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Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons™
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- Keyword
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- Ecology (3)
- Acoustic telemetry (2)
- Brook trout (2)
- Movement (2)
- Stress (2)
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- Accelerometers (1)
- Amystoma opacum (1)
- Anadromous river herring; alewife; telemetry; fish behavior; restoration (1)
- Anadromy (1)
- Aquatic Fragmentation (1)
- Barrier Prioritization (1)
- Brook Trout (1)
- CART (1)
- Catch-and-release (1)
- Climate change (1)
- Conservation biology (1)
- Cortisol (1)
- Culvert Failure (1)
- EDNA (1)
- Environmental DNA (1)
- Estuaries (1)
- Fish ecology (1)
- Fish habitat use (1)
- Forestry (1)
- Four-toed salamander (1)
- Growth (1)
- Habitat (1)
- Habitat use (1)
- Heat shock protein (1)
- Hemidactylium scutatum (1)
Articles 1 - 10 of 10
Full-Text Articles in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
An Assessment Of Environmental Dna As A Tool To Detect Fish Species In Headwater Streams, Stephen F. Jane
An Assessment Of Environmental Dna As A Tool To Detect Fish Species In Headwater Streams, Stephen F. Jane
Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014
Recent years have seen an explosion of interest in the use of freely available DNA present in aquatic systems, otherwise known as environmental DNA (eDNA), as a tool for monitoring aquatic organisms. However, much remains unknown about the behavior of eDNA over a range of environmental conditions. This is particularly true in high gradient headwater streams, which have received less attention than other types of water bodies. In the summer of 2011, a headwater stream system with well established species distributions was sampled using eDNA techniques. Though species were detected where known to be present, detections also occurred where traditional …
Movement Patterns And Catch-And-Release Impacts Of Striped Bass In A Tidal Coastal Embayment In Massachusetts, Heather M. Tyrrell
Movement Patterns And Catch-And-Release Impacts Of Striped Bass In A Tidal Coastal Embayment In Massachusetts, Heather M. Tyrrell
Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014
An investigation into the spatial ecology and effects of catch-and-release angling on the physiology and behavior of striped bass was conducted. Fine-scale behavior was assessed by tagging fish with acoustic transmitters equipped with pressure and tri-axial accelerometer sensors and tracking them within a fixed array (n=34 receivers) in a Massachusetts estuary. Activity space changed significantly over the course of the season and increased with water temperature. Striped bass most frequently exhibited low levels of locomotory activity representing 67% of total activity measurements, with occasional high activity and burst swimming, often within the upper 3 m of the water column. Depth …
Movement Patterns Of Brook Trout In A Restored Coastal Stream System In Southern Massachusetts, Erin L. Snook
Movement Patterns Of Brook Trout In A Restored Coastal Stream System In Southern Massachusetts, Erin L. Snook
Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014
Populations of anadromous brook trout can be found from northern Canada into New England. It is believed that the extent of anadromy exhibited by coastal brook trout populations decreases with latitude, but the ecology and movements of the more southern populations are less studied. A 33-month acoustic telemetry study of anadromous brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) was conducted in a restored coastal stream and adjacent marine system in southeastern Massachusetts. Movement and migration patterns of 54 brook trout were investigated for individual differences and common features. Individuals exhibited a range of movement patterns. Some were more resident and only …
Habitat Heterogeneity Concentrates Predators In The Seascape: Linking Intermediate-Scale Estuarine Habitat To Striped Bass Distribution, Cristina Kennedy
Habitat Heterogeneity Concentrates Predators In The Seascape: Linking Intermediate-Scale Estuarine Habitat To Striped Bass Distribution, Cristina Kennedy
Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014
Predators are key components of aquatic ecosystems and innovative approaches to understanding their spatial distribution are imperative for research, effective management, and conservation. Discontinuities, created by abrupt changes between two unlike entities, are irregularly-distributed, intermediate-scale features that can have a disproportionate effect on organismal distribution within the seascape. Here I use the discontinuity concept to relate the distribution of a predator, striped bass (Morone saxatilis), to physical features within Plum Island Estuary (PIE), MA. I mapped the distribution of 50 acoustically-tagged striped bass during four monthly surveys at 40 sites to evaluate if heterogeneity in physical features concentrated …
Habitat Use And Seasonal Movement Patterns Of Four-Toed Salamanders (Hemidactylium Scutatum) In Massachusetts, Kimberly O. Vitale
Habitat Use And Seasonal Movement Patterns Of Four-Toed Salamanders (Hemidactylium Scutatum) In Massachusetts, Kimberly O. Vitale
Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014
Understanding the movement phenology of the four-toed salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum) is essential to guide management practices. I examined the relationship between environmental variables and the directionality, timing, and magnitude of four-toed salamander movements at two locations in eastern Massachusetts. Four-toed salamanders move from upland habitats to wetland areas in early spring and move away from wetlands in late spring. Adult movements increased with more precipitation and less moon light. Juvenile movements were similarly affected, and in addition they were more likely to move when temperatures were warm and days long. My results can be used to implement management …
Aquatic Barrier Prioritization In New England Under Climate Change Scenarios Using Fish Habitat Quantity, Thermal Habitat Quality, Aquatic Organism Passage, And Infrastructure Sustainability, Alexandra C. Jospe
Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014
Improperly designed road-stream crossings can fragment stream networks by restricting or preventing aquatic organism passage. These crossings may also be more vulnerable to high flow events, putting critical human infrastructure at risk. Climate change, which will require access to suitable habitat for species persistence, and is also predicted to increase the frequency and magnitude of extreme floods, underscores the importance of maintaining stream connectivity and resilient infrastructure. Given the large number of road-stream crossings and the expense of replacement, it is increasingly important to prioritize removals and account for the multiple benefits of these management actions. I developed an aquatic …
Temperature Effects On Growth And Stress Physiology Of Brook Trout: Implications For Climate Change Impacts On An Iconic Cold-Water Fish, Joseph G. Chadwick Jr
Temperature Effects On Growth And Stress Physiology Of Brook Trout: Implications For Climate Change Impacts On An Iconic Cold-Water Fish, Joseph G. Chadwick Jr
Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014
Despite the threat of climate change, the physiological mechanisms by which temperature drives the distribution of species are unclear. Here we used chronic temperature exposures to determine that the upper limit for positive growth in the eastern brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) is 23.4 °C. Additionally, brook trout exposed to daily temperature oscillations of 8 °C, around a mean of 21 °C, exhibited growth rates that were 43 and 35% lower by length and weight respectively, than in constant 21 °C controls. Limitations in growth were associated with increases in indicators of the physiological stress response. Individuals exposed to …
Status, Movements, And Habitat Use Of Moose In Massachusetts, David W. Wattles
Status, Movements, And Habitat Use Of Moose In Massachusetts, David W. Wattles
Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014
Moose (Alces alces) have been re-established in much of the historic range in the northeastern United States. Recently the southern edge of the species ranges has been extended southward into southern New England and northern New York from established populations in northern New England. The southern expansion raised questions as to the ability of this northern species to cope with higher temperatures, areas densely populated by humans, and different forest types further south. In light of these recent developments, we conducted a literature search on moose in the northeastern United States and distributed a questionnaire and conducted phone …
Evaluation Of Pre-Spawning Movements Of Anadromous Alewives In The Ipswich River Using Radiotelemetry, Holly J. Frank
Evaluation Of Pre-Spawning Movements Of Anadromous Alewives In The Ipswich River Using Radiotelemetry, Holly J. Frank
Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014
Conserving and restoring anadromous fish populations is an important research and management priority. For conservation to be effective, researchers must understand the behavior of the fish they seek to restore. Telemetry has allowed researchers to understand the upstream migrations of these fish in freshwater, how migration patterns vary, and if there is a relationship between behavior and environmental variables. In the northeastern United States, alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus), one of two species collectively referred to as river herring, has historically been an important component of coastal rivers. However, populations of these fish have experienced recent declines, and a commonly used method …
Conservation Implications Of A Marbled Salamander, Ambystoma Opacum, Metapopulation Model, Ethan B. Plunkett
Conservation Implications Of A Marbled Salamander, Ambystoma Opacum, Metapopulation Model, Ethan B. Plunkett
Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014
Amphibians are in decline globally and a significantly greater percentage of ambystomatid salamander species are in decline relative to other species; habitat loss contributes significantly to this decline. The goals of this thesis is to better understand extinction risk in a marbled salamander (ambystoma opacum) population and how forestry effects extinction risk. To achieve this goal we first estimated an important life history parameter (Chapter 1) then used a metapopulation model to estimate population viability and determine what aspects of their life history put them most at risk (Chapter 2) and finally predicted extinction risk in response to hypothetical forestry …