Marine Biology Commons^™

Oxyconformity In Burrow-Dwelling Crustaceans : Aerobic Metabolism Of Hemisquilla Ensigera Californiensis, Leandra P. Peters

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Hemisquilla ensigera califomiensis is an active burrow-dwelling stomatopod crustacean common off the coast of Southern California (Basch and Engle, 1989). In this experiment I measured the typical burrow oxygen level, time taken to deplete the oxygen in an inhabited, capped burrow, and tested the hypothesis that H. ensigera, like other burrow dwellers that have been examined, is an oxyregulator; and that like crustaceans in general, they have only limited anaerobic capabilities. Contrary to expectations, I found that H. ensigera is an oxyconformer or at best a weak oxyregulator, and that the species has substantial anaerobic capacity. Since it was …

Stomach Content Analysis Of Stranded Bottlenose Dolphins, Tursiops Truncatus, In Virginia, 1987-1996, John Mcgurk

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

I examined the stomach contents from 94 bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, that were stranded along the Virginia coastline from 1987 through 1996. Samples from 1987 through 1991 were obtained from the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) and samples from 1992 through 1996 were collected by the Virginia Marine Science Museum (VMSM) Stranding Team. Prey species were identified using fish otoliths and cephalopod beaks.

The dolphins examined fed on 23 species of fish and one genus of cephalopods. The primary prey species was Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus); secondary species were weakfish (Cynoscion regalia), spot (Leiostomus xanthurus), silver perch (Bairdiella chrysoura), …

Coastal Circulations Driven By River Outflow, Shuliang Zhang

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Variable-density, 1^1/2- and 2^1/2- layer models are used to examine the behavior of plumes resulting from a fresher outflow of transport M_r and salinity S_r into a pre-existing oceanic layer of initial thickness H₁ and salinity S₁. It is found that the plumes exhibit a variety of features depending on conditions of the outflow, the situation of the ambient ocean, and external forcing. Perhaps the most interesting feature is that the plume can flow along the upstream (to the left of the river mouth, looking seaward in the northern hemisphere) coast …

Microzooplankton Dynamics In Lower Chesapeake Bay And Its Major Tributaries, Gyung Soo Park

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

This study identified the temporal and spatial variability of microzooplankton density and biomass at 14 stations located within Chesapeake Bay and four rivers. Microzooplankton are defined as those heterotrophic organisms which range from 20 to 200 $\mu$m in size, and in this study were mainly composed of copepod nauplii, rotifers, and ciliates. Ciliates were the most abundant microzooplankton, comprising more than 90% of the total density, with copepod nauplii representing approximately 50% of the total microzooplankton biomass (carbon content). Rotifers contributed less than 5% for both density and biomass of the total microzooplankton.

Maximum ciliate abundance occurred from spring to …

Ecology Of The Early Life History Of The Caribbean Spiny Lobster, Panulirus Argus: Recruitment, Predation, And Habitat Requirements, Charles A. Acosta

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Recruitment variability of the early life history stages of marine benthic organisms can have profound consequences on population dynamics. I studied factors affecting recruitment success of postlarvae and early juveniles of the Caribbean spiny lobster. I examined patterns in postlarval supply, investigated wind forcing as a potential transport mechanism for recruiting postlarvae, and quantified predation on postlarvae in south Florida, USA. In an eight-year time series, spiny lobster postlarval supply occurred year-round between the new and first quarter lunar phases. The major annual peak occurred around March corresponding to spawning activity ten months earlier, and a smaller non-seasonal peak occurred …

Effects Of Spot (Leisostomus Xanthurus) Induced Bioturbation And Suspension On The Transport And Fate Of Sediments And A Particle-Associated Organic Contaminant, Michele A. Horvath

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

New Data On Ichthyoplankton Of The Southwestern Pacific, Andrei V. Suntsov

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Physical Transport And Nutritional Stress On The Zoeae Of Estuarine Crabs, Lance Preston Garrison

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

In estuarine crabs, there is a gradient of larval dispersal from retention within hatching habitats to export to the continental shelf. This dissertation examined the influence of physical transport and nutritional stress on recruitment success in species with different larval dispersal. In the first chapter, I examined larval vertical migration. Larvae from different families exhibited different tidally and light driven behaviors. The role of transport in selecting behaviors is associated with constraints on larval survival within the estuary. The transport of larvae was examined using a hydrodynamic model. This study compared the dispersal of vertically migrating larvae to that of …

Climatologically Forced Coherence Between Diverse Juvenile Populations In The Virginia Tributaries To The Chesapeake Bay, Thomas C. Mosca Iii

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Long term trends in juvenile recruitment of oyster, bluecrab, and 24 species of finfish in a large temperate estuary (lower Chesapeake Bay, USA) are coherent across the three major tributaries (the Virginia rivers James, York, and Rappahannock). The driving force for these long term trends is geographically large in scale. Anomalous winters in the mid 1970's, with the warmest years on record followed immediately by the coldest, caused a severe perturbation in population dynamics. The extreme conditions caused the system to shift, with recruitment patterns following temperatures by a one year lag. Following this anomalous episode, smoothed mean winter water …

Correspondence Between Environmental Gradients And The Assemblage Structure Of Littoral Fishes In The Tidal Portion Of Three Virginia Coastal Plain Rivers, Clifford Michael Wagner

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.