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

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dc.contributor.advisorBreitburg, Denise Len_US
dc.contributor.advisorRoman, Michael Ren_US
dc.contributor.authorRathjen, Kristenen_US
dc.contributor.departmentMarine-Estuarine-Environmental Sciencesen_US
dc.contributor.publisherDigital Repository at the University of Marylanden_US
dc.contributor.publisherUniversity of Maryland (College Park, Md.)en_US
dc.date.accessioned2010-07-03T05:30:05Z
dc.date.available2010-07-03T05:30:05Z
dc.date.issued2010en_US
dc.description.abstractSolar 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.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/10427
dc.subject.pqcontrolledEnvironmental Sciencesen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledbiological weighting functionen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledChesapeake Bayen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledctenophoreen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledultraviolet radiationen_US
dc.titleTHE EFFECTS OF ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION ON THE GROWTH, REPRODUCTION AND SURVIVAL OF THE LOBATE CTENOPHORE MNEMIOPSIS LEIDYIen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US

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