Digital Commons Network^™

The Influence Of Altered Habitat: Landscape Ecology Of Freshwater Turtles In Rhode Island, Scott W. Buchanan

Open Access Dissertations

Beginning several centuries ago, European settlement brought great change to the landscape of New England. Vast deforestation, subsequent reforestation, and rapid development that continues to this day have had a profound impact on wildlife populations. Elements of this legacy of landscape change have been studied, but the ways in which past and current landscape patterns affect freshwater turtles remains poorly understood. The primary objective of this research was to better understand the influence of the landscape of Rhode Island on populations of freshwater turtles. It is in many ways a work in landscape ecology, but with components of spatial ecology, …

Anolis Equestris (Cuban Knight Anole), Christopher J. Thawley, Andrew C. Battles, Sozos N. Michaelides, Jason J. Kolbe

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Context Determines Strategies For 'Activating' The Inclusive Classroom, Bryan Dewsbury

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

A number of reports have called for the transformation of college science pedagogy. For instructors interested in transforming their own classrooms, the number of approaches, tools, and literature on pedagogical transformation can be overwhelming. The literature is rich with examples of the positive significant effects of active learning, but is lacking on frameworks that can help guide implementation. In this manuscript, I use Fink’s conceptual framework for “creating significant learning experiences” and a conceptual framework for inclusive teaching and learning to focus on how situation-specific drivers inform the choice of active learning strategies. I argue essentially that while, on average, …

Seasonal Variation In Testes Size And Density Detected In Belugas (Delphinapterus Leucas) Using Ultrasonography, Justin Thomas Richard, Todd Schmitt, Martin Haulena, Noël Vezzi, J. Lawrence Dunn, Tracy A. Romano, Becky L. Sartini

Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Faculty Publications

Belugas are thought to exhibit seasonal variation in testes size, but a temporal gap in postmortem sampling of wild belugas has precluded a description of the occurrence or the extent of this seasonal variation. This study aimed to utilize longitudinal monitoring of belugas in aquaria with known siring histories to assess seasonal variation in testes size, and its association with circulating testosterone concentration and testicular tissue density. Testes volume was estimated using linear measurements obtained via ultrasonography. Testicular tissue density was assessed by measuring the pixel intensity (PI) of ultrasound images of the testis. Five adult males, including 4 proven …

Aquaculture Genomics, Genetics And Breeding In The United States: Current Status, Challenges, And Priorities For Future Research, Hisham Abdelrahman, Marta Gomez-Chiarri, Et Al

Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Faculty Publications

Advancing the production efficiency and profitability of aquaculture is dependent upon the ability to utilize a diverse array of genetic resources. The ultimate goals of aquaculture genomics, genetics and breeding research are to enhance aquaculture production efficiency, sustainability, product quality, and profitability in support of the commercial sector and for the benefit of consumers. In order to achieve these goals, it is important to understand the genomic structure and organization of aquaculture species, and their genomic and phenomic variations, as well as the genetic basis of traits and their interrelationships. In addition, it is also important to understand the mechanisms …

Impact Of Chronic Nitrogen Loading On Greenhouse Gas Fluxes In Coastal Wetlands, Katelyn Ann Szura

Open Access Master's Theses

Coastal wetlands are valuable ecosystems that historically have not been protected and have been lost at rapid rates. Recently, they have gained attention for their potential role in climate change mitigation given that they have the ability to sequester and store large amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂). While other ecosystems can sequester and store carbon as well, salt marshes have the unique ability to store vast amounts of carbon while emitting relatively negligible amounts of methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N2O). These are additional greenhouse gases (GHGs) that can be emitted from ecosystems, particularly CH4 …

Effect Of Birdsfoot Trefoil On Exsheathment Of Haemonchus Contortus In Rumen Fistulated Sheep, Karalyn Lonngren

Open Access Master's Theses

This study has been developed to address the issue of small ruminant parasite resistance to commercial anthelmintics and to examine the possibility of controlling these parasites using feeds with condensed tannin containing plants. The goal of the research was to determine whether birdsfoot trefoil hay prevents the exsheathment of Haemonchus contortus and whether efficacy differs among birdsfoot trefoil cultivars.

During the first phase of research, a method for testing the exsheathment of H. contortus in vivo was developed. Various larvae containment capsules were tested to see whether the larvae could escape from the capsules. The most successful capsules were then …

Perspectives On Emerging Monitoring Technologies: Understanding Factors That Affect Adoption, Nelle D'Aversa

Open Access Master's Theses

There are numerous technological acceptance and adoption theories that seek to explain how, why, and at what rate new technologies diffuse through systems over time. While the models can be used to explain why users adopt technologies, they do so in a general way and few, if any, studies have addressed the factors that affect monitoring technology adoption in coastal management. This study explores coastal managers’ and water quality monitors’ perspectives on water quality monitoring technology using various technology acceptance and adoption theories as a theoretical framework to better understand the factors that affect water quality monitoring technology adoption in …

Serpentinization-Influenced Groundwater Harbors Extremely Low Diversity Microbial Communities Adapted To High Ph, Katrina I. Twing, William J. Brazelton, Michael D. Y. Kubo, Alex J. Hyer, Dawn Cardace, Tori M. Hoehler, Tom M. Mccollom, Matthew O. Schrenk

Geosciences Faculty Publications

Serpentinization is a widespread geochemical process associated with aqueous alteration of ultramafic rocks that produces abundant reductants (H₂ and CH₄) for life to exploit, but also potentially challenging conditions, including high pH, limited availability of terminal electron acceptors, and low concentrations of inorganic carbon. As a consequence, past studies of serpentinites have reported low cellular abundances and limited microbial diversity. Establishment of the Coast Range Ophiolite Microbial Observatory (California, U.S.A.) allowed a comparison of microbial communities and physicochemical parameters directly within serpentinization-influenced subsurface aquifers. Samples collected from seven wells were subjected to a range of analyses, including …

An Immunoinformatics-Derived Dna Vaccine Encoding Human Class Ii T Cell Epitopes Of Ebola Virus, Sudan Virus, And Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus Is Immunogenic In Hla Transgenic Mice, Callie E. Bounds, Frances E. Terry, Leonard Moise, Drew Hannaman, William D. Martin, Anne S. De Groot, John J. Suschak, Lesley C. Dupuy, Connie S. Schmaljohn

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Immunoinformatics tools were used to predict human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II-restricted T cell epitopes within the envelope glycoproteins and nucleocapsid proteins of Ebola virus (EBOV) and Sudan virus (SUDV) and the structural proteins of Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV). Selected epitopes were tested for binding to soluble HLA molecules representing 5 class II alleles (DRB1*0101, DRB1*0301, DRB1*0401, DRB1*0701, and DRB1*1501). All but one of the 25 tested peptides bound to at least one of the DRB1 alleles, and 4 of the peptides bound at least moderately or weakly to all 5 DRB1 alleles. Additional algorithms were used to design …

Organophosphate Ester Flame Retardants And Plasticizers In Ocean Sediments From The North Pacific To The Arctic Ocean, Yuxin Ma, Zhiyong Xie, Rainer Lohmann, Wenying Mi, Guoping Gao

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

The occurence of organophosphate ester (OPE) flame retardants and plasticizers in surface sediment from the North Pacific to Arctic Ocean was observed for the first time during the fourth National Arctic Research Expedition of China in the summer of 2010. The samples were analyzed for three halogenated OPEs [tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCPP), and tris(dichloroisopropyl) phosphate], three alkylated OPEs [triisobutyl phosphate (TiBP), tri-n-butyl phosphate, and tripentyl phosphate], and triphenyl phosphate. Σ₇OPEs (total concentration of the observed OPEs) was in the range of 159–4658 pg/g of dry weight. Halogenated OPEs were generally more abundant than the …

Vertical Profiles, Sources And Transport Of Pfass In The Arctic Ocean, Leo W. Y. Yeung, Clifton Dassuncao, Scott Mabury, Elsie M. Sunderland, Xianming Zhang, Rainer Lohmann

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

The relative importance of atmospheric versus oceanic transport for poly- and perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) reaching the Arctic Ocean is not well understood. Vertical profiles from the Central Arctic Ocean and shelf water, snow and meltwater samples were collected in 2012; 13 PFASs (C6-C12 PFCAs; C6, 8, 10 PFSAs; MeFOSAA and EtFOSAA, and FOSA) were routinely detected (range: <5 – 343 pg/L). PFASs were only detectable above 150 m depth in the polar mixed layer (PML) and halocline. Enhanced concentrations were observed in snow and meltpond samples, implying atmospheric deposition as an important source of PFASs. Model results suggested atmospheric inputs to account for 34-59% (~11-19 pg/L) of PFASs. Model results suggested atmospheric inputs to account for 34-59% (~11-19 pg/L) of measured PFOA concentrations in the PML (mean 32±15 pg/L). Modeled surface and halocline measurements for PFOS based on North Atlantic inflow (11-36 pg/L) agreed with measurements (mean, 17, range <5-41 pg/L). Modeled deep water concentrations below 200 m (5-15 pg/L) were slightly higher than measurements (<5 pg/L), suggesting the lower bound of PFAS emissions estimates from wastewater and rivers may provide the best estimate of inputs to the Arctic. Despite low concentrations in deep water, this reservoir is expected to contain most of the PFOS mass in the Arctic (63-180 Mg) and projected to continue increasing to 2038.

North Atlantic Deep Water Formation Inhibits High Arctic Contamination By Continental Perfluorooctane Sulfonate Discharges, Xianming Zhang, Yanxu Zhang, Clifton Dassuncao, Rainer Lohmann, Elsie M. Sunderland

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is an aliphatic fluorinated compound with eight carbon atoms that is extremely persistent in the environment and can adversely affect human and ecological health. The stability, low reactivity, and high water solubility of PFOS combined with the North American phase-out in production around the year 2000, make it a potentially useful new tracer for ocean circulation. Here we characterize processes affecting the lifetime and accumulation of PFOS in the North Atlantic Ocean and transport to sensitive Arctic regions by developing a 3-D simulation within the MITgcm. The model captures variability in measurements across biogeographical provinces (R^{2 …}

Advances In The Application Of Amino Acid Nitrogen Isotopic Analysis In Ecological And Biogeochemical Studies, Naohiko Ohkouchi, Yoshito Chikaraishi, Hilary Close, Brian Fry, Thomas Larsen, Daniel J. Madigan, Matthew D. Mccarthy, Kelton Mcmahon, Toshi Nagata, Yuichi I. Naito, Nanako O. Ogawa, Brian N. Popp, Shawn Steffan, Yoshinori Takano, Ichiro Tayasu, Alex S. J. Wyatt, Yasuhiko T. Yamaguchi, Yusuke Yokoyama

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Compound-specific isotopic analysis of amino acids (CSIA-AA) has emerged in the last decade as a powerful approach for tracing the origins and fate of nitrogen in ecological and biogeochemical studies. This approach is based on the empirical observation that source amino acids (SAAs) (i.e., phenylalanine), fractionate ¹⁵N very little (< 0.5‰) during trophic transfer, whereas trophic AAs (TAAs) (i.e., glutamic acid), are greatly (∼6–8‰) enriched in ¹⁵N during each trophic step. The differential fractionation of these two AA groups can provide a valuable estimate of consumer trophic position that is internally indexed to the baseline δ¹⁵N value of the integrated food web. In this paper, we critically review the analytical methods for …

Exploration Of The Southern California Borderland, Marie-Helene Cormier, Katherine L. C. Bell, Stephanie M. Sharuga, Chris Castillo, James Conrad, Diva Amon, Mark Legg, Michael L. Brennan, Kelsey Barnhill, Lawrence L. Lovell, Ashley Marrazino, Simon L. Klemperer, Renato Kane

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

E/V Nautilus cruise NA075 returned to the Southern California Continental Borderland, an area that remains largely unexplored. Part of the broader North America-Pacific plate boundary, this region extends ~300 km west of the San Andreas Fault and displays an unusually rugged physiography. During the cruise, the multibeam sonar mapped ~5,200 km² of seafloor, and ROVs Hercules and Argus were deployed for 16 dives to explore geological and biological targets (Figure 1) and collect samples.

Nautilus Sample 2016: New Techniques And Partnerships, Nicole Raineault, Jeffrey Marlow, Meredith Everett, Peter Etnoyer, Marie-Helene Cormier, Vanessa Knutson, Gonzalo Giribet

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

In 2016, E/V Nautilus and the ROV Hercules collected 549 geological, biological, and water samples (2,022 subsamples) to characterize several US West Coast national marine sanctuaries, the Cascadia margin, and offshore southern California. Most samples are archived at partnering repositories: geological samples to the Marine Geological Samples Lab at the University of Rhode Island and biological samples to Harvard University’s Museum of Comparative Zoology. The national marine sanctuary samples were split between these repositories and the California Academy of Sciences. During this field season, we experimented with new sampling methods to improve exploration efficiency and robustness.

Global Analysis Of Depletion And Recovery Of Seabed Biota After Bottom Trawling Disturbance, Jan Geert Hiddink, Simon Jennings, Marija Sciberras, Claire L. Szostek, Kathryn M. Hughes, Nick Ellis, Adriaan D. Rijnsdorp, Robert A. Mcconnaughey, Tessa Mazor, Ray Hilborn, Jeremy S. Collie, C. Roland Pitcher, Ricardo O. Amoroso, Ana M. Parma, Petri Surronen, Michel J. Kaiser

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Bottom trawling is the most widespread human activity affecting seabed habitats. Here, we collate all available data for experimental and comparative studies of trawling impacts on whole communities of seabed macroinvertebrates on sedimentary habitats and develop widely applicable methods to estimate depletion and recovery rates of biota after trawling. Depletion of biota and trawl penetration into the seabed are highly correlated. Otter trawls caused the least depletion, removing 6% of biota per pass and penetrating the seabed on average down to 2.4 cm, whereas hydraulic dredges caused the most depletion, removing 41% of biota and penetrating the seabed on average …

Numerical Investigation Of The Arctic Ice–Ocean Boundary Layer And Implications For Air–Sea Gas Fluxes, Arash Bigdeli, Brice Loose, An T. Nguyen, Sylvia T. Cole

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

In ice-covered regions it is challenging to determine constituent budgets – for heat and momentum, but also for biologically and climatically active gases like carbon dioxide and methane. The harsh environment and relative data scarcity make it difficult to characterize even the physical properties of the ocean surface. Here, we sought to evaluate if numerical model output helps us to better estimate the physical forcing that drives the air–sea gas exchange rate (k) in sea ice zones. We used the budget of radioactive ²²²Rn in the mixed layer to illustrate the effect that sea ice forcing has …

The Florence Statement On Triclosan And Triclocarban, Rolf U. Halden, Avery E. Lindeman, Allison E. Aiello, David Andrews, William A. Arnold, Patricia Fair, Rebecca E. Fuoco, Laura A. Geer, Paula I. Johnson, Rainer Lohmann, Kristopher Mcneill, Victoria P. Sacks, Ted Schettler, Roland Weber, R. Thomas Zoeller, Arlene Blum

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

The Florence Statement on Triclosan and Triclocarban documents a consensus of more than 200 scientists and medical professionals on the hazards of and lack of demonstrated benefit from common uses of triclosan and triclocarban. These chemicals may be used in thousands of personal care and consumer products as well as in building materials. Based on extensive peer-reviewed research, this statement concludes that triclosan and triclocarban are environmentally persistent endocrine disruptors that bioaccumulate in and are toxic to aquatic and other organisms. Evidence of other hazards to humans and ecosystems from triclosan and triclocarban is presented along with recommendations intended to …

How Well Does Wind Speed Predict Air‐Sea Gas Transfer In The Sea Ice Zone? A Synthesis Of Radon Deficit Profiles In The Upper Water Column Of The Arctic Ocean, Brice Loose, Roger P. Kelly, A. Bigdeli, W. Williams, M. Rutgers Van Der Loeff, S. B. Moran

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

We present 34 profiles of radon‐deficit from the ice‐ocean boundary layer of the Beaufort Sea. Including these 34, there are presently 58 published radon‐deficit estimates of air‐sea gas transfer velocity (k) in the Arctic Ocean; 52 of these estimates were derived from water covered by 10% sea ice or more. The average value of k collected since 2011 is 4.0 ± 1.2 m d⁻¹. This exceeds the quadratic wind speed prediction of weighted k_ws = 2.85 m d⁻¹ with mean‐weighted wind speed of 6.4 m s⁻¹. We show how ice cover changes …

A Global Biogeographic Classification Of The Mesopelagic Zone, Tracey T. Sutton, Malcolm R. Clark, Daniel C. Dunn, Patrick N. Halpin, Alex D. Rogers, John Guinotte, Steven J. Bograd, Martin V. Angel, Jose Angel Alvarez Perez, Karen F. Wishner, Richard L. Haedrich, Dhugal J. Lindsay, Jeffrey C. Drazen, Alexander Vereshchaka, Uwe Piatkowski, Telmo Morato, Katarzyna Błachowiak-Samołyk, Bruce H. Robinson, Kristina M. Gjerde, Annelies Pierrot-Bults, Patricio Bernal, Gabriel Reygondeau, Mikko Heino

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

We have developed a global biogeographic classification of the mesopelagic zone to reflect the regional scales over which the ocean interior varies in terms of biodiversity and function. An integrated approach was necessary, as global gaps in information and variable sampling methods preclude strictly statistical approaches. A panel combining expertise in oceanography, geospatial mapping, and deep-sea biology convened to collate expert opinion on the distributional patterns of pelagic fauna relative to environmental proxies (temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen at mesopelagic depths). An iterative Delphi Method integrating additional biological and physical data was used to classify biogeographic ecoregions and to identify …

Obtaining Phytoplankton Diversity From Ocean Color: A Scientific Roadmap For Future Development, Astrid Bracher, Heather A. Bouman, Robert J.W. Brewin, Annick Bricaud, Vanda Brotas, Aurea M. Ciotti, Lesley Clementson, Emmanuel Devred, Annalisa Di Cicco, Stephanie Dutkiewicz, Nick J. Hardman-Mountford, Anna E. Hickman, Martin Hieronymi, Takafumi Hirata, Svetlana N. Losa, Colleen B. Mouw, Emanuele Organelli, Dionysios E. Raitsos, Julia Uitz, Meike Vogt, Aleksandra Wolanin

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

To improve our understanding of the role of phytoplankton for marine ecosystems and global biogeochemical cycles, information on the global distribution of major phytoplankton groups is essential. Although algorithms have been developed to assess phytoplankton diversity from space for over two decades, so far the application of these data sets has been limited. This scientific roadmap identifies user needs, summarizes the current state of the art, and pinpoints major gaps in long-term objectives to deliver space-derived phytoplankton diversity data that meets the user requirements. These major gaps in using ocean color to estimate phytoplankton community structure were identified as: (a) …

Global Evaluation Of Particulate Organic Carbon Flux Parameterizations And Implications For Atmospheric Pco2, Lucas Gloege, Galen A. Mckinley, Colleen B. Mouw, Audrey B. Ciochetto

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

The shunt of photosynthetically derived particulate organic carbon (POC) from the euphotic zone and deep remineralization comprises the basic mechanism of the “biological carbon pump.” POC raining through the “twilight zone” (euphotic depth to 1 km) and “midnight zone” (1 km to 4 km) is remineralized back to inorganic form through respiration. Accurately modeling POC flux is critical for understanding the “biological pump” and its impacts on air‐sea CO₂ exchange and, ultimately, long‐term ocean carbon sequestration. Yet commonly used parameterizations have not been tested quantitatively against global data sets using identical modeling frameworks. Here we use a single one‐dimensional …

Quantification Of Rotavirus Diarrheal Risk Due To Hydroclimatic Extremes Over South Asia: Prospects Of Satellite‐Based Observations In Detecting Outbreaks, M. Alfi Hasan, Colleen B. Mouw, Antarpreet Jutla, Ali S. Akanda

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Rotavirus is the most common cause of diarrheal disease among children under 5. Especially in South Asia, rotavirus remains the leading cause of mortality in children due to diarrhea. As climatic extremes and safe water availability significantly influence diarrheal disease impacts in human populations, hydroclimatic information can be a potential tool for disease preparedness. In this study, we conducted a multivariate temporal and spatial assessment of 34 climate indices calculated from ground and satellite Earth observations to examine the role of temperature and rainfall extremes on the seasonality of rotavirus transmission in Bangladesh. We extracted rainfall data from the Global …

A Consumer's Guide To Satellite Remote Sensing Of Multiple Phytoplankton Groups In The Global Ocean, Colleen B. Mouw, Nick J. Hardman-Mountford, Séverine Alvain, Astrid Bracher, Robert J.W. Brewin, Annick Bricaud, Aurea M. Ciotti, Emmanuel Devred, Amane Fujiwara, Takafumi Hirata, Toru Hirawake, Tihomir S. Kostadinov, Shovonlal Roy, Julia Uitz

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Phytoplankton are composed of diverse taxonomical groups, which are manifested as distinct morphology, size, and pigment composition. These characteristics, modulated by their physiological state, impact their light absorption and scattering, allowing them to be detected with ocean color satellite radiometry. There is a growing volume of literature describing satellite algorithms to retrieve information on phytoplankton composition in the ocean. This synthesis provides a review of current methods and a simplified comparison of approaches. The aim is to provide an easily comprehensible resource for non-algorithm developers, who desire to use these products, thereby raising the level of awareness and use of …

Natal Host Plants Can Alter Herbivore Competition, Huipeng Pan, Evan L. Preisser, Qi Su, Xiaoguo Jiao, Wen Xie, Shaoli Wang, Qingjun Wu, Youjun Zhang

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Interspecific competition between herbivores is widely recognized as an important determinant of community structure. Although researchers have identified a number of factors capable of altering competitive interactions, few studies have addressed the influence of neighboring plant species. If adaptation to/ epigenetic effects of an herbivore's natal host plant alter its performance on other host plants, then interspecific herbivore interactions may play out differently in heterogeneous and homogenous plant communities. We tested wether the natal host plant of a whitefly population affected interactions between the Middleeast Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1) and Mediterranean (MED) cryptic species of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci by …

Curran, Edward: Confirmation Hearing (1985): Speech 04

Curran, Edward: Confirmation Hearing (1985)

No abstract provided.

Using Multimedia To Communicate Science Bes 533, Michael Cerbo

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of Research Sharing Tools: The Institutional Repository Vs. Academic Social Networking Among University Of Rhode Island Faculty, Julia Lovett, Andrée Rathemacher

Technical Services Faculty Presentations

Slides from a session, "A Comparison of Research Sharing Tools: The Institutional Repository vs. Academic Social Networking Among University of Rhode Island Faculty." Part of a project briefing session titled Tools for Modern Research Practice presented at the Coalition for Networked Information Fall 2016 Membership Meeting on December 12, 2016 in Washington, District of Columbia.

"In recent years, academic social networking sites such as ResearchGate and Academia.edu have been gaining popularity as a way for scholars to share their work and make connections. For universities with Open Access policies where faculty are expected to deposit their scholarly articles in the …

Curricular Report No. 2016-17-2 From The Graduate Council To The Faculty Senate: Program Changes., University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Bills

No abstract provided.