Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Institution
- Publication
- Publication Type
Articles 1 - 6 of 6
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Population Dynamics Of The Threatened Staghorn Coral, Acropora Cervicornis, And The Development Of A Species-Specific Monitoring Protocol, Elizabeth Goergen
Population Dynamics Of The Threatened Staghorn Coral, Acropora Cervicornis, And The Development Of A Species-Specific Monitoring Protocol, Elizabeth Goergen
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
Historically, Acropora cervicornis was found in high densities on many Caribbean, Florida, and Gulf of Mexico reefs. A disease outbreak in the late 1970s and 80s caused up to 99% loss of A. cervicornis cover at some sites, leaving populations sparsely distributed throughout its range and typically found as isolated colonies. Even though populations are depauperate causing a decrease in sexual reproduction, its fast growth rate and ability to reproduce through asexual fragmentation affords this species the potential for quick recovery and population growth. However, limited to no natural recovery has been documented. Many of these populations are poorly studied …
Changes In Hatchery Subsidies Of Chinook Salmon In The Salish Sea: Implications For Predators, Fisheries, And Conservation, Benjamin Nelson, Eric John Ward, Ole Shelton, Joseph H. Anderson
Changes In Hatchery Subsidies Of Chinook Salmon In The Salish Sea: Implications For Predators, Fisheries, And Conservation, Benjamin Nelson, Eric John Ward, Ole Shelton, Joseph H. Anderson
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Historically, salmon hatcheries were designed to increase fishery production and to recover depleted native populations. As demands of human protein consumption increase and wild populations continue to decline due to anthropogenic impacts like climate change and habitat loss, hatcheries and stocking programs will be called on to provide food security and to supplement threatened populations. Since 1950 over 3.7 billion Chinook salmon have been released into the Salish Sea and its tributaries in Washington State and southern British Columbia. However, relatively little research has been conducted that considers the impact of hatchery subsidies on estuarine and nearshore marine ecosystems in …
Interannual Variation In Early Marine Survival Patterns Of Puget Sound Steelhead Smolts Indicates Shifting Predation Pressures, Barry A. Berejikian, Megan Moore, Steve Jeffries
Interannual Variation In Early Marine Survival Patterns Of Puget Sound Steelhead Smolts Indicates Shifting Predation Pressures, Barry A. Berejikian, Megan Moore, Steve Jeffries
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Marine survival of steelhead smolts during their two week migration from river mouths to the Strait of Juan de Fuca has been estimated at 20% or less for several populations originating in Puget Sound. Low survival rates likely reduce overall smolt-to-adult return rates and limit recovery of Puget Sound steelhead populations. Harbor seals are generalist predators known to eat juvenile salmon in the Salish Sea. Harbor seals were captured in 2014 (12 seals) and 2016 (16 seals) and outfitted with acoustic telemetry receivers and GPS tags to quantify likely predation events and estimate foraging area overlap with acoustically tagged steelhead …
Foraging Opportunity: A Method Of Monitoring Shorebird Migration And Overwintering Sites In A Changing Environment, James Rourke, Wendell Challenger, Ron Ydenberg
Foraging Opportunity: A Method Of Monitoring Shorebird Migration And Overwintering Sites In A Changing Environment, James Rourke, Wendell Challenger, Ron Ydenberg
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Roberts Bank within the Fraser River estuary, BC contains important migratory stopover and overwintering habitat for shorebirds such as the western sandpiper (Calidris mauri) and the Pacific dunlin (Calidris alpina pacifica). Shorebirds are especially abundant during northward migration, with single-day counts numbering into the hundreds of thousands of birds. Previous research and ecological theory have demonstrated that site usage by shorebirds is influenced by numerous factors, including prey availability and predation risk. We developed a concept termed “foraging opportunity” that quantifies shorebird food availability (biofilm, meiofauna, and macrofauna) in relation to predation danger from hunting falcons. Foraging opportunity was determined …
Predator Presence And Size Variation Alters Community Structure Through Multiple Trophic Cascades, Robin Baker, Howard Whiteman Ph.D.
Predator Presence And Size Variation Alters Community Structure Through Multiple Trophic Cascades, Robin Baker, Howard Whiteman Ph.D.
Murray State Theses and Dissertations
Predation plays a crucial role in shaping community structure and can initiate trophic cascades that can alter abundances across adjacent trophic levels. Recent research has suggested that variation among individual predators may have stronger effects on ecological dynamics than previously appreciated. Intraspecific variation within predators could lead to differential levels of top-down control with implications for trophic cascade strength. In this experiment, we manipulated the body size variation of predatory mole salamanders (Ambystoma talpoideum) within experimental mesocosms and monitored a suite of abiotic and biotic response variables. We predicted that predator populations with increased body size variation would …
An Historical Overview And Update Of Wolf-Moose Interactions In Northeastern Minnesota, L. David Mech, John Fieberg, Shannon M. Barber-Meyer
An Historical Overview And Update Of Wolf-Moose Interactions In Northeastern Minnesota, L. David Mech, John Fieberg, Shannon M. Barber-Meyer
USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Wolf (Canis lupus) and moose (Alces americanus) populations in northeastern Minnesota, USA, have fluctuated for decades and, based on helicopter counts, moose numbers declined to a new low from 2006 to about 2012. Other steep declines were found in 1991 and 1998 during periods when moose counts were done with fixed-wing aircraft; these declines also appeared to be real. Winter wolf numbers, monitored in part of the moose range, had been increasing since about 2002 to the highest population in decades in 2009. However, from 2009 to 2016, wolves decreased precipitously, and the moose- population decline leveled …