Marine Biology Commons^™

Interactions Between Black, Brown, Blue And Green Carbon From Terrestrial To Marine Ecosystems: A Critical Review, Allison White, Richard Kline, Md. Saydur Rahman

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Black and brown carbon are byproducts of the incomplete combustion of biomass or fossil fuels. These light-absorbing aerosols influence climate by altering the radiative balance through the absorption and scattering of sunlight, exacerbating global climate change. Their subsequent deposition on terrestrial and marine environments affects surface albedo, snow and ice melt, and biogeochemical processes, leading to further environmental consequences. In contrast, green and blue carbon refer to carbon stored in terrestrial vegetation and marine ecosystems, respectively. These ecosystems play a crucial role in mitigating climate change by sequestering atmospheric carbon; however, they are increasingly threatened by climatic disturbances, anthropogenic activities, …

The Transition Zone Hypothesis On Biodiversity Of The Indian River Lagoon System, Florida, Richard L. Turner

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The Indian River Lagoon System (IRL) is regarded as having a high level of biodiversity. The level of biodiversity is often attributed in part to the 2-degree latitudinal span (251 km) of the IRL and to its position in a transitional zone between tropical and temperate biotic provinces. This hypothesis was tested for submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) based on a recent treatise (Littler, Littler, and Hanisak, 2008). Five of seven species of seagrass are tropical, and two have either a broad or very narrow latitudinal distribution; the transition-zone hypothesis does not hold for seagrasses. Most macroalgae (131 spp.) are tropical/subtropical; …

Evaluation Of Ocean Lidar Enhancement Through Miniaturization And Gated Pmt-Based Range Extension, Chandler Austin Slater

OES Theses and Dissertations

Oceanographic lidar systems remotely characterize the vertical structure of the upper ocean by recording the light backscattered from a laser pulse as it propagates through the water column. Historically these systems have been constrained by limited detection ranges, often capturing only a portion of the illuminated water column, typically fading to noise around the 10% isolume. A primary constraint has been the limited dynamic range of digitizers, which inhibits the ability to resolve both intense near-field and faint far-field backscatter signals within a single acquisition. To address this, we developed a novel optical lidar system incorporating gated photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) …

Benthic Infaunal Responses To Shoreline Restoration, Jessica Lauren Cline

Theses and Dissertations

In the age of increasing urban coastal sprawl, natural shorelines are being replaced by hard armoring structures, which result in the loss of valuable ecosystem services. Hybrid living shorelines, areas that include limited and less intensive armoring strategies paired with the integration of plants and other natural materials, present an opportunity to marry the need for more aggressive stabilization with the continued preservation of ecosystem functions and biological communities. This project uses benthic infauna to evaluate the success of a living shoreline installation in Palm Bay, Florida. The deployment features experimental treatments of breakwaters and red mangroves to explore how …

Seagrass Persistence In The Indian River Lagoon And Lake Worth Lagoon, Florida, Kelly Kibler, Melinda Donnelly, Vincent Encomio, Madison Giuntoli, Manisha Thenuwara, Brice Bennett, Laura Andrade Barron, Mariam Sonbol, Wynter Raine Seppala, Namritha Ramakrishnan, Jennifer Jordan Báez, Beth Orlando, Irene Arpayoglou, Melissa Meisenburg

Indian River Lagoon Shorelines

The spatial dataset: UCF_seagrasspersistence_IRL_LWL.shp was created with support from the Indian River Lagoon National Estuaries Program and Florida Sea Grant. These projects cumulatively led to creation of a living shoreline restoration prioritization model and hydrodynamic habitat suitability models for 1,550 km (963 miles) of estuarine shorelines in Indian River Lagoon (IRL) and Lake Worth Lagoon (LWL). The dataset presented herein represents persistence of seagrass throughout waters of the IRL and LWL.

A Compartmental Model For Diurnal Atlantic Stingray Migration, Rhianna Yates, Leah Glasser, Elena Wheatley, Christopher Hay-Jahans

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Emerging Policies On Marine Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Governance, Jessie Neta Jeffrey

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Marine Environmental Protection : An Investigation Into Existing Global Laws Addressing Marine Plastic Pollution, Maryland De Castro

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Plastic Pollution In The Arctic Region And International Rules : Applicability And Limitations, Zhanfeng Lang

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Preparedness And Response To Oil And Biofuel Spills : A Case Study Of The Western Indian Ocean, Soifoine Abdillah

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Assessing Spatial And Temporal Patterns Of Industrial Bottom Trawlers Using Vessel Monitoring System Data : A Case Study Of Ghana, Emmanuel Agbeko

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Evaluating The Fisheries Observer Program Of Guyana’S Seabob Trawl Fishery : Insights Into Scientific Aspects And Onboard Working Conditions, Kadesha Shawyana Nedd

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Marine Spatial Planning (Msp) In Managing Conflicts Between Marine Resource Users In Tanzania, Ramadhani Juma Shausi

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Design Principles For Deployable Fibers Inspired By Hagfish Defense, Mohammad Tanver Hossain, Wonsik Eom, Pallab Layak, Jeongmin Kim, Carolyn Darling, Andrew Lowe, Douglas S. Fudge, Sameh H. Tawfick, Randy Ewoldt

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Hagfish produce extraordinary slime as a defense mechanism, releasing exudate from glands that rapidly form a fibrous, soft, ultra-dilute, water-capturing network upon contact with seawater (up to 10 000 times its original volume). The gland thread cell (GTC) produces high-strength protein threads (filament diameter df = 1–3 µm) meticulously coiled into skeins (coil diameter Do ∼ 150 µm) that rapidly unravel upon deployment to reveal their hidden length (Lf = 15 cm), forming a cohesive fibrous slime network through interaction with mucin vesicles and seawater. To date, no engineered material is able to replicate the fiber …

Miscanthus × Giganteus Increases Soil Maximum Water Holding Capacity Compared To Maize, Jessica T. Nelson, Maoz Dor, Andy D. Vanloocke, Jacob E. Studt, Perla K. Schrock, Marshall D. Mcdaniel

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Soil ecosystem services, like the ability to store water, have been depleted after a century of conventional, annual cropping, and perennial crops offer a solution to this and other agricultural environmental issues. We assessed the impact of Miscanthus × giganteus (miscanthus), a perennial biomass crop, on soil water holding capacity and structure compared to continuous maize (Zea mays L.) at two sites in Iowa. After three growing seasons, we measured the following: (1) maximum water holding capacity (MWHC) with and without soil structure, and (2) total porosity and pore size distribution (PSD) via micro-computed tomography (microCT). Miscanthus increased MWHC …

Montserrat Developments Impacting Local Coral Reefs, Emma I. Bartholomew

2025 Symposium

Montserrat is a small island in the Caribbean, and over half of the island is in the exclusion zone because of the active volcano, Soufrière Hills. In that half was the old capital, Plymouth, which has since been abandoned, and its old port. The old port was getting less reliable and accessible, so they decided to build a new port in Little Bay, closer to the seat of government in Brades. This study explored how the addition of the new port impacted the corals in that area. We explored several different bays and recorded the diversity and health of the …

Tides, Tourists, And Tails: Exploring Human-Wildlife Overlap On The Homer Spit, Alaska, Serena Seiler

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Coastal areas present unique challenges for human-wildlife coexistence due to their shared use by people and marine species. The Homer Spit in Homer, AK (59.6481° N, 151.5299° W) is a projection of land into Kachemak Bay on which lodging, restaurants, campgrounds, RV parks, fishing, and a variety of coastal activities exist or occur, especially during the summer months. Two of the most popular nearshore marine mammals that attract visitors are sea otters (Enhydra lutris) and harbor seals (Phoca vitulina). These two species spend time swimming, foraging, and resting around the Spit, potentially resulting in co occurrences with humans. Using a …

Assessing Effectiveness Of Runnel Restoration In New England Salt Marsh Habitats, David M. Burdick, Grant Mckown, Gregg Moore, Jenny Gibson, Wenley Ferguson, John Herbert, Nancy Pau, Susan Adamowicz, Geoff Wilson

Faculty Publications

Rising sea levels that increase flooding in salt marshes recovering from hydrologic impairments is reducing nesting habitat for salt marsh sparrows. Abandonment of colonial farming practices (1600s through 1900s) has resulted in large, waterlogged basins characterized by shallow depressions (pannes) dominated by short-form Spartina alterniflora and unvegetated megapools that are subsiding. A relatively new technique designed to provide regular tidal flooding and drainage to the waterlogged basins that have formed on the marsh is runnelling – creation of shallow hydrologic features on the marsh surface. Will runnels result in revegetation of pannes and pools with productive perennial grasses that are …

Du Undergraduate Showcase Abstracts: Research, Scholarship, And Creative Works, Kabe Aberle, Nadia Kako, Kateri Mcrae, Brooke Agulnek, Sky Palmon, Yasmine Ramirez, Francisca Aguirre Beltran, Ashley Juarez, Bridget Kim, Tessa Appel, Sterling Kerr, Spencer Ingley, Gabe Meyer, Robin Tinghitella, Dale Broder, Lily Baeza, Chloe Beers, Julia Coakley, Whitney Kelsey, Sydney Gainforth, Gabi Wing, Audrey Martin, Aaliyah Amore Berry, Brooke Watley, Kiruthika Venkatesan, Rachel Bienstock, Annabella Brotherston, Madison Bryant, Mia Burgener, Emma P. Lieb, Rachel A. Johnson, Jennifer L. Hoffman, Kania Campbell, Kiena Campbell, Courtney Cassidy, Sage Krzyzkowski, Maddox Jones, Skylar Abookire, Luke Hawkins, Sunnah Yoon, Andrea Chu, Yan Qin, Nyah Cubbison, Brian Gearity, Daniel Mcintosh, Mariely Cruz, Edward Garrido, Grady Dionne, Nicole Doris, Lyndsie Salvagio, Ann-Charlotte Granholm-Bentley, Anna Dymov, Hannah Eckert, Gabrielle Welsh, Erica Larson, Charlie Ernst, Anna Zhou, Sarah Watamura, Larissa Fedorovich-Klein, Georgie Fields, Kimberly A. Guevara, Aven Mccall, Ben Peltier, Feruz Yahia, Patrick Flores, Jadyn Floyd, Sophia Forcier, J. Von R. Monteza, Peter Sokol-Hessner, Gwendolyn Geiger, Scott Nichols, Camryn Gunter, Kendal Hengst, Charlie Bednarz, Issy Garside, Addison Baker, Rachel Mina, Brooke Hermanson, Amanda Klingler, William Highfill, Sydney Jaques, Kerstin Lewey, Allison Grossery, Daniel Linseman, Ethan Lim, Jagger Livengood, Owen Mantelli, Gabby Pappas, Abby Mcdonald, Madeleine Dierking, Eve Miller, Emma Loeber, Anna Marlow, Michael Kerwin, Ella Mathews, Hillary Hamann, Khadija Mohamed, Vivian Nguyen, Gabri Notov, Ifunayachi Ogbonna-Ukuku, Sunil Kumar, Charles Baysah, Sarah Olson, Don Sullivan, Anna Paradiso, Jay Parrish, Mira Pronobis, Alisha Pravasi, Kerstin Haring, Diego Ramirez, Christopher Reardon, Juliana Ramirez, Casey Doherty, Ella Kestner, Teagan Weindel, Cate Billings, Pablo Torre-Walter, Lucy Rand, Samantha Reynolds, Mark Siemens, Khadeeja Rashid, Laine Satterlee, Piper Heilbronner, Lily Pound, Ben Whitehurst, Anna Respet, Lizzie Lesoing, Sydney Hertel, Aya Saad-Masri, Brooke Ballenger, Max Proske, Hannah Rosenberg, Ellia Nakahara, Sophia Espinoza, Ivan Woolhouse, Simon Ruland, Gorkem Er, Timothy Sweeny, Melaku Saketa, Michela Schenk, Maren Lynch, Madi Hamm, Grace Schroeder, Michelle Rozenman, Rana Seif, Jackson Hall, Marisela Simental, Daniel Paredes, Aaron Mena, Preston Spaan, Evelyn Stovin, David Andrew Swartz, Anh Tran, Daniel Pittman, Luke Farchione, Emily Boyer, Ukari Verner, Lacey Conrad, Jonathan Velotta, James Weiner, Jagger Gossett, Noah Sherry, Sam Proud, Ben Block, Avi Narayana, Zoey Weiss, Alyssa Wilson, Gabrielle Walsh, David Zonana, Keely Wright, Kena Riveria, Lillybelle Deer, Jena Doom, Elysia Davis, Isabelle Yaremenko, Caitlyn Young

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

Abstracts from the DU Undergraduate Research Showcase.

Updated Take Estimates Of Marine Turtles In The Guajira Peninsula, Venezuela, Royner Carrasquero-Labarca, Matthew Ware, Jordano Palmar, Daniela Rojas-Cañizales, Héctor Barrios-Garrido

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The Guajira Peninsula is one of the most important foraging grounds areas for marine turtles in Venezuela. There, five species converging: the green turtle, hawksbill, loggerhead, leatherback, and olive ridley. The Wayuú indigenous people are inhabits of the Guajira Peninsula. They have a close relationship with these animals, and for generations, they have used these species as subsistence resources. Marine turtle take has always occurred in this area and has historically been high; it is still happening now, but the current extent is unknown. For that reason, we aimed to assess and update the estimate for marine turtles take in …

Capfish Project Report : Summer Academy For The Pacific Islands, Kathleen Auld, Francis Neat, Raphaël Baumler

Reports

The CAPFISH Project was created in response to an identified need for capacity-building to address illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and related matters - a complex problem affecting aquatic ecosystems, coastal communities, fishers and fish workers, and economic and national security. Over the last four years, the CAPFISH Project has provided training and educational materials on IUU fishing to developing country administrations around the world, most recently with a two-week regional Summer Academy for the Pacific Islands. This Academy ran for two weeks and included delegates from fisheries, labour, safety, maritime, foreign affairs, and enforcement administrations in the Pacific …

Exposure To Metoprolol And Propranolol Mixtures On Biochemical, Immunohistochemical, And Molecular Alterations In The American Oyster, Crassostrea Virginica, Andrew Salinas, Md Saydur Rahman

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Pharmaceutical drugs, particularly beta-blockers (e.g., metoprolol, propranolol, etc.), are extensively used to treat human cardiovascular conditions, yet pose significant risks to non-target aquatic organisms when introduced into coastal and marine environments via wastewater effluent. This study aimed to investigate the effects of short-term exposure (one week) to environmentally relevant concentrations of metoprolol and propranolol (MP) mixtures (low-dose: 50 ng/L propranolol and 250 ng/L metoprolol, and high-dose: 250 ng/L propranolol and 650 ng/L metoprolol) in the American oyster (Crassostrea virginica, a commercially and ecologically important marine bivalve mollusk) under controlled laboratory conditions. Histopathological assessments revealed structural damage to gills, …

Sustainability In The Cruising Industry: Innovations In Air Quality, Energy Efficiency, And Waste Management, Fikret Durmus, Mi Ran Kim

ICHRIE Research Reports

The cruise industry, a cornerstone of the global hospitality and tourism sector, faces increasing scrutiny over its environmental impact. As passenger numbers grow, so does the industry's responsibility to adopt sustainable practices. This report examines key innovations in air quality management, energy efficiency, and waste management, highlighting the industry's transition from historically high emissions and waste production to advanced sustainability initiatives. Key focus areas include evolving maritime regulations, adopting cleaner propulsion technologies, integrating energy-efficient solutions, and improving waste treatment practices. Findings indicate that industry leaders are investing in liquefied natural gas engines, exhaust gas cleaning systems, and onshore power supply …

Marine Heat Waves Effects On Rocky Intertidal Ecosystem Functioning, Skyler Peterson, S. Schneider, C.L. Webb, A. Leighton

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Severe heat waves may cause long-term changes in marine ecosystems and are expected to increase in magnitude and frequency. Here we use surveys from six localities across a six-year interval (2013-2019) to investigate the effects of heat waves on the functional diversity of rocky intertidal ecosystems (Vancouver Island, Canada).

Functional diversity, the number and types of functions performed by organisms, influences ecosystem stability and health. To assess changes in functional diversity we used analyses of biological traits. Biological traits are measurable properties of organisms that describe their morphology, physiology, and behavior. We quantitatively assessed changes in functional diversity in response …

Ghosts In Glass: Ghost Crabs (Ocypode Quadrata) As Judges Of Glass Sand For Coastal Restoration, Emily Parrish

Poster Presentations

Coastal erosion is heavily impacting coastal ecosystems across the Gulf. For instance, the state of Louisiana loses a football field worth of land every 100 minutes (Couvillion, 2017). The drastic loss of coastline highlights the dire need for restoration in the Northern Gulf Coast. An unexpected solution to this sediment loss may solve two major environmental issues at once by diverting millions of tons of glass waste from entering America’s landfills each year. By crushing glass to create sand and gravel for coastal restoration, we may generate a consistent and sustainable source of substrate. Our goal is to determine the …

Western Australia’S Marine Heatwave Update - 9th May 2025, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Marine Heatwave Notification Reports

Category 1 – Moderate marine heatwave (MHW) conditions continue for the Gascoyne and South Coast Bioregions. Marine heatwave conditions in the North Coast Bioregion have abated and the West Coast Bioregion remains warm but neither are categorised as experiencing MHW conditions.

Reevaluating The Role Of Ruppia Maritima: Recruitment Dynamics And Habitat Use By Blue Crabs (Callinectes Sapidus) And Associated Benthic Fauna In A Mid-Atlantic Seagrass Community, Delaney St. Pierre

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The value of seagrasses as essential fish habitat is well recognized, but limited data exist on the value of one particular species, Ruppia maritima (widgeon grass), as habitat for fish and invertebrates. During the summer of 2024, I evaluated R. maritima, Zostera marina (eelgrass) and mixed beds to assess their relative value as habitat in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey. Results from throw traps indicated significant monthly differences for pipefish, gobies, blue crabs, grass shrimp, and sand shrimp, driven by active recruitment events. When evaluating habitat type, we found no taxa that were significantly more abundant in Z. marina habitat as …

Ghosts In Glass: Ghost Crabs As Judges Of Glass Sand For Coastal Restoration, Emily Parrish

Honors Theses

Over 60% of the Gulf of Mexico coastline is actively eroding, which has resulted in thousands of miles of lost coastline over the last 100 years. This drastic loss of coastal land highlights the dire need for coastal restoration across the entirety of the Gulf Coast. A vital aspect of restoring these eroded areas is replenishing eroded substrate, traditionally conducted through offshore dredging of substrates which comes with high economic and ecological costs. Recycled glass sand may be able to fill this role and reduce our reliance on dredging while lowering the amount of glass waste entering landfills each year. …

Microplastics In Coastal And Marine Environments: A Critical Issue Of Plastic Pollution On Marine Organisms, Seafood Contaminations, And Human Health Implications, Rebecca Muñiz, Md. Saydur Rahman

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Plastic has quickly become one of the world's most prevalent environmental pollutants. Population growth has only amplified the demand, resulting in 430 million tons of plastic produced annually, with 11 million tons ending up in our oceans. Without intentional intervention, plastic waste in the oceans is expected to triple, posing severe risks for the aquatic ecosystems, animals, and humans dependent on these waters. As plastic accumulates in oceans and other water environments, the non-biodegradable particles break down into micro- and nano-plastics, invading coastal and marine organisms and causing considerable physiological and morphological damage. This is especially concerning for the millions …

Marine Heatwave Conditions In Western Australia Marine Waters - 26th March 2025, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Marine Heatwave Notification Reports

Marine heatwave (MHW) conditions across the state have persisted. Category 1 – Moderate conditions continue for the Gascoyne and South Coast Bioregions. The North Coast Bioregion has returned to Category 1 – Moderate conditions. The West Coast Bioregion remains warm but is not categorised as experiencing MHW conditions.