Marine Biology Commons^™

Making A Bee-Line For Food With Octopamine, Lauren E. Nadler

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

No abstract provided.

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 …

Assessing The Influence Of International Environmental Treaty Secretariats Using A Relational Network Approach, Andrew M. Song, Owen Temby, Dongkyu Kim, Gordon M. Hickey

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The influential role of international treaty secretariats in coordinating bureaucracies across jurisdictional boundaries has been highlighted in recent years. While we now better understand how their influence occurs, the field still faces a substantial difficulty in answering the basic quantitative question of “how influential?” By employing network analysis, we devised and tested a survey to quantify secretariat influence within an international environmental regime. We applied the survey tool to two transboundary fisheries governance networks in North America and here focus on the Great Lakes Fishery Commission (GLFC) as our primary case study. The results demonstrate a high ability of treaty …

Louisiana Southern Flounder: Commercial And Recreational Trends, David Russell Smith

LSU Master's Theses

Southern Flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma) is a coastal flatfish species that supports recreational and commercial fisheries throughout Louisiana. The recreational and commercial sectors of the Southern Flounder fishery in Louisiana both lack current information that profiles the fishery’s ability to meet stakeholder interest. This project characterized the Louisiana Southern Flounder fishery through an evaluation of fishery-dependent data and a survey of coastal Louisiana anglers.

Fishery-dependent data was gathered to characterize the recreational and commercial Southern Flounder fisheries in Louisiana. This study had three objectives for this evaluation: 1) modeling landings data to evaluate any trends, 2) examine the seasonality of landings, …

The Effect Of Phytoplankton Properties On The Ingestion Of Marine Snow By Calanus Pacificus, Grace Cawley

Theses

The aggregation of phytoplankton into marine snow provides a mechanism by which smaller particles can coagulate to form larger particles, which can be consumed at various depths or readily transported to the deep ocean and sequestered from the atmosphere on time scales of a thousand years or more. Zooplankton interacting with these large carbon-rich aggregates can obtain nutrition in environments where the phytoplankton size spectrum is small and not directly available, enhancing the possibility of obtaining adequate nutrition in environments dominated by small cells. In addition, interactions between zooplankton and marine snow can result in fragmentation, thus affecting the particle …

Shadowed Image Particle Profiling Evaluation Recorder (Sipper) Plankton And Marine Snow Abundance And Distribution Data Collected Aboard Multiple Research Cruises In The Northeastern Gulf Of Mexico From 2010-05-12 To 2010-09-16, Kendra L. Daly, Andrew W. Remsen, Kurt Kramer

C-IMAGE data

This dataset contains the abundance and distribution of marine snow, phytoplankton, zooplankton, and larval fish, along with environmental parameters, collected aboard several research vessels (RV Weatherbird II, MV Specialty Diver, RV Gordon Gunter) in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico from 2010-05-12 to 2010-09-16. A high speed Dalsa Piranha-2 line-scan camera and a pseudo-collimated LED generated light sheet was used to image the shadows and outlines of resolvable particles that passed through a 100 cm2 field of view. The operational optical resolution of the system was ~65 um. The camera was towed at speeds between 2-3 knots in an oblique profile …

Thermal Stress-Related Spatiotemporal Variations In High-Latitude Coral Reef Benthic Communities, Nicholas P. Jones, Joana Figueiredo, David S. Gilliam

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

High-latitude coral reef communities have been postulated as the first areas to undergo reorganisation under climate change. Tropicalisation has been identified in some high-latitude communities and is predicted in others, but it is unclear how the resident benthic taxa are affected. We conducted a long-term (2007–2016) assessment of changes to benthic community cover in relation to thermal stress duration on the Southeast Florida Reef Tract (SEFRT). Thermal stress events, both hot and cold, had acute (thermal stress duration affected benthic cover that year) and chronic (thermal stress duration affected benthic cover the following year) impacts on benthic cover. Chronic heat …

Deciphering The Unique Structure And Acylation Pattern Of Posidonia Oceanica Lignin, Jorge Rencoret, Gisela Marques, Oscar Serrano, Joeri Kaal, Angel T. Martínez, José C. Del Río, Ana Gutiérrez

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Copyright © 2020 American Chemical Society. Lignins from different parts of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica-namely sheaths, rhizome, and roots-as well as from fibrous balls from P. oceanica detritus were isolated and thoroughly characterized by pyrolysis coupled with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, derivatization followed by reductive cleavage, two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and gel permeation chromatography. The lignins of P. oceanica were enriched in guaiacyl (G) over syringyl (S) units, with S/G ratios ranging from 0.1 (fibrous balls) to 0.5 (rhizome). β-O-4′ ethers and phenylcoumarans were the most abundant lignin substructures, followed by resinols, and minor amounts of dibenzodioxocins and spirodienones. Moreover, …

The Roles Of Host Species, Geographic Scale And Environmental Stressors In Shaping The Composition Of Coral Microbiomes, Alicia Marie Riegel Parker

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Reef-building corals are long-lived and may take many centuries to adapt, making them especially susceptible to climate change. However, corals host microbial symbionts that can change quickly, potentially speeding acclimation. My dissertation aimed to determine the degree of coevolution and flexibility between corals and their microbiomes among hosts, across space, and in response to stress.

Microbial communities are usually surveyed by sequencing the 16S rRNA gene, however the PCR primers used also amplify coral DNA, thereby limiting prokaryotic read coverage. To mitigate this contamination, I designed a peptide nucleic acid clamp that increased the recovery of bacterial reads by 2-11x …

Limitations On Inferring Shark Vulnerability From Spatial Habitat Protection. Response To Shark Conservation Hindered By Lack Of Habitat Protection, Matias Braccini, Stephen J. Newman

Fisheries Research Articles

Birkmanis et al. (2020a) used occurrence data obtained from commercial fisheries to infer the suitable habitat for eight shark species within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Australia, and quantify the amount of suitable habitat contained within existing no-fishing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). The authors state that shark conservation is hindered because suitable habitat is mostly unprotected from commercial fishing, therefore increasing the vulnerability of the assessed species. In doing so, the authors imply that shark conservation depends predominantly on establishing MPAs in highly suitable habitats; this, unfortunately, would disregard the broad range of other measures available in the fisheries …

Isolation, Structure Elucidation, And Synthesis Of Natural Products From Marine Cyanobacteria, Keren Solomon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis describes the isolation, structure elucidation, and synthesis of natural products from marine cyanobacteria. A crude extract from a cyanobacterium collected in Curacao showed selective affinity for the dopamine D₅ receptor in a screen against a panel of CNS receptors. Due to the high similarity of the D₅ and D₁ receptor, to date there are no known ligands that differentiate them. Attempts to purify the compound responsible for this affinity led to the isolation of the known compound caylobolide A. A second extract from a cyanobacterium collected in Panama underwent bioassay-guided fractionation and yielded the novel …

Assessing The Potential For Range Expansion Of The Red Tide Algae Karenia Brevis, Edward W. Young

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Phytoplankton communities are vital to oceanic ecosystems. While most are harmless or beneficial, a select group possesses the capability to produce toxins and cause mass die-offs of marine organisms. Florida red tide, caused by blooms of the dinoflagellate Karenia brevis, is common in the Gulf of Mexico, although blooms have been transported to the Atlantic coast and impacted estuaries where K. brevis is not normally found. An in-depth overview of compiled estuary research evaluated the possibility of the continued spread of Florida red tide blooms to Southeastern Atlantic estuaries and the likelihood of establishment in non-native regions. A …

Effects Of Surfactants On The Generation Of Sea Spray During Tropical Cyclones, Breanna L. Vanderplow

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Despite significant improvement in computational and observational capabilities, predicting intensity and intensification of major tropical cyclones remains a challenge. In 2017 Hurricane Maria intensified to a Category 5 storm within 24 hours, devastating Puerto Rico. In 2019 Hurricane Dorian, predicted to remain tropical storm, unexpectedly intensified into a Category 5 storm and destroyed the Bahamas. The official forecast and computer models were unable to predict rapid intensification of these storms. One possible reason for this is that key physics, including microscale processes at the air-sea interface, are poorly understood and parameterized in existing forecast models.

Under tropical cyclones, the air-sea …

Isolation, Enumeration And Antibiotic Profiling Of Vibrio Vulnificus And V. Parahaemolyticus From Coastal Virginia, Stanley E. Peyton Jr.

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Vibrio vulnificus and V. parahaemolyticus are gram-negative, halophilic bacteria that reside in estuarine waters and are associated with infections in humans. These bacteria can cause gastroenteritis through their presence in raw fish and shellfish consumed by humans. V. vulnificus can also produce wound infections leading to severe septicemia, and in some cases, death if not treated promptly. With increasing incidence of infections due to these two organisms, research efforts have focused on potential reservoirs and environmental conditions that can increase human exposure to, and infection, with these species of bacteria. This study was conducted in order to examine the role …

Prioritizing The Largest, Oldest Corals For Disease Intervention In A Coral Disease-Ravaged Area: Southeast Florida Coral Reef Ecosystem Conservation Area, Alysha Brunelle

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Coral diseases appear to be more devastating than ever before. When a virulent disease ravages a coral ecosystem, it can significantly change the population’s demographics and cause local extinctions. Disease intervention response during such an event is impossible at a landscape scale, therefore priorities must be considered. Saving the largest, oldest colonies of reef-building species is a good choice due to their high fecundity and ecological function. Their size, as a proxy for age, is an indicator of their resistance to previous perturbations which may indicate higher fitness. Their size also provides habitat to many organisms and wave resistance in …

Linking Crude Oil And Dispersant Effects To Gene Expression Of Marine Sponge Cinachyrella, Yvain Desplat

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Because of their filter-feeding lifestyle, sponges (Phylum Porifera) have shown to be bio-accumulators of heavy metals, and bio-monitors for polychlorobiphenyl (PCB) contaminants. Furthermore, marine sponges have been shown to be regulators of reef ecosystems by fulfilling many ecological functions. However, very little is known about their behavior in the face of environmental changes. Consequently, our lab has developed the reef sponge Cinachyrella spp. as novel experimental model. We have designed an experiment to study the effects of WAF (Water Accommodated Fraction), Corexit 9500 dispersant, and CE-WAF (Chemically Enhanced Water Accommodated Fraction)mixtures, in an effort to mimic the conditions of the …

A Shark Conservationists Toolbox: Current Dna Methods And Techniques Aiding In The Conservation Of Sharks, Arianna N. Nixon

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Elasmobranchs are important members of their community. Many sharks are important apex predators that help maintain the health of their ecosystem. However, shark populations are globally declining. This is partially due to the fact that sharks are highly targeted for their fins, meat, liver oil, teeth, and skin. However, they are also killed from anthropogenic effects such as habitat destruction and pollution. Most shark species have life history characteristics that also make them more vulnerable to overfishing. Sharks are also difficult to study due to their elusive nature and identification issues. That is why molecular tools are increasingly becoming important …

To Feed Or Not To Feed: Examining The Effects Of Provisioning Tourism On Nurse Sharks In Caye Caulker, Belize, Carlee Jackson

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Wildlife tourism is increasing in popularity around the world, creating the need to understand alterations in animal behavior and spatial distributions that may occur due to associated anthropogenic disturbances. Nurse sharks (Ginglymostoma cirratum, Bonnaterre 1788) are commonly used for wildlife tourism within the Caye Caulker Marine Reserve in Belize. Shark and Ray Village (SRV) is a site within the reserve where nurse sharks are consistently fed by tour/snorkel boats to create an interactive experience with tourists, termed provisioning tourism. Prior to this experiment, no studies had been conducted in SRV to evaluate the impact of provisioning tourism (tourism …

Imidacloprid Movement Into Fungal Conidia Is Lethal To Mycophagous Beetles, Robin A. Choudhury, Andrew M. Sutherland, Matt J. Hengel, Michael P. Parrella, W. Douglass Gubler

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Applications of systemic pesticides can have unexpected direct and indirect effects on nontarget organisms, producing ecosystem-level impacts. We investigated whether a systemic insecticide (imidacloprid) could be absorbed by a plant pathogenic fungus infecting treated plants and whether the absorbed levels were high enough to have detrimental effects on the survival of a mycophagous beetle. Beetle larvae fed on these fungi were used to assess the survival effects of powdery mildew and imidacloprid in a factorial design. Fungal conidia were collected from treated and untreated plants and were tested for the presence and concentration of imidacloprid. The survival of beetles fed …

Surface Levels, Keisha Brathwaite

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Surface Levels are depictions of unobserved and imperceptible realities of many phytoplankton exteriors. The exhibition explores various structures, textures, and repetitious forms from microscopic surfaces of objects that cannot be seen with unaided eyes. Electron microscopy is used to perceive and analyze these otherwise unseeable surfaces in depth. Magnifications provide a reference in creating three- and two-dimensional works that are minimalistic and abstract at a visible level. This abstract 3D/2D image collection is translated into material expressions using acrylic sheets, acrylic ink, and wood as the main media for construction of individual works. Collectively, they serve to make the invisible …

The Effect Of Constant Relative Growth Rate Versus Constant Specific Growth Rate On Oocystis Sp, Rachel Kriner

Master's Theses

In this study, a strain of Oocystis sp. (S002) was grown using two different growth strategies at three different temperatures (15°C, 20°C, 25°C). One strategy (GS1) kept a constant specific growth rate (µ) and the other (GS2) kept a constant relative growth rate (µ/µ_max). In both strategies, the cultures were grown following the protocols of a hybrid growth system. The Dilution Phase is an initial semi-continuous growth phase that involves daily dilutions until set growth criteria are met. Followed by a batch culture growth protocol where the cultures were diluted at the onset of the first day and …

Adapting Biotoxin Monitoring For The Future: An Opportunity For A Harmful Algae Bloom (Hab) Network In Casco Bay, Maine, Zachary B. Gordon

All Theses And Dissertations

Harmful Algae Blooms (HABs) related to marine biotoxins have considerable impacts on coastal communities and have been increasing in size and frequency globally. Maine is recognized as a leader in biotoxin management as it relates to bivalve shellfish, but it has been unclear how current management practices effect the growth of shellfish aquaculture and how they will adapt to future conditions. This research uses a collaborative approach to analyze the current state of biotoxin management in Maine. First, the current management practices in Maine were compared and contrasted with five other states dealing with similar issues. Then, the perspectives of …

Quantifying The Ecological Drivers And Impacts Of Parrotfish Predation On Caribbean Corals Communities, Hannah Sima Rempel

Master's Theses

Parrotfishes (Scarinae) are dominant Caribbean herbivores that play an important role in reducing coral-algae competition by grazing algae; yet some species are also occasional coral predators (corallivores) and thereby can have direct negative impacts on coral growth and survivorship. There is concern that parrotfish corallivory may contribute to substantial long-term declines in targeted coral species, particularly in areas with a high biomass of parrotfishes and low cover of corals. However, the capacity of target coral species to heal from parrotfish predation and the ecological drivers of corallivory are poorly understood.

In Chapter 1, we examined the patterns of coral healing …

A Naïve Population Of European Oyster Ostrea Edulis With Reduced Susceptibility To The Pathogen Bonamia Ostreae: Are S-Strategy Life Traits Providing Protection?, Sian Egerton, Sharon A. Lynch, Maria Prado-Alvarez, Grace Flannery, Elaine Brennan, Tristan Hugh-Jones, David Hugh-Jones, Sarah C. Culloty

Biology Faculty Publications

European populations of the native flat oyster, Ostrea edulis, have been heavily depleted by two protozoan parasites, Marteila refringens and Bonamia ostreae, with mortalities of up to 90% reported in naïve populations. However, in studies carried out over a ten-year period, researching the parasite-host relationship of B. ostreae and O. edulis in several age cohorts within a naïve O. edulis population from Loch Ryan (LR), Scotland, 1,364 specimens were challenged and only 64 (5%), across multiple testing protocols, screened positive for B. ostreae. This article presents a case for the development of S-strategy life traits in the LR population that …

Connection Between Contaminants And Marine Mammals In The Southern Ocean, Sean W. Tupper

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

The Southern Ocean encircles the continent of Antarctica and was once thought to be unaffected by human activities. However, evidence is increasing that this region has many different contaminants that threaten the region’s marine biodiversity, including marine mammals. Many of these contaminants are heavy metals or persistent organic pollutants and enter the Southern Ocean via both natural and anthropogenic processes. The impacts posed by these contaminants vary according to their type and the organism being exposed. All species of cetaceans and pinnipeds in this study were confirmed to have been exposed to one or more the contaminants reviewed. Although research …

Comparative Analysis Of Lead In Crassostrea Angulata And Cerastoderma Edule From Cádiz, Spain, Margaret Mullen, Kyle Grice

DePaul Discoveries

In order to study the capacity of bivalve shells as bioindicators in estuarine ecosystems, a comparative analysis of lead concentration in oyster (C.angulata) and clam (C. edule) shells collected near the coast of Cádiz, Spain was performed. Infrared spectroscopy was used to assess calcite and aragonite compositional differences in the shells. An atomic absorption spectrometer was employed for lead concentation method development and analysis. Infrared spectroscopy results found that C. edule shells may contain more aragonite than C.angulata shells. The average lead concentration in oyster shells was calculated to be 44 ± 24 ppm from one …

Dna Barcoding Of Fish Eggs Collected Aboard R/V Weatherbird Ii Cruise Wb1731 Across The Florida Straits And Off Of Northwestern Cuba From 2017-05-13 To 2017-05-25, Makenzie Kerr, Mya Breitbart, Steven Murawski, Ernst B. Peebles, Maickel Armenteros, Jeremy Browning, Eva-Maria Bønnelycke, Chuanmin Hu, Yingjun Zhang

C-IMAGE data

This dataset contains DNA barcoding results of fish eggs collected along the northwestern coast of Cuba and across the Florida Straits from 2017-05-13 to 2017-05-25 using bongo plankton nets. The dataset also includes cruise data from twenty-three different stations collected during R/V Weatherbird II cruise WB1731. Individual eggs were DNA barcoded to identify species of fish spawning in the area. This dataset supports the publication: Kerr, M., Browning, J., Bønnelycke, E.M., Zhang, Y., Hu, C., Armenteros, M., Murawski, S., Peebles, E. and Breitbart, M. (2020). DNA barcoding of fish eggs collected off northwestern Cuba and across the Florida Straits demonstrates …

Reaching 1.5 And 2.0 ◦C Global Surface Temperature Targets Using Stratospheric Aerosol Geoengineering, Simone Tilmes, Douglas G. Macmartin, Jan T. M. Lenaerts, Leo Van Kampenhout, Laura Muntjewerf, Lili Xia, Cheryl S. Harrison, Kristen M. Krumhardt, Michael J. Mills, Ben Kravitz, Alan Robock

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

A new set of stratospheric aerosol geoengineering (SAG) model experiments has been performed with Community Earth System Model version 2 (CESM2) with the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM6) that are based on the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 6 (CMIP6) overshoot scenario (SSP5-34-OS) as a baseline scenario to limit global warming to 1.5 or 2.0 ◦C above 1850–1900 conditions. The overshoot scenario allows us to applying a peak-shaving scenario that reduces the needed duration and amount of SAG application compared to a high forcing scenario. In addition, a feedback algorithm identifies the needed amount of sulfur dioxide injections in …

Taxonomic Richness And Diversity Of Larval Fish Assemblages In The Oceanic Gulf Of Mexico: Links To Oceanographic Conditions, Corinne R. Meinert, Kimberly Clausen-Sparks, Maëlle Cornic, Tracey Sutton, Jay R. Rooker

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Biodiversity enhances the productivity and stability of marine ecosystems and provides important ecosystem services. The aim of this study was to characterize larval fish assemblages in pelagic waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico (NGoM) and identify oceanographic conditions associated with areas of increased taxonomic richness (T ) and Shannon diversity (H’). Summer ichthyoplankton surveys were conducted in the NGoM in 2015 and 2016 using neuston net (surface layer; upper 1 m) and oblique bongo net (mixed layer; 0–100 m) tows. Over 17,000 fish larvae were collected over the two-year study, and 99 families of fish larvae were present. Catch …

Fish Community Composition And Structure Near A Freshwater River Diversion In Southeastern Louisiana, Rachel L. Snider

LSU Master's Theses

Gulf of Mexico estuaries, particularly in Louisiana, are among the world’s most productive, with landings of commercially- and recreationally-important species exceeding all other contiguous US states. Coastal wetlands are disappearing at an alarming rate because they have been impounded from Mississippi River water and sediment. Although controversial, one proposed solution is to re-route the Mississippi River through diversions and siphons to supply the freshwater and sediments necessary to rebuild vanishing wetlands, particularly in Barataria Bay and Breton Sound, LA. This strategy is one approach outlined in the Louisiana Coastal Master Plan. This project aimed to describe the composition and structure …