Botrylloides Violaceus Erica Westerman University of New Hampshire, Durham
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University of New Hampshire University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository Master's Theses and Capstones Student Scholarship Spring 2007 Impacts of changing water temperatures on the life histories of two invasive ascidians in the Gulf of Maine: Botryllus schlosseri and Botrylloides violaceus Erica Westerman University of New Hampshire, Durham Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/thesis Recommended Citation Westerman, Erica, "Impacts of changing water temperatures on the life histories of two invasive ascidians in the Gulf of Maine: Botryllus schlosseri and Botrylloides violaceus" (2007). Master's Theses and Capstones. 283. https://scholars.unh.edu/thesis/283 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Scholarship at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses and Capstones by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. IMPACTS OF CHANGING WATER TEMPERATURES ON THE LIFE HISTORIES OF TWO INVASIVE ASCIDIANS IN THE GULF OF MAINE: BOTRYLLUS SCHLOSSERI AND BOTRYLLOIDES VIOLACEUS BY ERICA WESTERMAN BS Yale University, 2003 THESIS Submitted to the University of New Hampshire In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Zoology May, 2007 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 1443639 Copyright 2007 by Westerman, Erica All rights reserved. INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. ® UMI UMI Microform 1443639 Copyright 2007 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2007 Erica Westerman Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. This thesis has been examined and approved. zfa n hi * r.j})aJ)hA^____ Thesis Sfi&ctor, Dr. Larry G. Harris Professor of Zoology Ttyesis Co-director, Dr. Jessica A. Bolker Associate Professor of Zoology Dr. Michael P. Lesser Research Professor of Zoology Date Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. DEDICATION To my grandparents, Dr. Kenneth Westerman, Carol Westerman, Merrill Whitcomb, and Marian Stearns, and my constant companions, Samwise and Daisy Mae. iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Any research project that encompasses field sites in three states and daily laboratory work can only be conducted with a great deal of assistance. First and foremost I would like to thank my advisors, Dr. Larry Harris and Dr. Jessica Bolker, and my committee member Dr. Michael Lesser for their insight, advice, and direction over the last two and a half years. Dr. Phillip Yund also offered invaluable assistance in the how to of culturing Botryllus schlosseri and Botrylloides violaceus. My brother, Michael Westerman, both came field sampling and offered me the hospitality of his home for numerous early morning sampling trips. Other members of the Harris laboratory, Jennifer Dijkstra, Sarah Teck, and Linda Auker, came sampling, helped with culturing, and engaged in hours of thoughtful insight and enlightenment. My roommate, Rebecca Story, not only helped my mental stability throughout the last two years, but also went field sampling and helped with late night zooid counts. Steven Fay, Morgan Eastman, Hillary Sherman, Andrew Collins, Cameron Brooks, Liam Kean, Kaitin Bonner, Travis Godkin, and Jason Goldstein all assisted in the culturing of my tunicates. And lastly, I’d like to thank my parents, for their undying support and encouragement, even when that meant sampling off a dock in the middle of winter. v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. This project was funded by a National Estuarine Research Reserve Graduate Student Fellowship, a New Hampshire Estuarine Projects Grant, and two research grants from the University of New Hampshire Marine Program. vi Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATIO N.............................................................................................. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.........................................................................v LIST OF TABLES...................................................................................... ix LIST OF FIGURES...................................................................................x ABSTRACT..................................................................................................xiv CHAPTER PAGE I. INTRODUCTION................................................................................. 1 Climate Change and Ascidians ......................................................... 1 Study Organisms..................................................................................4 Reproduction ......................................................................................... 5 Past Studies on Abiotic Factors ..................................................... ..9 Objectives ..............................................................................................13 II. MATERIALS AND METHODS..........................................................15 Field Sites ..............................................................................................15 Data Collection ..................................................................................... 19 vii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. III. RESULTS 30 Physical Conditions for the Hawthorne Cove Marina, the University of New Hampshire Coastal Marine Laboratory, and the University of Maine Darling Marine Center January 2005- December 2006 ....................................................................................30 Abundance and Growth Patterns .................................................... 40 Single Colony ........................................................................................69 Recruitment ........................................................................................... 75 Laboratory Studies .............................................................................. 86 IV. D ISC U SSIO N ...................................................................................... 99 Abiotic Factors ...................................................................................... 99 Abundance and Growth Patterns of Botryllus schlosseri and Botrylloides violaceus......................................................................100 Single Colony .......................................................................................110 Recruitment .......................................................................................... 116 Growth and Temperature..................................................................120 Lifespan ................................................................................................123 Reproduction .......................................................................................124 V. CONCLUSIONS................................................................................. 129 LIST OF REFERENCES.........................................................................132 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Abiotic conditions at Cat Cove ......................................................32 Table 2: Duration water temperatures above 10°C and 13°C ................. 35 Table 3: Correlations in Botrylloides violaceus colonies from the Darling Marine Center ............................................................................................................... 89 Table 4: Correlations in Botrylloides violaceus colonies from the Coastal Marine Laboratory....................................................................................................... 89 Table 5: Correlations in Botrylloides violaceus colonies from the Hawthorne Cove Marina.............................................................................................................. 90 Table 6: Correlations in Botryllus schlosseri colonies from the Darling Marine Center ..............................................................................................................90 Table 7: Correlations in Botryllus schlosseri colonies from the Hawthorne Cove Marina.....................................................................................