Marine Biology Commons^™

The Benefits Of Biofouling – Promoting The Growth Of Benthic Organisms To Enhance Ecosystem Services, Kailey Nicole Richard, Kelli Z. Hunsucker, Travis J. Hunsucker, Geoffrey Swain

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

For the marine industry biofouling has a negative reputation. On ship hulls, the accumulation of these unwanted plants and animals can lead to increased drag, fuel consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions. Offshore platforms are also subject to biofouling which can result in corrosion and hydrodynamic loading, thus shortening their lifespan. While the harmful impacts of biofouling are commonly reported throughout the literature, biofouling can also benefit both aquatic and human populations. Common biofouling organisms act as natural filtration systems, thus improving water quality. Many of the same flora and fauna serve as a food source, and structures could be designed …

Robust Hydropower Planning Balances Energy Generation, Carbon Emissions And Sediment Connectivity In The Mekong River Basin, M. Tangi, Rafael Schmitt, Rafael M. Almeida, S. Bossi, Alexander S. Flecker, F. Sala, A. Castelletti

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

We present a framework for strategic dam planning under uncertainty, which includes GHG emissions mitigation as a novel objective. We focus on the Mekong River Basin, a fast‐developing region heavily relying on river‐derived ecosystem services. We employ a multi‐objective evolutionary algorithm to identify strategic dam portfolios for different hydropower expansion targets, using process‐related and statistical models to derive indicators of sediment supply disruption and GHG emissions. We introduce a robust optimization approach that explores variations in optimal portfolio compositions for more than 5,000 state‐of‐ the‐world configurations, regarding sediment origins and trapping and GHG emissions. Thus, we can rank dam projects' …

Biometric Assessment Of Spotted Seatrout (Cynoscion Nebulosus) From Recreational And Commercial Fisheries In Mississippi, Usa, Nimah Folake Osho-Abdulgafar

Master's Theses

Quantitative stock assessments for Mississippi’s Spotted Seatrout use length-, age-, and sex-composition data from fishery-independent sources as proxies to estimate biostatistical characteristics of fisheries harvests due to lack of sector-specific data. In Chapter 2, I examined the age, length, and sex composition of Spotted Seatrout from three fishery-dependent sectors. Between April and December 2023, I collected 210 fish (n = 19, 124, and 67 from private, charter, and commercial sectors, respectively). The length ranged between 373-535mm, 285-523mm, and 345-568mm TL, with mean ± SD lengths of 453 ± 51mm, 393 ± 57mm, and 442 ± 53mm TL, respectively. Age ranged …

Development Of A Flow Cytometry Method For The Identification And Enumeration Of Enterococcus Faecalis, Riza Magbitang

Master's Theses

A multi-color flow cytometry method coupled with fluorescent staining was developed to detect and quantify E. faecalis concentrations in coastal waters as an alternative to the traditional membrane filtration method. The developed method was used to characterize E. faecalis during batch growth and yielded consistent results across the various physiological states of the cells. Additionally, the application of propidium iodide (i.e., a viability stain), afforded the method the ability to differentiate between cells with intact and compromised cell membranes, which raises the potential of quantifying cells that are in viable-but-non-culturable (VBNC) state. Initial field test using natural seawater samples spiked …

Projected Range Shift Of The Atlantic Surfclam, Spisula Solidissima, And The Ocean Quahog, Arctica Islandica, Under Climate-Induced Benthic Warming: Forecasting Fishery Influence In The Mid-Atlantic Bight Throughout The 21st Century, Molly Mae Spencer

Master's Theses

The Atlantic surfclam, Spisula solidissima, and ocean quahog, Arctica islandica, are biomass dominant bivalve species on the eastern North American continental shelf, both supporting lucrative commercial fisheries in the Mid-Atlantic with a combined value of $53.6 million in ex-vessel revenue per year. Rapid climate change is expected to modify the geographic range of these bivalve populations across the Mid-Atlantic Bight (MAB), suggesting transformative consequences for the surfclam fishery. This study forecasted future distributions of the two species from years 2016 – 2095, based on projected bottom water temperatures and a temperature-dependent population dynamics model, to project subsequent fishery-based indicators …

Estimation Of Effective Number Of Breeders And Effective Population Size In An Abundant And Heavily Exploited Marine Teleost, Andrea Bertram, Justin Bell, Chris Brauer, David Fairclough, Paul Hamer, Jonathan Sandoval-Castillo, Maren Wellenreuther, Luciano B. Beheregaray

Fisheries Research Articles

Obtaining reliable estimates of the effective number of breeders (Nb) and generational effective population size (Ne) for fishery-important species is challenging because they are often iteroparous and highly abundant, which can lead to bias and imprecision. However, recent advances in understanding of these parameters, as well as the development of bias correction methods, have improved the capacity to generate reliable estimates. We utilized samples of both single-cohort young of the year and mixed-age adults from two geographically and genetically isolated stocks of the Australasian snapper (Chrysophrys auratus) to investigate the feasibility of generating reliable Nb and Ne estimates for a …

Red Harvester Ant, Pogonomyrmex Barbatus, Nests Impact Soil Compaction But Not Temperature In Peri-Urban Habitats Of The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Geovanni Hernandez, Hannah J. Penn, Richard Cano, Lilly Victoria Elliott-Vidaurri, Robin A. Choudhury

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Ants are vital ecosystem engineers that can influence soil properties, subsequent soil processes, and associated biota via underground nest construction. Harvester ants consume seeds and are often found in arid areas. They frequently alter the soil chemistry and bulk density of the soils in and around their nest sites. Many species of harvester ants also intentionally remove vegetation around their nest openings, which creates cones or discs of bare soil that may further alter soil temperatures. However, much of the work to study the impacts of harvester ants on soil properties has occurred in shrubland and grassland settings rather than …

Corrigendum To “Evaluation Of Operational Performance Of Wusongkou Cruise Port Through Network Data Envelopment Analysis”

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of The Potential For Enhancing The Efficiency Of A Floating Photovoltaic (Fpv) System, How-Ping Wu, Ching-Yi Tseng, Chuan-Chung Jen, Yuan-Ching Chiang, Sih-Li Chen

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

This study examined the power generation capabilities of FPV systems and the advantages of employing active cooling on floating solar panels. Floating solar panels exhibit improved efficiency due to operating at lower temperatures facilitated by the cooling effect of water evaporation. Additionally, the high availability of water renders the application of the active cooling technique economically viable. This study developed a comprehensive simulation of a floating solar system, integrating a mathematical model to validate experimental findings and a temperature model derived from an energy equation specific to floating solar panels. This model calculates the heat transfer among the three different …

Microplastic Accumulation In The Marsh Periwinkle (Littoraria Irrorata), Sarah Keaton, Hannah Lukhard, Eli Windy, Manar Hasan

DePaul Discoveries

Contamination of oceans by microplastics (mm) currently poses a major threat to aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems worldwide. Recent attention towards this issue has raised questions about the extent to which microplastics have accumulated in the environment, and has led to an increase in studies on the effects of microplastics in various organisms. However, levels of contamination in protected natural areas are still largely unexplored, yet can offer an important empirical perspective on the issue. In addition, little is known about the potential effects of microplastics on behavior in the field. This research was conducted within the protected ACE Basin National …

Valorization Of Seafood Waste For Food Packaging Development, Zhijing Zhan, Yiming Feng, Jikai Zhao, Mingyu Qiao, Qing Jin

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Packaging plays a crucial role in protecting food by providing excellent mechanical properties as well as effectively blocking water vapor, oxygen, oil, and other contaminants. The low degradation of widely used petroleum-based plastics leads to environmental pollution and poses health risks. This has drawn interest in renewable biopolymers as sustainable alternatives. The seafood industry generates significant waste that is rich in bioactive substances like chitin, chitosan, gelatins, and alginate, which can replace synthetic polymers in food packaging. Although biopolymers offer biodegradability, biocompatibility, and non-toxicity, their films often lack mechanical and barrier properties compared with synthetic polymer films. This comprehensive review …

Using Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Uas) To Assess Body Condition Of Common Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus Truncatus) In The Indian River Lagoon, Florida, Jessica Jane Provenzano

Theses and Dissertations

Common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus truncatus) in the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) have experienced four Unusual Mortality Events (UMEs). This stock is considered immunocompromised and is routinely subjected to persistent anthropogenic stressors such as fishing gear entanglement, vessel strikes, contaminants, and harmful algal blooms. Previous body condition assessments of this stock have involved invasive capture-release examinations or subjective methods using lateral body images. To improve precision, we investigated the use of photogrammetry data collected from noninvasive unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) combined with models developed from capture-release data to estimate morphometric parameters and subsequently determine the body condition of …

Biphasic Burrowing In Atlantic Hagfish (Myxine Limosa), Douglas S. Fudge, Joshua Lee, Kennedy Guillen, Cassandra M. Donatelli, Andrew Lowe, Luke Arnold, Keolani Kahale-Lua, Christian Quinteros, Peter Ly, Larissa Atkins, Noah Bressman, Charlene L. Mccord

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Myxine limosa is a burrowing species of hagfish that occurs in the western North Atlantic in areas with muddy substrate and at depths generally greater than 100 meters. Burrowing of M. limosa has been observed from submersibles, but little is known about the behavior of these animals within the substrate or the biomechanical mechanisms involved. Here, we investigated burrowing in M. limosa by observing individuals as they burrowed through transparent gelatin. A photoelastic setup using crossed polarizers allowed us to visualize stress development in the gelatin as the hagfish moved through it. We found that M. limosa created U-shaped burrows …

Prochlorococcus Death By A Ubiquitous Zooplankton Filter Feeder, Avery Harman

University Honors Theses

Prochlorococcus is a globally abundant cyanobacterium that can help reveal the ecology of microorganisms in the ocean. Specifically, mortality by zooplankton such as appendicularians is globally important and Prochlorococcus can help reveal some of the choices made around feeding for this ubiquitous filter feeder. Two ecotypes of Prochlorococcus were introduced to appendicularians to determine if appendicularian feed selectively between these ecotypes. Further, a single ecotype of Prochlorococcus was fed to appendicularians over a variety of life stages to determine if retention rate changed with appendicularian life stage. My results reveal that there is no significant selection between the two Prochlorococcus …

Investigating The Regulation Of The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Interrenal Axis In Atlantic Sturgeon (Acipenser Oxyrinchus) Following An Acute Stressor, Liam Doherty

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

This study investigated the response to acute stress in Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus) and HPI axis regulation of glucocorticoid production during stress by examining the expression of key genes― corticotropin-releasing hormone (crh), corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor (crhr), proopiomelanocortin (pomca/pomcb), melanocortin 2 receptor (mc2r), and steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (star)―that are associated with hypothalamus/pituitary/interrenal (HPI) axis of bony fishes. Additionally, tyrosine hydrogenase (th1 and th2) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (pepck), found in catecholamine-producing cells in the head kidney of the sturgeon, were investigated …

Boom, Shake The Room: Seismic Surveys Affect Behaviour And Survival Of Western Rock Lobster, Simon De Lestang, Jason How, Kelvin Rushworth, Christine Erbe

Fisheries Research Articles

Seismic studies are conducted to investigate subterranean structures for, among other things, indications of petroleum and mineral deposits. Within the marine environment, these studies use sub-surface airguns to create powerful sound waves that penetrate the substrate, with their variable reflection time and strength being used to model seabed densities, structure, and composition. There is a growing body of work examining the effects of seismic surveys on marine fauna, primarily marine mammals and to a lesser extent fishes and invertebrates. Recently published studies on the southern rock lobster have shown these intense sound waves can affect lobster physiology and short-term behaviour. …

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Scott L. Gardner, Sue Ann Gardner

Zea E-Books Collection

Note that this version of the textbook has been superceded by the one updated in 2026, available at the UNL Pressbooks site.

The hard copy version that is for sale at lulu.com is the old version.

"This is a textbook covering concepts in animal parasitology. It is meant to be used by students, teachers, professors, researchers, and members of the public who are interested in learning about animal parasite biology, systematics, taxonomy, zoogeography, and ecology. The primary intended audience is upper-level undergraduate or graduate university students who have knowledge of basic biology and, particularly, basic animal biology. (863 pages, …

Fisheries Occasional Publication No.147 - Aquaculture Development Zones – Policy Position Relating To Permitted Alternative Species, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Occasional Publications

The purpose of this policy is to set out considerations relevant to the assessment of aquaculture proposals within Aquaculture Development Zones (ADZ) for species distinct from the group of species for which the ADZ was initially established (Alternative Species).

Baos-Cnn: A Novel Deep Neuroevolution Algorithm For Multispecies Seagrass Detection, Md Kislu Noman, Syed Mohammed Shamsul Islam, Seyed Mohammad Jafar Jalali, Jumana Abu-Khalaf, Paul Lavery

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Deep learning, a subset of machine learning that utilizes neural networks, has seen significant advancements in recent years. These advancements have led to breakthroughs in a wide range of fields, from natural language processing to computer vision, and have the potential to revolutionize many industries or organizations. They have also demonstrated exceptional performance in the identification and mapping of seagrass images. However, these deep learning models, particularly the popular Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) require architectural engineering and hyperparameter tuning. This paper proposes a Deep Neuroevolutionary (DNE) model that can automate the architectural engineering and hyperparameter tuning of CNNs models by …

Using Bayesian Multispecies Models To Evaluate Fish And Invertebrate Detection Probability And Distribution In The Hypersaline Bahia Grande Tidal Basin, Roy M. Ulibarri, Catherine M. Eckert, David Hicks, David Montagne, Brandon Jones, David R. Stewart

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Objective

In 2000, the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge acquired the Bahia Grande (Texas) management unit, a space that had lain barren and arid for 70 years. A large cooperative partnership launched a restoration project to replenish the basin and recover its original tidal hydrology. In 2005, the construction of a pilot channel successfully restored water throughout the basin, and plans to eventually widen the channel were developed. Our study aims to evaluate an estuarine habitat restoration by assessing ecological drivers and the impacts on species diversity.

Methods

We evaluated species richness, detection/occupancy rates, and species–habitat relationships, and we estimated …

The Effects Of Nano-Curcumin On Growth Performance, Feed Utilization, Blood Biochemistry, Disease Resistance, And Gene Expression In European Seabass (Dicentrarchus Labrax) Fingerlings, Samyah Justaniah, Ahd. A. Mansour, Ayat H. Al-Tarawni, Ahab El-Haroun, Mohhamed Bodrul Munir, Sultan Ayesh M. Saghir, Zulhisyam Abdul Kari, G. Tellez-Isaias, Walter G. Bottje, Ammar Mohammed Hamood Al-Farga, El-Sayed Hemdan Eissa

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Phytochemicals are used in fish farming to reduce stress and combat diseases during intensification. Recently, nanotechnology has represented a paradigm shift in the aquatic feed industry to improve the solubility, availability, and efficacy of phytochemicals. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with nano-curcumin (CUNE) on the growth, feed utilization, body composition, blood biochemistry, antioxidant status, disease resistance to Vibrio parahaemolyticus (V. parahaemolyticus), and the expression of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), growth hormone (GH), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and interlukin-1β (IL-1β) genes in European Seabass (Dicentrarchus …

Biotechnology For Sustainable Materials: Innovating Today For A Greener Tomorrow, Shashi Kant Bhatia, Saurabh Bhatia, Maria Eugenia Inda-Webb, Konstantina Kourmentza, Tae Seok Moon, Vijai Singh, Vishal Ahuja, Jingbo Li, Sanjeet Mehariya, Jikai Zhao

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Du Undergraduate Showcase Abstracts: Research, Scholarship, And Creative Works, August Alexander, Kevin Summers, E. Paige Lloyd, Alyssa Aragon, Lauren Wols, Erica Larson, Colton Arciniaga, Lily Baeza, Ellie Barnett-Cashman, Sidney Barbier, Maverick Bartholomew, Ryan Bell, Trevor Briggs, Amanda Brown, Cory Marchi, Maddy Pontius, Jennifer Gallagher, Claire Kwok, Channing Bullock, Alex Mccollister, Kim Gorgens, Daniela Chavez, Yamilet Espinoza Nuñez, Giovanni Valladares Giron, William Christensen, Olivia Kachulis, Daniel Cierasynski, Brandon Cohen, Spenser Dobbs, Lindsay Goolsby, Noah Craver, Nyah Cubbison, Liam Doherty, Nicole Doris, Yan Qin, Alexander Nguyen, Lily Harmon, Shubh Todi, Naichen Zhao, Noah Fagello, Stacia Fritz, Paola Gascot-Chinea, Alex Volkova, Janelyn Geronimo, Elsie Harrington, Shane Simmons, Clarice Hise, Laura Moreno Palmer, Henry Xu, Yesu Leela Pasupula, Emily Fisher, Zachary Hogan, Colin Kleckner, Alyssa Knaus, Erin Kubat, Sam Werkema, Katie Lamberton, Lilliya Larson, Allie Leary, Vanessa Leon-Gamez, James H. Gallagher, E. Dale Broder, Robin M. Tinghitella, Emma Loeber, Alina Mali, Ixchel Marquez, Lauren Mcgrath, Ella Matthews, Grace Naegelen, Audrey Ng, Megan Lucyshyn, Rachel Brough, Alexandra Norman, Joe Ontiveros Rodriguez, Ben Dossett, Ori Miller, Janamejay Sharma, Christopher Reardon, Vincent Pandey, Regan Parish, Ren Pratt, Alisha Pravasi, Sanchari Das, Cari Reichel, Emma Robson, Victoria Rockwell, Jayce Rumsey, Steven Said, Norah Schroder, Alaina Smith, Shannon Murphy, Shujan A. Sharafeldeen, Stanley M. Kanai, James T. Nichols, David E. Clouthier, Macalia R. Augustus, Daniel Silva Rios, Scott Simpson, Anna Sparling, Chase Spurbeck, Kimberly Chiew, Christine Stadnik-Poteroba, Jacqueline Stephenson, Evelyn Stovin, Mia Supan, Lauren Tapper, Will Thrush, Anna Vogt, Michaela Walheim, Jon Weber, Hunter Whitehouse, Kansas Wood, Hayley Sayre, Lydia Mccann, Maread Mclaughlin, Kelly Krumrie, Olivia Wuttke

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

Abstracts from the DU Undergraduate Research Showcase.

Some Reflections On Developing Trend Of Gravimetry In China, Heping Sun

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

With the development of modern science and technology, gravimetry is growing vigorously and is increasingly becoming an interdisciplinary subject that is closely related to many others such as geology, fundamental physics, geodynamics, hydrology, oceanography, and astronomy. It is now a key subject in giving service to demands in national strategy and fundamental researches in geoscience such as fiducial surveying and mapping, resource exploration, military security, and hazard monitoring. Therefore, owning the core gravimetric techniques is one of the pivots which reflect national core competitiveness. This study first briefly overviews the history and actuality of the growth of gravimetry subject in …

Impacts Of Hematodinium Infection In A Seasonal Population Model Of The Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab, Gwendolyn R. Sargent, Romuald Lipcius, Leah Shaw, Junping Shi, Jeffrey D. Shields

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

With Love, ; An Interdisciplinary And Intersectional Look At Why Creativity Is Essential, Theo Starr Gardner

Whittier Scholars Program

My Whittier Scholars Program self-designed major, Teaching Creativity, is a mixture of Art, Literature, and Education classes. My research and praxis classes have been focused on the ‘how?’s and 'why?’s of creativity, so it felt only right that my project should be a constructivist, generative project. The project I have been working on throughout my time at Whittier, and that has just fully come to fruition on April 11th, 2024, was a solo art gallery/open mic event entitled ‘With Love,’. With Love, was conceptually inspired by the research I’ve conducted on creativity and creative arts education over the past few …

The Influence Of A Ubiquitous Filter Feeder On Coastal Microbial Communities., Melissa Steinman, Moritz S. Schmid, Robert K. Cowen, Su Sponaugle, Kelly R. Sutherland, Anne W. Thompson

Student Research Symposium

Doliolids have a unique ability to impact the marine microbial community through bloom events and high filtration rates. Their predation on large eukaryotic microorganisms is established and evidence of predation on smaller prokaryotic microorganisms is beginning to emerge. We studied the retention of both eukaryotic and prokaryotic microbial taxa by wild-caught doliolids in the northern California Current system. We use qPCR to quantify the impact of doliolids on three important and globally abundant taxa: Synechococcus, SAR11 and diatoms. Doliolids were collected during bloom events identified at three different shelf locations with variable upwelling intensities. We discovered that in addition …

Variability Of Grazing By Appendicularians On Prochlorococcus, Carey Sweeney

Student Research Symposium

The marine picocyanobacterium, Prochlorococcus is the most abundant photosynthetic cell on Earth. These cells are critical to global primary productivity and are critical to biogeochemical cycles of the open ocean. While abiotic environmental factors that influence Prochlorococcus are relatively well-understood, biotic controls, especially predation, are not well-studied. Appendicularians are ubiquitous invertebrate grazers that feed on microbes including Prochlorococcus in the open ocean. However, the details of this feeding interaction have not been characterized. In a laboratory study, I showed that prey retention of Prochlorococcus increases as the life stage of the appendicularians advances and increases with increasing concentration of prey. …

Beating The Heat: The Use Of Coral-Benefitting Bacteria For Heat-Stressed Anemones And Inspiring Future Biologists, Navah Eshraghi

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The warming of ocean temperatures has caused mass coral-bleaching events characterized by the expulsion of vital algal symbionts from coral tissues. However, the possibility of algal reuptake and existence of bacteria that support coral-algal symbiosis are two avenues of potential restoration efforts. Using the sea anemone Exaiptasia diaphana as a model for corals, I tested whether the coral-benefitting bacterium Endozoicomonas montiporae could enhance algal uptake under ambient (27°C) and heat-stressed (32°C) conditions. I then turned acquired results into an article modeled after National Geographic Kids to introduce the experiment to younger ages. While temperature was a larger determinant of algal-uptake …

Salt: A Tribute To Ghana's Fishers, Vanessa F. Jaiteh

Green Humanities: A Journal of Ecological Thought in Literature, Philosophy & the Arts

This poem is a tribute to my fieldwork on fisher safety, labour abuses and human rights violations in Ghana’s fisheries.