Skip to content
University of Maryland LibrariesDigital Repository at the University of Maryland
    • Login
    View Item 
    •   DRUM
    • Theses and Dissertations from UMD
    • UMD Theses and Dissertations
    • View Item
    •   DRUM
    • Theses and Dissertations from UMD
    • UMD Theses and Dissertations
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    THE EFFECTS OF ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION ON THE GROWTH, REPRODUCTION AND SURVIVAL OF THE LOBATE CTENOPHORE MNEMIOPSIS LEIDYI

    Thumbnail
    View/Open
    Rathjen_umd_0117N_11276.pdf (906.9Kb)
    No. of downloads: 825

    Date
    2010
    Author
    Rathjen, Kristen
    Advisor
    Breitburg, Denise L
    Roman, Michael R
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Abstract
    Solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is an environmental stressor that can have a variety of negative effects on aquatic organisms. The ctenophore <italic>Mnemiopsis leidyi</italic> is a highly transparent organism that has not been shown to actively avoid UVR or possess photoprotective compounds and may therefore be vulnerable to deleterious effects of UVR. Results of this study indicate that summertime UVR exposure equivalent to average UVR conditions within the top 0.5 m of the water column of the Rhode River, Maryland, USA, can cause mortality and reduced size of <italic>M. leidyi</italic>. Exposures tested did not, however, affect egg production. Experiments indicated a sharp threshold for the tolerance of <italic>M. leidyi</italic> to biologically effective UVR exposure. <italic>Mnemiopsis leidyi</italic> is an important component in many ecosystems; thus, changes in its abundance have the potential to significantly affect coastal and estuarine food webs and oyster, fish and sea nettle populations in systems like Chesapeake Bay.
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/1903/10427
    Collections
    • Biology Theses and Dissertations
    • MEES Theses and Dissertations
    • UMD Theses and Dissertations

    DRUM is brought to you by the University of Maryland Libraries
    University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-7011 (301)314-1328.
    Please send us your comments.
    Web Accessibility
     

     

    Browse

    All of DRUMCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjects

    My Account

    LoginRegister
    Pages
    About DRUMAbout Download Statistics

    DRUM is brought to you by the University of Maryland Libraries
    University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-7011 (301)314-1328.
    Please send us your comments.
    Web Accessibility