Several hypotheses from community ecology were tested using habitat and diet patterns for six catostomid fishes of the Assiniboine River, Manitoba. Specifically, I examined expected assemblage patterns based on the equilibrium-nonequilibrium continuum that are based on competition as a structuring mechanism. The catostomid assemblage showed characteristics of both equilibrium and nonequilibrium assemblages. Habitat utilization was not proportional to habitat availability for depth, velocity, and substrate indicating habitat selection occurs. These patterns are influenced by the distributions of soft Lake Agassiz deposits and harder glacial till-plain habitats and therefore localized. Species co-occurred in relation to abundance indicating negative associations assumed in competition-based theory were not apparent. In addition, species from the same subfamily co-occurred more often than expected by chance, indicating positive within-group comparisons, except for silver redhorse, which did not co-occur differently than random. Species from the same feeding group co-occur most frequently with conspecifics, indicating species have specific habitat patterns. Benthic invertebrate distributions and fish distributions were positively correlated with fish diet. Within-feeding-group comparisons indicated species that co-occurred frequently consumed the same food items, but showed subtle differences in abundance of diet items. The most common diet items varied among white sucker, silver redhorse, golden redhorse, and shorthead redhorse, indicating that, although these species co-occur, subtle differences in feeding behavior may account for differences in relative abundance and frequency of diet items. Quillback and bigmouth buffalo shared a few core food items, but co-occurred infrequently. Inter-specific interactions showed silver redhorse diets were a subset of white sucker diets, white sucker diets were a subset of golden redhorse diets, shorthead redhorse diets were a subset of silver redhorse and golden redhorse diets, while bigmouth buffalo diets were a subset of quillback diets. Lower richness and prevalence of organisms in quillback and bigmouth buffalo diets were due to highly aggregated prey items. Benthic invertebrate distributions were aggregated and dependent on the predictable patterns of substrates, based on hydraulic sorting in the meandering along the river. Large-scale redundancy of species-habitat associations was correlated with historical (phylogenetic) or adaptive (morphological) constraints on habitat selection. Stream habitats are constrained by regional factors of slope and sediments, but also determined by stable, repetitive and predictable local processes of erosion, transport, and deposition (meandering). The fish-habitat associations of catostomids in the Assiniboine River provide an example of interaction between the abundance of the component species, the phylogenetic constraints on the niche, and the deterministic nature of the spatial distribution of habitats. Within-feeding-group pairs showed that local habitat overlap is positively correlated with geographic overlap, while local diet overlap is negatively correlated with geographic overlap. Two species pairs (silver redhorse and golden redhorse and bigmouth buffalo and quillback) were concluded to have symmetric overlaps at the geographic scale and stable interactions. Using the functional niche concept ecological theory provides a link between ecology and biogeography of sympatric species. The multi-analytical approaches in this study provide insights into the structuring of north temperate prairie river fish communities, through hypothesis testing and correlation that have application beyond Prairie Rivers. / October 2005

The effect of environmental modification of predator sensory abilities remains largely unknown, despite the importance of predators to ecosystem function. I conducted a series of experiments to investigate effects of hydrodynamics on the chemosensory search behavior and foraging success of two species of marine gastropods, knobbed whelks (

The aim of this study is to investigate the nature of the meter-scale cycles in the &Ccedil / ayraz Formation of the Middle Eocene age and to study the response of foraminifera to the sedimentary cyclicity. In order to perform this study, two stratigraphic sections, which are 44,55 m and 25,95 m in thickness, were measured on a regularly bedded succession mainly composed of carbonates and siliciclastics in the &Ccedil / ayraz Formation of the Haymana Basin. In this study, detailed microfacies analyses were carried out in the studied sections and 10 different microfacies types were identified strictly based on the biofacies in order to define meter scale cyclic sedimentation. Based on the detailed microfacies analysis and the distribution of the vertical facies relationships a composite depositional model is suggested. According to this model, three major facies associations were distinguished, from deepest to shallowest, as: shallow open marine, shoal and lagoon. Studied sections are composed of meter-scale cycles of both upward shoaling or deepening in character and based on the stacking pattern of meterscale cycles two systems tracts were identified along the measured sections. Section 1 is represented by highstand systems tract (HST) and section 2 is represented by lowstand systems tract (TST). In this study, the responses of benthic foraminiferal groups to the sedimentary cyclicity have been documented by quantitative and statistical analysis to understand the shallowing upward cycles, which are fundamental stratigraphic units, in the &Ccedil / ayraz Formation of Middle Eocene age. Among foraminifera, particularly the forms like Nummulites, Assilina and Discocyclina are excellent in order to detect cyclic variations of facies. These studies lead to understand shoaling-upward character of the meter-scale cycles, which are the building blocks of the &Ccedil / ayraz Formation.

Created lakes are an end product of phosphate mining in Florida. Beginning in 1975, Florida reclamation rules set criteria for phosphate created lakes aiming to approximate the structure of natural lakes, and emphasizing extensive littoral zones with both emergent and submersed vegetation. Lake development relative to lake age and design were examined for 22 phosphate lakes representing a 40-year age trajectory, utilizing water quality and benthic invertebrate communities from littoral and deep-water locations (Chapter 1). The relative importance of morphometry and lake age in the development of littoral plant communities was examined using multiple vegetation surveys throughout the year, in a separate investigation of 39 littoral locations from 13 lakes reflecting age and morphometry gradients (Chapter 2). The same littoral locations were used to investigate benthic community composition in relation to emergent and submersed plant habitats (depth of 0.5 m and 1.5 m respectively), water quality, sediment characteristics, morphometry and lake age (Chapter 3). Phosphate lakes >5.5m deep are warm monomictic water bodies, stratifying from April to October/November, and developing thermoclines at approximately 4 m. Shallow lakes (<5.5 m deep) are polymictic. Phosphate lakes become eutrophic or hypertrophic immediately after creation and remain so through time. Unlike reservoirs, they do not go through a trophic surge, which is an initial period of great productivity that declines as sediment nutrient storage is exhausted. Among the 22 sampled lakes, epilimnetic physical and chemical water quality variables (Secchi depth, chlorophyll a, turbidity, pH) did not differ along the age trajectory. Only specific conductance declined significantly, 10-20 years after lake creation, most probably due to bank stabilization. All water quality variables were within the range of natural lakes in the region, and were most similar to urban rather than suburban or rural natural lakes. Benthic invertebrate abundance (total, Chironomidae, Oligochaeta, invertebrates other than Chironomidae and Oligochaeta) and taxa richness displayed great variability with lake age and did not differ among decadal lake groups at any depths examined (1 m, deepest point). Invertebrate abundance did not differ between littoral and deep habitats, except for lakes >10 years old, where littoral abundance was greater than deep-water abundace, suggesting faster colonization of the littoral zone. Littoral taxa richness was greater than richness in deep-water, which was attributed to taxa other than Chironomidae and Oligochaeta. Deep-water and most littoral habitats were dominated by Chironomidae, whereas Oligochaeta were occasionally dominant in the littoral zone. Dissolved oxygen was the variable explaining most variance of both littoral abundance and richness. Littoral macrophyte communities in phosphate lakes differed from natural Florida lakes. Although most phosphate lakes developed emergent littoral zones, submersed vegetation was absent, with few exceptions of the non-indigenous Hydrilla verticillata. Plants clustered in groups reflecting their hydrological designations. Frequently encountered plants classified either in the obligate wetland plant group, characterized by Typha, and inhabiting mostly intermediate-age lakes or the facultative wetland plant group, characterized by Panicum repens. Most plants in the latter group were bimodally distributed in youngest and oldest lakes, whereas few plants were ubiquitous. Littoral plant community composition was determined by both lake morphology and age, but the relative influence of these two components was not clear. Littoral plant composition was a good predictor of lake development. Morphometric (slope) and sediment characteristics (organic content, particle size) did not differ between the two littoral depths examined (0.5 m and 1.5 m). Slope correlated moderately but significantly with lake age, and organic content was low in all samples. Total littoral benthic invertebrate abundance and its major component Chironomidae, started from low values at newly created lakes and remained low or increased unpredictably with time. Total, Chironomidae, Oligochaeta and Gastropoda abundances did not differ between the depths of 0.5 m and 1.5 m, whereas taxa richness and the abundance of invertebrates other than Chironomidae, Oligochaeta, and Gastropoda was greater at the shallower depth (0.5 m).The relative effect of lake morphology versus age on benthic invertebrate composition was not clear. Total and Chironomidae abundance increased with lake age at 0.5 m, and bank slope at 1.5 m. Both littoral invertebrate abundance and richness in phosphate lakes were lower than in a natural, mesotrophic, macrophyte-dominated lake in the region, characterized by great Oligochaeta densities.

Resolving diversity patterns and their underlying drivers has application for both ecological theory and ocean management. Because seafloor characteristics are often used to assess bottom habitat, I examined the relationship between deep-sea benthic (bottom-living) diversity and multi-scale topographic heterogeneity. Most work occurred on the Canadian Pacific continental shelf at Learmonth Bank with additional sites in Strait of Georgia (BC) and Gulf of Maine (Atlantic shelf). High-resolution species distribution and seafloor data were annotated from remotely operated vehicle benthic imagery surveys while large-scale seafloor data were derived from multibeam sonar. New method development to address problems of current methods and to facilitate comparison among ecosystems is a major outcome. My new MiLS method (microtopographic laser scanning) can profile the deep seafloor at a resolution of ~1-2 cm with high accuracy and precision. I also developed a new ACR (arc-chord ratio) rugosity index as a measure of 3-D topographic heterogeneity that is simple, accurate and highly versatile. Model systems and scales vary among my studies but results consistently yield a positive relationship between diversity and topographic heterogeneity and identify bottom hydrodynamics as an important underlying driver. Rockfish Sebastes spp. associate with higher seafloor rugosity non-randomly and select for deep-sea corals and sponges over inert substrata alone. Data indicate that degradation of biogenic structures is a long-term detriment to rockfish species. Gorgonian coral- and sponge-dominant biotopes strongly associate with a single substratum type. These relationships were used to map coral and sponge distributions. This work, which collectively adds new information on the ecological relevance and distribution of corals and sponges, is pertinent to the conservation and management of fish stocks and vulnerable marine ecosystems. Epibenthic community variables abundance, richness, and Shannon diversity positively correlated with both the local microtopographic heterogeneity on a scale of 10 m2 and with the surrounding regional large-scale topographic heterogeneity on scales of 25 to 250,000 m2. Relationships were strongest between epibenthic community variables and the largest scale rugosity and were used to generate and test predictive diversity models. Where management strategies rely on surrogate measures in data-poor areas, mapping benthic diversity using ACR rugosity will provide good indicators. Although bottom hydrodynamics is consistently identified as an underlying driver of epibenthic patterns related to topographic heterogeneity, data suggest the nature of the relationship varies across spatial scales. At small scales, high topographic heterogeneity likely increases diversity by increasing the number of available niches (including hydrodynamic gradients; e.g., the abrupt vertical rugosity created by tall corals and sponges provides rockfish refuge from currents) while at large scales, high topographic heterogeneity increases local diversity less directly through distant hydraulic events that alter bottom flow hydrodynamics. / Graduate / 0329 / 0416 / 0799 / cdupreez@uvic.ca

In the Arctic, shallow sea-floor communities have been documented to shift abruptly from an invertebrate-dominated state to a state with high macroalgal abundance. Climate warming, resulting in increased water temperatures and decreased sea ice cover, could trigger such regime shifts in benthic ecosystems, but the underlying mechanisms are not clear. To gain a better understanding, a mechanistic model of algal growth and interspecific competition was applied in two marine ecosystems in northwestern Svalbard. Unravelling the effects of light and temperature on the model parameters, the current study showed that light is a key factor determining the algal dominance in the two ecosystems. Changes in sea-ice cover, which alters the underwater light regime, is therefore considered the most likely trigger for invertebratealgae regime shifts. A continued prolonging of the ice-free season in the Arctic is likely to occur in the upcoming years, considering the current climatic development. Thus, it is expected that macroalgal cover in shallow rocky-bottom communities will continue to increase, altering species composition and function in seasonally ice-covered arctic ecosystems. / I ekosystem på grunda havsbottnar i Arktis har snabba, kraftiga förändringar i artsammansättning och ekosystemstruktur dokumenterats. Organismsamhällen som tidigare främst utgjorts av ryggradslösa organismer och hårda kalkalger har plötsligt blivit dominerade av olika tångarter. Den globala uppvärmningen medför högre ytvattentemperatur och minskat havsistäcke i Arktis, vilket i sin tur innebär förbättrade ljusförhållanden. Dessa förändringar tros kunna utlösa regimskiften där de ekosystemen övergår från ett stadium dominerat av ryggradslösa djur, till ett stadium dominerat av tång. Mekanismerna bakom sådana regimskiften är emellertid inte kartlagda. Denna studie syftade därför till en bättre förståelse för regimskiften i Arktiska havsbottenekosystem. En mekanistisk modell för algtillväxt och konkurrens tillämpades på två marina organismsamhällen i nordvästra Svalbard, som genomgått sådana regimskiften. Temperatur- och ljusberoendet hos modellens parametrar uppskattades först utifrån kunskap från ett antal tidigare studier. Med hjälp av modellen testades sedan hur fördelningen av alger påverkades av temperatur- och ljusförändringar. Modelleringen indikerade att ljusförhållanden var avgörande för expansionen av tång i de två studerade organismsamhällena på Svalbard, och att ljusförändringar således kan vara en huvudsaklig orsak till regimskiften i Arktis. Med tanke på den nuvarande klimatutvecklingen är en fortsatt förlängning av den isfria säsongen mycket sannolik. Detta kommer troligen innebära en vidare expansion av tång samt förändrad artsammansättning och ekosystemfunktion i grunda, arktiska havsbottenekosystem.

In Nova Scotia subtidal habitats, the invasive bryozoan Membranipora membranacea interacts with native bryozoan Electra pilosa on kelps, which offer high space availability but are highly dynamic, and on non-kelp algae, which provide low space but high stability. Settlers and colony cover of M. membranacea at various stages critical to its population dynamics, as well as relative abundance and encounter outcomes of M. membranacea and E. pilosa, were quantified on these substrates. I also examined the effects of various factors on growth rates of E. pilosa. For M. membranacea populations, the roles of kelp and non-kelp substrates varied intra- and inter-annually, as well as spatially. Membranipora membranacea was relatively more abundant on kelps than on Fucus, likely due to large colony size, faster growth, and strong overgrowth abilities. While kelps provide spatial resources for seasonal peaks in abundance of M. membranacea, non-kelp refuges can preserve local populations in time.

Cyanobacteria can form nuisance proliferations and produce large concentrations of toxins that pose a health hazard. This thesis investigates cyanotoxin production by New Zealand benthic cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria were sampled from lakes, reservoirs, streams, and rivers. Thirty-five strains were isolated into culture and screened for genes involved in the biosynthesis of common cyanotoxins. Positive results were confirmed and cyanotoxin concentrations quantified using analytical chemistry techniques. Genes involved in anatoxin a/homoanatoxin a biosynthesis were detected in nine out of ten Phormidium cf. uncinatum strains isolated from a single mat. Anatoxin a was confirmed in these strains by LC–MS/MS at concentrations from 0.3 to 6.4 mg kg⁻¹. One strain also produced homoanatoxin-a. Anatoxin-a variation between strains may explain the wide range in anatoxin a concentrations previously observed in New Zealand. The sxtA gene involved in saxitoxin biosynthesis was identified in Scytonema cf. crispum strains. Saxitoxin was confirmed in strains and environmental samples by Jellett PSP Rapid Test and HPLC–FD. Gonyautoxins, neosaxitoxin, and decarbamoyl derivatives were also detected. This study is the first identification of these compounds in Scytonema and in New Zealand cyanobacterial strains. These strains were isolated from recreational and pre-treatment drinking water reservoirs, highlighting the risk benthic cyanobacteria pose to human and animal health. Experiments were undertaken using cultures of Phormidium and Scytonema to determine how growth influences cyanotoxin production. The effects of iron and copper stress on P. autumnale were also investigated. High iron concentrations disrupted attachment mechanisms. Iron and copper had a significant effect on growth, without significantly affecting anatoxin a production. However, the maximum anatoxin a quota was consistently observed during early exponential growth. Scytonema cf. crispum produced higher saxitoxin quota throughout exponential growth than during the stationary phase. Both the Phormidium and Scytonema growth experiments indicate that high toxin quota can be expected early in benthic mat development, making early detection of these proliferations important.

Several hypotheses from community ecology were tested using habitat and diet patterns for six catostomid fishes of the Assiniboine River, Manitoba. Specifically, I examined expected assemblage patterns based on the equilibrium-nonequilibrium continuum that are based on competition as a structuring mechanism. The catostomid assemblage showed characteristics of both equilibrium and nonequilibrium assemblages. Habitat utilization was not proportional to habitat availability for depth, velocity, and substrate indicating habitat selection occurs. These patterns are influenced by the distributions of soft Lake Agassiz deposits and harder glacial till-plain habitats and therefore localized. Species co-occurred in relation to abundance indicating negative associations assumed in competition-based theory were not apparent. In addition, species from the same subfamily co-occurred more often than expected by chance, indicating positive within-group comparisons, except for silver redhorse, which did not co-occur differently than random. Species from the same feeding group co-occur most frequently with conspecifics, indicating species have specific habitat patterns. Benthic invertebrate distributions and fish distributions were positively correlated with fish diet. Within-feeding-group comparisons indicated species that co-occurred frequently consumed the same food items, but showed subtle differences in abundance of diet items. The most common diet items varied among white sucker, silver redhorse, golden redhorse, and shorthead redhorse, indicating that, although these species co-occur, subtle differences in feeding behavior may account for differences in relative abundance and frequency of diet items. Quillback and bigmouth buffalo shared a few core food items, but co-occurred infrequently. Inter-specific interactions showed silver redhorse diets were a subset of white sucker diets, white sucker diets were a subset of golden redhorse diets, shorthead redhorse diets were a subset of silver redhorse and golden redhorse diets, while bigmouth buffalo diets were a subset of quillback diets. Lower richness and prevalence of organisms in quillback and bigmouth buffalo diets were due to highly aggregated prey items. Benthic invertebrate distributions were aggregated and dependent on the predictable patterns of substrates, based on hydraulic sorting in the meandering along the river. Large-scale redundancy of species-habitat associations was correlated with historical (phylogenetic) or adaptive (morphological) constraints on habitat selection. Stream habitats are constrained by regional factors of slope and sediments, but also determined by stable, repetitive and predictable local processes of erosion, transport, and deposition (meandering). The fish-habitat associations of catostomids in the Assiniboine River provide an example of interaction between the abundance of the component species, the phylogenetic constraints on the niche, and the deterministic nature of the spatial distribution of habitats. Within-feeding-group pairs showed that local habitat overlap is positively correlated with geographic overlap, while local diet overlap is negatively correlated with geographic overlap. Two species pairs (silver redhorse and golden redhorse and bigmouth buffalo and quillback) were concluded to have symmetric overlaps at the geographic scale and stable interactions. Using the functional niche concept ecological theory provides a link between ecology and biogeography of sympatric species. The multi-analytical approaches in this study provide insights into the structuring of north temperate prairie river fish communities, through hypothesis testing and correlation that have application beyond Prairie Rivers.

Several hypotheses from community ecology were tested using habitat and diet patterns for six catostomid fishes of the Assiniboine River, Manitoba. Specifically, I examined expected assemblage patterns based on the equilibrium-nonequilibrium continuum that are based on competition as a structuring mechanism. The catostomid assemblage showed characteristics of both equilibrium and nonequilibrium assemblages. Habitat utilization was not proportional to habitat availability for depth, velocity, and substrate indicating habitat selection occurs. These patterns are influenced by the distributions of soft Lake Agassiz deposits and harder glacial till-plain habitats and therefore localized. Species co-occurred in relation to abundance indicating negative associations assumed in competition-based theory were not apparent. In addition, species from the same subfamily co-occurred more often than expected by chance, indicating positive within-group comparisons, except for silver redhorse, which did not co-occur differently than random. Species from the same feeding group co-occur most frequently with conspecifics, indicating species have specific habitat patterns. Benthic invertebrate distributions and fish distributions were positively correlated with fish diet. Within-feeding-group comparisons indicated species that co-occurred frequently consumed the same food items, but showed subtle differences in abundance of diet items. The most common diet items varied among white sucker, silver redhorse, golden redhorse, and shorthead redhorse, indicating that, although these species co-occur, subtle differences in feeding behavior may account for differences in relative abundance and frequency of diet items. Quillback and bigmouth buffalo shared a few core food items, but co-occurred infrequently. Inter-specific interactions showed silver redhorse diets were a subset of white sucker diets, white sucker diets were a subset of golden redhorse diets, shorthead redhorse diets were a subset of silver redhorse and golden redhorse diets, while bigmouth buffalo diets were a subset of quillback diets. Lower richness and prevalence of organisms in quillback and bigmouth buffalo diets were due to highly aggregated prey items. Benthic invertebrate distributions were aggregated and dependent on the predictable patterns of substrates, based on hydraulic sorting in the meandering along the river. Large-scale redundancy of species-habitat associations was correlated with historical (phylogenetic) or adaptive (morphological) constraints on habitat selection. Stream habitats are constrained by regional factors of slope and sediments, but also determined by stable, repetitive and predictable local processes of erosion, transport, and deposition (meandering). The fish-habitat associations of catostomids in the Assiniboine River provide an example of interaction between the abundance of the component species, the phylogenetic constraints on the niche, and the deterministic nature of the spatial distribution of habitats. Within-feeding-group pairs showed that local habitat overlap is positively correlated with geographic overlap, while local diet overlap is negatively correlated with geographic overlap. Two species pairs (silver redhorse and golden redhorse and bigmouth buffalo and quillback) were concluded to have symmetric overlaps at the geographic scale and stable interactions. Using the functional niche concept ecological theory provides a link between ecology and biogeography of sympatric species. The multi-analytical approaches in this study provide insights into the structuring of north temperate prairie river fish communities, through hypothesis testing and correlation that have application beyond Prairie Rivers.