Theses (M.S.)--Marshall University, 2007. / Title from document title page. Includes abstract. Document formatted into pages: contains iv, 91 pages including illustrations. Bibliography: p. 89-91.

Graduation date: 2004

Interactions between humans and dusky dolphins in the coastal waters of New Zealand are increasing. My research focused on tourism interactions, with Kaikoura as the study site; and, on habitat use in an active aquaculture area, with Admiralty Bay as the study site. In Kaikoura, companies engaged in commercial cetacean tourism (For Hire Company) have permits issued by the New Zealand’s Department of Conservation, allowing them to take paying customers out to view and swim with wild dusky dolphins. During summer and fall of 2005, I assessed the effectiveness of a voluntary ‘rest period’ established to give time free of humans to the dolphins. I used a theodolite to track the movements of large groups of dusky dolphins and recorded the arrival, departure and behaviors of all vessels approaching within 400 m of the group. The ‘rest period’ resulted in a reduction of vessel visits compared to non-rest periods, yet one For Hire Company and private recreational vessels continued to visit dusky dolphin groups during this time. To increase compliance with the voluntary regulation, more education is needed targeting private recreational vessels. Weekend traffic was higher compared to weekday traffic, during both rest and non-rest periods; a large increase occurred in weekend non-commercial vessel traffic. Swimming with calves is prohibited by New Zealand’s Marine Mammal Protection Regulations of 1992, yet 71.4 percent of the swim attempts I observed on-board For Hire Company tours were conducted with groups containing calves. More should be done to reduce the number of swims conducted with groups of dusky dolphins containing calves. In winter of 2005, I used hourly theodolite scans to record the number of dusky dolphin groups using Admiralty Bay, a different near-shore environment with less tourism than off Kaikoura, and with near-shore mussel farms. Groups of dusky dolphins were observed in Admiralty Bay using the full extent of the bay. This re-enforces previous findings that Admiralty Bay is an important winter foraging ground for dusky dolphins, and further aquaculture development in the bay would remove available foraging habitat.

Theses (M.S.)--Marshall University, 2005. / Title from document title page. Includes abstract. Document formatted into pages: contains ix, 56 p. includes illustrations and a map. Bibliography: p. 43-46.

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Thesis (M.S.)--Marshall University, 2002. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vi, 81 p. including illustrations. Includes bibliographical references (p. 41-44).

Home ranges of dusky-footed wood rats (Neotoma fuscipes) were determined by the exclusive boundary strip method in two colonies 630 m apart in Klamath County, Oregon. The mean home range area was 1800 - 1900 m2 . Densities or trees and shrubs were determined on selected home ranges and densities of wood rat houses and nests were determined on all home ranges. No significant correlation was found between home range areas and densities of various trees and shrubs, home range areas and densities of woodrat houses and nests, or home range areas and weights of woodrats in those areas. No movement between colonies was observed.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Cornell University, 1902. / Cover title. "Reprinted from the Biological Bulletin, vol. IV, no. 2, December 1902."

My dissertation research focused on the behavior, movement patterns, and foraging ecology of dusky dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obscurus) off the east coast of New Zealand's South Island. Information on growth, morphometrics, parasites and life history was also collected. Movement patterns and foraging behavior of New Zealand dusky dolphins were much different from those of dusky dolphins observed off the Argentine coast by Bernd Wursig, the only other study of dusky dolphin behavior. Unlike the Argentine dolphins, which cooperatively herd anchovy to the surface and contain them there for feeding, New Zealand dusky dolphins behave and forage more like Hawaiian spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris). In summer and fall, New Zealand dusky dolphins remain near shore in morning and early afternoon hours, then move into deeper water with greatly increased activity levels in late afternoon. In winter and spring they remain farther from shore at all times of day, are found in somewhat larger groups, and appear to travel along shore more often than in other seasons. In summer, dive times of radio-tagged dolphins also varied on a daily cycle, most long dives occurring during crepuscular and night periods. Stomach contents of incidentally-netted and beachcast dolphins contained primarily a demersal fish and a few types of mesopelagic fishes and squid. Acoustic surveys along the east coast of South Island show a dense layer of mesopelagic fishes and squid that move to within 50-100 m of the surface at night. Like Hawaiian spinners, New Zealand dusky dolphins feed primarily on prey in and associated with the vertically migrating layer, probably as a means of increasing foraging efficiency. External measurements of L. obscurus specimens were analyzed using canonical variate analysis, which revealed measurements useful in discrimination of age/sex classes, including dorsal fin dimensions, and positioning of dorsal fin and flipper insertions. Tooth-section age analysis of specimens allowed construction of growth curves; life span maximum was about 35 years. The very large size of active testes (over 1 kg each) during summer breeding represents a large proportion of total body weight. Along with observations of group composition variability, this suggests a promiscuous mating system and a fluid, extended-group social system.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Cornell university, 1912. / "Literature cited":p. 538-541. Also issued in print.