Biology Commons^™

The Proteomic Response Of Mytilus Galloprovincialis And M. Trossulus To Acute Temperature Stress, Lars Tomanek, Marcus Zuzow

Biological Sciences

No abstract provided.

Diurnal Rhythms Of Behavior And Brain Mrna Expression For Arginine Vasotocin, Isotocin, And Their Receptors In Wild Amargosa Pupfish (Cyprinodon Nevadensis Amargosae), Sean C. Lema, Lauren J. Wagstaff, Nina M. Gardner

Biological Sciences

Amargosa pupfish (Cyprinodon nevadensis amargosae) occupy remote desert habitats that vary widely in environmental conditions from day to night. In this study, die! patterns of behavior were documented for pupfish in their natural habitat, and examined relative to changes in the abundance of mRNAs encoding prepro-arginine vasotocin (pro-VT), prepro-isotocin (pro-IT), three distinct vasotocin receptors (V1a1, V1a2, and V2), and an isotocin receptor (ITR) in the brain. The behavior of wild pupfish varied diurnally, with frequent aggression from 12:00 to 15:00 h and courtship and spawning most common between 15:00 and 19:00h. Transcript abundance for pro-VT in the brain …

How Do Polar Marine Ecosystems Respond To Rapid Climate Change?, Oscar Schofield, Hugh W. Ducklow, Douglas G. Martinson, Michael P. Meredith, Mark A. Moline, William R. Fraser

Biological Sciences

Climate change will alter marine ecosystems; however, the complexity of the food webs, combined with chronic undersampling, constrains efforts to predict their future and to optimally manage and protect marine resources. Sustained observations at the West Antarctic Peninsula show that in this region, rapid environmental change has coincided with shifts in the food web, from its base up to apex predators. New strategies will be required to gain further insight into how the marine climate system has influenced such changes and how it will do so in the future. Robotic networks, satellites, ships, and instruments mounted on animals and ice …

Identification Of Multiple Vasotocin Receptor Cdnas In Teleost Fish: Sequences, Phylogenetic Analysis, Sites Of Expression, And Regulation In The Hypothalamus And Gill In Response To Hyperosmotic Challenge, Sean C. Lema

Biological Sciences

Vasopressin and its homolog vasotocin regulate hydromineral balance, stress responses, and social behaviors in vertebrates. In mammals, the functions of vasopressin are mediated via three classes of membrane-bound receptors: V1a-type, V1b-type and V2-type. To date, however, only a single class of vasotocin receptor has been identified in teleost fish. Here, cDNAs encoding three putative vasotocin receptors – two distinct V1a-type receptor paralogs (V1a1 and V1a2) and a previously undescribed V2- type receptor (V2) – and a single isotocin receptor were isolated and sequenced from the Amargosa pupfish (Cyprinodon nevadensis amargosae). RT-PCR revealed that mRNAs …

Ocean Currents Help Explain Population Genetic Structure, Crow White, Kimberly A. Selkoe, James Watson, David A. Siegel, Danielle C. Zacherl, Robert J. Toonen

Biological Sciences

No abstract provided.

Body Size And Social Dominance Influence Breeding Dispersal In Male Pachydiplax Longipennis (Odonata), Shannon Mccauley

Biological Sciences

1. Dispersal behaviour can be affected by an individual's phenotype, by the environmental or social context they experience, and by interactions between these factors. Differential dispersal propensities between individuals may also be an important modifier of functional connectivity between populations. To assess how a key trait, body size, affected both social interactions and dispersal behaviour, this study examined the relationship between body size, antagonistic interactions, and breeding dispersal in male dragonflies (Pachydiplax longipennis) across a seasonal decline in adult body size. 2. During a seasonal peak in male body size in this study, dispersers were smaller than non-dispersers. Later in …

North American Montane Red Foxes: Expansion, Fragmentation, And The Origin Of The Sacramento Valley Red Fox, Benjamin N. Sacks, Mark J. Statham, John D. Perrine, Samantha M. Wisely, Keith B. Aubry

Biological Sciences

Most native red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in the western contiguous United States appear to be climatically restricted to colder regions in the major mountain ranges and, in some areas, have suffered precipitous declines in abundance that may be linked to warming trends. However, another population of unknown origin has occurred in arid habitats in the Sacramento Valley of California well outside this narrow bioclimatic niche since at least 1880. If native, this population would be ecologically distinct among indigenous North American red foxes. We used mitochondrial and microsatellite markers from historical and modern samples (modes: 1910–1930 and 2000–2008, …

The Evolution Of Seeds, Ada Linkies, Kai Graeber, Charles A. Knight, Gerhard Leubner-Metzger

Biological Sciences

The evolution of the seed represents a remarkable life-history transition for photosynthetic organisms. Here, we review the recent literature and historical understanding of how and why seeds evolved. Answering the 'how' question involves a detailed understanding of the developmental morphology and anatomy of seeds, as well as the genetic programs that determine seed size. We complement this with a special emphasis on the evolution of dormancy, the characteristic of seeds that allows for long 'distance' time travel. Answering the 'why' question involves proposed hypotheses of how natural selection has operated to favor the seed life-history phenomenon. The recent flurry of …

Design And Implementation Of Marine Biology Lessons At The Avila Beach Sea Life Center, Heather L. Price

Biological Sciences

No abstract provided.

Platform Effects On Optical Variability And Prediction Of Underwater Visibility, Grace Chang, Michael S. Twardowski, Yu You, Mark A. Moline, Peng-Wang Zhai, Scott Freeman, Matthew Slivkoff, Francesco Nencioli, George W. Kattawar

Biological Sciences

We present hydrographic and optical data collected concurrently from two different platforms, the R/P FLoating Instrument Platform and the R/V Kilo Moana, located about 2km apart in the Santa Barbara Channel in California. We show that optical variability between the two platforms was due primarily to platform effects, specifically the breakdown of stratification from mixing by the hull of R/P FLIP. Modeled underwater radiance distribution differed by as much as 50% between the two platforms during stratified conditions. We determine that the observed optical variability resulted in up to 57% differences in predicted horizontal visibility of a black target.

Investigation Of High Salt Intake And Adipogenesis In Rats, May Yong

Biological Sciences

Sodium chloride has been scrutinized of late, not only for its liberal use as a food preservative but for its contribution to disease states. The causal role of habitual high salt intake in increasing blood pressure and exacerbating hypertension has been established. A growing body of evidence strongly suggests that hypertension contributes to other conditions such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, stroke, and type II diabetes. Rates of hypertension are significantly higher in obese individuals. These comorbidities have been positively associated with the modern Western diet. Worldwide, many government and health organizations have called for public policy measures to mandate sodium …

Correlated Evolution Of Defensive And Nutritional Traits In Native And Non-Native Plants, Nicole Molinari, Charles A. Knight

Biological Sciences

We performed a comparative analysis of defensive and nutritional plant traits responsible for differential herbivory in a series of experimental feeding trials with generalist herbivores. We measured three defensive traits (leaf strength, leaf mass per unit area and endophytic fungal infection) and two nutritional traits (foliar nitrogen and water) for 26 native and eight non-native plant species from coastal California shrublands. Our feeding trials involved three species of generalist herbivore (beet armyworm, cabbage looper and the garden snail) in two types of laboratory feeding trial (single plant species and preference tests). All traits were significantly related to the amount of …

The Relationship Between Plasma Steroid Hormone Concentrations And The Reproductive Cycle In The Northern Pacific Rattlesnake, Crotalus Oreganus, Craig M. Lind, Jerry F. Husak, Cas Eikenaar, Ignacio T. Moore, Emily N. Taylor

Biological Sciences

We describe the reproductive cycle of Northern Pacific rattlesnakes (Crotalus oreganus) by quantifying steroid hormone concentrations and observing reproductive behaviors in free-ranging individuals. Additionally, we examined reproductive tissues from museum specimens. Plasma steroid hormone concentrations were quantified for both male and female snakes throughout the active season (March–October). We measured testosterone (T), 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and corticosterone (B) concentrations in both sexes and 17β-estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P) in females only. We observed reproductive behaviors (e.g., consortship, courtship, and copulation) in the field and measured testis and follicle size in male and female snakes from museum collections to relate …

Vascular Plants Of Adjacent Serpentine And Granite Outcrops On The Deer Isles, Maine, U.S.A, Nathaniel S. Pope, Tanner B. Harris, Nishanta Rajakaruna

Biological Sciences

We performed a comparative study of the vascular flora of a serpentine outcrop, Pine Hill, and that of a granite outcrop, Settlement Quarry, from Little Deer Isle and Deer Isle, respectively, Hancock County, Maine. We established four transects along a gradient from exposed to forested areas within each outcrop. Plants were recorded for presence and percent cover from circular plots along each transect. Soil and tissue samples were collected to examine soil-tissue elemental relations. One hundred thirty-two taxa were recorded from serpentine and 89 from granite. Fifty-seven taxa were shared by both sites. Species richness (α diversity) and diversity indices …

Bacteria - The Last Stronghold Of Lamarckism?, William D. Stansfield

Biological Sciences

French naturalist J.B. Lamarck is most commonly known for popularizing the theory that some traits acquired during the life of an organism can be inherited in his 1809 book. German biologist A. Weismann presented evidence in his 1891 book that acquired traits were not heritable in sexually reproducing animals. But so little was known about bacteria that they were considered to be the last stronghold of Lamarckism. The “fluctuation test” of S. Luria and M. Delbrück in 1943 seemed to confirm that Lamarckism in bacteria was indeed dead. This review, however, proposes that today bacteria may be viewed as the …

Foraging Rates Of Larval Dragonfly Colonists Are Positively Related To Habitat Isolation: Results From A Landscape-Level Experiment, Shannon J. Mccauley, Tomas Brodin, John Hammond

Biological Sciences

There is increasing evidence of intraspecific variation in dispersal behavior. Individual differences in dispersal behavior may be correlated with other traits that determine the impact individuals have on patches they colonize. We established habitat patches—artificial pools—across a landscape, and these pools were naturally colonized by dragonfly larvae. Larvae were collected from pools at different levels of isolation and held under common lab conditions for 5 months. We then compared larval foraging rates. Foraging rate was positively related to habitat isolation, and colonists from the most isolated artificial pools had significantly higher foraging rates than individuals from the least isolated pools. …

Temperature Affects Adhesion Of The Acorn Barnacle (Balanus Amphitrite), Laurel A. Johnston

Master's Theses

Biofouling is the accumulation of sessile marine organisms, such as algae, tube worms and barnacles on man-made substrata and has negative economic and ecological implications. Ship hulls are readily fouled, which significantly increases drag while decreasing ship fuel efficiency when moving through water. Fouled hulls have also become important vectors of invasive species. These problems are minimized when hulls are painted with a toxic anti-fouling or non-toxic foul-release coating. Due to recent restrictions of anti-fouling paint use, research and development of non-toxic alternatives has increased.

Novel hull coating efficiency is often quantified by the critical removal stress value of barnacles …

Variation In The Heat Shock Response And Its Implication For Predicting The Effect Of Global Climate Change On Species' Biogeographical Distribution Ranges And Metabolic Costs, Lars Tomanek

Biological Sciences

The preferential synthesis of heat shock proteins (Hsps) in response to thermal stress [the heat shock response (HSR)] has been shown to vary in species that occupy different thermal environments. A survey of case studies of aquatic (mostly marine) organisms occupying stable thermal environments at all latitudes, from polar to tropical, shows that they do not in general respond to heat stress with an inducible HSR. Organisms that occupy highly variable thermal environments (variations up to >20°C), like the intertidal zone, induce the HSR frequently and within the range of body temperatures they normally experience, suggesting that the response is …

Hormones And Reproductive Cycles In Snakes, Emily N. Taylor, Dale F. Denardo

Biological Sciences

The study of the hormonal regulation of reproduction in snakes is in its infancy. Studies have disproportionately examined temperate zone viperid and colubrid snakes, especially the red-sided garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis). Indeed, extensive observational and experimental studies on T. s. parietalis form the basis for our understanding of the hormonal regulation of reproduction in snakes. This review focuses on seasonal hormone concentrations in snakes in relation to events in the reproductive cycle; the limited data available on hypothalamic hormones, gonadotropins (GTHs), hormone receptors, and binding globulins; the neuroendocrinology of reproduction; and the environmental, social, physiological, and embryonic aspects of …

The Presence Of Micropterus Salmoides (Largemouth Bass) Influences The Populations Of Rana Draytonii (California Red-Legged Frog) And Pseudacris Regilla (Pacific Treefrog) In Two Ponds In Santa Barbara County, California, Kenneth Lee Gilliland

Master's Theses

Alien fish have been implicated in the decline of Rana draytonii (California red-legged frog) and Pseudacris regilla (Pacific treefrog) populations. Micropterus salmoides (largemouth bass) is a common sport fish that has been introduced into the sympatric range of these two anuran species; however, no studies have investigated the individual influence that this alien fish has on these two species. I conducted M. salmoides control or eradication experiments during a four year study in two ponds within the Transverse Mountain Range of Santa Barbara County, California. Changes in the densities of all life stages of R. draytonii and P. regilla were …

Layered Organization In The Coastal Ocean: An Introduction To Planktonic Thin Layers And The Loco Project, James M. Sullivan, D. Van Holliday, Malcolm Mcfarland, Margaret A. Mcmanus, Olivia M. Cheriton, Kelly J. Benoit-Bird, Louis Goodman, Zhankun Wang, John P. Ryan, Mark Stacey, Charles Greenlaw, Mark A. Moline

Biological Sciences

No abstract provided.

Integrated Measurements Of Acoustical And Optical Thin Layers Ii: Horizontal Length Scales, Mark A. Moline, Kelly J. Benoit-Bird, Ian C. Robbins, Maddie Schroth-Miller, Chad M. Waluk, Brian Zelenke

Biological Sciences

The degree of layered organization of planktonic organisms in coastal systems impacts trophic interactions, the vertical availability of nutrients, and many biological rate processes. While there is reasonable characterization of the vertical structure of these phenomena, the extent and horizontal length scale of variation has rarely been addressed. Here we extend the examination of the vertical scale in the first paper of the series to the horizontal scale with combined shipboard acoustic measurements and bio-optic measurements taken on an autonomous underwater vehicle. Measurements were made in Monterey Bay, CA from 2002 to 2008 for the bio-optical parameters and during 2006 …

Integrated Measurements Of Acoustical And Optical Thin Layers I: Vertical Scales Of Association, Kelly J. Benoit-Bird, Mark A. Moline, Chad M. Waluk, Ian C. Robbins

Biological Sciences

This study combined measurements from multiple platforms with acoustic instruments on moorings and on a ship and optics on a profiler and an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to examine the relationships between fluorescent, bioluminescent, and acoustically scattering layers in Monterey Bay during nighttime hours in July and August of 2006 and May of 2008. We identified thin bioluminescent layers that were strongly correlated with acoustic scattering at the same depth but were part of vertically broad acoustic features, suggesting layers of unique composition inside larger biomass features. These compositional thin layers nested inside larger biomass features may be a common …

The Proteomic Response Of The Mussel Congeners Mytilus Gallaprovincialis And M. Trossulus To Acute Heat Stress: Implications For Thermal Tolerance Limits And Metabolic Costs Of Thermal Stress, Lars Tomanek, Marcus J. Zuzow

Biological Sciences

The Mediterranean blue mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis, an invasive species in California, has displaced the more heat-sensitive native congener, Mytilus trossulus, from its former southern range, possibly due to climate change. By comparing the response of their proteomes to acute heat stress we sought to identify responses common to both species as well as differences that account for greater heat tolerance in the invasive. Mussels were acclimated to 13°C for four weeks and exposed to acute heat stress (24°C, 28°C and 32°C) for 1 h and returned to 13°C to recover for 24 h. Using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and …

Zooplankton Avoidance Of A Profiled Open-Path Fluorometer, Kelly J. Benoit-Bird, Mark A. Moline, Oscar M. Schofield, Ian C. Robbins, Chad M. Waluk

Biological Sciences

Significant avoidance of acoustically detected zooplankton was observed in response to a profiling instrument package. Avoidance decreased acoustic scattering from zooplankton averaged over the entire profile by more than a factor of 2, while the maximum avoidance decreased zooplankton acoustic scattering by a factor of 15 over the depth of some discrete scattering layers. Experimental manipulation of the profiler and its instruments revealed that an open-path fluorometer was triggering the avoidance. Avoidance occurred at an average of 8 m below the profiler with a range between 2 and 13 m. Effect range was positively correlated with the average attenuation coefficient …

Genome Size Is A Strong Predictor Of Root Meristem Growth Rate, Adam Gruner, Nathan Hoverter, Tylia Smith, Charles A. Knight

Biological Sciences

Variation in genome size (GS) has been linked to several facets of the plant phenotype. Recently it was shown that GS is significantly correlated with cell size and the duration of the cell cycle. Here we test the hypothesis that GS might also be a predictor of apical root meristem growth rate (RMGR). We studied eight species of eudicots with varying GS using time-lapse microscopic image analysis. A significant negative exponential relationship was observed between GS and RMGR. Our results show significantly decreased RMGR for large genome species. This relationship represents a significant consequence of GS expansion in plants and …

Meeting The Challenges: The Western Section's Role In Developing Tomorrow's Resource Management Professionals, John D. Perrine

Biological Sciences

The following is a slightly edited version of a plenary address delivered at the Western Section annual meeting in January 2009. The plenary theme was “The view from the future: wildlife management challenges and opportunities of the next 100 years.” Key references are listed at the end of the address. Readers will also be interested in the Winter 2009 (Vol. 3, No. 4) issue of The Wildlife Professional, which contains a special section on the preparation and training of future wildlife professionals.

Small Heat Shock Protein Responses Differ Between Chaparral Shrubs From Contrasting Microclimates, Charles A. Knight

Biological Sciences

Small heat shock protein (sHsp) responses were studied for two evergreen perennial shrubs in the northern California chaparral; one common on warm, south-facing slopes (Ceanothus cuneatus), and the other on cooler, north-facing slopes (Prunus ilicifolia). Small Hsp expression was induced experimentally for field collected leaves. Leaf collections were made where the species co-occur. Small Hsp expression was quantified using two antibodies, one specific to a chloroplast 22 kD sHsp and another that detects a broad range of sHsps. Differences between chloroplast sHsp accumulation, which protects thermally labile proteins in PSII, and the general sHsp response were …

On The Relationship Between Pollen Size And Genome Size, Charles A. Knight, Rachel B. Clancy, Lars Götzenberger, Leighton Dann, Jeremy M. Beaulieu

Biological Sciences

Here we test whether genome size is a predictor of pollen size. If it were, inferences of ancient genome size would be possible using the abundant paleo-palynolgical record. We performed regression analyses across 464 species of pollen width and genome size. We found a significant positive trend. However, regression analysis using phylogentically independent contrasts did not support the correlated evolution of these traits. Instead, a large split between angiosperms and gymnosperms for both pollen width and genome size was revealed. Sister taxa were not more likely to show a positive contrast when compared to deeper nodes. However, significantly more congeneric …

Effects Of Yogurt Starter Cultures On The Survival Of Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Elizabeth W. Ng, Marie Yeung, Phillip S. Tong

Biological Sciences

Recognized to confer health benefits to consumers, probiotics such as Lactobacillus acidophilus are commonly incorporated into fermented dairy products worldwide; among which yogurt is a popular delivery vehicle. To materialize most of the putative health benefits associated with probiotics, an adequate amount of viable cells must be delivered at the time of consumption. However, the loss in their viabilities during refrigerated storage has been demonstrated previously. This study focused on the effects of yogurt starter cultures on the survival of five strains of L. acidophilus, with emphases on low pH and acid production. Differential survival behavior between L. acidophilus strains …