Life Sciences Commons^™

Genome-Wide Association Analyses Of Physical Activity And Sedentary Behavior Provide Insights Into Underlying Mechanisms And Roles In Disease Prevention, Zhe Wang, Andrew Emmerich, Nicolas J. Pillon, Tim Moore, Daiane Hemerich, Marilyn C. Cornelis, Eugenia Mazzaferro, Siacia Broos, Tarunveer S. Ahluwalia, Traci M. Bartz, Amy R. Bentley, Lawrence F. Bielak, Mike Chong, Audrey Y. Chu, Diane Berry, Rajkumar Dorajoo, Nicole D. Dueker, Elisa Kasbohm, Bjarke Feenstra, Mary F. Feitosa, Mark A. Sarzynski Ph.D., Faha, Facsm, Et. Al.

Faculty Publications

Although physical activity and sedentary behavior are moderately heritable, little is known about the mechanisms that influence these traits. Combining data for up to 703,901 individuals from 51 studies in a multi-ancestry meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies yields 99 loci that associate with self-reported moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity during leisure time (MVPA), leisure screen time (LST) and/or sedentary behavior at work. Loci associated with LST are enriched for genes whose expression in skeletal muscle is altered by resistance training. A missense variant in ACTN3 makes the alpha-actinin-3 filaments more flexible, resulting in lower maximal force in isolated type IIA muscle …

Participatory And Spatial Analyses Of Environmental Justice Communities' Concerns About A Proposed Storm Surge And Flood Protection Seawall, Judith Taylor, Norman S. Levine, Ernest Muhammad, Dwayne E. Porter, Annette M. Watson, Paul A. Sandifer

Faculty Publications

In response to increasing threats from sea-level rise and storm surge, the City of Charleston, South Carolina, and the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) propose constructing a seawall around the Charleston peninsula. The proposed seawall will terminate close to lower wealth, predominantly minority communities. These communities are identified as environmental justice (EJ) communities due to their history of inequitable burdens of industrial and urban pollution and proximity to highways and US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designated Superfund sites. The present study documents community concerns and opinions related to the proposed seawall, existing flooding problems, and other issues. The project …

Cardiorespiratory Fitness And The Risk Of All-Cause, Cardiovascular And Cancer Mortality In Men With Hypercholesterolemia, Xuemei Sui M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., Mark A. Sarzynski Facsm, Nicole Gribben, Jiajia Zhang Ph.D., Carl J. Lavie

Faculty Publications

Background: Whether higher cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) confers protection against cardiovascular disease (CVD) in individuals with manifest hypercholesterolemia is poorly understood. Methods: Participants were 8920 men aged 20–82 years with hypercholesterolemia but no history of CVD and/or cancer and who received a preventive examination at the Cooper Clinic in Dallas, TX, USA, during 1974–2001. CRF was quantified as maximal treadmill test duration and was grouped for analysis as low, moderate, or high based on the traditional Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study cutpoints. Using Cox regression analyses, we computed hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for risk of mortality based on CRF. Results: …

Estimating R0 From Early Exponential Growth: Parallels Between 1918 Influenza And 2020 Sars-Cov-2 Pandemics, Grant Foster, Bret D. Elderd, Robert L. Richards, Tad Dallas

Faculty Publications

The large spatial scale, geographical overlap, and similarities in transmission mode between the 1918 H1N1 influenza and 2020 SARS-CoV-2 pandemics together provide a novel opportunity to investigate relationships between transmission of two different diseases in the same location. To this end, we use initial exponential growth rates in a Bayesian hierarchical framework to estimate the basic reproductive number, R₀, of both disease outbreaks in a common set of 43 cities in the United States. By leveraging multiple epidemic time series across a large spatial area, we are able to better characterize the variation in R₀ across the …

Systematic Review Of Functional Outcomes In Cancer Rehabilitation, Alix Sleight, Lynn H. Gerber, Timothy F. Marshall, Alicia Livinski, Catherine M. Alfano, Shana Harrington Pt, Ph.D., Ann Marie Flores, Aneesha Virani, Xiaorong Hu, Sandra A. Mitchell, Mitra Varedi, Melissa Eden, Samah Hayek, Beverly Reigle, Anya Kerkman, Raquel Neves, Kathleen Jablonoski, Eileen Danaher Hacker, Virginia Sun, Robin Newman, Karen Kane Mcdonnell, Allison L'Hotta, Alana Schoenhals, Nicole L. Stout

Faculty Publications

Objective

To systematically review the evidence regarding rehabilitation interventions targeting optimal physical or cognitive function in adults with a history of cancer and describe the breadth of evidence as well as strengths and limitations across a range of functional domains.

Data Sources

PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Plus, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase. The time scope was January 2008 to April 2019.

Study Selection

Prospective, controlled trials including single- and multiarm cohorts investigating rehabilitative interventions for cancer survivors at any point in the continuum of care were included, if studies included a primary functional outcome measure. …

The Marine Gastropod Conomurex Luhuanus (Strombidae) Has High-Resolution Spatial Vision And Eyes With Complex Retinas, Allison R. Irwin, Suzanne T. Williams, Daniel Isaac Speiser, Nicholas W. Roberts

Faculty Publications

All species within the conch snail family Strombidae possess large camera-type eyes that are surprisingly well-developed compared with those found in most other gastropods. Although these eyes are known to be structurally complex, very little research on their visual function has been conducted. Here, we use isoluminant expanding visual stimuli to measure the spatial resolution and contrast sensitivity of a strombid, Conomurex luhuanus. Using these stimuli, we show that this species responds to objects as small as 1.06 deg in its visual field. We also show that C. luhuanus responds to Michelson contrasts of 0.07, a low contrast sensitivity …

Compositionally And Density Stratified Igneous Terrain In Jezero Crater, Mars, Roger C. Wiens, Arya Udry, Olivier Beyssac, Cathy Quantin-Nataf, Nicolas Mangold, Agnès Cousin, Lucia Mandon, Tanja Bosak, Olivier Forni, Scott M. Mclennan, Violaine Sautter, Adrian Cousin, Karim Benzerara, Jeffrey R. Johnson, Lisa Mayhew, Sylvestre Maurice, Ryan B. Maurice, Ryan B. Anderson, Samuel M. Clegg, Larry Crumpler, Stanley M. Angel

Faculty Publications

Before Perseverance, Jezero crater's floor was variably hypothesized to have a lacustrine, lava, volcanic airfall, or aeolian origin. SuperCam observations in the first 286 Mars days on Mars revealed a volcanic and intrusive terrain with compositional and density stratification.The dominant lithology along the traverse is basaltic, with plagioclase enrichment in stratigraphically higher locations. Stratigraphically lower, layered rocks are richer in normative pyroxene. The lowest observed unit has the highest inferred density and is olivine-rich with coarse (1.5 millimeters) euhedral, relatively unweathered grains, suggesting a cumulate origin. This is the first martian cumulate and shows similarities to martian meteorites, which also …

Snapping Shrimp Have Helmets That Protect Their Brains By Dampening Shock Waves, Alexandra C.N. Kingston, Sarah A. Woodin, David S. Wethey, Daniel Isaac Speiser

Faculty Publications

Shock waves are supersonic high-amplitude pressure waves that cause barotrauma when they transfer kinetic energy to the tissues of animals.1, 2, 3, 4 Snapping shrimp (Alpheidae) produce shock waves and are exposed to them frequently, so we asked if these animals have evolved mechanisms of physical protection against them. Snapping shrimp generate shock waves by closing their snapping claws rapidly enough to form cavitation bubbles that release energy as an audible “snap” and a shock wave when they collapse.5, 6, 7, 8 We tested if snapping shrimp are protected from shock waves by a helmet-like extension of their exoskeleton termed …

Whole Genome Association Study Of The Plasma Metabolome Identifies Metabolites Linked To Cardiometabolic Disease In Black Individuals, Usman A. Tahir, Daniel H. Katz, Julian Avila-Pachecho, Alexander G. Bick, Akhil Pampana, Jeremy M. Robbins, Zhi Yu, Zsu-Zsu Chen, Mark D. Benson, Daniel E. Cruz, Debby Ngo, Shuliang Deng, Xu Shi, Shuning Zheng, Aaron S. Eisman, Laurie Farrell, Michael E. Hall, Adolfo Correa, Russell P. Tracy, Peter Durda, Mark A. Sarzynski Ph.D., Faha, Facsm, Et. Al.

Faculty Publications

Integrating genetic information with metabolomics has provided new insights into genes affecting human metabolism. However, gene-metabolite integration has been primarily studied in individuals of European Ancestry, limiting the opportunity to leverage genomic diversity for discovery. In addition, these analyses have principally involved known metabolites, with the majority of the profiled peaks left unannotated. Here, we perform a whole genome association study of 2,291 metabolite peaks (known and unknown features) in 2,466 Black individuals from the Jackson Heart Study. We identify 519 locus-metabolite associations for 427 metabolite peaks and validate our findings in two multi-ethnic cohorts. A significant proportion of these …

All Is Perception, Robert Friedman

Faculty Publications

This editorial addresses the universality and importance of the science of perception. In particular, recently published studies in this journal illustrate the natural variations in perception. These articles are a reminder of perception as a natural process with inherent variations and that any two individuals are not guaranteed to form the same representation of an object, regardless of whether it originates from the senses or not. Since perception is a foundation for higher cognition, it also has an immense influence on studies of humanity and interpretations of natural processes.

Integrated Modeling Of Dynamic Marsh Feedbacks And Evolution Under Sea-Level Rise In A Mesotidal Estuary (Plum Island, Ma, Usa), Karim Alizad, James T. Morris, Matthew V. Bilskie, Davina L. Passeri, Scott C. Hagen

Faculty Publications

Around the world, wetland vulnerability to sea-level rise (SLR) depends on different factors including tidal regimes, topography, creeks and estuary geometry, sediment availability, vegetation type, etc. The Plum Island estuary (PIE) is a mesotidal wetland system on the east coast of the United States. This research applied a newly updated Hydro-MEM (integrated hydrodynamic-marsh) model to assess the impacts of intermediate-low (50 cm), intermediate (1 m), and intermediate-high (1.5 m) SLR on marsh evolution by the year 2100. Model advancements include capturing vegetation change, inorganic and below and aboveground organic matter portion of marsh platform accretion, and mudflat creation. Although the …

Invited Perspective: Existing Rules For Disinfection By-Products Are Good, But They Are Not Enough, Susan D. Richardson

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Optimising Predictive Models To Prioritise Viral Discovery In Zoonotic Reservoirs, Daniel J. Becker, Gregory F. Albery, Anna R. Sjodin, Timothée Poisot, Laura M. Bergner, Binqi Chen, Lily E. Cohen, Tad Dallas, Evan A. Eskew, Anna C. Fagre, Maxwell J. Farrell, Sarah Guth, Barbara A. Han, Nancy B. Simmons, Michiel Stock, Emma C. Teeling, Colin J. Carlson

Faculty Publications

Despite the global investment in One Health disease surveillance, it remains difficult and costly to identify and monitor the wildlife reservoirs of novel zoonotic viruses. Statistical models can guide sampling target prioritisation, but the predictions from any given model might be highly uncertain; moreover, systematic model validation is rare, and the drivers of model performance are consequently under-documented. Here, we use the bat hosts of betacoronaviruses as a case study for the data-driven process of comparing and validating predictive models of probable reservoir hosts. In early 2020, we generated an ensemble of eight statistical models that predicted host–virus associations and …

Mir-489 Confines Uncontrolled Estrogen Signaling Through A Negative Feedback Mechanism And Regulates Tamoxifen Resistance In Breast Cancer, Mithil Soni, Ozge Saatci, Gourab Gupta, Yogin Patel, Manikanda Raja Keerthi Raja, Jie Li, Xinfeng Liu, Peisheng Xu Ph.D., Hongjun Wang, Daping Fan, Ozgur Sahin, Hexin Chen

Faculty Publications

Approximately 75% of diagnosed breast cancer tumors are estrogen-receptor-positive tumors and are associated with a better prognosis due to response to hormonal therapies. However, around 40% of patients relapse after hormonal therapies. Genomic analysis of gene expression profiles in primary breast cancers and tamoxifen-resistant cell lines suggested the potential role of miR-489 in the regulation of estrogen signaling and development of tamoxifen resistance. Our in vitro analysis showed that loss of miR-489 expression promoted tamoxifen resistance, while overexpression of miR-489 in tamoxifen-resistant cells restored tamoxifen sensitivity. Mechanistically, we found that miR-489 is an estrogen-regulated miRNA that negatively regulates estrogen receptor …

Author Correction: In Situ Recording Of Mars Soundscape (Nature, (2022), 605, 7911, (653-658), 10.1038/S41586-022-04679-0), S. Maurice, B. Chide, N. Murdoch, R. D. Lorenz, D. Mimoun, R. C. Wiens, A. Stott, X. Jacob, T. Bertrand, F. Montmessin, N. L. Lanza, C. Alvarez-Llamas, S. M. Angel Ph.D., M. Aung, J. Balaram, O. Beyssac, A. Cousin, G. Delory, O. Forni, T. Fouchet, O. Gasnault, H. Grip, M. Hecht, J. Hoffman, J. Laserna, J. Lasue, J. Maki, J. Mcclean, P. Y. Meslin, S. Le Mouélic, S. Le Mouélic, A. Munguira

Faculty Publications

In the version of this article initially published, the Acknowledgements statement was missing the text “Part of this research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (80NM0018D0004),” which has now been inserted in the HTML and PDF versions of the article.

Structure-Property Investigations In Urea Tethered Iodinated Triphenylamines, Muhammad Saddam Hossain, Fiaz Ahmed, Stavros G. Karakalos, Mark D. Smith, Namrata Pant, Sophya V. Garashchuk, Andrew B, Greytak, Pablo Docampo, Linda S. Shimizu

Faculty Publications

Herein, we report structural, computational, and conductivity studies on urea-directed self-assembled iodinated triphenylamine (TPA) derivatives. Despite numerous reports of conductive TPAs, the challenges of correlating their solid-state assembly with charge transport properties hinder the efficient design of new materials. In this work, we compare the assembled structures of a methylene urea bridged dimer of di-iodo TPA (1) and the corresponding methylene urea di-iodo TPA monomer (2) with a di-iodo mono aldehyde (3) control. These modifications lead to needle shaped crystals for 1 and 2 that are organized by urea hydrogen bonding, π⋯π stacking, I⋯I, and I⋯π interactions as determined by …

Post-Embryonic Phase Transitions Mediated By Polycomb Repressive Complexes In Plants, Valerie Hinsch, Samuel Adkins, Darren Manuela, Mingli Xu

Faculty Publications

Correct timing of developmental phase transitions is critical for the survival and fitness of plants. Developmental phase transitions in plants are partially promoted by controlling relevant genes into active or repressive status. Polycomb Repressive Complex1 (PRC1) and PRC2, originally identified in Drosophila, are essential in initiating and/or maintaining genes in repressive status to mediate developmental phase transitions. Our review summarizes mechanisms in which the embryo-to-seedling transition, the juvenile-to-adult transition, and vegetative-to-reproductive transition in plants are mediated by PRC1 and PRC2, and suggests that PRC1 could act either before or after PRC2, or that they could function independently of each other. …

Prior Exposure To Microcystin Alters Host Gut Resistome And Is Associated With Dysregulated Immune Homeostasis In Translatable Mouse Models, Punnag Saha, Dipro Bose, Vitalii Stebliankin, Trevor Cickovski, Ratanesh K. Seth, Dwayne E. Porter Ph.D., Bryan W. Brooks, Kalai Mathee, Giri Narashimhan, Rita Colwell, Geoffry Ivan Scott Ph.D., Saurabh Chatterjee Ms., Ph.D

Faculty Publications

A strong association between exposure to the common harmful algal bloom toxin microcystin and the altered host gut microbiome has been shown. We tested the hypothesis that prior exposure to the cyanotoxin microcystin-LR may alter the host resistome. We show that the mice exposed to microcystin-LR had an altered microbiome signature that harbored antibiotic resistance genes. Host resistome genotypes such as mefA, msrD, mel, ant6, and tet40 increased in diversity and relative abundance following microcystin-LR exposure. Interestingly, the increased abundance of these genes was traced to resistance to common antibiotics such as tetracycline, macrolides, glycopeptide, and aminoglycosides, crucial for modern-day …

Khsrp Loss Increases Neuronal Growth And Synaptic Transmission And Alters Memory Consolidation Through Rna Stabilization, Sarah L. Olguin, Priyanka Patel, Courtney N. Buchanan, Michela Dell'orco, Amy S. Gardiner, Robert Cole, Lauren S. Vaughn, Anitha Sundararajan, Joann Mudge, Andrea M. Allen, Pavel Ortinski, Jonathan L. Brigman, Jeffery L. Twiss, Nora L. Perrone-Bizzozero

Faculty Publications

KH-type splicing regulatory protein (KHSRP) regulates levels of several neuronal mRNAs linked to nervous system development and function.

The KH-type splicing regulatory protein (KHSRP) is an RNA-binding protein linked to decay of mRNAs with AU-rich elements. KHSRP was previously shown to destabilize Gap43 mRNA and decrease neurite growth in cultured embryonic neurons. Here, we have tested functions of KHSRP in vivo. We find upregulation of 1460 mRNAs in neocortex of adult Khsrp(-/-) mice, of which 527 bind to KHSRP with high specificity. These KHSRP targets are involved in pathways for neuronal morphology, axon guidance, neurotransmission and long-term memory. Khsrp(-/-) mice …

Leaf Development In Medicago Truncatula, Liren Du, Samuel Winright Adkins, Mingli Xu

Faculty Publications

Forage yield is largely dependent on leaf development, during which the number of leaves, leaflets, leaf size, and shape are determined. In this mini-review, we briefly summarize recent studies of leaf development in Medicago truncatula, a model plant for legumes, with a focus on factors that could affect biomass of leaves. These include: floral development and related genes, lateral organ boundary genes, auxin biosynthesis, transportation and signaling genes, and WOX related genes.

Relationships Among Sleep, Physical Activity, And Weight Status In Children And Adolescents, Agnes Bucko

Theses and Dissertations

Sleep and physical activity are both associated with multiple behavioral and metabolic health outcomes, and both behaviors have been linked to the development of weight status. Recent estimates suggest that many children are not meeting sleep recommendations or participating in adequate levels of physical activity, which may be related to the high prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity. Much of the research assessing these relationships has focused on adults and older children, and has relied on parent- or child-reported, cross-sectional research in predominantly White samples. Little work has focused on these relationships in very young children. Although more research has …

Using A Multi-Direction Reaching Approach To Investigate Fitts’ Law And The Effect Of Attentional Focus On Motor Learning, Charles R. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

The Index of Difficulty value (ID) derived from Fitts’ Law’s speed-accuracy trade-off is commonly used to determine the difficulty of a targeted reaching movement and balance difficulty in sequence learning tasks. However, this value does not account for the mechanical difficulty of multi-directional movements which could affect both performance and learning. Where we direct our focus when completing a task/skill can also have an effect on how we perform and learn that task, however, the manner in which differing focus instructions affect learning a whole-arm reaching task is relatively unknown. The purpose of this dissertation was to examine 1) how …

Molecular And Morphological Investigations Of Grouper (Serranidae) Biodiversity In Saudi Arabia, Mohammad Saeed Al Jazza Alqahtani

Theses and Dissertations

Chapter 1: The seas surrounding the Arabian Peninsula, which represent the northernmost portion of the Indian Ocean, are considered to have the highest aquatic biodiversity among the worlds marine regions. Seas that surround the Arabian Peninsula include the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Oman, and the Arabian Gulf. In aggregate, this area harbors a large number of endemic and more widespread marine species, including fishes, echinoderms, and corals.

There are unique challenges involved in grouper species identification in the Arabian region including ‘familiar’ Arabic species designations that are not standardized in the Arabic …

Methyltransferase Mystery: Epigenetic Mechanisms Induced By Food Limitation In Daphnia Pule, Trenton C. Agrelius

Theses and Dissertations

Daphnia are ecologically important organisms that have been well studied in the context of evolution, ecology, ecotoxicity, and genomics. Daphnia have strong maternal effects in which the environment experienced by the mother can alter offspring disease resistance, life history traits, and morphology, as well as gene expression and methylation for multiple generations. Coupled with their ability to reduce genetic differences via parthenogenesis, Daphnia are an ideal system for epigenetic studies involving the transmission of maternal effects. Using two clones of Daphnia pulex, we investigated the plasticity of life history and DNA methyltransferase (Dnmt) gene expression with respect to food …

Detection Of Microcystin Aerosol Particles, Alexis D. Dabney

Theses and Dissertations

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) are a growing global concern due to their increased prevalence and magnitude, frequency, and duration in affecting both aquatic ecosystems and human health (Brooks et al. 2015). In a series of experiments, lab-generated aerosol particles containing Microcystis and Microseira were captured using filters to analyze for concentrations of Microcystin, Saxitoxin, and Lyngbya toxins. The solutions were found to contain aerosols but did not contain detectable levels of Microcystin, Saxitoxin, and Lyngbya toxins following analysis by HPLC-MS. While the techniques for generating aerosols were shown to be effective, the generation and analysis of toxins did not produce …

Effects Of Positive Social Comparative Feedback During Practice On Motor Sequence Learning, Performance Expectancies, And Resting State Connectivity, Allison Foster Lewis

Theses and Dissertations

Positive social comparative feedback indicates to the learner that they are performing better than others. While this type feedback supports motor skill learning in some tasks, the effect of social comparative feedback on motor sequence learning remains unknown. In addition, the OPTIMAL theory predicts that positive social comparative feedback may trigger a dopaminergic response in the brain. However, no studies have utilized neuroimaging techniques to investigate this question. Therefore, the aim of these studies was to determine the effect of positive social comparative feedback on motor sequence learning, performance expectancies, and resting state connectivity of dopaminergic neural pathways.

In the …

Physical Activity And Stress Between American Students And Asian International Students At The University Of South Carolina, Hao Lei

Theses and Dissertations

Many college students are physically inactive and have high levels of stress, and this may be worse among increasing number of international students studying in the US. This study investigated the relationship between physical activity and stress among American students (n=92) and Asian international students (n=64). The Mann-Whitney test was used to compare MET minutes/week from the International Physical Activity Questionnaire short form between those two groups. The independent-samples t test compared the mean of stress from the Perceived Stress Scale between those two groups. Chi-square test was used to compare the percentage of Asian international students and American students …

In Vivo And In Vitro Investigations Of Mammalian Stem Cell Development: Neurogenesis And Pituitary Progenitors, Allison Culver

Theses and Dissertations

Human development is tightly regulated by complex mechanisms to pattern the early embryo and form specialized tissues. Understanding this regulation is of fundamental importance and can help further understand disease pathologies. Because it is difficult to observe the processes of interest, researchers must rely on the use of model systems. Our research goal is to combine both animal models and in vitro stem cell cultures to address key questions about the mechanisms of development for both the pituitary gland and brain. It is estimated that there are 290-455 cases per million of congenital hypopituitarism. In addition, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) …

Sports Nutrition- And Strength And Conditioning-Based Interventions To Bolster Health And Human Performance In Male And Female Tactical Personnel, Harry Paul Cintineo

Theses and Dissertations

Military and law enforcement personnel are required to possess sufficient physical and cognitive fitness to perform their official duties. Tactical athletes must have fast reaction times (RT), high levels of various aspects of muscular performance, including power, strength, and endurance, as well as high anaerobic and aerobic capacities. The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate acute sports nutrition and chronic strength and conditioning strategies to improve health and human performance in tactical athletes, including law enforcement officers, active-duty military service members, and Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) cadets and midshipmen.

The first study tested the effects of a combination …

Evaluation Of Monthly And Seasonal Grazing Rates Of Ilyanassa Obsoleta On Benthic Microalgae In The North Inlet Estuary, Brittany Dearmitt

Theses and Dissertations

The eastern mud snail, Ilyanassa obsoleta, is found at densities of 100’s of individuals m^-2 on soft sediments in the intertidal zones of estuaries. These obligate deposit feeders consume microalgae, detritus, larvae, meiofauna, and macrofauna in the surface layers of sediments with possible trophic impacts on benthic microalgal (BMA) biomass. The goals of this study were to quantify mud snail grazing on BMA biomass, observe the variation in monthly and seasonal grazing rates, and evaluate the relationship between atmospheric temperatures and grazing rates. The sites for this experiment were two mudflats in Oyster Landing, North Inlet estuary, South …