Marine Biology Commons^™

Density Of Hemigrapsus Sanguineus And Carcinus Maenas In Kettle Cove, Cape Elizabeth, Maine, Valerie Huston, Teresa Martel, Zimzim Mohamed

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

Our focus for this project is to determine how the population densities of Hemigrapsus sanguineus, Asian shore crab and Carcinus maenas, European green crabs have shifted over a brief period of time. We are comparing data collected on September 17, 2018, to data collected on October 22, 2018. The location where the two sets of data were collected from is Kettle Cove, Cape Elizabeth, Maine. The GPS coordinance was 43°.33.55N70°.13.40N. We discuss what affects the influences of environmental factors such as temperature, salinity, high intertidal versus low intertidal, and percent ascophyllum cover affect have on the population densities of these …

Quantifying Atlantic Sea Scallop (Placopecten Magellanicus) Larval Abundance Throughout Cape Elizabeth, Maine, Hannah Haskell, Britney Evangelista, Alex Loftis

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

As markets for the Atlantic Sea scallop are growing, the need for sustainable and reliable harvesting methods such as aquaculture is more imperative than ever. Due to the difficulty of maintaining sea scallop hatcheries, scallop farmers typically collect larvae from the ocean and raise them until a marketable size on lease sites. In order to efficiently collect scallop larvae, being able to predict when the larvae are most abundant in the water column is crucial. The goal of our research was to learn when scallop larvae are most abundant in the water column and to determine if there is a …

Meat, Plants, Or Both? A Food Preference Study In Siamese Fighting Fish, Betta Splendens, Bouradee Kim, Boutavee Kim

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

Most animals choose food based on its nutrient content and time and energy involved consuming and digesting the food. We used a discrete food preference test to investigate if Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens) preferred particular foods based on the food’s nutritional value. Among foods that Siamese fighting fish commonly eat, freeze-dried brine shrimp consist of high amounts of protein, plus lipids and carbohydrates, and shrimp are easily digestible; pellet food is a mixture of plants and small crustaceans; and flake food contains meat, yeast, and gluten. With this knowledge, we predicted that Siamese fighting fish consume freeze-dried …

Aggressive Displays In Male Betta Splendens Based On Color Patterns, Julian Bones, Thomas Johnson

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

The traits of an opponent can influence how an individual uses aggressive displays to dissuade the opponent from physical conflict. Whereas one previous study found that conspecific aggression was less intense between differently-colored Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens), we felt that more evidence was needed to corroborate or dispute their findings. We hypothesized that B. splendens act less aggressively towards similarly- colored fish than to differently-colored fish, based on the notion that males would avoid conflict with a phenotypically similar opponent due to the costs of displaying. To test for differences in aggression due to coloration, we paired …

Effects Of Water Quality On Boldness And Movement Of The Common Periwinkle (Littorina Littorea), Sharon Mann

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

Stormwater runoff and sewage seepage are sources of chemicals and pathogens that lower immunity of marine organisms such as the common periwinkle (Littorina littorea), which can increase susceptibility to parasites. Periwinkles infected with parasites are less bold and show altered movements. The purpose of my study was to 1) identify pathogens in water that can affect marine organisms, 2) determine if water quality affects boldness in periwinkles, and 3) determine if water quality affects movement and substrate choice in periwinkles. I predicted that water samples vary in levels of fecal indicator bacteria because samples were collected from areas at high …

Dna Barcoding Reveals A New Morphotype Of The Sugar Kelp, Saccharina Latissima, Dallin Brimley, Zakery Ford, Travis Gould, Brandon Guerra, Emily Haggett, Ian Jones, Elyse Johnson, Ken Peterson, Matthew Prout

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

Phytoplankton blooms follow predictable annual cycles in the Gulf of Maine, characterized by a large spring bloom and a smaller bloom in the fall. Marine phytoplankton form the foundation of primary production in Gulf of Maine waters, and thus community changes in composition, and abundance could have cascading effects on our coastal ecosystems.

We set out to monitor the community composition, diversity, and abundance of the spring micro-phytoplankton bloom, at a Friends of Casco Bay water quality monitoring site, in South Portland, Maine. The Gulf of Maine is experiencing accelerated warming rates, and this type of monitoring can aid in …

A Female Audience Increases Frequency Of Showy Agonistic Displays In Male Siamese Fighting Fish, Raisa Lück

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

The audience effect refers to a situation where individuals alter displays in the presence of bystanders. By changing display choice, displayers can optimize their effectiveness against both the opponent and audience. Many displays – territorial, aggressive, warning, and threatening – fall into the broad category of agonistic behavior. Male Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens) are known for being territorial, and they use the same set of stereotypical displays repeatedly from one male to the next. I observed effects of a female audience on male Betta displays to determine if males use certain displays more frequently than others when a female …

Stream Crossing Barrier Prioritization Methods For Increasing Eastern Brook Trout Habitat In The Little Androscoggin River Watershed, Michele Windsor

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

Eastern Brook Trout (Salvelinas fontanalis) are an important cold water fishery in the state of Maine. While populations in Maine are relatively abundant there has been decline in some parts of its range due in part to loss of habitat connectivity. Brook trout require access to specific types of stream habitat for spawning, feeding, and seasonal thermal refuges. Stream crossing structures such as undersized, poorly installed, or blocked culverts, as well as small remnant dams, can create barriers to accessing important stream habitat for brook trout. A recent Fish Barrier/Culvert Survey in the Little Androscoggin River Watershed provided data about …