No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington. / Bibliography: l. 216-226.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1982. / Bibliography: leaves 254-268. / Microfiche. / xx, 268 leaves, bound maps 29 cm

This biocultural study examines patterns of infertility, or failure to produce live births, by female age cohorts in the Micronesian population of Butaritari Atoll, Kiribati. Anthropological and demographic methods employed included analysis of census survey, reproductive history collection, structured and semi-structured interviews, participant observation, ethnohistorical research, vital registrations, and clinic records. Primary infertility levels are found to be extremely low in this population. This is argued to be a consequence of low risk of exposure to fertility-inhibiting disease, typically extended exposures to coital activity, and a culturally-influenced resistance to birth-limiting behavior before at least one child is born. There is little reduction in fertility, and therefore in biological capacity for conception, before women reach the end of their thirties. This pattern of high fertility is maintained because of socio-culturally defined patterns of sexual behavior within marriage which tend to maintain coital activity despite increasing marriage durations, and therefore with increasing age. In the study's conclusion infertility patterns by age for this population are discussed in relation to issues of the role of physiological aging and infertility increases in human populations. It is concluded that studies of infertility by age need to be considered as culturally-grounded and population-specific, particularly in reference to patterns observed at the population level in female age groups under forty.

Typescript. / Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1978. / Bibliography: leaves 176-185. / Microfiche. / vi, 185 leaves, bound maps 29 cm

Abstract Internal waves have been identified as one of the most active mechanisms producing vertical mixing in continental slope and shelf waters. The major contribution of mixing are due to internal tides, however, shorter period internal waves are unlikely to be the main source of energy for mixing, especially on the inner part of the continental shelf. In this study, we observe the vertical mixing of huge internal waves in the Dongsha Atoll South China Sea. These solitary waves were originate near the Luzon Strait, propagated westward across the basin, evolving into internal solitary wave trains and dissipated at the western shallow continental shelf. The wave energy and phase speed reduced significantly during the shoaling process. Internal waves and their likely related induced mixing phenomena are analyzed based on multiple cruises of observations consisted of CTD hydrographic measurements, water samples and moored thermister strings. Data analyses show that the mixing processes are related to depths of water and the interfacial of wave. For depression wave in the deep water zone, upper layer water may push downward producing vertical mixing beyond the thermocline. The mixing usually dilutes the nutrients in the upper layer of water column. Statistics suggest that the N:P ratio is 12:1 which is lower than the standard value (16:1) indicating the region is nitrogen deficit, similar to most of the surface water in South China Sea. The depression solitons in deep water may evolved to a packet of elevation waves in the shallow water area at ¡§turning point¡¨ of approximately equal depth of upper and lower layers. The mixing of shallow water internal waves can entrain cold nutrient rich water from the lower layer into the frequently nutrient depleted subsurface layer to enhance the local coral reef ecosystem. For example, CTD profiles (2008.5.7) before and after the passage of internal wave show large differences. The vertical density distribution has dramatic change. The column was stratified in two layers in normal condition. The internal waves perturbed the water column into stepwise multi-layer density distribution. The water at 50 m showed temperature decrease by 6 ¢J, salinity increase by 23 psu, density increase by 1.8 , fluorescence decrease by 0.065 £gg/L etc. The MODIS chlorophyll images confirm the high concentration fertilized by the internal wave pumping near the NE region of the Dongsha Atoll.

Many coral reefs around the world were damaged during the 1998 mass bleaching event. The acroporids in the lagoon of Dongsha Atoll were eliminated during massive bleaching, and they are still not recovered. Three hypotheses were proposed to explain how the lagoon of Dongsha Atoll has not recovered during the past twelve years¡G1. the lack of recruitment, 2. the persistent interfering on newly recruiting acroporids by hot water, 3.the interfering on those acroporids by predators. Four types of habitats, i.e., reef tops, reef slopes, reef bases, and inter-patch-reefs were surveyed on their coral communities, densities of juvenile corals, growth rates, pests and diseases of corals. The tissue samples were collected to assess reproductive status of corals. Moreover, Acropora muricata branches were transplanted from north coast of Dongsha Island to 3 m and 9 m depths in the lagoon of Dongsha Atoll for testing suitability of the environment. The acroporids were mature, and they spawned between March and May in 2010. Live coral coverage was 16% on average; small coral densities were 1.5/m2, much lower than other lagoons. Besides, acroporid represented 8% of coral coverage and 4% of juvenile corals which are lower than those of other lagoon. Water temperatures were higher in 2010 than 2009. However, coral skeletal extension rates do not show any reign of reduction. In addition, most acroporids survived 2010 summer¡]sea water temperature exceeded 30¢J¡G40-64%¡^ in the transplantation experiment. During two years of survey, only 6 individuals Acanthaster planci. So the lack of recruits might be the bottleneck to the recovery of acroporid in Dongsha lagoon.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1992. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [453]-481).

No description available.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors that are responsible for the distribution of coral communities in the lagoon of the Dongsha Atoll. Previous surveys proposed that there was significant difference of coral cover between the east and west sides of the lagoon. Two hypotheses, seawater temperature and water depth, were proposed to explain the spatial variation of coral distribution. In addition, the growth rate of poritid corals, coral recruits, sexual reproduction, and the occurrence of coral predators and diseases were also studied. Ten patch reefs 5 on the west and 5 on the east sides in the lagoon were selected and the corals on reef tops (1-3 m) and deep reef bases (10-15 m) were investigated. The growth rates of poritid corals on reef tops were higher on reef bases than those on reef tops, and higher in eastern lagoon than those in western lagoon. On average, the growth rate is 0.9 cm/year. A total of 10 families of small corals were recorded in which Faviidae (61.6%), Fungiidae (16.6%) and Poritidae (9.7%) constituted the majority. Diversity index comparisons indicated that reef bases have higher diversities than reef tops. The densities of small corals, ranging between 0.1-3.0 ind./m2, are higher on reef bases than on reef tops. In fungiids, individuals in the eastern lagoon were larger than those in the western lagoon. Tissues of corals were sampled in June 2009 for examination of gonads. However, no reproductive tissues were found after decalcification and histology. The morphological classes, live-coral coverage, dead-coral coverage and dead-coral ratio among the comparisons of reef bases vs reef tops and western vs eastern lagoons, only dead-coral coverage was found to be higher in eastern than in western lagoon. The live-coral coverage was 0.3-46%, dead-coral coverage was 8%-76% and dead-coral ratio was 10%-100%. Among the 10 patch reefs, patch reefs 6, 7, 9 and 10 are represented by mostly K type competitors and belongs to Conservation Class 2, patch reefs 1, 2 and 3 are presented by mostly S type stress-tolerated corals and belongs to Conservation Class 1. The remaining 3 patch reefs 4, 5 and 8 belong to the highest Conservation Class 4 and are represented by diverse types of corals. The water temperature exceeded 30¢XC in 36% of the time at reef tops, and 13% of the time at reef bases, during the summer period, i.e., between June and September, 2009. And the water temperatures were found in 95% of the time to be ~ 1¢XC higher at reef tops than at reef bases. The water temperatures were also higher in the west than in the east of the lagoon that 29% of the time exceeded 30¢XC in the west and 9% in the east only. No coral diseases or pests were found that may pose a large-scale threat in the near future. The variations of coral fauna found among habitats in the lagoon are consistent with the temperature patterns, i.e., the higher the temperature the poorer the coral condition. To the two hypothesis, in the eastern or western lagoon and the different depth are the factors of coral distribution in the lagoon.