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Population Dynamics of Gelatinous Zooplankton in the Chesapeake Bay and Sargasso Sea, and Effects on Carbon Export

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Population Dynamics of Gelatinous Zooplankton in the Chesapeake Bay and Sargasso Sea, and Effects on Carbon Export W&M ScholarWorks Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects 2016 Population Dynamics of Gelatinous Zooplankton in the Chesapeake Bay and Sargasso Sea, and Effects on Carbon Export Joshua Paul Stone College of William and Mary - Virginia Institute of Marine Science, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd Part of the Marine Biology Commons, and the Oceanography Commons Recommended Citation Stone, Joshua Paul, "Population Dynamics of Gelatinous Zooplankton in the Chesapeake Bay and Sargasso Sea, and Effects on Carbon Export" (2016). Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects. Paper 1477068147. http://doi.org/10.21220/V57C70 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects at W&M ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects by an authorized administrator of W&M ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Population Dynamics of Gelatinous Zooplankton in the Chesapeake Bay and Sargasso Sea, and Effects on Carbon Export A Dissertation Presented to The Faculty of the School of Marine Science The College of William and Mary in Virginia In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Joshua Paul Stone August 2016 APPROVAL SHEET This dissertation is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Joshua P. Stone Approved by the Committee July 19, 2016 Deborah K. Steinberg, Ph.D. Committee Chair/Advisor Mark J. Brush, Ph.D. Robert H. Condon, Ph.D. University of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington, NC, USA J. Emmett Duffy, Ph.D. Courtney K. Harris, Ph.D. ii DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my father, Roger Stone, for passing his love of biology on to me. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ......................................................................................... vi LIST OF TABLES ..................................................................................................... vii LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................... viii ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................... xii CHAPTER 1 Introduction to the dissertation ............................................................................ 2 References ............................................................................................................ 13 CHAPTER 2 Long-term changes in gelatinous zooplankton in Chesapeake Bay, USA: Environmental controls and interspecific interactions ......................................... 24 Abstract ................................................................................................................ 25 1. Introduction ...................................................................................................... 27 2. Methods............................................................................................................ 31 3. Results .............................................................................................................. 38 4. Discussion ........................................................................................................ 43 5. Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 53 References ............................................................................................................ 55 CHAPTER 3 Influence of top-down control in the plankton food web on vertical carbon flux: a mesocosm study in the Chesapeake Bay ............................................................. 78 Abstract ................................................................................................................ 79 1. Introduction ...................................................................................................... 80 2. Methods............................................................................................................ 84 3. Results .............................................................................................................. 89 4. Discussion ........................................................................................................ 91 5. Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 96 References ............................................................................................................ 98 CHAPTER 4 Long-term time-series study of salp population dynamics in the Sargasso Sea .. 115 Abstract ................................................................................................................ 116 1. Introduction ...................................................................................................... 117 2. Methods............................................................................................................ 120 3. Results .............................................................................................................. 125 iv 4. Discussion ........................................................................................................ 131 5. Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 140 References ............................................................................................................ 142 CHAPTER 5 Salp contributions to vertical carbon flux in the Sargasso Sea ............................ 168 Abstract ................................................................................................................ 169 1. Introduction ...................................................................................................... 170 2. Methods............................................................................................................ 174 3. Results .............................................................................................................. 183 4. Discussion ........................................................................................................ 188 5. Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 195 References ............................................................................................................ 197 CHAPTER 6 Summary and Concluding Remarks .................................................................... 220 References ............................................................................................................ 227 VITA .......................................................................................................................... 231 v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the many people who have been a part of my life during graduate school. First, Debbie Steinberg has been an amazing advisor throughout the past six years, and not only has she taught and guided me through my dissertation work with patience and infectious excitement, but has also been a wonderful friend and mentor. I am also grateful to my committee – Rob Condon, Emmett Duffy, Courtney Harris, and Mark Brush – for their advice and guidance in my research. I am proud to be a member of the Steinbergler family, and all of the past, present, and future members of the Zooplankton Ecology Lab have my thanks. My lab family, Brandon Conroy, Kim Bernard, Joe Cope, Kate Ruck, Lori Garzio, Miram Gleiber, Jeanna Hudson, Jami Ivory, Tricia Thibodeau, and Jack Conroy, have all been amazing friends and helpful in so many ways. The highlight of my time at VIMS has undoubtedly been becoming friends with this group of people, stumbling through the graduate school experience with them, and sharing in our love of discovery. The wider VIMS community has also been the best fraternity I could have hoped for. There are too many people to name here, but my many fantastic friends have made the years here way too much fun for my own good. Not only am I thankful for the games, parties, and comraderie, but also for the constant shared interest in science, and I learned so much from each interaction with every friend. I know that I will remain friends with all of them, and make new ones from VIMS, for many years to come. My family has been incredibly supportive and encouraging of me every day of my life. I owe everything to my parents, Roger and Kathy, for teaching and guiding me through every aspect of my education and growing up. I can’t say enough how much they’ve helped me, and I want to make them proud. Thank you to my first friends, Skyla and Clara, for all of your support and love. Most importantly, I want to thank my best friend and wife, Nicole Trimmer, who has been far beyond anything I could have asked for. Not only is she the smartest, funniest, and most beautiful person I have ever met, but her constant encouragement and support have helped more than anything in completing this dissertation. Finally, I would like to acknowledge my funding sources. The BATS program has been funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Chemical and Biological Oceanography programs for over two decades, with the most recent grant OCE-1258622 to D. Steinberg and colleagues funding this current effort.
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