Suspended Sediment And Particulate Matter Transport In Mississippi Sound And Bight Assessed With Physical Modeling, Remote Sensing And In Situ Measurements,
2019
University of Southern Mississippi
Suspended Sediment And Particulate Matter Transport In Mississippi Sound And Bight Assessed With Physical Modeling, Remote Sensing And In Situ Measurements, Stephan O'Brien
Dissertations
Tidal passes between Mississippi Sound (MS Sound) and Mississippi Bight (MS Bight) act as a transport pathway for the exchange of estuarine discharge and suspended particulate matter. A better understanding of sediment and particulate matter exchange can provide insights into turbidity, nutrient supply and aquatic ecosystem health for the region. This work examined the effects of different forcing factors (e.g. wind and tides) on the advection of suspended sediments and particulate matter in the study area. Fieldwork included particle size distribution, Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) and conductivity-temperature-depth measurements in the MS Sound and MS Bight from summer 2015 through …
The Effect Of Environmental Muck Dredging On Abundance And Community Richness Of Benthic Amphipods In The Indian River Lagoon,
2019
Florida Institute of Technology
The Effect Of Environmental Muck Dredging On Abundance And Community Richness Of Benthic Amphipods In The Indian River Lagoon, Nayan Mallick
Theses and Dissertations
Anthropogenic eutrophication has polluted and degraded estuarine ecosystems throughout the world. The Indian River Lagoon (IRL), a diverse North American estuary, has accumulated an abundance of Fine-Grained Organic-Rich Sediments (FGORS or “muck”) due to eutrophication. Muck creates stressful, sometimes uninhabitable conditions for benthic flora and fauna, with far-reaching ancillary ecosystem impacts. In an attempt to ameliorate negative ecosystem impacts, muck deposits in Turkey Creek were dredged by Brevard County Natural Resources (Florida). One month after the dredging, mean abundance of amphipods rose to 110±90 individuals m-2 from 0±0 individuals m-2 in the dredged muck sites. Four amphipod species colonized muck …
Ecological Responses To Eutrophication And Restoration In A Shallow Subtropical Estuary,
2019
Florida Institute of Technology
Ecological Responses To Eutrophication And Restoration In A Shallow Subtropical Estuary, Xiao Ma
Theses and Dissertations
Like many other estuaries in the world, the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) is experiencing serious environmental health challenges in recent years. Ecosystem challenges include the connected phenomena of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) due to eutrophication and accumulation of fine-grained organic-rich sediments on the benthos. Fine-grained organic-rich sediments, referred to as “muck”, is a source of nutrients and fuels algal blooms in the water column, and excess particles associated with algal blooms sink to bottom and contribute to muck. This dissertation aims to better understand these problems by addressing two main objectives: first, to determine whether key herbivorous mesozooplankton have the …
Induced Magnetic Dipole On Jupiter’S Moon Europa,
2019
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Induced Magnetic Dipole On Jupiter’S Moon Europa, Luke Francis, Michele Zanolin
Student Works
Physics can have some of the most unique and extraordinary applications of basic principles applied on a larger scale. This paper will explore the properties of induced magnetic dipoles and will examine this phenomenon directly from Jupiter's moon, Europa. These properties will be used to determine if there is liquid water beneath its icy surface and how this conclusion was verified. This will be accomplished using the concepts of magnetic dipoles and induced currents. Recent missions have also revealed estimates of the depth of Europa's subsurface ocean. There have been many measurements taken of Europa's magnetic field, and they are …
Studies Of The Long-Term Change Of Global Mean And Regional Sea Surface Height,
2019
University of South Florida
Studies Of The Long-Term Change Of Global Mean And Regional Sea Surface Height, Yingli Zhu
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Sea level change could have profound impacts on our society. We report here on three related sea level change problems. First, a variety of regression models have predicted different rates for global mean sea level rise over the past century. Some of these models are accelerating and others are not. We ask whether we can distinguish between these using a new nonparametric noise model that we have developed. Simulations show that we can, and further imply that GMSL is rising at an accelerating rate. Second, historical global mean sea level is reconstructed from tide gauges that are located along coastlines …
Monitoring Lesser Known Harmful Algal Blooms On The Oregon Coast,
2019
Portland State University
Monitoring Lesser Known Harmful Algal Blooms On The Oregon Coast, Taylor Dodrill, Tawnya D. Peterson, Matthew Hunter, Micah Rogers
OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Annual Conference
Ocean warming has expanded the niche of harmful algal blooms (HABs), including HABs previously believed to pose little risk of shellfish contamination in the Pacific Northwest. Monitoring efforts in Washington and California have demonstrated that Dinophysis spp. is a HAB of emerging concern and has been linked to diarrhetic shellfish poisoning events. However, quantitative monitoring for Dinophysis spp. on the Oregon Coast has been limited. This analysis provides a preliminary characterization of risk that Dinophysis spp. poses to shellfish consumers in Oregon. Furthermore, we assess the predator-prey interaction between Dinophysis spp. and its prey, Mesodinium rubrum, to determine whether …
We Are All Alive: Understanding Connections Between People And Coral Reefs In Samoa,
2019
SIT Study Abroad
We Are All Alive: Understanding Connections Between People And Coral Reefs In Samoa, Kalamakaleimahoehoe Porter
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
This work seeks to incorporate ecological research methods, socioeconomic data analysis, and local story collection into one understanding of coral reefs on the island of Upolu in Samoa. Data collection utilized transects and timed dives to assess four reef health indicators, and socio-economic indicators were sourced from the Samoa Bureau of Statistics. Interviews were also conducted to gain Samoan perspectives on the importance of coral reefs. Findings include patterns between the socioeconomic factors of population demographics, unemployment rates, education, and improved water, waste, and sanitation facilities and the environmental indicators of prevalence of plastic, percentage cover of living coral, parrotfish …
Impacts Of Anthropogenic Waste On Tasmanian Pacific Gull (Larus Pacificus) Diet,
2019
SIT Study Abroad
Impacts Of Anthropogenic Waste On Tasmanian Pacific Gull (Larus Pacificus) Diet, Anne Bartlett
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Plastic pollution is one of the foremost environmental issues that the world is currently experiencing. The effects of plastic pollution are great and range from leaching of hazardous chemicals into the environment to ingestion of plastic waste by wildlife, including seabirds. Due to the high rates of plastic consumption by seabirds, many recent studies have been performed to determine the biological impacts of plastic consumption on various seabird species. The Pacific Gull (Larus pacificus) is the world’s largest sea gull and the only gull endemic to Australia, yet very limited information exists on this species. This study examines the impacts …
Rates Of Relative Sea Level Rise Along The United States East Coast,
2019
Longwood University
Rates Of Relative Sea Level Rise Along The United States East Coast, Jesse N. Beckman, Joseph E. Garcia
Virginia Journal of Science
Recent studies have indicated that some coastal areas, including the East Coast of the United States, are experiencing higher rates of sea level rise than the global average. Rates of relative sea level rise are affected by changes in ocean dynamics, as well as by surface elevation fluctuations due to local land subsidence or uplift. In this study, we derived long-term trends in annual mean relative sea level using tide gauge data obtained from the Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level for stations along the United States East Coast. Stations were grouped by location into the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast …
Daily And Seasonal Variability Of Offshore Wind Power On The Central California Coast And Statewide Demand,
2019
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Daily And Seasonal Variability Of Offshore Wind Power On The Central California Coast And Statewide Demand, Matthew Douglas Kehrli
Physics
No abstract provided.
Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen Dynamics In Swash Zone Sands Of Long Bay, Sc,
2019
Coastal Carolina University
Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen Dynamics In Swash Zone Sands Of Long Bay, Sc, Alexis F. Echols
Honors Theses
A key component affecting the biogeochemistry of the sedimentary environment is pore water between grains of sediments. Sedimentary microorganisms are constantly modifying chemical compounds as part of their life functions which are then exchanged between the sediment column and the overlying water column. Dissolved inorganic nitrogen, a major element for life, takes on several forms including nitrate, nitrite, and ammonium which vary in concentration throughout the sediment and with respect to each other. The relative concentrations of these nitrogen species have been previously briefly explored in sandy columns, where redox gradients that control their relative concentrations can be fairly deep …
Character And Water Quality Of Sandpiper Pond: A Coastal Pond Assessment, Fifteen Years After Restoration,
2019
Coastal Carolina University
Character And Water Quality Of Sandpiper Pond: A Coastal Pond Assessment, Fifteen Years After Restoration, Nicholas E. Workman
Honors Theses
Sandpiper Pond is a coastal pond at Huntington Beach State Park, South Carolina. Originally a tidal inlet surrounded by marshland, it was isolated in 1989 and rechanneled in 2004-2005 under a community-based wetland restoration project. The project was designed to restore the pond to a tidal inlet to improve water quality and biodiversity. Since then, the tidal connection with the ocean has been severed once more and the main influx of seawater occurs from the marsh during spring high tides. In this three-month study, the current state of Sandpiper Pond is evaluated using fundamental biogeochemical indicators that are indicative of …
Spatiotemporal Variation Of Benthic Silica Fluxes In The Ngom Shelf,
2019
Louisiana State University
Spatiotemporal Variation Of Benthic Silica Fluxes In The Ngom Shelf, Byron Ebner
LSU Master's Theses
Dissolved silica (DSi), plays an important role in regulating primary productivity of silicifying organisms, such as diatoms which precipitate hard parts composed of biogenic silica (bSi) in coastal and shelf ecosystems fed by major rivers. In the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM), loading of nitrogen and phosphorous have increased compared to a decline in DSi in the Mississippi River. Continued decreasing in DSi loading could lead to limited diatom growth and production or shifts in community composition, therefore, it is important understand the role of benthic fluxes in providing silica to the overlying water column as there are few regional …
The House Of The Fish: Collaborative Coral Reef Awareness Project On Nosy Be,
2019
SIT Study Abroad
The House Of The Fish: Collaborative Coral Reef Awareness Project On Nosy Be, Meghan Hurley
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
The purpose of this project was to initiate a place-based coral reef education project, with the ultimate goal of improved localized conservation efforts in the face of growing global threats. Three principal groups that interact with coral reefs on Nosy Be were interviewed: fishers, tourist guides, and conservationists. Research was conducted on the biology of coral reefs, and on the most prominent threats facing coral reefs in the Indian Ocean and around Nosy Be. Information and direct quotes from interviews, and the results of research, were incorporated into a photographic journal entitled "In the House of the Fish" or "An-tragno …
An Assessment Of Coral Bleaching Near Misali Island, Tanzania,
2019
SIT Study Abroad
An Assessment Of Coral Bleaching Near Misali Island, Tanzania, Danielle Kulick
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Coral bleaching and reef health were studied in fringing reefs around Misali Island, Tanzania. Over a 28-day period, 1,329 coral colonies were surveyed along 31 transects. For each colony, data was collected on growth form and bleaching severity. No significant differences in bleaching frequency or intensity were observed between the resource extraction and non-extraction zones protected under the Pemba Channel Marine Conservation Area (PECCA). Bleaching was observed to be extensive across all coral growth forms and was found to collectively increase over the study period in frequency and intensity. This study indicates the vulnerability of Misali coral reefs to bleaching …
Beach Composition Preferences For Nesting Populations Of Leatherback Sea Turtles (Dermochelys Coriacea), Armila Beach, Guna Yala Comarca,
2019
SIT Study Abroad
Beach Composition Preferences For Nesting Populations Of Leatherback Sea Turtles (Dermochelys Coriacea), Armila Beach, Guna Yala Comarca, Scott Campbell
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Sea turtles play a critical role in marine ecosystems all over the world, including the Caribbean Sea. However, many sea turtle species are under threat due to anthropogenic impacts, such as habitat destruction and fisheries bycatch. This has caused significant declines in sea turtle populations around the world, which in turn has impacted marine ecosystems where sea turtles play critical roles in proper ecosystem functioning. A crucial part of the sea turtle life cycle that has been threatened by anthropogenic factors is nesting. Sea turtles rely on unspoiled beaches with particular physical characteristics for laying their eggs. One of the …
Sponge Community Biocomplexity, Competition, And Functional Significance In Hard-Bottom Habitats Of The Florida Keys, Fl (Usa),
2019
Old Dominion University
Sponge Community Biocomplexity, Competition, And Functional Significance In Hard-Bottom Habitats Of The Florida Keys, Fl (Usa), Marla Maxine Valentine
Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations
Sponges can have powerful effects on ecosystem processes in shallow, tropical marine ecosystems and are an integral component of the bentho-pelagic cycle of nutrients, via filtering of dissolved and particulate organic matter from the water column. The diversity of marine communities is thought to play a determining role in intensity of ecosystem processes; thus the loss of taxa alters community function and by extension ecosystem processes. Coastal sponge populations worldwide are increasingly exposed to declining water quality that in several regions has resulted in mass sponge mortalities and reduced sponge diversity. In the Florida Keys (Florida, USA), for example, frequent …
Coupling Metaproteomics With Taxonomy To Determine Responses Of Bacterioplankton To Organic Perturbations In The Western Arctic Ocean,
2019
Old Dominion University
Coupling Metaproteomics With Taxonomy To Determine Responses Of Bacterioplankton To Organic Perturbations In The Western Arctic Ocean, Molly P. Mikan
OES Theses and Dissertations
Understanding how the functionality of marine microbial communities change over time and space, and which taxonomic groups dominate distinct metabolic pathways, are essential to understanding the ecology of these microbiomes and the factors contributing to their regulation of elemental cycles in the oceans. The primary goal of this dissertation was to investigate the community metabolic and taxonomic responses and the degradation potential of two compositionally distinct marine microbiomes within the shallow shelf ecosystem of the Chukchi Sea after rapid fluctuations in algal organic matter availability. Novel bioinformatics tools were collaboratively developed and used together with community proteomics (metaproteomics) to characterize …
Assessment And Correction Of Lidar-Derived Dems In The Coastal Marshes Of Louisiana,
2019
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College
Assessment And Correction Of Lidar-Derived Dems In The Coastal Marshes Of Louisiana, William M. Lauve
LSU Master's Theses
The onset of airborne light detection and ranging (lidar) has resulted in expansive, precise digital elevation models (DEMs). DEMs are essential for modeling complex systems, such as the coastal land margin of Louisiana. They are used for many applications (e.g. tide, storm surge, and ecological modeling) and by diverse groups (e.g. state and federal agencies, NGOs, and academia). However, in a marsh environment, it is difficult for airborne lidar to produce accurate bare-earth measurements and even accurate elevations are rarely verified by ground truth data. The accuracy of lidar in marshes is limited by the sensor’s resolution …
Estimating Coastal Water Turbidity Using Viirs Nighttime Measurement,
2019
University of South Florida
Estimating Coastal Water Turbidity Using Viirs Nighttime Measurement, Chih-Wei Huang
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Coastal water turbidity is a key environmental factor that influences the relative clarity of the water, which therefore reduces sunlight penetration. The comprehensive spatial and temporal coverage of remote sensing allows mapping of water turbidity near the coast. Even in locations where time-consuming and expensive conventional turbidity monitoring programs exist, local technological limitations prevent complete coverage. Traditional optical satellite techniques using the visible band also have limitations in monitoring turbidity due to non-optimal observing conditions such as clouds, sun-glint, and thick aerosols. In this study, in order to complement the daytime satellite measurements, I used the data from Visible Infrared …
