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Articles 1 - 9 of 9

Full-Text Articles in Marine Biology

Sources Of Mortality, Movements And Behavior Of Sea Turtles In Virginia, Katherine Lamont. Mansfield Jan 2006

Sources Of Mortality, Movements And Behavior Of Sea Turtles In Virginia, Katherine Lamont. Mansfield

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Aerial surveys are commonly used to evaluate in-water sea turtle abundances. A correction is applied to account for turtles diving below the observed surface. Historically, observations of summer/fall surfacing behavior were used for this correction, assuming constant behavior among seasons. Using radio/acoustic telemetry, seasonal differences in sea turtle surfacing behavior were determined among Kemp's ridleys and loggerheads. Mean time spent at surface in the spring ranged between 9.9%-30.0% with significant differences among individuals. Observed surfacing times were higher than historic summer/fall observations (Byles 1988; 5.3%), indicating that historic springtime abundances were overestimated by 50%-80%. Aerial surveys (2001-2004) indicated a 65%-75% …


Ecology And Conservation Of Virginia Shark Species: Analysis Of Thirty Years Of Virginia Long-Line Shark Census Data, 1974--2004, Daniel Stuart Ha Jan 2006

Ecology And Conservation Of Virginia Shark Species: Analysis Of Thirty Years Of Virginia Long-Line Shark Census Data, 1974--2004, Daniel Stuart Ha

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Sharks of the Atlantic coast of the United States have suffered increased fishing pressure in last three decades. Commercial and recreational catches jumped in the mid to late 1980's, leading to regulation by the National Marine Fisheries Service in the early 1990's. The Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences' shark long-line survey, begun in 1974, and continuing to the present day, is thus well positioned to look at the effects of this fishing mortality on sharks. Using GAM modelling, six of ten shark species analyzed, including the most common species, Carcharhinus plumbeus, suffered declines of from 98-99% of early abundances in …


Incorporating Space Into Stock Assessments Of Marine Species, John F. Walter Jan 2006

Incorporating Space Into Stock Assessments Of Marine Species, John F. Walter

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Spatial management of marine resources requires population dynamic parameters in much greater spatial detail than traditional stock assessments provide. This dissertation presents a suite of methods to improve the spatial prediction of population abundance, fishing and natural mortality and to make greater use of commercial catch data. The main objectives of this dissertation are to determine the efficacy of using the vast amount of data collected by on-board observers on commercial vessels in model-based estimation of abundance and to use the spatial autocorrelation to improve resource mapping and abundance estimation. The first paper presents a methodology for improving variogram estimation …


Physiological Consequences Of High Water Flow On The Coral Montastrea Annularis (Ellis And Solander, 1786), Lawrence W. Carpenter Jan 2006

Physiological Consequences Of High Water Flow On The Coral Montastrea Annularis (Ellis And Solander, 1786), Lawrence W. Carpenter

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Water-flow is a vital component to the life histories of sessile marine invertebrates and essential to the structure and function of coral reefs. Recent studies have identified water-flow as an asset in the resistance to and recovery from short-term bleaching events of high irradiance and thermal increases. to determine whether the benefits of water-flow scale from the landscape level down to the flow patterns experienced over individual polyps and to quantify potential metabolic consequences, three studies were performed on Montastrea annularis (Ellis and Solander, 1786), using in situ heated bleaching flow-chambers during two saturation missions at the Aquarius underwater laboratory. …


A Molecular Technique For Specific Identification Of Western Atlantic Ocean Scombrids And An Analysis Of A Larval Scombrid Assemblage Off The Kona Coast Of Hawaii, Melissa A. Paine Jan 2006

A Molecular Technique For Specific Identification Of Western Atlantic Ocean Scombrids And An Analysis Of A Larval Scombrid Assemblage Off The Kona Coast Of Hawaii, Melissa A. Paine

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Developing A Stock Assessment For The Barndoor Skate (Dipturus Laevis) In The Northeast United States, Todd Gedamke Jan 2006

Developing A Stock Assessment For The Barndoor Skate (Dipturus Laevis) In The Northeast United States, Todd Gedamke

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The barndoor skate Dipturus laevis is one of seven species in the United States Northwest Atlantic skate complex. The species received little attention until a recent article published in Science reported that the barndoor skate might be on the brink of extinction. In this study, we address not only the virtual lack of information on the life history of the species, but also develop methodologies to assist in the assessment of the barndoor skate population. to investigate the life history of the species, data were collected from 2,310 specimens caught during commercial sea scallop dredging in the southern section of …


Community Structure And Biogeography Of Mussel Bed Communities At Pacific Hydrothermal Vents: Lau And North Fiji Back-Arc Basins, 32° S---East Pacific Rise, And 38° S---Pacific Antarctic Ridge, Elizabeth Anne Blake Jan 2006

Community Structure And Biogeography Of Mussel Bed Communities At Pacific Hydrothermal Vents: Lau And North Fiji Back-Arc Basins, 32° S---East Pacific Rise, And 38° S---Pacific Antarctic Ridge, Elizabeth Anne Blake

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Development Of An Unstructured Grid, Finite Volume Eutrophication Model For The Shallow Water Coastal Bay: Application In The Lynnhaven River Inlet System, Yuepeng Li Jan 2006

Development Of An Unstructured Grid, Finite Volume Eutrophication Model For The Shallow Water Coastal Bay: Application In The Lynnhaven River Inlet System, Yuepeng Li

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The shallow water region is an important portion of the estuarine and coastal waters, since it encompasses the entire land-water margin as the buffer zone and supports one of the most productive ecosystems. When light can penetrate to the sediment, it triggers the benthic microalgae community to perform photosynthesis, resulting in a benthic-pelagic exchange flux different from that of the deeper water. This study utilized the laboratory-measured benthic flux, and a suite of well-calibrated numerical models to examine the eutrophication process in the Lynnhaven River Inlet system with special emphasis on: the role played by benthic microalgae, and nutrient budgets …


The Effects Of Climate Change On The Population Ecology Of The Atlantic Surf Clam, Spisula Solidissima, In The Middle Atlantic Bight, Adriana Picariello Jan 2006

The Effects Of Climate Change On The Population Ecology Of The Atlantic Surf Clam, Spisula Solidissima, In The Middle Atlantic Bight, Adriana Picariello

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.