Ostrea lurida Carpenter 1864 is the only native oyster on the western North American coast, but it is functionally extinct in most of its historic range. Knowledge of environmental tolerances during larval development of O. lurida is minimal, which limits recovery strategies for this listed “species of special concern” (Species At Risk Act). The effects of rearing temperature (13, 17, 21°C), salinity (11, 15, 21, 24, 30, 31 psu) and food concentration (5x103, 1x104 and 5x104 algal cells/ml) on larval growth and development were investigated. Larvae were obtained from laboratory conditioned adults from Ladysmith Harbour, and the Gorge Waterway on Vancouver Island BC. At low temperature (13°C), salinity (15 psu) and food concentration (5x103 algal cells/ml) larvae did not grow or develop. Higher temperature, salinity and food concentration increased growth and developmental rates. Larvae reared at higher food densities and salinities, but not higher temperature, were larger when eyespots differentiated. / Graduate

Vampirovibrio chlorellavorus (Gromov et Mamkaeva, 1980) is a member of the phylum cyanobacteria that has been described as an obligate pathogen of several of the green microalga, Chlorella. It utilizes as yet unknown functions to access the contents of individual Chlorella sp. host cells, which results in cell death. Its presence in a cultivated Chlorella sorokiniana culture was first discovered using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify the 16S ribosomal DNA gene, followed by DNA sequencing. Its continued routine detection throughout much of the cultivation season suggested it was an endemic member of the phycosphere community in this open cultivation system, located in Tucson, Arizona. Ultimately, its presence resulted in rapid death of C. sorokiniana in open pond systems and reduced biomass harvest. PCR analysis of total DNA isolated from sand and soil layers removed from a nearby riverbed indicated that V. chlorellavorus resides naturally in the riverbed. The ability to manage this bacterial pathogen in cultivated Chlorella host species is hindered by the limited information available in the literature regarding the biological and genomic characteristics of V. chlorellavorus. The objective of this study was to identify environmental factors that trigger the apparent increased growth rate of V. chlorellavorus and rapid algal death during the cultivation cycle. In laboratory experiments, V. chlorellavorus was shown to cause death of C. sorokiniana when the temperature exceeded 28°C, whereas, algal death was not observed when the temperature was 24°C or lower, among the temperatures tested. Also, the bacterium was more pathogenic to C. sorokiniana, grown in open cultivation systems during the summer months, compared to the cooler season months. Futhermore, when C. sorokiniana and V. chlorellavorus were co-cultivated in the presence of sodium chloride ranging from 0-10 g per liter, the growth of the bacterium was not impeded to any extent that might suggest C. sorokiniana was rendered less susceptibility to pathogen attack. Future work involves examining more triggers and ways to inhibit V. chlorellavorus growth.

published_or_final_version / Zoology / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Plant responses to abiotic stress are neither singular nor linear. The research represented within this dissertation was intended to evaluate selected biochemical and physiological responses in two Arugulas (Images 1-5), to agronomic interventions designed to mitigate extreme environmental abiotic factors, characteristic of arid agricultural production regions. Plant stress responses were investigated under field conditions and within controlled environments (CE), during the course of a preliminary trial and three independent studies, all four directly related. The preliminary trial evaluated harvest and postharvest nutritional content (i.e., antioxidants) of two Arugulas, Eruca sativa (L.) Cav. ssp. sativa (P. Mill.) and Diplotaxis tenuifolia (L.) DC cv. Sylvetta; grown under field conditions in the semi-arid upper Sonoran Desert. In this trial, we defined baseline harvest and postharvest antioxidant values for the Arugulas, cultivated in a semi-arid environment. The initial study, conducted within a CE utilizing a water recycling system, evaluated changes in the nutritional value of three specialty leafy cruciferous vegetables: D. tenuifolia, E. sativa and Lepidium sativum; when subjected to increasing salinity levels in the nutrient solution. It was concluded that, when specific Crucifers are irrigated with moderately high levels of salinity, neither harvest nor postharvest nutritional values are compromised. The second study, investigated the response of a suite of plant physiological parameters (e.g., yield and photosynthetic rate) in the three Crucifers to salinity, within the CE. This research provided guideline salinity values where yields did not decline, and encourages growers to consider water resources compromised by salinity and nutrient solution recycling. During the third study, the influence of environmental conditions on the nutritional content in leafy vegetables, prevalent immediately before harvest, was investigated; by subjecting plants to reduced sunlight treatments and early irrigation termination. We observed that, modulating light intensity late in the season, and early irrigation termination strategies, modify the nutritional content of leafy vegetables; and potentially the subsequent postharvest shelf life. Collectively evaluated, this research suggests that simple agronomic interventions are valuable, yet practicable, tools that can enhance the nutritional content of specialty vegetables, in arid regions: be that intervention an imposed controlled-stress, utilizing nutrient recycling systems within a CE, or basic light-reduction and irrigation termination strategies within conventional fields systems.

No description available.

Unprecedented rates of anthropogenic environmental change have resulted in dramatic decreases in biodiversity worldwide. In order to persist during changes in both the abiotic and biotic environment resulting from anthropogenic stressors such as climate change and habitat degradation, populations must be able to respond or face extirpation. Predicted population-level responses to environmental change include i) range shifts as individuals disperse into more suitable regions, ii) phenotypic plasticity allowing for shifts in the mean phenotype of the population or iii) microevolution resulting from a genetic change within the population. The goal of this thesis is to assess how species within a community respond to a dramatic change in the environment. This study used the sediment record of a Subarctic pond to investigate the impacts of a rapid increase in salinity on two species of the crustacean zooplankton Daphnia. One species, Daphnia tenebrosa, was unable to persist in the high salinity conditions and is believed to have been extirpated from the system. The other species, Daphnia magna, was tolerant of the new environmental conditions and was present throughout the sediment record. To investigate the changes in life history of D. magna, resting eggs from the sediment were hatched to compare iso-female lines from pre- and post-disturbance time periods. No differences were observed between the clone lines, suggesting that phenotypic plasticity allowed D. magna to persist despite the rapidly changing environmental conditions, and that microevolution in salinity tolerance may not have occurred in this population. This study suggests that, in environments with moderate levels of post environmental change, pre-existing phenotypic plasticity may play a greater role than microevolution in species response to environmental changes. However, not all species from a community display the same response to environmental changes, as seen in this study with the extirpation of D. tenebrosa. To better understand how communities will be affected by future environmental change, further investigations need to be made on what factors influence species response. Identifying species response may allow conservation efforts to focus on species that are unlikely to adapt to environmental change, and are most at risk. / Thesis (Master, Biology) -- Queen's University, 2013-09-29 21:54:34.881

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited / Establishing a full-duplex underwater network, researching and applying a CDMA protocol to this network, providing a recommendation for a full-duplex underwater network and providing recommendations for using CDMA to increase the efficiency of this network are the general scope of this thesis. A connection that allows traffic in both directions simultaneously underwater is the example of fullduplex communication. Compared to a half duplex configuration, the full duplex network underwater may provide a better networking environment. Currently, most Underwater Acoustic Networks (UANs) still utilize half-duplex network communication. CDMA is the third kind of channel partitioning protocol. Most of the wireless communication devices utilize different kinds of CDMA protocol as a reliable and faster communication. The research conducted in establishing a full-duplex UAN using CDMA may provide reliable and faster communication compared to half-duplex. / Lieutenant Junior Grade, Turkish Navy

The brown macroalgae Fucus radicans is endemic to the Baltic Sea, but little is known about this newly described species. This thesis investigates the ecology and role of F. radicans within the species poor Baltic Sea ecosystem. The thallus of F. radicans had a more complex structure but was smaller than F. vesiculosus, the other important foundation species with which it grows in sympatry at several sites. The variability of the associated flora and fauna communities of these two Fucus species, however, was explained by the thallus size, not the complexity. Comparisons between the populations of F. radicans in the Bothnian Sea with those in Väinameri Sea on the Estonian coast, showed that the Estonian thalli were smaller, less complex and lacking the numerous adventitious branches which occur extensively in the Bothnian Sea populations. The distribution of F. radicans in Sweden is limited to the Bothnian Sea coast. The low salinity at the northern limit prevented successful fertilization, while increased salinity did not restrict F. radicans but improved its reproductive success. The southern distribution limit was instead shown to be negatively impacted by a combination of grazing and competition. The asexual reproduction through settling of detached fragments was favoured by high light levels and high temperature in laboratory conditions. Re-attachment occurred by basally formed rhizoids but settling also occurred through a calcium-rich substance, seemingly secreted by the fragment. Genetic spatial distribution of F. radicans showed a dominance of a few widespread clones both within and between sites with an intermingled rather than clustered pattern. The extensive female clone, common in most sites, is most likely old and several clonal lineages have derived from her.  Although more clearly expressed in the clonal populations, the macroscopic sexual dimorphism discovered appears to be a species specific trait in F. radicans. This thesis presents further insight in F. radicans role within the Baltic Sea ecosystem and its value as a study species for adaptation, clonality and speciation. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 2: Manuscript. Paper 3: Manuscript. Paper 4: Manuscript. Paper 5: Manuscript.</p>

In my studio practice I attempt to create sensual experiences from which nothing is learned and lack resolution; this thesis is an attempt to find ways to outline these experiences. However, this attempt will eventually lead to something entirely different, for these experiences are undefinable and impossible to investigate. I will try to show how the components of the work, rather than forming a direct link to a chain of thoughts or associations, summon an experience that is derived only from the encounter itself.

La salinité du sol affecte la croissance des plantes glycophytes telle que Arabidopsis thaliana et le riz. Chez les plantes vasculaires, les racines sont composées de divers types de cellules organisées en cercles concentriques. Chaque type de cellules racinaires possède une fonction biologique spécifique et coordonnée avec les autres cellules qui composent cette même racine. Il est probable que la réponse des gènes au stress salin soit spécifique du type cellulaire, ce qui ne peut être révélé par des études à l'échelle de l'organe entier. Afin d'étudier les réponses spécifiques, notre approche a été de générer des profils de transcriptome pour deux types de cellules racinaires chez les plantes modèles, Arabidopsis et riz. Les deux types de cellules étudiées ont été choisis en raison de leur rôle possible soit dans le stockage du sodium dans les cellules corticales, soit dans son transport dans les cellules du péricycle chez Arabidopsis ou du cylindre central chez le riz. Des plantes exprimant la protéine fluorescente verte (GF) spécifiquement dans un type de cellule racinaire furent utilisées pour cette analyse. Les cellules ont donc pu être isolées chez le riz et Arabidopsis grâce à la technique de cytométrie en flux.L'analyse du transcriptome des cellules du péricycle et du cylindre central montrent que les cellules corticales sont plus réactives au stress salin et qu'une large majorité des gènes est sous–exprimée chez les deux plantes modèles. D'après les analyses d'expression des cellules du cortex d'Arabidopsis, trois voies métaboliques sont significativement sous-exprimées en réponse au stress salin: la voie de biosynthèse des phénylpropanoïdes, le transport de l'eau and le métabolisme secondaire. La régulation de gènes impliqués dans le transport de l'eau et des nutriments démontre l'importance des cellules corticales dans le mouvement des solutés. Chez le riz, les profils des deux types cellulaires étudiés révèlent une forte réaction de défense ; en effet le métabolisme protéique et la régulation de la transcription sont fortement sous-exprimés dans les cellules corticales alors que les cellules du cylindre central modifient et activent les gènes correspondant à divers catégories fonctionnelles telles que la réplication de l'ADN et le transport. Des gènes candidats ont été sélectionnés dans les deux types cellulaires d'Arabidopsis. Des lignées mutantes n'exprimant pas ces gènes ont été testées en stress salin dans des conditions hydroponiques. Les résultats ont révélé un phénotype accumulant moins de sodium dans les parties aériennes (20% par rapport au génotype sauvage) pour certaines de ces lignées mutantes. Ce travail est la première étude de transcriptome utilisant des types spécifiques de cellules racinaires chez le riz. L'identification de gènes et voies métaboliques répondant au stress salin dans le cortex et le cylindre central de la racine ouvre de nouveaux axes de recherche et va permettre d'élucider la complexité des processus biologiques d'adaptation au stress salin. / Soil salinity reduces the growth of glycophytic plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana and rice. In vascular plants, roots are organized into concentric layers of cells and each layer has a specific biological function coordinated with other cell types in the root. Therefore, genes differentially expressed in response to a salt stress are also likely to be changing only in specific cell types, and thus may not be revealed at the organ level. In order to identify novel salt-responsive genes, cell-type specific transcriptomic approaches were undertaken in Arabidopsis thaliana and rice, with application of physiologically reasonable salt stress (50mM) over 48 hours. Two cell-types from the root were chosen in both species for their potential role in salt storage and transport: cortical and pericycle/stelar cells respectively. Cell-types of interest expressing specifically Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) were isolated from the rest of the root using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS).The outer layer of the root was found to be responding more than the inner part of the root after 48 hours of salt stress, with an overall down-regulation in both rice and Arabidopsis. Arabidopsis cortical cells responding to salt seem to regulate the cell wall biosynthesis, which may modulate the shape of the cells or alter the apoplastic movements of solutes in response to salt. Genes related to transport were affected by salt in Arabidopsis, with the crucial role of cortical cells in the movement of solutes being evident. Rice cortical cells respond to salt by showing a more extreme defence reaction in changing the protein metabolism and the regulation of transcription. The response of the inner part of the rice root to 48 hours of mild salt stress showed up-regulation of genes implicated in broader functional categories. The biological relevance of genes revealed using cell-type specific transcriptomics was demonstrated in a salt assay using knock-out (KO) lines of candidate genes from both cell-types in Arabidopsis thaliana. Three KO mutant lines showed 20% reduction in shoot sodium after 5 weeks of salt stress and were also able to maintain a higher shoot dry weight. These transcriptomic studies of isolated stelar and cortical cells in response to a mild salt stress have revealed salt responsive genes and pathways, indicating new areas for further study, and contributing to our understanding of the complex responses of plants to their environment at the cellular level.