Marine Biology Commons^™

Rapid Warming Events In A Small Coastal Upwelling Embayment, Tatjana E. Ellis

Physics

Temperature variability in the nearshore coastal ocean influences various biological processes and can drive changes in biodiversity and habitat range. Despite recent progress, there are still significant gaps in the understanding of drivers of temperature variability in upwelling bays, particularly at higher frequencies. In this study, we analyzed a decade of nearshore temperature measurements both inside and outside a small coastal embayment located in central California [San Luis Obispo (SLO) bay], as well as temperature data from satellites, to characterize rapid warming events. We found that rapid warming events, defined using rates of temperature change across different thresholds, occurred more …

Transgenerational Plasticity Causes Differences In Uv-Tolerance Of Intertidal And Subtidal Populations Of The Purple Sea Urchin, Strongylocentrotus Purpuratus, Yareli Alvarez, Nikki L. Adams

Master's Theses

Planktonic larvae of marine organisms are increasingly being exposed and required to respond to a changing physical environment. Adult sea urchins occupy both intertidal and subtidal waters and broadcast spawn gametes into the water column to contend with variable physical conditions. To answer how populations of invertebrates residing at different depths adequately prepare their offspring to cope with different levels of ultraviolet radiation (UVR), we collected adult purple sea urchins, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, from four sites (two intertidal and two subtidal (~15 m deep)) on the central coast of CA to compare UV tolerance in offspring. Our measurements of UVA …

Pismo Clams (Tivela Stultorum) In Califorina: Population Status, Habitat Associations, Reproduction, And Growth, Alexandria R. Marquardt

Master's Theses

Marine shellfish play a vital role in intertidal ecosystems and coastal communities, but many of these fisheries are small-scale and lack the necessary monitoring to ensure long-term sustainability. Effective management often requires information on key demographic parameters, such as population status, reproduction and growth. Pismo clams (Tivela stultorum) are a culturally important and iconic species in California, which supported a thriving commercial and recreational fishery throughout much of the 1900’s. However, Pismo clam populations have declined statewide in recent decades and are attributed to human harvest and predation by California sea otters (Enhydra lutris); However, no …

Fucus Distichus: Investigating Humidity And Temperature Between Tides, Jason Thomas, Andrew Chang, Julia Blum, Chela Zabin

STAR Program Research Presentations

Environmental elements such as changing rapidly changing temperature, prolonged periods of low to no water exposure, desiccation, predation and increased wave action can influence the diversity of microhabitats that inhabit the littoral zones. When making observations of various shorelines, specifically the physical conditions of the surrounding marine vegetation (i.e. Fucus distichus), an inquiry is made as to the role of Fucus in the amelioration of stressors on the marine habitat during low tide (MLLW), however, due to time considerations, temperature and humidity are the focus of this study. Using temperature and humidity probes, monitoring data shows that Fucus provides …

Comparing Orientation Behavior And Prey Preference Of Leptasterias Spp. Between Microhabitats, Jenna C. Sanders, Margaret W. Johnson, C Sarah Cohen

STAR Program Research Presentations

Leptasterias spp. is a species complex of small, six rayed, predatory sea stars that inhabit rocky intertidal communities along the Pacific coast of North America. A developmental mode of brooding their young, rather than broadcasting for planktonic development, limits dispersal away from the natal area, and may also result in fine scale local adaptation of populations. Local adaptation may lead to morphological and behavioral differences among populations, specifically towards the most available prey. Within the rocky intertidalthere are zones of high and low wave impact which create microhabitats with their own selective forces. In areas of high wave impact, stars …

The Population Genetics Of Morro Bay Eelgrass (Zostera Marina), Julia Gardner Harencar

Master's Theses

Seagrass populations are in decline worldwide. Zostera marina (eelgrass), one of California’s native seagrasses, is no exception to this trend. In the last 8 years, Morro Bay, California has lost 95% of its eelgrass. Eelgrass is an ecosystem engineer, providing important ecosystem services such as sediment stabilization, nutrient cycling, and nursery habitats for fish. The failure of recent restoration efforts necessitates a better understanding of the causes of eelgrass decline in this estuary. Previous research on eelgrass in California has demonstrated a link between population genetic diversity and eelgrass bed health, ecosystem functioning, and resilience to disturbance and extreme climatic …

Effect Of Oxygen-Limiting Tidal Conditions On Muscle Metabolism And Structure In The Giant Acorn Barnacle, Balanus Nubilus, Katie O. Grady

Master's Theses

Crustacean muscle fibers are some of the largest cells in the animal kingdom, with fiber diameters in the giant acorn barnacle (Balanus nubilus) exceeding 3 mm. Sessile animals with extreme muscle sizes and that live in the hypoxia-inducing intertidal zone – like B. nubilus – represent ideal models for probing the effects of oxygen limitation on muscle cells. We investigated changes in metabolism and structure of B. nubilus muscle in response to: normoxic immersion, anoxic immersion, or air emersion, for acute (6h) or chronic (6h exposures twice daily for 2wks) time periods. Following exposure, we immediately measured hemolymph …

To Fish Or Not To Fish? What Effect Do California’S Marine Protected Areas Have On Up-And-Coming Kellet’S Whelk Fishery?, Jennifer Greene

STAR Program Research Presentations

Kellet’s whelk, Kelletia kelletii, were observed at sample sites throughout their range from Baja California, Mexico, to Monterey, CA to determine patterns of population density. Sample sites in each region were either located within California marine protected areas where take of the Kellet’s whelk in prohibited, or in non-protected areas where the whelks can be fished both commercially and recreationally. Kellet’s whelk population density was compared between all MPA and non-MPA sample sites. These mean densities were also found for sites in Santa Barbara and San Diego near active fishing ports and compared to data from the same sites collected …

Automated Detection Of Deep-Sea Animals, Dallas J. Hollis, Duane Edgington, Danelle Cline

STAR Program Research Presentations

The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute routinely deploys remotely operated underwater vehicles equipped with high definition cameras for use in scientific studies. Utilizing a video collection of over 22,000 hours and the Video Annotation and Reference System, we have set out to automate the detection and classification of deep-sea animals. This paper serves to explore the pitfalls of automation and suggest possible solutions to automated detection in diverse ecosystems with varying field conditions. Detection was tested using a saliency-based neuromorphic selective attention algorithm. The animals that were not detected were then used to tune saliency parameters. Once objects are detected, …

Do Marine Protected Areas Affect Emerging Fisheries Population Density?, Jennifer Greene, Katherine O. Grady, Crow White, Danielle Zacherl

STAR Program Research Presentations

Kellet’s whelk, Kelletia kelletii, were observed at sample sites throughout their range from Baja California, Mexico, to Monterey, CA to determine patterns of population density. Sample sites in each region were either located within California marine protected areas where take of the Kellet’s whelk in prohibited, or in non-protected areas where the whelks can be fished both commercially and recreationally. Kellet’s whelk population density was compared between all MPA and non-MPA sample sites. These mean densities were also found for sites in Santa Barbara and San Diego near active fishing ports and compared to data from the same sites collected …

Monitoring Abundance Of Carcinus Maenas Developmental Stages In Seadrift Lagoon, Andrea M. Fieber

STAR Program Research Presentations

Able to tolerate a wide range of habitats, temperatures, and salinities, Carcinus maenas thrives in much of its non-native range, out-competing native crabs for resources while diminishing food supplies for a variety of marine and estuarine organisms. In Seadrift Lagoon, a manmade inlet of Bolinas Lagoon in Marin County, California, green crabs comprise a significant portion of benthic fauna, and trapping efforts began in 2009 to eradicate them. We analyzed several years of trapping data to monitor demographic changes for this closed population, performed larvae and megalopae sampling with pot scrubbers, and counted eggs on ovigerous females captured in Seadrift …

Identification Of Saccharina Groenlandica (Phaeophyceae) Around The Svalbard Archipelago: Dna Barcoding Using Cytochrome C Oxidase Subunit 1 (Coi), Anniken Lydon

Master's Theses

In the Arctic, brown algae (kelps) and seaweeds are ecologically important: providing habitat, protection, and nutrients for invertebrate and vertebrate species living in nearshore environments. Migrations of biota between the North Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans have occurred periodically during Earth’s history leading to colonization of the Arctic Ocean. Around 3.5 Mya the “Great Trans-Arctic Biotic Interchange” occurred and the Laminariales order of kelp, thought to be of North Pacific origin, underwent a massive radiation and speciation event around the Arctic Ocean. Phylogenetic analysis performed on “Laminaria-like” specimens collected from six sampling locations around the Svalbard Archipelago identified …

Are Circadian Cycles The Dominant Proteome Rhythym In The Intertidal Mussel Mytilus Californianus?, Kristina M. Koster, Cory Elowe, Lars Tomanek

STAR Program Research Presentations

Mytilus californianus, also known as the California mussel, is a marine bivalve that is abundant along the West coast from Alaska to southern Baja California. They mainly reside in the upper-middle intertidal zone and cling to pier pilings and surf exposed rocks. They create multi-layered beds, which form a habitat for algae and many species of invertebrates. Intertidal mussels live in a naturally dynamic environment. It has previously been reported (Connor and Gracey, 2011) that the 24-hour circadian (day to night) rhythm of the intertidal mussel Mytilus californianus is primarily responsible for its rhythmic gene expression, as opposed to …

Sea Turtle Hatchling Sex Ratios Determined Via Hormone Assay: Implications Of Climate Change?, William A. Hilton, Matthew Godfrey, Camryn D. Allen

STAR Program Research Presentations

Currently all species of sea turtles are listed as threatened or endangered with extinction under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Due to their status, sea turtle conservation is a high priority for the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. One major challenge conservationists face is the lack of a noninvasive, cost efficient method for determining the sex of hatchling sea turtles. Because secondary sex characteristics (i.e. males have longer tails) are not evident until turtles start to reach sexual maturity, the sex of hatchlings is not easily determined. The least invasive way to determine the …

Estimating Migration Rates Between Populations Of Zostera Marina In The San Francisco Bay, Elizabeth S. Gutierrez

STAR Program Research Presentations

Eelgrass (Zostera marina) is a highly clonal marine angiosperm that can also reproduce sexually through flowering and seed formation. In a previous study, Fst values from six microsatellite loci suggested that a perennial San Francisco Bay subpopulation at Point Molate (Richmond, California) was able to recover from a drastic 2006 die-off through seed recruitment from neighboring eelgrass subpopulations, changing its reproductive strategy from clonal to sexual. Although Fst measures continue to be widely used in population genetics, the assumptions under which they operate are not always appropriate given certain circumstances, such small population sizes and/or asymmetrical migration rates. Our summer …

Jellyfish Throwdown: Invasive Versus Native, Brooke Bemowski, Trisha Huynh, Lindsay J. Sullivan, Wim Kimmerer

STAR Program Research Presentations

The San Francisco Bay Estuary is home to many species of marine and wildlife that create a delicate ecological balance. Invasive jellyfish introduced to the bay though cargo shipping are believed to be competing with the endangered delta smelt for the same food source of copepods. Samples of zooplankton were taken from high and low salinity zones in the San Francisco Bay over three years in months June through February to correlate with the peak of the jellyfish lifecycle. The preserved samples are looked through and jellyfish are removed and recorded. The species of jellyfish is determined using features such …

The Path To The Sea: Leatherback Hatchling Orientation At Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge, Christina Macmillan, Kelly Stewart

STAR Program Research Presentations

Once sea turtle hatchlings emerge from their nest, they must find their way to the ocean by using cues such as a bright horizon and the slope of the beach. While moving toward the water, hatchlings often must navigate past predators and through vegetation, sticks, footprints in the sand, and other dangers such as ghost crab holes. Sometimes hatchlings become confused (or disoriented) and turn in circles to find the right route to the water. Sea turtle hatchlings also may become disoriented as a result of human impacts such as town lights or trash. The purpose of our experiment was …

Salinity Distribution Of Microplankton In The San Francisco Estuary, Carrie Ann Sharitt, Lindsay Sullivan, Wim Kimmerer

STAR Program Research Presentations

Microplankton are a diverse group of planktonic organisms ranging from 0.02 to 0.2 millimeters. Since the group is defined solely by size, it spans numerous taxonomic groups, including both heterotrophs and autotrophs. Microplankton are abundant in all aquatic ecosystems and are important prey for many organisms, including bivalves, crustaceans, and fish. The San Francisco Bay is truly an estuary as saltwater enters the estuary under the Golden Gate Bridge and freshwater flows in from the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers. Thus, there is a gradient of salinity from freshwater (0) in the rivers to saltwater by the Golden Gate Bridge …

Zooplankton Trophic Ecology In The San Francisco Estuary During Summer As Determined By Stable Isotope Analysis, Kyla Bradylong, Steven Westbrook, Julien Moderan, Wim Kimmerer

STAR Program Research Presentations

Declines in the abundance of several pelagic fish species in the upper San Francisco Estuary have prompted investigation into food web interactions within the estuary and delta (the lower Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers). This area is characterized by low primary production and pelagic food webs much longer and reticulated than previously thought, implying low efficiency in the energy transfers from primary producers to planktivorous fish. We determined the carbon and nitrogen stable isotope (SI) composition of zooplankton samples collected monthly between June 2012 and February 2013 at eight stations along the salinity gradient. As consumers SI composition reflects that …

Big Babies, Big Mammas?: Relationship Of Leatherback Hatchling Size And Mother Size, Shane Morales, Violet Campbell, Kelly Stewart

STAR Program Research Presentations

Individual leatherback hatchlings vary in size when compared to individuals from other nests, as well as individuals from the same nest. It is thought that many factors affect hatchling size but that one of the most influential factors is maternal size. Of all the aspects of a mother which could affect hatchling size, evidence for question concerning influence of mother size is determinable within the field using minimal tools and basic statistical analysis. If a direct correlation exists between mother size and hatchling size then the claim can be made that larger mothers produce larger offspring while smaller mothers produce …

An Analysis Of Human Disturbance To Rocky Intertidal Communities Of San Luis Obispo County, Grant Tyler Waltz

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

An Analysis Of Human Disturbance To Rocky Intertidal Communities Of San Luis Obispo County

Grant Tyler Waltz

The number of coastal areas open to public access in California and San Luis Obispo County is increasing due to the acquisition by California State Parks of land previously owned by private entities. For example, California State Parks acquired property from the Hearst Corporation in 2005, which included 18 miles of coastline. California State Parks is responsible for providing public access in these newly acquired areas and also for maintaining the health of the natural systems found on these properties. Part of …

A Genetic Survey Of English Sole Populations In The Salish Sea, Elizabeth S. Gutierrez, Gary A. Winans, Jon Baker, Amanda Cope

STAR Program Research Presentations

This summer I interned at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, WA and participated in NOAA’s Salish Sea Project. The Salish Sea Project’s goal is to identify genetically distinctive groups of species in the Salish Sea that may have unique evolutionary and/or adaptive backgrounds. These findings will allow NOAA to promote and monitor the natural production of species in the Salish Sea, to select representative populations for experimental work regarding pollution, ocean acidification and climate change, to contribute to managing the ecosystem for intra- and inter-species diversity, and to help make informed decisions about adaptive management and marine protected …

Functional Response Of Protected Larval Stage Delta Smelt (Hypomesus Transpacificus), Jorge Ruiz, Lindsay Sullivan, Wim Kimmerer, Joan Lindberg

STAR Program Research Presentations

Delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) is a protected slender-bodied fish endemic to the San Francisco Estuary. Smelt prey upon various zooplankton including the copepods such as Pseudodiaptomus forbesi. This experiment studied the prey maximum feeding rate of 2 larval stages (21 DHP, 35 DPH) of Delta smelt on various concentrations of P. forbesi. The copepod prey was offered at 7 different concentrations (2No./L–120No./L). After feeding was terminated the free prey and ingested prey were counted and analyzed to find the feeding rate of Delta smelt. Maximum feeding rate was found to be at much higher prey densities …

Developing Monitoring Methods For Leptasterias Spp. As Sentinel Species In Detecting Local Environmental Changes, Zachary Sturbaum, Kathryn Nuessly, Riley J. Smith, C. Sarah Cohen

STAR Program Research Presentations

Leptasterias spp., a six-rayed sea star, is found in rocky intertidal habitats ranging from Alaska to central California. Leptasterias spp. can be monitored on a broad scale throughout their range by a variety of means using timed counts and random plot censusing in order to detect both large-scale and local-level changes in the environment due to climate change, land-based human activity, or other environmental events. Leptasterias brood their young externally until the embryos grow into fully developed juveniles. These juveniles disperse by crawling away, limiting their dispersal potential. This localized dispersal provides an opportunity to use Leptasterias spp …

Testing The Salinity Tolerance Levels Of Similar Invasive Species Found In The San Francisco Bay, Julia M. Smith, C. Sarah Cohen, Elizabeth Sheets

STAR Program Research Presentations

Testing the salinity tolerance levels of similar invasive species found in the San Francisco Bay

Julia Smith^1,2, Elizabeth Sheets², and C. Sarah Cohen²

¹Department of Teacher Education, California State University, Sacramento ²Department of Biology and Romberg Tiburon Center, San Francisco State University

Three non-indigenous colonial ascidian species, Botrylloides violaceus, Botrylloides diegensis, and Botryllus schlosseri, have become well established in San Francisco Bay. Two species, B. violaceous and B. schlosseri, are globally distributed, and understanding the salinity ranges and tolerances of these successful invaders in their introduced habitats is important for …

Brody-Bertalanffy Growth Curves From Tag And Recapture Studies On Cabezon (Scorpaenichthys Marmoratus) And Gopher Rockfish (Sebastes Carnatus) Of The Central Coast, Christie Yorke

Biological Sciences

No abstract provided.