control-Impact Study, Theresa M. Davenport

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Hardened shorelines and their construction introduce stressors to a system by altering near-shore habitats. They can reduce biodiversity and abundance of benthic infauna and marsh-edge nekton and epifauna. In this study, I investigated the impacts of shoreline development on near-shore communities using a temporal and spatial approach, by use of a before-after control-impact (BACI) study design at four sub-estuaries within Chesapeake Bay that represent three different types of shoreline change. The BACI study was used to examine infaunal density, biomass, and diversity for two size classes of infauna (3-mm: larger species and adults, 500-!m: smaller species and juveniles), as well …


Evaluating Persistent Organic Pollutants (Pops) And Mercury In The West Antarctic Peninsula (Wap) Food Web, With A Focus On Antarctic Fur Seals (Arctocephalus Gazella), Emily K. Brault Jan 2012

Evaluating Persistent Organic Pollutants (Pops) And Mercury In The West Antarctic Peninsula (Wap) Food Web, With A Focus On Antarctic Fur Seals (Arctocephalus Gazella), Emily K. Brault

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Effects Of Anthropogenic Stressors And Changes In Biodiversity On Lower Chesapeake Bay, Va Usa Seagrass Systems, Rachael E. Blake Jan 2012

Effects Of Anthropogenic Stressors And Changes In Biodiversity On Lower Chesapeake Bay, Va Usa Seagrass Systems, Rachael E. Blake

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Anthropogenic stressors are increasingly changing conditions in coastal areas and impacting important habitats. But, when multiple stressors act simultaneously, their effects on ecosystems become more difficult to predict. In Chesapeake Bay, USA, predictions suggest that anthropogenic stressors from climate change, such as warming temperatures, may increase the frequency and severity of storm events, leading to increased freshwater, nutrient, and sediment inputs. Coastal development, another source of anthropogenic stressors, continues to increase with growing coastal populations, and may lead to altered sediment characteristics, habitat fragmentation, altered food webs, and loss of vegetated habitats. Community processes may interact with stressors, for example, …