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Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 2009. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 53-59). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.A.)--Humboldt State University, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 42-46). Also available via Humboldt Digital Scholar.

The study was concerned with the horizontal and vertical distributional patterns and the possible summer periodicity of diatoms epiphytic on eelgrass, Zostera marina L., in the vicinity of Gloucester Point, Virginia. Samples were collected in August 1963 and June and July 1964. Horizontal and vertical distributional patterns were demonstrated with respect to the change of total numbers of organisms present. The distributional pattern was, however, more pronounced in the vertical direction. The vertical comparisons generally indicated more pronounced growth of epiphytic diatoms at the blade tip than blade base. Horizontal comparisons generally show more growth in deep than shallow water, but there are exceptions. Two trends were present which suggested periodicity and a shift in generic dominance. Cocconeia and Navicula appeared to reach peak densities on or shortly before June, Whereas, Dimerogramma, Epithemia, and Nitzochia appeared to have reached a peak considerably before the June sampling date. The former two organisms maintained relatively high densities throughout the sampling period, whereas, the latter three did not reach a comparable average density until August. Of the eighteen genera identified, four were chosen for detailed graphical illustration in 1963 and 1964 because of their predominance throughout the sampling period. Cocconeis, Dimerogramma, Epithemia 2 and Navicula were predominant genera in 1963; Epithemia was replaced in abundance by Nitzschia in 1964. / Master of Science

The Tay estuary is situated on the east coast of Scotland. The estuary is dominated by sediment biotopes, including mudflats which support sparse beds of two nationally scarce seagrass species, Zostera marina var. angustfolia (Hornem.) and Z. noltii (Hornem.). Seagrasses have been described as ecosystem engineers, shaping their sediment environment, and this may increase sediment deposition and stability. In this thesis the ecosystem engineering characteristics of seagrass habitats are explored. In 2008, the distribution of Zostera spp. in the Tay estuary was surveyed and mapped for the first time. Sediments within beds of Z. marina and Z. noltii were compared to investigate the influence of seagrasses on sediment characteristics. To explore the role of seagrass in sediment deposition and erosion, and coastal stability, sediment depth measurements were made in patches of Z. noltii, Z. marina and bare sediment over one year. The role of the root/rhizome system on sediment retention over winter was also considered. Sediment deposition in Z. noltii beds, and the influence of the plants on near-bed flow dynamics was further explored in the laboratory, using an 8 m seawater flume. In the field the retention of particles over 2 and 14 tides was measured, and the results of this experiment led to a study of the influence of leaf and sediment biofilms on particle retention, using the novel method of magnetic particle induction (MagPI). The efficacy of artificial seagrass beds and Z. noltii transplantation as habitat restoration techniques were compared over one year. During the trial, sediment deposition and changes in sediment characteristics were determined, and the protection given to saltmarsh cliffs fringing the study plots was assessed. Mechanisms underlying the results are suggested and the findings discussed. This study provides an insight into the ecology of seagrass in the Tay estuary and its role as an ecosystem manager. It may offer valuable data which could be utilised for future conservation policies, habitat restoration schemes and management planning of the area.

Les estrans du bassin d’Arcachon sont en grande partie colonisés par des herbiers de Zostera noltii. La surface de ces herbiers connaît actuellement une régression importante. Il est donc essentiel de comprendre le rôle des herbiers de Zostera noltii sur les processus hydrodynamiques et sédimentaires afin d’anticiper les conséquences de la régression sur les bilans morpho-sédimentaires du bassin d’Arcachon.Des expérimentations en canal sur herbiers naturels ont mis en évidence une importante atténuation de la vitesse près du fond, associée à une augmentation de la turbulence, diminuant au cours du développement des herbiers. Il en résulte dans le même temps, une augmentation de l’effet de protection contre l’érosion et des flux de dépôt.Des tests d’érodabilité ont montré une variation saisonnière de la résistance des sédiments face à l’érosion, associée à la modification des sédiments superficiels. La stabilisation induite par la présence de la rhizosphère et sa saisonnalité a également été mise en évidence. Un paramétrage satisfaisant de la loi d’érosion a été obtenu.Un suivi in-situ du niveau sédimentaire, des paramètres sédimentaires et biométriques a mis en évidence des tendances nettes au dépôt en présence d’herbier, et à l’érosion en l’absence d’herbier. En présence d’herbiers, l’évolution des caractéristiques des sédiments superficiels est corrélée au cycle de croissance des herbiers. Les sédiments deviennent plus fins durant la période de croissance alors qu’un enrichissement en sable intervient durant la période de dégénérescence automnale.Le modèle hydrodynamique MARS-3D a été exploité pour simuler finement les profils de vitesse en présence des herbiers, en prenant en compte la flexibilité de leurs feuilles. / The intertidal flats in the Arcachon lagoon are extensively colonized by seagrass meadows of Zostera noltii. The last ten years these meadows experienced a drastic regression of their surface area. Understanding the impact of seagrass on hydrodynamics and sediment dynamics is required to anticipate the consequences of meadows regression on the sediment dynamics of the Arcachon lagoon.Flume experiments with natural seagrass highlighted a strong velocity attenuation associated with a turbulence increase near the bed within seagrass canopies. An increase in sediment protection from erosion and in deposition fluxes related to the seagrass growth was found.Erosion tests showed seasonal variability of sediment resistance against erosion associated with changes in sediment characteristics. The bed stabilization induced by the root system and its seasonality was also observed. A parameterization of the erosion law was found.The in-situ survey of sediment altimetry, sediment and biometric characteristics showed a significant trend to sediment deposition on colonized sites, while erosion occurred on the unvegetated site. On the vegetated sites, surface sediment evolutions are correlated to the seagrass growth. Sediment became finer during the growth while the sand content rose during the end-of-season die-off.The hydrodynamic model MARS-3D was modified to take into account for seagrass and its flexibility on hydrodynamics and produced good simulation of velocity profiles in presence of seagrasses.

Thesis (M.Sc.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--Western Washington University, 2008. / CD-ROM in back pocket. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 114-121). Also available online.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Zoology & Entomology)) - Rhodes University, 2009.

Eelgrass (Zostera marina) is a critical nearshore marine habitat for juvenile Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) as they depart from their natal streams. Given the poor marine survival of Coho (O. kisutch) and Chinook (O. tshawytscha) salmon juveniles in recent decades, it is hypothesized that deteriorating eelgrass habitats could contribute to their low survival. The primary goal of this research was to investigate the possible long-term spatial-temporal trends in eelgrass habitat in the Salish Sea and was addressed by two main objectives: (1) Define a methodology for mapping eelgrass habitats using UAV imagery to create a baseline for long-term mapping; and (2) Assess changes in eelgrass area coverage and fragmentation over the period of 1932-2016 using historic aerial photographs and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) imagery, and assess the relationship between eelgrass and residential housing density and shoreline activities. Three study sites in the Southern Gulf Islands of the Salish Sea were chosen for analysis. The overall accuracies of eelgrass delineation from UAV imagery were 95.3%, 88.9%, and 90.1% for Village Bay, Horton Bay, and Lyall Harbour, respectively. The UAV method was found to be highly effective for this size of study site, however results were impacted by the environmental conditions at the time of acquisition, namely: sun angle, tidal height, cloud cover, water clarity, and wind speed. The results from the first objective were incorporated into a long-term dataset of historic aerial photography and used to evaluate changes in eelgrass area and fragmentation. All three eelgrass meadows showed a deteriorating trend in eelgrass condition. On average, eelgrass area coverage decreases by 41% while meadow complexity as indicated by the shape index increases by 76%. Shoreline activities (boats, docks, log booms, and shoreline armouring) and residential housing density increased markedly at all sites over the study period. By using a linear correlation model, it was revealed that eelgrass areal coverage and fragmentation (Shape Index) were, in general, very strongly correlated to these landscape-level coastal environmental indicators. While this correlation model is not meant to show a direct causative impact on eelgrass at these sites, these results suggest an overall deterioration of coastal environmental health in the Salish Sea due to a dramatic increase in the use of the coastal zone, as well as likely declines in water quality due to urbanization. / Graduate