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Spatial And Temporal Variation In The Diet Composition Of Zooplankton In Mission Bay, Bryanna Paulson
Spatial And Temporal Variation In The Diet Composition Of Zooplankton In Mission Bay, Bryanna Paulson
Theses
Analyses of quantitative data on zooplankton diets are vital for understanding the drivers of zooplankton abundance within an ecosystem. Such analyses also provide insight into trophic pathways within the lower planktonic food web, which support populations of higher trophic level species. This study used carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios of size-fractionated plankton in Mission Bay, San Diego, CA to examine the spatial and temporal variation in zooplankton trophic ecology and determine potential environmental drivers of zooplankton community structure. Carbon stable isotopes reflect primary production sources in an organism’s diet, and nitrogen stable isotope ratios can be used to estimate …
Copepod Distribution In Relation To Environmental Parameters On Diel And Tidal Time Scales In Mission Bay, San Diego, California, Joy Renee Shapiro
Copepod Distribution In Relation To Environmental Parameters On Diel And Tidal Time Scales In Mission Bay, San Diego, California, Joy Renee Shapiro
Theses
The vertical distribution of copepods in estuaries is known to vary in relation to environmental factors. However, the relationships between environmental conditions (e.g., tides, hydrography) and copepod distributions are not well understood. This project examined connections between environmental parameters and copepod distribution in Mission Bay, San Diego, California. Copepods (adults, juveniles, and nauplii) were collected every two hours over a diel cycle at three sites across the bay. A plankton pump was used to draw ~2 m3 of water from each of two depths - just below the surface and just above the bottom. Copepods were retained in a …
Settlement Of Larval Spotted Sand Bass (Paralabrax Maculatofasciatus) Within Mission Bay, San Diego Ca In Relation To Environmental Conditions, Anthony J. Basilio
Settlement Of Larval Spotted Sand Bass (Paralabrax Maculatofasciatus) Within Mission Bay, San Diego Ca In Relation To Environmental Conditions, Anthony J. Basilio
Theses
Monitoring the number of larvae that have recently settled and how this varies in relation to environmental conditions provides insight into future population strength, which is a fundamental goal of marine ecology as well as fisheries management. This research focused on characterizing the settlement patterns of spotted sand bass (Paralabrax maculatofasciatus), a recreationally important species that utilizes bays and estuaries as nursery habitat. To quantify P. maculatofasciatus settlement patterns, three larval collectors were installed near the mouth of Mission Bay, San Diego CA, and retrieved weekly from June – October of 2012 – 2015. Larvae were counted, and …
Biological And Physiological Condition Of Juvenile California Halibut (Paralichthys Californicus) Exposed To A Contamination Gradient In Mission Bay, Ca, Kevin Stolzenbach
Biological And Physiological Condition Of Juvenile California Halibut (Paralichthys Californicus) Exposed To A Contamination Gradient In Mission Bay, Ca, Kevin Stolzenbach
Theses
Contaminated sediments in marine environments have been shown to be good indicators of ecological risk and a means to assess anthropogenic impacts on marine habitats and the animals that inhabit them (Long et al. 1995, Rattner 2009). Estuarine sediments are especially complex media with regard to physical, chemical, and biological characteristics that trap, store, modify and sometimes release contaminants to the biota (Long et al. 1995). Especially vulnerable are animals that are in constant contact with the sediments, such as flatfishes that partially bury themselves for camouflage (Costa et al. 2011). Impacts can be assessed in a number of ways, …