The recent rise of inner shelf hypoxia in the California Current System has caused concern within the scientific community, sparking a surge in studies addressing the issue. While regional studies of hypoxia abound, relatively little attention has been focused on the smaller coastal estuarine systems in the Pacific Northwest. Here, we present results from Coos Bay, a small, highly seasonal estuary on the southern Oregon coast. Due to wide fluctuations in freshwater input, Coos Bay exhibits characteristics of a salt-wedge type estuary in the winter, a well-mixed estuary in the summer, and a partially-mixed estuary during times of moderate discharge. Despite a strong coupling with coastal waters, we did not find evidence for pervasive hypoxia in Coos Bay. The primary drivers of variability in dissolved oxygen levels in the estuary are upwelling wind stress, residence time, and in situ biologic processes.

xiv, 158 p. / Print copies of this title are available through the UO Libraries under the call number: SCIENCE QL444.M34 D38 2006; OIMB QL444.M34 D38 2006 / The Australasian burrowing isopod (Sphaeroma quoianum) was discovered in Coos Bay, Oregon in 1995. After approximately ten years, S. quoianum has become a common member of the intertidal community and appears to be accelerating shoreline erosion. Surveys, density measurements, and a field experiment were conducted to determine the intertidal distribution, density, and substratum preference of this bioeroder within Coos Bay. Results were compared to two Australian embayments (Port Phillip Bay and the Tamar Estuary) to examine how the ecology of S. quoianum differs. In all bays examined, isopod presence was dependent upon salinity and densities varied between substrata (marsh bank, wood, and friable rock). Densities in marsh banks and friable rock were significantly higher within Coos Bay than the Australian embayments surveyed. In experimental trials, S. quoianum greatly preferred wood to other substrata. The wide distribution and high densities S. quoianum attains have clear environmental and economic implications.

xviii, 160 p. : ill. (some col.) / Salt marshes are intertidal communities dominated by halophytic vascular plants that are subjected periodically to tidal inundation. These species have developed various adaptations to this stress, including tolerances of fluctuating salinity, extended periods of inundation and intervals of anoxic conditions. The marshes are divided into zones of different plant communities based on species' tolerances of ambient estuarine conditions. Abiotic stresses change along the estuarine salinity gradient (marine to riverine), potentially altering development and composition of plant communities. Abiotic gradients associated with tides are not the only factors that contribute to development of plant community composition in salt marshes. Both negative (competition) and positive (facilitation) biological interactions are also important. Factors that influence community structure in salt marshes, particularly on the eastern North American seaboard, have been well studied. In contrast, salt marshes along the Oregon coast are smaller and more discrete and have received comparatively little attention. The community structure and seed bank composition of six marshes along an estuarine salinity gradient were evaluated. Four major community types dominated marshes that varied in the salinity of inundating tidal waters. Community types were relatively consistent throughout the estuary despite the distances between the marshes. Unlike the emergent plant communities, marsh seed bank composition was more similar within a marsh than within a community type. The low and high marsh community types were separated by a distinct boundary in the marine marshes. Although abiotic factors influence the physical separation of communities, competitive interactions commonly determine the upper limit of a species. In Metcalf marsh, however, the upper boundary for two dominant low marsh species was not determined by competition with the high marsh dominant species. Positive biotic interactions between seedlings and existing vegetation in a community are important factors in determining species distributions, particularly in stressful estuarine environments. In salt marshes, where abiotic stress can be harsh, presence of existing vegetation can ameliorate these conditions and enhance germination and seedling establishment. However, interaction between seedlings and the emergent marsh community was highly competitive, though germination of one species was enhanced in the presence of existing vegetation. This dissertation includes un-published co-authored material. / Committee in charge: Dr. Scott Bridgham, Chairperson; Dr. Richard Emlet, Advisor; Dr. Steven Rumrill, Member; Dr. Alan Shanks, Member; Dr. Gregory Retallack Outside Member

xiii, 86 p. : ill. (some col.) / In the Pacific Northwest, populations of the Olympia oyster, Ostrea lurida, were once decimated by overharvesting and natural disasters. Their full recovery may now be limited by availability of hard substrata for larval settlement. I studied the timing of settlement and larval preferences for commonly available substrata, including conspecifics and the shells of Pacific oysters, Crassostrea gigas, which are often provided in restoration efforts. Settlement occurred from August-December with a peak in October. I found no significant settlement differences between live and dead oysters or between shells of Olympia or Pacific oysters. There was significantly higher settlement on bottoms of horizontal substrata than on tops. In the laboratory, larvae showed no clear preferences among various hard substrata. This lack of settlement preference has positive implications for restoration projects, since Pacific oyster shell is much easier to obtain and seems to be no less beneficial than the shells of conspecifics. / Committee in charge: Dr. Craig M. Young, Chairperson; Dr. Richard B. Emlet, Member; Dr. Steven S. Rumrill, Member