Bioavailability Of Dissolved Organic Matter In The North Inlet Estuary,
2016
University of South Carolina - Columbia
Bioavailability Of Dissolved Organic Matter In The North Inlet Estuary, Andrew Mason Gaines Banks
Senior Theses
Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is an important source of carbon and energy for microbial food webs in estuaries. The export of DOM from estuaries to the coastal ocean influences shelf productivity and biogeochemical cycles. Chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) is an important component of the DOM pool that absorbs light, and is photoreactive. There are various optical properties of CDOM that can be used to indicate the sources of DOM, such as whether or not it is derived from terrestrial or marine environments. In this study, the sources and bioavailability of DOM were characterized in the North Inlet estuary near …
Comparative Use Of A Caribbean Mesophotic Coral Ecosystem And Association With Fish Spawning Aggregations By Three Species Of Shark,
2016
Nova Southeastern University
Comparative Use Of A Caribbean Mesophotic Coral Ecosystem And Association With Fish Spawning Aggregations By Three Species Of Shark, Alexandra E. Pickard, Jeremy Vaudo, Bradley M. Wetherbee, Richard S. Nemeth, Jeremiah Blondeau, Elizabeth Kadison, Mahmood S. Shivji
Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles
Understanding of species interactions within mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs; ~ 30–150 m) lags well behind that for shallow coral reefs. MCEs are often sites of fish spawning aggregations (FSAs) for a variety of species, including many groupers. Such reproductive fish aggregations represent temporal concentrations of potential prey that may be drivers of habitat use by predatory species, including sharks. We investigated movements of three species of sharks within a MCE and in relation to FSAs located on the shelf edge south of St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands. Movements of 17 tiger (Galeocerdo cuvier), seven lemon (Negaprion …
Brain Morphology Of Madtom Catfishes (Noturus) Reflects Their Ecology,
2016
Morehead State University
Brain Morphology Of Madtom Catfishes (Noturus) Reflects Their Ecology, Autumn Goble, David J. Eisenhour
Celebration of Student Scholarship Poster Sessions Archive
No abstract provided.
Summer 2015 Gis Analyst Internship At The Connecticut Department Of Energy & Environmental Protection, Old Lyme, Connecticut,
2016
Clark University
Summer 2015 Gis Analyst Internship At The Connecticut Department Of Energy & Environmental Protection, Old Lyme, Connecticut, Stuart R. Deland
Sustainability and Social Justice
I worked as the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Internee for the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (CT DEEP) from May 18, 2015 through August 14th of the same year. I was stationed at the Old Lyme Field office and worked under the direct supervision of Deb Pacileo, my boss and GIS analyst for CT DEEP. My function in the agency was similar to my supervisor's as I had no single project that dominated my time, but was given a multitude of projects to create, edit, oversee, and produce. Some of these project included editing python scripts of former …
A Comparative Study Of Isolation In Headwater Fishes,
2016
University of Southern Mississippi
A Comparative Study Of Isolation In Headwater Fishes, Bjorn Victor Schmidt
Dissertations
Headwater resident fishes may be prone to a high rate of population fragmentation within river networks because large streams have habitat conditions outside of their preferred ecological niche and may limit gene flow in the dendritic ecological network. To investigate patterns of population structure, asymmetrical gene flow, and influences on genetic distance and isolation from connecting habitat pathways, species specific ecological traits, and basin scale characteristics, a multi-species, multi-regional study was performed. Six headwater species of fish from four taxonomic groupings were sampled for genetic material in three regions of paired neighbor drainages and then genotyped for eight microsatellite loci. …
Examining The Effectiveness Of Coral Restoration Nurseries,
2016
University of Rhode Island
Examining The Effectiveness Of Coral Restoration Nurseries, Grace Hanson
Senior Honors Projects
Numerous ecosystems throughout the world are declining and facing conservation challenges. A variety of techniques have been developed in response with active restoration being one of them. Active restoration usually involves planting vegetation in order to restore the area to its previous state. It has been used in multiple ecosystems including seagrasses, forests, and salt marshes. Coral reefs have experienced severe declines worldwide and active restoration has been utilized to help combat their decline. It is generally done by collecting healthy fragments of coral and either transplanting them directly to a declining reef or placing them on a nursery allowing …
Potential And Timescales For Oxygen Depletion In Coastal Upwelling Systems: A Box-Model Analysis,
2016
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Potential And Timescales For Oxygen Depletion In Coastal Upwelling Systems: A Box-Model Analysis, Cheryl S. Harrison, B. Hales, S. Siedlecki, R. M. Samelson
School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications
A simple box model is used to examine oxygen depletion in an idealized ocean-margin upwelling system. Near-bottom oxygen depletion is controlled by a competition between flushing with oxygenated offshore source waters and respiration of particulate organic matter produced near the surface and retained near the bottom. Upwelling-supplied nutrients are consumed in the surface box, and some surface particles sink to the bottom where they respire, consuming oxygen. Steady states characterize the potential for hypoxic near-bottom oxygen depletion; this potential is greatest for faster sinking rates, and largely independent of production timescales except in that faster production allows faster sinking. Timescales …
Dynamic Simulation And Numerical Analysis Of Hurricane Storm Surge Under Sea Level Rise With Geomorphologic Changes Along The Northern Gulf Of Mexico,
2016
University of South Carolina
Dynamic Simulation And Numerical Analysis Of Hurricane Storm Surge Under Sea Level Rise With Geomorphologic Changes Along The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Matthew V. Bilskie, S. C. Hagen, Karim Alizad, S. C. Medeiros, D. L. Passeri, H. F. Needham, A. Cox
Faculty Publications
This work outlines a dynamic modeling framework to examine the effects of global climate change, and sea level rise (SLR) in particular, on tropical cyclone-driven storm surge inundation. The methodology, applied across the northern Gulf of Mexico, adapts a present day large-domain, high resolution, tide, wind-wave, and hurricane storm surge model to characterize the potential outlook of the coastal landscape under four SLR scenarios for the year 2100. The modifications include shoreline and barrier island morphology, marsh migration, and land use land cover change. Hydrodynamics of 10 historic hurricanes were simulated through each of the five model configurations (present day …
Retention Effects Of An Experiential Pedagogical Approach,
2016
University of Rhode Island
Retention Effects Of An Experiential Pedagogical Approach, Kelsea E. Adams
Senior Honors Projects
The quality and nature of delivery of education, especially at the K12 level is a major focus of the education reform movement. As an aspiring teacher, I am interested in developing a personal understanding of the efficacy of different modes of delivery. A large body of studies has examined the differences between experiential learning versus traditional classroom learning as well as effects on student retention. Traditional classroom learning involves literary texts, PowerPoint presentations and teacher-centered learning. In contrast, experiential learning is a hands-on, real world experience that provides students with an environment to expand their critical thinking skills and apply …
Turning Performance In Squid And Cuttlefish: Unique Dual-Mode, Muscular Hydrostatic Systems,
2016
Old Dominion University
Turning Performance In Squid And Cuttlefish: Unique Dual-Mode, Muscular Hydrostatic Systems, Rachel A. Jastrebsky, Ian K. Bartol, Paul S. Krueger
Biological Sciences Faculty Publications
Although steady swimming has received considerable attention in prior studies, unsteady swimming movements represent a larger portion of many aquatic animals' locomotive repertoire and have not been examined extensively. Squids and cuttlefishes are cephalopods with unique muscular hydrostat-driven, dual-mode propulsive systems involving paired fins and a pulsed jet. These animals exhibit a wide range of swimming behavior, but turning performance has not been examined quantitatively. Brief squid, Lolliguncula brevis, and dwarf cuttlefish, Sepia bandensis, were filmed during turns using high-speed cameras. Kinematic features were tracked, including the length-specific radius of the turn (R/L), a measure of maneuverability, and …
Chesapeake Aquaculture,
2016
Andrews University
Age, Growth, Reproduction, And Diet Of The Finetooth Shark, Carcharhinus Isodon, In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico,
2016
University of Southern Mississippi
Age, Growth, Reproduction, And Diet Of The Finetooth Shark, Carcharhinus Isodon, In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Jeremy Michael Higgs
Master's Theses
The current study examined life history parameters of the finetooth shark, Carcharhinus isodon, in the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGOM) to provide an accurate description of the species’ reproductive biology, age, growth and diet composition. A total of 1,489 finetooth sharks (830 female; 659 male) were collected from coastal waters of the nGOM between Apalachicola Bay, Florida (29.873° N and 84.514° W) and East Bay, Louisiana (28.959° N and 89.279° W) from June 2006 through October 2013. Peak reproductive development occurred during May/June for both males and females, which was followed by mating and an 11-12 month gestation period. …
Opsin Repertoire And Expression Patterns In Horseshoe Crabs: Evidence From The Genome Of Limulus Polyphemus (Arthropoda: Chelicerata),
2016
Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, Departments of Neuroscience and Biology, University of Florida
Opsin Repertoire And Expression Patterns In Horseshoe Crabs: Evidence From The Genome Of Limulus Polyphemus (Arthropoda: Chelicerata), Barbara-Anne Battelle, Joseph F. Ryan, Karen E. Kempler, Spencer R. Saraf, Catherine E. Marten, Wesley C. Warren, Patrick J. Minx, Michael J. Montague, Pamela J. Green, Skye A. Schmidt, Lucinda Fulton, Nipam H. Patel, Meredith E. Protas, Richard K. Wilson, Megan L. Porter
Collected Faculty Scholarship
Horseshoe crabs are xiphosuran chelicerates, the sister groupto arachnids. As such, they are important for understandingthemost recent common ancestor of Euchelicerata and the evolution and diversification of Arthropoda. Limulus polyphemus is the most investigated of the four extant species of horseshoe crabs, and the structure and function of its visual system have long been a major focus of studies critical for understanding the evolution of visual systems in arthropods. Likewise, studies of genes encoding Limulus opsins, the protein component of the visual pigments, are critical for understanding opsin evolution and diversification among chelicerates, where knowledge of opsins is limited, and …
Systematic Patterning Of Sediments In French Polynesian Coral Reef Systems,
2016
Nova Southeastern University
Systematic Patterning Of Sediments In French Polynesian Coral Reef Systems, Andrew Calhoun
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
Through a discipline termed “comparative sedimentology”, modern carbonate depositional environments have been used extensively as analogs to aid in the interpretation of equivalent fossil systems. Using field samples, GIS and remote sensing data for three isolated carbonate platforms in the Pacific, this thesis seeks to examine relationships between grain texture and grain type and their environment of deposition. The motivation is to highlight relationships that have the potential to better understand facies relations on carbonate platforms, and thereby reduce uncertainty and increase accuracy of subsurface exploration. The results of this study show that on Raivavae, Tubuai, and Bora Bora: French …
Assessment Of Recent Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea Virginica) Reef Restoration Projects In The Great Bay Estuary, New Hampshire: Planning For The Future,
2016
University of New Hampshire
Assessment Of Recent Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea Virginica) Reef Restoration Projects In The Great Bay Estuary, New Hampshire: Planning For The Future, Raymond E. Grizzle, Krystin M. Ward
PREP Reports & Publications
Current oyster populations in New Hampshire total less than 10% of what they were in the 1980s, and the causal factors for the declines include disease, sedimentation, and human harvest. The two major results from a population ecology perspective have been dramatic losses of oyster shell (the major substrate on which oyster larvae typically settle) as well as juvenile annual recruitment to the remaining reefs. Experimental scale oyster restoration projects addressing these two limitations (substrate and natural recruitment) were initiated in the state in the early 2000s by scientists at the University of New Hampshire (UNH). Since the mid-2000s, the …
Acoustic Repertoire Of Sperm Whale (Physeter Macrocephalus) Bachelor Groups In The Waters Surrounding Ischia, Italy (Tyrrhenian Sea),
2016
Nova Southeastern University
Acoustic Repertoire Of Sperm Whale (Physeter Macrocephalus) Bachelor Groups In The Waters Surrounding Ischia, Italy (Tyrrhenian Sea), Cristina M. Ledon
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
The subpopulation of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) in the Mediterranean Sea is presently list as “Endangered”. This study is an attempt to provide detailed data on sperm whale Bachelor Groups surrounding Ischia, Italy in the Tyrrhenian Sea (Mediterranean Sea). 24 hours, 38 minutes, and 38 seconds of sperm whale Bachelor Group acoustic data was analyzed in order to describe acoustic repertoire, classify behavioral associations to acoustic types, and identify habitat-use. The data showed that the acoustic repertoire of sperm whale Bachelor Groups is dominated by Usual Clicks. Additionally, a click type that maintains an inter-click interval (ICI) in …
Geographic And Depth Distributions Of Decapod Shrimps (Caridea: Oplophoridae) From The Northeastern Gulf Of Mexico With Notes On Ontogeny And Reproductive Seasonality,
2016
Nova Southeastern University
Geographic And Depth Distributions Of Decapod Shrimps (Caridea: Oplophoridae) From The Northeastern Gulf Of Mexico With Notes On Ontogeny And Reproductive Seasonality, Eric A. Burdett
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
This thesis presents the first description of the geographic and depth distributions of pelagic decapod shrimps in the area located around the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, based on the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) NRDA (National Resource Damage Assessment) trawl samples collected from April – June, 2011. This information is important in ecosystem models investigating trophic effects of the spill because pelagic decapod shrimp are consumed by a variety of organisms occupying higher trophic levels. One of the most abundant and diverse groups of decapods is the Family Oplophoridae. Their roles in pelagic food webs in the Gulf of …
Bacteriophages That Can Lyse Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria,
2016
Western Michigan University
Bacteriophages That Can Lyse Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria, Michael Monaco
Honors Theses
A Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteriophage was isolated from waste water and purified over multiple rounds of plaque removals and serial titrations. This bacteriophage was imaged in a transmission electron microscope and then tested with selected antibiotics for effectiveness in reducing optical density of K. pneumoniae colonies. The phage was shown to have an increased effectiveness in reducing the optical density when used together with an antibiotic that the bacteria was susceptible to.
Effects Of Sedimentation On The Physiology And Oxidative Stress Of Two Common Scleractinian Corals,
2016
Nova Southeastern University
Effects Of Sedimentation On The Physiology And Oxidative Stress Of Two Common Scleractinian Corals, Margaret E. Rushmore
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
This study examined the effect of a growing environmental stressor, sedimentation, on the physiology and oxidative stress throughout the different life stages of two common scleractinian corals Montastraea cavernosa and Porites astreoides. Physiology, oxidative stress, and settlement success of newly released P. astreoides larvae were measured after exposure to various turbidity treatments. No significant effects were seen on larval settlement and photosynthetic efficiency, however carbonyl content and catalase activity were significantly higher in 2015 compared to 2014; highlighting a possible inter-annual variability in susceptibility. Larval settlement deterrence in the presence of a layer of accumulated fine- or coarse-grained sediment …
"Patterns In The Abundance Of Benthic Algae In Streams",
2016
Western Michigan University
"Patterns In The Abundance Of Benthic Algae In Streams", Courtney Wright
Honors Theses
Benthic, microscopic algae are the main drivers of primary productivity in streams. The relationship between the abundance and productivity of benthic algae in streams and lakes and the availability of limiting nutrients, especially soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), has been extensively studied (reviewed in Allan and Castillo 2007, Larned 2010). However, nearly all of this research has been conducted on the periphyton assemblage found on hard substrates (e.g., stones, wood), while very little work has addressed the factors affecting the abundance of epipelic algae (i.e., the algae associated with depositional (soft) sediments such as sands and silts). One of the few …
