The giant barrel sponge Xestospongia testudinaria is a dominant member of the coral reef community in the Verde Island Passage (VIP) in the Philippines. However, little is known about its morphology and gene flow. Barrel sponge morphotypes, osculum di . . .

With the predicted acceleration of sea level rise in the mid-21st century, salt marsh restoration efforts are faced with the challenge of building and maintaining sufficient sediment to elevations that support vegetation. The highly subsided Sears Poi . . .

In Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Cdc24 is required for the completion of S-phase. Many studies implicate Cdc24 in lagging strand DNA replication and in DNA repair. Interestingly, the DNA replication checkpoint kinase, Cdsl (hChk2), and the kinase-dead al . . .

Prior to this monographic treatment, limited research on the genus Marasmius (Basidiomycota, Agaricales) had been conducted in Madagascar. Based on field work in January 2013 and January-February 2014, which generated 45 specimens of Marasmius sensu s . . .

Substratum geology is fundamental in shaping rocky shore morphology. Specific lithologies have various responses to wave action, tectonic features (e.g. fractures, faults) and sedimentary structures (e.g. bedding), creating distinctive multi-scale wea . . .

A two-part study was carried out examining population genetics and fusion behavior of an invasive colonial ascidian, Didemnum vexillum. A barcoding mitochondrial gene, COI, was used in previous studies at global and regional levels to assess the nativ . . .

There is an atypical distribution of the non-native crab Carcinus maenas, rarely found at high elevations in the intertidal zone elsewhere but mainly located in high elevation habitats in San Francisco Bay. Perceived threat from subtidal predators at . . .

This research takes an innovative approach to modeling distribution of a marine predator explicitly in the temporal domain. Harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) are a small cetacean seen in San Francisco Bay year round. Porpoise presence at the entranc . . .

The Astronieae represent one of the earliest diverging clades of the pantropical family Melastomataceae and are endemic to the rainforests of southeast Asia and the Pacific islands. They comprise about 150 species of trees and shrubs in four currently . . .

A northern California strain of Pseudo-nitzschia australis was examined using nonaxenic, batch cultures to examine the effects of more acidic conditions (reduced pH due to increased pCO2) on the growth, photosynthesis, and domoic acid production of th . . .

Sea urchins (Echinoidea) comprise a group exhibiting enormous diversity in shape and size. At the lowest end of the size scale is Echinocyamus, a poorly known genus of highly miniaturized relatives of the sand dollars sometimes called “sea peas.” Ther . . .

Pelagic ecosystem links are typically studied separately with predator response often invoked from climate change, while intermediary alteration in nutrients and plankton production are inferred as the root cause. More specifically, we explored how Pa . . .

The alphaproteobacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti colonizes the roots of host plants, such as Medicago species, and induces the formation of nodules, where it fixes molecular nitrogen in exchange for carbon compounds. A previous suppressor analysis had . . .

Phyllaplysia taylori, a sea hare found in eelgrass beds along the Pacific coast, is an integral part of eelgrass ecosystems. Temperatures and salinities in San Francisco Bay are highly variable and expected to shift with continued climate change. Phyl . . .

The purpose of this investigation was to assess the day-to-day and week-to-week reliability of body fat (BF%) measurements using three different methods [air displacement plethysmography (Bod Pod), bioelectrical impedance analysis (Fitbit Aria®), and . . .

Nitrogen is an essential nutrient that is inaccessible to many organisms in its abundant atmospheric form. Rhizobia, a group of bacteria capable of fixing molecular dinitrogen into more useful forms, symbiotically colonize the root nodules of legumino . . .

Introduced species often disrupt established food webs, but some native predators can come to rely on introduced prey. Understanding the net effects of the non-natives on imperiled predators is crucial for planning conservation measures. The invasive . . .

The family Tritoniidae (Nudibranchia, Cladobranchia, Dendronotidae) is a cryptic group of nudibranchs known to feed on a variety of octocorals (Mcdonald and Nybakken, 1999). The family has a muddled evolutionary history and previously has had limited . . .

Selective feeding by copepods has important ecological implications such as food web length, nutrient limitation, and control of algal blooms. Traditional methods for investigating copepod feeding in natural waters (e.g. stable isotope and fatty acid . . .

Salmonella, consisting of more than 2000 serovars, is the second most common cause of foodborne illness in the US that can survival intracellularly and lead to gastrointestinal illness. Phosphorothioation (PT) is a post-replicative modification that r . . .

Patterns and changes in the distribution of marine mammals can serve as indicators of environmental change. These indicators fill critical information gaps in coastal and marine environments. Coastal habitats are particularly vulnerable to the effects . . .

The geographical history of the Gulf of Guinea Islands has played a significant role in shaping the diversity and distributional patterns of the Hemidactylus geckos in the African- Atlantic clade. This study elucidates the phylogenetic relationships b . . .

Vessels pose a number of threats to marine mammals, especially where areas of heavy traffic overlap with their habitat. One such location is San Francisco Bay where large shipping vessels, high-speed ferries, and recreational craft transit a highly de . . .

Microbial mats are found globally in dynamic aquatic environments. Visually different morphotypes (orange-red and black-green) also show different rates of nitrogen fixation and biogeochemical activity. Glacial meltwater communities in the McMurdo Dry . . .

Chemical contaminants in estuaries may interfere with an organism’s ability to ward against parasites and disease which can shape patterns of genetic diversity in populations, including at the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) which helps recogni . . .

Phytoplankton form the base of the global marine carbon cycle. Measurements of primary production are integral to understanding fluxes between the atmosphere and both organic and inorganic carbon pools in the ocean. Virtually all measurements today ar . . .

Increases in water temperature and salinity that are predicted to occur with climate change are hypothesized to alter phytoplankton communities, expand cyanobacteria blooms, and alter food web structure in estuaries. For example, since 1999 blooms of . . .

Echinoids comprise a diverse group of Echinoderms composed of around 1000 extant species. The sea urchin family, Trigonocidaridae exemplifies echinoid diversity, being found in almost every marine ecoregion from the intertidal zone to depths over 3,00 . . .

This study demonstrated that Delta Microcystis can utilize different forms o f inorganic and organic N, with the greatest capacity for NH4+ uptake and the least for glutamic acid uptake, though N uptake did not always follow the classic Michaelis-Ment . . .

The 2009 Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 323 (Exp 323) to the Bering Sea recovered the first continuous sediment cores of the Pleistocene glacial cycles from sites throughout the marginal sea. Sediments in this region are dominated by dia . . .

Increasing use of ecosystem-based management strategies, which are often applied to broad geographic areas and preclude extractive activities, are creating a need for rapid, cost-effective monitoring of large areas. Visual surveys are increasingly bei . . .

Multiple paternity is widespread across many taxa including birds, insects and marine species. Despite multiple paternity being rare among studied crustaceans, a study found that -93% of female porcelain crabs, Petrolisthes cinctipes, mate with more t . . .

This research was conducted to monitor the response of aquatic macroinvertebrate communities to the restoration of intertidal habitat, including eelgrass (Zostera marina) and native oyster reefs (Ostrea lurida) in the San Francisco Estuary. Plots of e . . .

Population bottlenecks, and subsequent loss of genetic diversity, are a common occurrence for introduced species. The MHC Class IIDB locus must constantly adapt to detect shifting pathogen communities and is used in this study to assess functional div . . .

A two-year study of nutrient and chlorophyll-a (chl-a) dynamics within and proximal to a 28 ha restored wetland was evaluated. The net mass flux of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and chl-a at the restored site, Blacklock Tidal Marsh (BTM) was also . . .

For efficient plant growth, legumes form symbiosis with a group of nitrogen-fixing bacteria, Rhizobia. Recent results in Sinorhizobium meliloti Rml 021 have shown that jspA, IppA, and podJ are involved in the production of succinoglycan (EPS-I), an es . . .

Giant sengis (genus Rhynchocyon), also known as giant elephant-shrews, are approximately 500 g forest floor mammals that range from Central to East Africa. Previous work on giant sengi taxonomy has focused primarily on pelage color, pelage pattern, an . . .

Despite decades of federal and state protection, the southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) continues to experience sluggish population growth and has reclaimed only a fraction of its historic range. Managers of this threatened species have identi . . .

Species redistribution is a well-documented response to global change. Understanding the resulting physiological responses of organisms is critical for predicting community composition changes that may occur under future conditions. The porcelain crab . . .

Octocorals are among the most abundant and diverse organisms in the ocean. These animals are present in every ocean and can be found from the intertidal zone (0 m) to abyssal depths (over 6000 m). Gorgonians are octocorals with a solid, internal axis. . . .

Temporal genetic studies of direct developing organisms are rare. Marine invertebrates lacking a planktonic larval stage are expected to have lower dispersal, low gene flow, and a higher potential for local adaptation than organisms with planktonic di . . .

This research examined the effects of temperature (20, 25, and 30°C) and salinity (0, 6, and 12) on the plant traits of the aquatic macrophyte, Stuckenia pectinata, and how changes in these traits influence herbivory by invertebrate grazers. The highe . . .

Delineation of Acartia spp. is essential to assess the biodiversity of copepods in marine ecosystems. Previous phylogenetic analyses show lack of monophyly for A.tonsa and A.hudsonica. Reported average DNA sequence divergence among some Acartia spp. i . . .

Field surveys and empirical predation assays (i.e., tethering experiments) were conducted inside and outside of three no-take marine reserves, one established in 2007, and two 30+ years old in central California kelp forests. Densities of micro-invert . . .

Sea surface pH is projected to decline 0.3 - 0.4 units by the year 2100. In the same time span, global surface temperature is expected to increase up to 4°C. Many studies have recently focused on the interactive effects of multiple stressors on the ph . . .

The earliest, newly settled juvenile stages are a critical phase in the life cycles of sessile marine invertebrates. Individuals must grow quickly to avoid lethal predation, yet they may be stuck in low flow boundary layers where obtaining food for ra . . .

The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychological and physiological characteristics of marathon and ultramarathon runners. Fourteen marathon and 14 ultramarathon recreational runners were assessed for, body height, body mass, BMI, body fa . . .

Controlled experiments testing effects of temperature, salinity, and aerial exposure were paired with field observations to investigate symbiont expulsion in the abundant intertidal anemone, Anthopleura elegantissima. In the study region, A. elegantis . . .

Despite the amount of attention it has received, attempts to explain the distribution of genetic diversity have not been fully successful. Competing theories claim that neutral or selective processes have a greater influence on the genetic variation w . . .

Restoration of eelgrass (Zostera marina) is underway in a number of regions, yet transplant success remains inconsistent. Eelgrass bed sediments and the microbial communities therein are not well understood, though they may hold the key to improving r . . .

Eelgrass (Zostera marina) beds are highly valued in temperate estuaries worldwide, and decades of declines have led to conservations and restoration programs in many regions. Understanding variation in factors that determine eelgrass success is an imp . . .

The purpose of this project was to examine and compare the mechanisms for growth and reproduction of Gracilariopsis andersonii found along an exposed rocky coast and within an estuarine sand flat. Biomass and reproductive capacity were measured within . . .

Massive precipitation experienced in California during the 2016-17 winter brought the salinity of surface waters in San Francisco Bay Estuary (SFBE) down to values not seen in years. Bay-dwelling organisms such as intertidal invertebrates are at risk . . .

Ischnura gemina, the San Francisco forktail damselfly (Family Coenagriortidae) is endemic to the San Francisco Bay area, and is identified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as a vulnerable species. Research from the late 1970s thro . . .

As a highly urbanized ecosystem, the San Francisco Estuary (SFE) has many wastewater treatment facilities discharging large volumes of high nutrient effluent into the estuary. Phytoplankton primary production can be depressed in the presence of ammoni . . .

Ocean acidification is exacerbated along the California shelf due to the upwelling of deep CO2 rich waters. This process of upwelling is driven by along-shore winds, which vary in strength by season. We present the relationship between along-shore win . . .

The giant green sea anemone (Anthopleura xanthogrammica) inhabits the rocky intertidal zone in California and Oregon. Two photosynthetic algal symbionts, zooxanthellae and zoochlorellae, make these anemones important primary producers in the intertida . . .

Movements of 23 sub-adult and 10 juvenile black rockfish (Sebastes melanops) implanted with acoustic transmitters were monitored during 16 months in Carmel Bay, California. Most tagged sub-adult black rockfish (14 fish) were resident to the study area . . .

Four species of phytoplankton (Rhodomonas salina, Skeletonema marinoi, Prorocentrum micans, Isochrysis galbana) were grown under present-day low (400ppm pCOi, pH~8.1) and predicted-future high (lOOOppm pCOi, pH~7.8) ocean acidification conditions usin . . .

In the California Current System, baleen whales are used as a proxy for ecosystem health because they have been widely studied as a top predator. Oceanographic variability in the California Current System is dominated by three basin scale climate patt . . .

Climate induced shifts in population distributions are widely documented around the globe as a means of animals behaviorally responding to their physiological tolerance limits. The rocky intertidal shore is known for its highly thermally variable envi . . .

Batoids exhibit unique body plans, with derived fin morphologies such as the anteriorly expanded pectoral fins that fuse to the head, or distally extended anterior pelvic fin lobes used for a modified swimming technique utilized by skates (Rajidea). T . . .

Small-scale shifts in species distributions are expected to occur under future climate for many species. These shifts can have consequences as they alter population dynamics, and it is important to understand when and why they occur. The intertidal po . . .

Colonial, asexually reproducing organisms are typically treated as genetically homogenous entities composed of clonal units. However, processes such as fusion and somatic mutation may lead to the integration of multiple genetic lines in a single physi . . .

The Amazon River Plume (ARP) is a productive region of the Atlantic Ocean where riverine nutrients drive particulate productivity. A portion of the carbon produced by phytoplankton is released as dissolved organic carbon (DOC); this research investiga . . .

A systematic monograph of the lichen genus Usnea from the remote, under-explored islands of Sao Tome and Principe (ST&P) in tropical West Africa is presented, treating 11 species representing 2 subgenera, Usnea and Eumitria. Ten of the 11 species are . . .

This study examined the benthic zone of tidal habitats in the San Francisco Estuary (SFE) in order to characterize this understudied part of the ecosystem. Microbial community composition was evaluated in relation to nutrient flux rates from the sedim . . .

Morphological variations in widely distributed plants may be driven by phenotypic plasticity or by underlying genetic differences. In the brackish open water region of the San Francisco Estuary (SFE), a population of sago pondweed, (Stuckenia pectinat . . .

Plastic debris in aquatic environments can accumulate ions from the surrounding water, potentially altering the fate of trace metals in these ecosystems. Mechanisms driving this process are poorly understood, and may be attributed to organic matter fo . . .

Groundwater sustainability is at the forefront of resource management. In light of climate change and growing populations, meeting future water needs must be met with planning and innovation. This is particularly challenging in cities where recharge i . . .

The occupation of an ecosystem by a new top predator could affect the stability of a food web. In San Francisco Bay (SF Bay), there is evidence for a multi-decadal disappearance of harbor porpoises {Phocoena phocoena) that spanned from the 1940’s to t . . .

Mangrove ecosystems are at continued risk of degradation and deforestation through anthropogenic activity. Mangroves once covered 75% of tropical coastlines, and only 30 - 50% of this habitat currently remains. These ecosystems provide important benef . . .

Pacific harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) within San Francisco Bay (SFB) have been described as stable compared with those in coastal northern California, like Tomales Bay (TB). Historical data (1970s - early 2000s) indicated an overall increase in adults . . .

Postulated by Bayer (1955), the calcaxonian gorgonians may have close affinity to the pennatulaceans based on the resemblance of axial structure observed under polarized light microscopy. To further confirm the phylogenetic relationship between the tw . . .