Marine Biology Commons^™

Effects Of Environmental And Anthropogenic Factors On Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta Caretta) False Crawl Rates On Jekyll Island, Ga, Brittany Byrd

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) are currently listed as “vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List and are experiencing population declines across many parts of their range. These declines are caused by environmental and anthropogenic stressors which impact sea turtle ecology and behavior, including nesting behavior. One nesting behavior sea turtles exhibit is known as “false crawling,” which is when a female sea turtle ascends the beach in an attempt to nest and either abandons the attempt altogether or while in the middle of digging an egg chamber. False crawling, a largely understudied sea turtle behavior, can not only …

It Takes A Muscle: Wholes, Holes, And Other Voids, Saar Shemesh

Theses and Dissertations

IT TAKES A MUSCLE¹

In the BELLY of the BEAST, the HUMAN

in the deep end of a SWIMMING POOL

in a GRAVE, looking up/out from within

at the base of a CRATER, ABYSS, PIT

the room as a CRADLE, INCUBATOR

architecture as MOTHER MOULD.²

____________________________

¹ Title is borrowed and abbreviated: Spectral Display, “It Takes A Muscle To Fall In Love,” 1982.

² For what American-English delineates as ‘mold,’ British-English uses ‘mould’ and is more specific in its technicality. The former doesn’t distinguish in spelling between mold (fungus) and mold (mould). I’m not particularly a fan of …

Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease And Other Diseases Affect Adults And Recruits Of Major Reef Builders At Different Spatial Scales In The Dominican Republic, Aldo Croquer, Someira Zambrano, Samuel King, Aurelio Reyes, Rita I. Sellares Blasco, Andreina Valdez Trinidad, Maria Villalpando, Yira Rodriguez-Jerez, Estefany Vargas, Camilo Cortes-Useche, Macarena Blanco, Johanna Calle-Triviño, Rebecca García-Camps, Ana C. Hernández-Orquet, Ruben Torres, Iker Irazabal, Laura Díaz, Yassmin Evangelista, Emy Miyazawa

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Monitoring programs can help understand coral disease dynamics. Here, we present results from a national program in the Dominican Republic (DR) aimed at evaluating coral diseases 3 times a year following a nested spatial design. Prevalence of coral diseases in DR varied from sites to regions, suggesting that disease dynamics can be driven by local processes and/or across larger spatial scales. Three diseases were common: Dark Spot (DSD), Yellow Band (YBD) and Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD). DSD and YBD were more prevalent across the western coast (north and south), whereas SCTLD was restricted for the study period to …

Phylogenetic Origins And Age-Based Proportions Of Malacho (Elops Smithi) Relative To Ladyfish (Elops Saurus): Species On The Move In The Western Gulf Of Mexico, Damon Williford, Nicolette S. Beeken, Joel Anderson, Polly Hajovsky, Roberta Weixelman

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Two species of ladyfish occur in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), Elops saurus and Elops smithi, that are morphologically indistinguishable except for vertebral counts but can also be identified by mitochondrial DNA haplotypes. Here we expand on previous work, most of which has occurred in Florida, and examine the demography, phylogenetics, geographic distribution, and age—structure of ladyfishes in Texas estuaries. Fishery—independent gill net data demonstrated that ladyfishes increase in abundance from north to south along the Texas coast. The abundance of ladyfishes also increased in Texas waters from 1982–2021, which coincides with recent trends of warmer winters. Genetic data …

Distribution, Maturity, Age And Growth Of Gray Snapper (Lutjanus Griseus) In The Northwestern Gulf Of Mexico, Joel Anderson, Dusty Mcdonald, Ethan Getz, Roberta Weixelman, Faye Grubbs, Jason Ferguson

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Recent population expansion of Gray Snapper, Lutjanus griseus, in the northern Gulf of Mexico is driving increasing catch in the recreational fishery in Texas. We assessed long—term trends in distribution and abundance of Gray Snapper in Texas using fishery—dependent and fishery—independent data collected by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in the years 1980 — 2019. Boosted regression trees (BRT) were used to evaluate factors (water quality, season, depth, bay and inlet distance) driving Gray Snapper presence in fishery—independent samples of juveniles (seines) and subadults (gill nets) found in estuaries. Estuarine Gray Snapper were subsequently sampled from gill nets, …

Fish And Invertebrate Use Of Restored Vs. Natural Oyster Reefs In A Shallow Temperate Latitude Estuary, Jonathan H. Grabowski, Christopher J. Baillie, Adam Baukus, Rachael Carlyle, F. Joel Fodrie, Rachel K. Gittman, A. Randall Hughes, David L. Kimbro, Juhyung Lee, Hunter S. Lenihan, Sean P. Powers, Kevin Sullivan

University Faculty and Staff Publications

Coastal marine habitats continue to be degraded, thereby compelling largescale restoration in many parts of the world. Whether restored habitats function similarly to natural habitats and fully recover lost ecosystem services is unclear. In estuaries, oyster reefs have been degraded by multiple anthropogenic activities including destructive fishing practices and reduced water quality, motivating restoration to maintain oyster fisheries and other ecosystem services, often at relatively high cost. We compared fish and invertebrate communities on recently restored (0–1 year post-restoration), older restored (3–4 years post-restoration), and natural oyster reefs to determine if and when restored reefs support functionally similar faunal communities. …

Radon (222rn) As Tracer For Submarine Groundwater Discharge Investigation—Limitations Of The Approach At Shallow Wind-Exposed Coastal Settings, Michael Schubert, Jan Scholten, Matthias Kreuzburg, Eric Petermann, Mariele Lopes De Paiva, Dennis Kohler, V. Liebetrau, John Rapaglia, Michael Schlüter

Biology Faculty Publications

Mapping radon (222Rn) distribution patterns in the coastal sea is a widely applied method for localizing and quantifying submarine groundwater discharge (SGD). While the literature reports a wide range of successful case studies, methodical problems that might occur in shallow wind-exposed coastal settings are generally neglected. This paper evaluates causes and effects that resulted in a failure of the radon approach at a distinct shallow wind-exposed location in the Baltic Sea. Based on a simple radon mass balance model, we discuss the effect of both wind speed and wind direction as causal for this failure. We show that at coastal …

A Comparative Test Of Creative Thinking In Preschool Children And Dolphins, Dawn Melzer, Deirdre Yeater, Madison Bradley, Heather M. Hill, Gonzalo Guerra, Kimberly Salazar, Teresa Bolton, Kathleen M. Dudzinski

Psychology Faculty Publications

Creativity is considered one aspect of intelligence. Including creativity allows for more room for expression (e.g., participants can respond with movement instead of written or verbal responses) than in standard intelligence assessments. The Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT; Torrance, 1974) are the leading method of assessing creative abilities in school-aged humans and above. To assess creativity in young humans and nonhuman animals, modifications must be made to facilitate nonverbal responses. In the current study, a cross-species comparison was conducted between preschoolers and bottlenose dolphins to examine responses to a modified creativity task in which both species were trained to …

Variation Of Larval Traits And Copper Tolerance In An Invasive Cryptic Species Complex (Watersipora: Bryozoa), Jason A. Lopiccolo

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Many factors contribute to the potential of a non-indigenous species to invade an area and become established. For bryozoan colonies of the cryptic species complex Watersipora (Neviani, 1896), this may include larval characteristics such as settlement rate, competency of metamorphosis, swimming duration, and the ability to tolerate copper, a common component in marine anti-fouling paints. Two common groups of Watersipora that occur along the California coast are W. subatra Clade A and an undescribed new species, Clade N. The goal of this research work was to discover what differences, if any, exist in the larval traits and copper tolerances of …

A Characterization Of The Sandy Beach Surf Zone Fish Community And Their Ecology In Northern California And The Effects Of Marine Protected Areas, Katie B. Terhaar

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Historically written off as dull and homogenous, the dynamics of the sandy beach surf zone remains under studied world-wide. Northern California has been no exception to this global standard, as the sandy beach surf zone ecosystem in this region has yet to be characterized, and the effect of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) on the fish and macroinvertebrate community fully ascertained.

Considered data-poor by local wildlife officials, commercially, recreationally and culturally important Amphistichus rhodoterus (redtail surfperch) and common Hyperprosopon ellipticum (silver surfperch) utilize the sandy beach surf zone in Northern California. Little is known about the effect of various environmental factors, …

The Atlantic Surfclam Fishery And Offshore Wind Energy Development: 1. Model Development And Verification, Daphne M. Munroe, Eric N. Powell, John M. Klinck, Andrew M. Scheld, Sarah Borsetti, Jennifer Beckensteiner, Eileen E. Hofmann

CCPO Publications

Competing pressures imposed by climate-related warming and offshore development have created a need for quantitative approaches that anticipate fisheries responses to these challenges. This study used a spatially explicit, ecological-economic agent-based model integrating dynamics associated with Atlantic surfclam stock biology, decision-making behavior of fishing vessel captains, and fishing fleet behavior to simulate stock biomass, and fishing vessel catch, effort and landings. Simulations were implemented using contemporary Atlantic surfclam stock distributions and characteristics of the surfclam fishing fleet. Simulated distribution of fishable surfclam biomass was determined by a spatially varying mortality rate, fishing by the fleet was controlled by captain decisions …

The Atlantic Surfclam Fishery And Offshore Wind Energy Development: 2. Assessing Economic Impacts, Andrew M. Scheld, Jennifer Beckensteiner, Daphne M. Munroe, Eric N. Powell, Sarah Borsetti, Eileen E. Hofmann, John M. Klinck

CCPO Publications

The Atlantic surfclam (Spisula solidissima) fishery generates approximately USD 30 million in landings revenues annually, distributed across ports throughout the US Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Overlap between areas of Atlantic surfclam harvests and offshore wind energy leasing make the fishery vulnerable to exclusion and effort displacement as development expands in the region. An existing integrated bioeconomic agent-based model, including spatial dynamics in Atlantic surfclam stock biology, heterogeneous captain behaviour, and federal management processes, was extended to incorporate costs and revenues for fishing vessels and processors and used to evaluate the potential economic effects of offshore wind development on the …

Assessment Of Temperature Optimum Signatures Of Corals At Both Latitudinal Extremes Of The Red Sea, Guilhem Banc-Prandi, Nicolas R. Evensen, Daniel J. Barshis, Gabriela Perna, Youssouf Moussa Omar, Maoz Fine

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Rising ocean temperatures are pushing reef-building corals beyond their temperature optima (T_opt), resulting in reduced physiological performances and increased risk of bleaching. Identifying refugia with thermally resistant corals and understanding their thermal adaptation strategy is therefore urgent to guide conservation actions. The Gulf of Aqaba (GoA, northern Red Sea) is considered a climate refuge, hosting corals that may originate from populations selected for thermal resistance in the warmer waters of the Gulf of Tadjoura (GoT, entrance to the Red Sea and 2000 km south of the GoA). To better understand the thermal adaptation strategy of GoA corals, …

Screening Ocean Samples From Georgia For The Presence Of Msx And Dermo Using Pcr And Qpcr Methods, Olivia Michelle Williams

Honors Theses and Capstones

This Senior Thesis project aimed to be able to screen samples that came in from a PhD student in Georgia for the presence of two oyster diseases, MSX and Dermo. This study was done using PCR followed by visualizing on E-gels for initial presence of disease. These were then followed by qPCR and visualization on Criterion gels. These Criterion gels were able to be analyzed in order to calculate the pg/uL of MSX and Dermo in the original ocean samples. Since the samples were sent in over the course of February-August ‘21 the presence over time was also able to …

Saturating Relationship Between Phytoplankton Growth Rate And Nutrient Concentration Explained By Macromolecular Allocation, Jongsun Kim, Gabrielle Armin, Keisuke Inomura

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Phytoplankton account for about a half of photosynthesis in the world, making them a key player in the ecological and biogeochemical systems. One of the key traits of phytoplankton is their growth rate because it indicates their productivity and affects their competitive capability. The saturating relationship between phytoplankton growth rate and environmental nutrient concentration has been widely observed yet the mechanisms behind the relationship remain elusive. Here we use a mechanistic model and metadata of phytoplankton to show that the saturating relationship between growth rate and nitrate concentration can be interpreted by intracellular macromolecular allocation. At low nitrate levels, the …

An Analysis Of The Spatial Genetic Structure Of A Hybrid Zone Between Two Species Of Killifish, Fundulus Heteroclitus And F. Grandis, Andrew Lee Hardy

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Hybridization offers unique insight into the evolutionary process of speciation and the forces that maintain barriers to reproduction. In northeast Florida, a hybrid zone between two species of killifish, Fundulus heteroclitus and F. grandis, has been identified near Flagler Beach, FL, although the exact boundaries of the hybrid zone remain unknown (Gonzalez et al. 2009). This study aims to determine the fine-scale spatial genetic patterns of the hybrid zone and test the hypothesis that species ranges are influenced by changes in dominant vegetation. Results from an ADMIXTURE analysis and F_ST data indicated the boundary of the area of …

An Antimicrobial Polydopamine Surface Coating To Reduce Biofouling On Telemetry Tags Used In Marine Conservation Practices, Ariana Smies

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Satellite telemetry tags are used to track the migration patterns of large cetaceans. These tags penetrate the dermis and remain embedded in the underlying blubber tissue. As the dermis of cetaceans is host to a diverse microbiome, and it is impossible to clean the skin before implanting the devices, the potential for infection is increased when the tags penetrate through the skin. H₂O₂ is a potential antimicrobial agent that, in addition to showing broad-spectrum efficacy against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, can promote wound healing outcomes by promoting proliferative factors and peptides that protect against oxidative stress. However, …

Tying Policy To System: Does The Ross Sea Region Marine Reserve Protect Transport Pathways Connecting The Life History Of Antarctic Toothfish?, Julian Ashford, Michael Dinniman, Cassandra Brooks, Lian Wei, Guoping Zhu

OES Faculty Publications

A central objective of the Ross Sea region Marine Protected Area (MPA) is to protect areas important to the life cycle of Antarctic toothfish (Dissostichus mawsoni), a top fish predator and by far the region’s most important commercial species. Juvenile toothfish predominate in deep basins along the inner continental shelf, whereas adults are found mostly along the continental slope and spawning areas on the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge. The inner basins connect to the continental slope via glacial troughs and predictable transport along each trough results in exchange with the Antarctic Slope Current as it flows westward. From the slope, …

Bio-Go-Ship: The Time Is Right To Establish Global Repeat Sections Of Ocean Biology, Sophie Clayton, Harriet Alexander, Jason R. Graff, Nicole J. Poulton, Luke R. Thompson, Heather Benway, Emmanuel Boss, Adam Martiny

OES Faculty Publications

In this article, we present Bio-GO-SHIP, a new ocean observing program that will incorporate sustained and consistent global biological ocean observations into the Global Ocean Ship-based Hydrographic Investigations Program (GO-SHIP). The goal of Bio-GO-SHIP is to produce systematic and consistent biological observations during global ocean repeat hydrographic surveys, with a particular focus on the planktonic ecosystem. Ocean plankton are an essential component of the earth climate system, form the base of the oceanic food web and thereby play an important role in influencing food security and contributing to the Blue Economy. Despite its importance, ocean biology is largely under-sampled in …

Imaging Technologies Build Capacity And Accessibility In Phytoplankton Species Identification Expertise For Research And Monitoring: Lessons Learned During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Sophie Clayton, Leah Gibala-Smith, Kathryn Mogatas, Chanel Flores-Vargas, Kayla Marciniak, Maci Wigginton, Margaret R. Mulholland

OES Faculty Publications

As primary producers, phytoplankton play an integral role in global biogeochemical cycles through their production of oxygen and fixation of carbon. They also provide significant ecosystem services, by supporting secondary production and fisheries. Phytoplankton biomass and diversity have been identified by the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) as Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs), properties that need to be monitored to better understand and predict the ocean system. Phytoplankton identification and enumeration relies on the skills and expertise of highly trained taxonomic analysts. The training of new taxonomic analysts is intensive and requires months to years of supervised training before an analyst …