Student projects

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Senior projects

Shelley Swinney, May 2004 B.S.: A small-scale working model of silver salmon aquaculture.
Shelley constructed a silver salmon exhibit for the aquarium lab to demonstrate techniques of aquaculture.

Liz Grey, May 2004 B.S.: Grazing effects on coralline algae and green algae.
Liz examined the effects of a small tropical marine grazer (a hermit crab) on algea growth in aquarium systems. Small numbers of crabs, as few as three, were able to control green algea growth over a period of five weeks. However, reduced green algae growth did not translate into increased coraline algae growth.

Tina Sorrentino, May 2004 B.A.: The Development of an Environmental Education Program.
Tina worked with organizations surrounding Chesapeake Bay to develop marine science educational programs for schools in the region.

Jacki Cox, December 2003 B.A.: The Basics of Communication in a Marine Environment: an observation of sensitivity reactors in the sea anemone Metridium gigantium.
Sea anemones are involved in several types of commensal relationships, that may involve fish or crustaceans in both tropical and temperate waters. The spatial distribution of sensitivity to touch may play a role in communication between host anemones and resident commensal fish or crustaceans. In this project, I examined the sensitivity of body regions of a common sea anemone, Metridium gigantium. The pedal disk and stock were the least responsive areas to touch. Responsiveness increased from the stock collar to the oral surface and along the oral surface to the mouth. Sensitivity maps may be a useful technique to evaluate the hypothesis that a commensal shrimp, Lebbus grandimanus, the clown shrimp, communicate to their host anemones, Cribrinoposis fernaldi, using touch. Although that hypothesis could not be fully evaluated in this study, preliminary results indicate that clown shrimp occur with almost equal frequency on the oral surface and around the pedial disk of the host anemone. Thus tactile communication between shimp and host could occur, as the areas where shrimp spend the most time were also likely to be the most sensitive regions of the host.

Rachael Thiele, May 2002 B.A. Environmental Science: How fast can an octopus travel? Clocking speeds in the Giant Pacific Octopus, Enteroctopus dofleini.
For publication as: Thiele, R., D. Scheel, T. L. S. Vincent. In review 2004. Walking and jetting speeds of Enteroctopus dofleini (Wülker, 1910).
Accurate assessments of the speeds at which cephalopods move have provided the means to study metabolic rates, oxygen consumption, and energetics in these animals. With increasing ability to observe marine animals in the wild, measurements of speed could also be used to study the ecology of cephalopods, providing estimates of attack velocities, escape velocities from predators, and encounter rates with prey, although this has not yet been done. The goal of this study was to use video footage to measure the speeds of the giant Pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini). A total of 24 movements were recorded. Mean jetting speed (0.342 m/s, N=4) was seven to fifteen times mean walking speed of individuals (0.029 to 0.047 m/s, N=5-10 movements each in three individuals) and mean individual walking speeds differed at most by a factor of two. Varying levels of excitement and space constraints may have contributed to significant differences in walking speeds between octopuses. Alternatively, walking speed may be a personality trait, related to activity or reactivity. Octopus jetting speed is slower than burst speed of many of its prey and predators, as may be expected in a cryptic visual and tactile hunter that appears to rely on stalking or ambush to capture prey. For more information about the Giant Pacific Octopus, see these links:

Graduate Research

Adele Lauster, expected August 2004 M.S. Environmental Science: Habitat selection by Enteroctopus dofleini in Prince William Sound, Alaska: a relocation experiment and sonic tracking methods.
For more information about the Giant Pacific Octopus, see these links:

Shelly Romer, August 2003 M.S. Environmental Science: Killer whale distribution and behavior in Kenai Fjords, Alaska.

Dan Vos, May 2003 M.S. Environmental Science: Beluga whales