• Characterization of an induced morphological defense in the Eastern Oyster Crassostrea virginica 

  Scherer, Avery E. (2017-05)

  To reduce their risk of consumption, many prey species use plastic defenses that are employed in situations where predators pose high risk of injury or death. By modifying prey traits, predators often exert strong influence ...

• Will small diversions of freshwater inflow affect water quality? 

  Olson, Cheyanne Marie (2017-05)

  Freshwater inflow is a vital component of an estuary, as several ecological relationships exist between the level of inflow and aspects of estuary function. For future management, it is necessary to know how diversions of ...

• Understanding species diversity of the amphidromous Indopacific goby genus Stiphodon (Gobiidae: sicydiinae) 

  Lor, Yer (2016-08)

  Gobies constitute a great majority of fishes seen in oceanic island fish communities. Of particular interest in these communities are the amphidromous gobies of the subfamily Sicydiinae. Adult gobies spawn upstream in ...

• Respiratory physiology of belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) 

  Epple, Alexandra L. (2016-08)

  Though cetaceans withstand long periods of apnea and exhibit short respiratory exchange periods, many of the fundamental physiological mechanisms underlying cetacean respiration are unknown. This study examined respiratory ...

• Comparison of airborne surveying techniques for mapping submerged objects in shallow water 

  Nazeri, Behrokh (2016-08)

  In this study, bathymetric lidar, high resolution aerial imagery, and hyperspatial resolution imagery collected from a small unmanned aircraft system (UAS) were examined in order to delineate submerged objects in shallow ...

• Reproduction and Diet of Red Snapper Lutjanus campechanus on Natural and Artificial Reefs in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico 

  Downey, Charles H. (2016-12)

  Energy exploration in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) has resulted in the addition of numerous oil and gas production platforms adding structurally complex habitat to an area otherwise comprised of primarily barren mud/sand ...

• Comparing and characterizing three-dimensional point clouds derived by structure from motion photogrammetry 

  Schwind, Michael (2016-12)

  Structure from Motion (SfM) is a photogrammetric technique whereby three-dimensional structures (3D) are estimated from overlapping two-dimensional (2D) image sequences. It is studied in the field of computer vision and ...

• Analysis and applications of the weighted central direction method 

  Choi, Haekyoung (2016-12)

  Iterative methods yield an approximated solution to a given problem by producing a sequence of points that converges to the exact solution. Due to the effectiveness of these methods, they become one of the core mathematical ...

• Species distribution modeling for king mackerel (Scomberomorus cavalla) and its prey species in the Gulf of Mexico 

  Cai, Xiaopeng (2016-12)

  Ecosystem based fisheries management (EBFM) has been broadly recognized throughout the world as a way to achieve better conservation. Therefore, as an important part of EBFM, mapping multi-species interactions or spatial ...

• RISING ABOVE: IMPACTS OF COASTAL POLICIES WITH RESPECT TO SEA LEVEL RISE IN GALVESTON BAY, TEXAS 

  Edwards, Rachel R. (2016-12)

  The Galveston Bay region in Texas is at particular risk of sea level rise (SLR) induced hazards because of its unique geography and geology, including relatively high subsidence rates due to mineral and groundwater ...

• Characterizing vascular plant and algal community structure and biomass in the Nueces Delta (TX) salt marsh system 

  Lawson, Benjamin (2016-12)

  Primary producers are responsible for the majority of the services provided by salt marshes, such as nutrient uptake, carbon sequestration, and support for fisheries. The Nueces Delta, a salt marsh in southern Texas, has ...

• A hemodynamic modelling of the blood circulation 

  Shrestha, Maha Laxmi (2016-12)

  A mathematical model of the blood flow through an axisymmetric stenosis vessel was developed using the Navier-Stokes equations. A numerical approach has been used to analyze behavior of the blood flow because an analytical ...

• Population structure of a migratory small coastal shark, the blacknose shark Carcharhinus acronotus, across cryptic barriers to gene flow 

  Dimens, Pavel (2016-12)

  A recent study using mitochondria DNA and microsatellites identified genetic discontinuity between blacknose sharks (Carcharhinus acronotus) caught along the U.S. South Atlantic coast (Atlantic), the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf), ...

• Microgeographic adaptation in a broadcast-spawning marine invertebrate 

  Gurski, Lauren Marie (2016-12)

  The spatial scale over which adaptive evolution occurs may be much smaller than originally predicted, affecting our understanding of the maintenance of genetic diversity and adaptive capacity. Microgeographic adaptation, ...

• Operationalizing coastal wetland ecosystem services for enhanced decision making and resilience 

  Hutchison, Lauren Marie (2016-12)

  The overarching goal of this dissertation is to operationalize the concept of ecosystem services to enhance coastal wetland resilience and resource management and decision making. Research herein helps to operationalize ...

• Kalanchoe pinnata preparation in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus 

  Rios, Lizette E. (2016-12)

  The aqueous preparation of Kalanchoe pinnata is traditionally used in the management of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but the effectiveness in curtailing the indices of T2DM is not clear. In this study, the efficacy of ...

• Determining surface and groundwater interaction for an entrenched coastal stream based on streambed temperature time-series analysis utilizing several techniques 

  Scotch, Chester G. (2016-12)

  Surface water exchange with groundwater has become an increasingly active area of investigation since the 1980’s, as researchers have recognized them as a hydrologic continuum. Wide ranges of hydrologic setting have been ...

• Updating and validating a currently-used gas dynamics model using parameter estimates for California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) 

  Hodanbosi, Matthew Robert (2016-08)

  Theoretical models are used to predict how breath-hold diving vertebrates manage O2, CO2, and N2 while underwater. One recent gas dynamics model used available lung and tracheal compliance data from various species to ...

• Ecology of red snapper in the western Gulf of Mexico: comparisons among artificial and natural habitats 

  Streich, Matthew Karl (2016-12)

  Artificial reef development is a popular management tool used to enhance fish stocks, mitigate degradation or loss of natural habitats, and provide additional recreational opportunities. Despite the popularity and support ...

• Nutrient export to a reef dominated estuary through submarine groundwater discharge 

  Spalt, Nicholas A. (2016-12)

  Oysters effectively remove nitrogen, the limiting nutrient in most coastal environments. It is important to identify areas favorable to oysters to offset nutrient loading that may lead to decreased ecosystem services and ...

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