Biology Commons^™

An Argument For The Utilization Of Amphibian Stress As An Indicator Of Wetland Condition, Andrew W. Sisson

Honors College Theses

Traditional forms of rapid wetland condition assessments focus on foliage health, nutrient enrichment, chemical contamination, and surrounding land usage, often overlooking an evaluation of the animals living in the wetland. More intense assessments include the National Wetland Condition Assessment (NWCA) and indices of biotic integrity, which focus on community composition (e.g., diversity and species richness) and abundances. These indices require expertise in species identification and do not provide information about the animal’s fitness. Animal stress physiology, which generally correlates with measures used to quantify animal fitness (e.g., survival, reproduction, and body condition), may provide a complementary rapid assessment method aimed …

Impacts Of Algal Morphology And Water Flow On Macroalgal Microplastic Capture, Cheyenne M. Adams

Honors College Theses

Microplastic pollution is a major area of concern in marine environments, especially as microplastics enter the food web. This study used pipe cleaners and two lichen species as algal mimics, and Chaetomorpha sp. and Chondrus crispus as model algal species to test the effects of morphology and biomass on microbead and foam capture. This study also utilized two different water flow methods: vortices and waves. Results suggest that water flow, as well as biomass and morphology, play a role in microplastic capture in macroalgae. For all mimics and algal species, except Cladonia lichens, turfs with increased biomass and length showed …

Influence Of Plant Density On Rainfall Interception By Spartina Alterniflora, Hannah K. Longaberger

Honors College Theses

Abstract

Spartina alterniflora is an abundant plant in eastern US and Gulf coast salt marshes; it is important in maintaining a diverse ecosystem. Salt marshes are impacted by rainstorms, which may affect erosion events. This project examined the partitioning of rainfall on single plants of various sizes and on central plants within different canopy densities of S. alterniflora. By calculating the rain stemflow (SF), throughfall (TF), and water adhered to the stem in S. alterniflora, we gained insight to rainfall partitioning with different plant features. My research found no statistically significant relationship between different plant features and SF, TF, …

Effects Of Water Quality On Oyster Health On Georgia Coast, Laurel Henderson

Honors College Theses

ABSTRACT

Oysters are an economically and ecologically important shellfish species found along most coastlines. Along the Georgia coastline, oysters form extensive reefs, and are economically important as a food source. In addition, oysters perform a vital role in maintaining water quality due to their high filtration capacity in coastal waters. Oyster reefs form solid, 3-D substrate that prevent coastline erosion and provide structure for numerous other coastal species to grow, including many commercially and recreationally important species. Water quality factors, such as temperature and salinity, can influence oyster density, condition, and growth, and ultimately affect the services the reefs provide …

The Potential Role Of Phenotypic Plasticity In The Ability Of Hydrocotyle Bonariensis To Occupy Two Different Habitats, Harold Ralph Parsons Iii

Honors College Theses

Phenotypic plasticity is the ability of an organism to change morphology and/or physiology in response to changes in the environment. Hydrocotyle bonariensis is a coastal perennial herb found in both coastal sand dunes and inland coastal plain habitats in Georgia. The purpose of this study was to determine if there were differences in leaf morphology for populations of H. bonariensis in coastal sand dune and inland coastal plain habitats. Leaf morphology and microenvironmental variables were compared between H. bonariensis populations at Tybee Island (TI), GA, representing the coastal sand dune habitat, and Georgia Southern University Armstrong Campus (GSU) in Savannah, …

Steady Heartbeat: Field And Laboratory Studies Indicate Unexpected Resilience To High Temperatures For The Ribbed Mussel Geukensia Demissa, Ashlyn N. Smith Ms.

Honors College Theses

Salt marshes are important ecosystems found along the coast of Georgia. Salt marshes are hosts to diverse organisms that interact with each other to promote many ecosystem services, such as storm buffering and flooding, and absorption of excess nutrients. Among these diverse organisms is the ribbed mussel, Geukensia demissa. Mussels are a foundation species in this intertidal landscape, and without them the whole salt marsh would be negatively affected. The purpose of this investigation was to explore the thermal stress response of G. demissa to rising temperatures. Mussels were collected from three locations that were landlocked, close to a …

A Multi-Scale Investigation Of Habitat Selectivity In Coastal Plain Stream Fishes, Hayley A. Robinson

Honors College Theses

Studying the habitat use of Coastal Plain fishes enables us to develop a deeper understanding of how fishes thrive in this highly variable environment. Based on previous research by Dr. Roberts and his students, Coastal Plain fishes seem to sort into two groups: (1) species selecting stream reaches that continue to flow throughout the summer (i.e., fluvial species [F]) and (2) species occurring in streams that may stop flowing in late summer (i.e., nonfluvial species [NF]). For this study, I took a detailed look at eight of these species, spanning the F-NF gradient, and asked which environmental variables (e.g., water …

Identification Of Bird-Associated Nonpoint Sources Of Microbial Contamination In Sediments, Savannah D. Mullins

Honors College Theses

Fecal indicator bacteria (FIB), such as Enterococci, are commonly used to monitor the microbial contamination of recreational beach waters based on standards set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Sediment and sand may also harbor FIB and reintroduce these bacteria to the water column. Enterococci may be originated from various non-point sources such as humans and wildlife. Recent literature has shown that avian feces also harbor high concentrations of Enterococci. The purpose of this study is identify the relationship between Enterococci and avian-associated markers in sediments. Sediment samples were collected monthly from four sites at Kings Ferry Beach in …

Successional Processes In The Benthic Invertebrate Communities At Gray’S Reef National Marine Sanctuary, Alexis A. Bivens

Honors College Theses

While the process of community development has been studied in terrestrial habitats since the turn of the 20th century, similar information is not as readily available in marine systems. Understanding patterns of community development is essential to predicting recovery potential and to designing effective marine protected areas. In the South Atlantic Bight, invertebrate communities on hard substrata can differ significantly from one rocky outcrop to another, but the factors driving these differences are not well understood. I documented the initial development of the benthic invertebrate community at Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary (GRNMS) to address the prediction that this system …

An Industrial Chemical Used In Coal-Washing Influences Plankton Communities In Freshwater Microcosms, Danielle Turner

Honors College Theses

In 2014, 4-methylcyclohexane methanol (MCHM), an industrial chemical used to wash coal, contaminated drinking water in 300,000 homes in West Virginia, USA and raised concerns about toxicity to humans and freshwater ecosystems. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determined that a concentration of 1 ppm was safe for human exposure. Despite the concern for human consumption, it is important to determine if MCHM has negative effects on aquatic organisms in contaminated water, particularly plankton communities that comprise the base of freshwater food webs. I exposed freshwater plankton communities in microcosms to 0, 0.5, 1 or 3 ppm MCHM under …

Characterization Of Metal-Reducing Microorganisms In Walker Lake: A Terminal Saline Desert Lake, Memona Khan

Honors College Theses

Metal-reducing microorganisms are increasingly being recognized as an essential component of aquatic microbial ecosystems involved in decomposition of organic matter. Alkaliphilic microbial reduction from alkaline lakes is a little studied field and one particular ecosystem, Walker Lake, presents the opportunity to investigate alkaliphilic metal reducers in their native ecological setting. Walker lake is a terminal, saline, desert lake with pH 9.4, Walker Lake samples of surface and deep sediments and water column samples from 0, 10, 5, 15, 17.5, 19 m depths were cultured by serial dilution in synthetic Walker Lake medium and supplemented separately with Hydrous Ferric Oxide (HFO), …