Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Analysis Of Mangrove Ecosystems Using Gis,
2020
Nova Southeastern University
Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Analysis Of Mangrove Ecosystems Using Gis, Kayla Caldwell
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
Climate change is accelerating beyond what is natural due to excessive emissions from human activities. The sea level has been rising for many years and is currently at a rate of 3.6 mm/yr. Mangroves are known to only keep pace with a sea level rate of less than 1.2 mm/yr. Mangroves are particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels if they are not able to keep pace through vertical sediment accretion or inland migration. To test the vulnerability of the south Florida mangrove ecosystems to sea level rise, this study analyzed changes in the mangrove forest coverage of the Oleta River …
Influence Of Oil, Dispersant, And Pressure On Microbial Communities From The Gulf Of Mexico,
2020
Hamburg University of Technology
Influence Of Oil, Dispersant, And Pressure On Microbial Communities From The Gulf Of Mexico, Nuttapol Noirungsee, Steffen Hackbusch, Juan Viamonte, Paul Bubenheim, Andreas Liese, Rudolf Müller
C-IMAGE Publications
The Deepwater Horizon incident in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 released an unprecedented amount of petroleum hydrocarbons 1500 meters below the sea surface. Few studies have considered the influence of hydrostatic pressure on bacterial community development and activity during such spills. The goal of this study was to investigate the response of indigenous sediment microbial communities to the combination of increased pressure, hydrocarbons and dispersant. Deep-sea sediment samples collected from the northern Gulf of Mexico were incubated at atmospheric pressure (0.1 MPa) and at elevated pressure (10 MPa), with and without the addition of crude oil and dispersant. After …
Pelagic Habitat Partitioning Of Late-Larval And Juvenile Tunas In The Oceanic Gulf Of Mexico,
2020
Nova Southeastern University
Pelagic Habitat Partitioning Of Late-Larval And Juvenile Tunas In The Oceanic Gulf Of Mexico, Nina Pruzinsky, Rosanna Milligan, Tracey Sutton
Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles
Tunas are ecologically important in pelagic ecosystems, but due to their high economic value, large-bodied species are overfished. Declines in fishery landings of large-bodied tuna species in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) are expected to increase fishing pressures on unmanaged, small-bodied tuna species, whose life history traits are less known. While predicting spawning stocks and recruitment success typically focuses on estimates of larval abundances, juveniles may provide a better estimate of future adult stock sizes, as they are more likely to survive to adulthood because mortality rates scale inversely with body size. However, distributional studies on juveniles are rare, leading …
Methods For Mapping Algal Blooms: Do They Produce Similar Results?,
2020
Winthrop University
Methods For Mapping Algal Blooms: Do They Produce Similar Results?, Paige Denney
Showcase of Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavors (SOURCE)
Algal blooms occur when there is an overabundance of algae in a freshwater or saltwater body. Algal blooms often have negative effects on human health, the environment, and the economy. They increase during summer months due to heightened water temperatures. With the climate warming gradually, the occurrence of algal blooms will likely increase. Mapping algal blooms using geospatial data and analysis methods is incredibly important to understanding where algal blooms happen and how they have increased over time. In my research project, I use geospatial data to map an algal bloom in Lake St. Clair, Michigan. My data originate from …
Comparative Study Of The Effects Of Light On Photophore Ultrastructure From Two Families Of Deep-Sea Decapod Crustaceans: Oplophoridae And Sergestidae,
2020
Nova Southeastern University
Comparative Study Of The Effects Of Light On Photophore Ultrastructure From Two Families Of Deep-Sea Decapod Crustaceans: Oplophoridae And Sergestidae, Jamie E. Sickles
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
Counterillumination, the mechanism by which pelagic species produce bioluminescence to replace the light blocked by their bodies to hide their silhouettes, has been known for over 100 years. However, little is known about how these animals are able to so precisely replicate the intensity of downwelling light. The recent discovery of opsins in photophores (Bracken-Grissom et al. 2020) suggests that these autogenic organs (i.e. non-bacterial) may be sensitive to light, in addition to their function of emitting visible light. The study presented here is 1) the first ultrastructural assessment of photophores in species Systellaspis debilis, Janicella spinicauda, Parasergestes armatus, …
An Investigation Into The Factors Influencing Growth And Survival Of Caribbean Acroporid Corals In A Floating Nursery,
2020
Nova Southeastern University
An Investigation Into The Factors Influencing Growth And Survival Of Caribbean Acroporid Corals In A Floating Nursery, Cassie M. Vanwynen
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
For decades, coral reef ecosystems have been in decline. To promote recovery, restoration efforts have been implemented for many degraded reefs across the globe. In the Caribbean, there is restoration focus on the coral genus Acropora. Current methods target Acropora cervicornis and A. palmata, two threatened species of branching coral that can mate to form a hybrid taxon, A. prolifera. By including the hybrid in restoration efforts, researchers may better understand how this taxon may promote nursery expansion and outplanting in restoration efforts. Establishing efforts in novel areas may further advance restoration methods by comparing location differences in nursery …
How Can We Change Gut Microbiota For Healthy Lives?,
2020
Nova Southeastern University
How Can We Change Gut Microbiota For Healthy Lives?, Elizaveta Shmakova
Scientific Communication News
No abstract provided.
What Is The Winter Limiting Nutrient In Urban Reservoirs? A Case Study,
2020
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
What Is The Winter Limiting Nutrient In Urban Reservoirs? A Case Study, Precious Nyabami
UCARE: Research Products
The importance of reservoirs is widely acknowledged by urban populations, yet little is understood scientifically about their ability to process nutrients deposited into them in winter. For example, when agricultural runoff is deposited in lakes in winter or any other season, eutrophication might arise in the spring. With increased eutrophication, several ecosystem services are lost and this leads to what several researchers call “the urban syndrome”. Some studies have been done on the winter limnology of lakes, yet little is understood about the above in reservoirs. The sustainability of urban reservoirs relies on understanding how the phytoplankton in urban reservoirs …
Spatial And Temporal Distribution Of Essential And Non-Essential Elements Recorded In Western Arctic Bowhead Whales (Balaena Mysticetus),
2020
Nova Southeastern University
Spatial And Temporal Distribution Of Essential And Non-Essential Elements Recorded In Western Arctic Bowhead Whales (Balaena Mysticetus), Samantha L. Shore
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
Western Arctic bowhead whales, Balaena mysticetus, migrate annually among the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort seas. Foraging along their route, they use keratinous baleen to filter microscopic zooplankton from the water column. A single baleen plate from an adult bowhead whale grows continuously and stores 20+ years of dietary and environmental data. This study utilized induced coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to evaluate concentrations of 14 essential and non-essential elements in baleen samples from nine subsistence-harvested whales, yielding continuous data from 1958–1999 (n=148). Stable isotope data previously reported on these samples provided information on location (Beaufort Sea; Bering/Chukchi seas), season (winter; …
A First Comprehensive Baseline Of Hydrocarbon Pollution In Gulf Of Mexico Fishes,
2020
University of South Florida
A First Comprehensive Baseline Of Hydrocarbon Pollution In Gulf Of Mexico Fishes, Erin Pulster, Adolfo Gracia, Maickel Armenteros, Gerardo Toro-Farmer, Susan M. Snyder, Brigid Carr, Madison Schwaab, Tiffany Nicholson, Justin Mrowicki, Steven Murawski
C-IMAGE Publications
Despite over seven decades of production and hundreds of oil spills per year, there were no comprehensive baselines for petroleum contamination in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) prior to this study. Subsequent to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) spill, we implemented Gulf-wide fish surveys extending over seven years (2011–2018). A total of 2,503 fishes, comprised of 91 species, were sampled from 359 locations and evaluated for biliary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations. The northern GoM had significantly higher total biliary PAH concentrations than the West Florida Shelf, and coastal regions off Mexico and Cuba. The highest concentrations of biliary PAH …
The Southern Gulf Of Mexico: A Baseline Radiocarbon Isoscape Of Surface Sediments And Isotopic Excursions At Depth,
2020
Florida State University
The Southern Gulf Of Mexico: A Baseline Radiocarbon Isoscape Of Surface Sediments And Isotopic Excursions At Depth, Samantha H Bosman, Patrick Schwing, Rebekka A. Larson, Natalie E. Wildermann, Gregg R. Brooks, Isabel Romero, Joan-Albert Sanchez-Cabeza, Ana Carolina Ruiz-Fernández, Maria Luisa Machain-Castillo, Adolfo Gracia, Elva Escobar-Briones, Steven Murawski, David Hollander, Jeffrey P. Chanton
C-IMAGE Publications
The southern Gulf of Mexico (sGoM) is home to an extensive oil recovery and development infrastructure. In addition, the basin harbors sites of submarine hydrocarbon seepage and receives terrestrial inputs from bordering rivers. We used stable carbon, nitrogen, and radiocarbon analyses of bulk sediment organic matter to define the current baseline isoscapes of surface sediments in the sGoM and determined which factors might influence them. These baseline surface isoscapes will be useful for accessing future environmental impacts. We also examined the region for influence of hydrocarbon deposition in the sedimentary record that might be associated with hydrocarbon recovery, spillage and …
Feeding Ecology Of Red Snapper (Lutjanus Campechanus) And Vermilion Snapper (Rhomboplites Aurorubens) Coexisting At The Louisiana Shelf-Edge Banks,
2020
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College
Feeding Ecology Of Red Snapper (Lutjanus Campechanus) And Vermilion Snapper (Rhomboplites Aurorubens) Coexisting At The Louisiana Shelf-Edge Banks, Katherine M. Ellis
LSU Master's Theses
Niche partitioning, the process by which competing species use different subsets of the available resources, is commonly used to explain the coexistence of closely related species. In the northwest Gulf of Mexico on the shelf-edge banks, red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) and vermilion snapper (Rhomboplites aurorubens) are two coexisting closely related species. Yet, little is known about how these species partition resources. In this study, niche partitioning of red snapper and vermilion snapper was investigated using gut contents and stable isotopes. While dietary niche partitioning was apparent, the species relied upon similar prey and displayed isotopic niche overlap, …
Complete Mitochondrial Genome Of Carijoa Riisei (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860) (Octocorallia: Alcyonacea: Stolonifera: Clavulariidae),
2020
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Complete Mitochondrial Genome Of Carijoa Riisei (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860) (Octocorallia: Alcyonacea: Stolonifera: Clavulariidae), Erin E. Easton, David Hicks
School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications
We report the first complete Stolonifera mitochondrial genome. Carijoa riisei (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860) isolate CLP2_A03 was collected by scuba at 32 m on the USTS Texas Clipper (27° 53.7827′N, 93° 36.2702′W). The complete mitogenome has the ancestral octocoral gene order for its 14 protein-coding genes, two rRNA genes, and one tRNA gene. It is 18,714 bp (30.7% A, 15.8% C, 18.8% G, and 34.7% T). Of the Alcyonacea mitogenomes published to date, it is most genetically similar (94% uncorrected) to Sinularia ceramensis Verseveldt, 1977 (NC_044122).
Changes In Reef Fish Community Structure Following The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill,
2020
University of Florida
Changes In Reef Fish Community Structure Following The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Justin P. Lewis, Joseph H. Tarnecki, Steven B. Garner, David D. Chagaris, William F. Patterson Iii
C-IMAGE Publications
Large-scale anthropogenic disturbances can have direct and indirect effects on marine communities, with direct effects often taking the form of widespread injury or mortality and indirect effects manifesting as changes in food web structure. Here, we report a time series that captures both direct and indirect effects of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (DWH) on northern Gulf of Mexico (nGoM) reef fish communities. We observed significant changes in community structure immediately following the DWH, with a 38% decline in species richness and 26% decline in Shannon-Weiner diversity. Initial shifts were driven by widespread declines across a range of trophic guilds, …
An Ecopath With Ecosim Analysis On Offshore Petroleum Platform Influences On Gulf Of Mexico Red Snapper,
2020
Louisiana State University
An Ecopath With Ecosim Analysis On Offshore Petroleum Platform Influences On Gulf Of Mexico Red Snapper, Valentin Gomez
LSU Master's Theses
Offshore oil and gas platforms have had a significant presence in the Gulf of Mexico since the 1950s. An important secondary function of these structures is that they provide artificial habitat to fisheries, most notably Red snapper. Policy changes intended to reduce the risk associated with aging infrastructure have reduced the number of standing platforms from 4044 to 1867 from 2001 to 2018. The effect this loss of habitat has on Red snapper was tested by creating three scenarios of platform changes and modeling the perturbation from 2005 to 2050. The simulation was accomplished using the ecological model Ecopath with …
Nearshore Vertical Distribution Of Barnacle Cyprids: Temporal Patterns And Hydrographic Variability,
2020
University of San Diego
Nearshore Vertical Distribution Of Barnacle Cyprids: Temporal Patterns And Hydrographic Variability, Gabriela Yamhure
Theses
Most benthic organisms living in the intertidal zone have planktonic larvae that reside temporarily in the water column before settling in their adult habitats. Larvae aggregate in offshore larval pools, and transport horizontally and vertically in the water to remain in the nearshore and during their pelagic life. While some horizontal transport of larvae can be attributed to advection, behavioral responses, like vertical swimming and buoyancy control, allow larvae to position themselves at depths where flow direction can be exploited. Thus, knowledge on how vertical larval distribution relates to physical processes can be fundamental to better understand larval transport. These …
Environmental Dna Metabarcoding Detects Mammal Use Of Stock Tanks And Natural Springs On The Prescott National Forest,
2020
Montana State University - Billings
Environmental Dna Metabarcoding Detects Mammal Use Of Stock Tanks And Natural Springs On The Prescott National Forest, K. A. Smith, Berenice Carreras Mendiolea, C. E. Benson, F. B. Anaya
Discovery Day - Prescott
Recent research has shown the viability of environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis as a tool for identifying species presence in aquatic ecosystems. However, there is limited research indicating the feasibility of eDNA as a survey tool in water sources such as springs and stock tanks. Because of the scarcity of water in the high desert landscape of Arizona, natural springs and stock tanks are an important water resource. In this study, we examined whether 16S rRNA metabarcoding could detect mammal eDNA in springs and stock tanks in the Prescott National Forest. During summer 2019, we collected and analyzed water samples at …
Performance Evaluation Of Cetacean Species Distribution Models Developed Using Generalized Additive Models And Boosted Regression Trees,
2020
Old Dominion University
Performance Evaluation Of Cetacean Species Distribution Models Developed Using Generalized Additive Models And Boosted Regression Trees, Elizabeth A. Becker, James V. Carretta, Karin A. Forney, Jay Barlow, Stephanie Brodie, Ryan Hoopes, Michael G. Jacox, Sara M. Maxwell, Jessica V. Redfern, Nicholas B. Sisson, Heather Welch, Elliott L. Hazen
Biological Sciences Faculty Publications
Species distribution models (SDMs) are important management tools for highly mobile marine species because they provide spatially and temporally explicit information on animal distribution. Two prevalent modeling frameworks used to develop SDMs for marine species are generalized additive models (GAMs) and boosted regression trees (BRTs), but comparative studies have rarely been conducted; most rely on presence-only data; and few have explored how features such as species distribution characteristics affect model performance. Since the majority of marine species BRTs have been used to predict habitat suitability, we first compared BRTs to GAMs that used presence/absence as the response variable. We then …
A Reexamination Of The Freshwater Mussel Community Of The Little Miami River,
2020
Otterbein University
A Reexamination Of The Freshwater Mussel Community Of The Little Miami River, Emily Davis
Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects
Understanding the changes in biodiversity and local freshwater mussel populations is critical to mitigate the risks to these populations. Freshwater ecosystems continue to degrade rapidly. The freshwater mussel community of the Little Miami River is degraded and has been in decline for many years. The biodiversity contained within freshwater ecosystems is lost at unprecedented rates influenced by human activity. Freshwater mussels play a key role in understanding the effects of human activity on freshwater ecosystems as well as maintaining the health of freshwater habitats. However, they are also sensitive to changes and disturbances, in their ecosystems. This study involved monitoring …
Diet Analysis Of Stranded Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) In Virginia,
2020
Old Dominion University
Diet Analysis Of Stranded Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) In Virginia, Kristen Marie Volker
Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations
This study describes the diet of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) stranded in Virginia via stomach content analysis and considers factors such as proportion of numerical abundance and reconstructed mass, frequency of occurrence, average reconstructed prey size, prey diversity and quantity, and otolith degradation code. Fish size was estimated via regression equations established from local fish collected during the study that derive wet weight directly from otolith length or width. Squid size is estimated from previously published equations. Soniferous fishes dominated the diet, especially Atlantic croaker, spot, and seatrout spp., adding evidence to the theory that bottlenose dolphins passively …
