As an important technique for corrosion control in marine environment, Cathodic Protection (CP) should be applied with a full understanding of environmental conditions and a good consideration of current requirements. Early studies on different kinds of steel specimens in the intertidal zone show severe corrosion losses. Nevertheless, there is evidence that CP can work in these regions of a steel structure because electrolyte pathway can remain some time on thin wetted surfaces when tides recede. This research aims to study corrosion activities and their behaviour under the influence of CP in a thin layer of electrolyte as a simulation of the inter-tidal zone. By means of a mechanical vibrating probe, Scanning Vibrating Electrode Technique (SVET) may be used to study local activities at coating defects in a thin electrolyte layer. The effect of CP on the local currents at the defect site was confirmed by SVET and, significantly, the development of calcareous films under these conditions in seawater was also observed. Such films are found to be effective in the absence of cathodic polarisation and only failed after damage. In order to explore the performance of applying CP, a Finite Element (FE) model of electrically connected zinc and steel samples beneath a specific thickness of electrolyte has been created, with full polarisation curves implemented for each metal based on experimental results obtained. The influence of the electrolyte conductivity and the geometry of the electrodes has also been considered. A comparison can then be made between experimental investigation and computational modelling of this corrosion cell. Epoxy-coated and uncoated mild steel samples obtained in the simulated tidal facility were also investigated. The formation of calcareous films was confirmed. Calcareous films were protective under these intermittent wetting conditions. Techniques used to understand the performance include optical observation, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) together with Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis.

This study refers to developed ecological model abroad, and established the seagrass model with MATLAB compiler. I also took the seagrass meadows in south Taiwan-Nanwan for my studying case, and simulated the dynamic effect of seagrass and epiphyte biomass, as well as nutrient, and attempted to go on probing into the cause with northeast monsoon and typhoon. The simulating site of this study was Nanwan, which is located at Hengchun Peninsula, the southern tip of Taiwan. The dominant species in this area is Thalassia hemprichii. South Taiwan is situated at a tropical climate, and the variation of air temperature is small. Additionally, Kurshio embranchment cause the variation of water temperature smaller, about 24 (¢J) to 30 (¢J).The northeastern monsoonal winds, formed downhill winds, are extremely forceful from October to April, so the wind speed is greater during this period than the rest of the year. In South Taiwan, dry-wet season is clearly. The dry season is from November to April, and the wet season is from May to October. The main rainfall comes from southwest monsoon, especially summer typhoon (June to September). The wind speed is raised abruptly by typhoon and makes water agitate, which not only cause the mortality raising but also the sediment turbulence. By Lin¡¦s research (2005), the growing area of seagrass meadow in Nanwan is a half-closed tidal pool where human makes huge effect and there is a lot of drainage of house and inn sewage. Furthermore, these seagrasses in Nanwan would be exposed to air during the period of poor tide and the emerged period is the longest of these three areas -Nanwan, Dakwan and Wanliton. The seasonal dynamic of seagrass, which is located in the high site of intertidal zone, is obvious, and the biomass is larger in summer than in winter; but that is not obvious in the low site and tidal pool. By the seasonal condition and some specially climate condition mentioned above, the analysis of simulate cases would be go on. Comparing of the modeling result and real measurement, the seasonal changing situation mostly match up. No matter high site (emerged and dried) or low site, there is the maximum of seagrass biomass (including above ground, below ground, or shoot density) in summer, and the minimum in winter. Typhoon causes the biomass losing abruptly in summer. R/S ratio (below-ground biomass division above-ground biomass) is bigger in winter than in summer. On one hand the inside nitrogen redistribution is larger in summer, because the larger growth rate occurs in summer, and the more nutrient is supplied from roots, on the other the redistribution is smaller in winter cause the less nutrient is supplied from roots. Epiphyte biomass has the maximum in summer, when the nutrient concentration of water is larger. In the section of the difference between low and high site seagrass, it is apparent that the high site seagrass would be exposed to air and dried by northeast monsoon. Although typhoon comes up, its influence is not so strong as northeast monsoon at high site. The maximum biomass still occurs in summer, and it is presumed that the living environment of high site seagrass is with more pressure by nature. The above-ground biomass of high site seagrass is smaller than low site, but the below-ground biomass is much lager at high site. Besides, shoot density is larger at high site. The biomass of epiphyte is larger at low site just opposite to shoot density. It is supposed that high site seagrass is emerged to air and limited by environment factors so above-ground biomass would be reduced and store up the sustenance to below-ground biomass. It is conjectured that the main factor with shoot density is affected by light density and below-ground biomass. In shallow water, the seagrass at high site could accept more light energy, moreover the below-ground biomass is sufficient and the recruitment rate is large, thus there are more shoots at high site. Epiphytes are also limited by water depth and wind, and the biomass of epiphyte at high site is smaller than at low site.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / A espÃcie Holothuria grisea, pertencente à FamÃlia Holothuriidae, apesar de ser comum na costa brasileira, ainda apresenta uma lacuna de conhecimento em relaÃÃo aos seus aspectos ecolÃgicos. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi verificar variaÃÃes temporais na abundÃncia, densidade e estrutura populacional de Holothuria grisea, bem como verificar seu padrÃo de distribuiÃÃo espacial. O local de estudo foi a Praia de BitupitÃ, localizada no municÃpio de Barroquinha - CearÃ, distante aproximadamente 420 km de Fortaleza. As coletas ocorreram no perÃodo de janeiro a dezembro de 2011, durante as marÃs diurnas de sizÃgias na zona entremarÃs de um recife de arenito da referida praia. A metodologia baseou-se em um transecto perpendicular à linha da praia com 160 metros de comprimento marcando-se seis pontos distantes entre si dez metros. Foi utilizado um quadrado de 4 m em cada ponto marcado. Os espÃcimes encontrados nestes quadrantes foram contados, medidos e pesados. Foram mensurados os parÃmetros abiÃticos salinidade, temperatura, pH e oxigÃnio dissolvido, com auxÃlio de um refratÃmetro, termÃmetro, pHmetro e oxÃmetro, respectivamente. Foi realizada anÃlise granulomÃtrica do sedimento no perÃodo chuvoso e de estiagem. O padrÃo de distribuiÃÃo espacial encontrado foi do tipo agregado corroborando com a literatura existente. Observou-se um total de 620 indivÃduos de H. grisea no perÃodo estudado. A pluviosidade influenciou na abundÃncia de H. grisea, uma vez que no perÃodo chuvoso obteve-se maior abundÃncia comparada ao perÃodo de estiagem. Houve correlaÃÃo positiva entre a pluviosidade e abundÃncia (r= 0,514). A mÃdia de densidade anual foi de 0.54  0.14 ind/mÂ. NÃo houve diferenÃa entre as mÃdias de densidades ao longo dos meses, nem entre os dados agrupados do perÃodo chuvoso e de estiagem; estes fatos podem ser explicados pelo padrÃo de distribuiÃÃo agregada da populaÃÃo. O tamanho mÃdio observado dos indivÃduos de H. grisea foi 12,89  2,42 cm, com uma distribuiÃÃo de frequÃncia unimodal. O peso mÃdio observado foi 90,28  30,29 g apresentando uma distribuiÃÃo de frequÃncia unimodal. Houve correlaÃÃo positiva entre peso e tamanho dos indivÃduos da populaÃÃo O presente estudo, contribuiu para novos conhecimentos em ecologia dos Holothuroidea presentes em Ãguas tropicais. / The species Holothuria grisea, belonging to the Family Holothuriidae, despite being common in Brazilian coast, still has a big gap in relation to its ecological aspects. The aim of this study was to assess temporal variations in abundance, density and population structure of Holothuria grisea, as well as verify their spatial distribution pattern. The study site was the Bitupità Beach, located in the municipality of Barroquinha - CearÃ, distant about 420 km from Fortaleza. The samples were collected during diurnal spring tides in the intertidal zone on a rock shore of Bitupità Beach during January to December 2011. The methodology was based on a transect perpendicular to the beach with 160 meters long by scoring six points among ten meters. We used a square of 4 m at each marked point and the Holothuria grisea found in this square were counted, measured and weighed. The abiotic parameters were measured such as salinity, temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen. Analyses of sediment were performance in the rainy season and the dry season of 2011. The spatial distribution pattern found for Holothuria grisea was aggregate. We observed a total of 620 individuals of H. grisea during the study period. Rainfall influenced the abundance of H. grisea, since the rainy season yielded greater abundance compared to the dry season. We found a positive correlation between rainfall and abundance (r= 0.514). The average annual density was 0.54  0.14 ind / mÂ. There was no difference between the mean densities over months or between the wet and dry seasons, this fact can be explained by the spatial distribution of the aggregate population. The average size observed was 12.89 cm  2.42 cm frequency unimodal distribution. The average weight was observed  30.29 g 90.28 g showing a frequency distribution unimodal. There was a positive correlation between weight and size of the population. This study has contributed to new knowledge in Holothuroidea ecology in tropical waters.

L’étude biogéochimique des sédiments sableux perméables est un domaine nouveau : le rôle de ces environnements dans les cycles biogéochimiques a longtemps été négligé en raison de leur pauvreté en matière organique et de la complexité des processus transitoires s’y déroulant. Les plages sableuses sont en effet soumises à de nombreux forçages physiques, dont la marée, la houle et la connexion avec l’aquifère continental. Le processus d’advection y est le mode de transport dominant. De grands volumes d’eau de mer chargée en matière organique sont plus ou moins filtrés par les sédiments perméables intertidaux. Le principal objectif de cette thèse était de caractériser les processus biogéochimiques induits par la recirculation de l’eau de mer et les apports d’eau douce dans la zone intertidale dans le cas d’une plage soumise à de fortes conditions hydrodynamiques : la plage du Truc Vert. Un suivi saisonnier des propriétés physico-chimiques des eaux porales a montré que les processus de respiration aérobie interviennent en zone intertidale, dans la lentille de recirculation de l’eau de mer. A l’échelle du littoral aquitain, ces processus représentent un apport annuel de 610 tonnes de nitrate et de 4400 tonnes de carbone inorganique dissous pour l’océan côtier, soit l’équivalent des apports de la Leyre, un petit fleuve drainant un bassin versant de 2000 km2 au sud-est du Bassin d’Arcachon. La macrofaune benthique est dominée par les Crustacés. Ces individus sont caractéristiques de ces milieux complexes, qu’ils subissent mais ne contrôlent pas : la macrofaune benthique contribue faiblement aux processus de respiration aérobie. Seuls 2% du déficit en oxygène des eaux porales du bas de plage leur est attribué en moyenne : les flux biogéochimiques observés en zone intertidale sont donc majoritairement induits par les processus de respiration aérobie des micro-organismes présents dans le sédiment. Soutenus par l’apport régulier d’oxygène dissous dans le milieu poral à chaque marée, ces processus sont également contrôlés par la température et la variabilité des apports de matière organique.Le déploiement de sondes autonomes dans le sédiment de la zone intertidale a également permis de préciser la variabilité à court terme des propriétés des eaux porales. L’extension de la lentille intertidale de recirculation de l’eau de mer est ainsi variable en fonction du marnage et les teneurs en oxygène mesurées en un point fixe de la plage varient légèrement en fonction de ce cycle. Ce travail a donc permis de démontrer que les processus de respiration aérobie varient principalement à l’échelle saisonnière. L’impact ponctuel et local des conditions météorologiques et de la houle a également été mis en évidence. Nous avons démontré l’existence d’un estuaire souterrain sous la plage du Truc Vert. La dynamique de ce système a été explorée grâce à l’installation de piézomètres en haut de plage. L’apport d’eaux douces continentales représente une source supplémentaire de nitrate et de carbone inorganique dissous pour l’océan côtier. L’étude biogéochimique de la nappe phréatique en arrière dune indique l’existence d’un découplage entre le front salin et le front redox au sein de l’estuaire souterrain, ainsi que l’existence d’un intense dégazage de CO2 au niveau de la dune.Les travaux réalisés durant cette thèse permettent de mieux comprendre les processus à l’œuvre dans les sédiments sableux des plages exposées et permettront ainsi le développement de modèles numériques complexes liant hydrologie et biogéochimie. Ils entraînent également de nombreuses perspectives à propos du rôle des plages sableuses à l’échelle locale (en cas de pollution par exemple) mais aussi sur les cycles biogéochimiques globaux, notamment en lien avec le réchauffement climatique et l’élévation du niveau marin (rejets de CO2, salinisation des aquifères côtiers). / Biogeochemical studies in permeable sandy sediments are recent: the role of these environments in biogeochemical cycles was neglected because of their poverty in organic matter and the complexity of transient processes affecting them. Sandy beaches are subject to various physical forcings like tide, waves and connexion with continental groundwaters. Advection is the leading mode of transport. Huge volumes of organic matter-bearing seawater are potentially filtered by permeable intertidal sediments. The main objective of this study was to characterize biogeochemical processes induced by seawater recirculation and groundwater discharge in the intertidal zone of an exposed beach: the Truc Vert beach.Seasonal monitoring of pore water properties showed that aerobic respiration processes occurred in the seawater recirculation plume. Extrapolated to the 240 km-long Aquitanian coast, these processes represent each year an annual release of 610 tons of nitrate and 4400 tons of dissolved inorganic carbon, i.e. the equivalent of the Leyre input, a small river draining a catchment area of 2000 km2 at the southeast part of the Arcachon lagoon.The benthic macrofauna is dominated by Crustaceans. These organisms have a low impact on biogeochemical cycles: the contribution of benthic macrofauna on oxygen deficits observed in the lower beach pore waters is insignificant (< 2%). Biogeochemical fluxes observed in the intertidal zone are mainly induced by the aerobic respiration of microorganisms living in the sediment. Supported by regular tidal inputs of dissolved oxygen on the pore space, these processes varied seasonnally with temperature and organic matter availability.The deployment of autonomous probes into the sediment of the intertidal zone allowed us to clarify the short-term variability of pore water properties. Extension of the intertidal saline plume evolved with the tidal amplitude. Oxygen levels measured at a given point of the beach varied slightly with the lunar cycle. This work showed that aerobic respiration processes varied mainly at the seasonal scale. The local impact of weather and swell was also evidenced.We showed the presence of a subterranean estuary in the Truc Vert beach and its dynamics was explored through the deployment of wells in the upper beach. The input of continental freshwater represents an additional source of nitrate and dissolved inorganic carbon in the coastal ocean. Chemical properties of the fresh groundwater located upstream the beach indicated a decoupling between the salinity gradient and the redox bareer within the subterranean estuary, as well as an intense CO2 degassing at the dune.This study allows to better understand the processes occuring in sandy sediments of exposed beaches and will allow to develop complex numerical models linking hydrological and biogeochemical processes. This work also provides many perspectives on the role of sandy beaches, both locally (in case of pollution, for example) and on global biogeochemical cycles, especially in relation to global warming and sea-level rise (CO2 emissions and seawater intrusion in coastal aquifers).

Os ecossistemas costeiros sofrem impactos antrópicos de fontes diversas, entre eles os despejos de efluentes, que podem potencializar o desenvolvimento de produtores primários em costões rochosos resultante do enriquecimento por nutrientes. Ao mesmo tempo, o crescimento dos produtores pode ser controlado pela presença dos herbívoros. No presente estudo buscamos descrever o efeito dos despejos de efluentes sobre o acúmulo de biofilme em costões rochosos, sob diferentes níveis de despejos de efluentes em uma área subtropical (São Paulo, Brasil), bem como o efeito dos efluentes sobre as lapas. Estimamos a biomassa do biofilme in situ, por medidas indiretas de NDVI e por análises taxonômicas de amostras fixadas. A estrutura populacional de lapas foi descrita por contagem e medição do comprimento da concha. Um experimento em campo foi realizado sob presença e ausência de efluentes, bem como presença e ausência de lapas. Observamos que o efeito de efluentes potencializa o acúmulo de biofilme, entretanto não observamos um consumo significativo das lapas sobre o biofilme. O tamanho e densidade de lapas não foram alteradas pelo gradiente de efluentes. Em geral, foi observada uma predominância de diatomáceas em relação às cianobactérias, o que pode diferir da tendência de dominância de cianobactérias verificada em outras regiões. É importante ressaltar a importância de outros pastadores sobre o desenvolvimento de biofilme, não considerados neste estudo, além da alta variabilidade temporal e espacial que as comunidades de biofilme apresentam. Ressaltamos a importância da aplicação de organismos bentônicos como indicadores da qualidade do ambiente. / Coastal ecosystems suffer anthropogenic impacts from many sources such as sewage disposal, which may potencialize de primary productors growth in rocky shores. In the same time, this growth amy be controlled by grazers. In this study we aimed to investigate the biofilm accumulation in rocky shores under different level of sewage disposal in a subtropical area (São Paulo State, Brazil), and its influence on the grazers. The biofilm biomass was estimated in situ indirectly by NDVI measures and taxonomic analysis of fixed samples. The size structure of limpets was described through counting and measurement of the shell length. We also performed a field experiment under presence and ausence of sewage, as presence and ausence of limpets. We observed a sewage effect improve the biofilm accumulation, but the limpets did not have a clear control on the biofilm growth. No clear effect of sewage disposal was verified on the size and density of limpets. In general, we observed a domination of diatoms relative to cianobacterias, which could differ of the trend observed in another sites. It is noteworthy that the possible effects of other grazers on the biofilm were not quantified and the high temporal and spatial variability of biofilm communities. We emphasize the importance of studies that use benthic organisms as environmental quality indicators.

Os ecossistemas costeiros sofrem impactos antrópicos de fontes diversas, entre eles os despejos de efluentes, que podem potencializar o desenvolvimento de produtores primários em costões rochosos resultante do enriquecimento por nutrientes. Ao mesmo tempo, o crescimento dos produtores pode ser controlado pela presença dos herbívoros. No presente estudo buscamos descrever o efeito dos despejos de efluentes sobre o acúmulo de biofilme em costões rochosos, sob diferentes níveis de despejos de efluentes em uma área subtropical (São Paulo, Brasil), bem como o efeito dos efluentes sobre as lapas. Estimamos a biomassa do biofilme in situ, por medidas indiretas de NDVI e por análises taxonômicas de amostras fixadas. A estrutura populacional de lapas foi descrita por contagem e medição do comprimento da concha. Um experimento em campo foi realizado sob presença e ausência de efluentes, bem como presença e ausência de lapas. Observamos que o efeito de efluentes potencializa o acúmulo de biofilme, entretanto não observamos um consumo significativo das lapas sobre o biofilme. O tamanho e densidade de lapas não foram alteradas pelo gradiente de efluentes. Em geral, foi observada uma predominância de diatomáceas em relação às cianobactérias, o que pode diferir da tendência de dominância de cianobactérias verificada em outras regiões. É importante ressaltar a importância de outros pastadores sobre o desenvolvimento de biofilme, não considerados neste estudo, além da alta variabilidade temporal e espacial que as comunidades de biofilme apresentam. Ressaltamos a importância da aplicação de organismos bentônicos como indicadores da qualidade do ambiente. / Coastal ecosystems suffer anthropogenic impacts from many sources such as sewage disposal, which may potencialize de primary productors growth in rocky shores. In the same time, this growth amy be controlled by grazers. In this study we aimed to investigate the biofilm accumulation in rocky shores under different level of sewage disposal in a subtropical area (São Paulo State, Brazil), and its influence on the grazers. The biofilm biomass was estimated in situ indirectly by NDVI measures and taxonomic analysis of fixed samples. The size structure of limpets was described through counting and measurement of the shell length. We also performed a field experiment under presence and ausence of sewage, as presence and ausence of limpets. We observed a sewage effect improve the biofilm accumulation, but the limpets did not have a clear control on the biofilm growth. No clear effect of sewage disposal was verified on the size and density of limpets. In general, we observed a domination of diatoms relative to cianobacterias, which could differ of the trend observed in another sites. It is noteworthy that the possible effects of other grazers on the biofilm were not quantified and the high temporal and spatial variability of biofilm communities. We emphasize the importance of studies that use benthic organisms as environmental quality indicators.

Marine and aquatic species relying on external fertilization must have special adaptation against sperm-dilution in the water. In addition mating competition may be another important source of limitation to an individual¡¦s reproductive success. If the two above mechanisms are in direct conflict, real adaptation would reflect whichever is more critical to one¡¦s fitness. In using the same logic, the unidirectional induction of spawning, i.e., females inducing males, but not males inducing females, has been reported as an evidence for the relative importance of natural selection, that is, sperm-dilution, in limiting the fitness of brittlestars in shallow waters. If the above deduction is correct, one would predict more adaptations to offset the adverse effect of sperm-dilution in various aspects of spawning-related characteristics. Two species of brittlestars. Ophiocoma dentata, living in subtidal zone, and O. scolopendrina, living in intertidal zone, were studied at Kenting, southern Taiwan. Experimental approaches were adopted to figure out if these two species have any adaptation in space and in time that can perceivably counteract the effect of sperm dilution. Spatially, the male O. dentata has the ability to search for females, and the males living with females have higher rates of responding to female spawn than unpaired males; the males do not actively search for eggs released in the water. In O. scolopendrina, neither male nor female had the ability to distinguish the sex of other individuals, they do not form pairs in nature. Males, however, have strong ability to search released eggs and then approach and spawn near the eggs. Temporally, the males of the O. scolopendrina, are sensitive to tidal rhythms in terms of inducibility by female spawns, they only spawn at the time of low tide. The possible effect of water level and photophase were both ruled out. In contrast, no such tidal rhythms of male inducibility was found in the subtidal O. dentata. Sexual selection needs not be invoked in any of the above behaviors, whereas natural selection against sperm dilution is an acceptable explanation. Last, the male O. scolopendrina displays interference behavior by blocking other males from approaching eggs are in the water. The blocked individuals are less likely to spawn.

DIAS, Itala Farias. Distribuição espaço-temporal e densidade populacional de Holothuria (Halodeima) Grisea (Holothuroidea: Aspidochirotida) na Praia de Bitupitá, Ceará, Nordeste do Brasil. 2012. 69 f. : Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Ceará, Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Departamento de Engenharia de Pesca, Fortaleza-CE, 2012 / Submitted by Nádja Goes (nmoraissoares@gmail.com) on 2016-07-15T12:37:46Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2012_dis_ifdias.pdf: 2211610 bytes, checksum: d490eaec99d0bb2f03f1c40e3889bdb5 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Nádja Goes (nmoraissoares@gmail.com) on 2016-07-15T12:38:10Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2012_dis_ifdias.pdf: 2211610 bytes, checksum: d490eaec99d0bb2f03f1c40e3889bdb5 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-15T12:38:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2012_dis_ifdias.pdf: 2211610 bytes, checksum: d490eaec99d0bb2f03f1c40e3889bdb5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / The species Holothuria grisea, belonging to the Family Holothuriidae, despite being common in Brazilian coast, still has a big gap in relation to its ecological aspects. The aim of this study was to assess temporal variations in abundance, density and population structure of Holothuria grisea, as well as verify their spatial distribution pattern. The study site was the Bitupitá Beach, located in the municipality of Barroquinha - Ceará, distant about 420 km from Fortaleza. The samples were collected during diurnal spring tides in the intertidal zone on a rock shore of Bitupitá Beach during January to December 2011. The methodology was based on a transect perpendicular to the beach with 160 meters long by scoring six points among ten meters. We used a square of 4 m² at each marked point and the Holothuria grisea found in this square were counted, measured and weighed. The abiotic parameters were measured such as salinity, temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen. Analyses of sediment were performance in the rainy season and the dry season of 2011. The spatial distribution pattern found for Holothuria grisea was aggregate. We observed a total of 620 individuals of H. grisea during the study period. Rainfall influenced the abundance of H. grisea, since the rainy season yielded greater abundance compared to the dry season. We found a positive correlation between rainfall and abundance (r= 0.514). The average annual density was 0.54 ± 0.14 ind / m². There was no difference between the mean densities over months or between the wet and dry seasons, this fact can be explained by the spatial distribution of the aggregate population. The average size observed was 12.89 cm ± 2.42 cm frequency unimodal distribution. The average weight was observed ± 30.29 g 90.28 g showing a frequency distribution unimodal. There was a positive correlation between weight and size of the population. This study has contributed to new knowledge in Holothuroidea ecology in tropical waters. / A espécie Holothuria grisea, pertencente à Família Holothuriidae, apesar de ser comum na costa brasileira, ainda apresenta uma lacuna de conhecimento em relação aos seus aspectos ecológicos. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi verificar variações temporais na abundância, densidade e estrutura populacional de Holothuria grisea, bem como verificar seu padrão de distribuição espacial. O local de estudo foi a Praia de Bitupitá, localizada no município de Barroquinha - Ceará, distante aproximadamente 420 km de Fortaleza. As coletas ocorreram no período de janeiro a dezembro de 2011, durante as marés diurnas de sizígias na zona entremarés de um recife de arenito da referida praia. A metodologia baseou-se em um transecto perpendicular à linha da praia com 160 metros de comprimento marcando-se seis pontos distantes entre si dez metros. Foi utilizado um quadrado de 4 m² em cada ponto marcado. Os espécimes encontrados nestes quadrantes foram contados, medidos e pesados. Foram mensurados os parâmetros abióticos salinidade, temperatura, pH e oxigênio dissolvido, com auxílio de um refratômetro, termômetro, pHmetro e oxímetro, respectivamente. Foi realizada análise granulométrica do sedimento no período chuvoso e de estiagem. O padrão de distribuição espacial encontrado foi do tipo agregado corroborando com a literatura existente. Observou-se um total de 620 indivíduos de H. grisea no período estudado. A pluviosidade influenciou na abundância de H. grisea, uma vez que no período chuvoso obteve-se maior abundância comparada ao período de estiagem. Houve correlação positiva entre a pluviosidade e abundância (r= 0,514). A média de densidade anual foi de 0.54 ± 0.14 ind/m². Não houve diferença entre as médias de densidades ao longo dos meses, nem entre os dados agrupados do período chuvoso e de estiagem; estes fatos podem ser explicados pelo padrão de distribuição agregada da população. O tamanho médio observado dos indivíduos de H. grisea foi 12,89 ± 2,42 cm, com uma distribuição de frequência unimodal. O peso médio observado foi 90,28 ± 30,29 g apresentando uma distribuição de frequência unimodal. Houve correlação positiva entre peso e tamanho dos indivíduos da população O presente estudo, contribuiu para novos conhecimentos em ecologia dos Holothuroidea presentes em águas tropicais.

Predicting sediment transport at sandy beaches is a significant challenge in civil engineering owing to the variability in hydrodynamic, morphological, and geotechnical properties within a site and across multiple sites. Additionally, there are difficulties in measuring in-situ properties, and challenges in identifying and quantifying the different relevant driving and resisting forces. These challenges are further exacerbated in the intertidal zone where the addition of infiltration-exfiltration, wave run-up and run-down, bore collapse, cyclic emergence and submergence of sediments, interactions between standing waves and incident bores, and other processes must be considered. Among these many processes, pore pressure gradients within sandy beach sediments affect sediment transport by reducing the sediment's effective stress to zero (this process is called liquefaction). Despite the known importance of these pressure gradients with respect to sediment transport, there has been little field evidence of the role that these pore pressure gradients have on sediment transport, how they relate to the hydrodynamic properties, and their inclusion into predictive sediment transport equations. This study is based on field measurements of hydrodynamic and geotechnical properties, as well as pore pressure gradients during storm and non-storm conditions at sandy beaches in the intertidal zone. From the analysis of these field measurements, it was found that (1) liquefying pressure gradients are likely to develop in sediments that are rapidly inundated during storm conditions; (2) the magnitude of pore pressure gradients is related to the asymmetry of the pressure gradient and can occur with shoreward-directed near bed velocities; and (3) during non-storm conditions, pressure gradients that often do not exceed liquefaction criteria occurred more (less) frequently during a time period where erosion occurred in large (small) quantities, indicating that small non-liquefying pore pressure gradients may facilitate sediment transport. The results of this study demonstrate that current methods of scour calculations must include effects of pore pressure gradients to reduce error. Additionally, from this work it was found that sediment transport can be directed shoreward under momentary liquefaction. Finally, the results of this study show that sediment pore pressure gradients are related to wave skewness, spatial group steepness, and temporal group steepness which may aid modelling of pore pressure gradients. / Doctor of Philosophy / The transport of sediment particles (in this case, sand grains at beaches) is difficult to predict because of the many different governing processes that can be hard to measure, may be hard to relate to erosion or sediment accumulation specifically, and the variability in sediment and flow properties (grain size, fluid velocity, and others) at a specific location and across different locations. Storms, like hurricanes, tropical storms, and tsunamis, can drastically change the expected water properties (like water depth, wave height, and wave period), and the effects of water pressure within the sand bed. When a wave moves across the sand it causes a change in the water pressure that is within the sand. This water pressure is not the same throughout the sand with depth. When the gradient, or the difference between the water pressure at two different vertical locations, is large enough, the sand behaves like a fluid (like quicksand) and becomes easier to move, this process is called liquefaction. Even though previous work has shown that these pressure gradients (and the resulting liquefaction) is important for sediment transport, there have been few field measurements demonstrating their impact on sediment transport and how these gradients (and the resulting liquefaction) relate to wave and sand properties. This study presents field measurements of pressure gradients, wave and sediment properties, and sediment transport events during both storm and non-storm conditions. From these field measurements, it was shown that (1) during an extreme storm event, pressure gradients that liquefy the sediment are likely to occur on sediments that are not normally subjected to waves; (2) liquefying pressure gradients can occur when waves arrive at the beach, which may cause sediment to be moved shoreward; and (3) during non-storm conditions, pressure gradients that do not liquefy the sand occurred frequently during a sediment transport event, suggesting that these smaller pressure gradients may contribute to sediment transport by reducing the effective weight of the sediment. This work can be used to further understand the behavior of sediment pore pressure gradients, their relation to hydrodynamic properties, and how they influence sediment transport allowing for better predictions of sediment transport, beach nourishment calculations, and the design of coastal structures.

The intertidal zone is characterized by persistent, tidally-driven fluctuations in both abiotic (e.g., temperature, [O2], salinity) and biotic (e.g., food availability, predation) conditions, which makes this a very physiologically challenging habitat for resident organisms. The magnitude and degree of variability of these environmental stressors differs between intertidal zones, with the most extreme physiological stress often being experienced by organisms in the high intertidal. Given that many of the fluctuating conditions in this environment are primary drivers of metabolic rate (e.g., temperature, [O2], food availability), we hypothesized that sessile conspecifics residing in different tidal zones would exhibit distinct ‘metabolic phenotypes,’ a term we use to collectively describe the organisms’ baseline metabolic performance and capacity. To investigate this hypothesis, we collected acorn barnacles (Balanus glandula) from low, mid, and high intertidal positions in San Luis Obispo Bay, CA and measured a suite of biochemical (whole-animal citrate synthase (CS) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, aerial [lactate]), physiological (O2 consumption rates), morphological (body size), and behavioral (e.g., cirri beat frequency, % time operculum open) indices of metabolism. We found tidal zone-dependent differences in B. glandula metabolism that primarily related to anaerobic capacity, feeding behaviors and body size. Barnacles from the low intertidal tended to have a greater capacity for anaerobic metabolism (i.e., increased LDH activity), feed less when submerged, and be smaller in size compared to conspecifics in the high intertidal. We did not, however, see differences between barnacles from different tidal heights in whole-animal [lactate] following 24h of air exposure, which indicates that the enhanced capacity of low intertidal barnacles for anaerobic metabolism may have evolved to support metabolism during more prolonged episodes of emersion (>>24h) or during events other than emersion (e.g., coastal hypoxia, predation). There were also no significant differences in CS activity or baseline oxygen consumption rates (in air or seawater at 14˚C) across tidal heights, which implies that aerobic metabolic capacity may not be as sensitive to tidal position as anaerobic processes. Understanding how individuals occupying different shore heights differ in their metabolic capacity becomes increasingly interesting in the context of global climate change, given that the intertidal zone is predicted to experience even greater extremes in abiotic stress.