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Title: Hypoxia-induced physiological changes in two mangrove swamp fishes: sheepshead minnow, Cyprinodon variegatus Lacepede and sailfin molly, Poecilia latipinna (Lesueur).
Creator: Peterson, Mark S., Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
Date Issued: 1990
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FCLA/DT/3353852
Subject Headings: Mangrove swamps, Hypoxia (Water), Ecophysiology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Comparative physiological ecology of centrarchids in hyposaline environments.
Creator: Peterson, Mark S., Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
Date Issued: 1988
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FCLA/DT/3342225
Subject Headings: Centrarchidae, Physiological ecology, Ecophysiology, Salinity, Physiology, Comparative
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Physiological responses of transplanted populations of Sargussum pteropleuron Grunow in Florida.
Creator: Dawes, Clinton J., Bird, Kimon T., Hanisak, M. Dennis
Date Issued: 1988
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FCLA/DT/3353810
Subject Headings: Sargassum, Brown algae, Transplanting (Plant culture), Florida, Plant ecophysiology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The multiple stress gradient hypothesis: expansion of the revised stress gradient hypothesis using a mangrove and salt marsh study system.
Creator: Coldren, Glenn A., Proffitt, C. Edward, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
Abstract/Description: Plant interactions (e.g., competition, facilitation) are critical drivers in community development and structure. The Stress Gradient Hypothesis (SGH) provides a predictive framework for how plant species interactions vary inversely across an environmental stress gradient, predicting that facilitation is stronger with increasing levels of stress. The SGH has been supported in numerous ecosystems and across a variety of stress gradients, but recent research has demonstrated contradictory...
Show morePlant interactions (e.g., competition, facilitation) are critical drivers in community development and structure. The Stress Gradient Hypothesis (SGH) provides a predictive framework for how plant species interactions vary inversely across an environmental stress gradient, predicting that facilitation is stronger with increasing levels of stress. The SGH has been supported in numerous ecosystems and across a variety of stress gradients, but recent research has demonstrated contradictory results. These discrepancies have led to SGH revisions that expand its conceptual framework by incorporating additional factors, such as other stressor types and variations in species life history strategies. In this dissertation, I examine a further modification of the SGH by proposing and testing a Multiple Stress Gradient Hypothesis (MSGH) that considers how plant interactions vary along a continuous gradient of two co-occurring stressors using mangrove and salt marsh communities as a case study. In Chapter 1, I outline the predictive framework of a MSGH, by creating a series of predictions of species interactions. The components of the MSGH predict that stressors of similar types (e.g., resource and nonresource) will have similar effects and be additive. On the other hand, varying species life history strategies and life stages will lead to extremes of plant interactions. In Chapter 2, I performed a series of experiments to test the various components of the MSGH. In Chapter 3, I performed a large-scale observational study to test whether multiple co-occurring stressors altered the cumulative effects on plant interactions, and if these stressors should be grouped (e.g., resource and non-resource, abiotic and biotic, etc.) to enhance predictability. From a series of studies conducted herein, I concluded that co-occurring stressors are important factors that control complex species interactions as shown in my MSGH modeling approach. Further, future theories need to incorporate species-specific and stressor specific grouping when modeling how species interactions shape communities.
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Date Issued: 2013
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA0004011
Subject Headings: Coastal ecology, Ecophysiology, Mangrove ecology, Plant ecology, Salt marsh ecology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Visual and electrosensory ecology of batoid elasmobranchs.
Creator: Bedore, Christine N., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
Abstract/Description: The electrosensory and visual adaptations of elasmobranchs to the environment have been more studied than most other senses, however, work on these senses is mostly limited to descriptive analyses of sensitivity, morphology, and behavior. The goal of this work was to explore electrosensory and visual capabilities in a more ecological context. To gain an understanding of the content of bioelectric signals, the magnitude and frequency of these stimuli were recorded from a broad survey of...
Show moreThe electrosensory and visual adaptations of elasmobranchs to the environment have been more studied than most other senses, however, work on these senses is mostly limited to descriptive analyses of sensitivity, morphology, and behavior. The goal of this work was to explore electrosensory and visual capabilities in a more ecological context. To gain an understanding of the content of bioelectric signals, the magnitude and frequency of these stimuli were recorded from a broad survey of elasmobranch prey items... Color vision adaptations also correlated to the photic environment of each species; cownose rays inhabit turbid, green-dominated waters and had two cone visual pigments that maximize contrast of objects against the green background... Yellow stingrays were trichromatic and likely possess the ability to discriminate colors in their clear, reef and seagrass habitats, which are spectrally rich. Both species showed evidence of ultraviolet sensitivity, which may aid in predator and conspecific detection as an enhanced communication channel. Future studies should investigate the integration of sensory input and sensory involvement in intraspecific communication to gain more insight into ecological adaptations.
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Date Issued: 2013
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/3362337
Subject Headings: Visual discrimination, Adaptation (Biology), Animal ecophysiology, Chondrichthyes, Physiology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Effects of stressors on differential gene expression and secondary metabolites by Axinella corrugata.
Creator: Grima, Jennifer., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
Abstract/Description: Sponges are an important source of bioactive marine natural products, or secondary metabolites. The common Caribbean reef sponge, Axinella corrugata, produces an antitumor and antibacterial chemical, stevensine. This study determined whether environmental stressors, such as elevated temperature and exposure to Amphibalanus amphitrite larvae, affect the production of stevensine by A.corrugata and if the stressors caused A.corrugata to exhibit differential gene expression. Temperature stress...
Show moreSponges are an important source of bioactive marine natural products, or secondary metabolites. The common Caribbean reef sponge, Axinella corrugata, produces an antitumor and antibacterial chemical, stevensine. This study determined whether environmental stressors, such as elevated temperature and exposure to Amphibalanus amphitrite larvae, affect the production of stevensine by A.corrugata and if the stressors caused A.corrugata to exhibit differential gene expression. Temperature stress resulted in no significant change in the production of stevensine; only two genes were significantly differentially expressed, including hsp70. Larval stressed resulted in increased production of stevensine and significant differential gene expression (more than seventy genes). This study suggests that A.corrugata may be resilient to elevations in temperature and that one of stevensine's roles in nature is as an antifoulant.
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Date Issued: 2013
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/3360781
Subject Headings: Axinellida, Sponges, Marine pharmacology, Adaptation (Biology), Gene expression, Genetic regulation, Stress (Physiology), Ecophysiology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Ocean Acidification Effects on Photosynthesis in Tropical Marine Macroalgae.
Creator: Zweng, Regina C., Koch, Marguerite, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
Abstract/Description: Field data from CO2 vents, a current model of future ocean acidification conditions, show a positive correlation between elevated seawater pCO2 and fleshy macroalgal abundance, as well as a negative correlation between elevated seawater pCO2 and calcareous macroalgal abundance on coral reefs. One underlying physiological mechanism for increases of fleshy macroalgae species in response to greater pCO2 could be an increase in their photosynthesis. Furthermore, inorganic carbon use mechanisms,...
Show moreField data from CO2 vents, a current model of future ocean acidification conditions, show a positive correlation between elevated seawater pCO2 and fleshy macroalgal abundance, as well as a negative correlation between elevated seawater pCO2 and calcareous macroalgal abundance on coral reefs. One underlying physiological mechanism for increases of fleshy macroalgae species in response to greater pCO2 could be an increase in their photosynthesis. Furthermore, inorganic carbon use mechanisms, irradiance and depth may influence species-specific responses to ocean acidification. Therefore, this thesis aimed to discern carbon use strategies and photosynthetic responses to elevated pCO2 of dominant tropical fleshy and calcareous macroalgae. All species studied were able to utilize HCO3 - for photosynthesis. 33% of calcifying macroalgae and 80% of fleshy macroalgae had increased photosynthetic rates in response to lower pH. Thus, future conditions of OA may perpetuate or exacerbate the abundance of fleshy seaweeds at the expense of calcareous species.
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Date Issued: 2017
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004879, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004879
Subject Headings: Marine algae--Ecophysiology., Algal communities--Monitoriing., Coral reef ecology.
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The effect of sea level rise on Juncus Roemerianus in a high nutrient environment.
Creator: Abbott, Cara J., Berry, Leonard, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Center for Environmental Studies
Abstract/Description: As sea levels continue to rise, the projected damage that will ensue presents a great challenge for conservation and management of coastal ecosystems in Florida. Since Juncus roemerianus is a common marsh plant throughout Florida with unique growing characteristics that make it a popular restoration plant, this study implemented a 20 week greenhouse split plot experiment to examine the effects of sea level rise on J. roemerianus and ultimately determine its tolerance ranges to salinity and...
Show moreAs sea levels continue to rise, the projected damage that will ensue presents a great challenge for conservation and management of coastal ecosystems in Florida. Since Juncus roemerianus is a common marsh plant throughout Florida with unique growing characteristics that make it a popular restoration plant, this study implemented a 20 week greenhouse split plot experiment to examine the effects of sea level rise on J. roemerianus and ultimately determine its tolerance ranges to salinity and inundation in a high nutrient environment. Overall, salinity level and the interaction effect of salinity level and water level had the greatest effects on measured growth parameters including average mature height, maximum height, density, basal area, root length, and biomass. An inverse relationship between increasing salinity and the measured growth variables was observed with the greatest growth and survivability in 0 ppt water, survivability and reduced growth in 20 ppt water, survivability and little growth in 30 ppt water, and nearly complete senesce in 40 ppt water. This was the first laboratory study to determine the effect of 40 ppt water on J. roemerianus. Elevated water levels resulted in higher growth variables in the 20 ppt, 30 ppt, and 40 ppt treatments while inundated water levels produced higher growth variables in the 0 ppt treatment despite previous research finding inundation to have completely adverse effects on J. roemerianus. It is likely that the high nutrient environment provided for this study is the cause for this anomaly. The results of this study have major implications for the future of coastal ecosystems that are dominated by stands of J. roemerianus in South Florida and can be used in conjunction with studies on bordering marsh plants to predict shifts in the ecosystems of Florida that are responding to sea level rise scenarios.
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Date Issued: 2015
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004426
Subject Headings: Coastal ecology, Coastal zone management, Jucus roemerianus, Plant ecophysiology, Salt marsh ecology, Sea level
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: A comparison of the ontogeny of energy consumption in leatherback, Dermochelys coriacea and olive ridley, Lepidochelys olivacea sea turtle hatchlings.
Creator: Jones, T. Todd, Florida Atlantic University, Lutz, Peter L., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
Abstract/Description: Changes in activity related oxygen consumption and energy partitioning were measured in leatherback and olive ridley sea turtle hatchlings over their first month after nest emergence. Leatherbacks emerge with about 75--90 KJ of energy in the residual yolk at their disposal for growth and movement. In comparison, the residual yolk energy reserves for the olive ridley are estimated to be much less (45 KJ). In leatherbacks resting specific oxygen consumption rates decreased by 53% over the first...
Show moreChanges in activity related oxygen consumption and energy partitioning were measured in leatherback and olive ridley sea turtle hatchlings over their first month after nest emergence. Leatherbacks emerge with about 75--90 KJ of energy in the residual yolk at their disposal for growth and movement. In comparison, the residual yolk energy reserves for the olive ridley are estimated to be much less (45 KJ). In leatherbacks resting specific oxygen consumption rates decreased by 53% over the first post-hatching month (0.0065 ml O2 min-1 g-1--0.0031 ml O2 min-1 g-1), while for ridleys the fall was 32% (0.0038 ml O2 min-1 g-1--0.0026 ml O2 min-1 g-1). Greater differences were seen in aerobic scope. For olive ridleys the factorial aerobic scope doubled over the first month but there was no significant increase in the leatherback's factorial aerobic scope. Leatherback hatchlings gained on average 33% body mass (10 g) over the first week however 70 to 80% of this increase was due to water accumulation. The differences in aerobic scope and energy reserves are related to differences in early life ecological stratagems of these species.
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Date Issued: 2004
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/13139
Subject Headings: Sea turtles--Ecology, Animal behavior, Ontogeny, Developmental biology, Adaptation (Physiology), Ecophysiology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Neuroprotection During Acute Oxidative Stress: Role of the PKG Pathway and Identification of Novel Neuromodulatory Agents Using Drosophila Melanogaster.
Creator: Caplan, Stacee Lee, Dawson-Scully, Ken, Milton, Sarah L., Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
Abstract/Description: Oxidant stress and injury is inherent in many human diseases such as ischemic vascular and respiratory diseases, heart failure, myocardial infarction, stroke, perinatal and placental insufficiencies, diabetes, cancer, and numerous psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. Finding novel therapeutics to combat the deleterious effects of oxidative stress is critical to create better therapeutic strategies for many conditions that have few treatment options. This study used the anoxia-tolerant...
Show moreOxidant stress and injury is inherent in many human diseases such as ischemic vascular and respiratory diseases, heart failure, myocardial infarction, stroke, perinatal and placental insufficiencies, diabetes, cancer, and numerous psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. Finding novel therapeutics to combat the deleterious effects of oxidative stress is critical to create better therapeutic strategies for many conditions that have few treatment options. This study used the anoxia-tolerant fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, to investigate endogenous cellular protection mechanisms and potential interactions to determine their ability to regulate synaptic functional tolerance and cell survival during acute oxidative stress. The Drosophila larval neuromuscular junction (NMJ) was used to analyze synaptic transmission and specific motor axon contributions. Drosophila Schneider 2 (S2) cells were used to assess viability. Acute oxidative stress was induced using p harmacological paradigms that generate physiologically relevant oxidant species: mitochondrial superoxide production induced by sodium azide (NaN3) and hydroxyl radical formation via hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). A combination of genetic and pharmacological approaches were used to explore the hypothesis that endogenous protection mechanisms control cellular responses to stress by manipulating ion channel conductance and neurotransmission. Furthermore, this study analyzed a group of marine natural products, pseudopterosins, to identify compounds capable of modulating synaptic transmission during acute oxidative stress and potential novel neuromodulatory agents.
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Date Issued: 2015
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004487, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004487
Subject Headings: Drosophila melanogaster -- Life cycles, Oxidative stress -- Ecophysiology, Oxidative stress -- Prevention, Protein kinases, Proteins -- Chemical modification
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Neuroprotection during anoxic-stress in Drosophila melanogaster: the role of PKG pathway on protection of function and survival.
Creator: Benasayag Meszaros, Raquel, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
Abstract/Description: Anoxia is characterized by an absence of oxygen supply to a tissue (Dawson- Scully et al., 2010). Unlike humans, Drosophila melanogaster is an organism that can survive low oxygen levels for hours without showing any pathology (Lutz et al., 2003) Under anoxia, the fruit fly loses locomotive activity, resulting in an anoxic coma (Haddad et al., 1997). In this study we investigate the influence of five variables for anoxic tolerance in adult Drosophila: 1) anoxic environment (gas vs. drowning),...
Show moreAnoxia is characterized by an absence of oxygen supply to a tissue (Dawson- Scully et al., 2010). Unlike humans, Drosophila melanogaster is an organism that can survive low oxygen levels for hours without showing any pathology (Lutz et al., 2003) Under anoxia, the fruit fly loses locomotive activity, resulting in an anoxic coma (Haddad et al., 1997). In this study we investigate the influence of five variables for anoxic tolerance in adult Drosophila: 1) anoxic environment (gas vs. drowning), 2) anoxia duration, 3) temperature (cold [3ÀC] or room temperature [21ÀC]), 4) age (young 2-9 days and old 35-39 days), and 5) PKG variation. Tolerance to anoxia is measured by the time of recovery and survival of the fruit fly from the anoxic coma. The results from this study show that short stress, low temperature, young age, and low PKG activity increased anoxic tolerance. Our findings will lay the foundation to investigate different variables, genes or pharmacological compounds that can modulate neuronal anoxic tolerance.
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Date Issued: 2013
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3360743
Subject Headings: Protein kinases, Oxidativie stress, Prevention, Oxidativie stress, Ecophysiology, Drosophila melanogaster, Life cycles
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Effects of parasitism on the reproduction of common snook.
Creator: Young, Joy M., Hughes, Colin, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
Abstract/Description: The effect of parasitism on the individual, and on a population, is one of the least understood and poorly studied areas of fish ecology. Parasites compete for maternal energetic reserves required for the production of viable eggs and offspring; thus parasites can directly influence population dynamics by lowering the number of offspring that survive to produce. The goal of this work was to explore the effect of parasitism on the reproductive potential of fish. Traditional measures of somatic...
Show moreThe effect of parasitism on the individual, and on a population, is one of the least understood and poorly studied areas of fish ecology. Parasites compete for maternal energetic reserves required for the production of viable eggs and offspring; thus parasites can directly influence population dynamics by lowering the number of offspring that survive to produce. The goal of this work was to explore the effect of parasitism on the reproductive potential of fish. Traditional measures of somatic energy reserves and body condition were examined along with newer measures of fatty acids present in eggs to approximate reproductive potential. Eighty female common snook, Centropomus undecimalis, were collected during spawning season (mid April to mid October) from four spawning aggregations along the southeastern coast of Florida and examined for a suite of biological, reproductive, and parasite infection measures. General linear models were used to model somatic indices, body condition, fatty acid composition and the ratios of fatty acids in eggs as a function of parasite infection parameters, host age, capture location, capture month and year. All fish were included in the somatic indices and body condition analysis while a subset of 40 fish were used in the analysis on fatty acid composition and the ratios of fatty acids in eggs.
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Date Issued: 2015
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004424, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004424
Subject Headings: Aquaculture -- Environmental aspects, Centropomus undecimalis -- Physiology, Fish culture -- Health aspects, Fishes -- Ecophysiology, Parasitism, Snook -- Development, Snook -- Physiology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Comparative ecophysiology of bloom-forming macroalgae in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida: Ulva lactuca (Chlorophyta), Hypnea musciformis, and Gracilaria tikvahiae (Rhodophyta).
Creator: Vlaming, Lisa N.A., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
Abstract/Description: Macroalgal blooms are responses to nutrient enrichment in shallow seagrass ecosystems like the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), Florida. Little is known about nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) limitation or the importance of morphological/physiological characteristics of bloom-forming macroalgae (Ulva lactuca, Hypnea musciformis, and Gracilaria tikvahiae) in the IRL. We hypothesized: 1) all species would proliferate in nutrient-rich Titusville, 2) opportunistic U. lactuca would dominate, 3) Rapid...
Show moreMacroalgal blooms are responses to nutrient enrichment in shallow seagrass ecosystems like the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), Florida. Little is known about nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) limitation or the importance of morphological/physiological characteristics of bloom-forming macroalgae (Ulva lactuca, Hypnea musciformis, and Gracilaria tikvahiae) in the IRL. We hypothesized: 1) all species would proliferate in nutrient-rich Titusville, 2) opportunistic U. lactuca would dominate, 3) Rapid Light Curves (RLCs) would assess nutrient status, and 4) nutrient concentrations would regulate growth more than N:P ratios. Field studies showed rapid biomass doubling times of 2 days (U. lactuca; November 2012) in urbanized Titusville. RLCs in a guano-enriched island off Big Pine Key (BPK) and Titusville (Ulva spp.) were similar due to P-saturation. Laboratory studies showed three-fold higher RLCs and two-fold faster growth at high nutrient concentrations of N and P. Reductions of both N and P will be required to moderate future blooms.
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Date Issued: 2013
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/3361257
Subject Headings: Marine algae, Marine algae, Ecophysiology, Marine algae, Adaptation, Algal blooms
Format: Document (PDF)

FAU Theses and Dissertations (10)	+ -
HBOI Faculty Contributions (3)	+ -

Ecophysiology (7)	+ -
Adaptation (Biology) (2)	+ -
Coastal ecology (2)	+ -
Plant ecophysiology (2)	+ -
Protein kinases (2)	+ -

Salt marsh ecology (2)	+ -
Adaptation (1)	+ -
Adaptation (Physiology) (1)	+ -
Algal blooms (1)	+ -
Algal communities--Monitoriing. (1)	+ -
Animal behavior (1)	+ -
Animal ecophysiology (1)	+ -
Aquaculture -- Environmental aspects (1)	+ -
Axinellida (1)	+ -
Brown algae (1)	+ -
Centrarchidae (1)	+ -
Centropomus undecimalis -- Physiology (1)	+ -
Chondrichthyes (1)	+ -
Coastal zone management (1)	+ -
Coral reef ecology. (1)	+ -
Developmental biology (1)	+ -
Drosophila melanogaster (1)	+ -
Drosophila melanogaster -- Life cycles (1)	+ -
Fish culture -- Health aspects (1)	+ -
Fishes -- Ecophysiology (1)	+ -
Florida (1)	+ -
Gene expression (1)	+ -
Genetic regulation (1)	+ -
Hypoxia (Water) (1)	+ -
Jucus roemerianus (1)	+ -

Florida (1)	+ -
Indian River (Fla. : Lagoon) (1)	+ -
Indian River (Lagoon) (1)	+ -

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article (3)	+ -

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