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The University of Southern Mississippi

Master's Theses

Conservation

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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Genetic Population Structure And Effective Number Of Breeders In Systems Across The Range Of The Gulf Sturgeon, Jacob Zona Jun 2023

Genetic Population Structure And Effective Number Of Breeders In Systems Across The Range Of The Gulf Sturgeon, Jacob Zona

Master's Theses

Gulf sturgeon (Acipenser oxyicnhus desotoi) are a large, anadromous fish belonging to an ancient lineage that diverged as early as 400 MYA. Overfishing for meat and caviar during the early 1900’s reduced their range and abundance and continued habitat destruction and mortality have limited their ability to recover, leading to their listing under the Endangered Species Act. This study uses genetic techniques to determine the effective number of breeders for multiple spawning groups of Gulf sturgeon in river systems across their range to set a baseline for tracking reproductive success of the species. Accompanying genetic information relevant to …


Development And Use Of An Environmental Dna Tool To Monitor Recovery Of The Critically Endangered Smalltooth Sawfish, Pristis Pectinata, In The Northwest Atlantic, Ryan N. Lehman Dec 2020

Development And Use Of An Environmental Dna Tool To Monitor Recovery Of The Critically Endangered Smalltooth Sawfish, Pristis Pectinata, In The Northwest Atlantic, Ryan N. Lehman

Master's Theses

The Critically Endangered Smalltooth Sawfish, Pristis pectinata, was once common in the tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean; however, following global declines in range and abundance over the past century, individuals were restricted to the waters of south and southwest Florida (SWFL) by about the 1980’s. Recently, public encounter reports have emerged in historically occupied habitats in United States waters, suggesting individuals are present in, or re-occupying, these areas, although the status of P. pectinata outside of SWFL is not currently well understood. Targeted environmental DNA (eDNA) surveys were chosen to assess the occurrence of P …