OIMB Theses
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This collection contains some of the theses and dissertations produced by students in the University of Oregon OIMB Graduate Program. Paper copies of these and other dissertations and theses are available through the UO Libraries.
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Item Open Access AN ANALYSIS OF INCREASED TEMPERATURE AND ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION AS CAUSES OF CORAL BLEACHING(1994-01) Joslyn, Andrea LuisaSymbiosis, the cohabitation of two or more different organisms, is represented across species as well as phyla. A unique symbiosis has developed in the marine environment between the phylum Cnidaria and members of the Division Dinophyta ("zooxanthellae"). The relationship is one of mutualism, as both organisms benefit from the relationship. Although cnidarians, such as sea anemones, hard and soft corals, scyphozoans, and hydrocorals, comprise the majority of hosts that take part in this symbiosis, some nudibranchs and sponges also contain endosymbiotic dinoflagellates. Alternatively, some cnidarians may contain chlorophyte endosymbionts. The symbionts are usually held with vacuoles inside the host endoderm cells (Glider et al., 1980; Trench, 1987), but they have also been found within the epidermis and mesoglea of some cnidarians.Item Open Access Aspects of the diving biology of common murres (Uria aalge)(University of Oregon theses, Dept. of Biology, M.S., 1983, 1983) Hansell, HollyItem Open Access Barnacle Feeding: Comparing Cirral Anatomy, Feeding Behavior, Reynolds Numbers, and Cirral Fan Leakiness Across Three Size Classes of Three Species of Common Acorn Barnacles(University of Oregon, 2007-12) Geierman, Christina, 1982-This thesis investigated feeding behavior, cirral anatomy, Reynolds numbers (Re's), and leakiness of the cirral fan for three barnacle species: Balanus glandula, Semibalanus cariosus, and Balanus nubilus. A study of the feeding of B. glandula revealed that newly-metamorphosed juveniles fed at Re's less than one and their cirral fan leakiness was <5% at current speeds of 4 cm/s. At this speed, large and medium individuals fed at Re's near unity, and their cirral fans were 6.8±O.7% leaky. The experiments were repeated using S. cariosus and B. nubilus with the same tissue mass as B. glandula. No clear species-specific or size-specific trends were identified in these species. The observed switch from low to high Re feeding in B. glandula may indicate a lower limit to the size of this species, if further research confirms low Re feeding is less efficient and field current velocities are sufficiently low.Item Open Access THE BIOLOGY OF AN INTRODUCTION: RHITHROPANOPEUS HARRISII(1978-05) Pisciotto, Ronald JosephWhen I first arrived in the Hawaiian Islands on a teaching assignment in 1970 I naively expected to be greeted by a landscape clothed in the native flora. Instead, what I saw as I left the airport was a collage of introduced species which I took to be natives. It was not long before I realized the error (interestingly , one of the first courses I was to teach was entitled "Plants and Animals of Hawaii'', a little surprise for the man fresh off the boat.) Curiously, I had to travel 2,300 miles from my native California to be made aware of something that had so blatantly surrounded me all my life: that human habitations tend to assemble communities of exotic organisms. One look at any neighborhood garden with its many ornamentals should confirm this.Item Open Access Changes in myoglobin and lactate dehydrogenase in muscle tissues of a diving bird, the pigeon guillemot (Cepphus columba), during maturation(University of Oregon theses, Dept. of Biology, M.S., 1987, 1987) Haggblom, Lisa MarieItem Open Access Colonial Ascidian Dispersal: What are the effects of adult population density and isolation on recruitment?(2007) Braudrick, NateInvasive species are thought to be one of the largest ecological threats to healthy ecosystems today. This paper is an attempt to show how anthropogenic transport of species with short dispersal distances is the most important factor in their colonization of new areas. In the Charleston, Oregon marina three study sites were set up to attempt to show the significance of isolation and adult population density on the recruitment of colonial ascidians, an encrusting member of the fouling community. Significant results were found supporting the hypothesis that greater adult population density results in increased recruitment. The second hypothesis of isolation decreasing the recruitment of colonial ascidians was not supported with significant results.Item Open Access A CRITICAL REVIEW OF HOMING AND FORAGING BEHAVIOR IN LIMPETS (MOLLUSCA; GASTROPODA} : A CENTURY OF OBSERVATIONS , EXPERIMENTS , AND CONTROVERSIES (1894 TO 2001)(2002-12) April, Jane WrightHoming limpets are characterized by their predictable stationary resting behavior in their home territory during periods of inactivity, followed by active feeding excursions ranging up to a few meters away from home . They almost always return to their previous resting spot (home scar) during a tidal cycle. Limpets are grazers that use their radula to scrape and feed upon microalgae, macroalgal settlers, bacteria, cyanobacteria, diatoms and other phytoplankton, and animal larva that settle inside their grazing grounds, called the feeding arena. Home scars lie within the feeding arena and vary according to species . Most limpets live on rock, some live on macroalgal fronds, and some even live on the shells of other gastropods. Some home scars are visible as a chiseled indentation in rock that fits the shape of the limpet's shell perfectly. This depression is caused by the repeated scraping of the returning limpet's shell at the home scar. Other homing limpets do not make a strict scar, rather, they home to a region rather than a spot. Certain homing limpets will join clusters of conspecifics, returning to roughly the same position within the cluster from day to day.Item Open Access Cross-shelf transport of planktonic larvae of inner shelf benthic invertebrates(Thesis (M.S.)--University of Oregon, 1996., 1997) Brink, Laura AnnItem Open Access Detritus, a Critical Essay(1977) Chirarochana, JarDetritus plays an important role in the marine ecosystem. It forms a significant fraction of the available food sources (Darnell, 1958, 1961 , 1967; Gant et. al, 1971; Heald 1971; Lenz, 1977; E. P . Odum and Dela Cruz, 1967; W. E. Odum, 1971; W. E. Odum and Heald, 1975; Riley, 1970; Seki, 1972·; Teal, 1962). Detritus is the chief link between primary and secondary productivity in salt marshes and mangroves. This is because only a small portion of the net production of the marsh grass or mangrove is grazed while it is alive. The major energy flow between autotrophic and heterotrophic levels is by way of the detritus food chain (Gant et al, 1971; Heald, 1971; E. P. Odum and Dela Cruz, 1967; W. E. Odum, 1971; W. E . Odum and neald, 1975; Teal, 1962)Item Open Access THE DIETS OF THE SHINER SURFPERCH (Cymatogaster aggregata Gibbons) AND THE STAGHORN SCULPIN (Leptocottus armatus Girard) IN THE UMPQUA RIVER ESTUARY, OREGON 1981-1982(1987-06) Seymour, John PatrickThis was the first diet study on the shiner surfperch and the staghorn sculpin in the Umpqua River Estuary, Oregon. Gammarid amphipods, teleosts, and ghost shrimp were the most important food items of the staghorn sculpin whereas barnacle cypris larvae, cancer crab megalops, and copepods were the main components of the shiner surfperch diet. Only large staghorn sculpins ate teleosts, whereas only the smaller ones ate isopods. This study supports literature reporting a change in sculpin diet with size. Staghorn sculpins ate larger prey if they were larger. Monophagous foraging by the shiner surfperch was found with cancer crab megalops and crab zoea. Adequate sample sizes for future studies were determined.Item Open Access Distribution and function of the hemolymph proteins, hemoecdysin and hemocyanin, in relation to the molt cycle of the juvenile Dungeness crab, Cancer magester [i.e. magister], and size-specific molting and reproductive capability of the adult female Cancer magister(Thesis (M.A.)--University of Oregon, 1994., 1994) Otoshi, Clete AsaItem Open Access Distribution of Zooplankton and Detritus within Langmuir Circulation Cells(University of Oregon, 2007-12) Laferriere, Alison Mariah, 1976-Langmuir circulation cells are wind generated surface currents, which take the form of alternating clockwise and counter clockwise rotating helical cells. Models suggest that organisms and particles may be retained in the convergence and divergence zones depending on the relative settling and swimming velocity versus circulation velocity. Surface water in convergence and divergence zones of Langmuir circulations were sampled with plankton nets and zooplankton and fecal pellets were enumerated. Copepods did not differ significantly between zones. Balanus glandula cyprids, competent Polydora spp., and an unidentified late stage veliger were often significantly concentrated in convergence zones. These results suggest that late stage larvae may be exploiting Langmuir circulation as a transport mechanism to travel shoreward for settlement. Fecal pellets were more concentrated in divergence zones on four out of six sample days. On the two days when pellets were more concentrated in convergence zones the swell was larger.Item Open Access The distributional ecology of Hemileucon hinumensis and its relationship with soft sediment tube building species in Coos Bay, Oregon(Thesis (M.S.)--University of Oregon, 1990., 1990) Megahan, JohnItem Open Access Disturbance, grazing and succession : an experimental approach to community analysis(University of Oregon theses, Dept. of Biology, Ph.D., 1983, 1983) Peer, Rebecca LynnItem Open Access Ecological constraints on chinstrap penguin foraging behavior : the role of diel and seasonal light changes(Thesis (M.S.)--University of Oregon, 1996., 1996) Jansen, John KevinItem Open Access The Ecology of the Dall Porpoise (Phocoenoides dalli) and Interaction With Japanese Fisheries in the North Pacific Ocean(1988-06) Stark, Kimberle AnnThe Dall porpoise (Phocoenoides dalli True) is a small, deep-bodied and easily identifiable cetacean found in the northern North Pacific Ocean and adjacent waters including the Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea, Sea of Okhotsk, and the Sea of Japan.Item Open Access THE EFFECT OF UV RADIATION ON CYANOBACTERIAL MAT COMMUNITY STRUCTURE(2000-06) Inman, Carrie EliseCyanobacteria are thought to have evolved during the early Precambrian, 2.5-3.8 billion years ago, when there were very high levels of UV radiation reaching the Earth's surface due to a lack of absorbing gases int he atmosphere. Oxygenic cyanobacteria were one of the few photosynthetic organisms that could survive under these harsh conditions. Cyanobacteria today have also been found to employ UV tolerant strategies to cope with the damaging effects of UV radiation. In this study three cyanobacterial mats were investigated to determine if UV had an effect on the mats in the field and subsequently on clonal isolates cultured from these mats in the lab. UV exclusion experiments, using UV blocking and UV transmitting filters, were carried out in the field over a two-month period. Protein and pigment analysis on the core samples collected from the field UV treatments showed no significant difference between the treatments. However, samples collected of new settlement cell material on ceramic tiles, did show a significant different between the two UV treatments. UV exclusion experiments run using two strains of clonal isolates of Lebtolyngbya sp. cultured from Mushroom Spring did show a highly significant detrimental effect of UV on growth measured by dry weights. In addition, the two strains, one cultured from the UV(-) field material and one cultured from the UV(+) material, were effected differently by UV radiation in the lab UV exclusion experiment. The isolate cultured from the UV(+) mat material was less effected by UV radiation, as measured by dry weight accumulation over time. This may imply the use of a unique UV tolerant strategy employed by this strain.Item Open Access Effects of food levels and temperature on growth and hemocyanin ontogeny in the juvenile Dungeness crab, Cancer magister(Thesis (M.S.)--University of Oregon, 1996., 1996) Dumler, Karen LynnItem Open Access The effects of handling and transportation on Coho salmon fry incubated in hatchboxes(Thesis (M.S.)--University of Oregon, 1989., 1989) Gestring, Kelly BradItem Open Access The Effects of Mammalian Predators on a Southern Oregon Colony of Leach's Storm- Petrels (Oceanodroma leucorhoa)(University of Oregon, 2008-12) Pollard, Anne M. (Anne Marie), 1984-Saddle Rock, with an estimated 86,300 birds, was the third largest colony of Leach's Storm-petrels (Oceanodroma leucorhoa) in Oregon in 1988. This colony is uniquely vulnerable to terrestrial predation due to its contiguity with the mainland during low tides. In recent years, an increase in visitation of raccoons and river otters to Saddle Rock has resulted in increased bird mortality. In 2007 I estimated predation rates ranging from 0 to 59 birds per night, with predation occurring on 7 of 11 nights checked. 48% of marked burrows were depredated throughout the season. In 2007 and 2008, I monitored nesting density and burrow occupancy rates on Saddle Rock and compared these data with those from nearby Hunters Island, a similarly sized colony. Saddle Rock now hosts significantly lower densities than Hunters Island. Comparisons of recent Saddle Rock data with those from 1979-1995 show a steep population decline.