Marine Biology Commons^™

A Bibliometric And Visualization Analysis Of Global Giant Clam Research, Chia-Hsiang Chen, Chih-Hsien Chang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

In this study, bibliometric analysis and visualization tools were used to investigate the academic network and knowledge structure surrounding global giant clam research. A total of 551 relevant publications from the Web of Science database, published from 1900 to 2024, were analyzed. The findings indicate that research on giant clams has experienced considerable growth since 2012, peaking in publication output in 2021. Sixty-six countries were represented in the study sample, with the United States, Australia, China, Singapore, and Japan being the most represented ones. Notably, the rate of international collaboration was only 29%, highlighting a need for additional integrated cross-border …

Examining The Relationship Between Civic Agriculture Participation And Civic Engagement In South Texas, Allison Kaika, Dongkyu Kim, William Donner, Alexis Racelis, Owen Temby

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Civic agriculture is often credited with strengthening democratic life by encouraging civic and political engagement, yet this claim has scarcely been tested in socioeconomically marginalized regions. Using original survey data collected through a combination of random and purposive sampling, this study assesses that relationship in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas, a majority-Hispanic agricultural region marked by high poverty and low civic participation. Phone and online surveys were administered in English and Spanish to reach both the general population and individuals involved in civic agriculture initiatives, yielding over 400 responses. We examine whether civic agriculture participation predicts greater community …

Comparison Of Fish Biomass And Fish Carbon Content Associated With Reef Sites At The Rio Grande Valley Artificial Reef In The Gulf Of Mexico, Allison K. White, Md Saydur Rahman, Richard J. Kline

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

As global fisheries stocks have decreased due to overfishing and climate change, artificial reefs have gained significant attention. In addition to providing or restoring habitat, artificial reefs may serve as carbon capture sinks and potential climate mitigation strategies. The Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Reef is an artificial reef located in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Texas. The RGV Reef area spans 1,650 acres and is comprised of hundreds of groupings of recycled and pre-formed materials ranging from low relief (1–2 ft) to high relief (8–30 ft) reef structures. This reef provides a variety of novel habitat …

Recreational Fishing Location Guide, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Occasional Publications

Please note: this version (6th edition) published in 2026 replaces the version published in 2023.

This guide has been developed to help you identify the fishing locations that you may visit. The purpose of this guide is to enhance consistent and accurate identification of fishing locations and block numbers within each Bioregion. If you are unsure about a particular location, please discuss it with a representative of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australia.

Evaluating Species At Risk In Data-Limited Fisheries: A Productivity–Susceptibility Analysis For Marine Aquarium Fish, Gabrielle A. Baillargeon, Alice A. Wynn, Jemelyn Grace P. Baldisimo, Michael F. Tlusty, Andrew L. Rhyne

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

The marine aquarium trade (MAT) is a significant global industry harvesting millions of wild-caught, live coral reef fishes for public and private aquaria markets in the United States and Europe annually, while supporting fisher livelihoods in the Indo-Pacific. This diverse and species-rich trade is considered data-limited, creating barriers to quantifying the current and future socio-ecological sustainability of the fishery. We present a revised and expanded productivity–susceptibility analysis (PSA) that serves as a holistic risk assessment to estimate the vulnerability of marine aquarium fish to overfishing. Our global analysis includes 306 species that are actively in trade. Improvements to the PSA …

Coral Larvae Have Unique Transcriptomic Responses To Pathogenic And Probiotic Bacteria, Erin M. Borbee, Isabella V. Changsut, Kira Bernabe, Alicia Schickle, David Nelson, Koty H. Sharp, Lauren E. Fuess

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

The growing prevalence of coral disease and other stressors threatens coral reefs, and evidence suggests these stressors not only affect adult corals but may also have impacts on early life stages. Yet, our understanding of coral larval physiology, including immunological function, is significantly limited. Here, we leverage the temperate coral experimental system Astrangia poculata to investigate the transcript-level response of A. poculata to exposure to pathogenic and probiotic bacteria. The bacteria tested in the experiment were the known coral pathogen (Vibrio coralliilyticus RE22) and a probiont (Phaeobacter inhibens S4) previously demonstrated to inhibit the pathogen’s growth. In this study, we …

Marine Heatwaves And Fish Reproduction: Endocrine Responses In The Eurythermal Sheepshead Minnow (Cyprinodon Variegatus), Isabel Villafuerte

Master's Theses

Marine heatwaves associated with climate change are increasing in frequency and severity, posing significant threats to fish populations in shallow habitats such as estuaries and salt marshes. Because temperature is a primary regulator of fish reproduction, understanding how heatwaves affect reproductive physiology is critical for anticipating the biological consequences of ongoing climate change for coastal fishes. Here we examined how simulated heatwave conditions affect the reproductive hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) endocrine axis in the estuarine sheepshead minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus), a eurythermal fish well suited to studying thermal stress responses in estuarine environments. Adult sheepshead minnows acclimated to a daily oscillating …

Evaluating The Commercial Aquaculture Potential Of The Native Pacific Littleneck Clam (Leukoma Staminea) As A Climate Resilient Alternative To The Non-Native Manila Littleneck Clam (Ruditapes Philippinarum)., Skylar M. Wuelfing

Master's Theses

The California shellfish industry’s near-exclusive reliance on the non-native Manila littleneck clam (Ruditapes philippinarum) creates an economic vulnerability to climate-driven disturbances, which can cause mortality events that eradicate up to 80% of stocks. This singular reliance on an introduced species highlights a need for the evaluation of native alternatives like the Pacific littleneck clam (Leukoma staminea). Our goal was to assess the feasibility of using the native Pacific littleneck in commercial aquaculture by comparing their performance to the non-native Manila littlenecks across the following conditions: 1) a five-month field outplant trial at high and low intertidal …

Geographic Range And Body Size Influence Abundance Patterns In Reef Fishes, M. F. Maxwell, D. R. Barneche, R. Divieso, S. R. Floeter, O. J. Luiz, A. L. Luza, M. R. Pie, A. C. Siqueira, M. G. Bender

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Aim: Understanding how body size and geographic range size influence species abundance is central to macroecology. Here, we characterized these relationships for reef fishes, the world's most diverse vertebrate group, across global and regional scales. Location: Global tropical and subtropical reefs. Time Period: Current. Major Taxa Studied: Reef-associated fishes. Methods: We compiled a comprehensive dataset on abundance, body size and geographic range size for 828 reef fish species. Abundance was measured as density (ind/m²) using transect-based observational data. To analyse global-scale patterns, we applied Bayesian quantile regressions and Bayesian phylogenetic regressions to account for phylogenetic relatedness. We also …

Blue Carbon Stocks, Accumulation Rates And Knowledge Gaps In Africa, Janine B. Adams, Pattrick, Pere Masqué, Dennis Adotey, Elsheikh Bashir Ali, Abdelgadir Bashir Mohamed Awatif, Mohamed Fathi Ben Hamouda, Moncef Benmansour, Joseph F. Charles, Jerome Harlay, Lucienne Human, Linet Kiteresi Imbayi, Rashid Omari Ismail, Anesu Machite, Nezha Mejjad, Athi N. Mfikili, Ndanu Mumo, Maurice Ndeye, Wilfried Essowè Panassa, Issa Sakho, Suleiman Suleiman, Vanessa Hatje

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Blue carbon ecosystems (BCEs), including mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrasses, play a critical role in climate mitigation due to their high carbon sequestration capacity. Despite Africa's extensive and diverse coastal ecosystems, continent-wide assessments of blue carbon stocks and accumulation rates remain scarce. Here, we synthesized blue carbon data from 87 publications (January 1993 - March 2026) to evaluate the current state of knowledge and regional variability. Our analysis reveals marked regional heterogeneity in sediment organic carbon (SOC) stocks across Africa, reflecting both ecological variability and methodological differences among studies. Normalised to a sediment depth of 1 m, median SOC stocks …

Du Undergraduate Showcase Abstracts: Research, Scholarship, And Creative Works, Sophia Wismar, Henry Staats, Allison Metzler, Chloe Puckett, Rachel Levine, Christa Kilpatrick, Scott Wolf, Joe Walsh, Grace Doolittle, John Engebreston, Zoe Lopez, Christopher Aaby, Audrey Duff, Timothy Sisk, Katelyn Lamberton, Angela Narayan, Gilkah Argueta, Habiba Samir, Girena Tesfazghi, Genet Kenore, Sinit Tesfamariam, Effley Brooks, Abi Newell, Megan Doherty, Natalie Baer, Lexi Blood, Talya Riciputi, Jessica Jimenez, Devin Hernandez, Lynn Clark, Taj Kumar, Sunil Kumar, Allen Rutman, Mira Pronobis, Tess Carson, Anna Sher, Frankie Stroud, Tamra Pearson D'Estree, Alyssa Wilson, Emily Melnick, Jenalee Doom, Yihang Gao, Gwendolyn Geiger, Noah Gettle, Scott Nichols, Clare Ayoub, Cara Dienno, Sunny Walker, Zoe Hansen, Maya Wheeler, Addison Rice, Patrick Martin, Sanjana Acharya, Daniel Mcintosh, Amanda Mckellips, Calli Cain, Justin Blake, Peter Sokol-Hessner, Natalie Miller, Max Weisbuch, Sophia Dellota, John Macikas, Charlotte Snow, Mark Siemens, Zoe Lynch, Alex Huffman, Prachi Shah, Jason Roney, Halcyon Levi, Nicole Herzog, Andrea Koly, Daniel Linseman, Annie London, Xi Yang, Avery Zwisler, Jane Smith, Chaz Contag, Michael Kerwin, Lucy Rand, Grace Schroeder, Michelle Rozenman, Nissa Tapper, Guiming Zhang, Mateo Mazariego-Halpern, Keith Meyer, Julie Do, Dakota Park-Ozee, Travis Herink, Kara Neu, Jonathan Plomin, Eve-Odine Duchaufour, Debbie Gale Mitchell, Tennyson Anderson-Stricklin, Lily Treitz, Samantha Rosenberger, Sierra Griffith, Finley Joseph, Daniel Sampson, Emmy Davis, Skyler Kasnoff, Evon Lopez, Vivian Nguyen, Cassy Young, Franklin Sellner, Martin Tobon, Ila Graham, Zach Billings, Holden Hedit, Decatur Boland, Paul Kosempel, Cory Chandler, Jay Mahoney, Sam Dragan, Susan Dagget, Yarrow Ator, Heidi Vuletich, Owen Weber, Andrew Kloeppel, Petersen Gray, Mandi Schaeffer-Fry, Razleen Bassra, Bryanna Rodriguez, Christina Blue, Taubie Sanders, Rachel Epstein, Luke Milburn, Camryn Evans, Ezra Martinez, Mary Westwood, Gabri Notov, Robin Tinghitella, Lilou Cabrol, Eli Barbour, Juliet Mendik, Selma Myers, Zac Wise, Noah Fahlin, Michelle Knowles, Abigail Hopper, Michael Greenberger, Romi Laclair, Sarah Watamura, Sabrina Efroymson, Casey Barker, Sydney Seltzer, Bryn Yehle, Jennifer Hoffman, Sara Garcia, Ryuka Nagamine, Trevor Briggs, Remy Le Boeuf, Elena Krone, Eileen Farrell, Regan O'Rourke, Elena Roel, Greg Mortimer, Ali Ayoub, Stefani Langehennig, Caitlin Turk, Logan Scmid, Stefan Chavez-Norgaard, Karen Kim, Tatiana Peccedi, Courtney Cassidy, John Sebesta, Rhianna Lewis, Janice Bening-Lacek, Vivian Lawless, Mckenna Hanson, Jeffrey Amidon, Riya Joshi, Ram Ambre, Brady Worrell, Perrin Schneider, Ali Azadani, Brooke Agulnek, Lyndsie Salvagio, Elise Siemanowki, Yan Qin, Andre Allen, Melodie Nguyen, Megan Livengood, Abby Reams, Saffron Hartreeve, Bri Wylie, Sarah Brookman, Mariah Loiacono, Green Russo, Abhia Lodhi, Gabrielle Welsh, Nika Spehar, Shahked Levin, Evrim Baykal, Kimberly Chiew, Jocelyn Torres, Kailey Hicks, Mykaela Tanino-Springsteen, Audrey Bellows, Akam Chahal, Madeline Tepper, Shannon Murphy, Alexa Fonseca, Deborah Han, Cassandra Perez, Oluwatoyin Alaba, Julia Roncoroni, Vy Nguyen, Nana Burn, Sarah Sasse, Rubin Tuder, Anthony Gerber, Nancy Lorenzon, Christine Vohwinkel, Camryn Gunter, Tristan Weber, Sam Rommel, Brian Michel, Muskan Fatima, Alannah Oleson, Kira Frey, Edward Garrido, Beckett Morris, Kerstin Haring, Drew Middleton, Abigail Walpert, Liam Dee, Gabby Ishaw, Cole Carnes, Maddie Weiser, Claire Fox, Valeriia Vlasenko, Kateri Mcrae, Riley Smith, Abigail Templin, Kushani Rajapaksha

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

Abstracts from the DU Undergraduate Research Showcase.

Seaweed-Derived Bioactives: A Promising Source Of Novel Therapeutics, Aida H. Shobier, Sahar W.M. Hassan, Safaa A. Abdel Ghani

Blue Economy

The marine environment provides bioactive natural products with unique structures that are absent in terrestrial compounds. This review aims to provide a thorough overview of key studies on bioactives derived from seaweeds. It focuses on their potential to address common diseases such as microbial infections, diabetes, oxidative stress, inflammation, viral infections, cancer, immune disorders, and Alzheimer's disease as well as their potential use in drug delivery systems. The bioactive compounds found in seaweeds belong to various chemical classes, with the largest proportion being polysaccharides, lipids, proteins, phenolics, pigments, terpenoids, alkaloids, and sterols. These compounds possess significant pharmacological potential. …

Kev's Dinghy Boat Workshops, Ruiyang Xiao

Masters Theses

In a culture where convenience replaces process, this project argues that making — even when inefficient, imperfect, or unnecessary — enables forms of engagement that buying cannot.

Technologies and Services nowadays are able to fulfill human’s desire to travel and explore at ease. However, this convenience proposes a mode of engagement based only in deeper knowledge of context and thus our experience with the world around us is hence diminished. Our engagement with the world becomes heavily mediated, regulated and controlled.

This project investigates how hands-on engagement with water can reintroduce + restore our sense of joy, curiosity, consequence, and …

Protecting Galápagos’ Marine Ecosystems: Biosecurity And Network Design Against Invasive Species From Tourist Vessels, Marnie L. Campbell, T.U. Le, Chad Hewitt

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The modern world is characterized by high connectivity, enhancing economic productivity, and global communication, but outpacing our ability to manage its consequences. This connectivity increases the risk of pathogen, pest, and invasive species transmission. In the Galápagos islands, Ecuador, tourist vessel networks operate with limited restrictions and connect high conservation value locations, boosting tourism and the economy. These vessels frequently travel between multiple islands, leading to moderate connectivity and high vessel promiscuity. To prevent the spread of invasive species via these vessels, we propose a biosecurity system that combines social network tools with risk management frameworks that balances environmental protection …

Environmental Dna (Edna) Assessment Of Fish And Decapod Diversity And Their Association With Cetacean Distribution In Matang Coastal Waters, Perak, Lim Chuan Hui

Student Works (2020-2029)

The estuarine and coastal regions of Matang, Perak, Peninsular Malaysia, are vital fishing grounds and recognised biodiversity hotspots, but are increasingly exposed to human activities. Understanding the biodiversity of marine fish and decapods is crucial for effective conservation efforts. Conventional biodiversity monitoring methods face several challenges, including invasiveness, inconsistencies in sampling techniques, reduced taxonomic accuracy, time-consuming processes, high costs, and often only providing approximate estimates. In this study, we evaluated the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding to assess marine fish and decapod diversity in Matang waters and to explore possible associations between fish assemblages and local cetacean occurrence. Water …

The Effects Of Water Quality On The Physiological Responses Of Daphnia Magna, Sara Al Shekha, Alexis Avila-Hernandez

COD Library Student Research and Award Symposium

After conducting research on the effects of water quality on the physiological response of Daphnia magna, a common freshwater invertebrate, the biological stress response significantly differed in heart rates among groups, which differed from the original hypothesis after exposing the invertebrates to various samples of local pond water.

Faculty Sponsor:  Professor Lynda Randa

A Sturdy Future: Mangrove Restoration Against Climate Extremes, Gabriella Marie Siasoco

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper addresses the impacts of climate change on natural disasters and examines how rehabilitation of mangrove forests in Mesoamerica and the Caribbean can mitigate those effects. Rising ocean and atmospheric temperatures contribute to higher sea levels and more severe hurricanes and tropical storms, characterized by increased frequency, duration, and intensity in peak winds, storm surges, and rainfall. Mangrove ecosystems act as vital buffers against coastal disturbances such as tsunamis and extreme storms, while contributing to climate change mitigation through carbon sequestration. Additionally, they improve water quality by filtering nutrients, preventing eutrophication. Despite their ecological and economic value, mangroves in …

Bio 340 Final Project: Effects Of Zoning On Fish Density Along The Great Barrier Reef, Mary Lamoriello

Biology Student Scholarship

Mary Lamoriello - Environmental Biology '27

Over the years, there have been many marine parks and restricted fishing zones established along the Great Barrier Reef to maintain biodiversity and coral health. The goal of these zones is to create an ”undisturbed” area, where species can flourish. Many different species reside in this reef and play important ecological roles. Parrotfish help maintain coral health by grazing on algae, and the presence of carnivores often indicate a diverse and healthy ecosystem. This project aims to examine the differences in species distribution between zones along the Magnetic Island, by looking at carnivorous and …

Photo Identification On Interactions Between Tursiops Trucatus And Humans To Promote The Importance Of Sustainability, Julia Bronneberg

Undergraduate University Honors Capstones

The Mediterranean Sea is one of the most biodiverse regions, and especially around the Maltese islands, a popular tourist destination where people come to enjoy the beautiful weather and blue waters. Because bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are the most common species people see in coastal areas, they are the primary focus of this research. We care about these bottlenose dolphins because they cannot protect themselves if we are the ones accidentally causing them harm. This study starts from the belief that if we cannot protect the ocean and marine life, then we cannot protect ourselves. We use many resources that …

Bio 340 Final Project: Artificial Reef Effects On Fishing Productivity, Griffin Gouck

Biology Student Scholarship

Griffin Gouck - Environmental Biology '26

A slew of artificial reefs can be seen dotting the Gulf of America. Some result from catastrophic shipwrecks and others from construction dumping; however, all provide an opportunity for the development of marine ecosystems. The question of how artificial reefs effect local fish populations is an expansive concept extremely hard to simplify down to a basic relationship. The development of reefs is a delicate process taking place over many years of growth. Previous studies utilized a combination of resources like theoretical models, field data and comparisons to natural reefs to study how these artificial …

Brachial Macroparasite Loads In Estuarine Young-Of-Year Striped Mullet (Mugil Cephalus), Triston Rice

Honors Theses

Climate change is a growing threat to marine habitats globally. One ecological impact that warming water temperatures poses is the increased metabolic rate of many parasite species. Their promoted reproductive and feeding rates could pose a threat to the stability of many host populations. Parasites of the gills, or brachial parasites, are especially concerning to fish populations globally. As parasitism is not limited to a specific taxon and comprises a large diversity of ecomorphs and behaviors, geographically distinct areas may be differentially affected by the changing prevalence of parasites. This study aimed to survey current brachial parasite abundance and prevalence …

Exploring Microbiome Communities Of Two Belize Coral Species Five Years After Reciprocal Transplant, Lily E. Kratz

Biology Honors Papers

Coral holobionts, which include the coral animal host, dinoflagellate algae, bacteria, etc., support coral reef biodiversity by providing habitat to many marine species. In the face of global change, identifying and understanding the microbial diversity of corals is extremely important because their survival indicates overall ocean health. Coral-associated bacterial and algal communities contribute to the health and survival of a coral species through creating resistance to stressors and supplying essential nutrients. As coral reef environments continue to change, microbial communities must respond to ensure the survival of reef-building corals. To investigate if coral microbiomes possess the ability to acclimatize to …

Tissue-Specific Heavy Metal Accumulation And Sediment–Mangrove Dynamics In Port Everglades, Florida, Dimitrios Giarikos, Amy Hirons, Jason Gershman, Sophie Welch

SECLER Data

Coastal wetlands near industrialized waterways face increasing heavy metal contamination, yet the role of mangroves as biogeochemical buffers remains poorly understood. This study quantified 16 heavy metals in sediments and red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) tissues (roots, branches, and leaves) across four sites near Port Everglades, Florida, examining tissue-specific partitioning, contamination patterns, and sediment-to-plant transfer. The South Turning Basin (STB) was the principal contamination hotspot, with geometric mean (GM) concentrations of arsenic (As; 27.8 µg/g) and zinc (Zn; 203 µg/g) exceeding threshold effect levels, while Cu exceeded its probable effect level (PEL; 193 µg/g). Mercury (Hg) exceeded its PEL …

Transcriptomic Responses Of Teleost Fishes To Thermal And Environmental Stress: A Synthesis Of Rna-Seq Studies, Aleen Ammar

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Climate change is driving rapid shifts in aquatic ecosystems, increasing the frequency and intensity of environmental stressors that affect survival, species distributions, and productivity. Alongside increases in temperature, stressors, such as hypoxia and acidification, are also intensifying with climate change. Teleost fishes exhibit substantial variation in tolerance to such environmental stressors. These range from specialists with narrow limits to generalists capable of persisting across fluctuating conditions, complicating predictions of vulnerability under ongoing environmental change. Transcriptomic approaches, particularly RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), provide a powerful approach for linking environmental stressors to physiological responses by quantifying genome-wide changes in gene expression. To assess …

Phenological Shifts In Reproductive Timing Of Bay Scallops (Argopecten Irradians) In New Jersey Following Subspecies Replacement, Ross John Choate Jr.

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Bay scallops (Argopecten irradians) are commercially, ecologically, and recreationally important bivalves that have undergone major shifts in New Jersey over the past 25 years, including the extirpation of the southern subspecies from New Jersey in 2001 and its replacement by the northern subspecies from Long Island by 2004. This transition altered reproductive timing, reflected in changes to the Gonadal–Somatic Index (GSI) as well as the timing of visual gonadal conditions exhibited during specific months. Early post-reestablishment data showed peak GSI in June and July, consistent with Long Island populations, but recent observations indicate a shift toward August and September peaks, …

Assessing Decadal Changes In Eelgrass Communities From Barnegat Bay, Nj, Janelle Marie Delcastillo

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Zostera marina (eelgrass) is a widely distributed marine angiosperm across northern hemisphere coastlines, yet many regions have experienced substantial declines due to disease, coastal development, and other anthropogenic stressors. Barnegat Bay is the only estuary in New Jersey that still supports extensive eelgrass beds, although it has undergone notable losses over the past five decades. To evaluate decadal-scale ecological change, we collected sediment cores in 2025 from a site with historical data spanning 2001–2010. Overall faunal densities remained relatively consistent, but several taxa exhibited clear shifts in abundance. Amphipods in the Phoxocephalidae and the isopod Erichsonella increased, whereas the cold-affinity …

Historic Patterns Of Growth And Destruction In Nj Seagrass Meadows, Masen Eck

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Seagrass meadows are one of the many habitats worldwide under threat from human disturbance and worsening climate conditions. This habitat provides many critical ecosystem services to coastal environments, which is why conserving and restoring seagrass meadows is critical. This study investigates the long-term success and failures from several eelgrass restoration sites in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey. Aerial imagery from multiple years were digitized in ArcGIS to assess restoration trajectories over time. Three of the sites were assessed over a period of twelve years (2012-2023), and one site was assessed twice (2021 and 2023). Results from these time series analyses showed …

The Effects Of Impervious Land Cover And Red Tide (Karenia Brevis) On The Florida Manatee (Trichechus Manatus Latirostris) In The Gulf Coast Of Florida, Anna Compton

Honors College Theses

Red tide, caused by the dinoflagellate Karenia brevis, is an algal bloom event that occurs annually in the West Florida Continental Shelf. The algae releases brevetoxin, a toxin that can be fatal to wildlife in high concentrations. These algal bloom events are thought to be exacerbated by warming ocean temperatures and increased nutrient runoff from urbanization. Red tide is responsible for the mass mortality of various marine organisms like the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris). This study analyzes the changes in nutrient runoff and sea surface temperatures, and how these factors affected red tide cell concentrations and Florida manatee mortalities …

2026 Workshop On Bridging The Gaps: Tackling Microplastics And Nanoplastics Challenges In Coastal Ecosystems, Shenghua Wu, Kaushik Venkiteshwaran, Melike Dizbay-Onat, Alexandra Stenson, Jinhui Wang, Tina Miller-Way, Ebenezer Nyadjro, Bhuvnesh Bharti, John Weinstein, Yi Bao, Shihui Shen, Valerie Longa, Shenghua Zha, John Cleary, Marty Lind

Workshops

This report presents the findings from the 2026 Workshop on Tackling Microplastics and Nanoplastics (MNPs) in Coastal Ecosystems, which took place in Mobile, Alabama. More than 140 experts from universities, government, industry, and community organizations gathered to address the increasing issue of MNPs in coastal regions.

Evaluating Fungal Endophytes Inoculation As A Mechanism For Salt Tolerance In Juncus Roemarianus, Rani Badve

Honors Theses

Salinity stress is increasing in coastal and estuarine ecosystems due to increasing temperatures and the reduction of freshwater inputs via precipitation pattern changes. Elevated salinity can negatively affect plant survival, threatening the stability of coastal wetlands and the ecosystem services they provide. Juncus roemerianus is a common and dominant marsh plant in the Northern Gulf Coast that lives in varying salinities. Growing evidence suggests that root-associated fungal endophytes may contribute to enhanced stress tolerance; however, the response of fungal communities to salinity remains poorly understood.

This study evaluated how salinity influences the abundance and diversity of culturable root-associated fungal communities …