Reproductive Success In Hatchery-Produced Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea Virginica (Gmelin),
2014
Virginia Commonwealth University
Reproductive Success In Hatchery-Produced Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea Virginica (Gmelin), April Piggott
Theses and Dissertations
The eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica Gmelin 1791) has great ecological and economic importance but populations have declined, especially in Chesapeake Bay, to historically low numbers. Hatcheries strive to produce oysters with beneficial characteristics for supplementation and commercial purposes, both natural and stimulated mass spawning. Unequal contribution of parents in mass spawnings potentially can lead to high levels of inbreeding and a loss of beneficial characteristics in offspring. In this study, we determined microsatellite genotypes for parents (n^parents =24, 49, and 77 parents) and progeny (n=96 each) of three hatchery-produced families and used the data for parental assignment. We observed the …
Energetic Demands Of Immature Sea Otters From Birth To Weaning: Implications For Maternal Costs, Reproductive Behavior And Population-Level Trends,
2014
University of San Francisco
Energetic Demands Of Immature Sea Otters From Birth To Weaning: Implications For Maternal Costs, Reproductive Behavior And Population-Level Trends, Nicole Thometz, M. T. Tinker, M. M. Staedler, K. A. Mayer, T. M. Williams
Biology Faculty Publications
Sea otters (Enhydra lutris) have the highest mass-specific metabolic rate of any marine mammal, which is superimposed on the inherently high costs of reproduction and lactation in adult females. These combined energetic demands have been implicated in the poor body condition and increased mortality of female sea otters nearing the end of lactation along the central California coast. However, the cost of lactation is unknown and currently cannot be directly measured for this marine species in the wild. Here, we quantified the energetic demands of immature sea otters across five developmental stages as a means of assessing the …
Sarpa Salpa Herbivory On Shallow Reaches Of Posidonia Oceanica Beds,
2014
Sacred Heart University
Sarpa Salpa Herbivory On Shallow Reaches Of Posidonia Oceanica Beds, Latina Steele, Kelly M. Darnell, Just Cebrián, Jose Luis Sanchez-Lizaso
Biology Faculty Publications
Sarpa salpa herbivory on shallow reaches of Posidonia oceanica beds.— Here, we examined the temporal and small–scale spatial variability of grazing by the herbivorous fish Sarpa salpa on shallow beds of the temperate seagrass Posidonia oceanica. Herbivory intensity expressed as the percent of leaf area taken by fish bites was higher in September 2006 than in February 2007, and at 0.5 m than at 1.5 m during both sampling times. All S. salpa feeding at the shallow locations studied were juveniles, with bite sizes ranging from 0.03 to 0.62 cm2. Juveniles feeding at 1.5 m were larger in February 2007 …
Global Priorities For Marine Biodiversity Conservation,
2014
Old Dominion University
Global Priorities For Marine Biodiversity Conservation, Elizabeth R. Selig, Will R. Turner, Sebastian Troëng, Bryan P. Wallace, Kristin Kaschner, Ben G. Lascelles, Kent E. Carpenter, Russell A. Mittermeier
Biological Sciences Faculty Publications
In recent decades, many marine populations have experienced major declines in abundance, but we still know little about where management interventions may help protect the highest levels of marine biodiversity. We used modeled spatial distribution data for nearly 12,500 species to quantify global patterns of species richness and two measures of endemism. By combining these data with spatial information on cumulative human impacts, we identified priority areas where marine biodiversity is most and least impacted by human activities, both within Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) and Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ). Our analyses highlighted places that are both accepted priorities for …
Can We Predict The Future: Juvenile Finfish And Their Seagrass Nurseries In The Chesapeake Bay,
2014
Old Dominion University
Can We Predict The Future: Juvenile Finfish And Their Seagrass Nurseries In The Chesapeake Bay, Cynthia M. Jones
OES Faculty Publications
The importance of estuarine seagrass beds as nurseries for juvenile fish has become a universal paradigm, especially for estuaries that are as important as the Chesapeake Bay. Yet, scientific tests of this hypothesis were equivocal depending on species, location, and metrics. Moreover, seagrasses themselves are under threat and one-third of seagrasses have disappeared worldwide with 65 of their losses occurring in estuaries. Although there have been extensive studies of seagrasses in the Chesapeake Bay, surprisingly few studies have quantified the relationship between seagrass as nurseries for finfish in the Bay. Of the few studies that have directly evaluated the use …
Degradable Plastics And Their Potential To Affect Solid Waste Systems,
2014
SUNY Stony Brook
Degradable Plastics And Their Potential To Affect Solid Waste Systems, Krista L. Thyberg, David J. Tonjes
Technology & Society Faculty Publications
Plastic waste forms a substantial part of municipal solid waste and has caused environmental concerns, particularly due to chemical contamination of the environment and effects from persistent litter. Plastics also complicate waste management processes, such as by having poor recovery rates through recycling, and causing contamination in composting operations. One potential means to address some of these challenges is through degradable plastics which, unlike conventional plastics, are designed to decompose at an accelerated rate in specific environments. Degradable plastics aim to address the end-of-life of plastic products and are intended to reduce the environmental impacts associated with their use and …
Reproductive Phase Determination In Male Meagre (Argyrosomus Regius, Sciaenidae): Testis Development And Histologic Corroboration Of A Gross Anatomical Scale,
2014
Old Dominion University
Reproductive Phase Determination In Male Meagre (Argyrosomus Regius, Sciaenidae): Testis Development And Histologic Corroboration Of A Gross Anatomical Scale, Nuno Prista, Leonel Gordo, Jose L. Costa, Maria J. Costa, Cynthia M. Jones
OES Faculty Publications
Reproductive stage determination of male gonads has received sparse attention in fish biology literature with few studies detailing the building of gross anatomical-and histologic scales. The meagre (Argyrosomus regius) is one of the world's largest sciaenids and supports a significant regional fishery in European and North African waters whose reproductive patterns are yet to be fully investigated. In the present study, we derive a macroscopic grading system for meagre testis using semi-quantitative graphs that feature the testis variability along the species size range and time of the year. We then describe the histological stages and reproductive phases of …
Lack Of Equivalence In The Elemental And Stable Isotope Chemistry Within The Sagittal Otolith Pair Of The Summer Flounder, Paralichthys Dentatus,
2014
Old Dominion University
Lack Of Equivalence In The Elemental And Stable Isotope Chemistry Within The Sagittal Otolith Pair Of The Summer Flounder, Paralichthys Dentatus, Antranik Kajajian, Jason J. Schaffler, Cynthia M. Jones
OES Faculty Publications
In fish that are not bilaterally symmetrical, the left and right sagittae are often not symmetrical, exhibiting divergent growth patterns and mass, and may have differences in chemical composition. We investigated this in the asymmetrical summer flounder Paralichthys dentatus, collected from different nursery habitats along the US east coast. Significant differences were detected in otolith mass, δ13C, δ18O, Li:Ca, Mg:Ca, and Sr:Ca, and overall chemical signatures. These results refute the hypothesis of left-right equivalence that is prevalent for bilaterally symmetrical fishes. We tested whether a specific side was better suited for classification. The best models …
Phytoplankton And Nutrient Dynamics In A Tidally Dominated Eutrophic Estuary: Daily Variability And Controls On Bloom Formation,
2014
Old Dominion University
Phytoplankton And Nutrient Dynamics In A Tidally Dominated Eutrophic Estuary: Daily Variability And Controls On Bloom Formation, Ryan E. Morse, Margaret R. Mulholland, Todd A. Egerton, Harold G. Marshall
OES Faculty Publications
To better understand nutrient dynamics and factors that promote the initiation of algal blooms, the Lafayette River, a tidal subestuary of Chesapeake Bay that experiences seasonal algal blooms, was sampled daily for a period of 54 d in the fall of 2005. Three phytoplankton blooms (chl a concentrations exceeding twice the average of monthly measurements from 2000 to 2009) occurred during this period: a mixed bloom of Akashiwo sanguinea and Gymnodinium sp., a monospecific Skeletonema costatum bloom, and a monospecific Gymnodinium sp. bloom. Over the sampling period, nutrient concentrations increased following precipitation events and were elevated between bloom periods but …
The Impact Of Sea Surface Temperature On Outbreaks Of Acanthaster Planci On The Great Barrier Reef,
2014
Scripps College
The Impact Of Sea Surface Temperature On Outbreaks Of Acanthaster Planci On The Great Barrier Reef, Laura A. Grossman
Scripps Senior Theses
The causes of increasing outbreaks of Acanthaster planci on the Great Barrier Reef have been a point of hot debate in recent years. It is unknown whether the increased success is due to nutrient runoff, salinity levels, or a decrease in predation, among other possibilities. In this paper I argue that the primary influence on outbreak status is sea surface temperature. From existing literature, I demonstrate that sea surface temperature in the Great Barrier Reef has increased by 0.4°C per year over the past three decades. I attempt to tie this increase with an increase in frequency of A. planci …
Sessile Invertebrate Colonization On Rocky Outcrops At Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary,
2014
Georgia Southern University
Sessile Invertebrate Colonization On Rocky Outcrops At Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, Brittany Poirson
College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations
Documenting patterns of sessile invertebrate community development is important for predicting recovery patterns after disturbance and designing effective marine reserves. In the South Atlantic Bight, invertebrate assemblages can differ significantly from one rocky outcrop to another, but the factors driving these differences are not well understood. I tracked community development for fourteen months at four rocky outcrops at Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary (GRNMS) to address the predictions that (i) developing sessile invertebrate communities in this system do not exhibit a predictable pattern of succession and (ii) recolonization patterns for small patches of open space that become available are influenced …
Sedimentation And Barnacle Recruitment And Growth In A Shallow Coastal Lagoon Of South Texas,
2014
University of Texas at Brownsville
Sedimentation And Barnacle Recruitment And Growth In A Shallow Coastal Lagoon Of South Texas, John Jack Gray
Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, one of this nation’s greatest concerns to the receiving waters of an aquatic system is the impairment of water quality due to sediment transport. Thus, an aquatic system whose receiving waters are subject to unrestrained sediment transport from a spoil bank, which is an unstabilized depository for sediment acquired during a dredge, should be a concern. In this study an attempt was made to assess sedimentation and its effect on the life cycle of sessile aquatic life over a year. South Bay was chosen for the study site because it is adjacent …
Integrating Societal Perspectives And Values For Improved Stewardship Of A Coastal Ecosystem Engineer,
2014
University of South Alabama
Integrating Societal Perspectives And Values For Improved Stewardship Of A Coastal Ecosystem Engineer, Steven B. Scyphers, J. Steven Picou, Robert D. Brumbaugh, Sean P. Powers
University Faculty and Staff Publications
Oyster reefs provide coastal societies with a vast array of ecosystem services, but are also destructively harvested as an economically and culturally important fishery resource, exemplifying a complex social-ecological system (SES). Historically, societal demand for oysters has led to destructive and unsustainable levels of harvest, which coupled with multiple other stressors has placed oyster reefs among the most globally imperiled coastal habitats. However, more recent studies have demonstrated that large-scale restoration is possible and that healthy oyster populations can be sustained with effective governance and stewardship. However, both of these require significant societal support or financial investment. In our study, …
Effect Of Feed Additives On Amino Acid And Dipeptide Transport By Intestines Of American Lobster And Atlantic White Shrimp,
2014
University of North Florida
Effect Of Feed Additives On Amino Acid And Dipeptide Transport By Intestines Of American Lobster And Atlantic White Shrimp, Maria Louise Peterson
UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Previous nutritional physiology research using L-histidine and zinc in American lobster intestine (Homarus americanus) has suggested that these solutes can be co-transported as complexes (Histidine-Zinc-Histidine) across the intestine using a peptide transporter. Furthermore, transport of L-leucine was shown to be inhibited by high calcium concentrations. Dipeptide and bis-complex transport and the role of calcium were investigated in the perfused intestines of lobster and Atlantic white shrimp (Litopenaeus setiferus). Following trans-intestinal transport, serosal medium was analyzed for amino acid composition by gas chromatography. In lobster, the transport of glycylsarcosine (Gly-Sar) from mucosa to serosa was stimulated two-fold …
Functional Characterization Of A Putative Disaccharide Membrane Transporter In Crustacean Intestine,
2014
University of North Florida
Functional Characterization Of A Putative Disaccharide Membrane Transporter In Crustacean Intestine, Rasheda S. Likely
UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations
The mechanisms of transepithelial absorption of dietary sucrose in the American lobster, Homarus americanus, were investigated in this study to determine whether sugars can be transported across an animal gut intact or as monosaccharides following hydrolysis. Lobster intestine was isolated and mounted in a perfusion chamber to characterize the mechanisms of mucosal to serosal (MS) 14C -sucrose transport across the intestine MS fluxes were measured by adding varying concentrations of 14C-sucrose to the perfusate which resulted in a hyperbolic curve following Michaelis-Menten kinetics. The kinetic constants of the proposed sucrose transporter were KM = 15.84 ± 1.81 …
The Social Structure And Mating Strategies Of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) In The St. Johns River,
2014
University of North Florida
The Social Structure And Mating Strategies Of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) In The St. Johns River, Jessica Lea Ermak
UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Across populations, bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.) exhibit a fission-fusion pattern of associations, in which group size and composition change fluidly throughout the day. Beneath this seemingly ephemeral social structure, considerable variation exists across study sites. While females typically have moderate bonds with one another within a large social network, male-male bonds are variable, though males typically take one of two strategies; some males encounter females individually for opportunities to breed while others cooperate within a first-order alliance to collectively herd females. In addition, multi-tiered alliances in which two first-order alliances cooperate to defend or assist in the theft of a …
Kingswood Lake Management Plan,
2014
University of New Hampshire - Main Campus
Kingswood Lake Management Plan, Sarah Martina Tierney
Honors Theses and Capstones
High water quality and natural buffers exist on Kingswood Lake located in Brookfield, New Hampshire. A comprehensive lakes inventory (CSI) was recorded and health of the land, wildlife, and waterways were observed. Educational outreach was taken to inform the local community and to instruct them on proper stewardship of the land. A completed watershed management plan was constructed including key recommendation of limiting nitrogen loading in the area, checking septic systems for leaching, stabilizing shoreline from erosion, and establishing man-made rain gardens to help preserve water quality. The Kingswood watershed management plan acts as a guide for the town of …
ประชาคมฮาร์แพกทิคอยด์โคพีพอดบริเวณป่าชายเลนชุมชนบ้านทุ่งตะเซะ จังหวัดตรัง,
2014
คณะวิทยาศาสตร์
ประชาคมฮาร์แพกทิคอยด์โคพีพอดบริเวณป่าชายเลนชุมชนบ้านทุ่งตะเซะ จังหวัดตรัง, ปัทมาภรณ์ ชัยมัง
Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)
การศึกษาประชาคมฮาร์แพกทิคอยด์โคพีพอดบริเวณป่าชายเลนชุมชนบ้านทุ่งตะเซะ จังหวัดตรัง ซึ่งเป็นพื้นที่ป่าชายเลนที่อุดมสมบูรณ์แบ่งพื้นที่ศึกษาออกเป็น 7 สถานี มี 3 พื้นที่หลัก คือ พื้นที่ป่าชายเลนด้านในที่ติดแผ่นดินและบริเวณคลองด้านใน พื้นที่ป่าชายเลนด้านนอกที่ติดทะเลในบริเวณคลองเกาะเคี่ยม และบริเวณเกาะกลางที่อยู่ตรงข้ามศูนย์อนุรักษ์หอยปะของชุมชน ทำการเก็บตัวอย่าง 4 ครั้งคือ ช่วงก่อนการปลูกป่าซึ่งเป็นการปลูกเสริมและฟื้นฟูในเดือนตุลาคม 2553 (ฤดูฝน) หลังจากปลูกป่า 6 เดือนในเดือนเมษายน 2554 (ฤดูแล้ง) หลังจากปลูกป่า 1 ปี 6 เดือนในเดือนเมษายน 2555 (ฤดูแล้ง) และหลังจากปลูกป่า 2 ปี 6 เดือนในเดือนพฤษภาคม 2556 (ฤดูแล้ง) พบสัตว์ทะเลหน้าดินเล็กทั้งหมด พบทั้งสิ้น 12 ไฟลัม แบ่งออกเป็น 29 กลุ่ม สัตว์ทะเลหน้าดินขนาดเล็กที่พบเป็นกลุ่มเด่นคือ Nematodes, Foraminiferans และ Harpacticoid copepods ความหนาแน่นของสัตว์ทะเล หน้าดินขนาดเล็กในบริเวณป่าชายเลนตอนในและตอนนอกของป่าชายเลนชุมชนบ้านทุ่งตะเซะ จังหวัดตรัง ทั้งในช่วงก่อนและหลังปลูกป่า 2 ปี 6 เดือน มีค่าอยู่ในเกณฑ์สูง ซึ่งมีความหนาแน่นสูงกว่า 500 ตัวต่อ 10 ตารางเซนติเมตร แสดงว่าบริเวณนี้เป็นป่าที่มีความอุดมสมบูรณ์ และพบว่าความหนาแน่น มีค่าสูงขึ้นภายหลังจากการปลูกป่า ฮาร์แพกทิคอยด์โคพีพอดในบริเวณป่าชายเลนชุมชนบ้านทุ่งตะเซะ จังหวัดตรังพบทั้งสิ้น 8 วงศ์ ได้แก่ Cletodidae, Darcythompsoniidae, Ectinosomatidae, Harpacticidae, Metidae, Miraciidae, Thalestridae และ Tisbidae โดยพบวงศ์ Cletodidae เป็นกลุ่มเด่น ความหนาแน่นของฮาร์แพกทิคอยด์โคพีพอดบริเวณป่าชายเลนตอนในมีค่าอยู่ในช่วง 9-185 ตัวต่อ 10 ตารางเซนติเมตร ส่วนป่าชายเลนตอนนอกมีความหนาแน่นอยู่ในช่วง 22-169 ตัวต่อ 10 ตารางเซนติเมตร หลังจากปลูกป่าพบว่าความหนาแน่นมีค่าสูงขึ้นเกือบทุกบริเวณที่ทำการศึกษา ยกเว้นบริเวณป่าชายเลนตอนในในสถานีป่าไม้ตะบูนที่ความหนาแน่นช่วงก่อนและหลังปลูกป่ามีค่าใกล้เคียงกัน การศึกษาการกินอาหารของฮาร์แพกทิคอยด์โคพีพอดบริเวณป่าชายเลนชุมชนบ้านทุ่งตะเซะ สามารถจัดกลุ่มการกินอาหารของฮาร์แพกทิคอยด์โคพีพอดได้ทั้งสิ้น 5 กลุ่ม …
Shellfish Tissue Monitoring In Piscataqua Region Estuaries 2013,
2013
New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services
Shellfish Tissue Monitoring In Piscataqua Region Estuaries 2013, Matthew A. Wood, Philip R. Trowbridge
PREP Reports & Publications
Originally conducted by the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment from 1993 to 2011, the Gulfwatch Program examined trends in the water quality of the Gulf of Maine by monitoring toxic contaminant concentrations in the tissues of shellfish. Starting in 2012 the Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership (PREP) continued this program in the Piscataqua Region. Each year, PREP collects blue mussels at three sites: Dover Point, NH (NHDP), Clark Cove on Seavey Island, ME (MECC), and Hampton-Seabrook Harbor (NHHS). The mussel tissue is analyzed to determine the concentrations of toxic contaminantss including heavy metals, chlorinated pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), …
Assessing The Responses Of Adult, Juvenile, And Larval Fish Assemblages To The Closure Of The Mississippi River Gulf Outlet, An Artificial Tidal Pass In Southeastern Louisiana,
2013
LSU New Orleans
Assessing The Responses Of Adult, Juvenile, And Larval Fish Assemblages To The Closure Of The Mississippi River Gulf Outlet, An Artificial Tidal Pass In Southeastern Louisiana, Rebecca Weatherall Cope
LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations
The creation of the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO) in 1963 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) represents one of the most catastrophic, anthropogenic stressors ever to impact the Lake Pontchartrain estuary in southeastern Louisiana, USA. The artificial tidal pass provided a direct route from the Gulf of Mexico to New Orleans. It allowed for high saline waters to enter Lake Pontchartrain, resulting in detrimental changes to the biotic community of the Lake and surrounding wetland areas. In July 2009, the USACE closed the MRGO in hopes of restoring natural ecosystems. This study assesses changes in the adult, …
