Spring Student Research Symposium 2022
Permanent URI for this communityhttps://hdl.handle.net/1969.6/90409
The purpose of the symposium is to provide students (undergraduate, graduate, postbac) from participating colleges (Science and Engineering, Education and Human Development, Nursing and Health Sciences) with an opportunity to present their research and obtain feedback in preparation for participation in national and international conferences.
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Browsing Spring Student Research Symposium 2022 by Author "Bahr, Keisha D."
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Item A coral’s true colors: Understanding color hues to assess coral health and welfare(2022-04) Herrera, Gabriella; Good, Alexandra M.; Hirota, Alexander; Razal, Catherine; Gaertner, Nicole; Sefcik, Justin; Gilbert, Jesse; Bahr, Keisha D.Coral reefs are one of the most biodiverse and productive ecosystems on Earth and various methods are utilized to monitor and assess coral health. But there is not a standardized method for quantifying coral health for corals held in captivity in zoos and aquariums. Therefore, a health assessment card using coral color to non-invasively monitor coral health was developed with the Texas State Aquarium (TSA). To quantify coral health, individual corals of each species were photographed in a controlled environment to develop color profiles. Simultaneously, nondestructive measurements of “health” were assessed using Pulse- Amplitude Modulation Fluorometry. These photosynthetic efficiency measurements determine how efficiently the symbiotic algae provides energy to the coral host. This project successfully corresponded photosynthetic efficiency to coral color to develop a Coral Health Assessment Card for all species at TSA. By implementing a standardized assessment of coral health, TSA can effectively and rapidly assess the health of their corals improving overall coral wellness. Consequently, the results of this work support TSA’s mission to support wildlife conservation by promoting education and conservation of coastal and marine ecosystems through their interactive exhibits.Item Drifting between two worlds: identifying plankton diversity and abundance in packery channel, Texas(2022-04) Bruce, Morgan N.; Epps, Ashleigh; Bahr, Keisha D.Packery Channel is a eutrophic environment in a small jetty system that allows plankton migration between Corpus Christi Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Plankton are marine organisms that play a critical role as primary food sources for many animals, such as corals. Recently, corals have been found surviving in the dynamic conditions of Packery Channel. However, there has been limited research conducted on plankton abundance and diversity due the channel recently reopening. Therefore, this project aims to identify and quantify the abundance of plankton present in Packery Channel by collecting samples at various tides during the full moon cycle over a year-long period. Plankton nets were towed (phytoplankton = 63 m and zooplankton = 243 m) along a 50-meter transect alternating between the North and South sides of Packery Channel to encompass the whole channel. It is hypothesized that the highest abundance will occur during summer and night periods and the lowest abundance will occur during winter and daytime periods. This is due to the difference in light availability, tide flow, and temperature which has been found to make an impact on plankton. Results from this study indicate the corals within Packery Channel potentially have resources available when under stressful conditions such as limited sunlight. Understanding the seasonal dynamics of plankton within Packery Channel is necessary to expand research within estuarine systems and aid in understanding how corals survive in extreme conditions.Item The effect of thermal stress and nutrient loading on the coral – algal symbiosis in a dominant Hawaiian reef coral(2022-04) Blesa, Victoria; Ruben, Zoe; Rueda, Ignacio; Bahr, Keisha D.Coral reefs are one of the most biodiverse and valuable ecosystems on the planet, and healthy reef systems can sustain a multitude of marine species, defend coastlines from storm surges, and provide employment for people in local communities. The health and prosperity of reef-building corals is largely attributed to the partnership with their algal symbiont, zooxanthellae. A large body of research contributes to understanding how corals and zooxanthellae respond to individual stressors. However, fewer articles clarify how multiple interacting stressors may threaten these ecosystems and disturb corals’ relationship with zooxanthellae. Therefore, this research aims to quantify changes in zooxanthellae density in corals that have been subjected to the interactive effects of thermal stress and nutrient loading. Corals were collected from two sites in Kāne ohe Bay, Hawai i, encompassing a gradient of temperature and nutrient influence. For one month, corals were subjected to four experimental treatments (Control, Heated, Nutrient, Heated + Nutrient). Fragments were collected at the beginning and end of the experiment, flash frozen in liquid nitrogen, and shipped back to TAMU-CC for subsequent analysis. Coral experimentation began with airbrushing the coral tissue to remove it from the skeleton, yielding tissue slurry used for the biological assay. The organic matter was lysed using a tissue homogenizer and then centrifuged to create coral pellets. The biological pellets were then resuspended in the phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and vortexed to create an aliquoted subsample which could then be counted under a microscope using a hemocytometer. Upon analyzing the experimental results, it is hypothesized that the corals that underwent the Heated + Nutrient treatment may be more susceptible to bleaching due to the combined stressors. This study will aid our understanding of how corals in Kāne ohe Bay respond physically to interacting stressorsItem Impact of ocean acidification on montipora capitata growth(2022-04) TenBrink, Eleanor; Tripler, Abigail; McNicholl, Conall; Bahr, Keisha D.In Kāne’ohe Bay Hawai’i, the second most dominant coral species, Montipora capitata is an ecologically important reef building coral that has shown to be resilient to environmental changes. However, ocean acidification may compromise the structural integrity of the coral’s skeleton threatening the species’ resiliency. Therefore, this project will analyze various biological response variables of M. capitata under the stress of ocean acidification (OA). OA is a change in ocean water chemistry due to an increase in atmospheric carbon absorption, which decreases the pH and aragonite saturation state. This also increases the amount of hydrogen ions in the water, which will impact the total alkalinity, or the ability of the water to neutralize ions. Previous research has stated that a lower aragonite saturation state negatively impacts the coral’s ability to calcify under OA conditions. Contrarily, the Proton Flux Hypothesis states that the increase in hydrogen ions limits coral calcification under OA. To better understand coral growth under OA conditions, corals were exposed to a control and 3 experimental treatments varying in pH and total alkalinity levels, over a month-long experiment. Following experimentation, individual biological response variables from each coral will be measured. These variables include the concentrations of chlorophyll and symbiodinium, along with the protein content and changes in the skeletal density of the coral host. It is hypothesized that the combination of low pH and total alkalinity will have a synergistic effect on the coral’s skeletal density. However, the symbiodinium and chlorophyll will experience an antagonistic effect from the changes in water chemistry. The result of this work aims to determine the driving forces behind the dissolution of coral skeletons under OA conditions in order to support the Proton Flux Hypothesis.