Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Indo-Pacific'
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1
Squire, Gareth. "The biogeography of the Indo-West Pacific echinoids." Thesis, Queen Mary, University of London, 1999. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.391824.
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Cerino, David Overton Anthony. "Bioenergetics and Trophic Impacts of Invasive Indo-Pacific Lionfish." [Greenville, N.C.] : East Carolina University, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10342/2724.
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Unsworth, R. K. F. "Aspects of the ecology of Indo-Pacific seagrass systems." Thesis, University of Essex, 2007. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.442526.
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Eve, Tegan Matthew. "The chemistry and chemical ecology of Indo-Pacific Gorgonians /." Diss., Connect to a 24 p. preview or request complete full text in PDF format. Access restricted to UC campuses, 2001. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/ucsd/fullcit?p3035411.
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Ralifo, Paul. "Chemical investigations of Indo-Pacific sponges : new structures and bioactivities /." Diss., Digital Dissertations Database. Restricted to UC campuses, 2006. http://uclibs.org/PID/11984.
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Iuppa, Giulia <1994>. "Japan's "Free and Open Indo-Pacific": What Role for India?" Master's Degree Thesis, Università Ca' Foscari Venezia, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/10579/18628.
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La Visione del Giappone per un “Indo-Pacifico Libero e Aperto” (FOIP) è considerata come l’idea organizzativa più influente della politica estera contemporanea giapponese. Promossa dalla seconda Amministrazione Abe nel 2016, FOIP è la risposta diplomatica del Giappone ai cambiamenti che stanno ritrasformando la mappa geopolitica dell’Asia. Infatti, il costrutto geopolitico dell’“Indo-Pacifico” si sta sostituendo a quello dell’“Asia-Pacifico,” come frutto di una serie di rapporti culturali, economici, politici e strategici nella regione che ne hanno favorito l’emergenza. Primo tra tutti, l’ascesa economica dell’India, paese-chiave nella geopolitica della regione indo-pacifica. Situati geograficamente agli estremi della mappa asiatica, e racchiudendo tra sé la Cina, Giappone ed India rappresentano due pilastri fondamentali per il concetto stesso di “Indo-Pacifico.” Di conseguenza, questo elaborato si propone di analizzare i rapporti tra Giappone ed India nel contesto dei loro rispettivi approcci verso l’Indo-Pacifico e le “sinergie” tra la FOIP del Giappone e la “Act East Policy” dell’India in particolare dal 2016 al 2020. Influente in questa analisi anche il ruolo della Cina e i rapporti tra Pechino, New Delhi e Tokyo. Il primo capitolo introdurrà la “teoria del complesso di sicurezza regionale” che fornirà un approccio teorico sia per l’analisi dell’architettura di sicurezza dell’Asia sia per i rapporti tra Giappone ed India a fronte delle sfide presentante dal nuovo costrutto regionale. Il secondo capitolo descriverà, quindi, la storia geopolitica della regione basata sulla teoria del complesso di sicurezza regionale e i fattori che hanno portato alla formazione di una super-regione indo-pacifica. Lo scopo di questo capitolo sarà di determinare se l’“Indo-Pacifico” costituisca in effetti un “complesso di sicurezza regionale” considerando che i vari approcci adottati dagli stati regionali hanno dato vita a varie forme di regionalismo indo-pacifico. Il terzo capitolo, invece, illustrerà nel dettaglio in cosa consiste la FOIP del Giappone, quale è stata la sua evoluzione dal suo avvio ad oggi, e si focalizzerà sull’importanza dell’India per la realizzazione di questa “visione”. Allo stesso modo, l’iniziativa “Act East Policy” sarà analizzata per individuare l’approccio indiano verso l’“Indo-Pacifico” e il ruolo-chiave che il Giappone ricopre per l’India.
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Gratten, Jacob. "The molecular systematics, phylogeography and population genetics of Indo-Pacific Crocodylus /." [St. Lucia, Qld.], 2004. http://www.library.uq.edu.au/pdfserve.php?image=thesisabs/absthe17777.pdf.
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Nolan, Matthew John. "Sanguinicolidae von Graff, 1907 (Platyhelminthes : Digenea) of Indo-West Pacific fishes /." [St. Lucia, Qld.], 2005. http://www.library.uq.edu.au/pdfserve.php?image=thesisabs/absthe19026.pdf.
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Mewis, Heike. "Ecological stability of Indo-Pacific coral reefs during Quaternary climatic fluctuations." Doctoral thesis, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Lebenswissenschaftliche Fakultät, 2016. http://dx.doi.org/10.18452/17456.
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Rezente Korallenriffe sind einer ganzen Reihe von Bedrohungen ausgesetzt. Das Pleistozän bietet die Gelegenheit Veränderungen an Korallenriffgemeinschaften durch Klimaschwankungen hinweg zu studieren und mit heutigen Riffen zu vergleichen. Am besten sind pleistozäne Riffe in der Karibik untersucht, während aus dem Indo-Pazifik, der über eine deutlich höhere Biodiversität verfügt, bisher nur wenige quantitative Studien vorliegen. Frühere Studien zeigen eine erstaunliche Stabilität und Langlebigkeit der Korallengemeinschaften hinsichtlich Diversität und taxonomischer Zusammensetzung trotz extremer Meeresspiegelschwankungen und starker klimatischer Veränderungen im Quartär. Die vorliegende Arbeit behandelt zwei Regionen, aus der quantitative Daten auf Artniveau über die Zusammensetzung der fossilen Korallengemeinschaften bisher weitestgehend fehlten: das tropische Vanuatu (Südpazifik) und der subtropische Sinai, Ägypten (nördliches Rotes Meer). In Vanuatu sind mindestens 5 fossile Riffterrassen mit einem Alter von etwa 5000 - 400.000 Jahren überliefert, von denen 4 detailliert untersucht werden konnten. Veränderungen in der Diversität wurden sowohl lateral als auch vertikal nur mit unterschiedlichen Riffhabitaten in Verbindung gebracht. Die Riffe waren insgesamt über die Interglaziale bin ins mittlere Holozän hinweg stabil. Nur die Gattung Acropora scheint erst in den letzten 96.000 Jahren häufiger zu werden. In Ägypten wurden Daten aus der jüngsten interglazialen Terrasse (MIS 5e, ~125.000 Jahre) mit rezenten Daten aus dem Roten Meer verglichen und eine Migration von Arten nach Norden während des letzten Interglazials belegt. Diese Beobachtung unterstützt frühere Arbeiten, die eine Verschiebung der Riffdiversität in höhere Breiten verbunden mit einer Abnahme der Diversität in niederen Breiten aufzeigten, sowie Studien, die das nördliche Rote Meer als mögliches Refugium für Korallen im Zuge der weiteren Klimaerwärmung sehen.The Pleistocene provides the opportunity to study changes of coral reef communities through times of climate change, and to compare fossil to recent reefs. Whereas Pleistocene reefs from the Caribbean are well studied and understood, the much larger Indo-Pacific region with a greater coral diversity is represented by only a few quantitative studies on community ecology. Previous studies observed an astonishing persistence and stability in community composition and diversity throughout several interglacial episodes until today, which is contradictory to the claim that recent coral reefs are especially sensitive to climate change. The present study deals with two Indo-Pacific regions that so far lacked quantitative data of fossil reef communities: tropical Vanuatu (Coral Sea) and subtropical Sinai, Egypt (northern Red Sea). In Vanuatu at least seven fossil reef terraces with ages between 5,000 and 400,000 years are preserved, of which four could be studied in more detail. A great variability was observed among terraces and especially among sub-environments within terraces. Reefs remained stable in terms of diversity throughout the Pleistocene and Holocene but it seems that the dominance of the coral genus Acropora is a fairly recent phenomenon in Vanuatu, because this genus does not play a large role in terraces older than 96,000 years (MIS 5c). In Egypt quantitative and binary data from the last interglacial episode (MIS 5e) were compared with data from the recent Red Sea and adjacent regions. These show a northward migration of coral taxa during the last MIS5e. This observation confirms earlier studies that demonstrated a range expansion of tropical reef communities towards higher latitudes, and supports studies that suggest the northern Red Sea and especially the Gulf of Aqaba as future refuge for corals during climate warming. These results indicate that coral reefs were able to cope with dramatic environmental changes in the absence of anthropogenic impact.
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Hung, Ka-yiu Samuel, and 洪家耀. "Habitat use of Indo-pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) in Hong Kong." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2008. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B40887765.
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Rees, Siwan Angharad. "Coral reefs of the Indo-Pacific and changes in global Holocene climate." Thesis, University of Southampton, 2005. https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/41357/.
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The key to understanding the future impact of the anthropogenic combustion of fossil fuels on the climate system, is to fully understand the complex feedback loops within the natural Earth system. One natural climate feedback that has been proposed is the Coral Reef Hypothesis whereby significant increases in coral reef growth may have contributed to the deglacial increase in atmospheric CO2 observed in the ice core records. This thesis examines the role of coral reefs in the oceanic carbonate budget and global carbon cycle both spatially and temporally during the Holocene. Using the most comprehensive reef area estimate to date, a conservative estimate of cumulative CaCO3 accumulation within coral reefs globally from 10 kyr BP to present is 7970 Gt. This estimate includes a temporal and spatial view of reef CaCO3 accumulation during the Holocene and represents coral reefs alone, whereas previous budgets have included wider neritic carbonate facies. This mass of reefal CaCO3 accumulation would have made approximately 2100 Gt CO2 available for release to the atmosphere over the Holocene. Radiocarbon dating of coral obtained from new drill cores from Rodrigues (Southwest Indian Ocean), Lizard Island and MacGillivray Reef (Northern Great Barrier Reef (NGBR)), helps to reveal the spatial and temporal pattern of Holocene CaCO3 accumulation within these reefs and contributes to the dataset compiled to calculate the global mass balance of coral reef carbonate. The new data presented here demonstrates that the reefs at Rodrigues, like those at Reunion and Mauritius only reached a mature state (reached sea level) by 2 to 3 ka – thousands of years later than most of the reefs in the Australasian region. The windward margins at Lizard Island and MacGillivray Reef started growing ca 6.7 and 7.6 cal kyr BP respectively directly on an assumed granite basement and reached sea level approximately 4 and 5.6 cal kyr BP respectively. The leeward margin at MacGillivray Reef was initiated by 8.2 cal kyr BP directly on a granite basement, only reaching sea level relatively recently between 260 and 80 cal yr BP. The absence of Pleistocene reefal deposits indicates the possibility that the shelf in this region may have subsided relative to modern day sea level by at least 15 m since the last interglacial (125 ka). The role of the calcareous green alga Halimeda in the marine carbonate budget is still unknown both spatially and temporally for the Holocene. Here a quantification of the carbonate mass within the ribbon reefs and Halimeda bioherms on the outer shelf of the NGBR is presented. It is estimated that Halimeda bioherms contain at least as much (possibly 400 % more) CaCO3 sediment than the adjacent ribbon reefs within the NGBR province.
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Hung, Ka-yiu Samuel. "Habitat use of Indo-pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) in Hong Kong." Click to view the E-thesis via HKUTO, 2008. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record/B40887765.
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Bolivar, Feriche Monica. "MIOCENE LARGER FORAMINIFERAL BIOSTRATIGRAPHY IN THE MEDITERRANEAN AND THE INDO-PACIFIC AREAS." Doctoral thesis, Università degli studi di Ferrara, 2022. http://hdl.handle.net/11392/2496483.
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Larger benthic foraminifera (LBF) constitute an outstanding tool for biostratigraphic, palaeoecological and palaeobiogeographic studies because of their widespread geographical distribution, fast evolutionary changes, high susceptibility to environmental changes, and high abundance in the sedimentary successions. The PhD project dealt with Miocene LBF (alveolinoids, austrotrillinids, lepidocyclinids and nummulitids) newly recorded in the Mediterranean (southeastern Spain) and Indo-Pacific areas (Indonesia, northern Philippine sea, the Maldives and Ryukyu Islands).
The new LBF record from the Sierra de Marmolance (Granada province, southeasrtern Spain) belongs to a 270-m thick continuous and in situ limestone succession of middle Miocene age (dated by the occurrence of Langhian–Serravallian planktonic foraminifera at the bottom of the succession). The LBF assemblage is represented by Austrotrillina brunni, Austrotrillina striata, Borelis inflata, Eulepidina formosoides, Eulepidina ex.interc dilatata et formosoides, Heterostegina assilinoides, Neorotalia viennoti, Nephrolepidina ex.interc. morgani et praemarginata, Nephrolepidina tournoueri, Nummulites fichteli, Nummulites kecskemetii, Nummulites vascus, Operculina complanata, Risananeiza crassaparies and Spiroclypeus sp. These species, up to now considered indicative of Rupelian–Chattian and Aquitanian–Burdigalian, extend their time ranges from the Rupelian to the early Serravallian. Since they are considered as Neogene biochronostratigraphic markers, this study highlights the need of a substantial revision of the Oligocene–Miocene SBZs.
The new records of Austrotrillina from Ibi and Sierra de Marmolance (southeastern Spain), Indonesia (Mankalihat and Wailawi) and western Pacific (Kitadaito-jima and Kikai Seamount) allowed to assess their taxonomy according to the shell structure (tectum and a parakeriotheca with subsutural alcoves), biostratigraphy and palaeobiogeography. Austrotrillina eocaenica first appears in the middle–late Eocene of Iran. Two Rupelian descendants, A. brunni and A. striata, migrated from the western Tethys into the Indo-Pacific. Austrotrillina striata reached Indonesia and western Australia in the Chattian, then disappeared in the Langhian of Kita-daito-jima. Austrotrillina brunni first occurred in the Burdigalian of Indonesia and western Australia and disappeared in the early Serravallian of western and South Australia. Austrotrillina brunni and A. striata disappeared in the Serravallian westernmost Mediterranean (southeastern Spain). From the Burdigalian the exclusive occurrence of A. howchini in the Indo-Pacific areas is a possible result of the closing Tethyan Seaway, which differentiated the Mediterranean and Indo-Pacific bioprovinces. This species disappears in the latemost Langhian–early Serravallian of South Australia and in the Kikai Seamount. The palaeobiogeographical distribution of these species suggests an early Miocene active connection of Eastern Africa with the Central Indo–West Pacific.
The new records (fossil and Recent) from the Maldives, Indonesia and Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa) were analysed to assess the taxonomic status of Flosculinella and Alveolinella species and to understand the alveolinoid phylogeny in the Indo-Pacific area. The latest Oligocene–middle Miocene Flosculinella globulosa, the early–middle Miocene F. reicheli, F. bontangensis, F. cucumoides, Alveolinella borneensis and the late Miocene–Recent A. quoyi are herein circumscribed in terms of shell length, diameter of the proloculus, whorl number of the first attic occurrence, and number of supplementary chamberlets in the attic floor per chamberlet in the main floor. The occurrence of the preseptal passage only and Y-shaped septula in Borelis schlumbergeri, Flosculinella and Alveolinella are characters of phylogenetic significance. Oligocene–early Miocene Borelis philippinensis is inferred as the common ancestor of these taxa.I macroforaminiferi rappresentano un gruppo di organismi unicellulari assai importanti negli studi di biostratigrafia, paleoecologia e paleobiogeografia. Oltre ad essere assai abbondanti nelle successioni sedimentarie, sono infatti ampiamente distribuiti geograficamente, hanno avuto rapide fasi evolutive, sono stati suscettibili ai cambiamenti ambientali. Il progetto di Dottorato di Ricerca riguarda alcuni macroforaminiferi miocenici (alveolinoidi, austrotrillinidi, lepidocyclinidi, nummulitidi) identificati nel Mediterraneo (Spagna sud-orientale) e nell’Oceano Indo-Pacifico (Indonesia, Filippine settentrionali, Maldive ed Isole Ryukyu). I nuovi ritrovamenti, argomento di questa tesi, provengono da una successione sedimentaria potente circa 270 m affiorante nella Sierra de Marmolance (Granada, Spagna sud-orientale). La successione è stata datata Langhiano–Serravalliano sulla base di associazioni a foraminiferi planctonici presenti alla sua base. L’associazione a macroforaminiferi è costituita da Austrotrillina brunni, Austrotrillina striata, Borelis inflata, Eulepidina formosoides, Eulepidina ex. interc. dilatata et formosoides, Heterostegina assilinoides, Neorotalia viennoti, Nephrolepidina ex. interc. morgani et praemarginata, Nephrolepidina tournoueri, Nummulites fichteli, Nummulites kecskemetii, Nummulites vascus, Operculina complanata, Risananeiza crassaparies and Spiroclypeus sp. Queste specie sono state considerate fino ad oggi indicative del Rupeliano–Chattiano e dell’Aquitaniano–Burdigaliano. A seguito del ritrovamento in depositi più recenti l’inquadramento biostratigrafico dell’associazione si estende dal Rupeliano al Serravalliano inferiore. Poiché queste specie sono considerate indicatori biozonali del Neogene, questo studio evidenzia la necessità di una revisione sostanziale delle SBZ (Shallow Benthic Zonation) dell’Oligocene–Miocene. Nuovi ritrovamenti di Austrotrillina da Ibi e Sierra de Marmolance (Spagna sud-orientale), Indonesia e dal Pacifico occidentale hanno permesso la revisione (a) tassonomica di questo taxon sulla base della struttura del guscio (tectum e parakeriotheca con alcove subsuturali), (b) biostratigrafica e (c) paleobiogeografica. Austrotrillina brunni e A. striata migrarono dal Rupeliano della Tetide Occidentale nell’Indo-Pacifico. A. striata raggiuge l’Indonesia e l’Australia occidentale nel Chattiano e successivamente scompare nel Langhiano di Kita-daito-jima. Austrotrillina brunni compare nel Burdigaliano dell’Indonesia e dell’Australia occidentale, scomparendo poi nel Serravalliano inferiore dell’Australia occidentale e meridionale. Le ultime segnalazioni di A. brunni e A. striata sono nel Serravalliano del Mediterraneo occidentale (Spagna sud-orientale). La comparsa e la distribuzione geografica di Austrotrillina howchini, dal Burdigaliano specie esclusiva delle aree indo-pacifiche, è probabilmente dovuta alla chiusura del corridoio tetideo che differenziava le bioprovince mediterranea ed indo-pacifica. Questa specie scompare nel Langhiano superiore–Serravalliano inferiore dell’Australia meridionale e nel Kikai Seamount. La distribuzione paleobiogeografica di queste specie suggerisce una connessione attiva fra l’Africa orientale e l’Indo-Pacifico Centrale durante il Miocene inferiore. Numerosi nuovi ritrovamenti sia fossili che recenti di Flosculinella ed Alveolinella dalle Maldive, Indonesia ed Isole Ryukyu hanno permesso la revisione tassonomica di questi taxa e la comprensione delle filogenesi degli alveolinoidi nell’area indo-pacifica. Flosculinella globulosa, F. Reicheli, F. bontangensis, F. cucumoides, Alveolinella borneensis e A. quoyi sono state descritte. La presenza del solo passaggio presettale e septula a forma di Y in Borelis schlumbergeri, Flosculinella ed Alveolinella sono caratteri strutturali con significato filogenetico. Borelis philippinensis è riconosciuta come specie ancestrale di questi taxa.
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Bolivar, Feriche Monica. "MIOCENE LARGER FORAMINIFERAL BIOSTRATIGRAPHY IN THE MEDITERRANEAN AND THE INDO-PACIFIC AREAS." Doctoral thesis, Università degli studi di Ferrara, 2022. http://hdl.handle.net/11392/2496484.
Full textAbstract:
Larger benthic foraminifera (LBF) constitute an outstanding tool for biostratigraphic, palaeoecological and palaeobiogeographic studies because of their widespread geographical distribution, fast evolutionary changes, high susceptibility to environmental changes, and high abundance in the sedimentary successions. The PhD project dealt with Miocene LBF (alveolinoids, austrotrillinids, lepidocyclinids and nummulitids) newly recorded in the Mediterranean (southeastern Spain) and Indo-Pacific areas (Indonesia, northern Philippine sea, the Maldives and Ryukyu Islands).
The new LBF record from the Sierra de Marmolance (Granada province, southeasrtern Spain) belongs to a 270-m thick continuous and in situ limestone succession of middle Miocene age (dated by the occurrence of Langhian–Serravallian planktonic foraminifera at the bottom of the succession). The LBF assemblage is represented by Austrotrillina brunni, Austrotrillina striata, Borelis inflata, Eulepidina formosoides, Eulepidina ex.interc dilatata et formosoides, Heterostegina assilinoides, Neorotalia viennoti, Nephrolepidina ex.interc. morgani et praemarginata, Nephrolepidina tournoueri, Nummulites fichteli, Nummulites kecskemetii, Nummulites vascus, Operculina complanata, Risananeiza crassaparies and Spiroclypeus sp. These species, up to now considered indicative of Rupelian–Chattian and Aquitanian–Burdigalian, extend their time ranges from the Rupelian to the early Serravallian. Since they are considered as Neogene biochronostratigraphic markers, this study highlights the need of a substantial revision of the Oligocene–Miocene SBZs.
The new records of Austrotrillina from Ibi and Sierra de Marmolance (southeastern Spain), Indonesia (Mankalihat and Wailawi) and western Pacific (Kitadaito-jima and Kikai Seamount) allowed to assess their taxonomy according to the shell structure (tectum and a parakeriotheca with subsutural alcoves), biostratigraphy and palaeobiogeography. Austrotrillina eocaenica first appears in the middle–late Eocene of Iran. Two Rupelian descendants, A. brunni and A. striata, migrated from the western Tethys into the Indo-Pacific. Austrotrillina striata reached Indonesia and western Australia in the Chattian, then disappeared in the Langhian of Kita-daito-jima. Austrotrillina brunni first occurred in the Burdigalian of Indonesia and western Australia and disappeared in the early Serravallian of western and South Australia. Austrotrillina brunni and A. striata disappeared in the Serravallian westernmost Mediterranean (southeastern Spain). From the Burdigalian the exclusive occurrence of A. howchini in the Indo-Pacific areas is a possible result of the closing Tethyan Seaway, which differentiated the Mediterranean and Indo-Pacific bioprovinces. This species disappears in the latemost Langhian–early Serravallian of South Australia and in the Kikai Seamount. The palaeobiogeographical distribution of these species suggests an early Miocene active connection of Eastern Africa with the Central Indo–West Pacific.
The new records (fossil and Recent) from the Maldives, Indonesia and Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa) were analysed to assess the taxonomic status of Flosculinella and Alveolinella species and to understand the alveolinoid phylogeny in the Indo-Pacific area. The latest Oligocene–middle Miocene Flosculinella globulosa, the early–middle Miocene F. reicheli, F. bontangensis, F. cucumoides, Alveolinella borneensis and the late Miocene–Recent A. quoyi are herein circumscribed in terms of shell length, diameter of the proloculus, whorl number of the first attic occurrence, and number of supplementary chamberlets in the attic floor per chamberlet in the main floor. The occurrence of the preseptal passage only and Y-shaped septula in Borelis schlumbergeri, Flosculinella and Alveolinella are characters of phylogenetic significance. Oligocene–early Miocene Borelis philippinensis is inferred as the common ancestor of these taxa.I macroforaminiferi rappresentano un gruppo di organismi unicellulari assai importanti negli studi di biostratigrafia, paleoecologia e paleobiogeografia. Oltre ad essere assai abbondanti nelle successioni sedimentarie, sono infatti ampiamente distribuiti geograficamente, hanno avuto rapide fasi evolutive, sono stati suscettibili ai cambiamenti ambientali. Il progetto di Dottorato di Ricerca riguarda alcuni macroforaminiferi miocenici (alveolinoidi, austrotrillinidi, lepidocyclinidi, nummulitidi) identificati nel Mediterraneo (Spagna sud-orientale) e nell’Oceano Indo-Pacifico (Indonesia, Filippine settentrionali, Maldive ed Isole Ryukyu). I nuovi ritrovamenti, argomento di questa tesi, provengono da una successione sedimentaria potente circa 270 m affiorante nella Sierra de Marmolance (Granada, Spagna sud-orientale). La successione è stata datata Langhiano–Serravalliano sulla base di associazioni a foraminiferi planctonici presenti alla sua base. L’associazione a macroforaminiferi è costituita da Austrotrillina brunni, Austrotrillina striata, Borelis inflata, Eulepidina formosoides, Eulepidina ex. interc. dilatata et formosoides, Heterostegina assilinoides, Neorotalia viennoti, Nephrolepidina ex. interc. morgani et praemarginata, Nephrolepidina tournoueri, Nummulites fichteli, Nummulites kecskemetii, Nummulites vascus, Operculina complanata, Risananeiza crassaparies and Spiroclypeus sp. Queste specie sono state considerate fino ad oggi indicative del Rupeliano–Chattiano e dell’Aquitaniano–Burdigaliano. A seguito del ritrovamento in depositi più recenti l’inquadramento biostratigrafico dell’associazione si estende dal Rupeliano al Serravalliano inferiore. Poiché queste specie sono considerate indicatori biozonali del Neogene, questo studio evidenzia la necessità di una revisione sostanziale delle SBZ (Shallow Benthic Zonation) dell’Oligocene–Miocene. Nuovi ritrovamenti di Austrotrillina da Ibi e Sierra de Marmolance (Spagna sud-orientale), Indonesia e dal Pacifico occidentale hanno permesso la revisione (a) tassonomica di questo taxon sulla base della struttura del guscio (tectum e parakeriotheca con alcove subsuturali), (b) biostratigrafica e (c) paleobiogeografica. Austrotrillina brunni e A. striata migrarono dal Rupeliano della Tetide Occidentale nell’Indo-Pacifico. A. striata raggiuge l’Indonesia e l’Australia occidentale nel Chattiano e successivamente scompare nel Langhiano di Kita-daito-jima. Austrotrillina brunni compare nel Burdigaliano dell’Indonesia e dell’Australia occidentale, scomparendo poi nel Serravalliano inferiore dell’Australia occidentale e meridionale. Le ultime segnalazioni di A. brunni e A. striata sono nel Serravalliano del Mediterraneo occidentale (Spagna sud-orientale). La comparsa e la distribuzione geografica di Austrotrillina howchini, dal Burdigaliano specie esclusiva delle aree indo-pacifiche, è probabilmente dovuta alla chiusura del corridoio tetideo che differenziava le bioprovince mediterranea ed indo-pacifica. Questa specie scompare nel Langhiano superiore–Serravalliano inferiore dell’Australia meridionale e nel Kikai Seamount. La distribuzione paleobiogeografica di queste specie suggerisce una connessione attiva fra l’Africa orientale e l’Indo-Pacifico Centrale durante il Miocene inferiore. Numerosi nuovi ritrovamenti sia fossili che recenti di Flosculinella ed Alveolinella dalle Maldive, Indonesia ed Isole Ryukyu hanno permesso la revisione tassonomica di questi taxa e la comprensione delle filogenesi degli alveolinoidi nell’area indo-pacifica. Flosculinella globulosa, F. Reicheli, F. bontangensis, F. cucumoides, Alveolinella borneensis e A. quoyi sono state descritte. La presenza del solo passaggio presettale e septula a forma di Y in Borelis schlumbergeri, Flosculinella ed Alveolinella sono caratteri strutturali con significato filogenetico. Borelis philippinensis è riconosciuta come specie ancestrale di questi taxa.
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Amir, Omar A. "Biology, ecology and anthropogenic threats of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins in east Africa." Doctoral thesis, Stockholm : Department of zoology, Stockholm university, 2010. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:su:diva-34472.
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Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Stockholms universitet, 2010.At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 2: Submitted. Paper 4: In progress. Paper 5: Submitted.
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Ristevski, Alexandar Aron. "Our Home Girt By Sea: Rethinking Australian Strategic Policy in the Indo-Pacific." Thesis, Department of Government and International Relations, 2022. https://hdl.handle.net/2123/27749.
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Since Federation in 1901, the Commonwealth of Australia has depended on the leading power within the region to underwrite its security and prosperity – with primacy initially enjoyed by the United Kingdom, and then following the events of World War Two, the United States of America.
While having benefitted immensely from this regional order, the geostrategic environment that Australia now finds itself in is rapidly evolving and becoming increasingly hostile amidst the emergence of great power competition between Beijing and Washington. This intensifying grand strategic rivalry coincides with the shifting balance of power which has been facilitated by China’s monumental rise and America’s relative decline. Subsequently, it is the first time in our history that we may not be able to depend upon ‘a great and powerful friend’ to safeguard our national interests.
This uncertain future has sparked debates in political, academic, and strategic communities, many of which are riddled with premature assumptions and wishful predictions, related to the Sino-American contest for supremacy and the seemingly limited options available for Australia. A ‘gap’ in the literature, then, is examining the concrete ways that Canberra can take advantage of the situation and maximise its own power within the Indo-Pacific. However, in contrast to the prevailing tendencies of previous research, this thesis does not focus on whether Australia can help the United States maintain its dominant position and successfully prevent China from assuming regional primacy, but rather, how it can strengthen itself irrespective of what regional order may come.
To that end, employing a fundamentally neorealist perspective, and combining both offensive and defensive strands, I explore the ways that Australian strategic policy within the Indo-Pacific can be recalibrated to not only navigate through the rapidly evolving and increasingly hostile geostrategic environment, but also, simultaneously contribute to a more potent, resolute, and capable Commonwealth of Australia.
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羅毓瑩 and Yuk-ying Eugenia Lo. "Phylogenetic relationships and natural hybridization in the mangrove genus rhizophora from the Indo-West Pacific Region." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2003. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31227661.
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Heikoop, Jeffrey M. "Environmental signals in coral tissue and skeleton, examples from the Caribbean and Indo-Pacific." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1997. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp03/NQ30146.pdf.
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Heikoop, Jeffrey Martin. "Environmental signals in coral tissue and skeleton: examples from the Caribbean and Indo-Pacific /." *McMaster only, 1997.
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Nason, Alice. "The “Unpredictability Doctrine” vs. “The Steady State:” Indo-Pacific Diplomacy under the Trump Presidency." Thesis, Department of Government and International Relations, 2022. https://hdl.handle.net/2123/27363.
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President Trump’s “America First” foreign policy doctrine contravened the foundational principles of the American-led international order. However, the extent to which his unconventional preferences transformed the character of American commitment to its partners is disputed. This thesis proposes that an implementation gap exists between presidential rhetoric and the policies implemented by the pluralistic foreign policy organisation. Accordingly, this thesis poses two overarching questions. First, does grand strategy take precedence over presidential doctrine in foreign policy decision-making? Second, if so, is the foreign policy detail capable of diverging from the visions of an anti-establishment president to ensure its implementation? This thesis unifies competing theoretical perspectives on the inherently contradictory concepts of ‘grand strategy’ and ‘presidential doctrine,’ and examines their influence on political appointees’ diplomatic travel. At the core of this thesis is a comparative, empirical analysis of 779 diplomatic trips, complemented by a content analysis of 115 addresses delivered by Obama and Trump administration appointees in the Indo-Pacific.
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Falterman, Brett. "Indo-Pacific Population Structure of the Black Marlin, Makaira indica, Inferred from Molecular Markers." W&M ScholarWorks, 1999. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd/1539617749.
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Shi, Ge. "Variability and change of the Indo-Pacific climate system and their impacts upon Australia rainfall." University of Southern Queensland, Faculty of Sciences, 2008. http://eprints.usq.edu.au/archive/00004784/.
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[Abstract]: Australia is one of the driest continents in the world, and over the past decades, severe drought has plagued most of the country. Water security is an important national issue. The ultimate water supply, rainfall, however, is one of the most variable ones in theworld and is complicated by the fact that it is affected by several remote oceanatmospheric teleconnection systems simultaneously, including the El Niño-SouthernOscillation, the Indian Ocean Dipole and Southern Hemisphere oceanic and atmospheric variability. These three systems sometimes conspire to produce a severe impact, whereas sometimes they offset each other to produce a mild influence. The recent severe watershortage has generated a surge of investments with strong regional applications. The present study focuses on areas and issues outside the scope of these regional studies,aiming to provide an Australia-wide assessment of future Australian rainfall under climate change. Firstly, we unravel a process of the Indo-Pacific oceanic teleconnection and examine its role in influencing variability of the Indian Ocean, and hence Australianrainfall variations. An examination of their contribution to the warming structure of the Indian Ocean is carried out. Secondly, we explore dynamics of North West Australianrainfall variability and mechanisms of a rainfall increase over the past decades, and benchmark climate models in terms of their ability to reproduce the observed variability and trends, focusing on the role of increasing northern hemispheric aerosols in the rainfallincrease. Thirdly, we provide a dynamical explanation to the common future of a fast Tasman Sea warming rate under climate change, and identify the impacts of suchwarming on Australian rainfall. Finally, we examine the relative importance of the three systems, in addition to Tasman Sea warming, in driving rainfall changes undergreenhouse conditions. This project contributes to no less than six peer-reviewed journal publications.
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Artyukhov, Kirill. "Economic statecraft by China, India and Japan in the Indo-Pacific through the prism of geoeconomic competition." Thesis, The University of Sydney, 2021. https://hdl.handle.net/2123/25111.
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Despite the vast research emerging recently on the topic of economic statecraft (the use of economic resources to attain political objectives), the competitive dynamics associated with the concept have not received systematic examination in the existing academic literature. To address this gap, this research project explores economic statecraft by China, India and Japan in the Indo-Pacific region through the prism of geoeconomic competition. Using a variety of qualitative and quantitative sources, the study examines the impact of geoeconomic competition (an interactive dynamic, fuelled by the security dilemma, where states pursue their competitive foreign policy goals via economic means) on economic statecraft’s practice and effectiveness. Applying process tracing and controlled comparison techniques, this study investigates economic statecraft activities undertaken by China, India and Japan (senders) in Myanmar, Nepal and Mongolia (targets) in the period from 2008 to 2018. The aim of the project is to establish to what extent lower and higher geoeconomic competition (corresponding to the ‘before’ and ‘after’ comparison) have a transformative effect on economic statecraft’s practice and effectiveness. The study finds that increasing geoeconomic competition in the Indo-Pacific generally resulted in all three senders adopting more positive long-term economic statecraft practice in the pursuit of their political goals. The study also establishes that the effectiveness of economic statecraft projected by senders reduced in the higher geoeconomic competition environment to the benefit of ‘empowered’ target states. Much of the existing literature on economic statecraft is written from the perspective of sender states. These accounts tend to emphasise the negative impact of geoeconomic competition and overlook the question of how higher geoeconomic competition actually benefits target states. In this light, this study contributes to filling the gap in the literature on economic statecraft and also has far reaching implications for policy makers.
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Dekens, Petra Simonne. "Characterizing upwelling regions and the Indo-Pacific warm pool in the early Pliocene warm period /." Diss., Digital Dissertations Database. Restricted to UC campuses, 2007. http://uclibs.org/PID/11984.
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Gopurenko, David, and n/a. "Genetic Structure Within the Distribution of the Indo-West Pacific Mud Crab Scylla serrata (Forskal, 1775)." Griffith University. Australian School of Environmental Studies, 2003. http://www4.gu.edu.au:8080/adt-root/public/adt-QGU20030926.124631.
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It is often hypothesised that marine species with mobile planktonic phases are capable of widespread dispersal and may therefore be genetically homogenous throughout their distribution. Studies that have demonstrated positive correlation between duration of plankton phase and levels of gene flow reinforce the prediction that life history characteristics of marine species determine the potential extent of genetic and demographic connectivity throughout their distributions. This prediction has however been challenged by studies that have employed genetic markers highly sensitive to both historical and contemporary demographic changes. Disparities between dispersal potential and measured levels of gene flow have been demonstrated both among historically disconnected ocean basins and within semi-enclosed areas of strong hydraulic connectivity. These studies and others highlight a need for greater focus on factors that may influence population structure and distribution for marine species. In this thesis, I have examined genetic structure within and among populations of an estuarine species of mud crab Scylla serrata (Forskal, 1775) using a number of genetic markers and methods. The species is widely distributed throughout mangrove and estuarine habitats of the Indo - West Pacific (IWP); it is generally assumed that life-history characteristics of S. serrata promote high levels of population admixture and gene flow throughout its distribution. Alternatively, factors that have promoted population genetic structure for a variety of IWP marine species may also have affected S. serrata populations. By investigating genetic structure at several spatial scales of sampling, I was able to address a variety of hypotheses concerning the species distribution, dispersal, and genetic structure. Episodic changes to marine habitat and conditions experienced within the IWP during the Pleistocene may have affected genetic structure for a broad variety of marine taxa. The relative strength of this hypothesis may be assayed by comparative genetic studies of widespread IWP taxa with high dispersal capacity. In order to ascertain levels of historical and contemporary gene flow for S. serrata, I investigated the phylogeographic distribution of mitochondrial DNA haplotypes sampled throughout the species range. Adults were sampled from three west Indian ocean locations (N=21), six west Pacific sites (N=68), and two sites from northern eastern Australia (N=35). Temperature gradient gel electrophoresis and sequencing of 549 base pairs of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) coding gene identified 18 distinct haplotypes. Apart from that seen in northern Australia, haplotype diversity was low (h < 0.36) at each of the locations. Total nucleotide diversity in the entire sample (excluding northern Australian locations) was also low (p = 0.09). Haplotypes clustered into two clades separated by approximately 2% sequence divergence. One clade was widespread throughout the IWP (clade 1) whereas the other was strictly confined to northern Australia (clade 2). Genealogical assessment of sequenced haplotypes relative to their distributions suggested that a historical radiation of clade 1 S. serrata throughout the IWP occurred rapidly and recently (<1Myr bp) from a west Pacific origin. The evidence of fixed unique haplotypes at the majority of locations suggested that contemporary maternal gene flow between trans-oceanic sites was limited. Contrary to reports for other widespread species of IWP taxa, there was no evidence of lengthy periods of regional separation between Indian from Pacific Ocean populations. However, results may indicate a separation of northern Australian crabs from other locations before and during the IWP radiation. I speculated that this isolation might have resulted in the formation of a new species of Scylla. Additional sampling of mud crabs from the Australian coastline allowed an examination of the diversity and distribution of clade 1 and 2 haplotypes among recently formed shelf-connected coastal locations, and across a historical bio-geographic barrier. Over 300 individuals were sampled from multiple locations within coastal regions (western, northern and eastern) of Australia and analysed for mutational differences at the COI gene. Analysis of molecular variance partitioned by sampling scale (Among regions, within regions, and within all locations) indicated mitochondrial haplotypes were structured regionally (P < 0.001), which contrasted with evidence of genetic panmixia within regions. Regional genetic structure broadly correlated with hydrological circulation, supporting the contention that release and transport of propagules away from the estuary may allow genetic connectivity among widespread shelf-connected S. serrata populations. That similar patterns of maternal gene flow were absent among trans-oceanic populations may indicate that the spatial scale of effective dispersal for this species is generally limited to areas of coastal shelf. The two clades of haplotypes were geographically separated either side of the Torres Strait, a narrow sea channel connecting the northern and eastern regions of coastal Australia. This pattern of historical genetic separation was concordant with a number of other marine species across northern Australia, and might indicate a shared history of vicariance induced by eustasy. Alternatively, differences in diversity and distribution of the clades may be evidence of two independent expansions of clade 1 and 2 crab populations into Australian regions following post-glacial estuary formation. Overall, despite evidence of genetic panmixia within extensive sections of the Australian distribution, there was also evidence of significant barriers to maternal gene flow with both shallow and deep regional phylogeographic assortment of mtDNA haplotypes. The presence of these barriers indicated both historical and contemporary factors have imposed limits to effective dispersal by this species among coastal habitats. A subset of the Australian sample (8 locations, N = 188) was also examined for variation at five microsatellite loci developed specifically here for S. serrata. I examined variation among samples at each of the loci to: a) independently verify regional structure among crab populations previously detected using the mtDNA analysis; b) test for evidence of co-distributed non-interbreeding stocks of S. serrata within Australian waters by examining samples for segregation of alleles within microsatellite loci concordant with the two mtDNA clades. The frequency and distribution of alleles for each of the highly polymorphic microsatellites were homogenous at all levels of sample partitioning and contrasted sharply with the instances of both weak and strong regional phylogeographic assortment of mtDNA haplotypes. These contrasting results between different genomic markers were examined in relation to the species life history, and to differences in mutational rate and inheritance of the genetic markers. Several hypotheses may explain the disparity, however it is most likely that rampant homoplasy and high rates of mutation at the microsatellite in conjunction with large Ne at locations may be concerted to delay equilibrium between genetic drift and migration among populations at these highly polymorphic nuclear markers. There was also no evidence that alleles at microsatellite loci were co-segregated with mtDNA clades and therefore no evidence of segregated breeding between the clades of crabs. Whether or not this result was also driven by homoplasy at the microsatellites remains unknown. Recently established mud crab populations (~ 3-4 years old) observed in a number of southwest Australian estuaries are almost 1000 kilometres south of their previously recorded distribution on the Western Australian coast. Colonisation of the southwest region may have occurred either by a natural range expansion from northwest Australian mud crab populations or by means of translocation from any number of mud crab sources within the Indo - West Pacific. I used mtDNA analysis to verify the species and determine the potential source population(s) of the colonists, by comparing sampled genetic material from the southwest (N = 32) against that previously described for the genus. I also compared levels of diversity at mtDNA and two microsatellite loci between the colonist and suspected source population(s) to qualitatively determine if the southwest populations experienced reductions in genetic diversity as a result of the colonisation process. All colonist samples had S. serrata mtDNA COI sequences identical to one previously described as both prevalent and endemic to northwest Australia. High levels of genetic diversity among source and colonist populations at two microsatellite loci contrasted to the mitochondrial locus which displayed an absence of variation among colonists compared to moderately diverse source populations. I argued that the southwest was recently colonised by large numbers of S. serrata propagules derived from the northwest of Australia, possibly due to an enhanced recruitment event coinciding with the reported strengthening of the Leeuwin Current during 1999. Contrasting levels of diversity among nuclear and mitochondrial loci may be attributed to a difference in response by the two genomes to the colonisation process. I predict that such differences may be generally prevalent among plankton-dispersed species. Finally, I discuss aspects of the species distribution and biogeography obtained as a composite of the various results and ideas expressed in this thesis. I propose that S. serrata populations in the IWP may have experienced several cycles of extinction and population retraction from temperate areas followed by subsequent periods of colonisation and rapid coastal expansion in response to the effects of glacial episodes on coastal habitats in the IWP. I propose that persistence of this species as remnant populations of clade 1 and 2 crabs at equatorial locations during low sea level stands provided source populations for later expansions by the species into a variety of coastal areas throughout the IWP. Further analysis is required to determine if mtDNA clade 1 and 2 crabs are non-interbreeding species of mud crab.
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Averbuch, Bryan Douglas. "From Siraf to Sumatra: Seafaring and Spices in the Islamicate Indo-Pacific, Ninth-Eleventh Centuries C.E." Thesis, Harvard University, 2013. http://dissertations.umi.com/gsas.harvard:10805.
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This dissertation is a study of early Islamicate commerce in natural luxuries of the tropical Indian Ocean and Western Pacific Rim, such as spices, ambergris and pearls, between the ninth and eleventh centuries C.E. I approach this topic by looking at a wide array of textual sources, from geographies, anecdotes, travel narratives, inscriptions, and the records of embassies, to materia medica and the oldest surviving Islamicate cookbook. I analyze these sources alongside material culture, archeological evidence from ports in Iran, Oman, and Southeast Asia, and newly-discovered shipwrecks from the Java Sea. Adapting the work of environmental scientists to the thesis, I locate this early Islamicate commerce within a bio-geographical space, the tropical "Indo-Pacific." I argue that desires for the tropical luxuries of the environmentally-distinct Indo-Pacific helped to define the cosmopolitan culture of early Islamicate societies, from Iran and Iraq to Egypt and Spain. These desires promoted an expanding Islamicate maritime commerce across the Indo-Pacific, which led to the flourishing of port-cities in southern Iran and Oman. This maritime trade expanded Islamicate geographical horizons, as reflected in the evolving "wonders" and geographical literature of the era. It also led to early contacts between the Islamic world and the peoples of the tropical Pacific Rim, a phenomenon that contributed, in time, to the formation of Islamicate societies in maritime Southeast Asia.Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
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Miyagi, Takashi. "The Changing Security Dynamics in the Indo-Pacific: The Re-Emergence of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue." Thesis, Malmö universitet, Fakulteten för kultur och samhälle (KS), 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-23738.
Full textAbstract:
The recent development of the Indo-Pacific region is characterised by the changing balance of power and the emergences of new forms of security cooperation. The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD) between Japan, the United States (U.S.), Australia and India came back into existence in 2017 after their failed attempt in 2007-2008. This thesis attempts to investigate what factors explain the re-emergence of the QSD by synthesising several alignment/alliance theories in International Relations (IR). Given the previous research on the QSD and theoretical discussions, this thesis points out the two key factors that contributed to the re-emergence of the QSD: the shared threat perception towards China and the shared objectives in the Indo-Pacific region. The content analysis of a number of official policy documents and press statements revealed that Japan, the U.S., Australia and India have increasingly perceived China as a threat and coordinated their policy objectives in the Indo-Pacific region under the concept of the Free and Open-Indo Pacific.
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Johnson, Tyler A. "A comprehensive reinvestigation into the bioactive secondary metabolites of an Indo-Pacific marine sponge: Cacospongia mycofijiensis /." Diss., Digital Dissertations Database. Restricted to UC campuses, 2008. http://uclibs.org/PID/11984.
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Gopurenko, David. "Genetic Structure Within the Distribution of the Indo-West Pacific Mud Crab Scylla serrata (Forskal, 1775)." Thesis, Griffith University, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/367817.
Full textAbstract:
It is often hypothesised that marine species with mobile planktonic phases are capable of widespread dispersal and may therefore be genetically homogenous throughout their distribution. Studies that have demonstrated positive correlation between duration of plankton phase and levels of gene flow reinforce the prediction that life history characteristics of marine species determine the potential extent of genetic and demographic connectivity throughout their distributions. This prediction has however been challenged by studies that have employed genetic markers highly sensitive to both historical and contemporary demographic changes. Disparities between dispersal potential and measured levels of gene flow have been demonstrated both among historically disconnected ocean basins and within semi-enclosed areas of strong hydraulic connectivity. These studies and others highlight a need for greater focus on factors that may influence population structure and distribution for marine species. In this thesis, I have examined genetic structure within and among populations of an estuarine species of mud crab Scylla serrata (Forskal, 1775) using a number of genetic markers and methods. The species is widely distributed throughout mangrove and estuarine habitats of the Indo - West Pacific (IWP); it is generally assumed that life-history characteristics of S. serrata promote high levels of population admixture and gene flow throughout its distribution. Alternatively, factors that have promoted population genetic structure for a variety of IWP marine species may also have affected S. serrata populations. By investigating genetic structure at several spatial scales of sampling, I was able to address a variety of hypotheses concerning the species distribution, dispersal, and genetic structure.
Episodic changes to marine habitat and conditions experienced within the IWP during the Pleistocene may have affected genetic structure for a broad variety of marine taxa. The relative strength of this hypothesis may be assayed by comparative genetic studies of widespread IWP taxa with high dispersal capacity. In order to ascertain levels of historical and contemporary gene flow for S. serrata, I investigated the phylogeographic distribution of mitochondrial DNA haplotypes sampled throughout the species range. Adults were sampled from three west Indian ocean locations (N=21), six west Pacific sites (N=68), and two sites from northern eastern Australia (N=35). Temperature gradient gel electrophoresis and sequencing of 549 base pairs of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) coding gene identified 18 distinct haplotypes. Apart from that seen in northern Australia, haplotype diversity was low (h < 0.36) at each of the locations. Total nucleotide diversity in the entire sample (excluding northern Australian locations) was also low (p = 0.09). Haplotypes clustered into two clades separated by approximately 2% sequence divergence. One clade was widespread throughout the IWP (clade 1) whereas the other was strictly confined to northern Australia (clade 2). Genealogical assessment of sequenced haplotypes relative to their distributions suggested that a historical radiation of clade 1 S. serrata throughout the IWP occurred rapidly and recently (<1Myr bp) from a west Pacific origin. The evidence of fixed unique haplotypes at the majority of locations suggested that contemporary maternal gene flow between trans-oceanic sites was limited. Contrary to reports for other widespread species of IWP taxa, there was no evidence of lengthy periods of regional separation between Indian from Pacific Ocean populations. However, results may indicate a separation of northern Australian crabs from other locations before and during the IWP radiation. I speculated that this isolation might have resulted in the formation of a new species of Scylla. Additional sampling of mud crabs from the Australian coastline allowed an examination of the diversity and distribution of clade 1 and 2 haplotypes among recently formed shelf-connected coastal locations, and across a historical bio-geographic barrier. Over 300 individuals were sampled from multiple locations within coastal regions (western, northern and eastern) of Australia and analysed for mutational differences at the COI gene. Analysis of molecular variance partitioned by sampling scale (Among regions, within regions, and within all locations) indicated mitochondrial haplotypes were structured regionally (P < 0.001), which contrasted with evidence of genetic panmixia within regions. Regional genetic structure broadly correlated with hydrological circulation, supporting the contention that release and transport of propagules away from the estuary may allow genetic connectivity among widespread shelf-connected S. serrata populations. That similar patterns of maternal gene flow were absent among trans-oceanic populations may indicate that the spatial scale of effective dispersal for this species is generally limited to areas of coastal shelf. The two clades of haplotypes were geographically separated either side of the Torres Strait, a narrow sea channel connecting the northern and eastern regions of coastal Australia. This pattern of historical genetic separation was concordant with a number of other marine species across northern Australia, and might indicate a shared history of vicariance induced by eustasy. Alternatively, differences in diversity and distribution of the clades may be evidence of two independent expansions of clade 1 and 2 crab populations into Australian regions following post-glacial estuary formation. Overall, despite evidence of genetic panmixia within extensive sections of the Australian distribution, there was also evidence of significant barriers to maternal gene flow with both shallow and deep regional phylogeographic assortment of mtDNA haplotypes. The presence of these barriers indicated both historical and contemporary factors have imposed limits to effective dispersal by this species among coastal habitats. A subset of the Australian sample (8 locations, N = 188) was also examined for variation at five microsatellite loci developed specifically here for S. serrata. I examined variation among samples at each of the loci to: a) independently verify regional structure among crab populations previously detected using the mtDNA analysis; b) test for evidence of co-distributed non-interbreeding stocks of S. serrata within Australian waters by examining samples for segregation of alleles within microsatellite loci concordant with the two mtDNA clades. The frequency and distribution of alleles for each of the highly polymorphic microsatellites were homogenous at all levels of sample partitioning and contrasted sharply with the instances of both weak and strong regional phylogeographic assortment of mtDNA haplotypes. These contrasting results between different genomic markers were examined in relation to the species life history, and to differences in mutational rate and inheritance of the genetic markers. Several hypotheses may explain the disparity, however it is most likely that rampant homoplasy and high rates of mutation at the microsatellite in conjunction with large Ne at locations may be concerted to delay equilibrium between genetic drift and migration among populations at these highly polymorphic nuclear markers. There was also no evidence that alleles at microsatellite loci were co-segregated with mtDNA clades and therefore no evidence of segregated breeding between the clades of crabs. Whether or not this result was also driven by homoplasy at the microsatellites remains unknown. Recently established mud crab populations (~ 3-4 years old) observed in a number of southwest Australian estuaries are almost 1000 kilometres south of their previously recorded distribution on the Western Australian coast. Colonisation of the southwest region may have occurred either by a natural range expansion from northwest Australian mud crab populations or by means of translocation from any number of mud crab sources within the Indo - West Pacific. I used mtDNA analysis to verify the species and determine the potential source population(s) of the colonists, by comparing sampled genetic material from the southwest (N = 32) against that previously described for the genus. I also compared levels of diversity at mtDNA and two microsatellite loci between the colonist and suspected source population(s) to qualitatively determine if the southwest populations experienced reductions in genetic diversity as a result of the colonisation process. All colonist samples had S. serrata mtDNA COI sequences identical to one previously described as both prevalent and endemic to northwest Australia. High levels of genetic diversity among source and colonist populations at two microsatellite loci contrasted to the mitochondrial locus which displayed an absence of variation among colonists compared to moderately diverse source populations. I argued that the southwest was recently colonised by large numbers of S. serrata propagules derived from the northwest of Australia, possibly due to an enhanced recruitment event coinciding with the reported strengthening of the Leeuwin Current during 1999. Contrasting levels of diversity among nuclear and mitochondrial loci may be attributed to a difference in response by the two genomes to the colonisation process. I predict that such differences may be generally prevalent among plankton-dispersed species. Finally, I discuss aspects of the species distribution and biogeography obtained as a composite of the various results and ideas expressed in this thesis. I propose that S. serrata populations in the IWP may have experienced several cycles of extinction and population retraction from temperate areas followed by subsequent periods of colonisation and rapid coastal expansion in response to the effects of glacial episodes on coastal habitats in the IWP. I propose that persistence of this species as remnant populations of clade 1 and 2 crabs at equatorial locations during low sea level stands provided source populations for later expansions by the species into a variety of coastal areas throughout the IWP. Further analysis is required to determine if mtDNA clade 1 and 2 crabs are non-interbreeding species of mud crab.Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Australian School of Environmental Studies
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Abdou, Ahmed. "Amphidromie et phylogéographie des Neritidae (Mollusca Gastropoda) des rivières Indo-Pacifiques." Thesis, Paris, EPHE, 2016. http://www.theses.fr/2016EPHE3063/document.
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Les rivières des systèmes insulaires de la région Indo-Pacifique abritent de nombreuses espèces d’organismes migrateurs qui sont les seules espèces capables de coloniser naturellement les cours d’eau. Les stratégies de dispersion de ces organismes diadromes représentent un moteur essentiel de la structuration et de la persistance des communautés allant de l’échelle locale du cours d’eau, d’une île ou d’un archipel, à l’échelle régionale. En raison de l’isolement, les populations locales n’assurent leur pérennité qu’en maintenant une dispersion marine forte, permettant la colonisation de milieux nouveaux et un recrutement indépendant des conditions locales de reproduction. Chez les mollusques Gastéropodes, la famille des Neritidae est constituée d’espèces diadromes amphidromes à répartition restreinte et d’espèces à plus large répartition. Nous avons essayé, par l'étude des traits de vie de ces espèces, de contribuer, notamment, à la compréhension des facteurs qui régulent la dispersion et le recrutement, afin d'aider à la gestion durable de ces taxons et de leurs habitats, et ce dans un contexte de changement global et d'anthropisation croissante. Après avoir effectué la synthèse des connaissances actuelles sur les nérites amphidromes, nous avons réalisé une révision taxinomique du complexe 'Neritina pulligera' et étudié la phylogéographie de deux espèces, N. stumpffi et N. canalis, à l'aide du barcoding moléculaire et d'études morphologiques. Nous avons ainsi mis en évidence la présence d'espèces cryptiques au sein du complexe étudié, et le rôle de deux barrières biogéographiques régulant la circulation des larves, la première entre le Pacifique ouest et le Pacifique central, la seconde entre l'océan Pacifique et l'océan Indien. Enfin, notre travail a également ouvert, à travers le marquage vital et la microchimie, des perspectives intéressantes dans l'étude de l'opercule qui pourrait être utilisé comme outil multiusage et archive environnementale permettant de décrypter les traits de vie des néritesRivers in Indo-Pacific islands are colonised by diadromous species, and as migrating species, they are the only ones capable of naturally colonising insular freshwaters. Dispersal strategies of these diadromous species are essential for the colonisation and the persistence of freshwater communities at a local scale, but also at the island and regional scales. Because of their isolation, local populations can only be perennially maintained by an important marine dispersal, allowing the colonisation of new environments with a recruitment independent from the local reproduction conditions. Within the gastropod molluscs, the Neritidae family is composed of diadromous amphidromous species; there are widespread species and others have a more restricted distribution area. By analysing life history traits of these species, we contributed to the understanding of the factors regulating dispersal and recruitment. In the context of global change and rising human impacts on the environment, our results will bring knowledge for the sustainable management of these taxa. After having synthesised the present knowledge on amphidromous neritids, we undertook the taxonomic revision of the ‘Neritina pulligera’ complex. We also studied the phylogeography of two species, N. stumpfii and N. canalis by a molecular barcoding approach. Our results show the presence of cryptic species within the complex studied. We also show that there are two biogeographic barriers, one between the West Pacific and the Central Pacific, and the other between the Indian and the Pacific oceans, playing an important role in the regulation of oceanic larval circulation. Finally, our work on the vital marking and the microchemical analysis of the operculum, has given rise to new interesting research perspective. Indeed, the operculum could be used as an environmental archive allowing deciphering some life history traits of this group
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Ghasemzadeh, Javad. "Phylogeny and systematics of Indo-Pacific mullets (Teleostei: Mugilidae) with special reference to the mullets of Australia." Phd thesis, Australia, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.14/48205.
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"July 1998"Thesis (PhD)--Macquarie University, School of Biological Sciences, 1999.
Bibliography: leaves 321-360.
Introduction -- Musculoskeletal anatomy of Mugil cephalus -- A phylogenetic analysis of the Indo-Pacific mullets -- Description of the genera and species of Indo-Pacific mullet -- References.
Systematic, phylogeny and geographical distribution of Mugilidae in Indo-Pacific and Australian waters was reviewed, using morphological and osteological data. The original description, and synonymies, of all genera and species were compiled, and the extant type specimens in the Australian Museum, Queensland Museum, Western Australian Museum, British Museum of Natural History, Paris Museum of Natural History, Amsterdam, and Leiden Museums of Natural History were examined. Specimens of 11 species were collected from 50 coastal sites of Australia between Cairns (Queensland), to Port Elliston (South Australia), and Tasmania. Species that could not be collected were borrowed from the above mentioned museums. Thirty nine genera of mullets have been described worldwide of which 18 genera were recognised as valid in this study and a new genus 'ParamugiV is described. Mullets are most speciose in Indo-Pacific and this research suggests that 27 species (excluding Mugil brousssonetii Valenciennes, 1836), belonging to 14 genera are found in this region. -- The osteology and musculature of Mugil cephalus, as representative of Mugilidae is described. Distinguishing osteological characters within the group are defined. Osteology is a useful discriminant between genera and, in combination with morphometries and meristics, establishes useful criteria for the identification of these fishes. -- Phylogenetic analysis of data was performed using PAUP (Phylogenetic Analysis Using Parsimony) computer software. Keys for identification of genera and species of Indo-Pacific mullets are developed and description of different genera and species are given following the hierarchy of relationships among them on the cladogram. The genera of Cestraeus and Aldrichetta represent the plesimorphic (primitive) subfamily of Agonostominae in Indo-Pacific. Mugilinae containing the other Indo-Pacific mullets is apomorphic (advanced). The cladogram of phylogenetic analysis suggests that Myxus elongatus and Trachystoma petardi are the most plesiomorphic members of the subfamily Mugilinae and sister group to other Indo-Pacific species. Osteology and morphology of alimentary canal of Gracilimugil argenteus also supports the superficial differences of this genus from Liza, and the cladogram separates it as a distinct lineage following Trachystoma, and more primitive compared to the rest of Indo-Pacific mullets. Osteology also strongly suggests that Gracilimugil ramsayii is a junior synonym of Gracilimugil argenteus. The cladogram also separates Ellochelon vaigiensis as a distinct lineage which is plesiomorphic to Liza and the rest of derived Indo-Pacific mullets. Valamugil georgii and Liza parmata display some morphological features different from diagnostic characters for Mugil, Valamugil and Liza. The autapomorphic character states of distinct morphology of maxilla, articular, palatine and lachrymal plus ctenoid scales without membranous hind margin, and lack of pectoral axillary scale grouped them as a distinct lineage in the cladogram and sister-group to Liza. 'Paramugil' a new genus is erected for 'MugiV parmatus and 'Mugil' georgii. The genera Crenimugil and Valamugil are sister-groups, and except morphology of mouth do not reveal any significant differences. -- Twenty species of mullets belonging to twelve genera are found in Australian waters. Species Trachystoma petardi, Myxus elongatus, Gracilimugil argenteus, and Paramugil georgii, are restricted only to Australian waters. Trachystoma petardi is confined to freshwater rivers of north New South Wales to south Queensland. Myxus elongatus inhabits in temperate waters of Australia, Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island. Gracilimugil argenteus is limited to southern coasts of Australia from Cardwell in Queensland to Geraldton in Western Australia and Paramugil georgii is confined to temperate and tropical coastal waters of Australia. Aldrichtta forsteri is restricted to temperate waters of Australia and New Zealand. The most diversity in Australian mullets is observed in tropical waters of north Queensland, Northern Territory and north Western Australia. Liza macrolepis occurs in the waters of north and north-east Australia. There is no record of Neomyxus leuciscus, Cestraeus spp., Liza affinis, Valamugil speigleri and Valamugil perusii in Australian Waters.
Mode of access: World Wide Web.
xiii, 397 leaves ill
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Chan, Ho-yin, and 陳浩賢. "The impacts of marine traffic on the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) in Hong Kong waters." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10722/207613.
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Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis) is one of the residential cetaceans in Hong Kong. It is threatened by different anthropogenic activities and one of the threats is the vessel disturbance. According to the past research studies and scientific data, the heavy marine traffic has caused negative impacts to the dolphins, by increasing the risk of boat collisions; creating a noisy environment within the dolphin habitats; causing short-term behavioural changes of dolphins and dolphins may have potential to displace from the Hong Kong waters in the long-term. The current conservation and mitigation measures are inadequate and ineffective towards this situation. An action plan is formulated based on the literature review of the practices from other countries and the results of the questionnaire survey. Mitigation measures such as speed restriction, re-routing or use of technology tools are common measures used by other countries such as the United States or Spain. From the results of the questionnaire survey, the high-speed ferry passengers were willing to spend 23.5 minutes more of their trips for a speed restriction or a longer ferry route in order to reduce the vessel impacts to the dolphins. At the same time, they were willing to pay for HKD 9.26 extra as a surcharge on the ferry fare to serve as a financial support to the dolphin or marine conservation in Hong Kong. It reflected the public had a high willingness to pay for the dolphin conservation in Hong Kong. The action plan summarized the practical mitigation measures according to these findings in order to suggest sound conservation and management measures to the related authorities to mitigate the impacts and to stop the declining trends of dolphin abundance in Hong Kong waters.published_or_final_version
Environmental Management
Master
Master of Science in Environmental Management
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Kaiser, Sabina Marie Luise. "Feeding ecology and dietary patterns of the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops Aduncus) off KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1011509.
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The Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) is a common top predator along the KwaZulu-Natal coast. There have been several dietary studies done on this species, most of which have classed this predator as an opportunistic feeder preying on the most abundant prey species in that area. In KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) a dietary study was carried out in 1990, but there have been no followup studies to examine potential changes in diet. A number of bottlenose dolphins get entangled in the shark-nets set off the KZN coast each year. These dolphins provide a valuable source of information about different aspects of the ecology of this population. The aim of this study was to examine the diet of bottlenose dolphins off the KwaZulu-Natal coast with particular emphasis on temporal change in diet composition. The contents of 102 stomachs of bottlenose dolphins (58 females, 44 males) accidentally caught in the shark nets between 1985 and 2010 were analysed, and compared to historical data from dolphins caught between 1975 and 1986. A total of 94 different prey species from 37 families (32 fish families, five cephalopod families) were identified in the stomach contents. Teleosts made up the most important prey group in numbers and weight constituting 84 percent and 67 percent, respectively, while cephalopods made up 15 percent of the number and 30 percent of the weight of the prey items. Multi Dimensional Scaling (MDS) indicated that there is no resource partitioning between males and females, but significant partitioning between juveniles and adults. Six prey species contributed more than 60 percent of the weight of all prey species in the diet. These species are the most important according to their calculated index of relative importance score and are, in order of importance: Sepia sp. (cuttlefish)., Pomadasys olivaceus (piggy), Trachurus delagoa (maasbanker), Scomber japonicus (mackeral), Loligo sp. (squid). and Pagellus bellottii natalensis (pandora or red tjor-tjor). When compared to historic data, no changes in the main prey species has occurred, but the piggy has decreased in importance (1976-1986 percent IRI=45; 2000-2010 percent IRI=22), while the maasbanker has increased (1975-1986, percent RI=4; 2000-2010 percent RI=20). Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis performed on tissue from the teeth of T. aduncus caught in the shark nets between 1970 and 2010 showed that there has been no significant shift in trophic level (δ15N) or in primary prey source (δ13C) over this time. The isotopic signatures of different tissues from an individual were used to create a base line and describe the differences in tissue signatures. Blubber was found to be significantly different from skin and muscle, which were found to be isotopically similar. Skin from remote biopsies can therefore probably be used in place of muscle for isotopic studies of bottlenose dolphins, while caution should be taken when using blubber. Given that T. aduncus is still listed as “data deficient” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the potential for climate change and expanding fisheries to alter the distribution and abundance of their prey species, long term dietary studies such as this are important in order for their effective conservation and management.
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Agudelo, Paula A. "Role of Local Thermodynamic Coupling in the Life Cycle of the Intraseasonal Oscillation in the Indo-Pacific Warm Pool." Diss., Georgia Institute of Technology, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/19834.
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Intraseasonal oscillations (ISOs) are important elements of the tropical climate with time-scales of 20-80 day. The ISO is poorly simulated and predicted by numerical models. This work presents a joint diagnostic and modeling study of the ISO that examines the hypothesis that local coupling between the ocean and the atmosphere is essential to the existence and evolution of the ISO in the Indo-Pacific warm pool region. Low-level moistening during the transition phase preconditions the atmosphere for deep convection. The vertical structure of ISO from the ECMWF coupled model during different phases of the oscillation as well as the skill of the model in simulating the processes that occur during the transition phase were studied. The forecast skill of the vertical structure associated with the ISO is greater for winter than for summer events. Predictability of the convective period is poor when initialized before the transitional phase. When initialized within the transition period including lower tropospheric moistening, predictability increases substantially, although the model parameterizations appears to trigger convection quickly without allowing an adequate buildup of CAPE during the transition. The model tends to simulate a more stable atmosphere compared to data, limiting the production of deep convective events. Two different one-dimensional coupled models are used to analyze the role of local ocean-atmosphere coupling in generating ISO. The ocean component is a one-dimensional mixed layer model. In the first model the atmospheric component corresponds to the SCCM. Results suggest that convection in the model tends to be "overactive," inhibiting development of lower frequency oscillations in the atmosphere. In the second case, the atmospheric component is a semi-empirical model that allows reproducing the coupled ISO over long integration periods including only local mechanisms. In the semi-empirical scheme the rate of change of atmospheric variables is statistically related to changes in SST. The stable state of this model is a quasi-periodic oscillation with a time scale between 25 and 80 days that matches well the observed ISO. Results suggest that the period of the oscillation depends on the characteristics of the ocean mixed layer, with a higher frequency oscillation for a shallow mixed layer.
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Förderer, Esther-Meena [Verfasser]. "Biogeography and Diversity Hotspots of Larger Indo-Pacific Foraminifera : A Structural Faunal Analysis from Raja Ampat / Esther-Meena Förderer." Bonn : Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Bonn, 2018. http://d-nb.info/1190723301/34.
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Chabanne, Delphine Brigitte Hélène. "Distribution, abundance, social and genetic structures of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in Perth metropolitan waters, Western Australia." Thesis, Chabanne, Delphine Brigitte Hélène ORCID: 0000-0002-8391-7505 (2017) Distribution, abundance, social and genetic structures of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in Perth metropolitan waters, Western Australia. PhD thesis, Murdoch University, 2017. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/37570/.
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In heterogeneous coastal and estuarine environments, dolphins are exposed to varying levels of human activities. Consequently, it is important to identify and characterise fine-scale population structuring based on ecological, social, spatial and genetic data to develop appropriate conservation and management strategies. This thesis focused on identifying subpopulations of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) inhabiting Perth waters, Western Australia (WA). Using spatial and social data collected over four years of boat-based photo-identification surveys, I: i) estimated abundances, survival and movement rates using a Multistate Closed Robust Design approach; and ii) examined the social structure and home range using social association and network analyses. I used microsatellite loci and mtDNA markers to investigate the genetic population structure of dolphins at metropolitan (Perth) and regional (c. 1000 km of coastline) scales. High capture probabilities, high survival and constant abundances described a subpopulation with high fidelity in an estuary. In contrast, low captures, emigration and fluctuating abundances suggested transient use and low fidelity in an open coastline region. Overall, dolphins formed four socially and geographically distinct, mixed-sex subpopulations that varied in association strength, site fidelity and residency patterns. Curiously, home range overlap and genetic relatedness did not affect the association patterns. In Perth metropolitan waters, a source-sink relationship was suggested between a subpopulation inhabiting a semi-enclosed embayment and three other subpopulations, including the estuarine subpopulation. On a broader scale, the Perth metapopulation was genetically distinct from other populations along the WA southwestern coastline, with little to no migration from and into other populations. The subpopulations present in Perth waters should each be regarded as a distinct management unit, with a particular focus on protecting the estuarine subpopulation, which is small, has limited connection with adjacent subpopulations and is more vulnerable because of the intensity and diversity of anthropogenic threats present in the estuary.
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Colagiovanni, Alessandro. "Assessment of the resilience of coral reefs to natural and human disturbances by means of recruitment panels in Indo-Pacific." Master's thesis, Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna, 2016. http://amslaurea.unibo.it/9767/.
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Indo-Pacific region encompasses about 75% of world's coral reefs, but hard coral cover in this region experienced a 32% region-wide decline since 1970s. This great change is primarily ascribable to natural and anthropogenic pressures, including climate change and human activities effects. Coral reef conservation requires management strategies oriented to maintain their diversity and the capacity to provide ecosystem goods and services. Coral reef resilience, i.e. the capacity to recover after disturbances, is critical to their long-term persistence. The aims of the present study were to design and to test field experiments intended to measure changes in recruitment processes, as a fundamental aspect of the coral reef resilience. Recruitment experiments, using artificial panels suspended in the water column, were carried out in two Indo-Pacific locations affected by different disturbances: a new mine in Bangka Island (Indonesia), and the increased sedimentation due to coastal dynamics in Vavvaru Island (Maldives). One (or more) putatively disturbed site(s) was selected to be tested against 3 randomly selected control sites. Panels’ arrangement simulates 2 proximities to living corals, i.e. the sources of propagules: few centimetres and 2 meters over. Panels were deployed simultaneously at each site and left submerged for about five months. Recruits were identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level and recruited assemblages were analysed in terms of percent cover. In general it was not possible to detect significant differences between the benthic assemblages recruited in disturbed and control sites. The high variability observed in recruits assemblages structure among control sites may be so large to mask the possible disturbance effects. Only few taxa showed possible effects of the disturb they undergo. The field tests have highlighted strengths and weaknesses of the proposed approach and, based on these results, some possible improvements were suggested.
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Gibbs, David A. "Distance-dependent survival and distribution of juvenile corals: Janzen-Connell effects do not operate on two brooding Indo-Pacific corals." Thesis, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/52231.
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The Janzen-Connell hypothesis proposes that species-specific enemies promote species coexistence through distance- and density-dependent survival of offspring near conspecific adults. I tested this hypothesis experimentally by transplanting juvenile-sized fragments of two species of brooding corals varying distances from conspecific adults, and observationally by assessing the spatial distribution of those two species in the field. Small fragments (as proxies for ?6 month old juveniles) of Pocillopora damicornis and Seriatopora hystrix were transplanted 3, 12, 24 and 182 cm upstream and downstream (relative to the prevailing current) of conspecific adults and their survivorship and condition (bitten off, overgrown by algae, or bleached) checked every 1-2 d. I also characterized the spatial distribution of P. damicornis and S. hystrix within replicated plots on three Fijian reef flats and measured densities of small colonies within 2 m of larger colonies of each species.
Contrary to the Janzen-Connell hypothesis, juvenile-sized transplants exhibited no differences in survivorship as a function of distance from adult P. damicornis or S. hystrix and P. damicornis and S. hystrix were aggregated rather than overdispersed on natural reefs. Survival unaffected by distance from focal colonies as well as certain recruitment processes could generate the observed aggregation. I did observe predation of P. damicornis that was spatially patchy and temporally persistent due to feeding by the territorial triggerfish Balistapus undulatus. This patchy predation did not occur for S. hystrix. Thus, I found no support for the Janzen-Connell hypothesis, but did document hot-spots of species-specific corallivory that could create variable selective regimes on an otherwise more uniform environment, and help maintain the high diversity of corals typical of Indo-Pacific reefs.
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Oertle, Annette. "Time and Relative Dimension in Space: Untangling site formation and taphonomic processes on archaeological shell from the tropical Indo-Pacific." Thesis, The University of Sydney, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/21080.
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Understanding the formation and transformation of an archaeological site is imperative to creating robust inferences about human behaviour. Relatively little work has been undertaken on the varying anthropic and non-anthropic taphonomic processes that affect shell-bearing archaeological sites, particularly in tropical locations which are prone to extreme weathering and issues of long-term preservation. This thesis provides a greater comprehension of taphonomic processes impacting archaeological shell material and uses this understanding to untangle complex spatial and temporal aspects of an archaeological site in the Indo-Pacific. Two key areas of shell taphonomy include thermal influences, such as burning and heating, and acid dissolution. Experimental studies were undertaken on each of these processes and show variable results between taxa or microstructural type. Building upon these experiments, high-resolution taphonomic analyses of archaeological shell from Golo Cave, Gebe Island, Indonesia highlight taxon-specific patterning of various taphonomic processes (seen through varying physical traces) as well as overall trends in material deposition and preservation linked to human behaviours. The individual environmental conditions of this site also impact the types and intensity of taphonomic processes and thus the formation and transformation of the deposits. This is primarily seen through fragmentation rates, burning, physical abrasion, chemical dissolution, and bioerosion. Thermal influences have a distinct impact on the presence and degree of other taphonomic processes such as bioerosion and fragmentation, highlighting the connectivity between different processes. High-resolution analyses of shell midden from this site reveals periods of intensive occupation and changes in environmental conditions. Each shell tells a story, thus high-resolution taphonomic analyses provides a method to understand how different variables impact the formation and transformation of a site. This approach to shell analysis can provide a sharper understanding of the occupation of a site, particularly when stratigraphy does not provide a clear picture of site formation. It is through the examination of pre- and post-depositional taphonomic processes that archaeologists can create robust inferences about human behaviour, hence the importance of discerning the effects of varying processes on shell material.
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Yoshikawa, Akihiro. "Evolutionary relationships of the inter/intraspecific color variations on the pereopods of the intertidal hermit crab Clibanarius Dana, 1852." Kyoto University, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/2433/253118.
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Bouveroux, Thibaut N., Michelle Caputo, Pierre William Froneman, and Stephanie Plön. "Largest reported groups for the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) found in Algoa Bay, South Africa: trends and potential drivers." Society for Marine Mammalogy, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67913.
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Publisher versionThis study investigates how group size of Indo‐Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) changes temporally, spatially, and/or with predominant behavior at two discreet sites along the Eastern Cape coastline of South Africa: Algoa Bay and the Wild Coast. The mean group size of bottlenose dolphins was large with an average of 52 animals. Significantly larger groups were observed in Algoa Bay ( = 60, range = 1–600) than off the Wild Coast ( = 32.9, range = 1–250). In Algoa Bay, the mean group size increased significantly over the study period, from an average 18 animals in 2008 to 76 animals in 2016. Additionally, the largest average and maximum group sizes ever reported both in South Africa and worldwide, were recorded in Algoa Bay (maximum group size = 600). Neither season nor behavior had a significant effect on mean group size at both sites. Similarly environmental variables such as the depth and substrate type also had no influence on group size. It remains unclear which ecological drivers, such as predation risk and food availability, are leading to the large groups observed in this area, and further research on abundance and distribution of both predators and prey is necessary.
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Sprogis, Kate. "Sex-specific patterns in abundance, home ranges and habitat use of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in south-western Australia." Thesis, Sprogis, Kate (2015) Sex-specific patterns in abundance, home ranges and habitat use of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in south-western Australia. PhD thesis, Murdoch University, 2015. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/27840/.
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This thesis explores sex-specific patterns in population abundance, demographic parameters, home range size and habitat use by Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) off Bunbury, Western Australia. Photographic-identification data were collected year round between 2007-2013 through systematic boat-based surveys along pre-determined transect lines within a 540 km2 study area consisting of open coastal waters and sheltered waters. Chapter one provides background and outlines the specific aims of the thesis. In Chapter two, I estimated sex-specific population parameters of abundance, movement and survival using Pollock’s Robust Design. The estimated number of dolphins in the study area was seasonally dependent, and for identifiable adult males ranged from 24 (± 5.73 SE) to 50 (± 5.48 SE) and for identifiable adult females from 28 (± 2.99 SE) to 60 (± 2.38 SE). The lowest abundance estimates coincided with both the strongest phase of an El Niño event and an unparalleled peak in dolphins temporarily emigrating out of the study area. In Chapter three, I explored sex-specific differences in home range size using a new approach for kernel density estimation that accounts for physical barriers to movements. A Bayesian mixture model indicated a 99% probability that adult males have larger home ranges than females (adult males 27-187 km2 and adult females 20-133 km2), and that dolphins sighted primarily in open waters have larger home ranges than those residing in sheltered waters. In Chapter four, I used kernel density analyses and generalised additive models to explore seasonal space use and elucidate biotic and abiotic variables that influence seasonal habitat use differences between the sexes. I documented differing variables influencing habitat use between sexes and seasons, high use areas within the bay during summer, movements offshore and a concentration of females in the estuary during winter. I discuss factors that may explain the documented sex-specific differences in abundance, demographic parameters, home ranges and habitat use, including intrinsic (social dynamics, dolphin biology) and extrinsic (prey availability, predation risk, environmental variability) factors. My research emphasises the value and importance of a sex-specific approach when studying the behavioural ecology of coastal delphinids.
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Sussman, Meir. "Coral disease pathogens of the Indo-Pacific Ocean." Thesis, 2009. https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/8197/1/02whole.pdf.
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Since the identification of coral diseases in the Caribbean in the early 1970's, the number of reported coral disease syndromes, their prevalence and spread worldwide have rapidly increased. Despite increasing reports of coral epizootics resulting in mortalities, little is known about the direct causes of coral diseases. Currently, the study of coral pathogens, their natural reservoirs and possible vectors are still in their early infancy with only five causative agents identified and confirmed by fulfilling Henle-Koch's postulates. Uncertainty regarding the causes of disease has sparked a sharp debate about, whether coral diseases occurring in complex aquatic environments are only caused by primary pathogens, or by secondary pathogens in combinations with other factors, such as ocean warming or anthropogenic stress.
The aim of this study is to identify coral pathogens that are directly associated with the following Indo-Pacific scleractinian coral diseases: black band disease (BBD), red bands and white syndromes (WS's), and to clarify their role in disease onset.
Filamentous cyanobacteria forming red and black bands on three scleractinian corals from Palau were isolated, cultured and identified based on 16S rRNA gene identity as belonging to a single ribotype. Following trials of a range of specialized media and culture conditions, two media, Grund and ASN III, were identified as the best for successful isolation and culturing. Cultured cyanobacteria were examined under a light microscope to establish purity, color and morphological appearance. DNA extraction and partial sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene of both red and black cyanobacterial isolates demonstrated 100% sequence identity. These isolated strains were also found to have 99% sequence identity with an uncultured cyanobacterial strain previously identified by molecular techniques as belonging to a cyanobacterial ribotype associated with BBD infected corals in the Caribbean. Based on these findings, it is concluded that the classification of these two syndromes as separate coral diseases be postponed until further evidence is collected.
Coral pathogens from white syndrome (WS) epizootics in the Indo-Pacific were also investigated. Bacterial isolates were obtained from corals displaying disease signs at three WS outbreak sites: Nikko Bay in the Republic of Palau, Nelly Bay in the central Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and Majuro Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and used in laboratory-based infection trials involving exposure of healthy corals to putative bacterial pathogens in order to satisfy three separate criteria for establishing causality: Henle-Koch’s postulates, Evan’s rules and Hill’s criteria.. Phylogenetic 16S rRNA gene analysis demonstrated that all six pathogens identified in this study were members of the γ-Proteobacteria family Vibrionacae, each with greater than 98% sequence identity with the previously characterized coral bleaching pathogen Vibrio coralliilyticus. Tests to determine the ability of putative coral pathogens to adhere to corals demonstrated that only the pathogenic strains could transit from aquaria seawater to coral mucus in less than 12 hours. Screening for proteolytic activity of more than 150 coral derived bacterial isolates by a biochemical assay and specific primers for a Vibrio family zinc-metalloprotease demonstrated a significant association between the presence of isolates capable of proteolytic activity and observed disease signs.
A Vibrio zinc-metalloprotease, derived from the supernatants of six identified WS pathogens, demonstrated rapid photoinactivation of susceptible Symbiodinium endosymbionts followed by lesions in coral tissue. Symbiodinium photosystem II inactivation was diagnosed by an imaging pulse amplitude modulation fluorometer in two bioassays, performed by exposing Symbiodinium cells and coral juveniles to noninhibited and EDTA-inhibited supernatants.
Sequencing of protein bands (using nano LC/MS/MS) retrieved from pathogen supernatants (via protein electrophoresis) identified the Vibrio zinc-metalloprotease as a member of the thermolysin family and a potential virulence factor in the infection process. This virulence factor, which has been previously identified from numerous Vibrio pathogens of fish, mollusks and humans, showed highest activity when pathogen cultures were grown at 27ºC and inoculated into susceptible Symbiodinium cultures that were acclimatized to the same temperature.
This is the first study to identify coral pathogens on the GBR by fulfilling Henle-Koch's postulates, and the first study to investigate the phylogeny of cyanobacterial strains isolated from corals displaying both red band and black band disease signs. This study also presents novel findings on the aetiology of Indo-Pacific coral diseases, in particular the role of a bacterial virulence factor in causing WS disease signs and the potential effects of host and environmental conditions on its performance. Findings from this study will enable better monitoring of Indo-Pacific coral diseases and their spread in the future, including better understanding of coral pathogen virulence mechanisms and coral disease aetiologies.
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Hodgson, Gregor. "The effects of sedimentation on Indo-Pacific reef corals." Thesis, 1989. http://hdl.handle.net/10125/10314.
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Ferreira, Mariana Ribeiro da Costa. "Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) reproduction and management." Master's thesis, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/10348/10729.
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Trabalho Final de Mestrado Integrado em Medicina VeterináriaA investigação veterinária é apenas uma das vertentes do impacto que zoos e aquários exercem na conservação, uma área em que os médicos veterinários têm um papel relativamente recente, mas cuja importância foi já comprovada. A análise pormenorizada em ambiente controlado permite desenvolver um conhecimento clínico que não seria possível através da observação em meio selvagem. O golfinho-roaz, sendo o mamífero marinho mais popularmente mantido em cativeiro em todo o mundo, é por isso também o mamífero marinho mais estudado, o que traz incontáveis benefícios quer para os animais mantidos em cativeiro, quer para os animais em estado selvagem que necessitem de cuidados médico-veterinários. O golfinho-roaz-do-Indo-Pacífico, por seu lado, é já uma espécie sobre a qual já não se possui tanta informação, sendo que a categorização da Lista Vermelha da IUCN só foi atualizada em julho de 2019, passando de “Data Deficient” para “Near Threatened”. O objetivo deste relatório de estágio é descrever a espécie, as considerações a ter para o bem-estar destes animais sob cuidado humano e aprofundar o conhecimento relativo à curva de crescimento de Tursiops aduncus, através da apresentação de um estudo preliminar.
Veterinary research is just one of the several aspects that zoos and aquariums work on regarding conservation, an area where veterinarians have a relatively recent but already with proven importance. The detailed analysis of the animal in a controlled environment allows us to develop clinical knowledge that would not be possible to obtain by wildlife observation. The bottlenose dolphin, being the most popular marine mammal kept in captivity worldwide, is for that reason also the most well-studied. This brings uncountable benefits either for the animals kept in captivity, either for the wild animals that may need veterinary care. The Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin, in its turn, is a species where the information is scarce comparing to the common bottlenose dolphin. Matter of fact, the IUCN’s Red List of Endangered Animals only updated the status of conservation of Tursiops aduncus in July 2019, changing from “Data Deficient” to “Near Threatened”. The main purpose of this report is to document the most important facts on the species, their management under human care and neonatal care of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, and hopefully to contribute to increase knowledge regarding growth curves in Tursiops aduncus, presenting a preliminary study.
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Chen, Chieh, and 陳杰. "Molecular Phylogeny of Sepia pharaonis in Indo-Pacific Ocean." Thesis, 2016. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/6m8k3y.
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碩士國立臺灣海洋大學
環境生物與漁業科學學系
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Cephalopoda can be divid into four orders: Nautilida, Sepiida, Teuthida and Octopoda. The creatures in Cephalopoda including nautilus, squids, cuttlefishes, octopus etc. In the past decedes, the fishery landing of cephalopods is getting increase which reflecting the increase of human population and the needed for animal proteins. Therefore, it is important to understand the population genetic structure in order to establish an effcieint stategy for fishery resources management. Most researchs were focus on the commercial important squids while the research for cuttlefishes is limitted. The pharaoh cuttlefish, Sepia pharaonis Ehrenberg, 1831, is a commercially species found from East Africa to Japan. Previous morphological and genetic works suggested that S. pharaonis is a species complex, but phylogenetic relationships within the complex remained unresolved. To clarify these relationships, this study have download the COI (cytochrome oxidase subunit I) sequences over 60 specimens from NCBI from throughout the range of S. pharaonis. We have also added three Sepia lycidas and two Sepia aculeata sequences data as outgroup. Molecular Phylogenetic analyses of the dataset revealed a monophyletic S. pharaonis complex consisting of at least seven clades, including a Red Sea clade, a north Australia clade, a Persian Gulf clade, a west Pacific clade, a east Indian Ocean clade a Philippines Clade and a Mozambique clade. Phylogenetic relationships suggested that Mozambique clade is the most ancestral clade for S. pharaonis species complex, Red Sea Clade is genetically closer to the Australia clade; Persian Gulf, west Pacific and east Indian Ocean clades are also closer with the support of 94-100% bootstraps value. Two S. pharaonis specimens, which were collected from China (HQ846149, HQ846150), were found to be a member of the Red Sea clade and Persian Gulf clade, respectively, suggesting the possibility of fishery product importation or came from distant fishery. One specimen of Sepia gibba from Israel is also the member of S. pharaonis complex, suggesting the possibility of species misidentification. We suggest that ‘S. pharaonis’ may consist of several cryptic species, but morphological work is needed to clarify species-level taxonomy within this complex. Most clades have high haplotype diversity and high nucleotide diversity except Australia and West Pacific clades, which have low nucleotide diversity, suggesting the possibility of population expansion of S. pharaonis in Pacific. However, the mismatch distribution and neutrality test suggested that Australia and East Indian Ocean clades might have experienced historical population expansion during the recent evolutionary history. These discordance in different historical demographic tests may reflex the small sample size and therefore only for reference.
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Magee, Andrew David. "An investigation of Indo-Pacific climate variability and tropical cyclogenesis in the Southwest Pacific." Thesis, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1321913.
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Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)Tropical cyclones (TCs) pose a significant risk to the nations and territories of the southwest Pacific (SWP) (0°-35°S, 135°E-120°W). Lives, economies and infrastructure are all vulnerable to the impact of TCs, exacerbated by the SWPs isolation, slow economic growth and limited adaptive capacity. While our understanding of TCs in the SWP has improved with time, knowledge gaps remain with respect to better quantifying the link between Indo-Pacific climate variability and SWP TCs. As such, this thesis investigates the role of interannual and interdecadal Indo-Pacific climate processes, including El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO), ENSO Modoki, the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO) and Indian Ocean sea surface temperature (SST) variability in spatially and temporally modulating SWP tropical cyclogenesis (TC genesis). An initial investigation of SWP TC databases confirms that the South Pacific Enhanced Archive of Tropical Cyclones (SPEArTC) is the most complete repository of TC data for the SWP and as such has been adopted for use throughout this Thesis. Further, no statistical, temporal or spatial evidence was found to discredit the inclusion of SPEArTC data from 1945 for specific applications (which was previously limited from 1970-onwards). The extension of the ‘reliable’ TC record forms an important step in quantifying the impact of interdecadal climate variability on SWP TCs. This in turn increases TC sample size and improves our certainty of any observed relationships between climate variability and SWP TC genesis. Throughout the Thesis, interannual climate variability is shown to significantly modulate the location of SWP TC genesis. For example, the well-known northeast/southwest modulation of TCs by ENSO was confirmed using the longer dataset. Importantly, new insights were also gained in terms of the IPO modulating SWP TC genesis. In particular, IPO positive (negative) epochs were found to result in the modulation of SWP TC genesis towards the northeast (southwest). The phase of the IPO was also found to have a marked impact on multidecadal climate variability, particularly on the relationship between interannual processes (ENSO and ENSO Modoki) and SWP TC genesis, acting to either amplify the effect of the individual driver (during times when modes are ‘in phase’), or dominate the modulation (during ‘out of phase’ combinations). New insights into the influence of Indian Ocean SSTs and the modulation of SWP TC genesis were also found. Anomalously warm (cool) Indian Ocean SSTs were shown to result in the migration of SWP TC genesis towards the east/northeast (south/southwest). While Indian Ocean SST variability is significantly correlated with ENSO, these modulations were also found to occur during ENSO neutral phases. Valuable insights into the combined impact of ENSO and Indian Ocean SST variability on SWP TC genesis are also uncovered, as the phase of ENSO was found to enhance the spatial modulation of individual Indian Ocean driver impacts, or create a hybrid modulation of the two. Finally, a multivariate statistical model is developed to model TC counts in the SWP, western SWP and eastern SWP regions. Using indices indicative of Indo-Pacific climate variability and dynamic/thermodynamic parameters conducive for TC genesis, the model offers a considerable improvement over climatology (up to 37%). Using the model to hindcast SWP TC counts to 1872 uncovered semicentennial oscillations, with 25-35 year cycles of above average TC counts followed by a 20-30 year cycle of below average TC counts. Identification of longer-term TC variability has significant implications for future projections of TC activity. The significant skill of these models also highlights the potential to improve existing TC forecasting tools (both statistical and dynamical forecasting schemes) currently used in the SWP region. Findings from this Thesis emphasize the importance of considering the interactions of both interannual and interdecadal climate processes derived from the Pacific and Indian Ocean regions. These insights may inform and improve quantification of timing, frequency and location of TC genesis which may be used to optimise TC outlooks for the SWP.
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Morris, James Adiel. "The biology and ecology of the invasive Indo-Pacific lionfish." 2009. http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/theses/available/etd-06172009-153721/unrestricted/etd.pdf.
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Hsu, Yao-Yu, and 許曜羽. "Population connectivity of Halophila ovalis in the Indo-West Pacific." Thesis, 2019. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/6muh2j.
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碩士國立中山大學
海洋生物科技暨資源學系研究所
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Seagrass, as marine angiosperms, plays an important role in coastal ecosystems. Understanding the population connectivity between geographic regions is important for their future restoration. Halophila ovalis is distributed in the Indo- West Pacific and can produce recruits through both asexual and sexual reproduction. The former uses rhizomatous rametes or rhizome fragments to disperse, the latter uses seeds to achieve the purpose of expanding their population. Since it’s fruits and seeds have negative buoyance and the seeds of H. ovalis could pass through the digestive tract of waterfowls and lead to higher germination rates than un-ingested controls. Therefore, biological vectors (i.e. migratory birds) may be a possible mechanism for long-distance dispersal. In this study, we collected 625 samples from 23 sites to understand the population connectivity of H. ovalis in the Indo-West Pacific. ITS and microsatellite loci were used to barcode and reveal the population connectivity pattern, respectively. According to the result, 432 samples of H. ovalis from 17 sites were used in this study. High level genetic diversity was found within 17 populations. The results of FST analysis showed that significant genetic differentiation was found among H. ovalis populations in the Indo- West Pacific. The results of STRUCTURE analysis showed that most of H. ovalis populations in the Indo- West Pacific possess unique genetic composition. Indicate that the gene flow between H. ovalis populations in the Indo- West Pacific is limited, therefore, long-distance dispersal by migratory birds is unlikely the main mechanism for shaping their connectivity pattern, and we suggest at least three cryptic species may occur within its distribution.
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Haapkylä, Jessica. "Dynamics and drivers of coral disease on Indo-Pacific reefs." Thesis, 2011. https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/29250/1/29250_Haapkyla_2011_thesis.pdf.
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Coral reefs are currently declining worldwide and coral diseases have been recognised as a major contributor to this pattern. This thesis investigated the dynamics and potential environmental drivers of coral diseases on reefs spanning 20 degrees of latitude in the western Pacific: equatorial reefs in the Wakatobi Marine National Park (WMNP), South-East Sulawesi, Indonesia; Magnetic Island reefs in the central Great Barrier Reef (GBR) Marine Park, Australia; and Heron Island reefs in the southern GBR Marine Park.
Surveys conducted in the WMNP revealed that both disease prevalence and the numbers of diseases affecting corals increased between 2005 and 2010. Disease progression rates were comparable to those found in the Caribbean and on the GBR, indicating that diseases may have serious impacts on coral populations in the WMNP. Similar numbers of coral taxa were recorded as diseased in the WMNP and at Heron Island, with species of staghorn Acropora being the most susceptible group at both locations. In the WMNP, high sedimentation rates may have increased disease prevalence at the site with the greatest disease prevalence in 2007. At this site, a dramatic decline in coral cover from 75% in 2007 to 18% in 2010 was documented, with six diseases: Porites ulcerative white spots syndrome (PUWS), ulcerative white spots (UWS), growth anomalies (GA), skeletal eroding band (SEB), white syndrome (WS) and black band disease (BBD) present in 2010. Highly significant decreases in coral cover between 2005 and 2007 at all sites in the WMNP demonstrate that even reefs in this remote area of the Coral Triangle are experiencing deteriorating coral health mainly due to the over-exploitation of marine resources which is likely to have significant impacts on this global biodiversity hot spot. Although both the prevalence and number of coral diseases have increased, the overall disease prevalence still remains low in the WMNP.
Disease prevalence was generally higher on Heron Island reefs than in the WMNP. A total of six coral diseases were found at Heron Island with brown band (BrB), UWS and GA being the most abundant. The prevalence of UWS was higher in the Austral summer, whereas, for the first time, a higher prevalence of BrB was detected in the Austral winter. No clear seasonal trend in GA prevalence was detected, but prevalence increased over the 3 years of the study. Disease prevalence on Heron Island reefs was dependent on the coral community composition, with sites having high abundance of staghorn Acropora and platelike Montipora experiencing the highest levels of disease prevalence. Diseases were most common at sites with intermediate host coral cover in comparison with sites with high coral cover. A shift in the coral community structure was observed from a community dominated by tabular Acropora in 2007 to a community dominated by Goniastrea, bushy Acropora, Coscinarea and Stylophora in 2009. Since the surveys were conducted half-yearly, it is not possible to conclusively attribute this shift to disease, highlighting the importance of regular long-term monitoring to detect change in reef ecosystems.
A two-year study of environmental drivers of the coral disease atramentous necrosis (AtN) was conducted at two sites around Magnetic Island, an inshore fringing reef. At the study sites, AtN primarily affects the plating coral Montipora aequituberculata. The abundance of AtN was strongly negatively correlated with low salinity and strongly positively correlated with particulate organic carbon. A weaker positive relationship was observed between AtN abundance and seawater temperature, as recorded 7 days prior to and including the sampling date. An aquarium-based study investigating the impacts of salinity and temperature on AtN rates of progression provided corroborative evidence of the importance of these two environmental parameters in driving disease dynamics in the field. The highest mortality rates caused by AtN were recorded in the high temperature (32°C) and low salinity (20) treatments. Results from both the field and experimental studies highlight the importance of the combined impacts of high temperature and low salinity, conditions that prevail typically in the austral summer, as important environmental drivers of AtN.
The results of this thesis demonstrate the important role that coral diseases have in altering reef ecosystems and the potential they have to lead to phase shifts. Identifying drivers of disease help in implementing more effective management strategies that will aim to protect coral reefs as this ecosystem will be subject to increasing stress levels in the future due to climate change.