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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

The Reproductive Biology Of Striped Bass (Morone Saxatilis) In Chesapeake Bay, Carissa L. Gervasi Jan 2015

The Reproductive Biology Of Striped Bass (Morone Saxatilis) In Chesapeake Bay, Carissa L. Gervasi

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis) is an anadromous finfish that supports a lucrative fishery along the Atlantic coast of the United States and serves as a vital component of estuarine food webs. Once Striped Bass stocks were restored after crashing in the late 1980s, abundance skyrocketed to record levels. Over the past decade however, abundance has steadily declined, concurrent with an outbreak of mycobacteriosis. Disease prevalence is currently >50%, and previous research has demonstrated diseasepositive fish exhibit slower growth and increased natural mortality compared to diseasenegative fish. The purpose of this research was to provide a contemporary description of Chesapeake …


Patterns Of Population Structure And Historical Dispersal In Squaloid Sharks: A Species-Level Approach Using Molecular Markers, Ana Christina Pimenta Verissimo Jan 2012

Patterns Of Population Structure And Historical Dispersal In Squaloid Sharks: A Species-Level Approach Using Molecular Markers, Ana Christina Pimenta Verissimo

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Squaloids (Order Squaliformes) are a highle diverse group of mostly deepwater habitats (> 200 m). Many species are regularly caught in commercial fisheries worldwide but their low productivity and correspondingly low intrinsic rebound potentials make them particularly vulnerable to population depletion and overexploitation. of special concern to fisheries management and conservation efforts are the spiny dogfish Squalus acanthias, the leafscale gulper shark Centrophorus squamosus and the Portuguese dogfish Centroscymnus coelolepis. These taxa have recently been declared overfished in several parts of each species' distribution but management efforts have been made to recover the "stocks" without a good understanding of the …


The Influence Of Golf Course Landscapes On The Occupancy And Reproductive Success Of Eastern Bluebirds, Marie Louise Pitts Jan 2011

The Influence Of Golf Course Landscapes On The Occupancy And Reproductive Success Of Eastern Bluebirds, Marie Louise Pitts

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Survival In An Urbanized Landscape: Radio-Tracking Fledgling Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia Sialis) On Golf Courses, Allyson Kathleen Jackson Jan 2010

Survival In An Urbanized Landscape: Radio-Tracking Fledgling Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia Sialis) On Golf Courses, Allyson Kathleen Jackson

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Mercury Levels In Newly Independent Songbirds, Anne Moire Condon Jan 2008

Mercury Levels In Newly Independent Songbirds, Anne Moire Condon

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Habitat Utilization And Salinity Tolerance Of The Sandbar Shark, Carcharhinus Plumbeus, In Virginia, Leonard Pace Jan 2006

Habitat Utilization And Salinity Tolerance Of The Sandbar Shark, Carcharhinus Plumbeus, In Virginia, Leonard Pace

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Migratory And Spawning Behavior Of American Shad In The James River, Virginia, Aaron W. Aunins Jan 2006

Migratory And Spawning Behavior Of American Shad In The James River, Virginia, Aaron W. Aunins

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Development Of Generalized Index-Removal Models, With Particular Attention To Catchability Issues, Thomas F. Ihde Jan 2006

Development Of Generalized Index-Removal Models, With Particular Attention To Catchability Issues, Thomas F. Ihde

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The index-removal method estimates abundance, exploitation and catchability coefficient, given surveys conducted before and after a known removal. The method assumes a closed population between surveys. Index-removal has seldom been applied due to its strong assumption of constant survey catchabilities. This work generalizes the method to allow multiple years of data to be incorporated, and the assumptions of the original model to be relaxed. If catchability is constant across years, precision can be improved by analyzing multi-year data simultaneously. Two multiple-year models were developed: the first, 1qIR, assumes constant catchability within and among years; the second, 2qIR, allows catchability to …


Investigation Of The Life History Of The Cownose Ray, Rhinoptera Bonasus (Mitchill 1815), Donna S. Grusha Jan 2005

Investigation Of The Life History Of The Cownose Ray, Rhinoptera Bonasus (Mitchill 1815), Donna S. Grusha

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 Jan 2005

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 …


Survival And Habitat Preferences Of White Marlin (Tetrapturus Albidus) Released From The Western North Atlantic Recreational Fishery, Andrij Z. Horodysky Jan 2004

Survival And Habitat Preferences Of White Marlin (Tetrapturus Albidus) Released From The Western North Atlantic Recreational Fishery, Andrij Z. Horodysky

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Reproductive Biology Of American Shad, Alosa Sapidissima, In The Mattaponi River, Aaron Reid Hyle Jan 2004

Reproductive Biology Of American Shad, Alosa Sapidissima, In The Mattaponi River, Aaron Reid Hyle

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Ichthyofaunal And Dietary Analysis Of Sympatric Piscivores In A Chesapeake Bay Littoral Zone: Including Bioenergetic Models Of Growth And Diel Temperature Sanctuary Use, Christian Harding Hager Jan 2004

Ichthyofaunal And Dietary Analysis Of Sympatric Piscivores In A Chesapeake Bay Littoral Zone: Including Bioenergetic Models Of Growth And Diel Temperature Sanctuary Use, Christian Harding Hager

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The first section of this dissertation describes the ichthyofaunal community of a mesohaline Chesapeake Bay April--November. Fish assemblages were sampled using two seine gears, a small seine that sampled 352 m 2 and a 914m haul-seine that sampled 144,473 m2. The small seine collected 32 finfish species. The larger gear captured 31 finfish species, including 17 that were not sampled by small gear. Sampled diversity was greater but density estimates were similar to those determined previously by other investigators using flume-net, drop-ring, and otter trawl techniques. Nocturnal abundance of larger fishes far exceeded daylight. Fish abundance and size distribution varied …


Analysis Of Prey Selection In Black Skimmer, Rynchops Niger, Adults And Chicks Using Continuous Video Monitoring, Renae Joyce Held Jan 2003

Analysis Of Prey Selection In Black Skimmer, Rynchops Niger, Adults And Chicks Using Continuous Video Monitoring, Renae Joyce Held

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Use Of Ponds And Lakes By Resident Canada Geese, Phillip D. West Jan 2003

Use Of Ponds And Lakes By Resident Canada Geese, Phillip D. West

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Biology Of Mated Triploid Crassostrea Ariakensis In Multiple Environments: Gametogenesis, Sex Ratio, Disease Prevalence, And Reversion, Alan J. Erskine Jan 2003

Biology Of Mated Triploid Crassostrea Ariakensis In Multiple Environments: Gametogenesis, Sex Ratio, Disease Prevalence, And Reversion, Alan J. Erskine

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Historical Diet Analysis Of Loggerhead (Caretta Caretta) And Kemp's Ridley (Lepidochelys Kempi) Sea Turtles In Virginia, Erin E. Seney Jan 2003

Historical Diet Analysis Of Loggerhead (Caretta Caretta) And Kemp's Ridley (Lepidochelys Kempi) Sea Turtles In Virginia, Erin E. Seney

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The Chesapeake Bay and coastal waters of Virginia, U.S.A. serve as foraging grounds for loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempi) sea turtles from approximately May to October each year. Both loggerheads and Kemp’s ridleys are known to feed primarily on benthic invertebrates as juveniles and adults, but specific prey preferences vary between geographic regions. The Virginia Institute of Marine Science Sea Turtle Program has collected diet data and gut samples from stranded and incidentally caught sea turtles in Virginia since 1979. Examination of turtles that stranded in Virginia during the late 1970s and early 1980s indicated that loggerheads …


A Genetic Analysis Of The Intraspecific Relationships Of Tropical Marine Shorefishes Common To Bermuda And The Southeastern Atlantic Coast Of The United States, Kelly R. Johnson Jan 2003

A Genetic Analysis Of The Intraspecific Relationships Of Tropical Marine Shorefishes Common To Bermuda And The Southeastern Atlantic Coast Of The United States, Kelly R. Johnson

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Distribution, Abundance, And Home Range Of The Whip-Poor-Will (Caprimulgus Vociferus) In A Managed Forest Landscape, Michael Daniel Wilson Jan 2003

Distribution, Abundance, And Home Range Of The Whip-Poor-Will (Caprimulgus Vociferus) In A Managed Forest Landscape, Michael Daniel Wilson

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Development Of A Watershed And Stream-Reach Spawning Habitat Model For River Herring Alosa Pseudoharengus And Alosa Aestivalis, Rebecca A. Boger Jan 2002

Development Of A Watershed And Stream-Reach Spawning Habitat Model For River Herring Alosa Pseudoharengus And Alosa Aestivalis, Rebecca A. Boger

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

This research develops a model to identify indicators of potential suitable spawning habitat for river herring, Alosa pseudoharengus and A. aestivalis, using watershed and stream-reach metrics. The results of icthyoplankton samples collected from thirty-four streams feeding into the Rappahannock River below the Embree Dam at Fredericksburg indicate where river herring spawning occurred. Watershed and stream-reach metrics were either measured in the field or derived from digital data in a GIS. Benthic macroinvertebrate analysis was used to compare habitat quality among sites. Streams were classified as either absence or presence of herring eggs or larvae based on the results of the …


Diet Composition Of Young-Of-The-Year Bluefish, Pomatomus Saltatrix, In The Lower Chesapeake Bay And Virginia's Coastal Ocean, James Gartland Jan 2002

Diet Composition Of Young-Of-The-Year Bluefish, Pomatomus Saltatrix, In The Lower Chesapeake Bay And Virginia's Coastal Ocean, James Gartland

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Evaluation Of Opercular Bones For Aging Eight Species Of Chesapeake Bay Fishes, Ann M. Sipe Jan 2001

Evaluation Of Opercular Bones For Aging Eight Species Of Chesapeake Bay Fishes, Ann M. Sipe

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Growth Patterns Of Three Species Of Catfish (Ictaluridae) From Three Virginia Tributaries Of The Chesapeake Bay, William J. Connelly Jan 2001

Growth Patterns Of Three Species Of Catfish (Ictaluridae) From Three Virginia Tributaries Of The Chesapeake Bay, William J. Connelly

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


A Descriptive Study Of The Reproductive Biology Of The Veined Rapa Whelk (Rapana Venosa) In The Chesapeake Bay, Erica S. Westcott Jan 2001

A Descriptive Study Of The Reproductive Biology Of The Veined Rapa Whelk (Rapana Venosa) In The Chesapeake Bay, Erica S. Westcott

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Reproductive Biology Of Atlantic Croaker, Micropogonias Undulatus, In The Chesapeake Bay, Elizabeth Shaw Watkins Jan 2001

Reproductive Biology Of Atlantic Croaker, Micropogonias Undulatus, In The Chesapeake Bay, Elizabeth Shaw Watkins

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Life History Attributes Of Mid-Atlantic Menidia Menidia (Pisces: Atherinidae) And A Comparison With Northern (Massachusetts) And Southern (South Carolina) Populations, Richard K. Holmquist Jan 2001

Life History Attributes Of Mid-Atlantic Menidia Menidia (Pisces: Atherinidae) And A Comparison With Northern (Massachusetts) And Southern (South Carolina) Populations, Richard K. Holmquist

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Age, Growth, And Mortality Of Atlantic Croaker, Micropogonias Undulatus, In The Chesapeake Bay Region, John R. Foster Jan 2001

Age, Growth, And Mortality Of Atlantic Croaker, Micropogonias Undulatus, In The Chesapeake Bay Region, John R. Foster

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Nursery Delineation, Habitat Utilization, Movements, And Migration Of Juvenile Carcharhinus Plumbeus In Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, United States Of America, R. Dean. Grubbs Jan 2001

Nursery Delineation, Habitat Utilization, Movements, And Migration Of Juvenile Carcharhinus Plumbeus In Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, United States Of America, R. Dean. Grubbs

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Chesapeake Bay is possibly the largest summer nursery for Carcharhinus plumbeus in the western Atlantic. Longline sampling conducted from 1990--1999 was used to delineate this nursery spatially and temporally. Catch data from 83 longline stations sampled throughout the Virginia Chesapeake Bay were analyzed as a function of nine physical and environmental variables to delineate this nursery spatially. Tree-based models determined which variables best discriminated between stations with high and low catches and indicated that complex distribution patterns could be adequately modeled with few variables. The highest abundance of juvenile sharks was predicted where salinity was greater than 20.5 and depth …


Population Dynamics Of The Smooth Dogfish, Mustelus Canis, In The Northwest Atlantic, Christina L. Conrath Jan 2000

Population Dynamics Of The Smooth Dogfish, Mustelus Canis, In The Northwest Atlantic, Christina L. Conrath

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Osteology, Phylogeny, And Biogeography Of The Marine Fish Family Ephippidae (Perciformes, Acanthuroidei), With Comments On Sister Group Relationships, Martin Ray Cavalluzzi Jan 2000

Osteology, Phylogeny, And Biogeography Of The Marine Fish Family Ephippidae (Perciformes, Acanthuroidei), With Comments On Sister Group Relationships, Martin Ray Cavalluzzi

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The marine fish family Ephippidae comprises eight genera and 15 species of extant fishes. Spadefishes or batfishes inhabit nearshore tropical to temperate waters. They are almost circumglobal in distribution, with the highest diversity in the Indo-west Pacific and the lowest diversity in the east Pacific and west Atlantic. Fifty-nine potentially informative morphological characters, 10 outgroup taxa, and eight ingroup taxa (i.e., genera) were used to explore sister group hypotheses to the Ephippidae, as well as generate a phylogeny of the Ephippidae. Seven constraint tree analyses were utilized to examine various sister group hypotheses based on previous morphological and molecular analyses …