Marine Biology Commons^™

Reproductive Dynamics Of Gulf Menhaden (Brevoortia Patronus) In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico: Effects On Stock Assessments, Nancy J. Brown-Peterson, Robert T. Leaf, Amy M. Schueller, Michael J. Andres

Faculty Publications

Gulf menhaden (Brevoortia patronus) produce one of the largest U.S. fisheries, yet information on reproductive dynamics of the stock is sparse. Males and females reach 50% maturity at 140.8 and 137.2 mm fork length, respectively and recruit into the commercial fishery at this size. Analysis of fishery-dependent data from 1964 through 2014 indicated that somatic condition was lower during the late 1980s and late 2000s and that reproductively active fish from 2014 were significantly larger and had greater gonadosomatic index values than those from 1964 through 1970. Histological analysis performed on fish from 2014 through 2016 revealed spawning-capable …

The Effect Of Calcium In Artificial Substrates For Oyster Restoration: Implications For The Mitigation Of Oyster Population Decline, Jessie Mandirola

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Oyster populations in the Chesapeake Bay have declined by 99% over the past 150 years due to overharvesting, disease, ocean acidification, and poor water quality. Restoration efforts are needed to reestablish native oyster populations. Current restoration efforts utilize natural oyster shells but these methods are expensive and unsustainable. Therefore, restoration is starting to use artificial substrates instead. Concrete has been successfully used in previous research; spat will attach and oysters will grow. However, there is a lack of knowledge about how the composition of concrete effects oyster larval recruitment. We tested concrete made with limestone sand (“special concrete”) to increase …

Roe, Edd (Fa 1027), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 1027. Student folk studies project titled: “Fishing,” which includes interviews and survey sheets about fishing in the Pennyroyal Region of Kentucky. Sheets may include information about a fish, bait, joke, belief, informant’s name, and motif index number.

Crude Oil Impairs Immune Function And Increases Susceptibility To Pathogenic Bacteria In Southern Flounder, Keith M. Bayha, Natalie Ortell, Caitlin Ryan, Kimberly J. Griffitt, Michelle Krasnec, Johnny Sena, Thiruvangan Ramaraj, Ryan Takeshita, Gregory D. Mayer, Faye Schilkey, Robert J. Griffitt

Faculty Publications

Exposure to crude oil or its individual constituents can have detrimental impacts on fish species, including impairment of the immune response. Increased observations of skin lesions in northern Gulf of Mexico fish during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill indicated the possibility of oil-induced immunocompromisation resulting in bacterial or viral infection. This study used a full factorial design of oil exposure and bacterial challenge to examine how oil exposure impairs southern flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma) immune function and increases susceptibility to the bacteria Vibrio anguillarum, a causative agent of vibriosis. Fish exposed to oil prior to bacterial challenge …

Do Halogenated Natural Products Bioaccumulate In Narragansett Bay?, Christine Gardiner, Anna Robuck, Rainer Lohmann

Senior Honors Projects

In recent decades, a new family of chemical compounds has begun to garner research attention—halogenated natural products, or HNPs. These chemicals are produced by algae, bacteria, worms, and sponges, and many are structurally similar to harmful manmade compounds, such as polychlorinated diphenyls (PCBs), or brominated flame retardants (PBDEs), which are known to cause cancer, reproduction issues, endocrine disruption, and death. While HNPs are produced naturally, they are still considered pollutants because of their bioaccumulative behavior and apparent toxicity.

Currently, there is limited research on their presence and effects, with a few studies from Europe and the Pacific highlighting their importance …

Grazing Potential Of Bucktooth Parrotfish (Sparisoma Radians) On Invasive Seagrass, Halophila Stipulacea, And Native Seagrass, Thalassia Testudinum, In St. John, Usvi, An Unesco Biosphere Reserve, Elizabeth Elise Pudlak

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Seagrass beds are considered essential habitats, because they provide food and refuge for a variety of organisms, and they also deliver ecosystem services such as sediment stabilization and carbon sequestration. Seagrass communities worldwide are under threat from a variety of human impacts like eutrophication, dredging, and climate change, but they are also facing threats from non-native species. As a critical primary producer, grazing on seagrass provides a fundamental trophic link to higher level consumers. The bucktooth parrotfish (Sparisoma radians) is a dominant herbivore of seagrasses in tropical and subtropical marine systems. In St. John, United States Virgin Islands, field and …

The Energetic Consequences Of Temperature Variation And Sequential Autotomization For The Stone Crab, Menippe Spp., Eric R. Hancock

Theses and Dissertations

The stone crab, Menippe spp., is harvested in a claw only fishery along the Gulf and southeastern Atlantic coasts of the United States. As climate change continues to warm these areas, crabs are forced to cope with higher water temperatures and lower dissolved O2 concentrations. These altered environmental conditions may influence crab energetics by altering both energy intake and expenditure. To inform fishery sustainability as well as prepare for a potential range expansion of the crab, this study investigates the energetic intake and expenditure of individual stone crabs. Crabs were found to respire 80 and 69% more following the loss …

Causes And Consequences Of Individual Phenotypic Differences In Brachyuran Crabs With A Focus On Behavior, Benjamin A. Belgrad

Theses and Dissertations

Individual variation defines almost every morphological, physiological, and behavioral aspect of populations and is a fundamental component of many ecosystem processes. Recent work indicates that accounting for these individual differences can enhance our ability to predict community responses to environmental disturbances which is becoming increasingly important in an era of extraordinary global change. However, our understanding of how different individual characteristics are connected to each other and governed by the environment remains limited.

This study sought to evaluate the relationship between individual behavior, physiological condition, and local habitat for Brachyuran crabs as well as the subsequent strength of their predator-prey …

Expierience, Seong Bo Chang, Albert Chen, Emily Nguyen

Computer Engineering

The name of this project is called “exPIERience” and the technological field of focus is virtual reality. We will be working on creating a virtual reality experience using the Oculus Rift for the Center of Coastal Marine Sciences (CCMS). The purpose of this system is to enable people to experience diving at the Cal Poly Pier even during nonoptimal diving conditions which occur frequently. CCMS hopes to attract further interest and possible momentum in future outreach such as a “Live Dive” program, where live videos of divers under the pier can be streamed. A 360° video from the diver’s perspective …

Does Personality Similarity In Bottlenose Dolphin Pairs Influence Dyadic Bond Characteristics?, Kelsey R. Moreno

Master's Theses

Social structures are critical to the success of many species and have repercussions on health, well-being, and adaptation, yet little is known about the factors which shape these structures aside from ecology and life history strategies. Dyadic bonds are the basis of all social structures; however, mechanisms for formations of specific bonds or patterns in which individuals form which types of bonds have yet to be demonstrated. There is a variety of evidence indicating personality may be a factor in shaping bonds, but this relationship has not been explored with respect to bond components and is yet to be demonstrated …

Age, Growth, And Reproduction Of Vermilion Snapper (Rhomboplites Aurorubens) In The North-Central Gulf Of Mexico, Trevor Dalton Moncrief

Master's Theses

Vermilion Snapper is a commonly harvested species of reef fish in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM). It supports both a large commercial and popular recreational fishery, however knowledge of this fish’s life history is limited spatially. Non-linear curve fitting was used to estimate growth parameters and Akaike information criteria (AIC) was used to determine relative model fit. The 2-parameter von Bertalanffy growth function provided the best model fit and lowest AIC score. Histological examination indicated that Vermilion Snapper are batch spawners with asynchronous oocyte development. Additionally, 17% of Vermilion Snapper in the actively spawning phase containing 24 hour POF’s …

The Effect Of Boat Type On Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops Trucatus) Behavior In The Mississippi Sound, Maria Zapetis

Master's Theses

Increases in oceanic shipping are a global phenomenon, and a leading cause of concern for marine animal welfare. While it may be difficult to assess the effect of boat traffic on all species in all contexts, it is vital to report anthropogenic impacts where longitudinal data is available, and doubly so where a dearth of information exists. The purpose of this study is to describe how dolphin behavior changed in the presence of boats in the Mississippi Sound between 2006 and 2012, and more specifically, to detail how different boat types impacted dolphins’ behavioral states. This study is unique in …

Characterization Of Andrenocortical Tissue Morphology, Histology, And Steroid Synthesis Among Finetooth (Carcharhinus Isodon), Blacktip (Carcharhinus Limbatus), Atlantic Sharpnose (Rhizoprionodon Terraenovae), And Bonnethead (Sphyrna Tiburo) Sharks, Danielle Elizabeth Bailey

Master's Theses

Adrenocortical (interrenal) tissue is composed of steroidogenic cells that produce corticosteroids involved in the stress response and hydromineral balance. Previous research characterizing the elasmobranch interrenal suggests that the number of interrenal bodies that produce the single primary corticosteroid, 1a-hydroxycorticosterone (1a-OHB), varies among species. However, potential species-specific differences in the amount of interrenal tissue and major steroid products produced have been understudied. To address this critical gap in our understanding of elasmobranch biology, this study examined interrenal morphology, cell structure, steroidogenic enzyme distribution (3bHSD), and steroid production in four shark species: Finetooth Carcharhinus isodon, Blacktip Carcharhinus limbatus, Atlantic Sharpnose …

Time-Activity And Energy Budgets Of Eared Grebes (Podiceps Nigricollis) At Salton Sea, Samantha San Francisco

Theses

Time-activity budgets have been a widely accepted way of approximating the daily energy expenditure of many species, including waterbirds. For this study, focal animal sampling was used to study Eared Grebes (Podiceps nigricollis) at their post-wintering stopover site, Salton Sea. Daylight time-activity budgets were converted to energy budgets using energy equivalents for diving, preening, swimming, and resting on water developed for Eared Grebes previously by H. I. Ellis (1994). Post-wintering Eared Grebes arrive at Salton Sea in waves at differing times in the spring. As a result, there can be individuals in a variety of physiological states during …

Life History Of The Non-Native Invasive Red Lionfish (Pterois Volitans) In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Alexander Q. Fogg

Master's Theses

Invasive Red Lionfish (Pterois volitans) were first detected in the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGOM) in 2010 and since then their numbers have increased dramatically. From 2010 to 2015, more than 15,000 Red Lionfish were collected opportunistically from the nGOM for this study. Length and weight relationships differed significantly among ecoregions by sex and there was clear sexual dimorphism in size with males being larger and heavier. Red Lionfish age ranged from 0-4.5 years old and males achieved greater growth rate (K) and asymptotic maximum lengths (L_inf) compared to females and these parameters were also different …

Environmental Factors Affecting Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta Caretta) Nesting, Hatching, And Incubation Patterns In Broward County, Florida, Zoey Ellen Best

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Reproductive success in loggerhead (Caretta caretta) sea turtles is strongly dependent on the effective placement and internal conditions of their nests. Embryos rely on optimal incubation conditions for proper development and growth, which determines how many hatchlings will emerge from the nest. The internal microclimate of each nest is delicately balanced and can be easily influenced by external environmental conditions. This study was designed to examine several environmental variables and determine their effects on sea turtle nesting numbers, hatching success, and incubation conditions in Broward County Florida. Over a span of 25 years (1991-2015), the Broward County Sea …

Geospatial Analysis Of Tursiops Truncatus, Common Bottlenose Dolphin, From Noaa Cetacean Stranding Data In Florida To Explore Human Fishery Impacts, Jamie S. Ahn

HCNSO Student Capstones

Cetacean strandings provide valuable biological and geographic information, including various human impacts to vulnerable populations. This study utilizes global information systems (GIS) to conduct geospatial analyses of common bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, strandings impacted by fishery interactions in Florida from 2002 to 2014 along with summary statistics of the types of interaction and gear involved. In addition four human impact factors, average human population, average number of boat licenses, average number of fishing permits, and coastline length, were compared to the stranding densities per county for association and predictability. Four regions of stranding “hotspots” were identified, and all human impact …

Mapping The Spatial-Temporal Variation In Ras Ghanada Seagrass Meadows And Sand Shoals Between 1996, 2006 & 2012, Ryan Brookbank

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Seagrass meadows offshore Ras Ghanada, as elsewhere, are an important component to the ecosystem providing numerous benefits to both aquatic and human life. This work focused on mapping the spatial and temporal distribution of seagrass meadows offshore Ras Ghanada using aerial photography acquired in 1996 and high-resolution satellite images captured in 2006 and 2012. The movements of sand shoals were also tracked, so as to further explain the dynamics of this ecosystem, as it is the area between the shoal crests that hosts the best developed seagrass meadows. The natural limiting factor for seagrass on the Ras Ghanada coastal shelf …

Growth Of Orbicella Faveolata In La Parguera, Puerto Rico, Darren B. Marshall

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Reef-building corals are subject to high amounts of stress, including pollution and rising sea surface temperatures due to climate change. These factors can affect the ability of corals to produce their calcium carbonate skeletons. Evaluation of the effects of climate change may be facilitated by evaluation of records of coral skeletal growth over a long period of time. The aim of this study was to evaluate skeletal growth of the coral Orbicella faveolata in La Parguera, Puerto Rico over a 32-year period. For this, 14 Orbicella faveolata core samples were collected from corals at two reefs (1.2 km apart) in …

Assessing The Rate And Extent Of Transgenerational Acclimation And Adaptation To Ocean Warming, Abby C. Nease

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

A primary goal of climate change research is to determine if species will be able to persist in a warmer environment. Most studies predict climate change will cause many species to become extinct. However, these predictions are based on experiments where only a single life stage or generation of a species was exposed to predicted future conditions (i.e. shock treatments), and thus overlook the possibility of species adapting or acclimatizing to new environmental conditions over multiple generations. As a result, current projections of species persistence through climate change are likely to overestimate species extinction. In this study, the rate and …