Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons™
Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 20 of 20
Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Meiofauna Abundance And Distribution In Chesapeake Bay: Relationships With Environmental Stressors, Sediment Toxicity And Macrofauna, William J. Metcalfe
Meiofauna Abundance And Distribution In Chesapeake Bay: Relationships With Environmental Stressors, Sediment Toxicity And Macrofauna, William J. Metcalfe
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Macrofauna-based biocriteria to assess impairment in aquatic communities are well-developed and have been widely accepted as useful for coastal monitoring programs worldwide. Meiofauna-based methods are not as well developed, but meiofauna are intimately associated with sediments through their life cycles and are functionally important. Thus, an understanding of meiofauna relationships with environmental quality is also important. Relationships between the abundance and composition of major meiofauna taxa for two shallow water habitat types (protected, with muddy sediment; exposed, with sandy sediment) were investigated along gradients associated with changing land use, sediment contamination and environmental stressors in Chesapeake Bay. Principal component analysis …
Distinguishing Sediment Transport Modes To The Outer-Shelf Off The Waiapu River, New Zealand, Lisa D. Addington
Distinguishing Sediment Transport Modes To The Outer-Shelf Off The Waiapu River, New Zealand, Lisa D. Addington
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
Site Fidelity, Home Range, And Daily Movements Of White Perch, Morone Americana, And Striped Bass, Morone Saxatilis, In Two Small Tributaries Of The York River, Virginia, Patrick E. Mcgrath
Site Fidelity, Home Range, And Daily Movements Of White Perch, Morone Americana, And Striped Bass, Morone Saxatilis, In Two Small Tributaries Of The York River, Virginia, Patrick E. Mcgrath
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Striped bass (Morone saxatilis) and white perch (M. americana) are two common species residing within Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. These congeners are both commercially and recreationally important species. White perch are permanent residents in the Bay, while striped bass are only residents during the first few years of their life. During these initial years, striped bass co-occur with white perch. There is very little known about white perch and resident striped bass site fidelity and home range. This acoustic tagging study aims to examine site fidelity and home range of both species and determine if there is any spatial …
A Molecular Phylogeny Of The Echeneoidea (Perciformes: Carangoidei) And An Investigation Of Population Structuring Within The Echeneidae, Kurtis N. Gray
A Molecular Phylogeny Of The Echeneoidea (Perciformes: Carangoidei) And An Investigation Of Population Structuring Within The Echeneidae, Kurtis N. Gray
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
Transfer Of Essential Fatty Acids By Marine Plankton, Adriana J. Veloza
Transfer Of Essential Fatty Acids By Marine Plankton, Adriana J. Veloza
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCn-3 PUFAs) such as EPA and DHA are important biomolecules regulating production in marine ecosystems. This study examined how the interaction at the phytoplankton-zooplankton interface affected the transfer of LCn-3 PUFAs to higher trophic levels. Heterotrophic dinoflagellates contained higher levels of EPA and DHA than their algal prey, suggesting heterotrophic dinoflagellates enhanced the nutritional value of poor quality algae and subsequent transfer to the next trophic level. Formation of EPA and DHA in the dinoflagellates appears to be achieved by the elongation and desaturation of shorter fatty acid chains rather than through de novo …
Description And Evaluation Of The United States Coastal Pelagic Longline Fishery Interactions With Target And Non-Target Species In The Western North Atlantic, David. Kerstetter
Description And Evaluation Of The United States Coastal Pelagic Longline Fishery Interactions With Target And Non-Target Species In The Western North Atlantic, David. Kerstetter
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Eighty-five monitored sets were used to investigate the interactions of pelagic fishes with commercial pelagic longline gear in the western North Atlantic during the fall mixed species fishery north of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and the spring swordfish fishery in the southern Gulf of Mexico and northern Caribbean Sea. This dissertation incorporates four components: (1) direct analyses of longline gear behavior using small time-depth recorders, (2) comparisons of catch rates and mortality of all species caught on size 16/0 non-offset circle and size 9/0 straight-shank J-style hooks, including analyses of time-of-capture utilizing electronic hook time recorders, (3) an evaluation of …
Tidal Wetland Contributions To Fecal Coliform Loads In Shellfish Growing Waters By Analysis Of Model Prediction Discrepancy, Jie. Huang
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Fecal contamination in estuaries has become an increasing concern worldwide. The use of wetlands for wastewater treatment has expanded due to their natural ability to improve water quality by removing suspended sediments, nutrients, and fecal bacteria. In general, most of the removal occurs through deposition and accumulation in the wetland substrate. This would suggest that wetlands are effective filters for fecal coliform transported from terrestrial environments to surface waters. It has also been hypothesized, however, that wetlands may be an intermittent source of fecal coliform in tidal systems as a result of wildlife deposition and /or accumulation from terrestrial sources. …
Characteristics Of Vesicomyid Clams And Their Environment At The Blake Ridge Cold Seep, Taylor Perrine Heyl
Characteristics Of Vesicomyid Clams And Their Environment At The Blake Ridge Cold Seep, Taylor Perrine Heyl
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
Reproductive Attributes Of Polynoid Polychaetes From Hydrothermal Vents On The East Pacific Rise, Jessica Lynn Wallace
Reproductive Attributes Of Polynoid Polychaetes From Hydrothermal Vents On The East Pacific Rise, Jessica Lynn Wallace
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
Effects Of Salinity And Nitrogen On The Distribution And Growth Of Phragmites Australis Along The Rappahannock River, Carmen Rebekah Packett
Effects Of Salinity And Nitrogen On The Distribution And Growth Of Phragmites Australis Along The Rappahannock River, Carmen Rebekah Packett
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
Nursery Delineation, Movement Patterns, And Migration Of The Sandbar Shark, Carcharhinus Plumbeus, In The Eastern Shore Of Virginia Coastal Bays And Lagoons, Christina L. Conrath
Nursery Delineation, Movement Patterns, And Migration Of The Sandbar Shark, Carcharhinus Plumbeus, In The Eastern Shore Of Virginia Coastal Bays And Lagoons, Christina L. Conrath
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
The identification and delineation of nursery areas and areas of aggregation of north Atlantic sharks has been identified as an important information need for future management efforts. The objectives of this project were to use a fishery-independent method to study the overwintering area of juvenile sandbar sharks, to spatially delineate the Eastern Shore nursery area, and to examine movement patterns and space use within this nursery area. Data from 21 satellite transmitters attached to large juvenile sandbar sharks revealed that these sharks primarily occurred off the outer banks of North Carolina, at deeper depths and colder water temperatures during the …
The Interaction Between Stratification, Circulation, And Sediment Transport In A Partially-Mixed Estuary, Malcolm E. Scully
The Interaction Between Stratification, Circulation, And Sediment Transport In A Partially-Mixed Estuary, Malcolm E. Scully
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Detailed field observations from the York River estuary, Virginia are used to examine the processes governing vertical density stratification and to evaluate the importance of spatial and temporal variations in turbulent mixing on estuarine dynamics and sediment transport. Contrary to previous findings that suggest wind stress acts predominantly as a source of energy to mix away stratification, this study demonstrates that the wind can play a more important role in "straining" the along-channel estuarine density gradient. as a result, down-estuary winds enhance the tidally-averaged vertical shear, which interacts with the along-channel density gradient to increase stratification. Conversely, up-estuary winds tend …
Eye Pathologies Found In Several Decapod Crustaceans, Andrea M. Maniscalco
Eye Pathologies Found In Several Decapod Crustaceans, Andrea M. Maniscalco
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
Estimation Of Annual And Semi-Annual Survival Of Adult Female Blue Crabs And Assessment Of The Effectiveness Of The Virginia Blue Crab Sanctuary Using Tag-Return Methodology, Debra M. Lambert
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
The blue crab fishery is the most valuable commercial fishery in Chesapeake Bay. The Chesapeake Bay stock recently experienced a period of overfishing, which has resulted in below average abundances, and the spawning stock has experienced an 84 % decline in biomass relative to levels in the late 1980s. The status of the stock is determined by comparing current estimates of mortality to biological reference points. Given the current focus on blue crab conservation, there is a need to obtain reliable, empirical estimates of survival to compare to the biological reference points. A tagging program was initiated on the terminally-molted, …
Simulation Of Turbidity Maximums In The York River, Virginia, Jae-Il Kwon
Simulation Of Turbidity Maximums In The York River, Virginia, Jae-Il Kwon
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Two of the most important processes in cohesive sediment transport, erosion rate and settling velocity, were the focus of this study. Settling velocities were estimated by the Owen tube method and the acoustic Doppler velocimeter (ADV) method. A novel erosion model, namely a constant erosion rate model, was implemented in a three-dimensional hydrodynamic eutrophication model (HEM-3D) to simulate the turbidity maximums in the York River system, Virginia. Two one-month periods of model simulations were conducted to mimic typical dry (November--December, 2001) and wet (March--April, 2002) seasons. In order to have enough data to verify the model, four slack water surveys …
Investigation Of The Life History Of The Cownose Ray, Rhinoptera Bonasus (Mitchill 1815), Donna S. Grusha
Investigation Of The Life History Of The Cownose Ray, Rhinoptera Bonasus (Mitchill 1815), Donna S. Grusha
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
Physiological Ecology Of The Cultured Hard Clam, Mercenaria Mercenaria: A Case Study In Cherrystone Inlet, Virginia, Elizabeth Darrow Condon
Physiological Ecology Of The Cultured Hard Clam, Mercenaria Mercenaria: A Case Study In Cherrystone Inlet, Virginia, Elizabeth Darrow Condon
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
Linking Framework Geology And Nearshore Morphology: Correlation Of Paleo-Channels With Shore-Oblique Sandbars And Gravel Outcrops, A. Grace Browder
Linking Framework Geology And Nearshore Morphology: Correlation Of Paleo-Channels With Shore-Oblique Sandbars And Gravel Outcrops, A. Grace Browder
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
Shore-Oblique Bars, Nearshore Gravel Outcrops, And Their Correlation To Shoreline Change, Courtney A. Schupp
Shore-Oblique Bars, Nearshore Gravel Outcrops, And Their Correlation To Shoreline Change, Courtney A. Schupp
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
Sources Of Sedimentary Organic Matter In The Mississippi River And Adjacent Gulf Of Mexico, Elizabeth J. Waterson
Sources Of Sedimentary Organic Matter In The Mississippi River And Adjacent Gulf Of Mexico, Elizabeth J. Waterson
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
The development of accurate carbon budgets, as well as global climate models with predictive capabilities, requires an understanding of the delivery and fate of terrigenous carbon in the environment. Understanding the extent to which estuarine and continental shelf processes alter carbon transfer between marine and terrestrial systems, including estimates of organic matter accumulation in coastal sediments, is poorly known. Organic carbon and nutrients exported to the adjacent Gulf of Mexico by the Mississippi River are influenced by biological and physical processes including remineralization, hydrodynamic sorting, seabed mixing and bioturbation, and burial. These complex processes make it difficult to know the …