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Articles 61 - 90 of 168
Full-Text Articles in Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology
Influence Of Black Mangrove Expansion On Salt Marsh Faunal Communities Of Eastern Coastal Louisiana, Christina Powell
Influence Of Black Mangrove Expansion On Salt Marsh Faunal Communities Of Eastern Coastal Louisiana, Christina Powell
LSU Master's Theses
The salt marshes along the Gulf of Mexico provide a critical habitat for many species, but their spatial distribution is changing, because Avicennia germinans (black mangroves) are expanding due to warmer winters. Currently, little is known about how A. germinans are used as habitat providing food and refuge for aquatic fauna. Therefore, the overall goal of this study was to determine how A.germinans expansion into the Spartina alterniflora (smooth cordgrass) marshes of Louisiana’s Mississippi River delta plain affects salt marsh-dependent organisms. This study analyzed three habitat types: Spartina-dominated, Avicennia-dominated, and a mix of the two, focusing on habitat use and …
Evolution Of The Maximum Upper Level Divergence Field In Gulf-Atlantic Tropical Cyclogenesis, Sara A. Ates
Evolution Of The Maximum Upper Level Divergence Field In Gulf-Atlantic Tropical Cyclogenesis, Sara A. Ates
LSU Master's Theses
Upper-level (horizontal) divergence (ULD) is an important variable in tropical weather systems. As part of the circulation within a tropical cyclone (TC), it carries air in the upper troposphere away from the center of circulation (COC). To date, most research assumes the 200 hPa pressure level (approximately 12 km, varying with latitude and time of year) as the height for maximum ULD in a TC, possibly because weather observation at the 200 hPa level by radiosonde have remained mandatory for aviation purposes. The more recent availability of gridded, high-spatial-resolution, global “reanalysis” data at multiple levels, along with improvements in spatial …
How Dredge Pits Evolve Over Time: A Look At Their Geomorphologic Evolution And Infilling Processes, Patrick Robichaux
How Dredge Pits Evolve Over Time: A Look At Their Geomorphologic Evolution And Infilling Processes, Patrick Robichaux
LSU Master's Theses
As coastal environments become more susceptible to land loss through accelerating sea level rise and subsidence, new restoration methods harnessing borrowed sediment are more valuable than ever. Mud-capped dredge pits (MCDPs) are a relatively new source of restoration-quality sediment that has only recently been utilized for beach and barrier island restorations in Louisiana. Because MCDPs have been in use for less than two decades in only a handful sites, little is understood about their evolution over decadal timescales. To improve our understanding of MCDPs after they are dredged, we have conducted a suite of geophysical surveys including bathymetry, sidescan sonar, …
Development And Application Of A Modis Inorganic Sediment Model During The 2016 Mississippi River Diversion In Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, Robert Lee Iles Iv
Development And Application Of A Modis Inorganic Sediment Model During The 2016 Mississippi River Diversion In Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, Robert Lee Iles Iv
LSU Master's Theses
The Bonnet Carré Spillway (BCS) is a Mississippi River diversion located on the southwestern coastline of Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana. The discharge of potentially high amounts of Mississippi River nutrients and sediments during BCS diversion events has a noted ecological impact on the Lake Pontchartrain estuary. Projected river flooding prompted the opening of the Spillway from 10 January to 1 February 2016. MODIS satellite images were aerosol-corrected and then compared to in-situ measurements of inorganic sediment concentration (ISC) to derive a predictive algorithm for estimating ISC (in mg L^-1) in Lake Pontchartrain for satellite images in January and February. The …
Differential Responses Of Soil Greenhouse Gas Production And Denitrification To Salinity Alterations Along A Wetland Salinity Gradient, Natalie Ceresnak
Differential Responses Of Soil Greenhouse Gas Production And Denitrification To Salinity Alterations Along A Wetland Salinity Gradient, Natalie Ceresnak
LSU Master's Theses
Coastal wetlands provide several valuable services, such as carbon (C) storage and nitrogen (N) removal. Although wetlands serve as net C sinks, wetland soils release greenhouse gases (GHGs) including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O). Wetlands can buffer the influx of nitrate (NO3-) by transforming it into gaseous N (N2O, N2) through denitrification microbial pathway. Salinity is a regulator of soil biogeochemistry and long- (e.g. saltwater intrusion) and short-term (e.g. storm surges, river diversions) exposures may affect soil GHG production and denitrification. In this study, soil GHG production and denitrification enzyme activity (DEA) rates were examined over …
Modeling The Influence Of Energy And Climate Megatrends On Future Costs And Benefits Of Marsh Creation In The Mississippi Delta, Adrian R. H. Wiegman
Modeling The Influence Of Energy And Climate Megatrends On Future Costs And Benefits Of Marsh Creation In The Mississippi Delta, Adrian R. H. Wiegman
LSU Master's Theses
Over 25% of Mississippi delta (MRDP) wetlands were lost over the past century. There is currently a major effort to restore the MRDP focused on a 50-year time horizon, a period during which the energy system and climate will change dramatically. I modeled hydraulic dredging to sustain marsh from 2016-2066 and 2016-2100 under a range of scenarios for sea level rise, energy price, and management regimes. A marsh elevation model was calibrated to data from MRDP marshes. I developed a model to simulate dredging costs based on the price of crude oil and a project efficiency factor. Crude oil prices …
The Effect Of Restoration On Nitrate Reduction And Biogeochemical Functioning In Louisiana Wetlands: Bottomland Hardwood Forests And Deltaic Sediments, Nia R. Hurst
LSU Master's Theses
Nitrogen loading in the Mississippi River from increased N fertilization of agricultural land helps to trigger an area of hypoxic water in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) every summer. Louisiana wetlands can play a vital role in removing nitrate from river waters prior to discharge in the GOM. However, Louisiana’s wetlands have experienced significant losses in recent years. Efforts to restore wetlands include reconnecting floodplain wetlands to rivers and utilizing river diversions to re-introduce sediment to coastal wetlands. Increasing wetland connection to rivers can reduce water nitrate by expanding opportunities for nitrate reduction. I examined soil physicochemical properties, microbial …
Everglades Mangrove Forest Response To Large-Scale Disturbance: Long-Term Assessment Of Structural And Functional Properties, Tess Marie Danielson
Everglades Mangrove Forest Response To Large-Scale Disturbance: Long-Term Assessment Of Structural And Functional Properties, Tess Marie Danielson
LSU Master's Theses
The impact (i.e., defoliation and mortality) associated with large-scale natural disturbance events is capable of significantly altering ecosystem structure (e.g., biomass) and function (e.g., productivity) in mangrove wetlands. These pulsing events provide an opportunity to assess ecosystem resilience (i.e., recovery to pre-disturbance conditions) by evaluating the immediate and long-term ecosystem response trajectory (i.e., disturbance magnitude, recovery time). I hypothesized that 1) there are specific properties of disturbance that can be characterized and fit to a general forest disturbance model, and that 2) a mangrove forest recovery trajectory (i.e. recovery duration and rate) is dependent on the disturbance magnitude and initial …
Simulating Behavioral Microcystin Impairment In Fish, Nicholas Richard Keeney
Simulating Behavioral Microcystin Impairment In Fish, Nicholas Richard Keeney
LSU Master's Theses
Fish experiencing blooms of the cyanobacteria genera Microcystis and Anabaena acquire microcystin and saxitoxin through ingestion of contaminated food and absorption of dissolved toxin. Even low chronic doses induce sensory and motor impairment—the impact of which is unquantified in wild populations. Here, I introduce Lagrangian particle models for cyanobacteria and fish which test the hypotheses that impairment symptoms suppress movement and growth. This is implemented within the Finite-Volume Coastal Ocean Model (FVCOM). Cyanobacteria particles move vertically according to mixing and buoyancy (a function of cellular reservoirs). Fish navigate the horizontal domain, foraging in high growth areas, and fleeing when toxin …
A Contemporary Approach To A Classic Model: Exploring The Influence Of Local Interactions And Disturbance On Mangrove Forest Dynamics With A Spatially-Explicit Version Of Forman, Kieley Shannon Hurff
A Contemporary Approach To A Classic Model: Exploring The Influence Of Local Interactions And Disturbance On Mangrove Forest Dynamics With A Spatially-Explicit Version Of Forman, Kieley Shannon Hurff
LSU Master's Theses
The mangrove forest gap dynamic model, FORMAN, was the first individual-based model (IBM) to simulate the long-term successional dynamics of three Caribbean mangrove species, Avicennia germinans, Laguncularia racemosa, and Rhizophora mangle. Assumptions under the spatially implicit approach of gap dynamic models limit their application to small-scale simulations. An expanded, spatially-explicit version of FORMAN was developed to allow for simulations of larger spatial grids, through the inclusion of localized soil conditions and neighborhood-based light resource competition. This expanded model was used to investigate the influence of localized interactions and disturbances of varying size on forest dynamics. A data-model comparison using field …
Investigating Species And Population Level Foraging Variation And Individual Specialization In Pygoscelis Penguins Using Stable Isotope Analysis, Rachael W. Herman
Investigating Species And Population Level Foraging Variation And Individual Specialization In Pygoscelis Penguins Using Stable Isotope Analysis, Rachael W. Herman
LSU Master's Theses
Gentoo Penguins (Pygoscelis papua) are known to be generalist foragers, while Adélie (P. adeliae) and Chinstrap (P. Antarctica) tend to specialize on krill within the Western Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands, particularly during the breeding season. However, little is known on temporal consistency in diet and foraging habitat of these species, particularly at the individual level. We used stable isotope analysis (SIA) of blood and feathers to evaluate seasonal and individual foraging consistency within Adélie, Chinstrap and Gentoo Penguins breeding in the South Shetland Islands, as well as among three Gentoo Penguins’ populations in the Western Antarctic Peninsula and …
Fishes Associated With Oil And Gas Platforms In Louisiana's River-Influenced Nearshore Waters, Ryan Thomas Munnelly
Fishes Associated With Oil And Gas Platforms In Louisiana's River-Influenced Nearshore Waters, Ryan Thomas Munnelly
LSU Master's Theses
A distinctive feature of coastal Louisiana is the unrivaled network of oil and gas installations (platforms) extending from inshore waters to the deep Gulf of Mexico. Since 2007 there has been a 38% reduction in platform numbers with the highest removal rates occurring in shallow (< 18 m) nearshore waters. Many fishes and invertebrates are attracted to platforms, presenting a unique opportunity to study detailed species-specific responses to the river-influenced hydrographic characteristics of Louisiana’s nearshore zone (5–25 km water depth). Prior studies of fishes around platforms focused on a few relatively large platforms in water depths ≥ 18 m. However, about one-third of all platforms are small, unmanned and non-drilling platforms located in waters < 18 m depth. Paired video and hydrographic data were collected at 150 small platforms in < 18 m water depth during the summers of 2013–2014. Fifty-four species of fishes were associated with small platforms. The assemblage(s) included juveniles of 29 species, indicating the importance of nearshore platforms as diverse nursery habitat. The coastal zone was divided into three regions based on broad-scale interactions between freshwater input and bathymetry driving major distinctions in interregional hydrography and fish assemblages. Co-occurring within this expansive artificial reef network is the second largest hypoxic area (dissolved oxygen (DO) < 2.0 mg l−1) on Earth. Platforms offer reef-like habitat features in the upper water column that may offer refugia for some reef-associated species during hypoxic events. Significant intraregional differences in physicochemical features were related to the presence of hypoxia (defined as DO < 50% saturation), as well as the distribution of sandy shoals. Eleven species accounted for most of the assemblage dissimilarities, composing ~93% of fishes observed. Habitat suitability indices for these 11 species provided information about habitat selection across horizontal and vertical physicochemical gradients throughout the coastal zone, and within hypoxic and well-oxygenated stratified water columns. East Bay, near the outlet of the Mississippi River, exhibited less hypoxia and a distinct fauna that included four adult goliath grouper (Epinephelus itajara). This endangered fish was observed during spawning season (summer), suggesting that East Bay might support a spawning aggregation.
Comparison Of Group Size, Abundance Estimates And Movement Patterns Of Common Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) In Mississippi Sound, Mississippi, Carrie Sinclair
Comparison Of Group Size, Abundance Estimates And Movement Patterns Of Common Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) In Mississippi Sound, Mississippi, Carrie Sinclair
LSU Master's Theses
Common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus; dolphins) inhabiting Mississippi Sound (MSS) in the north-central Gulf of Mexico (GMx) are considered a part of a single stock of dolphins that includes Bay Boudreau and Lake Borgne by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). MSS is bounded by the mainland (north) and several barrier islands (south). Dolphins inhabiting coastal waters directly south of the barrier islands constitute part of the Northern Coastal Stock. Abundance in MSS has been reported to fluctuate seasonally, with higher abundances of dolphins estimated in summer versus winter. Analysis of covariance was used to compare previous abundance estimates. Results …
Characterization And Modeling Of Sediment Settling, Consolidation And Suspension To Optimize The Retention Rate Of Sediment Diversions For Coastal Restoration, Xiaoyu Sha
LSU Master's Theses
Many research efforts have been made to the Mississippi coastal restoration, but long-term rheological and sedimentological experiments for sediment erosion, deposition and consolidation in diversion receiving basins are still lacking. Push cores and sediment samples were collected from West Bay, a semi-enclosed bay located on the Mississippi River Delta, and Big Mar pond, a receiving basin of the Caernarvon freshwater diversion from the Mississippi River, Louisiana. A dual-core Gust Erosion Microcosm System was used to measure time-series (0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6-month after initial settling) erodibility at seven shear stress regimes (0.01-0.60 Pa) using experimental cores prepared …
The Effect Of Artificial Light On The Community Structure And Distribution Of Reef-Associated Fishes At Oil And Gas Platforms In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Victoria Anne Barker
The Effect Of Artificial Light On The Community Structure And Distribution Of Reef-Associated Fishes At Oil And Gas Platforms In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Victoria Anne Barker
LSU Master's Theses
The northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) contains approximately 2,500 oil and gas platforms, resulting in one of the largest de facto artificial reef systems in the world. As of 2013, 1,227 additional structures had ceased to produce oil and gas and have been decommissioned and removed. While active platforms are lit by high-pressure mercury vapor lights, inactive platforms are only minimally lit for navigation. The positively phototaxic behavior of many fish species causes lit oil platforms to act as fish attraction devices, especially at night. Though a variety of fish species have been reported near these structures, changes in fish …
Feeding Ecology Of Red Snapper And Greater Amberjack At Standing Platforms In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico: Disentangling The Effects Of Artificial Light, Kristin Leanne Foss
Feeding Ecology Of Red Snapper And Greater Amberjack At Standing Platforms In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico: Disentangling The Effects Of Artificial Light, Kristin Leanne Foss
LSU Master's Theses
Approximately 2,300 petroleum platforms are currently operating in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), and are estimated to provide an additional 4 to 12 km2 of artificial reef habitat. The ecological role of platforms has often been overlooked and little is known about the effect of artificial light from the active platforms on surrounding fish communities. This is the first study to address the potential impacts of artificial light on the trophic ecology of fish communities surrounding offshore platforms through gut content (GCA) and stable isotope (SIA) analyses. Red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) were collected quarterly from February 2014 to November 2015 …
The Role Of Upper Ocean Heat Content And Sea Surface Temperature On Northeast Pacific Hurricane Evolution During Average And Active Years, Victoria Lauren Ford
The Role Of Upper Ocean Heat Content And Sea Surface Temperature On Northeast Pacific Hurricane Evolution During Average And Active Years, Victoria Lauren Ford
LSU Master's Theses
Upon comparison to typical neutral-ENSO conditions in the Northeast Pacific Ocean, the 2014 hurricane season has been identified as highly anomalous in both tropical cyclone frequency and intensity. This thesis seeks to investigate the influence of sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and upper ocean heat content (UOHC), defined as the excess of heat present above 26°C, upon the upper ocean thermal structure, mesoscale features, and anomalies that led to an active hurricane season in the Northeast Pacific. The 2012 Northeast Pacific hurricane season was selected as a ‘normal’ season to fully quantify the anomalous 2014 hurricane season. Data sets utilized in …
Interactions Among Hydrology, Sediment And Vegetation In Accreting Wax Lake Delta: Physical And Biogeochemical Implications For Coastal Louisiana Restoration, Courtney Erin Elliton
Interactions Among Hydrology, Sediment And Vegetation In Accreting Wax Lake Delta: Physical And Biogeochemical Implications For Coastal Louisiana Restoration, Courtney Erin Elliton
LSU Master's Theses
River discharge pulses, wind, waves, tides, and the presence of dense vegetation are factors that interact and regulate the transport and retention of sediment in coastal regions. In particular, vegetation structural and physiognomic traits promote fine sediment trapping during tidal and river flow, maintaining the balance between soil elevation and relative sea level rise on coastline stability and land building. Mike Island, located within Wax Lake Delta, Louisiana, USA, is part of a deltaic system created by a man-made freshwater diversion (1941) and one of few coastal areas where land is expanding in coastal Louisiana as result of pulsing river …
Otoliths Then And Now: A Study Of Ancient And Modern Fish Populations In Louisiana's Coastal Waters, Marshall James Kormanec
Otoliths Then And Now: A Study Of Ancient And Modern Fish Populations In Louisiana's Coastal Waters, Marshall James Kormanec
LSU Master's Theses
Fish otoliths are composed of inorganic calcium carbonate that aid in gravity and auditory reception. Substances permanently accrete to otolith surfaces in distinct temporal patterns of alternating opaque and translucent rings; these rings are direct proxies for a fish’s age. The objective of my research is to demonstrate how otoliths can be used through time and space to estimate both age and growth of fish. I investigated the spatial differences in age distributions and growth models for red snapper, Lutjanus campechanus, at four natural shelf-edge reefs in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. Red snapper cohorts ranged 1987-2010 cohorts, with the …
Effects Of Oil Spill And Recovery Of Terrestrial Arthropods In Louisiana Saltmarsh Ecosystem, Wokil Bam
Effects Of Oil Spill And Recovery Of Terrestrial Arthropods In Louisiana Saltmarsh Ecosystem, Wokil Bam
LSU Master's Theses
Saltmarshes are under continuous multiple stressors such as, land loss, erosion, climate change, environmental pollutions and oil spills, which affect the ecological communities inhabiting saltmarshes. Terrestrial arthropods play an important role in the ecology of saltmarshes, affecting primary production and decomposition. Arthropods are often found in the gut contents of Seaside Sparrows and fishes making them an important trophic link to terrestrial and marine vertebrates. Insects and spiders have the potential to be a good indicator of overall marsh health and environment as they are differentially sensitive to oil exposure. Oil pollutants may have significant long-term negative impacts on the …
Fish Biomass And Community Structure Around Standing And Toppled Oil And Gas Platforms In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico Using Hydroacoustic And Video Surveys, Emily Marissa Reynolds
Fish Biomass And Community Structure Around Standing And Toppled Oil And Gas Platforms In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico Using Hydroacoustic And Video Surveys, Emily Marissa Reynolds
LSU Master's Theses
There has been relatively little study of the efficacy of decommissioned oil and gas platforms as artificial reef habitats for fish assemblages in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM). A variety of fish species have been reported on these structures, but the species biomass distribution and community structure has not been studied thoroughly. Hydroacoustic and video surveys were conducted quarterly from June 2013 to June 2014 at three standing and two toppled oil and gas platforms located approximately 130 km off the coast of Louisiana at 90 m depth; to gain information about the spatial biomass distribution and community structure …
Oil And Gas Platforms On Ship Shoal, Northern Gulf Of Mexico As Habitat For Reef-Associated Organisms, David Bradley Reeves
Oil And Gas Platforms On Ship Shoal, Northern Gulf Of Mexico As Habitat For Reef-Associated Organisms, David Bradley Reeves
LSU Master's Theses
Nearshore Louisiana has experienced substantial changes within the last half-century, including the annual formation of the world’s second largest hypoxic zone and the construction of thousands of oil and gas platforms (rigs). Ship Shoal and its rigs may provide important substrate in nearshore Louisiana because rigs act as de facto artificial reefs and the shoal’s bottom waters were well oxygenated on 43% of days when surrounding areas were hypoxic. From July to September of 2014, fish assemblages and hydrography were compared at shoal rigs, rigs inshore of the shoal, and rigs offshore of the shoal, and stone crab populations were …
Anthropogenic Impacts On Soil Microbial Processes In Coastal Wetlands: Nutrient Loading And Rising Co2 Levels, Havalend Ellen Steinmuller
Anthropogenic Impacts On Soil Microbial Processes In Coastal Wetlands: Nutrient Loading And Rising Co2 Levels, Havalend Ellen Steinmuller
LSU Master's Theses
Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels and global eutrophication are anthropogenic stressors impacting the environment of specific interest in wetland systems. Wetlands occupy a critical interface between terrestrial and aquatic environments. Fertilizer use for agriculture and treated wastewater disposal has increased nutrient loading to wetlands. Conflicting results on impacts of nitrogen loading to coastal wetland soils have been reported, though most studies have investigated short-term impacts of nutrient loading, not long-term integrated impacts. I investigated an 11-year period of nutrient loading on soils in an oligohaline coastal wetland. Nitrogen treatments of 0, 50, 200, and 1200 kg ha-1 yr-1 were paired …
Habitat Preferences Of Adult Spotted Seatrout, Cynoscion Nebulosus, In Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, Noelle Marie Bramer
Habitat Preferences Of Adult Spotted Seatrout, Cynoscion Nebulosus, In Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, Noelle Marie Bramer
LSU Master's Theses
Spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus) are a highly sought after sportfish, making up over 90% of the recreational fishery in Louisiana. As a significant portion of every life history stage is spent within its natal estuary, it is an ideal bio-indicator of estuarine health. As one of the largest estuaries in Louisiana, Lake Pontchartrain represents one such supporting ecosystem. From November 2012 to April 2014 acoustic tagging of individual fish, a lake-wide receiver array, and ArcGIS mapping software were utilized to determine the spatial distribution of spotted seatrout within the lake. Receivers were placed in representative locations including man-made and natural …
Does Reproductive Potential Of Red Snapper In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico Differ Among Natural And Artificial Habitats?, Hilary Day Glenn
Does Reproductive Potential Of Red Snapper In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico Differ Among Natural And Artificial Habitats?, Hilary Day Glenn
LSU Master's Theses
This study compares the reproductive potential of red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) at artificial and natural habitats. Natural habitats are areas of vertical relief created from biogenic/geologic processes that are thought to be the historical centers of abundance for red snapper in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Red snapper were collected from 2011 to 2013 at three natural habitat sites and two artificial habitat oil and gas platform sites. The mean gonadosomatic indices (GSI), maturity at size and age, spawning indicators, batch fecundity, spawning frequency, and annual fecundity for red snapper at each habitat were analyzed to examine reproductive potential among …
Legacy Phosphorus Implications In The Lake Pontchartrain Estuary Sediment Due To The 2011 Bonnet Carre Spillway Opening, Nhan Thanh Nguyen
Legacy Phosphorus Implications In The Lake Pontchartrain Estuary Sediment Due To The 2011 Bonnet Carre Spillway Opening, Nhan Thanh Nguyen
LSU Master's Theses
Phosphorus (P) is an essential nutrient for life and excess P in aquatic systems can trigger algal blooms. Nutrient-rich Mississippi River water is diverted into the Lake Pontchartrain estuary (LPE) periodically through the Bonnet Carré Spillway (BCS) to avoid downstream flooding to the city of New Orleans, Louisiana and can significantly increase the internal P load in the sediment. A sequential P fractionation procedure was performed on sediments collected before the opening and after the closing of the 2011 BCS operation to understand the role of these large river diversions on P dynamics. Before the 2011 BCS opening, 10,368 Mt …
Hurricane-Induced Geologic Change And Palynological Assessment Of A Rapidly Subsiding Deltaic Environment In Coastal Louisiana, James Dustin Naquin
Hurricane-Induced Geologic Change And Palynological Assessment Of A Rapidly Subsiding Deltaic Environment In Coastal Louisiana, James Dustin Naquin
LSU Master's Theses
This study is focused on a paleoenvironmental history of a backbarrier coastal lagoon situated on the seaward margin of the Lafourche delta lobe in coastal Louisiana. A 2.2 meter long sediment core (Core BC 53) was collected from a mangrove-covered land strip on the northern margin of Bay Champagne, and was studied using pollen analysis, Loss-on-ignition (LOI), X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) analysis, and Cesium-137 and radiocarbon dating techniques to establish sediment stratigraphy and core chronology. Bay Champagne, a backbarrier lagoon formed during the evolution of Bayou Lafourche, has shown to be highly sensitive to geomorphological and vegetation changes induced by sea-level …
Cdom Optical Properties Near Dwh Site, Gulf Of Mexico: Pot Oil Spill, Zhi Li
Cdom Optical Properties Near Dwh Site, Gulf Of Mexico: Pot Oil Spill, Zhi Li
LSU Master's Theses
The Deep Water Horizon (DWH) oil spill resulted in the largest accidental release of crude oil in U.S. waters with both short- and long-term effects on the marine environment. Extensive studies conducted immediately following the oil spill in the northern Gulf of Mexico provided greater understanding of the physical processes influencing the distribution of the released oil, including the use of optical detection of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a toxic crude oil fraction in the northern Gulf of Mexico. In this study, the optical properties of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) and the concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were …
Assessment Of Habitat Quality For Red Snapper, Lutjanus Campechanus, In The Northwestern Gulf Of Mexico: Natural Vs. Artificial Reefs, Brittany Dawn Schwartzkopf
Assessment Of Habitat Quality For Red Snapper, Lutjanus Campechanus, In The Northwestern Gulf Of Mexico: Natural Vs. Artificial Reefs, Brittany Dawn Schwartzkopf
LSU Master's Theses
Habitat quality of natural and artificial reefs for red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) is important as this area is home to the majority of the Gulf’s artificial reef system, in the form of oil and gas platforms, in addition to the largest extent of high vertical relief natural habitat. This study sought to assess habitat quality of natural reefs of varying habitat complexity and an artificial reef complex located on the LA continental shelf. Habitat quality was assessed by comparing red snapper diets and foraging patterns, and nutritional condition using the liver-somatic index (LSI) …
Nutrient And Sediment Effects On Oligohaline Marsh Plant Community In Mississippi River Delta, Sareh Poormahdi
Nutrient And Sediment Effects On Oligohaline Marsh Plant Community In Mississippi River Delta, Sareh Poormahdi
LSU Master's Theses
The Mississippi River Delta comprises approximately 40% of the coastal wetlands in the conterminous United States, but has experienced more than 80% of the wetland loss in part due to flood control levees that have hydrologically isolated the lower River from the adjacent wetlands for a century. Thus, reconnecting the River to the wetlands through diversions is one of the approaches being used to reduce the rate of wetland loss. However, the diversion structures were originally designed to deliver freshwater rather than sediment. Furthermore, nutrient concentrations in the River water have increased during the past half-century as a result of …