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Articles 1 - 14 of 14
Full-Text Articles in Biology
Living Shoreline Stabilization To Increase Resiliency At De Soto National Memorial, Linda Walters, Melinda Donnelly, Christian Pilato, Suzanne Connor
Living Shoreline Stabilization To Increase Resiliency At De Soto National Memorial, Linda Walters, Melinda Donnelly, Christian Pilato, Suzanne Connor
CEELAB Research Data
De Soto National Memorial (Bradenton, FL) is an important location where both Native Americans and De Soto's army of soldiers once lived. We have been working closely with the National Park Service and the University of Central Florida to understand how to best stabilize this shoreline using living shoreline techniques combined with long-term natural recruitment. Stabilizing De Soto's shoreline is essential to decrease erosion and shoreline loss to protect the Park's cultural and natural resources, especially the numerous historically significant shell middens. Through pre-restoration monitoring, we determined that high-energy boat wakes were limiting natural mangrove recruitment. Lack of retention of …
Shoreline Characterization In The Northern Indian River Lagoon, Melinda Donnelly, Michelle Shaffer, Suzanne Connor, Linda Walters
Shoreline Characterization In The Northern Indian River Lagoon, Melinda Donnelly, Michelle Shaffer, Suzanne Connor, Linda Walters
CEELAB Research Data
The purpose of this project was to evaluate current conditions of estuarine shorelines in the northern section of the Indian River Lagoon system, including Mosquito Lagoon, north Indian River, and Banana River. From January 2016 through June 2018, we evaluated structural and functional characteristics of 374 miles of shoreline, from Ponce Inlet in Volusia County to Sebastian Inlet in Brevard County (11,000+ data points). Hard-armoring accounted for approximately 50% of total shoreline, evenly divided between shoreline with bulkheads (25%) and hardened slopes (25%). Forty-five percent of shoreline without hard-armoring had anthropogenic alterations (i.e. mosquito impoundments, railroads and roadways, residential and …
A Cohort-Based Program To Help Students Prepare A Conference Research Presentation, Alanna Lecher
A Cohort-Based Program To Help Students Prepare A Conference Research Presentation, Alanna Lecher
Florida Statewide Symposium: Best Practices in Undergraduate Research
Students move through many first time experiences when navigating their undergraduate and graduate education. Such experiences include the first time students submit an article to a peer-reviewed scientific journal, attend a conference, and conduct fieldwork. The cohort model has been shown to be effective in increasing success in undergraduate education, and it can be adapted to helping students succeed in these novel experiences as well. This presentation will explore one program where the cohort model was implemented to aid undergraduate students preparing their first conference presentation on a scientific research project. Program structure and implementation will be described.
An Examination Of Beta Diversity Indices And Their Predictors In Two Large-Scale Systems, Philip Schroeder
An Examination Of Beta Diversity Indices And Their Predictors In Two Large-Scale Systems, Philip Schroeder
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Biodiversity is what conservation biology was developed to conserve. It is the physical manifestation of life as a concept and, be it for practical or idealistic reasons, all conservationists seek to protect or, in some cases, enhance it. Because of its monolithic importance to the field, much effort has been expended trying to better measure and understand it. Recently, greater attention has been paid to the partition of diversity; the observation that the total diversity of a system (γ) can be broken down into within-site diversity (α) and between-site diversity (β). In particular, it has been noticed that the β …
Characterizing Biogeochemical Shifts In Two Salix Caroliniana Michx. Encroached Freshwater Subtropical Marshes, Janet Ho
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Shrub encroachment is a common disturbance in wetlands, but little is known about how shrub encroachment impacts functions such as carbon (C) storage and nitrogen (N) cycling. The objective of this thesis was to identify differences in physiochemical properties (within soil, water and leaf tissue) and biogeochemical processes (soil respiration, enzyme activity, litter decomposition, and N cycling) in two subtropical freshwater marshes encroached by coastal plain willow (Salix caroliniana Michx.). Two study regions (Moccasin Island and Lake Apopka) were selected because of their location in the St. John's River watershed and their unique histories and hydroperiod, allowing for an investigation …
Unearthing The Past And Present Of A Semi-Fossorial Lizard: Conservation Genetics, Phylogeography, And Taxonomy Of Plestiodon Egregius., Kathryn Mercier
Unearthing The Past And Present Of A Semi-Fossorial Lizard: Conservation Genetics, Phylogeography, And Taxonomy Of Plestiodon Egregius., Kathryn Mercier
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Characterizing an organism's evolutionary history and population structure as well as understanding the forces shaping that divergence is crucial to conservation biology. A clear understanding of the patterns of diversity and divergence are imperative for the best management of the organism, while an awareness of what drives these patterns can lead to better predictions of how organisms will respond to future climate change. Historical climate changes and associated sea level change are among the main forces driving divergence in many species. To examine how effects of climate changes may have driven patterns of intraspecific divergence, I examined Mole Skinks, Plestiodon …
The Evolution Of Peristenus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae): Taxonomy, Phylogenetics And Ecological Speciation, Yuanmeng Zhang
The Evolution Of Peristenus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae): Taxonomy, Phylogenetics And Ecological Speciation, Yuanmeng Zhang
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Parasitoid wasps are ecologically and economically important as biological control agents. However, little is known about the diversity, distribution and biology of most hymenopteran parasitoids due to their small size, morphological conservatism, and complex life styles. The focus of my PhD research was to investigate the evolution and speciation of euphorine braconid wasps, using a combination of multilocus phylogenetics and population genomic techniques combined with traditional taxonomy. The three data chapters of my dissertation are divided into different taxonomic ranks of euphorine braconids, focusing on genera, species, and populations. For chapter 2, I built a multilocus phylogeny of the tribe …
Shoreline Characterization For Northern Indian River Lagoon And Mosquito Lagoon, Melinda J. Donnelly, Linda Walters, Michelle Shaffer
Shoreline Characterization For Northern Indian River Lagoon And Mosquito Lagoon, Melinda J. Donnelly, Linda Walters, Michelle Shaffer
CEELAB Research Data
The purpose of this project was to evaluate the current conditions of estuarine shorelines in Mosquito Lagoon and northern Indian River. The shoreline assessment is the first phase in the development of a shoreline restoration suitability model for the northernmost section of the Indian River Lagoon system, in order to better conserve and restore shorelines and promote sustainable use of natural resources. The shoreline survey methodology was developed by St. Johns River Water Management for northeastern Florida and was adapted for applications in Brevard and Volusia Counties. Between November 2017 through June 2018, shoreline evaluations were completed at transects located …
Oyster Reef Restoration: Impacts On Infaunal Communities In A Shallow Water Estuary, Katherine P. Harris
Oyster Reef Restoration: Impacts On Infaunal Communities In A Shallow Water Estuary, Katherine P. Harris
Honors Undergraduate Theses
Oyster reefs are important estuarine ecosystems that provide habitat to many species including threatened and endangered wading birds and commercially important fishes and crabs. Infaunal organisms (i.e. small, aquatic animals that burrow in the sediment) are also supported by oyster reef habitats. Infaunal organisms are critical to marine food webs and are consumed by many important species that inhabit coastal estuaries. However, over the past century 85% of shellfish reef habitats have been lost, making restoration of these areas vital. Due to their important role in coastal food webs, infauna is hypothesized to be a strong indicator of habitat productivity …
Mechanical Properties Of The Skeleton Of Acropora Cervicornis, Bridget Masa
Mechanical Properties Of The Skeleton Of Acropora Cervicornis, Bridget Masa
Honors Undergraduate Theses
This research explores the instantaneous mechanical behavior of the skeleton of the critically endangered staghorn coral Acropora cervicornis. Both bleached and sanded skeletons were used in this experiment. The Raman spectroscopy test showed that there was no significant change in the Raman shift between the three branches tested. The shifts were nearly identical to Raman shifts of calcium carbonate. Vickers hardness test found that 1 Bleached had the average hardness of 3.44 GPa with a standard deviation of 0.12 GPa. The sanded sample also had a similar value of 3.54 GPa with a standard deviation of 0.13 GPa. Samples from …
Infection Dynamics Of Herpesvirus In Gopher Tortoises, Joanne Saldanha
Infection Dynamics Of Herpesvirus In Gopher Tortoises, Joanne Saldanha
Honors Undergraduate Theses
Gopherus polyphemus, commonly known as the Gopher Tortoise, is a dryland reptile native to the southeastern United States. It is commonly a resident of longleaf pine and dry oak sand hill habitats. It is considered a keystone species because they dig deep burrows that provide shelter to them as well as many other animals. Habitat loss, fragmentation, and disease are major threats and have caused this species to be federally listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Disease is a major threat to the gopher tortoise’s survival, and with declining populations, the need to investigate …
Behavioral And Disease Ecology Of Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus Polyphemus) Post Exclusion And Relocation With A Novel Approach To Homing Determination, Johnathan Napier
Behavioral And Disease Ecology Of Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus Polyphemus) Post Exclusion And Relocation With A Novel Approach To Homing Determination, Johnathan Napier
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
In the wake of human expansion, relocations and the loss of habitat can be stressful to an organism, plausibly leading to population declines. The gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) is a keystone species that constructs burrows it shares with 362 commensal species. Frequent exclusions and relocations and long generation times have contributed to G. polyphemus being State-designated as Threatened in Florida. Prior studies have indicated that G. polyphemus may possess homing behavior and thus be able to counteract stressors due to relocation and exclusion. I radiotracked a cohort of G. polyphemus for 11 months following excavation, relocation, and exclusion due to …
Evolution And Distribution Of Phenotypic Diversity In The Venom Of Mojave Rattlesnakes (Crotalus Scutulatus), Jason Strickland
Evolution And Distribution Of Phenotypic Diversity In The Venom Of Mojave Rattlesnakes (Crotalus Scutulatus), Jason Strickland
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Intraspecific phenotype diversity allows for local adaption and the ability for species to respond to changing environmental conditions, enhancing survivability. Phenotypic variation could be stochastic, genetically based, and/or the result of different environmental conditions. Mojave Rattlesnakes, Crotalus scutulatus, are known to have high intraspecific venom variation, but the geographic extent of the variation and factors influencing venom evolution are poorly understood. Three primary venom types have been described in this species based on the presence (Type A) or absence (Type B) of a neurotoxic phospholipase A2 called Mojave toxin and an inverse relationship with the presence of snake venom metalloproteinases …
Split Deoxyribozyme Probe For Efficient Detection Of Highly Structured Rna Targets, Sheila Raquel Solarez
Split Deoxyribozyme Probe For Efficient Detection Of Highly Structured Rna Targets, Sheila Raquel Solarez
Honors Undergraduate Theses
Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) are known for their role as adaptors during translation of the genetic information and as regulators for gene expression; uncharged tRNAs regulate global gene expression in response to changes in amino acid pools in the cell. Aminoacylated tRNAs play a role in non-ribosomal peptide bond formation, post-translational protein labeling, modification of phospholipids in the cell membrane, and antibiotic biosynthesis. [1] tRNAs have a highly stable structure that can present a challenge for their detection using conventional techniques. [2] To enable signal amplification and lower detection limits, a split probe - split deoxyribozyme (sDz or BiDz) probe, which …