Toadally Not A Frog: A Neuromuscular Physiology Study,
2026
The University of Akron
Toadally Not A Frog: A Neuromuscular Physiology Study, Iris Renna
Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects
Upper-level physiology labs in undergraduate education use freshly isolated bullfrog and/or leopard frog tissue to teach core concepts in nerve and muscle physiology. Sourcing live animals for routine educational use raises ethical and conservation concerns. Cane toads (Rhinella marina) are an invasive species that are routinely culled, can provide a potential source of laboratory animals which would remove pressure to native amphibian populations. This study tested the hypothesis that cane toads can serve as a functional substitute for bullfrogs and/or leopard frogs in the muscle and nerve physiology lab. Isolated sciatic nerve and gastrocnemius muscle preparations from cane …
High Algal Biomass Is Decoupled From Metabolism In The Gallatin River,
2026
University of Montana, Missoula
High Algal Biomass Is Decoupled From Metabolism In The Gallatin River, Cora Mae Steinbach
Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers
Assessing eutrophication in rivers is difficult compared to lakes and coastal waters, because most algal biomass occurs on the riverbed and flows interact and co-vary with production (Biggs and Close, 1989; Bernhardt et al., 2018). Riverine eutrophication is typically assessed using algal biomass and water column nutrients (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2000), but biomass is highly variable and labor-intensive to measure, while nutrient concentrations often underestimate enrichment due to rapid biological uptake (Dodds and Smith, 2016). Reach-scale river metabolism can help evaluate long-term functional change in rivers recovering from nutrient enrichment (Arroita et al., 2019; Jankowski et al., 2021; Diamond …
To Flea Or Not To Flea: Abiotic And Biotic Factors Driving Flea Parasitism On Wild Deer Mice,
2026
University of Montana, Missoula
To Flea Or Not To Flea: Abiotic And Biotic Factors Driving Flea Parasitism On Wild Deer Mice, Parker Todd, Angela Luis, Mike Kinsella
Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts
Deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) are an abundant North American rodent and the primary reservoir for Sin Nombre virus (SNV), a hantavirus with a 30-40% case fatality rate in humans. While ectoparasites, such as fleas, are not considered vectors of SNV, their bites may indirectly affect the transmission of SNV by impacting host condition or immune function. These impacts could potentially lead to an increase in host susceptibility and/or an increase in viral shedding, yet there is still little knowledge on what influences flea parasitism on deer mice in western Montana. This study looks to examine how mouse sex, …
The Sub-Lethal Effects Of Trematode Parasites On The Migratory Behavior Of Lesser Scaup (Aythya Affinis),
2026
Northern Illinois University
The Sub-Lethal Effects Of Trematode Parasites On The Migratory Behavior Of Lesser Scaup (Aythya Affinis), Scott Alan Herman
Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations
The introduction of the invasive freshwater faucet snail (Bithynia tentaculata) and its associated parasites in the Upper Mississippi River and Great Lakes Region provides the opportunity to investigate how anthropogenic stressors impact the life history of lesser scaup (Aythya affinis) using the Mississippi Flyway. To understand the life histories and interactions between lesser scaup and faucet snails we examined historical records, research, and ecology textbooks. Our literature review identified critical knowledge gaps in lesser scaup literature surrounding population dynamics, reproduction, and migration. Specifically, the sub-lethal effects of invasive trematodes on the migratory behavior of lesser scaup in the Upper Mississippi …
Parasite Party: Investigating Ecological Drivers Of Trematode Parasite Prevalence Across The Isles Of Shoals,
2026
University of New Hampshire - Main Campus
Parasite Party: Investigating Ecological Drivers Of Trematode Parasite Prevalence Across The Isles Of Shoals, Aimee D. Bousquet, April Blakeslee, Amy Fowler, David Buck
UNH URC Open (2026 and after)
Parasite Party: Investigating Ecological Drivers of Trematode Parasite Prevalence Across the Isles of Shoals
Evaluating Species At Risk In Data-Limited Fisheries: A Productivity-Susceptibility Analysis For Marine Aquarium Fish,
2026
University of Leeds
Evaluating Species At Risk In Data-Limited Fisheries: A Productivity-Susceptibility Analysis For Marine Aquarium Fish, Gabrielle A. Baillargeon, Alice A. Wynn, Jemelyn Grace P. Baldisimo, Michael F. Tlusty, Andrew L. Rhyne
Biological Sciences Faculty Publications
The marine aquarium trade (MAT) is a significant global industry harvesting millions of wild-caught, live coral reef fishes for public and private aquaria markets in the United States and Europe annually, while supporting fisher livelihoods in the Indo-Pacific. This diverse and species-rich trade is considered data-limited, creating barriers to quantifying the current and future socio-ecological sustainability of the fishery. We present a revised and expanded productivity–susceptibility analysis (PSA) that serves as a holistic risk assessment to estimate the vulnerability of marine aquarium fish to overfishing. Our global analysis includes 306 species that are actively in trade. Improvements to the PSA …
Using Genetic Analysis To Infer Familial Relationships Of Westslope Cutthroat Trout In The Lower Priest River, Idaho,
2026
Eastern Washington University
Using Genetic Analysis To Infer Familial Relationships Of Westslope Cutthroat Trout In The Lower Priest River, Idaho, Kolby Emtman
EWU Masters Thesis Collection
The Westslope Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus lewisi) is a native species of salmonid that holds both cultural and ecological significance in the Idaho Panhandle region of the United States. Within this region, the Priest River is a major contributor of migrant Westslope Cutthroat Trout to the Clark Fork Pend Oreille basin. This study aimed to estimate the proportion of juveniles that have at least one migrant parent, illustrate gene flow using juvenile half sibling relationships, and showcase varying levels of spawning success using juvenile full sibling relationships. Sampling of juvenile individuals occurred in 11 tributaries of the Priest River over …
Assessing Forest Health And Small Mammals After A Limited Suppression Wildfire In Colville National Forest,
2026
Eastern Washington University
Assessing Forest Health And Small Mammals After A Limited Suppression Wildfire In Colville National Forest, Samantha J. Kennel
EWU Masters Thesis Collection
In the face of a wildfire crisis, there is a growing need to expand the pace and scale of forest treatments, including the strategic use of wildfire as a management tool. However, ecological outcomes remain uncertain in forests shaped by more than a century of fire suppression. The 2022 Thor Fire, a managed wildfire in the Colville National Forest, Washington, provides an opportunity to evaluate forest health in a relatively understudied system. Using a control–impact design, I established 100 monitoring plots in burned and adjacent unburned forests to assess how wildfire and fire severity influence forest structure, fuels, and tree …
Data From: Mass Mortality Of Avian Migrants In New Mexico, Usa, That Coincided With An Extreme Weather Event,
2026
New Mexico State University
Data From: Mass Mortality Of Avian Migrants In New Mexico, Usa, That Coincided With An Extreme Weather Event, Dylan M. Osterhaus, Allison J. Salas, Patricia L. Cutler, Mara E. Weisenberger, Kerry Mower, Abigail J. Lawon, Timothy F. Wright, Jeanne M. Fair, Martha J. Desmond
Fish, Wildlife, & Conservation Ecology: Datasets
No abstract provided.
Effects Of Desiccation On Invasive Faucet Snail (Bithynia Tentaculata) And Trematode Survival,
2026
Northern Illinois University
Effects Of Desiccation On Invasive Faucet Snail (Bithynia Tentaculata) And Trematode Survival, Elise Marie Jordahl
Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations
Parasitism is one of the most common and diverse life history strategies, yet relatively little is known about the role of parasites as invasive species. Invasive species, which present one of the greatest threats to biodiversity, often need to overcome adverse environmental conditions as they establish and spread in new habitats. Invasive parasites are subject to these same conditions, though the effects may be mediated through their hosts. Here, I use an invasive snail and its trematode parasites to quantify the effects of desiccation on survival to better understand how processes of invasion play out in host-parasite systems. The faucet …
Compositional And Functional Shifts In Fish Community Structure In Response To Low-Head Dam Removals,
2026
Eastern Illinois University
Compositional And Functional Shifts In Fish Community Structure In Response To Low-Head Dam Removals, Joshua D. Bruegge
Masters Theses
Low-head dams serve as intermittent barriers to aquatic connectivity and directly alter both upstream and downstream habitats and biotic communities. In 2018 and 2019, two low-head dams in the Vermilion River watershed of eastern Illinois were removed, reconnecting over 1,700 kilometers of upstream habitat within the basin. To determine the impacts of these dam removals, fish community surveys were conducted at 12 fixed sites across three reaches in two rivers from 2012-2022. This study assessed reach-specific temporal responses of the fish community and habitat characteristics. I linked trait expressions within the fish community to abiotic variables using the co-inertia RLQ …
Manatee Dock Sign Distribution And Its Influence On Publicly-Sourced Sighting Reports In Alabama,
2026
Dauphin Island Sea Lab
Manatee Dock Sign Distribution And Its Influence On Publicly-Sourced Sighting Reports In Alabama, Daniela Payán Arias, Sophia C. Corde, Ruth H. Carmichael
Gulf and Caribbean Research
No abstract provided.
Evaluating Donor Site Recovery Following Halodule Wrightii Harvest For Restoration In Northwest Florida,
2026
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Evaluating Donor Site Recovery Following Halodule Wrightii Harvest For Restoration In Northwest Florida, Katie M. Konchar, Becca A. Hatchell, Colin P. Shea, Bradley T. Furman, Kent Smith
Gulf and Caribbean Research
Bare‑root harvesting of Halodule wrightii is widely used to supply donor material for seagrass restoration, yet the capacity of donor meadows to recover in near‑temperate systems remains poorly documented. We evaluated donor‑site recovery following bare‑root harvesting in St. Andrew Bay, northwest Florida—an estuary at the northern extent of Tropical Atlantic Bioregion 2 where H. wrightii exhibits strong seasonal senescence and a shortened growing season. Thirty harvest impact sites were monitored for 388 days to quantify changes in shoot density, percent frequency, and sediment elevation relative to nearby reference conditions. Shoot density and percent frequency at harvested sites converged with reference …
Integrating Multi-Method Monitoring To Characterize Seasonal Habitat Use Of Green Sturgeon (Acipenser Medirostris) In Humboldt County, California,
2026
Cal Poly Humboldt
Integrating Multi-Method Monitoring To Characterize Seasonal Habitat Use Of Green Sturgeon (Acipenser Medirostris) In Humboldt County, California, Olivia S. Boeberitz
Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects
Green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris) are a long-lived, anadromous, iteroparous species that spawns in large West Coast North American rivers but ranges widely in the coastal ocean. For coastal California Native American Tribes, green sturgeon are a vital part of their cultural heritage and traditions, and central to their food security. Two genetically distinct population segments (DPSs) of green sturgeon are recognized in the United States, Canada, and Mexico; the southern DPS is listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act and the northern DPS is considered of “conservation concern.” Although green sturgeon are known to use large estuaries …
Aquatic Habitat Use By Western Toads And American Bullfrogs In California’S Central Valley: Effects Of Local Habitat Characteristics And Landscape Composition,
2026
Humboldt State University
Aquatic Habitat Use By Western Toads And American Bullfrogs In California’S Central Valley: Effects Of Local Habitat Characteristics And Landscape Composition, Kaitlyn Breana Hernandez
Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects
Drastic losses of historic wetland habitat in the California Central Valley have caused widespread population declines and extirpations of aquatic breeding amphibians. Efforts to restore wetland habitat have included private land, which represents 70% of land tenure in the Central Valley. Management of these restored wetlands is focused on waterfowl with the assumption that they will provide habitat for native herpetofauna. This study used combined surveys to test the assumption that restored wetlands on private land provide habitat for native amphibians with the western toad (Anaxyrus boreas) as a case study. The objectives were to use environmental DNA …
Chemical Load: An Unseen Herbicide Filter In Restored Prairies?,
2026
South Dakota State University
Chemical Load: An Unseen Herbicide Filter In Restored Prairies?, Rylie Franklin
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Community Assembly Theory is a framework used to describe the process by which species from a regional species pool disperse and encounter various abiotic and biotic conditions that act as filters, limiting which species will populate a specific local community. Prairie restoration success can be improved by understanding abiotic and biotic filters. As agricultural practices have adopted integrated weed management plans, that include the use of both chemical and non-chemical techniques, another filter needs to be considered during restoration: the chemical load of soils, i.e., herbicide residue from recent on-site applications and herbicide drift from adjacent areas. To examine the …
Examining Drivers Of Brook Trout (Salvelinus Fontinalis) Fecundity And Recruitment In Central Appalachian Headwater Streams,
2026
West Virginia University
Examining Drivers Of Brook Trout (Salvelinus Fontinalis) Fecundity And Recruitment In Central Appalachian Headwater Streams, Emilee Esther Briggs
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
The persistence of fish populations depends on the repeated production and survival of new year classes, also referred to as recruitment. Recruitment is broadly defined as the number of individuals in a fish population or stock that survive to a specific stage. However, the broader recruitment process reflects the cumulative outcome of many earlier life stages, including egg survival, fry emergence, and survival through the recruitment period. As a result, recruitment can vary substantially among years and populations, producing strong or weak year classes that influence population abundance and persistence. Understanding why recruitment varies is therefore central to fisheries ecology …
Managing The Legacy Of Historical Land Use In Central Appalachia: Soil Health, Carbon Storage, And Restoration Across Disturbed Ecosystems,
2026
West Virginia University
Managing The Legacy Of Historical Land Use In Central Appalachia: Soil Health, Carbon Storage, And Restoration Across Disturbed Ecosystems, Kyra R. Dukich
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
Historical mining, intensive timber harvesting, agriculture, and atmospheric acid deposition have left lasting impacts on soil health throughout the Central Appalachian region, reducing soil productivity, carbon storage, and ecosystem resilience. This thesis evaluated restoration strategies across two long-term research systems in West Virginia to determine how land-use history and soil amendments influence soil health, carbon dynamics, and ecosystem recovery. The first study examined reclaimed mine lands and marginal agricultural soils planted with switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) or willow (Salix spp.) and treated with biochar or inorganic fertilizer. Soil greenhouse gas production, aggregate stability, total soil C:N, pH, and soil organic matter …
Using Side Looking Hydroacoustics And Community Size Spectra To Assess Invasive Carp’S Impact On Fish Assemblage Integrity,
2026
West Virginia University
Using Side Looking Hydroacoustics And Community Size Spectra To Assess Invasive Carp’S Impact On Fish Assemblage Integrity, Daniel Jacob Bryan
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
Often accounting for over half of total fish biomass, invasive silver carp have dramatically reshaped the ecosystem of the Mississippi River and its tributaries. These high silver carp densities have been shown to affect native fish body condition, abundance, and community structure, highlighting the need for efficient methods to quantify silver carp’s effect on the native fish assemblage. Community size spectra (CSS) is a metric that quantifies fish assemblage body size structure based on the decrease in fish abundance with increasing size. To estimate silver carp’s effects on CSS in the Ohio River, side looking hydroacoustic monitoring was used alongside …
Microbial Mats In Dinosaur Ichnocoenoses,
2026
Old Dominion University
Microbial Mats In Dinosaur Ichnocoenoses, Nora Noffke, Paul C. Murphy, Roger C. Buntin, Martin G. Lockley
OES Faculty Publications
Until now, the significance of microbial mats in preservation of dinosaur tracks and in reconstructing the palaeoenvironment in which dinosaurs roamed was rarely studied. Dinosaur tracks are commonly found close to ancient aquatic bodies where moist sediment had once allowed footstep registration. At such sites, epibenthic or endobenthic microbial mats may have developed as well and may have led to exquisite track preservation. Microbial mats in coastal, lacustrine or flood plain environments cause 'microbially induced sedimentary structures—MISS', which are micobialites found in sandy or evaporitic settings. The microbial structures record environmental parameters including meteorological conditions that existed at the time …
