Light available to the seagrass <italic>Zostera marina</italic> when exposed to currents and waves

Simple item page
dc.contributor.advisorKoch, Evamaria Wen_US
dc.contributor.authorMcKone, Katie Lynnen_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.accessioned2009-07-03T05:43:59Z
dc.date.available2009-07-03T05:43:59Z
dc.date.issued2009en_US
dc.description.abstractAquatic organisms are regularly exposed to varying degrees of hydrodynamic forces such as currents and waves. Seagrasses, which are rooted in the sediment, have flexible leaves, allowing them to sway back and forth with waves and deflect with currents. Furthermore, seagrasses can acclimate to local hydrodynamic forces exerted upon them by changing their morphology, which may benefit the organism via reduced drag, but may also bring disadvantages such as increased self-shading. We examined the interaction between water flow and morphology of the seagrass <italic>Zostera marina</italic>, and how this interaction affects light availability to the plant. We also assessed carbon and nutrient content of <italic>Z. marina</italic>, as the uptake of these constituents has been linked to hydrodynamic conditions and sediment composition. Our results indicate that local hydrodynamics and sediment composition induce morphological variation in the seagrass <italic>Z. marina</italic>, and that this variation influences light availability to the seagrass canopy.en_US
dc.format.extent1175309 bytes
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/9352
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.subject.pqcontrolledEnvironmental Sciencesen_US
dc.subject.pqcontrolledBiology, Botanyen_US
dc.subject.pqcontrolledBiology, Ecologyen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledmorphologyen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledseagrassen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledsedimenten_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledwater flowen_US
dc.titleLight available to the seagrass <italic>Zostera marina</italic> when exposed to currents and wavesen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
McKone_umd_0117N_10401.pdf
Size:
1.12 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Download

Collections

UMD Theses and Dissertations
Biology Theses and Dissertations
MEES Theses and Dissertations