Diversity, Distribution, And Expression Of Diazotroph Nifh Genes In Oxygen-Deficient Waters Of The Arabian Sea,
2012
Old Dominion University
Diversity, Distribution, And Expression Of Diazotroph Nifh Genes In Oxygen-Deficient Waters Of The Arabian Sea, Amal Jayakumar, Mamoon M. D. Al-Rshadat, Bess B. Ward, Margaret R. Mulholland
OES Faculty Publications
The Arabian Sea oxygen minimum zone (OMZ), the largest suboxic region in the world's oceans, is responsible for up to half of the global mesopelagic fixed nitrogen ( N ) loss from the ocean via denitrification and anammox. Dinitrogen (N2) fixation is usually attributed to cyanobacteria in the surface ocean. Model prediction and physiological inhibition of N2 fixation by oxygen, however, suggest that N2 fixation should be enhanced near the oxygen-deficient zone (ODZ) of the Arabian Sea. N2 fixation and cyanobacterial nifH genes (the gene encoding dinitrogenase reductase) have been reported in surface waters overlying …
A New Species Of Frog (Strabomantidae: Pristimantis) From Peru With Comments On Its Ectoparasites (Acari: Trombiculidae),
2012
Illinois Wesleyan University
A New Species Of Frog (Strabomantidae: Pristimantis) From Peru With Comments On Its Ectoparasites (Acari: Trombiculidae), Alan W. Brus
Honors Projects
In South America, frogs of the genus Pristimantis are diverse and can be found from lowland forests to elevations of about 4000 m in the Andes. The 444 known species of Pristimantis belong to 16 species groups. One of these groups is the Pristimantis orestes Group, the 14 members of which inhabit the páramo, puna, and upper montane forests in southern Ecuador (3 species) and Peru (11 species). Species of the Pristimantis orestes Group are characterized by having snout-vent lengths ranging from 18.0 to 29.4 mm, short robust bodies, relatively short snouts, narrow digital discs, and areolate ventral skin. Some …
Comparative Developmental Transcriptomics Of Echinoderms,
2012
University of South Florida
Comparative Developmental Transcriptomics Of Echinoderms, Roy Vaughn
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
The gastrula stage represents the point in development at which the three primary germ layers diverge. At this point the gene regulatory networks that specify the germ layers are established and the genes that define the differentiated states of the tissues have begun to be activated. These networks have been well characterized in sea urchins, but not in other echinoderms. Embryos of the brittle star Ophiocoma wendtii share a number of developmental features with sea urchin embryos, including the ingression of mesenchyme cells that give rise to an embryonic skeleton. Notable differences are that no micromeres are formed during cleavage …
Age Composition And Distribution Of Red Drum (Sciaenops Ocellatus) In Offshore Waters Of The North Central Gulf Of Mexico: An Evaluation Of A Stock Under A Federal Harvest Moratorium,
2012
University of South Alabama
Age Composition And Distribution Of Red Drum (Sciaenops Ocellatus) In Offshore Waters Of The North Central Gulf Of Mexico: An Evaluation Of A Stock Under A Federal Harvest Moratorium, Sean P. Powers, Crystal Hightower, J. Marcus Drymon, Matthew W. Johnson
University Faculty and Staff Publications
Because of a lack of fishery- dependent data, assessment of the recovery of fish stocks that undergo the most aggressive form of management, namely harvest moratoriums, remains a challenge. Large schools of red drum (Sclaenops ocellatus) were common along the northern Gulf of Mexico until the late 1980s when increased fishing effort quickly depleted the stock. After 24 years of harvest moratorium on red drum in federal waters, the stock is in need of reassessment; however, fishery dependent data are not available in federal waters and fishery-independent data are limited. We document the distribution, age composition, growth, and condition of …
Development Of High-Yielding Sweetgum Plantation Systems For Bioenergy Production In The Southeastern United States,
2012
USDA Forest Service
Development Of High-Yielding Sweetgum Plantation Systems For Bioenergy Production In The Southeastern United States, Donald J. Kaczmarek, Brian C. Wachelka, Jeff Wright, Victor C. Steel, Doug P. Aubrey, David R. Coyle, Mark D. Coleman
Biology: Faculty Presentations
No abstract provided.
Use Of Real-Time Pcr To Detect Canine Parvovirus In Feces Of Free-Ranging Wolves,
2012
USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Use Of Real-Time Pcr To Detect Canine Parvovirus In Feces Of Free-Ranging Wolves, L. David Mech, Emily S. Almberg, Douglas Smith, Sagar Goyal, Randall S. Singer
United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications
Using real-time PCR, we tested 15 wolf (Canis lupus) feces from the Superior National Forest (SNF), Minnesota, USA, and 191 from Yellowstone National Park (YNP), USA, collected during summer and 13 during winter for canine parvovirus (CPV)-2 DNA. We also tested 20 dog feces for CPV-2 DNA. The PCR assay was 100%sensitive and specific with a minimum detection threshold of 104 50% tissue culture infective dose. Virus was detected in two winter specimens but none of the summer specimens. We suggest applying the technique more broadly especially with winter feces.
Four Events Of Host Switching In Aspidoderidae (Nematoda) Involve Convergent Lineages Of Mammals,
2012
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Four Events Of Host Switching In Aspidoderidae (Nematoda) Involve Convergent Lineages Of Mammals, F. Agustín Jiménez-Ruiz, Scott Lyell Gardner, Graciela Navone, Guillermo Ortí
Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications
The Great American Interchange resulted in the mixing of faunistic groups with different origins and evolutionary trajectories that underwent rapid diversification in North and South America. As a result, groups of animals of recent arrival converged into similar habits and formed ecological guilds with some of the endemics. We present a reconstruction of the evolutionary events in Aspidoderidae, a family of nematodes that infect mammals that are part of this interchange, i.e., dasypodids, opossums, and sigmodontine, geomyid, and hystricognath rodents. By treating hosts as discrete states of character and using parsimony and Bayesian inferences to optimize these traits into the …
Return To Beringia: Parasites Reveal Cryptic Biogeographic History Of North American Pikas,
2012
Western Washington University
Return To Beringia: Parasites Reveal Cryptic Biogeographic History Of North American Pikas, Kurt E. Galbreath, Eric P. Hoberg
Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications
Traditional concepts of the Bering Land Bridge as a zone of predominantly eastward expansion from Eurasia and a staging area for subsequent colonization of lower latitudes in North America led to early inferences regarding biogeographic histories of North American faunas, many of which remain untested. Here we apply a host–parasite comparative phylogeographical (HPCP) approach to evaluate one such history, by testing competing biogeographic hypotheses for five lineages of host-specific parasites shared by the collared pika (Ochotona collaris) and American pika (Ochotona princeps) of North America. We determine whether the southern host species (O. princeps) …
Discovery And Description Of A New Trichostrongyloid Species (Nematoda: Ostertagiinaw), Abomasal Parasites In Mountain Goat, Oreamnos Americanus, From The Western Cordillera Of North America [With Erratum],
2012
Animal Parasitic Disease Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture
Discovery And Description Of A New Trichostrongyloid Species (Nematoda: Ostertagiinaw), Abomasal Parasites In Mountain Goat, Oreamnos Americanus, From The Western Cordillera Of North America [With Erratum], Eric P. Hoberg, Arthur Abrams, Patricia A. Pilitt, Emily J. Jenkins
Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications
Marshallagia lichtenfelsi sp. n. is a dimorphic ostertagiine nematode occurring in the abomasum of mountain goats, Oreamnos americanus, from the Western Cordillera of North America. Major and minor morphotype males and females are characterized and distinguished relative to the morphologically similar Marshallagia marshalli/Marshallagia occidentalis from North America and Marshallagia dentispicularis, along with other congeners, from the Palearctic region. The configuration of the convoluted and irregular synlophe in the cervical region of males and females of M. lichtenfelsi is apparently unique, contrasting with a continuous and parallel system of ridges among those species of Marshallagia, including …
Climate-Change Refugia In The Sheltered Bays Of Palau: Analogs Of Future Reefs,
2012
Florida Institute of Technology
Climate-Change Refugia In The Sheltered Bays Of Palau: Analogs Of Future Reefs, Robert Van Woesik, Peter Houk, Adelle L. Isechal, Jacques W. Idechong, Steven Victor, Yimnang Golbuu
Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications
Coral bleaching and mortality are predicted to increase as climate changeinduced thermal-stress events become more frequent. Although many studies document coral bleaching and mortality patterns, few studies have examined deviations from the expected positive relationships among thermal stress, coral bleaching, and coral mortality. This study examined the response of >30,000 coral colonies at 80 sites in Palau, during a regional thermal-stress event in 2010. We sought to determine the spatial and taxonomic nature of bleaching and examine whether any habitats were comparatively resistant to thermal stress. Bleaching was most severe in the northwestern lagoon, in accordance with satellite-derived maximum temperatures …
Catastrophe And The Life Span Of Coral Reefs,
2012
Florida Institute of Technology
Catastrophe And The Life Span Of Coral Reefs, Richard B. Aronson, William F. Precht, Ian G. Macintyre, Lauren T. Toth
Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications
A strong earthquake in the western Caribbean in 2009 had a catastrophic impact on uncemented, unconsolidated coral reefs in the central sector of the shelf lagoon of the Belizean barrier reef. In a set of 21 reef sites that had been observed prior to the earthquake, the benthic assemblages of 10 were eradicated, and one was partially damaged, by avalanching of their slopes. Ecological dynamics that had played out over the previous 23 years, including the mass mortalities of two sequentially dominant coral species and a large increase in the cover of an encrusting sponge, were instantaneously rendered moot in …
Grazing On Synechococcus Spp. By The Red-Tide Dinoflagellate Karenia Brevis: Implications For Bloom Dynamics In The Gulf Of Mexico,
2012
Old Dominion University
Grazing On Synechococcus Spp. By The Red-Tide Dinoflagellate Karenia Brevis: Implications For Bloom Dynamics In The Gulf Of Mexico, Leo A. Procise
OES Theses and Dissertations
Karenia brevis, the toxic dinoflagellate responsible for massive red tides in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), causes fish kills, shellfish poisoning, and acute respiratory irritation in humans. Bloom initiation and maintenance have been linked to the physical environment as well as various nutrient input mechanisms. To date, efforts to quantify nitrogen (N) sources fueling K. brevis blooms in the GOM have not included mixotrophic grazing although many dinoflagellates, including K. brevis, are known to be capable of mixotrophy. This dissertation reports field and laboratory results demonstrating that natural bloom populations and K. brevisisolates from the West Florida …
Brooding, Provisioning, And Compensatory Care In The Cooperatively Breeding Acorn Woodpecker,
2012
Old Dominion University
Brooding, Provisioning, And Compensatory Care In The Cooperatively Breeding Acorn Woodpecker, Walter D. Koenig, Eric L. Walters
Biological Sciences Faculty Publications
We analyzed reproductive investment in parental care (brooding and the provisioning of nestlings) in the acorn woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus), a cooperatively breeding species in which both polygynandry and helping-at-the-nest are common. As predicted based on the strategies pursued by birds of different sex and status, breeders generally invested more in parental care than helpers, and breeder females invested more than breeder males. Contrary to expectations, however, the degree to which individuals reduced their effort with increasing group size (i.e., patterns of load lightening or compensatory care) did not match overall investment. Instead, as group size increased, there was …
Testing The Role Of Male-Male Competition In The Evolution Of Sexual Dimorphism: A Comparison Between Two Species Of Porcelain Crabs,
2012
Old Dominion University
Testing The Role Of Male-Male Competition In The Evolution Of Sexual Dimorphism: A Comparison Between Two Species Of Porcelain Crabs, J. Antonio Baeza, Cynthia M. Asorey
Biological Sciences Faculty Publications
Theory predicts marked sexual dimorphism in terms of body size and body structures used as weapons (e.g. chelipeds) in gonochoric species with intense male sexual competition for receptive females and reduced or no sexual dimorphism in species where competition among males is trivial. We tested this hypothesis using a pair of closely-related species of symbiotic porcelain crabs as a model. In one species that inhabits sea anemones solitarily, competition among males for receptive females is unimportant. In a second species that dwells as dense aggregations on sea urchins, malemale competition for sexual partners is recurrent. We expected considerable sexual dimorphism …
Extinction Risk And Bottlenecks In The Conservation Of Charismatic Marine Species,
2012
Old Dominion University
Extinction Risk And Bottlenecks In The Conservation Of Charismatic Marine Species, Loren Mcclenachan, Andrew B. Cooper, Kent E. Carpenter, Nicholas K. Dulvy
Biological Sciences Faculty Publications
The oceans face a biodiversity crisis, but the degree and scale of extinction risk remains poorly characterized. Charismatic species are most likely to gar- ner greatest support for conservation and thus provide a best-case scenario of the status of marine biodiversity. We summarize extinction risk and diagnose impediments to successful conservation for 1,568 species in 16 families of marine animals in the movie Finding Nemo. Sixteen percent (12–34%) of those that have been evaluated are threatened, ranging from 9% (7–28%) of bony fishes to 100% (83–100%) of marine turtles. A lack of scientific knowledge impedes analysis of threat status …
Novel Lineages Of Prochlorococcus And Synechococcus In The Global Oceans,
2012
Old Dominion University
Novel Lineages Of Prochlorococcus And Synechococcus In The Global Oceans, Sijun Huang, Steven W. Wilhelm, H. Rodger Harvey, Karen Taylor, Nianzhi Jiao, Feng Chen
OES Faculty Publications
Picocyanobacteria represented by Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus have an important role in oceanic carbon fixation and nutrient cycling. In this study, we compared the community composition of picocyanobacteria from diverse marine ecosystems ranging from estuary to open oceans, tropical to polar oceans and surface to deep water, based on the sequences of 16S-23S rRNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS). A total of 1339 ITS sequences recovered from 20 samples unveiled diverse and several previously unknown clades of Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus. Six high-light (HL)-adapted Prochlorococcus clades were identified, among which clade HLVI had not been described previously. Prochlorococcus clades HLIII, HLIV and …
Impact Of Vegetation On Land-Atmosphere Coupling Strength And Its Implication For Desertification Mitigation Over East Asia,
2012
Chapman University
Impact Of Vegetation On Land-Atmosphere Coupling Strength And Its Implication For Desertification Mitigation Over East Asia, Boksoon Myoung, Yong-Sang Choi, Suk-Jin Choi, Seon Ki Park
Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research
Desertification of the East Asian drylands and the consequent dust transport have been serious concerns for adjacent Asian countries as well as the western United States. Tree planting has been considered one applicable strategy to mitigate the desertification. However, the desired effect of the tree planting would not be brought to fruition unless the newly planted trees change the coupling characteristics between the land and the atmosphere. Based on this perception, we attempt to clarify the effects of vegetation on the coupling strength between the atmosphere and land surface, and we suggest the most efficient areas of tree planting for …
Lno Data Access Cedar Creek Site,
2012
University of New Mexico
Lno Data Access Cedar Creek Site, Long Term Ecological Research Network
Long Term Ecological Research Network
This memorandum asks for feedback on a data availability policy to be used by PI of grants for LTER.
Evaluation Of Elevated Bait Trays For Attracting Blackbirds (Icteridae) In Central
North Dakota,
2012
USDA/APHIS/WS National Wildlife Research Center
Evaluation Of Elevated Bait Trays For Attracting Blackbirds (Icteridae) In Central North Dakota, George M. Linz, Jamison B. Winter, William J. Bleier
United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) became an economically important crop in North Dakota in the 1970s, providing a major source of food for post-breeding blackbirds (Icteridae). Reducing local blackbird populations with rice grains treated with an avicide is one proposed alternative for reducing sunflower damage. In fall 2007 and 2008, we evaluated the idea of attracting blackbirds to rice-baited trays attached to wire cages supplied with live blackbirds. During our observations (1011 h), we saw 3888 birds, consisting of 25 species and 12 families, on the bait trays. Blackbirds made up 90.4% of the bird observations, whereas sparrows (Emberizidae) made …
Post-Occupancy Evaluation At The Zoo: Behavioral And Hormonal Indicators Of Welfare In Orangutans (Pongo Pygmaeus Abelii),
2012
Portland State University
Post-Occupancy Evaluation At The Zoo: Behavioral And Hormonal Indicators Of Welfare In Orangutans (Pongo Pygmaeus Abelii), Leigha Tingey
Dissertations and Theses
An increased understanding of species-specific behavioral needs has lead zoos to focus on providing more naturalistic and stimulating environments. Scientific assessments of how changes in habitat affect animal behavior are necessary in improving overall animal welfare. This study examined the move of three orangutans housed at the Oregon Zoo into a new and innovative exhibit. Post-occupancy evaluation (POE), which offers systematic information regarding the success or failure of the built environment (Maple & Finlay, 1987), was utilized to effectively evaluate the results of the move. The collection of behavioral data and adrenal activity monitoring through collection of non-invasive saliva, urine …
