Marine Biology Commons^™

Unified Methods In Collecting, Preserving, And Archiving Coral Bleaching And Restoration Specimens To Increase Sample Utility And Interdisciplinary Collaboration, Rebecca Vega Thurber, Emily R. Schmeltzer, Andréa G. Grottoli, Robert Van Woesik, Robert J. Toonen, Mark Warner, Kerri L. Dobson, Rowan H. Mclachlan, Katie Barott, Daniel J. Barshis, Justin Baumann, Leila Chapron, David J. Combosch, Adrienne M.S. Correa, Thomas M. Decarlo, Mary Hagedorn, Laetitia Hédouin, Kenneth Hoadley, Thomas Felis, Christine Ferrier-Pagès, Carly Kenkel, Ilsa B. Kuffner, Jennifer Matthews, Mónica Medina, Christopher Meyer, Corinna Oster, James Price, Hollie M. Putnam, Yvonne Sawall

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Coral reefs are declining worldwide primarily because of bleaching and subsequent mortality resulting from thermal stress. Currently, extensive efforts to engage in more holistic research and restoration endeavors have considerably expanded the techniques applied to examine coral samples. Despite such advances, coral bleaching and restoration studies are often conducted within a specific disciplinary focus, where specimens are collected, preserved, and archived in ways that are not always conducive to further downstream analyses by specialists in other disciplines. This approach may prevent the full utilization of unexpended specimens, leading to siloed research, duplicative efforts, unnecessary loss of additional corals to research …

All-Inclusive Coral Reef Restoration: How The Tourism Sector Can Boost Restoration Efforts In The Caribbean, Macarena Blanco-Pimentel, Nicolas R. Evensen, Camilo Cortés-Useche, Johanna Calle-Triviño, Daniel J. Barshis, Victor Galván, Erika Harms, Megan K. Morikawa

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Following a strong decline in the health of Caribbean coral reefs in the 1970s, disease outbreaks, overfishing, and warming events have continued to push these reefs towards a point of no return. As such, researchers and stakeholders have turned their attention to restoration practices to overcome coral recovery bottlenecks on Caribbean reefs. However, successful restoration faces many challenges, including economical and logistical feasibility, long-term stability, and biological and ecological factors yet to fully understand. The tourism sector has the potential to enhance and scale restoration efforts in the Caribbean, beyond simple financial contributions. Its strengths include long-term presence in several …

Geomorphic Gradients In Shallow Seagrass Carbon Stocks, Jahson Berhane Alemu, Siti Maryam Yaakub, Erik S. Yando, Rachel Yu San Lau, Cheng Chang Lim, Jun Yu Puah, Daniel A. Friess

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Seagrass meadows are important sinks of organic carbon (C_org), in particular the near-surface C_org pool (≤ 15 cm) compared to deeper sediments. Near-surface carbon is highly susceptible to disturbance and loss to the atmosphere, however, inadequate accounting for variability in this pool of carbon limits their uptake into carbon accounting frameworks. We therefore investigated the spatial variability in seagrass near-surface C_org and biomass C_org across different geomorphic (estuary, lagoonal and reef-associated) and community typologies (pioneer and persistent). Near-surface C_org stock in vegetated areas (25.78 Mg C_org ha⁻¹ ± 26.64) was twice that …

A Call To Action: Education Driven Strategies For Successful Implementation Of Blue Economy Initiatives At Coastal Universities, Matthew Tallino

Education Theses

Microplastic pollution impacts the earth’s oceans. Research at the deep sea and surface level, as well as research examining different bodies of water, indicates this problem is widespread. This research examines data from 2012 to the present to assess the impact the human stressor of microplastic has on marine ecosystems and ocean sampling and the insight that peer reviewed research on microplastics can provide as coastal universities create Blue Economy strategic action plans. Data indicates microplastics are a critical issue to the oceans overall health. The implications of the research are designed to target a variety of community members at …

Impacts Of Plastic Pollution On A Pelagic Marine Mammal, The Northern Elephant Seal, Lauren M. Kashiwabara

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

As plastic pollution increases, top marine predators such as marine mammals are becoming increasingly susceptible to plastic particles and their additives. Plastic particles have been found in gastrointestinal tracts and scat of many marine mammals, and quantifying plastic pollution in those that are pelagic can provide insight into plastic pollution in mesopelagic ecosystems that are just beginning to be analyzed. Adapting well-developed laboratory techniques for microplastic (MP) isolation (i.e. density separation and chemical digestion), I isolated MPs from the scat of the deepest diving pinniped, the northern elephant seal (NES), and found that100% of scat samples (n=11) contained high counts …

Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease And Other Diseases Affect Adults And Recruits Of Major Reef Builders At Different Spatial Scales In The Dominican Republic, Aldo Croquer, Someira Zambrano, Samuel King, Aurelio Reyes, Rita I. Sellares Blasco, Andreina Valdez Trinidad, Maria Villalpando, Yira Rodriguez-Jerez, Estefany Vargas, Camilo Cortes-Useche, Macarena Blanco, Johanna Calle-Triviño, Rebecca García-Camps, Ana C. Hernández-Orquet, Ruben Torres, Iker Irazabal, Laura Díaz, Yassmin Evangelista, Emy Miyazawa

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Monitoring programs can help understand coral disease dynamics. Here, we present results from a national program in the Dominican Republic (DR) aimed at evaluating coral diseases 3 times a year following a nested spatial design. Prevalence of coral diseases in DR varied from sites to regions, suggesting that disease dynamics can be driven by local processes and/or across larger spatial scales. Three diseases were common: Dark Spot (DSD), Yellow Band (YBD) and Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD). DSD and YBD were more prevalent across the western coast (north and south), whereas SCTLD was restricted for the study period to …

Phylogenetic Origins And Age-Based Proportions Of Malacho (Elops Smithi) Relative To Ladyfish (Elops Saurus): Species On The Move In The Western Gulf Of Mexico, Damon Williford, Nicolette S. Beeken, Joel Anderson, Polly Hajovsky, Roberta Weixelman

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Two species of ladyfish occur in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), Elops saurus and Elops smithi, that are morphologically indistinguishable except for vertebral counts but can also be identified by mitochondrial DNA haplotypes. Here we expand on previous work, most of which has occurred in Florida, and examine the demography, phylogenetics, geographic distribution, and age—structure of ladyfishes in Texas estuaries. Fishery—independent gill net data demonstrated that ladyfishes increase in abundance from north to south along the Texas coast. The abundance of ladyfishes also increased in Texas waters from 1982–2021, which coincides with recent trends of warmer winters. Genetic data …

Distribution, Maturity, Age And Growth Of Gray Snapper (Lutjanus Griseus) In The Northwestern Gulf Of Mexico, Joel Anderson, Dusty Mcdonald, Ethan Getz, Roberta Weixelman, Faye Grubbs, Jason Ferguson

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Recent population expansion of Gray Snapper, Lutjanus griseus, in the northern Gulf of Mexico is driving increasing catch in the recreational fishery in Texas. We assessed long—term trends in distribution and abundance of Gray Snapper in Texas using fishery—dependent and fishery—independent data collected by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in the years 1980 — 2019. Boosted regression trees (BRT) were used to evaluate factors (water quality, season, depth, bay and inlet distance) driving Gray Snapper presence in fishery—independent samples of juveniles (seines) and subadults (gill nets) found in estuaries. Estuarine Gray Snapper were subsequently sampled from gill nets, …

How Do They Do It? Using Omics Approaches To Explore Metabolic Responses Associated With Hypoxia And Exercise Tolerance In The Deepest Diving Pinniped, Elizabeth R. Piotrowski

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Marine mammals such as northern elephant seals (NES) routinely experience hypoxemia and ischemia-reperfusion events to many tissues during deep dives with no apparent adverse effects. Adaptations to diving include increased antioxidants and elevated oxygen storage capacity associated with high hemoprotein content in blood and muscle. Despite experiencing decreased oxygen tensions during diving, NES likely rely on the mobilization of large lipids stores and catabolism of fatty acids to provide energy to exercising muscle while diving. To identify potential regulatory mechanisms that may underly hypoxia and exercise tolerance in diving mammals, this study used system-wide approaches to characterize changes in genes …

Beyond Cortisol: Indicators Of Stress And Negative Feedback In Plasma And Blubber Of Marine Mammals, Jessica Avalos

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Marine mammals play an important role in ecosystem stability. However, anthropogenic activity is compounding pressure on many already vulnerable populations. A potential consequence of anthropogenic disturbance is physiological stress, which can impact metabolism, immunity, and reproduction, especially if it occurs repeatedly. Previous studies on marine mammals have focused on acute stress, but the impacts of repeated stress are poorly understood. Due to its accessibility on land during haul-outs, the northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris) is a good system in which to study the effects of stress in marine mammals. Stress stimulates the release of glucocorticoid hormones, primarily cortisol. Elevated cortisol …

It's A Small World After All: Insights, Interferences, And Implications Of In Situ Chlorophyll Fluorescence Monitoring In Estuaries, James Silas Tanner

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Concentrations of the photosynthetic pigment chlorophyll a are used as a proxy for phytoplankton biomass by estuarine scientists to study eutrophication, food web dynamics, and harmful algal blooms. Coastal managers use chlorophyll as an indicator of nutrient pollution and for assessments to meet Clean Water Act standards. Chlorophyll a, as measured in the laboratory by extraction from monthly discrete water samples, is a core component of the National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) System-Wide Monitoring Program (SWMP). Field-deployable sensors based on the excitation and emission spectra of in situ chlorophyll have not been incorporated into SWMP to date because past …

The Effect Of Visitor Density And Interaction On The Behavior Of Four Ray Species (Hypanus Sabina, Hypanus Say, Pseudobatos Lentiginosus, And Rhinoptera Bonasus) Housed In An Aquatic Touch Pool, Aimee Marie Little

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Human-Animal Interactions (HAI) in zoological institutions are thought to be important in helping visitors to establish a connection with animals and thus making them more likely to contribute to conservation efforts. However, animals can respond to visitor interaction in both negative and positive ways. The growing focus on animal welfare in zoological institutions emphasizes the need for assessing different environmental inputs, including visitor interaction, and how these inputs influence behavioral outputs associated with welfare. A touch pool exhibit presents a novel interactive experience that allows visitors to directly interact with various aquatic species, including elasmobranchs, whose conservation has important implications …

Effects Of Environmental And Anthropogenic Factors On Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta Caretta) False Crawl Rates On Jekyll Island, Ga, Brittany Byrd

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) are currently listed as “vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List and are experiencing population declines across many parts of their range. These declines are caused by environmental and anthropogenic stressors which impact sea turtle ecology and behavior, including nesting behavior. One nesting behavior sea turtles exhibit is known as “false crawling,” which is when a female sea turtle ascends the beach in an attempt to nest and either abandons the attempt altogether or while in the middle of digging an egg chamber. False crawling, a largely understudied sea turtle behavior, can not only …

An Analysis Of The Spatial Genetic Structure Of A Hybrid Zone Between Two Species Of Killifish, Fundulus Heteroclitus And F. Grandis, Andrew Lee Hardy

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Hybridization offers unique insight into the evolutionary process of speciation and the forces that maintain barriers to reproduction. In northeast Florida, a hybrid zone between two species of killifish, Fundulus heteroclitus and F. grandis, has been identified near Flagler Beach, FL, although the exact boundaries of the hybrid zone remain unknown (Gonzalez et al. 2009). This study aims to determine the fine-scale spatial genetic patterns of the hybrid zone and test the hypothesis that species ranges are influenced by changes in dominant vegetation. Results from an ADMIXTURE analysis and F_ST data indicated the boundary of the area of …

Histological Comparison Of Shark Dermis Across Various Ecomorphologies, Olivia Schuitema

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The integument plays essential roles in the structural support, protection, and hydrodynamic capability among fishes. Most shark skin research has been done on the external epidermal layer containing the dermal denticles, while the larger dermis layer has been mostly ignored. The dermis layer in sharks is composed of two layers, the upper stratum laxum and the lower stratum compactum, holding supportive collagen and elastin fibers. There may be morphological and compositional differences in the dermis layers across various species of sharks, although the extent of such is unknown. These potential differences may be represented by various dermal thicknesses and different …

A Trait‐Based Framework For Assessing The Vulnerability Of Marine Species To Human Impacts, Nathalie Butt, Benjamin S. Halpern, Casey S. O'Hara, A. Louise Allcock, Beth Polidoro, Samantha Sherman, Maria Byrne, Charles Birkeland, Ross G. Dwyer, Melanie Frazier, Bradley K. Woodworth, Claudia P. Arango, Michael J. Kingsford, Vinay Udyawer, Pat Hutchings, Elliot Scanes, Emily Jane Mcclaren, Sara M. Maxwell, Guillermo Diaz-Pulido, Emma Dugan, Blake Alexander Simmons, Amelia S. Wenger, Christi Linardich, Carissa J. Klein

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Marine species and ecosystems are widely affected by anthropogenic stressors, ranging from pollution and fishing to climate change. Comprehensive assessments of how species and ecosystems are impacted by anthropogenic stressors are critical for guiding conservation and management investments. Previous global risk or vulnerability assessments have focused on marine habitats, or on limited taxa or specific regions. However, information about the susceptibility of marine species across a range of taxa to different stressors everywhere is required to predict how marine biodiversity will respond to human pressures. We present a novel framework that uses life-history traits to assess species’ vulnerability to a …

Radon (222rn) As Tracer For Submarine Groundwater Discharge Investigation—Limitations Of The Approach At Shallow Wind-Exposed Coastal Settings, Michael Schubert, Jan Scholten, Matthias Kreuzburg, Eric Petermann, Mariele Lopes De Paiva, Dennis Kohler, V. Liebetrau, John Rapaglia, Michael Schlüter

Biology Faculty Publications

Mapping radon (222Rn) distribution patterns in the coastal sea is a widely applied method for localizing and quantifying submarine groundwater discharge (SGD). While the literature reports a wide range of successful case studies, methodical problems that might occur in shallow wind-exposed coastal settings are generally neglected. This paper evaluates causes and effects that resulted in a failure of the radon approach at a distinct shallow wind-exposed location in the Baltic Sea. Based on a simple radon mass balance model, we discuss the effect of both wind speed and wind direction as causal for this failure. We show that at coastal …

นิเวศวิทยาการกินอาหารของกุ้งเคย Acetes Spp. บริเวณชายฝั่งทะเลอ่าวไทยและทะเลอันดามัน ประเทศไทย, บุญวัฒน์ ผ่อนย่อง

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

กุ้งเคยสกุล Acetes เป็นแพลงก์ตอนสัตว์ที่มีความสำคัญต่อเศรษฐกิจ การประมง และระบบนิเวศทางทะเล อย่างไรก็ตามการศึกษาทางด้านนิเวศวิทยาการกินอาหารของ Acetes spp. ยังคงมีอยู่จำกัด การศึกษานี้จึงมีวัตถุประสงค์ในการศึกษาองค์ประกอบในกระเพาะอาหาร แหล่งคาร์บอน และลำดับการกินอาหารของ Acetes spp. บริเวณปากแม่น้ำเจ้าพระยา จังหวัดสมุทรปราการ และป่าชายเลน เกาะเหลา จังหวัดระนอง ใน 4 ฤดูกาล ได้แก่ ช่วงเปลี่ยนมรสุมครั้งที่ 1 มรสุมตะวันตกเฉียงใต้ ช่วงเปลี่ยนมรสุมครั้งที่ 2 และมรสุมตะวันออกเฉียงเหนือ โดยสุ่มตัวอย่างจากเรือประมงเพื่อนำมาวิเคราะห์องค์ประกอบในกระเพาะอาหาร δ13C และ δ15N ผลการศึกษาพบ Acetes spp. 4 ชนิด ได้แก่ A. japonicus A. indicus A. vulgaris และ A. sibogae sibogae โดยทั้งหมดดำรงชีวิตเป็นผู้บริโภคทั้งพืชและสัตว์ ซึ่งมี amorphous material เป็นองค์ประกอบหลักในกระเพาะอาหารและมีลำดับการกินอาหารอยู่ระหว่าง 2 ถึง 3 องค์ประกอบในกระเพาะอาหารขึ้นกับ 4 ปัจจัย คือ ประชาคมแพลงก์ตอนในธรรมชาติ ขนาดของ Acetes spp. ขนาดและชนิดของอาหาร และพฤติกรรมการเลือกกินอาหาร ปริมาณอาหารในกระเพาะอาหารมีความสัมพันธ์เชิงบวกกับอุณหภูมิของน้ำ แต่มีความสัมพันธ์เชิงลบกับช่วงเวลาในการเก็บตัวอย่าง δ13C แสดงให้เห็นว่า A. japonicus ได้รับแหล่งคาร์บอนหลักมาจากแพลงก์ตอนบริเวณไกลชายฝั่ง ขณะที่ A. indicus A. vulgaris และ A. sibogae sibogae ได้รับแหล่งคาร์บอนหลักจากแพลงก์ตอนบริเวณใกล้ชายฝั่ง การศึกษาครั้งนี้ทำให้ทราบแหล่งอาหารของ Acetes spp. ซึ่งจะมีประโยชน์ต่อการจัดการทรัพยากร Acetes spp. และแหล่งอาหารต่อไป

รูปแบบการไหลเวียนของกระแสน้ำในทะเลอันดามันโดยใช้แบบจำลองอุทกพลศาสตร์แบบ 3 มิติ, ศิริพัชริ์ ยิ่งอริยกุล

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

ทะเลอันดามันเป็นบริเวณที่มูลค่าทางเศรษฐกิจสูงเนื่องจากเป็นแหล่งอาหาร และเป็นแหล่งท่องเที่ยวที่สำคัญของประเทศไทย ทว่าเศรษฐกิจและการท่องเที่ยวที่เติบโต นำมาซึ่งปัญหาที่ตามมา ไม่ว่าจะเป็นปริมาณขยะที่เพิ่มขึ้น ของเสียจากครัวเรือนและการท่องเที่ยว หรือปัญหาจากอุบัติเหตุทางทะเลและน้ำมันรั่วไหล ดังนั้นหากสามารถทำนายรูปแบบของกระแสน้ำจะสามารถนําไปใช้เป็นข้อมูลสนับสนุนในการบริหารจัดการทรัพยากรหรือการท่องเที่ยวทางทะเลได้ ซึ่งเป็นที่มาของการศึกษารูปแบบกระแสน้ำแบบ 3 มิติโดยใช้แบบจำลองอุทกพลศาสตร์ DELFT3D-FLOW ในครั้งนี้ โดยคำนึงถึงอิทธิพลของน้ำขึ้นน้ำลง ลม ความหนาแน่น และแบบจำลองความร้อนของมหาสมุทร (Ocean heat flux model) ผลการศึกษาพบว่าแรงจากน้ำขึ้นน้ำลงส่งผลต่อกระแสน้ำที่พบบริเวณชายฝั่ง ในขณะที่อิทธิพลของลมส่งผลต่อทิศทางของกระแสน้ำบริเวณทะเลเปิด โดยลมทำให้กระแสน้ำมีทิศทางการไหลไปทางทิศตะวันตกในช่วงฤดูมรสุมตะวันออกเฉียงเหนือ และไหลไปทางทิศตะวันออกในช่วงฤดูมรสุมตะวันตกเฉียงใต้ นอกจากนี้ลมยังเป็นปัจจัยที่ทำให้เกิด vertical mixing ของมวลน้ำอีกด้วย แต่เมื่อพิจารณาอิทธิพลของอุณหภูมิและความเค็มร่วมด้วย พบว่ารูปแบบของกระแสน้ำมีการเปลี่ยนแปลงตามความลึก โดยกระแสน้ำที่พบตอนบนจะไหลจากมหาสมุทรอินเดียเข้าสู่ตอนใต้ของทะเลอันดามันผ่านทาง Great Channel และไหลออกจากทะเลอันดามันสู่อ่าวเบงกอลผ่าน Perparis Channel ทางตอนเหนือ แต่เมื่อความลึกเพิ่มขึ้นการแลกเปลี่ยนฟลักซ์จะถูกจำกัดด้วยลักษณะของพื้นทะเล และที่ความลึกมากกว่า 300 เมตร จะพบกระแสหมุนวนทวนเข็มนาฬิกาบริเวณกลางทะเลอันดามันโดยจะ ไหลออกจากทะเลอันดามันสู่มหาสมุทรอินเดียผ่านทาง Ten Degree Channel และ Great Channel

A Comparative Test Of Creative Thinking In Preschool Children And Dolphins, Dawn Melzer, Deirdre Yeater, Madison Bradley, Heather M. Hill, Gonzalo Guerra, Kimberly Salazar, Teresa Bolton, Kathleen M. Dudzinski

Psychology Faculty Publications

Creativity is considered one aspect of intelligence. Including creativity allows for more room for expression (e.g., participants can respond with movement instead of written or verbal responses) than in standard intelligence assessments. The Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT; Torrance, 1974) are the leading method of assessing creative abilities in school-aged humans and above. To assess creativity in young humans and nonhuman animals, modifications must be made to facilitate nonverbal responses. In the current study, a cross-species comparison was conducted between preschoolers and bottlenose dolphins to examine responses to a modified creativity task in which both species were trained to …

It Takes A Muscle: Wholes, Holes, And Other Voids, Saar Shemesh

Theses and Dissertations

IT TAKES A MUSCLE¹

In the BELLY of the BEAST, the HUMAN

in the deep end of a SWIMMING POOL

in a GRAVE, looking up/out from within

at the base of a CRATER, ABYSS, PIT

the room as a CRADLE, INCUBATOR

architecture as MOTHER MOULD.²

____________________________

¹ Title is borrowed and abbreviated: Spectral Display, “It Takes A Muscle To Fall In Love,” 1982.

² For what American-English delineates as ‘mold,’ British-English uses ‘mould’ and is more specific in its technicality. The former doesn’t distinguish in spelling between mold (fungus) and mold (mould). I’m not particularly a fan of …

Assessing The Behavioral Response Of Westslope Cutthroat Trout To Olfactory Cues In A Two-Choice Y-Maze, Hannah Marie Condron

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

The goal of this study was to determine which olfactory cues were most attractive to Westslope Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi (WCT) in a two-choice Y-maze. WCT used in this study were from Kings Lake and Paqua Creek in Pend Oreille County, Washington, and tested in 2018 and 2019. The different odorants tested in this study were population-specific pheromones produced by WCT from the same population, conspecific pheromones produced by WCT from the second population, and water obtained from each population’s natal stream. The water Kings Lake WCT were reared in for one year at the Spokane Hatchery was also …

Implications Of Salinity Normalization Of Seawater Total Alkalinity In Coral Reef Metabolism Studies, Travis A. Courtney, Tyler Cyronak, Alyssa J. Griffin, Andreas J. Andersson

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Salinity normalization of total alkalinity (TA) and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) data is commonly used to account for conservative mixing processes when inferring net metabolic modification of seawater by coral reefs. Salinity (S), TA, and DIC can be accurately and precisely measured, but salinity normalization of TA (nTA) and DIC (nDIC) can generate considerable and unrecognized uncertainties in coral reef metabolic rate estimates. While salinity normalization errors apply to nTA, nDIC, and other ions of interest in coral reefs, here, we focus on nTA due to its application as a proxy for net coral reef calcification and the importance for …

Effects Of Probiotics Supplementation With Lactobacillus Sp. Bacteria On Growth And Survival Rate Of Cultured Mullet Fish (Mugil Sp.) In Floating Cages, Balqees Saleh Bin Breek, Mohammed Abdullah Al-Dohail, Khaled Salem Yahya

Hadhramout University Journal of Natural & Applied Sciences

This study was conducted to determine the effect of probiotics, Lactobacillus acidophilus on the growth parameters of Mugil sp. fish, their approximate biochemical composition and the environmental conditions of their culture for 12 weeks in floating cages. Six hundreds of fish were randomly distributed in two groups of 100 fish in each floating cages (length of 1 m, width of 1 m, depth of 2 m) with an initial weight of 39.5± 0.2 g. The first group was fed with the control diet and the second group with probiotics diet. The results showed significant differences (P <0.05) between fish fed on probiotics diet and fish fed on control diet in weight gain (WG), relative growth rate (RGR) and food conversion rate (FCR). The weight gain in the probiotics group was 18.3 g, while in the control group was 12.2 g. There was no significant difference (P> 0.05) for the specific …

Removal Of Lead (Ii) From Polluted Seawater In Mukalla Coast, Hadhramout Using Biotechnology Of Dried Biomass Of Macroalgae, Gracilaria Sp And Sargassum Sp, Abdullah Salem Bawazir, Eman Hassan Ba Othman

Hadhramout University Journal of Natural & Applied Sciences

This study aimed to remove lead ions (Pb²⁺) from seawater mixed with wastewater that discharged to Mukalla coast. Water samples were collected from points near the sewage discharging sampling station. Macroalgae samples, Gracilaria sp and Sargassum sp were used for bio-sorption of Pb²⁺ from seawater in the study area. Besides, this study aimed to assess the removal efficiency of lead-heavy metal ions (Pb²⁺) from polluted seawaters in Mukalla coast by Macroalgae biomass. The effect of pH values (4.5 –7.5 ± 0.5) and different adsorbent dosages were used on the adsorption process through Winter and Summer …

Dolphins In Ny? Researchers Turn To Boat Tours For Sightings, Aaron K. Tremper

Capstones

Before 2009, coastal bottlenose dolphins were a rare sight north of New Jersey. According to local researchers, large pods of bottlenose dolphins made their way that spring/summer along Long Island. While dolphin population data by state and federal wildlife regulators are spotty, studies by local scientists suggest more dolphins have been flocking to New York since 2009. Many researchers are turning to whale-watching ventures to learn more about what dolphins are up to in the Big Apple.

https://jkt711.github.io/capstone/

Lost At Sea, Anny Oberlink

Capstones

At the end of World War I and World War II, in a new era of peace, nations confronted an unprecedented logistical problem: millions of tons of unexploded ordnance—once a wartime boon—had become a peacetime burden. Faced with a mandate to dispose of excess munitions, militaries turned to dumping their stockpiles into the sea. But now a complex and urgent issue is emerging. Increasingly, as industry looks to build offshore—wind power turbines, internet cables, oil pipelines—they are facing a potential peril: millions of tons of unexploded bombs and ammunition that are lying on the ocean floor can explode or leak …

Paralyzed Within A Plastic World, Gena Leib

Honors Projects

Our oceans are one of the largest ecosystems found on our planet, and they are also one of the driving forces to a balanced planet. I believe that it is very important to restore our oceans to the once clean environment, and it is up to mankind to make that first step to do so soon and without hesitation. I believe that many people are uniformed on the topics of pollution, and it is important to bring attention to the issues through a perspective that society can see. Social media has had a huge influence on helping this, but for …

Hydrodynamic Assessment Of Natural And Nature-Based Features For Escatawpa River And Grand Bay In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Peter Bacopoulos, Karim Alizad, Davina Passeri, Matthew Bilskie, Stephen Medeiros, Scott Hagen

Faculty Publications

This presentation showcases a hydrodynamic assessment of natural and nature-based features (NNBFs) for the Pascagoula River, the Escatawpa River and Grand Bay, located along the Mississippi coast of the northern Gulf of Mexico. Two separate NNBF projects are being considered to: (1) restore the historical footprint (ca. 1848) of Grand Batture Island for coastal protection purposes; and (2) reconnect the hydraulics between the Escatawpa River and Grand Bay for ecosystem services purposes. The intended coastal protection benefits of the first project include buffering agency to wave attack and attenuation of storm surge with the restored island. The intended ecosystem services …

Optimizing The Time To Transfer Sexually Produced Corals Of Porites Astreoides, Agaricia Agaricites, And Montastraea Cavernosa To An Offshore Nursery, Rachel Ionata

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

As reefs continue to decline globally and become unable to recover on their own, restoration becomes essential to abate reef degradation and boost reef recovery until the main sources of the degradation are addressed. Sexual propagation is an important restoration technique that still requires optimization. One of the major knowledge gaps is determining the optimal time to transfer newly-settled sexually-produced corals from an aquarium to an offshore nursery without compromising their survival and growth. This study transferred settlers from Porites astreoides, Agaricia agaricites, and Montastraea cavernosa to an offshore nursery at approximately one week, five weeks, and nine weeks post-settlement, …