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Title: Analysis of KED-mediated wound response to biotic stress and mechanical damage in tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum).
Creator: Nifakos, Nicholas, Zhang, Xing-Hai, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Biological Sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: Lysine-rich KED was previously identified from wounded tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) leaves before the alignment of protein sequences between NtKED (Nicotiana tabacum KED) and SlKED (Solanum lycopersicum KED) were discovered to display 55.1% identity. Using previously generated SlKED knockout plants by CRISPR/Cas9, we performed biological assays, to investigate the role of KED in wound response to biotic and abiotic stress. Previous studies implied that the KED gene functions as a role in the...
Show moreLysine-rich KED was previously identified from wounded tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) leaves before the alignment of protein sequences between NtKED (Nicotiana tabacum KED) and SlKED (Solanum lycopersicum KED) were discovered to display 55.1% identity. Using previously generated SlKED knockout plants by CRISPR/Cas9, we performed biological assays, to investigate the role of KED in wound response to biotic and abiotic stress. Previous studies implied that the KED gene functions as a role in the wound-induced mechanism, as well as suggested that it may also function in the plant defense system against biotic stress and insect herbivory. The results from bioassays using tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta) have proven inconclusive thus far. Expression of KED is induced not only by mechanical wounding but also by touching such as brushing the leaves, indicating that this gene is sensitive to subtle environmental signal and may be involved in defense response against abiotic stress. To further investigate the KED gene’s role in the plant defense system, biological assays using both specialist and generalist herbivores, transcription analysis using various phytohormone mutant plants, and Evans blue cellular damage assays were performed. Our findings imply that the KED gene does not seem to have a long-term effect on insect herbivory but may have a shortterm anti-feeding effect against insect herbivores. Results from the Evans blue membrane damage assay indicate the KED gene may provide some benefit to mechanically damaged plants in a short-term period post-wounding of leaf tissues. Using the SlKED knockout as genetic tool, we conclude that this gene does not confer resistance to insect herbivores over a long-term but seems to provide a beneficial defense response in the short-term. Our membrane damage assay results also imply that this gene may be involved in membrane stabilization and repair of cellular damage after mechanical wounding.
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Date Issued: 2022
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014001
Subject Headings: Plant gene expression, Solanum lycopersicum, Tomatoes--Effect of stress on
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: DECIPHERING NEURONAL SIGNALING WITHIN A SINGLE DENDRITIC SPINE IN LONG TERM POTENTIATION.
Creator: Tu, Xun, Yasuda, Ryohei, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Biological Sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: Organization and function of neuronal circuits require not only the interaction between the intrinsic components of the individual neurons but also the synaptic interactions that incorporate them into functional entities. Dendritic spines are the major sites for excitatory synaptic transmission, and are considered as the basic unit of information transfer in nervous system. Structural plasticity of dendritic spines is highly associated with functional plasticity, playing critical roles in...
Show moreOrganization and function of neuronal circuits require not only the interaction between the intrinsic components of the individual neurons but also the synaptic interactions that incorporate them into functional entities. Dendritic spines are the major sites for excitatory synaptic transmission, and are considered as the basic unit of information transfer in nervous system. Structural plasticity of dendritic spines is highly associated with functional plasticity, playing critical roles in learning and memory. Here, we explored mechanisms underlying PKCα and structural plasticity of dendritic spines. We examined the spatiotemporal activation of actin regulators with 2pFLIM, including small GTPases Rac1, Cdc42 and Ras, in the presence or absence of PKCα during single-spine structural plasticity. Removal of PKCα expression in the postsynapse attenuated Rac1 activation during structural plasticity without affecting Ras or Cdc42 activity. Moreover, disruption of a PDZ binding domain within PKCα led to impaired Rac1 activation and deficits in structural spine remodeling. This work described that PKCα regulates the activation of Rac1, but not Ras or Cdc42, during sLTP of dendritic spines, and this modulation relies on PKCα’s PDZ-binding motif.
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Date Issued: 2022
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013974
Subject Headings: Dendritic Spines, Neuronal Plasticity, Long-Term Potentiation
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: POPULATION ECOLOGY AND VITAL RATES OF APPLE SNAILS (POMACEA SPP.) IN WETLANDS.
Creator: Barrus, Nathan T., Dorn, Nathan J., Florida Atlantic University, Department of Biological Sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: In this thesis, I explored the abiotic and biotic factors that explain the variation in reproduction, survival, and individual growth of the Florida Apple Snail (Pomacea paludosa), and I combined reproduction, survival, and individual growth to determine the factors limiting Florida Apple Snail populations. First, I examined how the variation in reproduction of the Florida Apple Snail and another non-native congener (P. maculata) can be explained by depth, temperature, photoperiod, and adult...
Show moreIn this thesis, I explored the abiotic and biotic factors that explain the variation in reproduction, survival, and individual growth of the Florida Apple Snail (Pomacea paludosa), and I combined reproduction, survival, and individual growth to determine the factors limiting Florida Apple Snail populations. First, I examined how the variation in reproduction of the Florida Apple Snail and another non-native congener (P. maculata) can be explained by depth, temperature, photoperiod, and adult densities. I also examined how metaphyton total phosphorus (TP) influenced individual growth rates of both species. I found that P. paludosa optimally reproduce in shallower water than P. maculata, that both species respond positively to increased metaphyton TP, and that P. paludosa respond weaker to variation in metaphtyon TP than P. maculata. Then, I examined individual growth across seasons, and examined how size-dependent survival varied across seasons in and out of the presence predators. I also investigated predators that strongly influence survival rates. I found that individual growth was slower in the dry season than the wet season, that survival was not size-dependent nor seasonal when predators were excluded from cages, and that survival was size-dependent in the dry season but not the wet season when in the presence of predators. Greater Sirens and Giant Water Bugs were found to be strong predators of P. paludosa < 10 mm Shell Length (SL), Greater Siren and Giant Water Bugs seasonal abundances were responsible for the differences in size-dependent survival across seasons. Finally, I incorporated differences in ideal hydrological and temperature conditions for reproduction, seasonal differences in individual growth, and changes in survival in and out of the presence of predators onto a zero-population growth isocline. I found that optimal hydrological and temperature conditions, and increased growth in the dry season, could not make up for losses of snails < 10 mm SL by predators which suggested that predators are limiting P. paludosa populations in our study area.
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Date Issued: 2022
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013919
Subject Headings: Florida applesnail, Population ecology, Everglades (Fla.)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The physiological effects of Sargassum beach coverage on three species of sea turtle hatchlings.
Creator: Chaney, Abigail, Milton, Sarah L., Florida Atlantic University, Department of Biological Sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: Sea turtle hatchlings face a variety of obstacles as they crawl down the beach to the ocean after emergence. One of these obstacles is Sargassum, a floating brown macroalgae, that washes up in large quantities on beaches from Florida to South America. This study examined the physiological response and physical performance of three species of sea turtle hatchlings (D. coriacea, C. caretta, and C. mydas) after crawling over various heights of Sargassum. In all three species, the addition of...
Show moreSea turtle hatchlings face a variety of obstacles as they crawl down the beach to the ocean after emergence. One of these obstacles is Sargassum, a floating brown macroalgae, that washes up in large quantities on beaches from Florida to South America. This study examined the physiological response and physical performance of three species of sea turtle hatchlings (D. coriacea, C. caretta, and C. mydas) after crawling over various heights of Sargassum. In all three species, the addition of Sargassum significantly increased the amount of time it took to crawl down the pathway. There was no significant difference in righting response, blood glucose levels, or plasma corticosterone concentrations between different crawling treatments. During periods of high Sargassum accumulation, hatchlings will spend more time on the beach trying to navigate through the algae, leaving them vulnerable to predation for longer periods of time.
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Date Issued: 2022
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013939
Subject Headings: Sea turtles, Sargassum, Sea turtles--Ecology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: INFLUENCE OF HYDROLOGICAL VARIATION ON WADING BIRD DIETS AND REPRODUCTION IN A LACUSTRINE WETLAND.
Creator: Essian, David A., Gawlik, Dale E., Florida Atlantic University, Department of Biological Sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: Wetlandscape topography creates spatial variation in hydroperiod, which in turn creates spatial variation in biotic communities. Such spatiotemporal variation occurs on a large scale in some of the most productive wetlands in the world, including those of south Florida, U.S.A. Wading birds (Pelicaniformes and Ciconiiformes) are iconic, top-level consumers of such ecosystems. Infrequent drying is necessary to maintain the primary nest substrate (Salix caroliniana), and prey availability is...
Show moreWetlandscape topography creates spatial variation in hydroperiod, which in turn creates spatial variation in biotic communities. Such spatiotemporal variation occurs on a large scale in some of the most productive wetlands in the world, including those of south Florida, U.S.A. Wading birds (Pelicaniformes and Ciconiiformes) are iconic, top-level consumers of such ecosystems. Infrequent drying is necessary to maintain the primary nest substrate (Salix caroliniana), and prey availability is regulated by production of prey biomass in the wet season and the subsequent concentration of prey biomass into shallow pools during the dry season. The goal of this dissertation was to explicitly model wading bird nest abundance and survival as functions of water-level fluctuations, which were spatially nested (i.e., the effects of water-level fluctuations that occurred over a large scale were measured separately from the effects of water-level fluctuations that occurred over a small scale). In Chapter 2, I modeled colony-specific effects of wetlandscape water level fluctuations on wading bird nest abundance. Modeling the response at the colony level allowed the inclusion of important parameters that cannot be measured at the wetlandscape scale. For instance, each colony had its own optimal range of lake stage, which depended on local topography. I used the models to predict cumulative nest abundance under six hydrologic scenarios that were based on potential water management actions at Lake Okeechobee. I found that increasing water levels at the lake would marginally benefit the Great Egret but would substantially reduce long-term Snowy Egret and White Ibis populations. In Chapter 3, I modelled spatiotemporal distributions of fish biomass density in Lake Okeechobee’s littoral zone as a function of hierarchically nested hydrological variables. These models were consistent with the dynamic landscape connectivity model previously described in the literature. I modified the models to predict a binomial response which could then be linked to wading bird foraging threshold. The model predictions were used to estimate the number of available patch days during the breeding season, which was highly correlated with the number of nests for the great egret (Ardea alba), the snowy egret (Egretta thula), and the white ibis (Eudocimus albus). In Chapter 4, I used spatial statistics to better understand how interannual variability in resource wave patterns in the littoral zone influenced wading bird nest abundance. I found that more birds nested in years when the drying edge of the marsh moved further across the landscape. Great egret nest survival increased also, but small heron nest survival decreased. This decrease was likely because small herons continued to nest late into the season in years with longer waves, and, as with most bird species, nests that are initiated later in the season. In Chapter 5, I compiled conventional nestling diet data from 5 wading bird species sampled in 4 wetland types from 2010 to 2020 (not every wetland type was sampled in every year). This chapter provides a comprehensive, broad description of wading bird diets in south Florida, and quantifies interspecies, spatial, and interannual variation in nestling diets. By using a model-based approach to quantify the relative biomass of prey species and prey traits in nestling diets, I provide the first diet analysis that is fully reproducible across the large sympatric range of the wading bird species in the study (great egret, snowy egret, tricolored heron [Egretta tricolor], little blue heron [Egretta caerulea], and wood stork [Mycteria americana]).
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Date Issued: 2022
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013908
Subject Headings: Wading birds, Wetland ecology, Okeechobee, Lake (Fla.), Lacustrine ecology, Lake ecology--Florida.
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: MULTIPLE ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS PRODUCE HIGH HATCHING AND EMERGENCE SUCCESS IN NORTHWEST ATLANTIC LOGGERHEADS (CARETTA CARETTA).
Creator: Gravelle, Jessica, Wyneken, Jeanette, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Biological Sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: Sea turtle nest success, defined as the number of eggs in a nest that successfully hatch and emerge, is closely linked to environmental conditions. Interacting biotic and abiotic factors influence hatching and hatchling emergence success. To date, combinations of multiple factors interacting together, which result in highly successful sea turtle nests are not well understood. Using 25-years of historic nest data and local expert experience, I identified five historically successful loggerhead...
Show moreSea turtle nest success, defined as the number of eggs in a nest that successfully hatch and emerge, is closely linked to environmental conditions. Interacting biotic and abiotic factors influence hatching and hatchling emergence success. To date, combinations of multiple factors interacting together, which result in highly successful sea turtle nests are not well understood. Using 25-years of historic nest data and local expert experience, I identified five historically successful loggerhead (Caretta caretta) nesting beaches (hotspots) along the Florida (USA) Atlantic coast and measured nest environments along with nest success. Principal component analysis was used to reduce 12 environmental variables so that the relative contributions of sand characteristics, nest temperature, sand moisture, and nest location were considered. The nest environments differed among nesting beaches and were broadly segregated into two distinct climates: subtropical (hot and humid) and warm-temperate (warm and dry). I found that nests at subtropical sites, compared with the warm-temperate sites, were characterized by environmental gradients in contrasting ways. Nest locations were predominantly mid-beach in subtropical sites but clustered at higher elevations and closer to the base of the dune at warm-temperate climate sites. Collectively, highly successful nest hotspots represent a mosaic of abiotic factors providing conditions that promote successful hatching and emergence. This new perspective on consistently successful loggerhead nesting beach traits demonstrate that the key traits of sea turtle nesting habitat vary with prevailing climate type and should be managed accordingly.
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Date Issued: 2022
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013900
Subject Headings: Loggerhead turtle--Florida, Sea turtles--Nests, Caretta caretta, Sea turtles--Habitat--Conservation
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: SCLERACTINIAN CORAL COMMUNITY DEMOGRAPHICS AND RECRUITMENT PATTERNS IN SOUTHEAST FLORIDA.
Creator: Haymaker, Caroline, Voss, Joshua D., Florida Atlantic University, Department of Biological Sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: Quantifying and understanding coral community dynamics, including recruitment, is critical for developing effective ecosystem management strategies, particularly in areas that have experienced significant coral losses such as Southeast Florida’s Kristin Jacobs Coral Reef Ecosystem Conservation Area. While several federal, state, and regional efforts effectively track annual changes in juvenile and adult coral colonies, few coral reef monitoring programs are designed to track new coral...
Show moreQuantifying and understanding coral community dynamics, including recruitment, is critical for developing effective ecosystem management strategies, particularly in areas that have experienced significant coral losses such as Southeast Florida’s Kristin Jacobs Coral Reef Ecosystem Conservation Area. While several federal, state, and regional efforts effectively track annual changes in juvenile and adult coral colonies, few coral reef monitoring programs are designed to track new coral recruitment. This study’s aims were to assess potential differences in community composition of adult and recruit stony corals in southeast Florida using phototransects, and to test the efficacy of eDNA approaches for monitoring coral recruitment. Replicate phototransects demonstrated significant differences in recruit density and community composition across sites. This photogrammetry approach was more applicable than eDNA and indicates that site specific management and restoration strategies in a regional context may be warranted for the study area.
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Date Issued: 2022
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013946
Subject Headings: Corals--Florida, Scleractinia, Coral communities, Photogrammetry
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: NESTING AND IN-WATER HABITAT-USE OF LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLES (CARETTA CARETTA) AT A GLOBALLY IMPORTANT ROOKERY IN SOUTHEAST FLORIDA, USA.
Creator: Hirsch, Sarah, Wyneken, Jeanette, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Biological Sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: Despite decades of conservation efforts, population recovery remains elusive for the loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) nesting in Florida, the largest aggregation globally. Limited studies exist regarding reproductive strategies and in-water habitat use of loggerheads in southeastern Florida. I used satellite telemetry to track the movements of 17 nesting loggerheads on Juno and Jupiter Beaches during the 2020 and 2021 nesting seasons. The majority of females displayed high nest-site...
Show moreDespite decades of conservation efforts, population recovery remains elusive for the loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) nesting in Florida, the largest aggregation globally. Limited studies exist regarding reproductive strategies and in-water habitat use of loggerheads in southeastern Florida. I used satellite telemetry to track the movements of 17 nesting loggerheads on Juno and Jupiter Beaches during the 2020 and 2021 nesting seasons. The majority of females displayed high nest-site fidelity. Inter-nesting intervals ranged from 10–19 days and were negatively correlated with water temperatures. Core inter-nesting areas ranged from 3.7–805.8 km2 and were located a mean 1.6 km from land. Mean clutch frequency was 5.9 nests/female, the highest reported for any loggerhead population worldwide. These findings suggest the number of females in the southeastern Florida population may be over-estimated due to an underestimated clutch frequency. Protective measures should target high-use coastal areas to maximize conservation benefits.
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Date Issued: 2022
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013882
Subject Headings: Loggerhead sea turtles, Loggerhead turtle--Florida, Turtles--Conservation, Biotelemetry
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: FORAGING ECOLOGY OF A WADING BIRD IN TIDALLY INFLUENCED HABITATS: A SEQUENTIAL MODELING FRAMEWORK.
Creator: Martinez, Marisa Takada, Gawlik, Dale E., Florida Atlantic University, Department of Biological Sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: I used empirical data to inform spatially- and temporally-explicit predictions of time-integrated habitat availability (TiHAB), quantify spatiotemporal patterns of resource selection by Little Blue Herons (Egretta caerulea), and evaluate foraging activity as function of resource availability and prey dynamics. Evaluating resource availability over time accounts for the magnitude and duration of resource change. This approach is useful for understanding mechanisms that underlie resource...
Show moreI used empirical data to inform spatially- and temporally-explicit predictions of time-integrated habitat availability (TiHAB), quantify spatiotemporal patterns of resource selection by Little Blue Herons (Egretta caerulea), and evaluate foraging activity as function of resource availability and prey dynamics. Evaluating resource availability over time accounts for the magnitude and duration of resource change. This approach is useful for understanding mechanisms that underlie resource selection in dynamic environments and for guilds that are sensitive to changes in prey availability like wading birds. I found that average TiHAB varied interannually whereby gains and losses in Little Blue Heron foraging habitat at the landscape scale (1-8 km) occurred from slight differences in annual tidal cycles otherwise imperceptible with water depth data alone. Local patterns of resource selection by Little Blue Herons were temporally consistent but spatially variable across tidally influenced environments. TiHAB was the most important habitat attribute over time and space and was superior to other environmental features and prey density as a predictor of Little Blue Heron resource selection. Foraging activity did not show a clear association with probability of resource selection, but foraging metrics were best described by changes in TiHAB consistent with changes in foraging strategy. I conclude that spatiotemporal variation in resource availability reliably predicts patterns of dynamic habitat selection and supports an energy-maximizing foraging strategy for wading birds in tidally influenced habitats. This modeling framework can be applied to quantify the spatiotemporal availability of resources in real-time or under hydrologic restoration regimes and sea level rise scenarios, and track species responses to hydrologic and other environmental fluctuations.
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Date Issued: 2022
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013925
Subject Headings: Ecology, Herons, Wading birds, Ecological modelling
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: EVOLVING RESPONSE OF THE WOOD STORK (MYCTERIA AMERICANA) TO URBANIZATION AND HYDROLOGICAL CHANGE IN THE UNITED STATES.
Creator: Shlepr, Katherine R., Gawlik, Dale E., Milton, Sarah L., Florida Atlantic University, Department of Biological Sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: Urbanization and land development, climate change, pollution, the spread of invasive species, and sea level rise are unprecedented challenges that have led to 25% of avian species worldwide facing an elevated risk of extinction. Under rapidly changing environmental conditions, traditional population models are not ideal because they typically assume that demographic parameters are static in order to estimate the probability of species extinction over a chosen timeframe. This assumption...
Show moreUrbanization and land development, climate change, pollution, the spread of invasive species, and sea level rise are unprecedented challenges that have led to 25% of avian species worldwide facing an elevated risk of extinction. Under rapidly changing environmental conditions, traditional population models are not ideal because they typically assume that demographic parameters are static in order to estimate the probability of species extinction over a chosen timeframe. This assumption disregards species’ potential to adapt to environmental change; adaptations which could alter not only a species’ extinction outlook but also its legal protection status. The goal of my PhD research is to re-evaluate the risk of extinction of one threatened species, the Wood Stork (Mycteria americana), by accounting for potential adaptation in the context of planned and predicted changes in the southeastern United States. Since the 1970s, Wood Storks have shifted the timing of their breeding season, expanded their range northward and into novel habitats in urban areas, and begun consuming non-native fishes. I investigate these observations by comparing the physiology and diet of Wood Storks nesting in the historical core of their U.S. range (tree islands in the flooded Everglades marsh) with storks occupying novel habitats in urban and temperate locations. Faster growth rate, improved body condition, and increased survival by nestlings in urban areas would be evidence that colonies on the leading edge of the species’ range may be capable of sustaining growth of the whole population. In a third and final chapter, I forecast nest abundance and distribution patterns in the entirety of the U.S. range given various hydrological scenarios. Increased Wood Stork population size and stability are recovery criteria which must be met before the species can qualify for removal from the federal Endangered Species List. More broadly, understanding Wood Stork response to human development in the Everglades illuminates general patterns in avian species response to extreme changes in landscape, and could serve as a framework for proactively incorporating evolutionary potential into the framework of Endangered Species Act recovery in other species which have a high adaptive capacity.
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Date Issued: 2022
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013916
Subject Headings: Wood stork, Urbanization, Adaptation (Biology), Wildlife conservation
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Optogenetic dissection of dopamine subpopulations in Drosophila reveals interplay between reward and aversion.
Creator: Alshakarchi, Zainab, Duboue, Erik, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Biological Sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: Dopamine is an essential component in the neural pathway for attractive and aversive behavior. Dopaminergic (DA) neurons are known to have a key role in neurotransmission which can result in the modulation of different behaviors as well as the manifestation of different mental health disorders. Drosophila share similar genetics that are associated with several neurodegenerative diseases and disorders in humans. Furthermore, previous studies have shown conservation of DA neurons between humans...
Show moreDopamine is an essential component in the neural pathway for attractive and aversive behavior. Dopaminergic (DA) neurons are known to have a key role in neurotransmission which can result in the modulation of different behaviors as well as the manifestation of different mental health disorders. Drosophila share similar genetics that are associated with several neurodegenerative diseases and disorders in humans. Furthermore, previous studies have shown conservation of DA neurons between humans and Drosophila which facilitate research using Drosophila as a model organism. In this study, we initially developed and tested a novel optogenetics system, which targeted neurons with spatial specificity, that activated or inhibited neurons through channelrhodopsin microbial opsins that are sensitive to red light. This system was then used to investigate the DA subsets that mediate attractive and aversive behavior. The activation of PPL1 clusters mostly resulted in aversive behavior as aligned with the literature, however activation of clusters with output neurons (PPL1 & PAM) concluded with different results.
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Date Issued: 2021
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013868
Subject Headings: Drosophila, Dopaminergic Neurons, Optogenetics
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: SPATIAL ECOLOGY OF BOBCATS (LYNX RUFUS) ON EVERGLADES TREE ISLANDS.
Creator: Buckman, Katherine, Dom, Nathan, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Biological Sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: Bobcats (Lynx rufos) that inhabit tree islands of the Everglades, an expansive wetland in southern Florida. Bobcats are understudied in Florida and wetland ecosystems, and my objective was to identify factors driving their use of tree islands. I hypothesized that tree island size, distance between islands, and clusters of islands might influence occupancy. Additionally, I tested for effects of water levels and the Burmese Python invasion on bobcat occupancy. I built detection histories using...
Show moreBobcats (Lynx rufos) that inhabit tree islands of the Everglades, an expansive wetland in southern Florida. Bobcats are understudied in Florida and wetland ecosystems, and my objective was to identify factors driving their use of tree islands. I hypothesized that tree island size, distance between islands, and clusters of islands might influence occupancy. Additionally, I tested for effects of water levels and the Burmese Python invasion on bobcat occupancy. I built detection histories using 1,855 bobcat images from camera traps set on 87 tree islands in a -2,350 km2 managed conservation area from 2005-2019 and tested hypotheses about bobcat use relative to habitat and hydrologic covariates. Bobcat occupancy was significantly diminished when Burmese python densities exceeded 2.5 pythons/km2• Occupancy probability also increased with increasing densities of tree islands around the focal island. Effects of high water levels were less clear, but suggested a slight reduction in island occupancy with deeper water in the surrounding wetlands. My results suggest that managing for high tree island density and low densities of Burmese pythons will have stronger effects on bobcat habitat use than specific water levels.
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Date Issued: 2021
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013846
Subject Headings: Lynx rufus, Bobcat, Spatial ecology, Everglades (Fla.)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: EFFECTS OF ANTHROPOGENIC NOISE ON COGNITION AND GROWTH IN THE ZEBRA FINCH (TAENIOPYGIA GUTTATA).
Creator: Daria, Charlie, Anderson, Rindy, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Biological Sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: Urban noise is common in anthropogenic environments and impacts behavior and health in wildlife. Noise has been shown to negatively affect cognitive processes such as attention and memory in animals. Cognition is tightly linked with the survival of an organism and so urban noise can potentially hinder cognitive processes and the subsequent survival of the organism. I split my thesis into two experiments: (1) I tested if urban noise impacts avian cognitive performance by testing adult zebra...
Show moreUrban noise is common in anthropogenic environments and impacts behavior and health in wildlife. Noise has been shown to negatively affect cognitive processes such as attention and memory in animals. Cognition is tightly linked with the survival of an organism and so urban noise can potentially hinder cognitive processes and the subsequent survival of the organism. I split my thesis into two experiments: (1) I tested if urban noise impacts avian cognitive performance by testing adult zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata), a songbird, on several cognition tasks in the presence or absence of urban noise playback. I found that urban noise reduces cognitive performance in a novel foraging task, but not in color association or spatial memory tasks. (2) I tested if urban noise impacts growth and cognitive development by examining adult zebra finches in a variety of cognition tasks after exposing them to urban noise, pink noise, or no noise during their first 90 days of life. I took measurements of wing chord, tarsus length, mass, and bill ornamentation, to test for effects of urban noise on development. I found no evidence that urban noise exposure during development affects cognitive performance in adulthood. I found some evidence that urban noise exposure during development affects bill ornamentation, but not measures of growth. Together, these results suggest that urban noise exposure can have immediate effects on cognitive performance, but I found little evidence that chronic noise exposure during development can have long-term effects in the zebra finch.
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Date Issued: 2021
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013830
Subject Headings: Zebra finch, City noise, Anthropogenic effects on nature
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Movement Ecology and Hematology of the Florida East Coast Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin tequesta) in the Central Indian River Lagoon.
Creator: Herr, Jeffrey Swersie, Moore, Jon A., Florida Atlantic University, Department of Biological Sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: Diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) are an exclusively brackish water turtle found along the east coast of the United States. Very little is known about the Florida east coast diamondback terrapin (M. t. tequesta). This study examined wild terrapins in the central Indian River Lagoon to establish baseline population parameters for the species in this region. Morphometrics were assessed for the sampled animals, reinforcing findings of sexual dimorphism for the species. Acoustic...
Show moreDiamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) are an exclusively brackish water turtle found along the east coast of the United States. Very little is known about the Florida east coast diamondback terrapin (M. t. tequesta). This study examined wild terrapins in the central Indian River Lagoon to establish baseline population parameters for the species in this region. Morphometrics were assessed for the sampled animals, reinforcing findings of sexual dimorphism for the species. Acoustic monitoring was used to investigate terrapin occupancy and habitat use. Occupancy differed seasonally, with the highest occupancy in the summer and fall, lower occupancy in the spring, and the lowest occupancy in the winter. Terrapins were detected most commonly and spent a high percentage of their time in the southern portion of the study site. Reference blood chemistry values were established for the population. This study provided baseline information on a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Florida.
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Date Issued: 2021
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013863
Subject Headings: Diamondback terrapin--Ecology, Indian River (Fla. : Lagoon), Diamondback terrapin--Conservation
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: FINE-SCALE MOVEMENT PATTERNS OF THE BLACKTIP SHARK AT A MIGRATION TERMINUS.
Creator: Stolee, Ryan, Kajiura, Stephen, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Biological Sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: Many marine species make use of the expanse of the ocean by traveling great distances to fulfill life history requirements. The blacktip shark, Carcharhinus limbatus, is a medium sized species associated near the coast found circumglobally in temperate waters. In the northwestern Atlantic Ocean, blacktips migrate in large aggregations along the eastern coast of the United States annually from the Carolinas in the summer months to a terminus in southeastern Florida in the winter. What daily...
Show moreMany marine species make use of the expanse of the ocean by traveling great distances to fulfill life history requirements. The blacktip shark, Carcharhinus limbatus, is a medium sized species associated near the coast found circumglobally in temperate waters. In the northwestern Atlantic Ocean, blacktips migrate in large aggregations along the eastern coast of the United States annually from the Carolinas in the summer months to a terminus in southeastern Florida in the winter. What daily movement patterns these adult sharks undergo during their multi-month residency at this southern terminus has largely been unquantified. I employed fin-mounted accelerometer tag packages to record high-resolution data from multiple blacktip sharks (n=8) during their winter residency in southeast Florida. Diel variation in behavior through depth range and the swimming kinematics were analyzed, while pseudo tracks were reconstructed to visually inspect post-release movement. Depth did not show significant variation between diel periods using a mixed model, with individual mean depths ranging from 1.43 – 39.20 m. Velocity was lower than expected for comparative studies of sharks, where overall mean values ranged from 0.15 – 0.93 m s-1. Diel period velocity comparison was also found to be insignificant. Tail beat frequency was found to have a group mean of 0.72 Hz, similar to other studies using different methods of the same population. The subset of tags analyzed for pseudo tracks (n=3) showed a swim away from the catch event towards the east. This data adds to the knowledge of blacktip shark movement, and contributes to the baseline comprehension of a population that is an important coastal fisheries species.
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Date Issued: 2021
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013859
Subject Headings: Blacktip shark, Movement
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: GENOTYPIC SPERM SORTING: A less invasive “ART” to prevent Genetic Disorders in Newborns.
Creator: Adenmosun, Olumide O., Kumi-Diaka, James, Asghar, Waseem, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Biological Sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: Genetic disorders like Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and X-linked Diseases (XLD) are inherited by offspring from parents who are healthy carriers of the autosomal recessive or allosomal genes. About 10-million Americans are healthy carriers of a mutant cysticfibrosis gene (predominantly F508del) and about 4% of newborns are at risk of being born with an X-linked disease. The current clinically approved mitigation plan for preventing genetic disorders in newborns from “at-risk couples” is to consider...
Show moreGenetic disorders like Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and X-linked Diseases (XLD) are inherited by offspring from parents who are healthy carriers of the autosomal recessive or allosomal genes. About 10-million Americans are healthy carriers of a mutant cysticfibrosis gene (predominantly F508del) and about 4% of newborns are at risk of being born with an X-linked disease. The current clinically approved mitigation plan for preventing genetic disorders in newborns from “at-risk couples” is to consider Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Monogenetic diseases (PGT-M). PGT-M involves an invasive microsurgical procedure that requires the removal of cells from 3-5day old embryos. To minimize this invasiveness, we proposed a less invasive approach to prevent genetic disorders in newborns by genotypically sorting sperm cells which may be used for fertilization events (IUI/IVF/ICSI) with specially characterized antigens on the sperm surface membrane. For the disease models being adopted in our study – CF and XLD; we utilized certain monoclonal antibodies (mab) to target the H-Y male antigen and the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) protein which are both selectively expressed on the sperm surface.
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Date Issued: 2021
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013805
Subject Headings: Genetic disorders--Prevention, Genetic Testing, Reproductive technology, Cystic fibrosis
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: THE IMPACT OF NUTRIENT LOADING ON THE SOIL AND ROOT RESPIRATION RATES OF FLORIDA MANGROVES.
Creator: Faron, Natalie Therese, Benscoter, Brian, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Biological Sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: Coastal nutrient loading is a growing concern in urbanized communities and has led to alterations in above- and belowground processes throughout estuarine systems. Mangrove forests are highly productive coastal habitats that exhibit large carbon stocks contained mostly to the deep soils. Since nutrient enrichment has been found to increase mangrove aboveground growth, it’s presumed that nutrient enrichment will also increase belowground respiration rates. Disturbances in soil nutrient content...
Show moreCoastal nutrient loading is a growing concern in urbanized communities and has led to alterations in above- and belowground processes throughout estuarine systems. Mangrove forests are highly productive coastal habitats that exhibit large carbon stocks contained mostly to the deep soils. Since nutrient enrichment has been found to increase mangrove aboveground growth, it’s presumed that nutrient enrichment will also increase belowground respiration rates. Disturbances in soil nutrient content may alter the mangrove carbon cycle by increasing the amount of CO2 lost to the atmosphere from enhanced microbial and root respiration. In this study, soil respiration responded greatest to nitrogen enrichment, but pneumatophore root respiration responded greatest to phosphorus enrichment. Nutrient limitation can shift between different ecological processes and responses to nutrient enrichment tend to be system specific in tidally influenced ecosystems. Understanding the implications of coastal nutrient loading will improve ecosystem models of carbon exchange and belowground processes.
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Date Issued: 2021
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013767
Subject Headings: Mangrove forests, Soil respiration, Carbon cycle (Biogeochemistry)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Effects of Serotonin Modulation on Methionine Sulfoxide Reductase Deficient Drosophila melanogaster.
Creator: Hamadeh, Ali, Binninger, David, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Biological Sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: Methionine sulfoxide reductase (MSR) is an important antioxidant to help mitigate oxidative stress that contributes to age-associated neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease. In MSR deficient Drosophila melanogaster (fruit flies), larvae show a developmental delay like that seen when wild-type larvae are reared on nutrient deficit culture medium. These investigators further showed that serotonin levels were depressed in these nutrient deficient larvae....
Show moreMethionine sulfoxide reductase (MSR) is an important antioxidant to help mitigate oxidative stress that contributes to age-associated neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease. In MSR deficient Drosophila melanogaster (fruit flies), larvae show a developmental delay like that seen when wild-type larvae are reared on nutrient deficit culture medium. These investigators further showed that serotonin levels were depressed in these nutrient deficient larvae. The overarching aim of this study was to better understand the role of serotonin in MSR regulated physiology. Supplementing food with serotonin partially rescued the slower mouth hook movements (MHM) observed in the MSR-deficient flies. However, supplementation with serotonin altering drugs that cross the blood brain barrier (5-hydroxytryptophan, fluoxetine, or paravi chlorophenylalanine) did not rescue MHM and caused impairments to the growth of larvae during development. This study indicates that serotonin regulates feeding behavior partially through the regulation of MSR production but acts independently to regulate development.
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Date Issued: 2021
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013761
Subject Headings: Drosophila melanogaster, Methionine sulfoxide reductase, Serotonin
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: THE CONTRIBUTION OF SOMATOSTATIN-EXPRESSING (SOM+) INTERNEURONS TO THE PTEN MODEL OF AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER.
Creator: Holford, Timothy W., Bolton, M. McLean, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Biological Sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex disorder with large individual variability, where every case has differences in the type and severity of symptoms. Despite the recent increase in diagnoses, scientists have advanced considerably less in their understanding of the mechanisms of ASD because few individual genes that are implicated in ASD are mutated in much more than 1% of patients. One proposed mechanism is that the dysfunction of GABAergic interneurons may play a role in the...
Show moreAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex disorder with large individual variability, where every case has differences in the type and severity of symptoms. Despite the recent increase in diagnoses, scientists have advanced considerably less in their understanding of the mechanisms of ASD because few individual genes that are implicated in ASD are mutated in much more than 1% of patients. One proposed mechanism is that the dysfunction of GABAergic interneurons may play a role in the development and progression of the disorder by interrupting the excitatory and inhibitory balance of neural networks. In our research, we elucidate the role of one class of interneurons in ASD by knocking out a high-risk gene (phosphatase and tensin homologue on chromosome ten, or PTEN) selectively in somatostatinexpressing (SOM+) interneurons. Since many symptoms of autism spectrum disorder present themselves as social anxieties, we test our mouse model in a variety of settings to observe social interaction and social preference, anxiety-like behavior, and repetitive stereotyped behavior. We found that in the SOM+ conditional knockout of PTEN, mice had elevated levels of anxiety and fear recall, suggesting a potential disruption of amygdala function. We then investigated potential dysfunction at the cellular and circuit levels using confocal microscopy, electrophysiology, and 2P local circuit mapping. We found that SOM+ cells lacking PTEN were overgrown morphologically, with larger cell bodies and larger, more complex dendritic arbors. Additionally, SOM+ cells in the central amygdala (CeA) lacking PTEN had elevated levels of excitatory drive from the basolateral amygdala (BLA) as well as a drastic disruption of lateral inhibition within the CeA, seen by decreased connection probability and reduced inhibitory post synaptic currents. Given what is known about central amygdala circuitry, these deficits in CeA SOM+ neuron activity conceivably underlie the fear and anxiety-related phenotype observed in mice with a conditional SOM+ PTEN knockout.
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Date Issued: 2021
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013775
Subject Headings: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Somatostatin, Interneurons, Amygdala
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: FIRE BEHAVIOR ACROSS A VEGETATION GRADIENT AND PEAT COMBUSTION VULNERABILITY IN SOUTH FLORIDA.
Creator: Jensen, Kevin, Benscoter, Brian, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Biological Sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: Fire is a tool to reduce fuel and restore ecosystems but poses a risk of peat combustion that temporally restricts managers. Studies indicate that fires may be prescribed with a water table lower than the peat surface, but are based on locations with different peat properties or assumed heat inputs. The goal of this research is to quantify peat surface heating during a passing fire and the heat required to ignite peat under lowered water tables. This study used temperature probes at two...
Show moreFire is a tool to reduce fuel and restore ecosystems but poses a risk of peat combustion that temporally restricts managers. Studies indicate that fires may be prescribed with a water table lower than the peat surface, but are based on locations with different peat properties or assumed heat inputs. The goal of this research is to quantify peat surface heating during a passing fire and the heat required to ignite peat under lowered water tables. This study used temperature probes at two heights to quantify peat surface heating during a prescribed fire and a manipulative experiment to quantify the effects of water table recession on peat properties important for predicting ignition. The soil surface experienced 87% of the flaming heat in sawgrass dominated areas. The heat required to ignite the peat surface was significantly correlated with the water table depth. This provides managers greater opportunity for prescribing fire.
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Date Issued: 2021
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013780
Subject Headings: Fires, Fire ecology, Peat--Combustion, Prescribed burning
Format: Document (PDF)

FAU Theses and Dissertations (414)	+ -
FAU College Collections (7)	+ -

Cellular signal transduction (31)	+ -
Predation (Biology) (30)	+ -
Drosophila melanogaster (17)	+ -
Adaptation (Biology) (16)	+ -
Wetland ecology (14)	+ -

Animal behavior (13)	+ -
Ecology (13)	+ -
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Cellular signal transduction. (8)	+ -
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Social behavior in animals (8)	+ -
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Behavior (7)	+ -
Biochemical markers (7)	+ -
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Indian River (Fla. : Lagoon) (2)	+ -
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