Marine Biology Commons^™

Corals, Creation, And Conservation: Evaluating Human-Marine Relations Through Coral Reef Biology And Artistic Practice, Emma Gray Garman

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis investigates the relationship between humans and marine ecosystems through two complementary lenses: scientific research and artistic practice. The biology chapter proposes a five-year coral reef monitoring study across four Queensland, Australia islands — two heavily visited and inhabited (Fitzroy and Green Islands) and two minimally visited and uninhabited (High and Woody Islands) — to assess whether human activity correlates with bleaching severity over time. Grounded in preliminary survey data from Green Island in 2024, which revealed approximately 54% of coral bleached or dead, the study hypothesizes that reefs adjacent to inhabited islands will exhibit greater bleaching severity, consistent …

Fisheries Research Report No. 359: Metropolitan Monitoring Program 2025, Alissa Tate, Claire B. Smallwood, Karina L. Ryan, Troy Matthews

Fisheries Research Reports

Ongoing monitoring of recreational fisheries in the Perth Metropolitan zone is essential to ensure the sustainable use of fisheries resources. Surveys of shore- and boatbased recreational fishers within the Metropolitan zone of the West Coast bioregion provide information on human dimensions and catch-per-fisher as well as mean length and weight of key recreationally caught species. For shore-based fishers, estimates of fishing effort, catch and harvest are also presented for key nearshore species. This information is used to support ongoing assessments for key nearshore species and the development and evaluation of harvest strategies and other management actions, such as for Australian …

The Critical Role Of Near-Surface Dynamics In Identifying Spawning Areas Of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna In The Gulf Of Mexico, Donald R. Johnson, William J. Teague, Harriet Perry, James S. Franks

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, Thunnus thynnus (ABFT), migrate long distances to broadcast spawn in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) basin, the Mediterranean Sea and the Slope Sea (NW Atlantic). These areas have commonalities including a highly dynamic upper ocean eddy environment that draws nutrients from shallow thermoclines and adjacent continental shelves and can provide temporal sanctuaries from some larval predators. In the GOM basin, the Loop Current (LC) and its energetic spin—off eddies sweep weak swimming predators such as jellyfish (Pelagia noctiluca) into lines and aggregations, leaving relatively open areas as temporal sanctuaries for ABFT larvae during the vulnerable …

Oyster Drill (Stramonita Haemastoma Complex) Habitat Preferences In A Shallow Coastal Estuary, Coen Mcgarrah, Cynthia Lupton, Eric Sparks, Jennifer L. Debose

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Southern oyster drill snails (Stramonita haemastoma complex) are nuisance organisms within the Gulf of Mexico. This is due to their damaging impact on recovering and farmed oyster (Crassostrea virginica) populations, which are one of the drills’ main food sources. Oyster reef recovery and increased aquaculture production are priorities for Mississippi and the wider northern Gulf coast. The Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) hosts multiple oyster reef restoration sites within its boundaries, yet no comprehensive survey of oyster drill abundance has been conducted in this area to date. Additionally, knowledge of oyster drill preferences for sediment …

Pollutant Load Reduction In Sarasota Bay, Florida (Usa): Target Development, Implementation, And Outcomes, David Tomasko, Mike Wessel, Jon Perry, Chris Anastasiou, Ryan Gandy

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Between 2006 and 2012, seagrass coverage across Sarasota Bay expanded by 1,108 ha, a 28% increase. During the subsequent years of 2012−2020, 830 ha of seagrass were lost, a 16% decline. In response to these findings, resource management efforts focused on determining the likely reason(s) why those 2 periods had such contrasting trends, to come up with strategies to reverse these losses. Based on results from the seagrass data, the 7—y period of 2006−2012 was designated a “reference period” and water quality data were compared against the subsequent 7—y designated “degraded period” of 2013−2019. Annual average chlorophyll-a (chl-a …

Retention Time Of Microplastics In The Purple Sea Urchin (Arbacia Punctulata), Alexandra Shore

Honors Theses and Capstones

Marine ecosystems around the world are facing the problem of plastic pollution. Large pieces of plastic eventually degrade into smaller microplastics that are suspended in the water column and sink to the seabed. Sea urchins are exposed to microplastics as they graze on the sea floor and can accidentally consume these pollutants. Sea urchins are ecologically important animals because they physically alter their ecosystem via grazing and are integral part of marine food webs. To better understand how sea urchins interact with microplastics, purple sea urchins were exposed to microfibers and microspheres in a laboratory setting, and the retention time …

Fluctuation Of Organochlorine Concentrations In Bull Sharks At Different Life Stages, Mackenzie R. Phillips

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

For Carcharhinid species such as the bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas), the maternal offloading of nutrients is essential for pup development and growth, however, significant amounts of OCs are also transferred. As a top predator in aquatic food webs, bull sharks can potentially bioaccumulate high concentrations of pollutants such as dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) that biomagnify through aquatic food webs. These pollutants are also hydrophobic and fat soluble and therefore pose toxicity risks to developing young bull sharks. In this study, liver tissues collected from juvenile bull sharks inhabiting Florida’s coastal waters were analyzed for a suite of organochlorine pesticides (OCs) …

Indirect Effects Of Coral Bleaching On Tursiops Truncatus Diet And Foraging Behavior In Bocas Del Toro, Panama, Annabel Fiero

Scripps Senior Theses

Indirect effects, where another species or factor mediates the effects of a given species, are critical to ecosystem structure and resilience. Shifts in fish community structure, as a result of rapidly declining coral reefs in the Caribbean due to warming-induced bleaching, pose a threat to apex predators like Tursiops truncatus (bottlenose dolphins). Branching corals create habitat niches for numerous fish species. These fish rely on coral for food and habitat, and in turn provide food for upper trophic levels. Prior research has highlighted how coral bleaching will disrupt Acroporid reef building corals and fish community structure, but the effects of …

Electronic Bills Of Lading And Blockchain Technology: A Regulatory Perspective, Hsin-Hua Tsai

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Information and communications technology (ICT) systems are increasingly relevant to the maritime sector. Regarding the revolution of the bill of lading, many shipping lines and other technology startups have been looking into developing viable electronic transport documents that have the same functions as paper bills of lading to reduce supply chain risks. The limitations of the paper-based process have become increasingly visible in the COVID-19 crisis. The main purpose of the article is to analyze the application of blockchain bills of lading, which utilizes computational logic to create the digital ledger, and users can set up algorithms and rules to …

Intelligent Formation Control Using Orfbls And Adaptive Backstepping Sliding-Mode Control To Address Uncertain Tilting In Multi-Quadrotors During Wind Gusts, Ching-Chih Tsai, Chun-Fu Mao, Kumail Hussain

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

In terms of aerial robotics, stable and precise formation control is a significant challenge for tilting multi-quadrotors during disturbances. This paper proposes a fixed-time formation control strategy for tilting multi-quadrotors to address the effect of external wind gusts. The observer accurately predicts environmental disturbances and an adaptive backstepping sliding-mode control (ABSMC) method with an output recurrent fuzzy broad learning system (ORFBLS) addresses these disturbances within a finite time. ORFBLS dynamically adjusts its structure through a growing ORFBLS structure to allow nodes to be added as needed. The method's stability is validated using Lyapunov stability theory and ensures the convergence of …

Visually Guided Landing System On Ship Deck For Multicopter, Dong-Lin Li, Shih-Kai Lee, Tzu-Hsiang Chou

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Traditionally, high-value fish have been located at sea using helicopters. However, with advancements in technology, maritime drones have become increasingly important in recent years. Compared to traditional helicopter-based methods, drones offer significantly lower operational costs, making them cost-effective. However, the challenging sea conditions, including strong winds and the swaying motion of vessels, pose significant challenges for drone landings.

This paper proposes a stable approach for multicopter landing on ships at sea, incorporating improved marker detection, enhanced wind resistance control, and more accurate deck motion prediction. In the marker detection phase, we introduce a method to improve the accuracy of ArUco …

The Depuration Of Microplastic Pollution In Aquacultured Indian River Lagoon Oysters, Lee Nguyen

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Plastics are widely used in consumer goods and industrial manufacturing, and their degradation into microplastics (MP, size < 5 mm) has created an emergent environmental pollutant. Plastics readily enter aquatic environments, where they accumulate additional contaminants and bioaccumulate in organisms. While MP contamination in marine ecosystems is well documented, less is known about MP presence in aquacultured shellfish. Depuration, the process of purging contaminants from shellfish, is conducted in sterile seawater without food, which may cause oyster starvation and death. To date, MP depuration has not been examined in the aquacultured eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) in published studies. This study had 3 goals: 1) evaluate the effects of algal feed on oyster survival during depuration, 2) determine the effect of algal feed on depuration effectiveness, and 3) investigate the effect of a ten-day depuration on MP concentration in aquacultured C. virginica soft tissue. MP were quantified in oyster tissues, biodeposits, and in industrial algal feed. Tissues were digested using alkaline solutions, manually examined via microscopy, and analyzed using Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) to investigate MP polymer …

Typology And Spatiotemporal Patterns Of Illegal Fishing Activities In The Philippines: Implications For Fisheries Management, Marlowe O. Acevedo, Tzu-Yun Ching, Chih-Shin Chen

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing activity is a global threat and continues to undermine the effectiveness of fisheries regulations and management measures. However, the extent of illegal fishing in Philippine waters remains unclear. This study aims to identify the types of illegal fishing in Philippine waters and analyzed their temporal and spatial patterns. Data were obtained from the records of the Philippine Coast Guards (PCG) and Maritime Law Enforcement Agencies from 2015 to 2020. A total of 602 apprehensions were recorded, resulting in 813 violations, of which 630 cases were fishery violations. Most of the watercrafts involved in the …

New Hampshire Shellfish Under Pressure: Physiological Effects Of Climate Change And Toxic Algal Blooms, Olivia Boyan

UNH URC Open (2026 and after)

Climate change driven effects on the ocean, including warming water, acidification, and changes in the presence of harmful algal blooms (HABs) are causing metabolic pressures on marine organisms, particularly in the Gulf of Maine. Shellfish are susceptible to these pressures because their metabolic processes including growth and respiration are influenced by water temperature, pH, and consumption of algal toxins. This study investigates the effects of ocean warming, acidification, and diet toxicity level on the growth and respiration of Blue mussels (Mytilus edulis), Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica), and Sea scallops (Placopecten magellanicus). Selected individuals were subjected to water treatments simulating ambient …

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

Analyzing The Loss Of Material From A Non-Plastic Oyster Reef Restoration Alternative, Lindsay M. Dolan

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Oyster reefs are declining globally due to human impacts such as overharvesting, boat wakes, and climate change. Associated ecosystem services, including water filtration, fish and invertebrates’ habitats, and shoreline erosion protection, are lost when these reefs disappear. Traditionally, restoration efforts employed plastic mesh shell bags filled with recycled oyster shells as they provide recruitment substrate for new oyster spat and wave attenuating properties to protect shorelines. Due to rising concerns over microplastic pollution, non-plastic alternatives are being tested. Alternative restoration material must provide the same benefits to reef formation while maintaining structural integrity long enough for a healthy reef to …

A Quantitative Analysis Of Burrowing And Subterranean Locomotion In The Sand Lance Using A Transparent Sediment, Issei Fujita, Makoto Tomiyasu, Jun Yamamoto, Yasuzumi Fujimori

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Sand lances (Ammodytes spp.) rely on rapid burrowing into sediment for predator avoidance. Although their sediment grain-size preferences are well documented, the biomechanics underlying burrowing success remain unclear because natural substrates are opaque. Using a transparent-sediment system, we directly visualized and quantified burrowing kinematics to: (1) test the effect of body size (total length, TL) on burrowing success; (2) examine entry mechanisms (e.g., swimming speed, entry angle); and (3) describe locomotion within sediment. Logistic regression on the full dataset (N = 28 fish) identified TL as the primary determinant of success, with larger individuals exhibiting significantly higher success …

Cruise Network Design Under Sequential Duopolistic Entry, Ta-Hui Yang, Ching-Hui Tang, Wan-Tien O

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

This study addresses the network design for international cruise services in a duopolistic market, where carriers enter and make decisions sequentially. The leader, who makes the first move, makes decisions as there is no competitor in the market. The follower, who makes decisions later, has to design their network considering the existing leader’s network. The leader’s model is a mixed integer linear problem while the follower’s model is a mixed integer nonlinear problem. Therefore, a heuristic is proposed to solve the problem. The commercially available general algebraic modeling system is used in conjunction with its different solvers to solve the …

Effect Of Heat Treatment On The Corrosion And Wear Behavior Of 17-4 Ph Stainless Steel For Marine Applications, Syuan Tai, I-Kon Lee, Ming-Yuan Lin, Kang-Yu Liao, Chin-Chun Chang, Hung-Bin Lee

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

This study explores the tribocorrosion behavior of conventionally cast 17-4 PH stainless steel under real seawater conditions, focusing on the effects of three heat treatments (Solution, H900, H1100). Electrochemical tests, tribocorrosion experiments, SEM, XPS, and quantitative analysis were used to establish a three-stage tribocorrosion mechanism. Results show that H900 exhibits superior corrosion and wear resistance, while H1100 suffers increased material loss and surface cracking at high potentials. Elemental analysis revealed NbC migration forming third-body particles, which, although briefly reducing friction, induced local stress concentration and crack initiation. The findings highlight the critical influence of microstructure, passive film stability, and third-body …

Enhancing Underwater Imagery And Organism Detection Using Reinforcement Learning, K. Arul Deepa, P. Ramya, Karpaga Vinodha, Dharmaraja C

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Underwater environments pose significant challenges in assessing image quality and organism detection due to light scattering and absorption, which limits visibility and color fidelity. Existing solutions often fail to effectively address these challenges, resulting in suboptimal image quality and hindering organism identification. This paper examines the problem through a dual-focused approach: enhancing underwater images and detecting organisms using the Underwater Image Enhancement Benchmark (UIEB) dataset. The first step introduces a state-of-the-art method for image enhancement by applying reinforcement learning (RL) principles. By formulating the enhancement process as a Markov Decision Process (MDP)—where states are represented by image features and actions …