Honors Projects for Marine Biology
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Item Effects of Temperature and Nutrient Concentration on Photosynthesis and Growth by Native Alga Microdictyon setchellianum and Invasive Seaweed Eucheuma denticulatum(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2023) Pujol, Beatrice; Smith, Celia; Marine BiologyItem Mysteries of the Musician Seamounts(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2023) Edmonds, Caroline; Watling, Les; Marine BiologyItem QUANTIFYING THE TRANSITION FROM OCCASIONAL TO CHRONIC COASTAL FLOODING(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2023) Leon, Kyra; Thompson, Phil; Marine BiologyItem High lipid diets, both ketogenic and high fat diet, induce osteoporosis yet affect somatic growth differently in a developmental disorder model, the Mexican cavefish.(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2022) Velasquez, Ana; Yoshizawa, Masato; Marine BiologyItem Deletion of Zinc Independent Alternative Ribosomal Proteins in Mycobacterium smegmatis(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2022) Bilog-Mina, Jaymie; Prišić, Sladjana; Marine BiologyItem Promoting Biodiversity in a Pinch: The Influence of a Hawaiian Coastal Refuge on Ghost Crab (Ocypodidae) Size and Density on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi.(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2021) Tritsch, Jessica; Cole, Kathleen; Marine BiologyItem Uncovering the Jewels of Hawaiʻi’s Waters: An Assessment of Sapphirinid Copepod Biodiversity(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2022) Theam, Kristina; Porter, Megan L.; Marine BiologyItem Mottled coloration of encrusting Montipora capitata in Kailua Bay, O‘ahu, HI(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2022) Simpson, Jacquelyn; Hunter, Cynthia; Marine BiologyItem The Effects of Temperature on the Zooxanthellae Density of Sarcothelia edmondsoni in Lanikai, Hawaiʻi(University of Hawai'i at Manoa, 2019) Tansley, Meghann; Hunter, Cynthia; Kelly, Erin; Marine BiologyCoral bleaching events have increased in frequency and severity across the world, causing decreases in coral species and diversity of reef ecosystems, along with other environmental impacts. To help protect and conserve coral reefs around the world, it is crucial to study this phenomenon. The purpose of this study was to better understand the adaptations and traits of S. edmondsoni, in order to better study the native and endemic Hawaiian species. Sarcothelia edmondsoni is a species of Hawaiian octocoral that has not been observed to bleach during warming events, as many other species of corals do. It was hypothesized that this species is more resistant to thermal stressors, which has important biological implications. To observe the effects of changing temperature on small colonies of S. edmondsoni, samples were placed in aquariums with small heaters that were used to manually and steadily increase the temperature of the surrounding water. The density of these zooxanthellae in individual polyps was measured and recorded weekly, along with observational photo-documentation, in order to determine whether or not Sarcothelia edmondsoni appeared to expel their symbionts. By the end of the experiment, husbandry conditions proved to be insufficient to maintain the specimens, even in control tanks, and the data were inconclusive. More research is still needed to further identify the thermal resistance of this species.Item Comparison of normal and abnormal coral tissue using microskeletal traits in massive Porites(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2016-05) Hong, Corinna; Hunter, Cynthia L.; Marine BiologyMassive Porites evermanni and P. lobata colonies in Hawai‘i have historically been observed with demarcated and raised growth anomalies (GAs). Following Hawai‘i’s mass coral bleaching event in September 2014, growth anomalies on P. evermanni and P. lobata colonies in Lanikai became more pronounced. Growth anomalies appear as noticeable masses of enlarged skeleton and tissue with larger and fewer polyps compared to the adjacent normal tissue. Some corallites in the growth anomaly region even contain additional septa. The purpose of this study was to measure corallite size in normal tissue and growth anomaly tissue. P. evermanni and P. lobata skeletons collected in Lanikai were photographed at 18x using a Nikon Coolpix 4500 attached to a stereo microscope. Ten corallites were measured from each sample using 24 X-Y coordinates mapped on landmark skeletal structures relating to septal length and overall corallite size. The ten sets of 24 coordinates were then averaged to obtain the best representation of corallite size for the sample. The morphometrics of the normal skeletons and the GA skeletons were compared using a principle component analysis and a stepwise discriminant analysis. The P. evermanni jackknifed classification matrix correctly classified 71% of GA samples and 84% of normal samples. The P. lobata jackknifed classification matrix correctly classified 77% of GA samples and 87% of normal samples. Results indicate that corallite structures appear to differ between normal and growth anomaly Porites species samples. Future studies should look at how the presence of growth anomalies affects overall colony growth and reproduction.