Oceanography Commons^™

Population Structure Of Tursiops Truncatus In North Inlet, South Carolina And Use Of Inlet As A Nursery Ground, Heather Estep

Honors Theses

Abundance, distribution and movement patterns of bottlenose dolphin populations are becoming more frequently studied along the Atlantic Coast from Virginia to Florida. One aspect of dolphin populations that has not been a focus of study is the use of nursery grounds by females with calves. Nursery grounds for bottlenose dolphin populations have been identified in Sarasota Bay, Florida and near Beaufort, North Carolina. This study analyzed data collected from September 1997 to June 2006 on focal follows and photo identification to determine if females were utilizing North Inlet, South Carolina as a nursery ground. There was no significant difference in …

Countries' Involvement In Whaling And The Impacts On Their Tourism Industries, Kaitlyn Hofeldt

Honors Theses

Since the expansion of whale watching as an industry, many countries have converted from whaling as a source of revenue. There are still some countries that partake in whaling and also conduct whale watching tours. The belief is that these two industries cannot coexist in a country and that whaling will have a negative impact on the whale watching sector and the tourism industry all together. A comparative analysis of scholarly articles was conducted alongside a survey to examine the impacts of whaling on the whale watching industries of certain countries. The results showed whaling and whale watching can coexist …

The Effects Of Significant Rainfall Events On Surface Dissolved Oxygen Concentrations Off The Coast Of Long Bay In South Carolina, Kelsey M. Couch

Honors Theses

Long Bay in South Carolina is currently facing recurrent hypoxic conditions ("South Carolina Coastal Hypoxia"). Therefore the purpose of this study was to examine the effect of eight significant rainfall events on the surface dissolved oxygen content of the bay. Differences in theoretical values of average monthly dissolved oxygen content and actual values of average monthly dissolved oxygen were observed. When analyzed, the data from the eight-month study showed no strong correlation between significant rainfall events and changes in surface dissolved oxygen content. Phytoplankton blooms, phytoplankton productivity and seasonal stratifications could be causing these fluctuations (Lomas et al. 2009).

Effects Of "Ultrasound" On Completion Of Cognitive Tasks In Relation To Dolphin Assisted Therapy, Carrie Wein

Honors Theses

In previous studies, it has been suggested that ultrasound may be the mechanism behind the success of Dolphin Assisted Therapy programs. This study was conducted to determine whether advertising these positive effects of dolphin produced ultrasound to prospective patients will elicit a placebo effect of improving cognitive function. A memory matching task was designed to measure cognitive task completion efficiency, and completion times were recorded in seconds. Participants were divided into two groups, Group A completing the task under normal, or control conditions first, and under the mock "ultrasound" condition second, while Group B received the mock "ultrasound" condition first …

The Importance Of Isolated Wetlands As Habitat For Rare And Endangered Species In Comparison To Riparian Wetlands, Hillary K. Ballantine

Honors Theses

In this paper, I will review the literature on the factors contributing to the presence of rare or endangered species, the species found in each wetland type and what threatens them, and the views on how to and why we should conserve these habitats. I will also provide data analyses on the importance of isolated wetlands as habitats for rare and endangered species in comparison to riparian wetlands, and present my own views on the topic.

Surface Mass Transfer In Large Eddy Simulation (Les) Of Langmuir Turbulence, Cigdem Akan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Over the past century the study of gas exchange rates between the atmosphere and the ocean has received increased attention because of concern about the fate of greenhouse gases such as CO₂ released into the atmosphere. Of interest is the oceanic uptake of CO₂ in shallow water coastal regions as biological productivity in these regions is on average about three times larger than in the open ocean. It is well-known that in the absence of breaking surface waves, the water side turbulence controls gas transfer of sparingly soluble gases such as CO₂ from the air to the …

Light Detection And Ranging (Lidar) And Multispectral Studies Of Disturbed Lake Superior Coastal Environments, W. Charles Kerfoot, Foad Yousef, Sarah A. Green, Robert Regis, Robert Shuchman, Colin N. Brooks, Michael Sayers, Bruce Sabol, Mark Graves

Michigan Tech Research Institute Publications

Due to its high spatial resolution and excellent water penetration, coastal light detection and ranging (LiDAR) coupled with multispectral imaging (MSS) has great promise for resolving shoreline features in the Great Lakes. Previous investigations in Lake Superior documented a metal-rich “halo” around the Keweenaw Peninsula, related to past copper mining practices. Grand Traverse Bay on the Keweenaw Peninsula provides an excellent Great Lakes example of global mine discharges into coastal environments. For more than a century, waste rock migrating from shoreline tailings piles has moved along extensive stretches of coast, damming stream outlets, intercepting wetlands and recreational beaches, suppressing benthic …

Evaluation Of Electrophoretic Protein Extraction And Database-Driven Protein Identification From Marine Sediments, Eli K. Moore, Brook L. Nunn, Jessica F. Faux, David R. Goodlett, H. Rodger Harvey

OES Faculty Publications

Intact proteins comprise a major component of organic carbon and nitrogen produced globally and are likely an important fraction of organic matter in sediments and soils. Extracting the protein component from sediments and soils for mass spectral characterization and identification represents a substantial challenge given the range of products and functionalities present in the complex matrix. Multiple forms of gel electrophoresis were evaluated as a means of enhancing recovery of sedimentary protein before proteomic characterization and compared with a direct enzymatic digestion of proteins in sediments. Resulting tryptic peptides were analyzed using shotgun proteomics and tandem mass spectra were evaluated …

Long-Term Changes To The Frost-Free Season As A Function Of Climatic Continentality, Ian Blaylock

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The beginning, end, and length of the annual frost-free season vary considerably both spatially and temporally. The continentality of the climate of a given area has a close connection with the magnitude and nature of these variations. Long term changes in the frost-free season can be divided into three distinct phases: a lengthening of the frost-free season in the early 20^th century, a shortening in the mid-20^th century, and a renewed, intensified lengthening from 1970 to today. While oceanic and ultraoceanic climates experience decreased incidence of frosts relative to their continental counterparts, analysis has shown that overall 20 …

Sustainability: More About The Toolmaker Than The Tools, R. Eugene Turner

Faculty Publications

A sustainable system is not necessarily a high-quality one, but it could be. We could, for example, “survive” on the desperate edge, as the remnants in a self-fouled and deteriorating environment. Why won’t a future sustainable system be just another industrial model of mass efficiency and throughput? Perhaps the incompatible outcomes are a choice between the sometimes nearly invisible civilizing aspects of culture nurturing respect, equality, and cooperation on one hand, and the greed and self-indulgences undermining social tolerance, empathy, and cooperation that ends up promoting violence and dehumanization. The human heritage is subtle, indestructible, and worth nurturing if we …

Nantucket Shellfish Management Plan, Kristin Uiterwyk, Steve Bliven, Dan Leavitt, Jack Wiggin, Urban Harbors Institute, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Nantucket’s shellfish resources are an important part of the Island’s history, culture, and economy. Nantucket waters support one of the country’s last wild-caught bay scallop fisheries. Elsewhere along the Atlantic coast, fishing pressure, habitat loss, and disease have severely depleted bay scallop populations. Although Nantucketers continue to make a living harvesting shellfish from the Island’s waters, many do so with concern for the future of the resources and the habitats that support them. Urban Harbors Institute (UHI) provided technical assistance to the community to develop a Shellfish Management Plan (SMP) that addresses issues of water quality, habitat loss, climate change, …

The Urban Harbors Institute, Urban Harbors Institute, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The Urban Harbors Institute (UHI) is a public policy and applied-science research center focused on issues affecting urban waterfronts and coastal and ocean resources. Our mission is to increase understanding of the marine environment, improve management practices, and promote informed decision making at the local, state and national levels. UHI employs a multidisciplinary approach in all its research and education projects, blending science, policy, and management.

Coastsweep: The Massachusetts Coastal Cleanup Program, Dennis N. Leigh, Kristen Uiterwyk, Jack Wiggin, Schanna James, Allison Novelly, Robin Lacey, Anne Donovan, Arden Miller, Urban Harbors Institute, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Through this project, volunteers in communities throughout Massachusetts turn out in large numbers each September and October for COASTSWEEP, the statewide coastal cleanup program sponsored by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) and coordinated by the Urban Harbors Institute (UHI) of the University of Massachusetts Boston. COASTSWEEP is part of the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) organized by Ocean Conservancy in Washington, DC. Through the efforts of the ICC, volunteers from all over the world collect marine debris and record information about the trash they collect. This information is then analyzed and used to identify sources of debris and …

The Modified Coastal Storm Impulse Parameter, Sayed Gholamreza Mahmoudpour

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The correlation of the morphological changes to the coast and storm characteristics is among interests of coastal engineers. Better understandings of a storm's potential forces ultimately lead engineers to safer designs and minimize the damages. Therefore, a need to quantify the storm potential forces to a storm parameter is evident. The desired storm parameter is to consider all the relative physical factors and is to present realistic results that then can be proven by actual nature response.

The concept of Coastal Storm Impulse (COSI) parameter was first introduced by Basco and Klentzman (2006) and is based on the conservation of …

Modeling The Dispersion Of Eastern Oyster Larvae (Crassostrea Virginica) And Its Effects On The Movement Of Disease Resistant Genes In The Delaware Bay Estuary, Diego A. Narvaez

OES Theses and Dissertations

This study combines several models to address two primary research questions. How does the interaction of larval biology and environmental variability determine the spatial distribution of oyster larvae in Delaware Bay? What is the role of larval dispersion in the transference of disease-resistant genes? The particle-tracking module in the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) was converted into an Individual-Based model representing Eastern oyster larvae that has growth and vertical migration. Exchange of larvae between natural oyster reefs was estimated and used in an Individual-Based genetic model that simulates the genetic structure of eastern oysters. Particles were released from a number …

Coastal Exploration Of The Southern Black Sea Off Ereğli And Sinop, Turkey, Michael L. Brennan, Dan Davis, Chris Roman, Ilya V. Buynevich, Alexis Catsambis, Meko Kofahl, Maureen Merrigan, Suna Tuzun, Muhammet Duman, Derya Urkmez, J. Ian Vaughn, Tufan Turanli

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Continued Exploration Of The Santorini Volcanic Field And Cretan Basin, Aegean Sea, Katherine L. C. Bell, Paraskevi Nomikou, Steven N. Carey, Eleni Stathopoulou, Paraskevi Polymenakou, Athanasios Godelitsas, Chris Roman, Michelle Parks

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Development Of High-Resolution Seafloor Mapping Techniques, Chris Roman, Gabrielle Inglis, J. Ian Vaughn, Clara Smart, Bertrand Douillard, Stefan Williams

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Submarine Volcanism In The Straits Of Sicily, Steven N. Carey, Katherine L. C. Bell, Michael Marani, Mauro Rosi, Edward T. Baker, Chris Roman, Marco Pistolesi, Joshua Kelly

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Links From Mantle To Microbe At The Lau Integrated Study Site: Insights From A Back-Arc Spreading Center, Margaret K. Tivey, Erin Becker, Roxanne Beinart, Charles R. Fisher, Peter Girguis, Charles H. Langmuir, Peter J. Michael, Anna-Louise Reysenbach

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Lau Integrated Study Site (ISS) has provided unique opportunities for study of ridge processes because of its back-arc setting in the southwestern Pacific. Its location allows study of a biogeographical province distinct from those of eastern Pacific and mid-Atlantic ridges, and crustal compositions along the ridge lie outside the range of mid-ocean ridge crustal compositions. The Lau ISS is located above a subduction zone, at an oblique angle. The underlying mantle receives water and other elements derived from the downgoing lithospheric slab, with an increase in slab influence from north to south. Water lowers the mantle melting temperature and …