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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Partitioning Of Hydrophobic Organic Contaminants And Microbial Communities On Microplastics, Kelley Ann Uhlig
Partitioning Of Hydrophobic Organic Contaminants And Microbial Communities On Microplastics, Kelley Ann Uhlig
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Microplastic contamination of aquatic environments has only recently caught the attention of scientists, regulators and the public. Microplastics are typically more recalcitrant than naturally occurring polymers and so have the potential to cause a range of issues, including increased exposure of marine life to chemical contaminants sorbed to or leached from microplastics, negative impacts due to ingestion of microplastics by biota, and the potential to carry and transport pathogenic and invasive species long distances. Bio-based, bio-degradable polymers have begun to gain market share as an alternative to traditional petrochemical-based plastics, but not much is known about their impacts in marine …
Impacts Of Margalefidinium Polykrikoides And Alexandrium Monilatum On Oysters Cultured In Lower Chesapeake Bay, Clara L. Robison
Impacts Of Margalefidinium Polykrikoides And Alexandrium Monilatum On Oysters Cultured In Lower Chesapeake Bay, Clara L. Robison
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are expanding globally and are anticipated to continue increasing with climate change. Two dinoflagellate species, Margalefidinium polykrikoides and Alexandrium monilatum, form extensive and dense blooms most summers in the lower Chesapeake Bay. Alexandrium monilatum, which produces the toxin goniodomin A, tends to bloom soon after M. polykrikoides, for which a toxin has not yet been identified. Previous laboratory studies and a more limited number of field studies indicate mortality and pathology in multiple shellfish species associated with exposure to M. polykrikoides and A. monilatum. However, the impacts of sequential exposure to both HAB species on marine …
Human Dimensions Of A Participatory, Collaborative Modeling Process - Oysterfutures, Taylor Dawn Goelz
Human Dimensions Of A Participatory, Collaborative Modeling Process - Oysterfutures, Taylor Dawn Goelz
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Participatory, collaborative modeling processes represent a unique decision-making technique within natural resources management that allows for the combination of stakeholder involvement with the analytical and predictive power of scientific models. The continued use of participatory modeling within decision-making processes depends in part upon the willingness of stakeholders to participate. Continued participation of stakeholders is key to the persistence and overall success of these processes, and yet limited information exists concerning the impacts of these processes on participants. The consideration of human dimensions advances our understanding of the design and function of participatory modeling processes, including their ability to create consensus …
Unexplored Aspects Of The Biotic Filter To Seedling Recruitment In Aquatic Environments, Andrew James Johnson
Unexplored Aspects Of The Biotic Filter To Seedling Recruitment In Aquatic Environments, Andrew James Johnson
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Sexual reproduction provides submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) populations unique opportunities for dispersal, genetic mixing, and resilience in the event of catastrophic population declines. Relative to asexual reproduction, sexual reproduction is a risky resource investment and can have a lower probability of success. A wide variety of abiotic and biotic interactions common in both terrestrial and aquatic environments can lead to significant mortality of seeds and seedlings. The goal of this dissertation is to explore the diversity of biological interactions that influence seed and seedling survival in SAV that drive the population dynamics and restoration success of SAV species. A combination …
An Exploration Into The Identification, Etiology, And Distribution Of Idiopathic Blindness In The American Lobster, Homarus Americanus, Addison T. Ochs
An Exploration Into The Identification, Etiology, And Distribution Of Idiopathic Blindness In The American Lobster, Homarus Americanus, Addison T. Ochs
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Idiopathic blindness is an environmental disease observed in the American lobster, Homarus americanus H. Milne Edwards, 1837. The only diagnostic assay for idiopathic blindness has been the histological assessment of the eye, which is a time consuming, invasive, and a delicate procedure. I investigated several tools, including the otolaryngoscope and enhanced counterstaining using Bouin’s fixative as alternative, rapid methods for the detection of idiopathic blindness in lobsters. I applied these new diagnostic techniques to toxicology studies to explore a possible lead on the etiology of this condition. Divalent manganese is a well-established neurotoxin released from sediments under hypoxic conditions. Previous …
Satellites, Seagrass, And Blue Crabs: Understanding Inter-Annual Fluctuations And Linkages In The York River, Kristen Bachand
Satellites, Seagrass, And Blue Crabs: Understanding Inter-Annual Fluctuations And Linkages In The York River, Kristen Bachand
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
To protect and manage ecosystems over large spatial scales, repeated mapping with remote sensing, such as aerial photography, is valuable, but several potential problems need to be overcome to generate accurate maps. For instance, to monitor submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), such as seagrass, satellite imagery must often capture seasonal and interannual variation as well as disturbances. We used a model system, SAV and the blue crab Callinectes sapidus in the lower Chesapeake Bay, to examine (i) if Planet Lab (PL) satellite imagery can be used to accurately estimate SAV coverage by comparing PL images coincident with those of the VIMS …