Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Elemental And Isotopic Characterization Of Organic Matter And Carbon In The U.S South Atlantic Bight, Jennifer A. Dealteris

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Early Flotant Establishment And Growth Dynamics In A Nutrient Amended Wetland In The Lower Mississippi River Delta, Caleb W. Izdepski

LSU Master's Theses

Nutrient dynamics and seasonal marsh growth were examined in a newly formed Panicum virgatum floating marsh at Thibodaux LA. The floating marsh formed in a cleared area of forested wetland receiving secondarily treated effluent. Net Areal Primary Productivity (NAPP), total belowground biomass, NO₃, and δ¹⁵N ratios varied significantly (P <0.05) along a 75m marsh transect while mean δ¹³C varied between plant species. The upland end of the transect had the highest NAPP (3876 g m^-2y^-1), total belowground biomass (4079.0 ± 298.5 g m^-2), and mean NO₃ (5.4 ± 2.9 mg l^-1). The mean floating-marsh …

Rna:Dna As An Indicator Of Nutritional Condition And Growth In Larval Naked Goby, Gobiosoma Bosc, Michelle C. Satterwhite

LSU Master's Theses

Developing organism-based metrics for assessing habitat quality is an important tool in conservation and restoration of aquatic habitats. The use of the RNA:DNA ratio as an early indicator of habitat effects on growth of nekton species has been suggested, but requires species-specific laboratory assessment prior to field application. We used food availability in laboratory treatments to simulate differences in habitat quality. Wild Gobiosoma bosc eggs were collected using nest-traps constructed of PVC pipe. Eggs from several different nests collected in the field were hatched in the lab, yielding larvae that were randomly assigned to three feeding treatments in two replicate …

Ecosystem Effects Of Expanding Populations Of Avicennia Germinans In A Southeastern Louisiana Spartina Alterniflora Saltmarsh, Carey Lynn Perry

LSU Master's Theses

Although the Earth may be in the early stages of the projected trends of global warming, several ecological responses to recent warming are already evident. The timing of seasonal activities of plants and animals has begun to shift, and the advancement of species poleward is occurring in several regions of the world. One unique distributional shift is the movement of Avicennia germinans (black mangrove) northward into temperate salt marshes dominated by the marsh grass, Spartina alterniflora. In Louisiana, black mangroves were historically restricted to the southernmost barrier islands and beaches; however, in recent years a noticeable expansion of Avicennia northward …

A Comparison Of Channel Morphology, Marsh Elevation, And Biological Processes In Natural And Dredged Tidal Salt Marshes In Louisiana, Jennifer S. Spicer

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Channel networks in tidal marshes serve as conduits for the exchange of water between the estuary and the marsh surface and form the spatial structure that regulates the flow of organisms, materials, and energy throughout the marsh system. Canal dredging creates channels with distinct linear shapes, and the artificial levee created from the dredged material creates ‘spoil banks’ along either side of the channel edge. Differences in morphology and adjacent marsh surface elevation between natural and dredged channel systems have not been well quantified, but may have important implications for the functioning of tidal channels as habitat for marsh-dependent species. …

Assessment And Analysis Of Quikscat And Coamps Model Vector Wind Products For The Gulf Of Mexico: A Long-Term And Hurricane Perspective, Neha Sharma

LSU Master's Theses

Global weather changes have become a matter of grave concern in hurricane prone areas as intensities of hurricanes are observed to be increasing every year, necessitating improved monitoring capabilities. NASA’s QuikSCAT satellite sensor has provided significant support in analyzing and forecasting winds for the past 8 years. In this study, the performance of QuikSCAT products, including JPL’s latest L2B 12.5km swath winds, was evaluated against buoy-measured winds in the Gulf of Mexico. The long-term study period was 1/2005 – 2/2007. The Coupled Ocean/Atmospheric Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS) was also assessed. The regression analyses showed very good results for QuikSCAT products, …

Trophic Ecology And Growth Dynamics Of Striped Bass (Morone Saxatilis) In Chesapeake Bay, With Reference To Mycobacteriosis, Kathleen Anne Mcnamee

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Shelf Sediment Dispersal Mechanisms And Deposition On The Waiapu River Shelf, New Zealand, Tara A. Kniskern

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The Waiapu River, located on the North Island of New Zealand, drains a small catchment and has one of the highest sediment yields in the world. The river delivers most of its annual sediment load during floods into energetic coastal waters. These conditions are favorable for producing multiple sediment transport mechanisms, including transport in positively and negatively buoyant freshwater plumes, gravitydriven flows, and resuspension. Analyses of Waiapu River shelf seabed data showed that multiple transport mechanisms influence strata formation. Fluvial sediments are initially deposited at water depths shallower than 80 m before being remobilized and deposited at greater water depths. …

The Role Of Bacteria-Particle Interactions In Marine Snow Dynamics, Emily M. Yam

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Marine snow aggregates are one of the primary vehicles for deep-sea carbon sequestration. Bacterial activity on marine snow affects both degradation and aggregation processes that determine the flux of carbon to depth, biogeochemical cycling, and microbial food webs. The microscale processes occurring on aggregates depend on specific interactions between bacteria and particles. In this thesis, I describe two such interactions which have larger scale implications on marine snow dynamics: (1) the effects of starvation on bacterial motility and colonization behaviors on marine aggregates and (2) interactions between bacteria and phytoplankton which could contribute to the production of TEP.

Current models …

Biomarker Responses In Fathead Minnows (Pimephales Promelas) During Exposure To Exceptional Quality Biosolids, Constance A. Sullivan

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of Individual-Based And Matrix Projection Models To Applied To Fish Population And Community Dynamics, Shaye Ellen Sable

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Matrix projection models and individual-based models (IBM) are commonly used for the analysis and management of fish populations. Matrix models break down the population into age or stage classes, while IBMs track individuals. I perform a series of quantitative comparisons between the predictions of the two modeling approaches using the IBM as the standard of comparison to demonstrate when individual variation, species interactions, and spatial heterogeneity adversely affect matrix model performance. I first evaluate the matrix approach for predicting yellow perch population responses when perch are involved in size-specific predator-prey interactions with walleye. I created density-dependent and stochastic age-structured and …

Disturbance Effects On Nekton Communities Of Seagrasses And Bare Substrates In Biloxi Marsh, Louisiana, Jamie Lynn Maiaro

LSU Master's Theses

With marshes deteriorating rapidly across the Louisiana coast, the role of seagrasses in sustaining fisheries has come into question. Seagrasses are known to shelter small fish from larger predators. Seagrasses also act as a foraging ground for commercially important species, including spotted seatrout. Thirty samples, fifteen from seagrass habitats and fifteen from bare substrate habitats, were collected inside Biloxi Marsh using a drop sampler in May 2005. After the passage of Hurricanes Cindy and Katrina on July 6, 2005 and August 29, 2005, respectively, the seagrasses in Biloxi Marsh were either uprooted, buried, or both. The May 2005 sites were …

The Effects Of Trawling And Habitat Use On Red Snapper And The Associated Community, Robert Joseph David Wells

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The primary impediment to the recovery of Gulf of Mexico (GOM) red snapper is believed to be high levels of bycatch of age 0 and age 1 individuals in shrimp trawls. Thus, conservation of GOM red snapper involves evaluating both habitat-specific function and effects of shrimp trawls on red snapper and the associated benthic ecosystem. The two goals of this study were to evaluate the effects commercial shrimp trawls have on juvenile red snapper life history parameters, on associated fish and invertebrate communities and their habitat, and to identify essential fish habitat (EFH) for red snapper by applying all four …

Acoustic Measurement And Modeling Of Waves In Estuarine And Coastal Environments, Justin P. Vandever

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Inactive Sulfide Mounds Of The Manus Basin: Invertebrate Composition And Potential For A Chemoautotrophic Food Web, Kristin Lynn Erickson

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Using Principles Of Momentum Conservation To Develop A Coastal Storm Impulse Scale (Cosi), Chris Adam Klentzman

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Coastal engineers have long recognized the need for a storm classification system that combines wave conditions, storm surge, and the length of time for the storm event. A new classification system has been developed that is based on the conservation of total horizontal momentum. This research concentrated on developing the theory and then applying that theory for a 10-year period of data from the Army Corps of Engineers Field Research Facility (FRF) in Duck, North Carolina. When fully developed, the Coastal Storm Impulse scale (COSI) may be applied to all previous Hurricane and Northeaster storm events along a coast and …

Characterization Of Exotic Pathogens Associated With The Suminoe Oyster, Crassostrea Ariakensis, Jessica A. Moss

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, once an integral part of the ecology and economy of Chesapeake Bay, has been severely depleted. Factors leading to the decline of the eastern oyster include over-harvesting, environmental degradation and disease pressure caused by the protozoans Haplosporidium nelsoni and Perkinsus marinus, known commonly as MSX and Dermo, respectively. Studies regarding the feasibility of introducing a nonnative oyster to the Bay were initiated, and field-based research on an Asian oyster, Crassostrea ariakensis, suggested that it might be a viable species for introduction. Research surrounding the proposed introduction has focused on recommendations such as those from the …

Feeding Ecology Of Atlantic Menhaden (Brevoortia Tyrannus) In Chesapeake Bay, Patrick D. Lynch

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Assessing The Impacts Of Land Use Change On Hard Clam Aquaculture In Old Plantation Creek, Northampton County, Virginia, Matthew J. Strickler

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

One of the main threats to water quality in the Chesapeake Bay is contamination by bacterial loading from point and non-point sources. While only very high levels of fecal bacteria (greater than 200 MPN/100ml) indicate the potential of a health threat to humans from contact with water, lower concentrations (14 MPN/100 ml) make the shellfish from contaminated waters unfit for human consumption. Many nearshore areas that are vulnerable to bacterial contamination also are suitable for the propagation of shellfish, including the hard clam (Mercenaria mercenaria). This is especially true on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, where shallow, sheltered waters with optimal salinity …

The Infection Dynamics Of Pav1 In The Caribbean Spiny Lobster Panulirus Argus, Caiwen Li

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Panulirus argus Virus 1 (PaV1) is an emerging disease in Caribbean spiny lobster Panulirus argus. It is considered a threat to the lobster industry in the Florida Keys. In order to understand the infection dynamics of the PaV1 virus in the lobster host, a sensitive and specific fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assay was developed for diagnosis of PaV1 in lobsters. The lower limit of detection using the 110-bp DNA probe in a dot-blot hybridization for PaV1 was 10 pg of cloned DNA template and 10 ng of genomic DNA extracted from hemolymph of diseased spiny lobster. The probe specifically …