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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Blue Mussel Hybrid Complex Shifts In The Gulf Of Maine Towards A Dominance Of Mytilus Edulis, Daniel Woods
Blue Mussel Hybrid Complex Shifts In The Gulf Of Maine Towards A Dominance Of Mytilus Edulis, Daniel Woods
Honors Program Theses
The Gulf of Maine (GOM) in the United States is the fastest warming body of water in the world. Due to a complex history of glaciation, the GOM has restricted circulation that causes it to function more akin to an enclosed sea. As climate change has disrupted the stable flow of the Gulf Stream, more warm-water currents are entering the GOM at higher frequency. This warming has had a profound impact on the distribution of the blue mussel, Mytilus spp., which inhabits the rocky intertidal habitat within the GOM as the main prey species to a keystone predator. Two sister …
Living Upstream: Kennebec River Influence On Nutrient Regimes And Phytoplankton Communities In Harpswell Sound, Siena Brook Ballance
Living Upstream: Kennebec River Influence On Nutrient Regimes And Phytoplankton Communities In Harpswell Sound, Siena Brook Ballance
Honors Projects
Phytoplankton underpin marine trophic systems and biogeochemical cycles. Estuarine and coastal phytoplankton account for 40-50% of global ocean primary productivity and carbon flux making it critical to identify sources of variability. This project focuses on the Kennebec River and Harpswell Sound, a downstream, but hydrologically connected coastal estuary, as a case study of temperate river influence on estuarine nutrient regimes and phytoplankton communities. Phytoplankton pigments and nutrients were analyzed from water samples collected monthly at 8 main-stem rivers stations (2011-2013) and weekly in Harpswell Sound (2008-2017) during ice-free months. Spatial bedrock and land use impacts on river nutrients were investigated …
Salinity And Stratification In The Gulf Of Maine: 2001-2008, Heather E. Deese-Riordan
Salinity And Stratification In The Gulf Of Maine: 2001-2008, Heather E. Deese-Riordan
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The salinity and vertical density structure (stratification) of the Gulf of Maine strongly influence the physical and biological character of the region including: circulation and transport, vertical mixing, and primary productivity. Variability in salinity and stratification also provides insights into the character and timing of the oceanic waters entering the region, a key to predicting regional climate change. This thesis addresses outstanding questions related to variability in salinity and the relative role of salinity and temperature in creating stratification. Hourly observations from Ocean Observing System buoys throughout the Gulf provide the primary data source for this investigation. Analysis of estimated …
An Investigation Of The Cumulative Impacts Of Shrimp Trawling On Mud Bottom Fishing Grounds In The Gulf Of Maine: Effects On Habitat And Macrofaunal Community Structure, Anne W. Simpson
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Despite the widespread occurrence of trawl fisheries on mud-bottoms, there is limited knowledge concerning the effects of trawling induced disturbance on these habitats and their resident macrofaunal communities. I investigated the cumulative impacts of seasonal commercial shrimp trawling on infaunal habitat and macrofaunal community structure on two mud-bottom fishing grounds in the Gulf of Maine from June 2000 - December 2001. One fishing ground located near the Outer Pumpkin Ledges (Pumpkin) experienced trawling activity during the 2000-2001 fishing season. In contrast, the other fishing ground near Monhegan Island was not trawled during the same period because shrimp abundances were low. …
Modeling The Role Of No-Take Marine Reserves In Fisheries Management, Deidre F. Gilbert
Modeling The Role Of No-Take Marine Reserves In Fisheries Management, Deidre F. Gilbert
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
In recent years there has been increasing interest in the potential of no-take marine reserves to benefit fisheries management. Scientific reviews have shown that reserves often lead to substantial increases in the density, biomass, size and diversity of marine fishes inside their boundaries. However, little empirical work has been done to determine the effect of reserves on the fisheries outside their boundaries, such as potential changes in yield, size of fleet, or variability in catch. In order to explore the interaction between the biological growth and dispersion processes of the harvested stock and the changing economic incentives of harvesters created …
Marine Protected Areas In The Gulf Of Maine: Policy For A Common Resource, Carolyn F. Skinder
Marine Protected Areas In The Gulf Of Maine: Policy For A Common Resource, Carolyn F. Skinder
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
In the wake of 25 years of unsuccessful single-fisheries management in the Gulf of Maine, there has been growing support for reform. Ecosystem management has been proposed as one alternative, but the information needed to manage whole ecosystems is greatly lacking. Implementing fully-protected marine protected areas (MPAs) is one way to preserve habitat while at the same time acquiring data for future ecosystem management. Under the current institutional arrangement in the Gulf, engineering agreement for MPAs is difficult due to the differing goals of varied user groups. The situation is reflective of a common property resource problem in that there …