Earth Sciences Commons^™

Additions To Philippine Slender Skinks Of The Brachymeles Bonitae Complex (Reptilia: Squamata: Scincidae) Iv: Resurrection And Redescription Of Brachymeles Burksi, Cameron D. Siler, Elyse S. Freitas, Jennifer A. Sheridan, Stephanie N. Maguire, Drew R. Davis, Jessa L. Watters, Kai Wang, Arvin C. Diesmos, Rafe M. Brown

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The diversity of Philippine amphibians and reptiles has increased over the last few decades, in part due to re-evaluation of species formerly believed to be widespread. Many of these investigations of widespread species have uncovered multiple closely related cryptic lineages comprising species complexes, each restricted to individual Pleistocene Aggregate Island Complexes (PAICs). One group in particular for which widespread cryptic diversity has been common is the clade of Philippine skinks of the genus Brachymeles. Recent phylogenetic studies of the formerly recognized widespread species Brachymeles bonitae have indicated that this species is actually a complex distributed across several major PAICs and …

Coral Reefs In The Gulf Of Mexico Large Marine Ecosystem: Conservation Status, Challenges, And Opportunities, Diego L. Gil-Agudelo, Carlos E. Cintra-Buenrostro, Jorge Brenner, Patricia Gonzalez-Diaz, William Kiene, Caitlin Lustic, Horacio Perez-Espana

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The importance of coral reefs (CR) within marine ecosystems has become widely recognized. Although shallow CR are not as abundant in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) as in other areas such as the Caribbean, their uniqueness, singularity, isolation, and conservation status make their conservation highly important. Corals and CR, both shallow and deep, are more widely distributed throughout the GoM than previously thought, providing new venues of research but also new challenges for their sustainable management. They are widely present in the three countries circumscribing the GoM (Cuba, Mexico, and the United States). Corals are also distributed throughout different depths, …

Effects Of Integrated Application Of Plant-Based Compost And Urea On Soil Food Web, Soil Properties, And Yield And Quality Of A Processing Carrot Cultivar, A. Habteweld, D. Brainard, A. Kravchencko, Parwinder Grewal, H. Melakeberhan

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Soil nutrient management system characterized by reduced input of inorganic fertilizers integrated with organic amendments is one of the alternatives for reducing deleterious environmental impact of synthetic fertilizers, suppressing soil-borne pests and diseases, and improving soil health and crop yield. A hypothesis of the present study was that lower rates of urea mixed with higher rates of plant compost (PC) would improve nematode community structure, soil food web condition, soil biological, and physiochemical properties, and yield and quality of a processing carrot (Daucus carota) cultivar. Urea and PC were each applied at 135kg nitrogen (N)/ha alone or at 3:1, 1:1, …

Mitochondrial Genomes And Genetic Structure Of The Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys Kempii), Hilary R. Frandsen, Diego F. Figueroa, Jeff A. George

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) is the world's most endangered sea turtle species and is primarily distributed in the Gulf of Mexico. In the United States, South Padre Island, Texas serves as a key nesting ground for the species. Genetic studies of the Kemp's ridley have been used to aid in conservation and management practices, with the mitochondrial control region as the most commonly used marker due to its perceived hypervariability and ease of sequencing. However, with the advent of next generation sequencing technology, targeting complete mitochondrial genomes is now feasible. Here, we describe a more complete mitochondrial genome for …

The Potential Impact Of Nuclear Conflict On Ocean Acidification, Nicole S. Lovenduski, Cheryl S. Harrison, Holly Olivarez, Charles G. Bardeen, Owen B. Toon, Joshua Coupe, Alan Robock, Tyler Rohr, Samantha Stevenson

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

We demonstrate that the global cooling resulting from a range of nuclear conflict scenarios would temporarily increase the pH in the surface ocean by up to 0.06 units over a 5-year period, briefly alleviating the decline in pH associated with ocean acidification. Conversely, the global cooling dissolves atmospheric carbon into the upper ocean, driving a 0.1 to 0.3 unit decrease in the aragonite saturation state (Ωarag) that persists for ∼10 years. The peak anomaly in pH occurs 2 years post conflict, while the Ωarag anomaly peaks 4- to 5-years post conflict. The decrease in Ωarag would exacerbate a primary threat …

Ants Increase Cloverworm Herbivory Via Nonconsumptive Pathways, Hannah J. Penn, Kacie J. Athey

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Generalist arthropod predators often exhibit a range of intraguild interactions reducing their potential efficacy as biological control agents. These interactions may include consumptive or nonconsumptive effects that mediate the impacts of herbivores. We examined interactions among 2 generalist predators, the striped lynx spider (Oxyopes salticus Hentz; Araneae: Oxyopidae) and an ant (Lasius neoniger Emery; Hymenoptera: Formicidae), and a herbivore, the green cloverworm (Hypena scabra F.; Lepidoptera: Erebidae), all prevalent in central Kentucky soybean agroecosystems. We hypothesized that individual predator treatments would reduce green cloverworm survival and resultant leaf damage, but that predators would interfere with each other when both were …

Agricultural And Environmental Weeds Of South Texas And Their Management, Pushpa Soti, John A. Goolsby, Alexis Racelis

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

The Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) in south Texas is one of the most productive agricultural regions in southern United States. With subtropical climate and highly fertile soils, this region provides a year-round growing condition for crops. Along with citrus, major crops grown in the region are sorghum cotton and corn in the summer and vegetables in winter. Thus, a fallow period of 3-6 months between successive crops is common in the region. Growers in this region report weeds as their number one economic and agronomic problem affecting crop yield and quality and increasing the cost of production and weeds …

Histological Evidence Of Annual And Lunar Reproductive Rhythms Of Atlantic Sea Urchin, Arbacia Punctulata In The Gulf Of Mexico: Changes In Nutritive Phagocytes In Relation To Gametogenesis, Eleazar Hernandez Ii

Theses and Dissertations

Environmental phenomena such as temperature, photoperiod, tidal cycle, and lunar rhythm act as external cues that stimulate the reproductive activity of marine organisms. In this study, I report the annual and lunar reproductive cycles, and changes in nutritive phagocytes (NPs) in relation to gonadal maturation of Atlantic sea urchin (Arbacia punctulata, a primeval species). Monthly and weekly changes in gonadal development/maturation were observed histologically. In male, the testicular lobules were densely packed with sperm from June to August. In female, on the other hand, mature eggs first appeared in some ovaries in May, numerically increased from June to …

The Role Of Sediment Resuspension In Estuarine Inorganic Nutrient Cycling, Kirsten Jo Ayres

Theses and Dissertations

Time-scaling of estuarine inorganic nitrogen cycling contains many assumptions due to biogeochemical interactions. Nitrogen, often a limiting factor for primary production, is transformed and utilized by many estuarine organisms. Inorganic nitrogen is especially high in porewater. High nutrient pore water, contained within the interstitial spaces of sediment, has been assumed to influx high concentrations of inorganic nutrients into surface waters during resuspension events. These short-term resuspension events rapidly introducing high concentration of nutrients into the water column. In order to determine the internal time scale of inorganic nitrogen cycling, a box-model nutrient budget, horizontal in situ transects, and vertical nutrient …

Enabling High Quality Oxygen Measurements During Robotic Based Studies Of Ocean Ecological And Biogeochemical Processes, Brianna A. Alanis

Theses and Dissertations

Dissolved oxygen is an essential parameter necessary for understanding marine ecological and biogeochemical processes. New robotic vehicles and autonomous platforms are being applied to an even wider range of ecological and biogeochemical studies. Thus, arises the opportunity for matching the best possible oxygen sensing techniques and methods to these new platforms. In so doing, we can enable both more targeted and higher resolution oxygen measurements than previously possible and potentially use oxygen measurements for a wider range of applications, including in situ incubation experiments and primary productivity measurements. This thesis tested three different oxygen sensors in a trade study for …

Production Of Biscuits By Substitution With Different Ratios Of Yellow Pea Flour, Jikai Zhao, Xin Liu, Xiang Bai, Fengcheng Wang

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

To promote the commercialization of yellow pea flour (YPF) due to its nutritional benefits. Four biscuits with different YPF ratio (10%–50%) were conducted to explore the optimal addition percentage. The effects of YPF on the rheological and baking performance of biscuits were performed. The results showed that the substitution ratio of YPF and milling methods had a critical impact on the rheological properties of dough. The dough stability decreased gradually while a softening degree increased with YPF ratio increased. In a term of biscuits, the dimensions of length (L), width (W), thickness (T) and color (L*) of biscuits reduced as …

Predation Of Eastern Cottontail Rabbit (Sylvilagus Floridanus) By Great Blue Heron (Ardea Herodias), Carlos E. Cintra-Buenrostro, J. E. Cifuentes-Lujan

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

An opportunistic predation by Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) on Eastern cottontail rabbit (Sylvilagus floridanus) was observed in south Texas on 31 Oct 2019. The Great Blue Heron had already captured the Eastern cottontail rabbit at the first observation but the maneuvering process, killing, and ingestion were recorded photographically, which make this observation unique even though this might constitute the second report on Great Blue Heron eating Eastern cottontail rabbits.

A Sinking Feeling: The Fate Of Concrete Pyramids Deployed In Artificial Reefs In The Texas Gulf Of Mexico, Cameron J. Moody

Theses and Dissertations

The deployment of 2,611 concrete pyramids in Texas gulf waters represents a significant undertaking. In collaboration with Texas Parks and Wildlife, bathymetric sidescan data was collected at three reefs hit by Hurricane Harvey from 2017 to 2019. All reefs lost significant pyramid height between 2017 and 2019. The pyramids demonstrated greater subsidence in the year when Harvey occurred and minimal subsidence the following year. Pyramids that moved outside the reefs were due to hurricane forces and shrimp trawl activity. Pyramids that remained inside the reef remained at their deployment location for two reefs. The pyramids remaining in the third reef …

Dna Barcoding Reveals Unexpected Diversity In Octocorallia In The Northwestern Gulf Of Mexico, Chelsea L. Pavliska

Theses and Dissertations

Coral reefs are an integral tier of marine ecosystems. They provide habitat and foraging opportunities for many ecologically and economically important fishes. Protection of coral reef biodiversity and connectivity is imperative to the continued health and sustainability of marine fisheries. Mesophotic reefs, such as those found in the northwest Gulf of Mexico, have unique coral communities because of the limited light penetration at mesophotic depths (30 – 150m). Because there is limited knowledge in regards to the biodiversity of coral reefs of the northwestern Gulf of Mexico (GOM), particularly the South Texas Banks (STBs), thesis work presented here aims to …

Insights To The Genetic Structure Of Calanus Helgolandicus (Calanoida: Copepoda) From Deep-Sea Specimens In The Balearic Sea, Diego F. Figueroa, Joan E. Cartes, Nicole J. Figueroa

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Calanus helgolandicus is widely distributed across the northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean, and also found in the Black Sea where it is referred to as Calanus euxinus. Previous genetic studies do not include deep-water specimens despite high abundances at bathypelagic and mesopelagic depths. Our objective is to compare the genetic structure of C. heloglandicus from the deep Balearic Sea to that of coastal populations in the Northeastern Atlantic Ocean, the Adriatic Sea, and the Black Sea defined from previous research. We use a portion of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase I from 41 individuals of C. helgolandicus collected at 2170 m …

Mitogenomic Phylogenetic Analyses Of Leptogorgia Virgulata And Leptogorgia Hebes (Anthozoa: Octocorallia) From The Gulf Of Mexico Provides Insight On Gorgoniidae Divergence Between Pacific And Atlantic Lineages, Samantha Silvestri, Diego F. Figueroa, David Hicks, Nicole J. Figueroa

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The use of genetics in recent years has brought to light the need to reevaluate the classification of many gorgonian octocorals. This study focuses on two Leptogorgia species—Leptogorgia virgulata and Leptogorgia hebes—from the northwestern Gulf of Mexico (GOM). We target complete mitochondrial genomes and mtMutS sequences, and integrate this data with previous genetic research of gorgonian corals to resolve phylogenetic relationships and estimate divergence times. This study contributes the first complete mitochondrial genomes for L. ptogorgia virgulata and L. hebes. Our resulting phylogenies stress the need to redefine the taxonomy of the genus Leptogorgia in its entirety. The fossil-calibrated divergence …

The Complete Mitochondrial Genome Of Tanacetipathes Thamnea Warner, 1981 (Antipatharia: Myriopathidae), Diego F. Figueroa, David Hicks, Nicole J. Figueroa

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Specimens of the black coral Tanacetipathes thamnea were collected from the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico. The complete mitochondrial genome of one of these specimens was obtained from genomic DNA by next-generation sequencing technology on the Illumina HiSeq 2500. Only three species of black corals have a completely sequenced mitochondrial genome. These were used to reconstruct the phylogeny for the order Antipatharia. The mitochondrial genome of T. thamnea is 17,712 base pairs and contains 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNAs, and 2 transfer RNAs in the following order: 16s RNA, COX3, COX1 (with intron), ND4L, COX2, ND4, …

Non-Invasive Methods For Measuring And Monitoring Stress Physiology In Imperiled Amphibians, Edward J. Narayan, Zachery R. Forsburg, Drew R. Davis, Caitlin R. Gabor

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Global climate change is negatively impacting global biodiversity and ectothermic vertebrates, with amphibians being the most imperiled vertebrate taxa. Increased mean global atmospheric temperatures, high rates of habitat degradation, and exposure to infectious diseases, such as chytridiomycosis, have contributed to population declines and extinctions of rare and endangered amphibian species. Field-based monitoring of physiological endocrine traits can help determine the sub-lethal effects of environmental stressors and provide early alerts when populations are chronically stressed. Recent advances in amphibian stress endocrinology include the development and use of non-invasive methods to quantify the glucocorticoid, or stress biomarker, corticosterone. Non-invasive methods, such as …

Water‐Borne And Plasma Corticosterone Are Not Correlated In Spotted Salamanders, Alice R. Millikin, Sarah K. Woodley, Drew R. Davis, Ignacio T. Moore, James T. Anderson

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Water‐borne hormone measurement is a noninvasive method suitable for amphibians of all sizes that are otherwise difficult to sample. For this method, containment‐water is assayed for hormones released by the animal. Originally developed in fish, the method has expanded to amphibians, but requires additional species‐specific validations. We wanted to determine physiological relevance of water‐borne corticosterone in spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) by comparing concentrations to those taken using established corticosterone sampling methods, such as plasma. Using a mixture of field and laboratory studies, we compared water‐borne corticosterone levels to other traditional methods of sampling corticosterone for spotted salamander larvae, metamorphs, and …

Investigations Of Aerobic Methane Oxidation In Two Marine Seep Environments: Part 1—Chemical Kinetics, Eric W. Chan, Allan M. Shiller, Dongjoo J. Joung, Eleanor C. Arrington, David L. Valentine, Molly C. Redmond, John A. Breier, Scott A. Socolofsky, John D. Kessler

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Microbial aerobic oxidation is known to be a significant sink of marine methane (CH4), contributing to the relatively minor atmospheric release of this greenhouse gas over vast stretches of the ocean. However, the chemical kinetics of aerobic CH4 oxidation are not well established, making it difficult to predict and assess the extent that CH4 is oxidized in seawater following seafloor release. Here we investigate the kinetics of aerobic CH4 oxidation using mesocosm incubations of fresh seawater samples collected from seep fields in Hudson Canyon, U.S. Atlantic Margin and MC118, Gulf of Mexico to gain a fundamental chemical understanding of this …

Investigations Of Aerobic Methane Oxidation In Two Marine Seep Environments: Part 2—Isotopic Kinetics, Eric W. Chan, Allan M. Shiller, Dongjoo J. Joung, Eleanor C. Arrington, David L. Valentine, Molly C. Redmond, John A. Breier, Scott A. Socolofsky, John D. Kessler

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

During aerobic oxidation of methane (CH4) in seawater, a process which mitigates atmospheric emissions, the 12C‐isotopologue reacts with a slightly greater rate constant than the 13C‐isotopologue, leaving the residual CH4 isotopically fractionated. Prior studies have attempted to exploit this systematic isotopic fractionation from methane oxidation to quantify the extent that a CH4 pool has been oxidized in seawater. However, cultivation‐based studies have suggested that isotopic fractionation fundamentally changes as a microbial population blooms in response to an influx of reactive substrates. Using a systematic mesocosm incubation study with recently collected seawater, here we investigate the fundamental isotopic kinetics of aerobic …

Trust And Influence In The Gulf Of Mexico’S Fishery Public Management Network, Anthony Lima, Dongkyu Kim, Andrew M. Song, Gordon M. Hickey, Owen Temby

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Sustainable fishery management is a complex multi-sectoral challenge requiring substantial interagency coordination, collaboration, and knowledge sharing. While scholars of public management network theory and natural resource management have identified trust as one of the key ideational network properties that facilitates such interaction, relatively few studies have operationalized and measured the multiple dimensions of trust and their influence on collaboration. This article presents the results of an exploratory study examining the Gulf of Mexico fishery management network comprised of more than 30 stakeholder organizations. Using an empirically validated survey instrument, the distribution of four types of trust, three gradations of influence, …

Remote Sensing Of The Terrestrial Carbon Cycle: A Review Of Advances Over 50 Years, Jingfeng Xiao, Frederic Chevallier, Cecile Gomez, Luis Guanter, Jeffrey A. Hicke, Alfredo R. Huete, Kazuhito Ichii, Wenjian Ni, Yong Pang, Abdullah Rahman

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Highlights

• We review 50 years of history and advances in remote sensing of C fluxes and stocks

• We present an overview of terrestrial C cycle, remote sensing, and key milestones

• We review remote sensing platforms/sensors, data, methods, findings, and challenges

• We also discuss the uncertainty and validation of the C flux and stock estimates

• A forward-looking perspective and insights for future research are provided

Abstract

Quantifying ecosystem carbon fluxes and stocks is essential for better understanding the global carbon cycle and improving projections of the carbon-climate feedbacks. Remote sensing has played a vital role in this endeavor during the last …

Increasing Impacts Of Extreme Droughts On Vegetation Productivity Under Climate Change, Chonggang Xu, Nate G. Mcdowell, Rosie A. Fisher, Liang Wei, Sanna Sevanto, Bradley O. Christoffersen, Engsheng Weng, Richard S. Middleton

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Terrestrial gross primary production (GPP) is the basis of vegetation growth and food production globally1 and plays a critical role in regulating atmospheric CO2 through its impact on ecosystem carbon balance. Even though higher CO2 concentrations in future decades can increase GPP2, low soil water availability, heat stress and disturbances associated with droughts could reduce the benefits of such CO2 fertilization. Here we analysed outputs of 13 Earth system models to show an increasingly stronger impact on GPP by extreme droughts than by mild and moderate droughts over the twenty-first century. Due to a dramatic increase in …

Biochar Enhances Nitrous Oxide Reduction In Acidic But Not In Near-Neutral Ph Soil, Engil Isadora Pujol Pereira, Jerome Lechot, Rafaela Feola Conz, Abmael Da Silva Cardoso, Johan Six

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

We quantified nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes and total denitrification (N2O + N2) in an acidic (Ferralsol) and a near-neutral pH soil (Cambisol) to determine whether biochar’s alkalinization effect could be the mechanism inducing potential reductions in N2O fluxes. In Ferralsol, decreases in N2O emissions and in the N2O to N2O + N2 ratio were observed in both biochar and lime treatments. In Cambisol, neither biochar nor lime decreased N2O emissions, despite significantly increasing soil pH. The abundance and community structure of nosZ gene-bearing microorganisms indicated that gene abundances did not explain biochar effects, but a higher diversity of nosZ gene-bearing …

Spatial And Seasonal Differences In The Top Predators Of Easter Island: Essential Data For Implementing The New Rapa Nui Multiple‐Uses Marine Protected Area, Naiti A. Morales, Erin E. Easton, Alan M. Friedlander, Euan S. Harvey, Rodrigo Garcia, Carlos F. Gaymer

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

1. Reef fishes are an important component of marine biodiversity, and changes in the composition of the assemblage structure may indicate ecological, climatic, or anthropogenic disturbances. To examine spatial differences in the reef fish assemblage structure around Easter Island, eight sites were sampled during autumn and summer 2016–2017 with baited remote underwater video systems.
2. To determine seasonal changes, quarterly (seasonal) sampling was conducted at five of those eight sites. Fifteen pelagic species of fishes were recorded during this study, some of which have not previously been recorded in scuba surveys, including the Galapagos shark (Carcharhinus galapagensis, Snodgrass & Heller, …

Broadband Sound Propagation In A Seagrass Meadow Throughout A Diurnal Cycle, Kevin M. Lee, Megan S. Ballard, Gabriel R. Venegas, Jason D. Sagers, Andrew R. Mcneese, Jay R. Johnson, Preston S. Wilson, Abdullah Rahman

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Acoustic propagation measurements were conducted in a Thalassia testudinum meadow in the Lower Laguna Madre, a shallow bay on the Texas Gulf of Mexico coast. A piezoelectric source transmitted frequency-modulated chirps (0.1 to 100 kHz) over a 24-h period during which oceanographic probes measured environmental parameters including dissolved oxygen and solar irradiance. Compared to a nearby less vegetated area, the received level was lower by as much as 30 dB during the early morning hours. At the peak of photosynthesis-driven bubble production in the late afternoon, an additional decrease in level of 11 dB was observed.

Abiotic And Biotic Limitations To Nodulation By Leguminous Cover Crops In South Texas, Stephanie Kasper, Bradley O. Christoffersen, Pushpa Soti, Alexis Racelis

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Many farms use leguminous cover crops as a nutrient management strategy to reduce their need for nitrogen fertilizer. When they are effective, leguminous cover crops are a valuable tool for sustainable nutrient management. However, the symbiotic partnership between legumes and nitrogen fixing rhizobia is vulnerable to several abiotic and biotic stressors that reduce nitrogen fixation efficiency in real world contexts. Sometimes, despite inoculation with rhizobial strains, this symbiosis fails to form. Such failure was observed in a 14-acre winter cover crop trial in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) of Texas when three legume species produced no signs of nodulation or …

Soil Indigenous Microbiome And Plant Genotypes Cooperatively Modify Soybean Rhizosphere Microbiome Assembly, Fang Liu, Tarek Hewezi, Sarah L. Lebeis, Vince Pantalone, Parwinder Grewal, Margaret E. Staton

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Plants have evolved intimate interactions with soil microbes for a range of beneficial functions including nutrient acquisition, pathogen resistance and stress tolerance. Further understanding of this system is a promising way to advance sustainable agriculture by exploiting the versatile benefits offered by the plant microbiome. The rhizosphere is the interface between plant and soil, and functions as the first step of plant defense and root microbiome recruitment. It features a specialized microbial community, intensive microbe-plant and microbe-microbe interactions, and complex signal communication. To decipher the rhizosphere microbiome assembly of soybean (Glycine max), we comprehensively characterized the soybean rhizosphere microbial …

Elevated Temperature Attenuates Ovarian Functions And Induces Apoptosis And Oxidative Stress In The American Oyster, Crassostrea Virginica: Potential Mechanisms And Signaling Pathways, Sarah Nash, Jackson Johnston, Md Saydur Rahman

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Global climate change is predicted to intensify thermal stress in marine and coastal organisms, affecting their development, growth, and reproductive functions. In this study, we performed histological observations on ovarian development, immunohistochemical analyses of ovarian heat shock protein-70 (HSP70), nitrotyrosine protein (NTP, an indicator of reactive nitrogen species (RNS)), and dinitrophenyl protein (DNP, an indicator of protein oxidation) expressions, in situ TUNEL assay for cellular apoptosis, biochemical analyses of ovarian caspase-3/7 activity and protein carbonyl (PC, a measure of reactive oxygen species (ROS)) contents, nitrate/nitrite (NOx) levels, and extrapallial fluid (EPF, an important body fluid) pH in the American oyster, …