Biology Commons^™

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 …

Using On‐Line Data Sources To Allow Students To Test Hypotheses About River Flow And Effects On Remotely Sensed Coastal Ocean Properties., Lawrence B. Cohoon, Kristin M. Hardy, Dustin M. Allen

Biological Sciences

This exercise shows students how to relate remotely sensible properties of coastal waters to variations in river discharge using on‐line data resources. Students can then test hypotheses about the effects of climate changes (drought and wet periods), anthropogenic impacts (urbanized, agricultural, or undeveloped watersheds), or seasonality on river discharges and their consequences, if any, on coastal water quality as determined from remotely sensed properties. River flow has been measured for various periods of time, in some cases from almost the beginning of the 20^th century, at many locations throughout the U.S. by the U.S. Geological Survey, with data on …

Bioluminescence In The Sea, Steven H.D. Haddock, Mark A. Moline, James F. Case

Biological Sciences

Bioluminescence spans all oceanic dimensions and has evolved many times—from bacteria to fish—to powerfully influence behavioral and ecosystem dynamics. New methods and technology have brought great advances in understanding of the molecular basis of bioluminescence, its physiological control, and its significance in marine communities. Novel tools derived from understanding the chemistry of natural light-producing molecules have led to countless valuable applications, culminating recently in a related Nobel Prize. Marine organisms utilize bioluminescence for vital functions ranging from defense to reproduction. To understand these interactions and the distributions of luminous organisms, new instruments and platforms allow observations on individual to oceanographic …

The Metabolic Demands Of Swimming Behavior Influence The Evolution Of Skeletal Muscle Fiber Design In The Brachyuran Crab Family Portunidae, Kristin M. Hardy, Sean C. Lema, Stephen T. Kinsey

Biological Sciences

We investigated the influence of intracellular diffusion on muscle fiber design in several swimming and non-swimming brachyuran crabs. Species with sustained swimming behavior had aerobic dark fibers subdivided into small metabolic functional units, creating short diffusion distances necessary to support the high rates of aerobic ATP turnover associated with endurance activity. This dark fiber design was observed in all swimming species including Ovalipes ocellatus, which has apparently evolved swimming behavior independently of other Portunidae. In addition, we observed fiber and subdivision size-dependent differences in organelle distribution. Mitochondria, which rely on oxygen to function, were uniformly distributed in small fibers/subdivisions, …

First Record Of The Extinct Sawfish Propristis Schweinfurthi Dames, 1883 (Batoidea: Pristiformes: Pristidae) From The Middle Eocene Of Spain, Francesc Farrés, Harry L. Fierstine

Biological Sciences

A partial rostrum of Propristis schweinfurthi Dames, 1883 was collected in the Bartonian strata of northeastern Spain. The specimen represents the second record of the species from Europe, and the second occurrence of a sawfish (Mesopristis osonensis Farrés, 2003) from the Vic-Manlleu Marls Formation. In spite of some evidence to the contrary, Propristis probably preferred ecological conditions similar to extant sawfishes, i.e., inhabiting near shore tropical to subtropical seas with occasional excursions into freshwater.

Exhaustive Exercise Training Enhances Aerobic Capacity In American Alligator (Alligator Mississippiensis), John Eme, Tomasz Owerkowicz, June Gwalthney, Jason M. Blank, Bryan C. Rourke, James W. Hicks

Biological Sciences

The oxygen transport system in mammals is extensively remodelled in response to repeated bouts of activity, but many reptiles appear to be ‘metabolically inflexible’ in response to exercise training. A recent report showed that estuarine crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus) increase their maximum metabolic rate in response to exhaustive treadmill training, and in the present study, we confirm this response in another crocodilian, American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis). We further specify the nature of the crocodilian training response by analysing effects of training on aerobic [citrate synthase (CS)] and anaerobic [lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)] enzyme activities in selected skeletal muscles, …

Surgical Removal Of Right-To-Left Cardiac Shunt In The American Alligator (Alligator Mississippiensis) Causes Ventricular Enlargement But Does Not Alter Apnoea Or Metabolism During Diving, John Eme, June Gwalthney, Jason M. Blank, Tomasz Owerkowicz, Gildardo Barron, James W. Hicks

Biological Sciences

Crocodilians have complete anatomical separation between the ventricles, similar to birds and mammals, but retain the dual aortic arch system found in all non-avian reptiles. This cardiac anatomy allows surgical modification that prevents right-to-left (R–L) cardiac shunt. A R–L shunt is a bypass of the pulmonary circulation and recirculation of oxygen-poor blood back to the systemic circulation and has often been observed during the frequent apnoeic periods of non-avian reptiles, particularly during diving in aquatic species. We eliminated R–L shunt in American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) by surgically occluding the left aorta (LAo; arising from right ventricle) upstream and …

Evaluating Connectivity Between Marine Protected Areas Using Codar High-Frequency Radar, Brian Zelenke, Mark A. Moline, Burt H. Jones, Steven R. Ramp, Greg B. Crawford, John L. Largier, Eric J. Terrill, Newell Garfield Iii, Jeffrey D. Paduan, Libe Washburn

Biological Sciences

To investigate the connectivity between central California marine protected areas (MPAs), back-projections were calculated using the network of high-frequency (HF) radar ocean surface current mapping stations operated along the California coast by the member institutions of the Coastal Ocean Currents Monitoring Program with funding provided by California voters through Propositions 40 & 50 and administered by the State Coastal Conservancy. Trajectories of 1 km resolution grids of water particles were back-projected from ten MPAs each hour, out through 40 days in the past, from each day in 2008, producing a map of where surface waters travel over a 40-day period …

Ornithocoprophilous Plants Of Mount Desert Rock, A Remote Bird-Nesting Island In The Gulf Of Maine, U.S.A, Nishanta Rajakaruna, Nathaniel S. Pope, Jose Perez-Orozco, Tanner B. Harris

Biological Sciences

Plants growing on seabird-nesting islands are uniquely adapted to deal with guano-derived soils high in N and P. Such ornithocoprophilous plants found in isolated, oceanic settings provide useful models for ecological and evolutionary investigations. The current study explored the plants found on Mount Desert Rock (MDR), a small seabird-nesting, oceanic island 44 km south of Mount Desert Island (MDI), Hancock County, Maine, U.S.A. Twenty-seven species of vascular plants from ten families were recorded. Analyses of guano-derived soils from the rhizosphere of the three most abundant species from bird-nesting sites of MDR showed significantly higher (P < 0.05) NO₃⁻, available …

A Hump-Shaped Relationship Between Isolation And Abundance Of Notonecta Irrorata Colonists In Aquatic Mesocosms, Shannon J. Mccauley, Christopher J. Davis, Jennifer Nystrom, Earl E. Werner

Biological Sciences

We examined the relationship between the isolation of experimental aquatic mesocosms and the abundance of an aquatic insect colonist, Notonecta irrorata, over two years. We used a curve-fitting approach to assess whether linear or quadratic models better describe the relationship between isolation and abundance. For two measures of mesocosm isolation, distance to nearest source and distance to the largest source population, there was a significant quadratic relationship between isolation and abundance. Abundance of colonizing N. irrorata was not found to be significantly related to a third measure of isolation, mesocosm connectivity. These results indicate that the relationship between habitat …

Density Dependence And The Economic Efficacy Of Marine Reserves, Crow White

Biological Sciences

Predictions on the efficacy of marine reserves for benefiting fisheries differ in large part due to considerations of models of either intra- or inter-cohort population density regulating fish recruitment. Here, I consider both processes acting on recruitment and show using a bioeconomic model how for many fisheries density dependent recruitment dynamics interact with harvest costs to influence fishery profit with reserves. Reserves consolidate fishing effort, favoring fisheries that can profitably harvest low-density stocks of species where adult density mediates recruitment. Conversely, proportion coastline in reserves that maximizes profit, and relative improvement in profit from reserves over conventional management, decline with …

Biology Of Ultramafic Rocks And Soils: Research Goals For The Future, Robert S. Boyd, Arthur R. Kruckeberg, Nishanta Rajakaruna

Biological Sciences

In absence of a text abstract the introduction of the article is provided.

Introduction

At this, the 6th International Conference on Serpentine Ecology, it seems timely to review briefl y the present status of the fi eld and to project the needs for future research. Although a great deal of serpentine research was done prior to 1960, as summarized by Krause (1958) and discussed briefl y by Brooks (1987), much of our progress in learning how serpentine geology affects plant and animal life occurred in the mid- to late 20th century. In that era, it was the landmark studies of …

Phylogeography Of The North American Red Fox: Vicariance In Pleistocene Forest Refugia, Keith B. Aubry, Mark J. Statham, Benjamin N. Sacks, John D. Perrine, Samantha M. Wisely

Biological Sciences

Fossil, archaeological, and morphometric data suggest that indigenous red foxes in North America were derived from vicariance in two disjunct refugia during the last glaciation: one in Beringia and one in the contiguous USA. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a phylogeographical analysis of the North American red fox within its presettlement range. We sequenced portions of the mitochondrial cytochrome b (354 bp) gene and D-loop (342 bp) from 220 historical red fox specimens. Phylogenetic analysis of the cytochrome b gene produced two clades that diverged c. 400 000 years before present (bp): a Holarctic and a Nearctic clade. …

Adiantum Viridimontanum, Aspidotis Densa, Minuartia Marcescens, And Symphyotrichum Rhiannon: Additional Serpentine Endemics From Eastern North America, Tanner Harris, Nishanta Rajakaruna

Biological Sciences

Serpentine outcrops around the world are known to harbor disproportionately high rates of plant endemism. Remarkable cases of serpentine endemism occur in New Caledonia and Cuba, with 3178 and 920 endemic taxa, respectively, found solely on serpentine. Despite the patchy occurrence of serpentine in eastern North America from Québec and Newfoundland south to Alabama, only one taxon, Cerastium velutinum var. villosissimum, has been broadly recognized as a serpentine endemic for the region. Based on reports in the literature, we suggest that Adiantum viridimontanum, Minuartia marcescens, and Symphyotrichum rhiannon be considered endemic to serpentine soils from the east coast …

Advances In Serpentine Geoecology: A Retrospective, Nishanta Rajakaruna, Robert S. Boyd

Biological Sciences

(In absence of a text abstract the first paragraph of the paper is provided.)

Serpentine habitats have long provided model settings for geoecological research (reviewed in Alexander et al. 2007, Brady et al. 2005, Brooks 1987, Kazakou et al. 2008, Kruckeberg 1984, Proctor and Woodell 1975, Raja-karuna et al 2009). Serpentine loosely refers to a broad group of minerals associated with the weathering of ultramafi c (high iron and magnesium-rich) rocks found along continental margins and orogenic belts. Soils associated with such rocks often differ from more widespread soils, being less fertile and having high concentrations of some heavy metals. …

Biological Effects Within No-Take Marine Reserves: A Global Synthesis, Sarah E. Lester, Benjamin S. Halpern, Kirsten Grorud-Colvert, Jane Lubchenco, Benjamin I. Ruttenberg, Steven D. Gaines, Satie Airamé, Robert R. Warner

Biological Sciences

The study and implementation of no-take marine reserves have increased rapidly over the past decade, providing ample data on the biological effects of reserve protection for a wide range of geographic locations and organisms. The plethora of new studies affords the opportunity to reevaluate previous findings and address formerly unanswered questions with extensive data syntheses. Our results show, on average, positive effects of reserve protection on the biomass, numerical density, species richness, and size of organisms within their boundaries which are remarkably similar to those of past syntheses despite a near doubling of data. New analyses indicate that (1) these …

Thyroid Hormone Regulation Of Mrnas Encoding Thyrotropin Β-Subunit, Glycoprotein Α-Subunit, And Thyroid Hormone Receptors Α And Β In Brain, Pituitary Gland, Liver, And Gonads Of An Adult Teleost, Pimephales Promelas, Sean C. Lema, Jon T. Dickey, Irvin R. Schultz, Penny Swanson

Biological Sciences

Thyroid hormones (THs) regulate growth, morphological development, and migratory behaviors in teleost fish, yet little is known about the transcriptional dynamics of gene targets for THs in these taxa. Here, we characterized TH regulation of mRNAs encoding thyrotropin subunits and thyroid hormone receptors (TRs) in an adult teleost fish model, the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas). Breeding pairs of adult minnows were fed diets containing 3,5, 3^,-triiodo-_L-thyronine (T₃) or the goitrogen methimazole for 10 days. In males and females, dietary intake of exogenous T₃ elevated circulating total T₃, while methimazole …

The Role Of Trna Modification Systems In The Cellular Stress Response, Margaret Daly

Biological Sciences

Transfer RNA(tRNA) is a small chain of nucleotides that participates in protein synthesis by pairing its anticodon with an mRNA codon and transferring an amino acid to a growing polypeptide chain. tRNA methyltransferases are a group of enzymes that can modify nucleosides in or around the anticodon, as well as at other parts of the tRNA. Recently, some of these modifications have been reported to enhance the translation of proteins that help the cell respond to and/or repair DNA damage. We hypothesize that the modifications catalyzed by some of the tRNA methyltransferases (Trms) stabilize the interaction between the mRNA codon …

Effects Of Carbachol And Vitamin C On Submandibular Salivary Gland Branching Morphogenesis, Nasiratu Larry

Biological Sciences

The Submandibular Salivary Gland (SMG) is formed by iterative branching of epithelial cells into secretory acinar endbuds and branched ducts that are extensively innervated by parasympathetic nerves which can influence gland development. Carbarrylcholine or carbachol, (an acetylcholine neurotransmitter analog), is a drug that binds to and activates the acetylcholine receptor. Previous research has suggested that carbachol on SMGs might delay ductal differentiation and affect actin localization in cells lining the lumen of ducts. Vitamin C has been shown to enhance matrix protein synthesis, which may accelerate cell differentiation. My goal was to test whether and how carbachol or modulation of …

Evolutionary Analysis Of Host Proteins Cd4, Cxcr4 And Ccr5, And Hiv/Siv Gp12, Lana Bunning

Biological Sciences

The acquired immune deficiency syndrome, AIDS, is a growing epidemic in the United States and the world. Since its discovery in 1981, the virus that causes AIDS, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), has escalated. .Certain African ape (i.e., chimpanzees and gorillas) and monkey species are known to harbor forms of the virus termed SIV (simian immunodeficiency virus). Chimpanzees are the natural hosts of the SIV strains from which HIV-I evolved, but do not rapidly progress to AIDS, unlike their human relatives. In the wild, gorillas have been observed to harbor SIV, but this species' disease progression is currently unknown. As the …

Development, Implementation And Evaluation Of A Data-Assimilative Ocean Forecasting System Off The Central California Coast, Yi Chao, Zhijin Li, John Farrara, James C. Mcwilliams, James Bellingham, Xavier Capet, Francisco Chavez, Jei-Kook Choi, Russ Davis, Jim Doyle, David M. Fratantoni, Peggy Li, Patrick Marchesiello, Mark A. Moline, Jeff Paduan, Steve Ramp

Biological Sciences

The development and implementation of a real-time ocean forecast system based on the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) off the coast of central California are described. The ROMS configuration consists of three nested modeling domains with increasing spatial resolutions: the US West coastal ocean at 15-km resolution, the central California coastal ocean at 5 km, and the Monterey Bay region at 1.5 km. All three nested models have 32 vertical sigma (or terrain-following) layers and were integrated in conjunction with a three-dimensional variational data assimilation algorithm (3DVAR) to produce snapshots of the ocean state every 6 h (the reanalysis) and …