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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Assessment Of Genetic Diversity In Largetooth Sawfish, Pristis Pristis, Populations Over The 20th Century, Ann Fearing Dec 2020

Assessment Of Genetic Diversity In Largetooth Sawfish, Pristis Pristis, Populations Over The 20th Century, Ann Fearing

Master's Theses

The Critically Endangered Largetooth Sawfish, Pristis pristis, experienced global declines in range and abundance over the past century and Australia is now their last stronghold. This research aimed to understand whether these declines have been accompanied by a reduction in levels of genetic diversity. Using P. pristis tissue samples sourced from natural history specimens, three fragments (616-bp, 386-bp, 141-bp) in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region were PCR-amplified. At each fragment, significant genetic structure was found in P. pristis overall (ΦST=0.946, N=9; 0.813, N=54; 0.771, N=99). The Indo-West Pacific and Atlantic/Eastern Pacific each harbor genetically distinct lineages of …


Development And Employment Of Environmental Dna Methods For The Detection Of Bull Sharks (Carcharhinus Leucas) In A Freshwater And Estuarine Interface In The Mobile-Tensaw Delta And Mobile Bay, Alabama, Katherine Schweiss Dec 2019

Development And Employment Of Environmental Dna Methods For The Detection Of Bull Sharks (Carcharhinus Leucas) In A Freshwater And Estuarine Interface In The Mobile-Tensaw Delta And Mobile Bay, Alabama, Katherine Schweiss

Master's Theses

Species conservation and management is influenced by the quality of monitoring methods employed, especially when targeting elusive, but ecologically significant species, like elasmobranchs. Bull Sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) are highly mobile predators that rely on estuaries and freshwater rivers for maturation, resources, and refuge; their ability to withstand changing environmental conditions may mean they are linking ecosystems through their habitat usage and movements. Rather than setting nets or attaching acoustic monitoring devices, which can be expensive, time-consuming, and invasive, the analysis of environmental DNA (eDNA) for tracing species presence was used to target C. leucasDNA. The present research …


Characterization Of Andrenocortical Tissue Morphology, Histology, And Steroid Synthesis Among Finetooth (Carcharhinus Isodon), Blacktip (Carcharhinus Limbatus), Atlantic Sharpnose (Rhizoprionodon Terraenovae), And Bonnethead (Sphyrna Tiburo) Sharks, Danielle Elizabeth Bailey May 2017

Characterization Of Andrenocortical Tissue Morphology, Histology, And Steroid Synthesis Among Finetooth (Carcharhinus Isodon), Blacktip (Carcharhinus Limbatus), Atlantic Sharpnose (Rhizoprionodon Terraenovae), And Bonnethead (Sphyrna Tiburo) Sharks, Danielle Elizabeth Bailey

Master's Theses

Adrenocortical (interrenal) tissue is composed of steroidogenic cells that produce corticosteroids involved in the stress response and hydromineral balance. Previous research characterizing the elasmobranch interrenal suggests that the number of interrenal bodies that produce the single primary corticosteroid, 1a-hydroxycorticosterone (1a-OHB), varies among species. However, potential species-specific differences in the amount of interrenal tissue and major steroid products produced have been understudied. To address this critical gap in our understanding of elasmobranch biology, this study examined interrenal morphology, cell structure, steroidogenic enzyme distribution (3bHSD), and steroid production in four shark species: Finetooth Carcharhinus isodon, Blacktip Carcharhinus limbatus, Atlantic Sharpnose …


The Elasmobranch-Microbe Relationship: Trimethylamine N-Oxide Synthesis, Urea Hydrolysis, And Microbe-Osmolyte Interactions In The Atlantic Stingray, Dasyatis Sabina, Kaitlin Kelly Doucette Dec 2016

The Elasmobranch-Microbe Relationship: Trimethylamine N-Oxide Synthesis, Urea Hydrolysis, And Microbe-Osmolyte Interactions In The Atlantic Stingray, Dasyatis Sabina, Kaitlin Kelly Doucette

Master's Theses

The elasmobranch osmoregulatory strategy is predicated on the accumulation of nitrogenous compounds, primarily urea and trimethylamine n¬-oxide (TMAO). Despite the abundance of these plasma osmolytes, it is notable that elasmobranchs appear to lack urease and TMA oxidase (Tmase), enzymes that scavenge urea-nitrogen and synthesize TMAO, respectively. However, urease and Tmase are found in many species of bacteria. Therefore, I hypothesized that intestinal bacteria are responsible for urease and Tmase activity in elasmobranchs. Absent dietary nitrogen sources, I evaluated the effects of reduced intestinal microbiota on osmoregulation in Atlantic stingray (Dasyatis sabina) in vivo. D. sabina were given …


Age, Growth, Reproduction, And Diet Of The Finetooth Shark, Carcharhinus Isodon, In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Jeremy Michael Higgs May 2016

Age, Growth, Reproduction, And Diet Of The Finetooth Shark, Carcharhinus Isodon, In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Jeremy Michael Higgs

Master's Theses

The current study examined life history parameters of the finetooth shark, Carcharhinus isodon, in the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGOM) to provide an accurate description of the species’ reproductive biology, age, growth and diet composition. A total of 1,489 finetooth sharks (830 female; 659 male) were collected from coastal waters of the nGOM between Apalachicola Bay, Florida (29.873° N and 84.514° W) and East Bay, Louisiana (28.959° N and 89.279° W) from June 2006 through October 2013. Peak reproductive development occurred during May/June for both males and females, which was followed by mating and an 11-12 month gestation period. …


Exploring The Glucocorticoid Actions Of 1Α-Hydroxycorticosterone (1Α-Oh-B) In The Elasmobranch Fishes, Faith Nichole Lambert Dec 2014

Exploring The Glucocorticoid Actions Of 1Α-Hydroxycorticosterone (1Α-Oh-B) In The Elasmobranch Fishes, Faith Nichole Lambert

Master's Theses

The corticosteroid 1α-hydroxycorticosterone (1α-OH-B) is unique to the elasmobranch fishes. It is thought that 1α-OH-B acts as both the primary glucocorticoid (GC) and mineralocorticoid (MC) in these fishes, a dual role analogous to that of cortisol in the teleost fishes. The MC characteristics of 1α-OH-B are well supported, but data supporting its GC functions are lacking. In this study, the putative GC actions of 1α-OH-B were examined. The first experiment characterized the physiological stress response of the Atlantic stingray (Dasyatis sabina) to air exposure, with particular regards to the roles of corticosteroids and metabolic fuels. Results demonstrate that …