Digital Commons Network^™

Fisheries Occasional Publication No. 150 - Response To 2024 External Review Of Integrated Stock Assessments For Key Wa Demersal Indicator Stocks, Rubie Evans-Powell, S. A. Hesp, Ainslie Denham, Emily A. Fisher, Rachel Marks, Fabian I. Trinnie, Brett Crisafulli

Fisheries Occasional Publications

In Western Australia (WA), stock assessments for key demersal species, including snapper and red emperor, have traditionally used bespoke integrated models developed in-house by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD). In line with other Australian jurisdictions, DPIRD is transitioning to Stock Synthesis (SS) as its primary platform for integrated stock assessments of WA finfish. To support this transition, DPIRD commissioned an independent expert review of recent integrated models applied to three demersal stocks. This publication responds to recommendations from Professor André Punt (University of Washington and CSIRO) in his 2024 review, which examined assessments for Pilbara red …

The Modern Sisyphus Blows Leaves: Attitudes And Impacts Regarding Leaf Litter Removal On A Suburban Campus, A. C. Nony, M. R. Mcclung, M. L. Reid

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Leaf litter habitat disruption in suburban spaces stems from the prevalence of “lawn culture,” that is, the accepted societal norm that land immediately surrounding humans or meant for human recreational use should be clean, tidy, controlled, and aesthetically pleasing, above other considerations. When leaf litter on residential and recreational lawns is cleared, it removes vital habitat for organisms of several taxa, especially species that rely on litter as a moisture and temperature-controlled substrate for overwintering. We administered an opinion survey to students, staff, and faculty at Hendrix College, a highly residential and suburban campus in Conway, Arkansas, to assess views …

Trophic Structure And Mercury Bioaccumulation In Walleye And Yellow Perch In The Upper And Lower Red Lake Basins, Marissa Pribyl

Biology Graduate Theses

Mercury is a persistent global contaminant that biomagnifies through aquatic food webs, with dietary and environmental factors serving as the primary drivers of accumulation in fishes. Trophic structure and methylmercury dynamics in Walleye (ogaa; Sander vitreus) and Yellow Perch (asaawens; Perca flavescens) were investigated in the Upper and Lower Red Lake basins in Red Lake, Minnesota, during 2024-2025. Diets of Walleye and Yellow Perch were assessed through stomach dissections, and tissue samples from both species were analyzed for total mercury concentrations. Additional analyses included shiners (gigoozens; Notropis spp., Hudsonius spp.) along with a variety of freshwater fish and …

A Revision Of The Psammophilic Genus Liobuthus Birula, 1898 (Scorpiones: Buthidae), With A Description Of Four New Species From Central Asia, Victor Fet, František Kovařík, Graeme Lowe, Matthew R. Graham

Euscorpius

The rare Central Asian psammophilic scorpion genus, Liobuthus Birula, 1898 (Scorpiones: Buthidae), is revised. Five species are delineated according to results from three species delimitation approaches using mitochondrial DNA. Results are supported by diagnostic morphology, including an assessment of the distinctive neobothriotaxy. The type species, L. kessleri Birula, 1898, is confirmed for Iran (northeast), Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan (south). Four new species are described: L. atamuradovi sp. n. (Turkmenistan),  L. danovi sp. n. (Kazakhstan, northern Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan), L. shukurovi sp. n. (southwestern Tajikistan), and L. vachoni sp. n. (southern Kazakhstan), The unique additive neobothriotaxy (on both pedipalp femur and patella) …

Observations Of Puddling Butterflies In Maryland, Usa, Aydin Örstan

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

Six butterfly species in four families were observed puddling on damp soil, scat and carrion in various locations in Montgomery County, Maryland and on small islands in the Potomac River. Four species preferred damp soil to nearby mud, but the reason for this behavior is unknown. The presence of butterflies on small islands in the Potomac River is documented for the first time.

Data And Code From: Rapid Scavenging Of Avian Carcasses In The Desert Southwest: Implications For Mortality Surveys Not Associated With Infrastructure, Thomas Huycke, Dylan M. Osterhaus, Kelley C. Boland, Fitsum Abadi, Martha J. Desmond

Fish, Wildlife, & Conservation Ecology: Datasets

No abstract provided.

Waters At Risk: Preventive Methods Against Cyanobacteria Blooms In Rhode Island, Ryan Boline

CAFE Symposium 2026

This project analyzes the rise of cyanobacteria blooms in Rhode Island freshwater systems and identifies a policy gap in the state’s largely reactive management approach. Drawing on state reports and interviews with environmental experts, it highlights nutrient runoff, climate change, and limited public education as key drivers of bloom severity. To address this gap, I developed a prevention-focused public education poster designed for integration into existing state alert and outreach systems.

A Taxonomic Overview Of The Apodemia Mormo Complex From A Genomic Perspective, Jing Zhang, Qian Cong, Jinhui Shen, Leina Song, Nick V. Grishin

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

Genomic analysis of the Apodemia mormo group (Riodinidae Grote, 1895 (1827)) specimens across the range from southwestern Canada through much of the western USA and northwestern Mexico, complemented by phenotypic examination and photographs of live individuals to inspect eye color, partitions the complex into eight species, one of which is proposed as new: Apodemia (Apodemia) apache Grishin, sp. n. (type locality in USA: Arizona, Apache Co.), and three elevated from subspecies of A. mejicanus: Apodemia (Apodemia) maxima (Weeks, 1891), stat. rest., Apodemia (Apodemia) deserti W. Barnes & McDunnough, 1918, stat. nov., and Apodemia ( …

Agent-Based Model Details For Quantifying Error In Drone-Based Animal Surveys: Animal Density, Distribution And Flight Patterns, Emma A. Schultz, Natasha Ellison-Neary, Landon R. Jones, Kristine O. Evans, Raymond B. Iglay

Research Data

The following dataset pertains to Python scripts of an agent-based model simulating various drone survey design and quantifying potential count bias of stationary animals in fixed landscapes as part of an accepted manuscript in Ecosphere. Simulated animals were distributed among five animal densities (n = 4, 9, 25, 49, 100 animals/survey area) and three distribution patterns (random, uniform, aggregated). Eight drone flight patterns surveyed a 4.16-km² landscape within constraints of real-world battery and line-of-sight limitations. The simplified landscape also provided 100% animal classification (i.e., all animals within image frame observed and identified).

Aquatic Interrelations In Malika Mokeddem’S Novel N’Zid (2001), Laura C. Klein

Green Humanities: A Journal of Ecological Thought in Literature, Philosophy & the Arts

This article offers an ecological analysis of Malika Mokeddem's novel N'Zid (2001), moving beyond postcolonial and anthropocentric interpretations. It centers on the protagonist Nora's individuation, arguing this process is intrinsically linked to her evolving relationship with the aquatic environment from which she emerges. The article aims to situate N'Zid within an ecological perspective, particularly relevant in the Anthropocene, an era compelling a reassessment of humanity's place. Echoing Bruno Latour, addressing inter-relationality is essential as the stable physical framework of the Moderns becomes unstable. This view necessitates rethinking environmental issues and encourages a scientific interpretation of the novel, drawing on neurosciences, …

Vultures, Bryan M. Kluever, Lee A. Humberg, Scott C. Barras

Wildlife Damage Management Technical Series

Fact sheet about vultures including information about human--wildlife conflicts, the vulture roost, affects on livestock, structures, human health and safety, identification of damage, management methods, legal considerations, and economics. Also included is an overview of the species.

Humanity Is Evolving Its Consciousness: The Role Of Archetypal Energies As Guides During An Unfolding Weeding Out And Alignment Process, Carroy U. Ferguson

Psychology Faculty Publication Series

Humanity is evolving its consciousness at individual and collective levels.  Given these seemingly tumultuous times, as of this writing (January 2026), to make such a statement may sound like a strange thing to say.  However, I suggest that if you are alive today and if you are reading these words, these are the very times for which you were born—to assist Humanity as it evolves its consciousness with your unique gifts, whatever they may be.  That is, this period of our individual and collective human being-ness may be characterized as an unfolding period of weeding out and alignment with the …

A Simple And Affordable Protocol To Assess Censer Seed Dispersal: First Confirmation Of The Mechanism In The Genus Solanum, Abigail J. Motter, Christopher T. Martine, Melody P. Sain

Faculty Journal Articles

The censer seed dispersal mechanism, whereby mature fruits are retained on plants and seeds dispersed by mechanical shaking, is among the most specialized wind-aided seed dispersal strategies employed by the flowering plants. An efficient, affordable, and easily repeatable protocol for determining whether a species uses this unusual mechanism of seed dispersal is lacking. Our focal species, Solanum tudununggae, is one of just two Solanum species (in a fleshy-fruited genus of ca. 1200 species) hypothesized to use this dispersal mechanism as a means to move seeds farther from parent plants than would gravity alone.

Distribution Of Mussels In Two Intermittent Upland Streams Of The Arkansas Valley Ecoregion, A. A. Brady, K. B. Hecke, S. A. Drake, Z. R. Crain, K. Moles

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Freshwater mussels are facing an increasing need for conservation due to their declining populations. More data is needed on mussel distributions, especially in tributaries of large rivers to properly conserve and restore populations. Big Shoal Creek and Little Shoal Creek are two upland-tributaries of the Arkansas River (Lake Dardanelle) in which no records exist for freshwater mussel populations. We addressed this knowledge gap by sampling a total of 9 sites in Little Shoal Creek and 18 sites in Big Shoal Creek to determine the abundance and distribution of mussels in these streams. Mussels were sampled using a timed-search approach. A …

Temporal Variation Of Benthic Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Communities In Two Upland Intermittent Streams In The Boston Mountains, R. J. Mccollough, K. B. Hecke

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Benthic aquatic macroinvertebrates are some of the most highly used organisms for biomonitoring and assessing stream health. However, biomonitoring is often done in one season, potentially missing important taxa and inaccurately reflecting the community as well as stream health. In addition, while road crossing effects have also been extensively researched the last few decades, these studies are also often conducted in one season, likely misrepresenting the community structure and the overall effects of the road crossing. The highly known River Continuum Concept (RCC) is often applied to these benthic aquatic macroinvertebrate communities. This study aimed to examine aquatic macroinvertebrate communities …

Reproductive Biology Of Hybopsis Amblops, The Bigeye Chub, In The Flint River Of Alabama, Crissy L. Tarver, Bruce W. Stallsmith

Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings

The purpose of this study was to establish a reproductive schedule and examine reproductive traits that shape fecundity of the Bigeye Chub, Hybopsis amblops Leuciscidae in the Flint River system of north Alabama. Traits associated with reproduction, growth, and maturation were assessed. Specimens were collected and examined monthly from August, 2013 until July, 2014. This Bigeye Chub population primarily spawns in April and May as indicated by gonadosomatic index (GSI), ovarian condition and clutch size. Mean GSI values began to rise in February, peaking in April and May at over 13% for females and 1.6% for males. There was a …

Biology Department Publications: 2025, Sam Lindgren

Biology Department Bibliographies

This document is a non-comprehensive list of publications made by graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and faculty members in the Biology Department in 2024. It indexes those publications available through PubMed, and serves as an archival record of the Department's robust scholarly contributions.

Decoupling Of Reproduction And Lifespan Trade-Off In Caenorhabditis Elegans Through Microbial Programming, Nora M. Villafuerte

LSU Master's Theses

The microbiome is increasingly recognized as a major regulator of host physiology. Using the Caenorhabditis elegans model, we investigated how natural commensal bacteria modulate host reproduction and lifespan through internal egg hatching, a phenotype in which retained embryos hatch within the maternal body. Screening strains from the CeMbio collection identified four focal strains Ochrobactrum BH3, Lelliottia JUb66, Pantoea BIGb0393, and Enterobacter CEent1 that significantly increased internal egg hatching during the late reproductive period. This contrasts with pathogenic bacteria, which induce early-onset internal egg hatching. Across the focal strains, worms exhibited reduced total brood size but an expanded reproductive window relative …

Assessing Localized Recovery And Synchrony Of An Endangered Wetland Species., Aiyana Reissman

Theses

The state and federally endangered light-footed Ridgway’s rail (LFRR; Rallus obsoletus levipes) is central to regional conservation, yet the drivers of its population fluctuations remain poorly understood. The fragmented nature of coastal wetlands in Southern California is threatening the existence of endemic species like the LFRR. Tidal inundation, severe storms, and overpredation threaten the survival of LFRR. This study addresses population fluctuations by analyzing the spatial and temporal drivers of LFRR populations to inform effective, site-specific management.

To do this, a 45-year (1980–2024) LFRR census data set across 16 wetlands throughout its range in California was synthesized. A multi-faceted …

Changes In Phenology Mediate Vertebrate Population Responses To Temperature Globally, Viktoriia Radchuk, Carys V. Jones, Nina Mclean, Anne Charmantier, Céline Teplitsky, Ray Alisauskas, Sergio Ancona, Tycho Anker-Nilssen, Peter Arcese, Karl S. Berg

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

Phenotypic responses to climate affect individual fitness, but the extent to which this translates into effects on population dynamics remains poorly understood. We assemble 213 time series on phenotypes and population sizes of wild vertebrates globally and match them with local climate data. Our meta-analysis shows that morphological traits are mostly climate insensitive. However, phenology is earlier in warmer-than-average years, which contributes positively to population growth in most species. At lower latitudes, temperature has weaker effects on phenology but stronger direct negative effects on population growth, likely because these populations are less capable of tracking climate via plasticity. Variation in …

Fish In An Aquaponics System, Amy M. Shambach, Rebecca M. Ward, J. Stuart Carlton, Kwamena K. Quagrainie, Tomas O. Höök

Supplementary Content for Aquaponics: Farming Fish and Growing Greens for Grades 9–12

This PowerPoint slide provides readers with information on fish in an aquaponics system. This book was published by the Purdue University Press. Copyright 2026.

Permission: Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant

Introduction To The Nitrogen Cycle, Amy M. Shambach, Rebecca M. Ward, J. Stuart Carlton, Kwamena K. Quagrainie, Tomas O. Höök

Supplementary Content for Aquaponics: Farming Fish and Growing Greens for Grades 9–12

This PowerPoint slide provides readers with an introduction to the Nitrogen cycle. This book was published by the Purdue University Press. Copyright 2026.

Permission: Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant

Information On Building An Aquaponics Business, Amy M. Shambach, Rebecca M. Ward, J. Stuart Carlton, Kwamena K. Quagrainie, Tomas O. Höök

Supplementary Content for Aquaponics: Farming Fish and Growing Greens for Grades 9–12

This PowerPoint slide provides readers with information on building an aquaponics business. This book was published by the Purdue University Press. Copyright 2026.

Permission: Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant

Anatomy Of An Aquaponics System, Amy M. Shambach, Rebecca M. Ward, J. Stuart Carlton, Kwamena K. Quagrainie, Tomas O. Höök

Supplementary Content for Aquaponics: Farming Fish and Growing Greens for Grades 9–12

This PowerPoint slide describes the anatomy of an aquaponics system. This book was published by the Purdue University Press. Copyright 2026.

Permission: Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant

How To Measure The Level Of Nitrogen In An Aquaponics System, Amy M. Shambach, Rebecca M. Ward, J. Stuart Carlton, Kwamena K. Quagrainie, Tomas O. Höök

Supplementary Content for Aquaponics: Farming Fish and Growing Greens for Grades 9–12

This PowerPoint slide shows readers how to measure the level of Nitrogen in an aquaponics system. This book was published by the Purdue University Press. Copyright 2026.

Permission: Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant

Plants In An Aquaponics System, Amy M. Shambach, Rebecca M. Ward, J. Stuart Carlton, Kwamena K. Quagrainie, Tomas O. Höök

Supplementary Content for Aquaponics: Farming Fish and Growing Greens for Grades 9–12

This PowerPoint slide provides readers with information on plants in an aquaponics system. This book was published by the Purdue University Press. Copyright 2026.

Permission: Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant

Additional Information About The Nitrogen Cycle And Population Dynamics, Amy M. Shambach, Rebecca M. Ward, J. Stuart Carlton, Kwamena K. Quagrainie, Tomas O. Höök

Supplementary Content for Aquaponics: Farming Fish and Growing Greens for Grades 9–12

This PowerPoint slide provides readers with additional information about the Nitrogen cycle and population dynamics. This book was published by the Purdue University Press. Copyright 2026.

Permission: Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant

Introduction To Aquaponics, Amy M. Shambach, Rebecca M. Ward, J. Stuart Carlton, Kwamena K. Quagrainie, Tomas O. Höök

Supplementary Content for Aquaponics: Farming Fish and Growing Greens for Grades 9–12

This PowerPoint slide provides readers with an introduction to aquaponics. This book was published by the Purdue University Press. Copyright 2026.

Permission: Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant

Metacommunity Coupled Epidemiological And Biophysical Modeling Of An Emergent Coral Disease, Benjamin Holmes Farmer

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Emerging infectious diseases pose imminent risk to the marine realm and coral reefs in particular. Since its emergence in 2014, stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) has dramatically reduced living coral cover in Florida and charted a similar course in the Caribbean. SCTLD is by far the most severe coral disease in history and has driven highly susceptible species to local extinction, yet the mechanisms driving the regional epizootic are not well understood. Here, we developed reef-scale parameterizations of disease spread using model sites in the lower Florida Keys, developed extensive metacommunity habitat maps for the US Caribbean, and then …

Environmental Detection And Genetic Profiling Of Staphylococcus Sp. At Taal Volcano Island, Ray Albert E. La Rosa, Shaun Michael C. Basco, Martin Gabriel Z. Dela Cruz, Iluminada A. Ronio

The Lasallian Journal of Health

Taal Volcano Island’s hydrothermal environment supports extremophilic microbial communities. This study isolated, biochemically characterized, and genetically profiled Staphylococcus sp. from shoreline soils. Soil samples were collected near active vents and cultured on acidified gelatin agar (pH 5.0). Biochemical tests—Methyl Red, Spirit Blue Agar, Motility, and Acrolein—were performed. DNA extraction and 16S rRNA sequencing identified Staphylococcus candidatus, with 99 % sequence similarity to GenBank entries JN794602.1 and KX250303.1. Phylogenetic analysis clustered the isolate with S. ureilyticus, S. cohnii, and S. equorum. The organism’s presence in volcanic soils demonstrates adaptation to acidic, thermophilic conditions and suggests potential applications in bioremediation and enzyme …