May 18, 2018 Mary Gates Hall

The Effects of Human Influences on Pollution Run-off POSTER SESSION 1 into Streams Balcony, Easel 104 Maddie Thompson, Sophomore, Marine Biology, Grays Harbor Coll 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM Mentor: Amanda Lyn Gunn, Science and Math Division, Analysis of the Microbial Content of an Invisible Fish Grays Harbor College Barrier Pollution from human influences is a growing problem in the Lauren Thompson, Sophomore, Marine Biology, Grays Chehalis River and tributaries causing deleterious effects on Harbor Coll stream health. Pollution runoff happens when rainfall or snow Mentor: Amanda Lyn Gunn, Science and Math Division, melt pick up and carry human-made or natural pollutants and Grays Harbor College are then deposited into streams, lakes, and rivers. With a Stream microbiomes are composed of diverse collection of better understanding of microbial populations within streams microbes that play an important role in keeping the surround- you can correlate the role that the surrounding environment ing riparian zones and life within the streams healthy and is playing on overall stream health. Stream water has been thriving. The Chehalis River provides habitats in favor of facing a decline in quality from the leading cause of pollution fish spawning and juvenile development, but fish return pop- from agriculture and manufacturer run-offs. Previous studies ulations upstream haves decreased in recent years. The aim have linked increasing industrialization to ecological losses. of this study was to identify and characterize microbes within Pollution entering a stream can influence and alter the abun- the Chehalis River tributaries, in correlation to fish popula- dance and diversity of aquatic life, especially at a microbial tions, that are causing part of an invisible fish barrier. An in- level. Although there have been many studies relating to run- visible fish barrier is an undefined barrier that is blocking or off pollution affecting streams, there are no in-depth studies preventing the return of fish. When water conditions are al- done on the and functionality of microbes in ur- tered by human impacts or water quality is poor, it can result ban water ecosystems, so it is important for this to be fur- in microbial communities to shift. These communities can ther investigated. For this project, overall stream health was become harmful and potentially pathogenic to the surround- measure by assessing seven locations along Alder and Fry ing hosts and environment. Microbial identification specifi- creek. Environmental factors, percentage of man-made cov- cally within the stream in relation to fish populations could ering, and potential pollution runoffs were all considered and help to find ways to improve overall water quality for fish analyzed. A stream microbiome analysis was done along all health. This analysis may provide a holistic indicator for sites sampled using 16s sequencing. The microbes present are necessary renovation and restoration of fish passages. Sites a strong indicator of the health of the ecosystem. From this that lack diversity in their riparian zones, and were information, future studies can draw how to improve stream closer to urbanization, show diversity in potentially harmful restoration efforts based off the abundance and diversity of microbes like Camplyobacter, Sanguibacter and Shewanella, organisms within streams facing variation in levels of human in correlation to low fish population. Continued monitoring impacts. will help correlate trends that are influencing riparian zones, water quality conditions and fish populations during the pro- cess of stream restoration. POSTER SESSION 1 Balcony, Easel 105 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM POSTER SESSION 1 Balcony, Easel 103 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Undergraduate Research Program 1 www.uw.edu/undergradresearch Evaluation of Stock Selective Fishing Tools in the Lower Fast Kelp Crab Consumption: Implications for Columbia Sub-basin Washington Sea Otters Mary Valentine, Sophomore, Marine biology, Grays Harbor Carter Justis Johnson, Senior, Biology (General), Aquatic & Coll Fishery Sciences Mentor: Amanda Lyn Gunn, Science and Math Division, Mentor: Jessica Hale, School of Aquatic and Fishery Grays Harbor College Sciences Mentor: Adrian Tuohy, Wild Fish Conservancy Mentor: Kristin Laidre, Polar Science Center/APL and Mentor: Aaron Jorgenson, Wild Fish Coservancy School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences Mentor: Justin Eastman Sea otters (Enhydra lutris), members of the mustelid family, In the Pacific Northwest the Endangered Species Act (ESA) are distributed in the near-shore marine environment along protects wild salmonids from commercial fishing. The cur- the west coast of North America from southern California to rent commercial fishing gear, including gill nets but not lim- Alaska. Sea otters are unique among marine mammals, in ited to, disrupts the recovery of these species because fisher- that they bring all captured prey to the surface to handle and men can not selectively harvest the hatchery fisheries without consume. This behavior allows scientists to directly observe wild salmonids as bycatch, which have high mortality rates. their foraging and estimate energy intake rates based on time Once ESA quotas are met this can effectively shut down com- spent at the surface processing and consuming prey (handling mercial fisheries. The exploration of alternative fishing tools time), prey type and size, and dive time. The foraging be- that can select for certain species will lower bycatch mortality havior of sea otters is observed using standardized methods rates of ESA species, and in turn allow commercial fisheries throughout the ’s North American range. One as- to operate longer. On August 26th through September 29th of sumption made when calculating sea otter energy intake rates 2017 Wild Fish Conservancy conducted follow up research, is that the same prey type of a given size is equivalent across to a 2016 pilot study of Pound nets, in the Lower Columbia regions. However, an anomaly in the handling time of kelp River Sub-Basin. Post release survival rates were evaluated in crabs (Pugettia spp.) has been discovered, where Washing- a modified stock selective pound-net. Using Mark Recapture ton sea otters (Enydra lutris kenyoni) handle kelp crabs 1.5- methodology, with a Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) 2 times faster than sea otters in California (Enhydra lutris tags, and genetic clippings for later analysis. Survival rates nereies). One hypothesis to explain this difference is that of control specimen to treatment specimen were captured as Washington kelp crabs have a lower edible biomass than kelp they traveled past dams upstream. Data analyzed were total crabs in California, allowing for faster handling times by sea catch, catch per unit effort and covariates of recapture proba- otters. To explore this hypothesis, I collected kelp crabs at bilities. The preliminary results show that fishing with stock two sites on the Washington coast. I measured and compared selective nets can effectively target hatchery fisheries while kelp crab maximum width and edible biomass to test whether successfully releasing ESA listed species, reducing mortal- kelp crabs in Washington are an equivalent sea otter prey item ity rates. In 33 days WFC and a local fisherman captured to kelp crabs in California. Kelp crabs comprise 20% of the and released 7,129 salmonids with a post release survival overall diet of Washington sea otters, so accurately measur- for steelhead and trout ( Oncorhynchus Mykiss) of 94.0%, ing the edible biomass of kelp crabs enhances the precision and 96.6% for Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha) of estimating sea otter energy intake rates. Estimating the en- listed as ESA species. Hatchery fisheries of these species ergy intake rate of sea otters provides additional information along with coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) were effec- on their population health. tively selected with viable commercial quantities. Future sub- set data of genetic clips and a Jolly-Seber analysis will give more precise information of these post-release survival esti- SESSION 1D mates. MARINE ECOLOGYAND FOOD WEBS SESSION 1D Session Moderator: Bonnie Becker, Academic Affairs (Tacoma) MARINE ECOLOGYAND FOOD WEBS MGH 228 12:30 PM to 2:15 PM Session Moderator: Bonnie Becker, Academic Affairs * Note: Titles in order of presentation. (Tacoma) MGH 228 12:30 PM to 2:15 PM * Note: Titles in order of presentation.

2 Are All Herbivores Created Equal? Linking Diet to Consumption across Temperature and Size in Dungeness Morphology in Phytophagous Pacus and Graceful Crabs: Bioenergetic Implications for Jonathan Michael Huie, Junior, Aquatic & Fishery Sciences Ecology and Fisheries Management Mary Gates Scholar, UW Honors Program Grace Rachele Workman, Senior, Aquatic & Fishery Mentor: Adam Summers, Biology Sciences Mentor: Matthew Kolmann, Friday Harbor Labs Mentor: P. Sean McDonald, Program on the Environment

Herbivorous fishes feed on stems, leaves, flowers, seeds, Dungeness crabs (Cancer [Metacarcinus] magister) hold fruits, and nuts of diverse aquatic plants, as well as algae. commercial and cultural value in Washington State, yet lit- In the Neotropics, many of these fishes have intricately tied tle is known about the effects of climate change on their ecologies with their prey plant’s life history and facilitate seed population–even less is known about their competitor, the dispersal; including the herbivorous cousins of piranhas, pa- graceful crab (C.[M.] gracilis). To investigate the effects cus. Most pacus experience fluctuation in their diet that re- of temperature and size on feeding rate, we conducted con- flects the changes in seasonality and plant part availability. A sumption experiments in aquaria at multiple temperatures and few species of pacus, however, exhibit a specialized feeding across a variety of sizes (70-100mm carapace width) of Dun- strategy known as phytophagy; solely consuming the plant geness and graceful crabs. We investigated their weight- material of Podostemaceae (riverweed). This trend of dietary specific feeding rates, egestion, and excretion via a basic mass specialization may be paralleled by a similar shift, away from balance bioenergetic equation in which consumption must general herbivory, and towards a specialized phytophage mor- equal respiration, egestion, excretion, and growth. We mea- phology. To investigate the link between diet and morphol- sured the egestion and excretion components of consumption ogy within the greater scope of herbivory, we examined four by collecting unconsumed food material and fecal material, coexisting species including: the seemingly specialized phy- respectively. This multi-species comparison evaluates size tophage, Ossubtus xinguense; the generalized phytophages, and temperature-dependent feeding patterns that have impli- Tometes kranponhah and Tometes ancylorhynchus; and a fac- cations for future spatial distributions and energy require- ultative phytophage, Myloplus rhomboidalis. We compared ments of Dungeness and graceful crabs across Puget Sound. the gross morphology of these species with several other Future management of the fishery and ecological impacts un- serrasalmids using micro-computed tomography scanning to der changing conditions are discussed. measure functional jaw characteristics, as well as using geo- metric morphometrics to compare body shapes. Jaw biome- chanics indicate that O. xinguense produces the weakest jaw SESSION 1L leverage potentially as a result of its sub-terminal mouth. However, we also concluded that the phytophagous species SOUNDTO MOUNTAINS:WATER, as a group, do not overtly differ from the more generalized herbivorous pacus in terms of jaw mechanics (but remain dis- LIFE, AND CLIMATE IN THE SALISH tinct from the piscivorous piranhas). Body shape analyses SEA also show little divergence among phytophage and herbivore Session Moderator: Peter Selkin, School of Interdisciplinary body shapes, suggesting that many herbivores share a similar Arts & Sciences bauplan adapted for fast flowing waters. With the exception MGH 271 of O. xinguense, phytophagous pacus appear to be equipped with a general herbivory feeding morphology sufficient for a 12:30 PM to 2:15 PM specialized diet. This suggests that phytophagy is not a par- * Note: Titles in order of presentation. ticularly challenging feeding strategy, but performance may A Bobber’s Perspective on Angler-Driven Vectors of be augmented by additional morphological specialization. Invasive Species Transmission Rachel M (Rachel) Fricke, Senior, Aquatic & Fishery SESSION 1D Sciences, Environmental Studies Mary Gates Scholar, UW Honors Program, Undergraduate Research Conference Travel Awardee MARINE ECOLOGYAND FOOD WEBS Mentor: Julian Olden, Aquatic & Fishery Sciences Session Moderator: Bonnie Becker, Academic Affairs (Tacoma) Prevention of aquatic invasive species transmission by recre- MGH 228 ational fishing and boating is a fundamental management challenge. These activities can entrain non-native plants and 12:30 PM to 2:15 PM via tangled lines, bait buckets, or hull encrustation, * Note: Titles in order of presentation. leading to introductions into new waterbodies. With hundreds of millions of people participating in fishing trips each year,

3 understanding angler movement behavior can provide critical advising the Washington shellfish industry on strategies for insight into the most effective locations and scales at which mitigating the economic impacts of this invasive polychaete. to apply preventative measures. Angler behavior is often in- ferred from infrequently and sparsely conducted surveys that provide limited spatial and temporal insight into this chal- SESSION 1M lenge. Here we capitalize on a big data opportunity provided by ReelSonar’s recently launched iBobber, a sonar-enabled LIFEAND DEATH IN THE OCEAN bobber with over 3,000,000 records of fishing location, wa- Session Moderator: Virginia Armbrust, Oceanography ter depth, and environmental variables collected over three MGH 284 years. By quantifying geographic patterns of fishing activi- ties and assessing how these patterns change seasonally, we 12:30 PM to 2:15 PM explore angler behavior in terms of fishing frequency and dis- * Note: Titles in order of presentation. tance traveled between sites, and characterize the attributes Use It or Lose It: Three Ways That Snailfishes of fished ecosystems. Our study offers novel insight into spa- (Liparidae) Reduce Their Skeleton in the Deep tiotemporal patterns of angler behavior and carries important Abigail (Abby) Von Hagel, Senior, Biology (Molecular, implications for predicting and preventing future transmis- Cellular & Developmental), Neurobiology sion of aquatic invasive species via recreational fishing. Mary Gates Scholar, UW Honors Program Mentor: Adam Summers, Biology SESSION 1M Mentor: Stacy Farina, Friday Harbor Laboratories Mentor: Mackenzie Gerringer, Friday Harbor Labs Mentor: Matthew Kolmann, Friday Harbor Labs LIFEAND DEATH IN THE OCEAN Session Moderator: Virginia Armbrust, Oceanography Skeletal reduction is a common feature among deep-sea MGH 284 fishes that have diversified from shallow-water relatives, such as snailfishes. These skeletal reductions may be an adapta- 12:30 PM to 2:15 PM tion to environmental conditions of high pressures, low tem- * Note: Titles in order of presentation. peratures, declining luminosity and limited food availability. Morphological and Molecular Identification of a Snailfishes (family Liparidae) are found across a large bathy- Shell-Boring Mudworm Polydora Websteri (Polychaeta: metric range (0 –>8,000 m), with intertidal ancestors giving Spionidae) from Puget Sound, Washington rise to a large clade of deep-sea species. We used micro- Heather M. Lopes, Senior, Aquatic & Fishery Sciences computed tomography (micro-CT) to estimate average bone Mentor: Julieta Martinelli, SAFS mineral density and examine jaw, pectoral girdle, and neuro- Mentor: Chelsea Wood, Aquatic and Fishery Sciences cranium morphology. Our results suggest at least three mech- anisms of skeletal reduction: (1) reduction of bone size, (2) Some spionid polychaetes can burrow into the shells of bi- reduction of bone density, and (3) loss of skeletal elements. valves, creating unsightly mud blisters. Because they are First, using phylogenetic generalized least squares (PGLS) unappealing to consumer and can burst, fouling oyster flesh, analysis, we found that the change in cranial dimensions with these blisters are an economic burden on affected oyster half- depth was not uniform. While the size of the maxilla, den- shell industries. Historical invasions by the spionid Polydora tary, and pectoral girdle decreased with greater depth, length websteri have resulted in the collapse of aquaculture opera- of the upper premaxilla and the neurocranium did not vary tions in Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii, USA. Recent with collection depth. Second, average density of the lower sightings of mud blisters on Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gi- jaw decreased with increasing depth. Lastly, the ventral suc- gas) in Puget Sound, Washington, USA suggest that the area tion disc has been lost multiple times within the deep sea lin- might be experiencing a spionid polychaete invasion. To de- eage. While all three methods are seen in snailfishes, other termine whether P. websteri is the polychaete creating the groups may use some or all of these mechanisms to different mud blisters recently observed in Puget Sound, we obtained extents. Some mechanisms of skeletal reduction may be more 170 Pacific oysters from six locations and examined for blis- advantageous than others. The extent to which a structure is ters and burrows. Polychaetes were extracted from the shells retained in deep-dwelling fishes may indicate its functional and vouchered for molecular analyses. We used mitochon- importance. Variable skeletal reduction in the family Lipari- drial (cytochrome c oxidase I [COI] and cytochrome b) and dae provides insights into the physiological adaptations that nuclear (18S rRNA) genes for species-level identification. allow fishes to survive in deep-water environments. We con- Positive identification of P. websteri found in the mud blis- clude that some skeletal elements are maintained at the ex- ters of Puget Sound Pacific oysters will be the first confirmed pense of others as fishes balance the functional demands of sighting in Washington, USA. This study is the foundation for life in the deep sea.

4 Toxicity of Emamectin Benzoate to Juvenile Ghost POSTER SESSION 2 Shrimp: Implications for the Control of Burrowing Commons West, Easel 12 Shrimp on Shellfish Beds in Washington Karrin Noel Leazer, Senior, Oceanography 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM Katelyn Elizabeth Cramer, Junior, Extended Pre-Major Infection by Clavinema mariae Nematode Parasites in Allison Caci (Allison) Dekerlegand, Senior, Environmental Blackbelly Eelpout (Lycodes pacificus) of Puget Sound, Science & Resource Management Washington Rose Ann Denney, Senior, Environmental Science & Hiromi Christine Katagiri, Senior, Aquatic & Fishery Resource Management (Wildlife Conservation) Sciences James Ryland Mc Coy, Junior, Environmental Science & Mentor: Chelsea Wood, Aquatic and Fishery Sciences Resource Management Abigail Ilene Moosmiller, Junior, Aquatic & Fishery Sciences Flatfishes of Puget Sound commonly host Clavinema mariae Mary Gates Scholar nematode “blood worms”, which reside in the subcutaneous Renz Torres, Senior, Extended Pre-Major tissue of the host, rendering them unmarketable. Recently, we Cara Joelle Christensen, Senior, Biology (General) observed C. mariae in blackbelly eelpout, Lycodes pacificus, Sarah Michelle Colosimo, Senior, Aquatic & Fishery which has never before been reported to carry this parasite. Sciences Because blackbelly eelpouts have no economic importance, Mary Gates Scholar there may have been little incentive for reporting this infec- Wesley R. Rostomily, Senior, Aquatic & Fishery Sciences tion in the past; whether our recent observations of eelpout Alexandra Claire Sawyer, Fifth Year, Aquatic & Fishery infection represent a new development or a long-standing Sciences host–parasite relationship is therefore unclear. To estimate Mentor: Christian Grue, Aquatic & Fishery Sciences C. mariae burden in eelpouts from Puget Sound, I am count- Mentor: Megan Hintz, School of Aquatic and Fishery ing subcutaneous parasites in preserved specimens collected Sciences between 1911 and 2014, from the University of Washington Ichthyology Collection. If C. mariae appear only in eelpout Imidacloprid (IMI), a neonicotinoid, is being sought as an collected recently, this may indicate a host switch from flat- alternative to the carbamate pesticide, carbaryl to control bur- fishes to eelpouts. In the future, DNA sequence analysis will rowing shrimp (ghost shrimp, Neotropea californiensis) in be conducted to determine if C. mariae from flatfishes and Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor, Washington. The shrimp eelpouts are indeed the same species. Our work will reveal destabilize sediments resulting in poor survival and low yields whether the recent appearance of C. mariae in eelpout is due of the commercially harvested Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gi- to host-switching, parasite spillover, or improved observation gas). Previous laboratory tests indicate juvenile and adult and reporting. ghost shrimp are overtly affected (immobilized) when ex- posed to IMI in artificial seawater (SW) at concentrations expected during control operations, but not killed and subse- POSTER SESSION 2 quently recover. Our objective was to determine if emamectin Commons West, Easel 34 benzoate (EB) is an alternative to IMI. EB, the active ingre- dient (a.i.) in Slice®, is currently registered for use in ma- 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM rine waters for the control of sea lice on farmed salmon. We targeted juvenile shrimp because they are likely more sen- sitive than adults and reside within the upper 10-15 cm of the sediment facilitating control. In an initial test to deter- mine the effective range, we exposed juvenile ghost shrimp (mean carapace length = 2.3 mm) to static concentrations of EB (as the insecticide Proclaim®) ranging from 0.01 to 100 ppb a.i. within artificial SW for 96 h. All shrimp within the 100 ppb treatment died within 48 h and 27% exposed to 10 ppb succumbed by 96 h. In a subsequent 96-h test (static 48-h renewal), we exposed juveniles (mean carapace length = 2.1 mm) to concentrations of EB ranging from 10 to 100 ppb to determine the median lethal concentration (LC50). All shrimp exposed to 100 ppb died within 24 h. The 96-h LC50 was 18.8 ppb compared to >12,000 ppb for IMI. EB may provide more effective control than IMI because it targets the primary neurophysiology of the shrimp. Further tests are re-

5 quired to determine effective concentrations within sediment, In situ Effects of Variable pH on Integrity assess potential non-target effects, and evaluate environmen- in Puget Sound, WA tal fate. Abigail Ames, Senior, Aquatic & Fishery Sciences, Oceanography Mary Gates Scholar, Undergraduate Research POSTER SESSION 2 Conference Travel Awardee Commons West, Easel 32 Mentor: Jacqueline Padilla-Gamino, School of Aquatic and 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM Fishery Sciences Mentor: Lindsay Alma, Fisheries Historical Change in the Abundance of Clavinema mariae Nematode Parasites of the Southern Rock Sole, Puget Sound is renowned for its biological productivity, but Lepidopsetta bilineata, in Puget Sound seasonal upwelling feeds this system with waters rich in dis- Ellie M. Davis, Senior, Aquatic & Fishery Sciences solved CO2 and consequentially accelerates the acidification Mentor: Chelsea Wood, Aquatic and Fishery Sciences of these ecosystems. In this region, aquaculture of bivalves has important economic and cultural roles that are threatened Parasite burden can vary over time due to a variety of factors, by ongoing changes in climate and water chemistry. For mus- including environmental change, competition, and niche dif- sels and oysters, shell strength and integrity are the first de- ferentiation. Clavinema mariae is a parasitic “blood worm” fense in combating biotic and abiotic stressors but exposure nematode that affects several species of commercially impor- to low pH can drastically weaken calcium carbonate shells. tant fishes in Puget Sound, living below their skin and feeding This study examined the effects of variable pH on the shell on their blood. C. mariae burden increased dramatically in strength of the Mediterranean mussel, Mytilus galloprovin- English sole, Parophrys vetulus, from 1930 to 2016, but it is cialis, and the Olympia oyster, Ostrea lurida. M. galloprovin- unclear whether this same pattern affected other host species, cialis and O. lurida were attached to ORCA buoys at three including the southern rock sole, Lepidopsetta bilineata.I sites in Puget Sound, at either 5m or 20m depth on the buoy used rock sole specimens from the Burke Museum’s Ichthyol- tether for three months. This spatial diversity exposed the ogy Collection to determine whether the burden of C. mariae bivalves to naturally occurring variations in pH which were changed over time in this host species. I examined preserved continuously measured in situ by the ORCA buoys. The re- specimens that were collected from various locations in Puget sulting shell strength was measured using an Instron Univer- Sound in the period of 1930 to 2016, taking note of the abun- sal Testing Machine by puncturing a small hole in each shell. dance of C. mariae in each individual. Creating a timeline of These results were evaluated using a two-way ANOVA be- the parasite’s abundance helps us to narrow in on the various tween sites and depths. We expected that both species will factors, such as fishing pressure, climate change, and nutrient have much weaker shells at deeper depths where pH is gener- pollution, that may influence C. mariae abundance. Parasite ally lower. This study can provide physiological thresholds of burden can negatively impact commercial fisheries and the economically and ecologically important species under cur- overall health of the environment, making this study impor- rent and future oceanographic conditions. tant for both economic and conservation purposes. SESSION 2J SESSION 2J HOME,SWEET HOME:ECOLOGICAL HOME,SWEET HOME:ECOLOGICAL AND EVOLUTIONARY FACTORS AND EVOLUTIONARY FACTORS INFLUENCING ORGANISMAL INFLUENCING ORGANISMAL PERFORMANCEAND SPECIES’ PERFORMANCEAND SPECIES’ DISTRIBUTIONS DISTRIBUTIONS Session Moderator: Janneke Hille Ris Lambers, Biology Session Moderator: Janneke Hille Ris Lambers, Biology MGH 271 MGH 271 3:30 PM to 5:15 PM 3:30 PM to 5:15 PM * Note: Titles in order of presentation. * Note: Titles in order of presentation.

6 Assessment of the Intestinal Parasite Burden of Harbor Elucidating Species Boundaries in the Eviota atriventris Seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi) in South Puget Sound Species Complex Sarah Michelle Colosimo, Senior, Aquatic & Fishery Dara Suzanne Yiu, Senior, Biology (General), Aquatic & Sciences Fishery Sciences Mary Gates Scholar Mary Gates Scholar Mentor: Chelsea Wood, Aquatic and Fishery Sciences Mentor: Luke Tornabene, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences and the Burke Museum of Natural History and Marine mammals are federally-protected species of interest, Culture however their parasites are vastly unexamined. A lack of data regarding this host-parasite relationship hinders the un- The exceptional biodiversity in the Coral Triangle is partially derstanding of ecosystem interactions, which poses conse- attributed to the elevated rates of evolution that occur in the quences for successful conservation and management of ma- shallow reefs of the Indo-Pacific Ocean. Its current geograph- rine mammals. To better understand the impacts of para- ical location and complex oceanographic history have facili- sites on their marine mammal hosts, my research assessed tated rapid speciation in many lineages of coral reef fishes. the intestinal parasite burden of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina The processes causing these unique evolutionary patterns can richardsi) in south Puget Sound. Harbor seal scats were col- be closely studied in Eviota (), a widespread lineage lected under permit from the Commencement Bay floating of rapidly diverging marine fishes. Their restricted dispersal dock haul-out site each month during and after the pupping capabilities, short generation time, and specific habitat pref- timeframe. Non-invasive fecal floatation methods were used erences have facilitated repeated exploitation of novel niches on scats to quantify the abundance and diversity of parasites and thus catalyzed their high species diversity. Here, we ex- from July 2017 to February 2018. An increase in prevalence amine morphological and genetic diversity in relation to bio- of parasites within the population is expected following the geography in the Blackbelly Dwarfgoby, the Eviota atriven- weaning of seal pups as they begin feeding on invertebrates tris species complex. This study analyses E. atriventris from and fish implicated in parasite lifecycles. This research es- nine localities across its range spanning the Indo-Australian tablishes baseline data on the intestinal parasite assemblage Archipelago to determine whether recent speciation has oc- of Pacific harbor seals within Puget Sound, and the data will curred at fine scales across the Coral Triangle. Our combined later be used in conjunction with molecular diet analysis to morphological and molecular phylogenetic analysis examines deduce the source of parasitic infection. My research can be differences in meristic, coloration, morphometrics, and gene used to assist with conservation efforts of harbor seals and can sequence data from seven mitochondrial and nuclear genes. be broadly applied to other marine mammals within and out- Results show strong divergence in mitochondrial DNA se- side of Puget Sound, serving as an example for future studies quences in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Is- that consider the relationship between marine mammal hosts lands (eastern) populations, as compared with a western hap- and their parasites. lotype from Indonesia. This suggests that lineages within E. atriventris are geographically and genetically isolated. How- ever, evidence from nuclear gene sequences show few differ- SESSION 2J ences between groups, and morphological data to support the separation of these populations are inconclusive. These sim- ilarities imply that eastern and western haplotypes may be in HOME,SWEET HOME:ECOLOGICAL the early stages of speciation. Due to phylogenetic evidence AND EVOLUTIONARY FACTORS and lack of geographic overlap, these lineages may be con- sidered separate species under some species concepts. This INFLUENCING ORGANISMAL study illustrates challenges in separating and defining species PERFORMANCEAND SPECIES’ concepts for closely related species with conserved morphol- ogy. DISTRIBUTIONS Session Moderator: Janneke Hille Ris Lambers, Biology MGH 271 POSTER SESSION 4 3:30 PM to 5:15 PM MGH 258, Easel 186 * Note: Titles in order of presentation. 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM

7 Using an Integrative Taxonomic Approach to Discern the whole served on the half shell. Understanding the Species Boundaries and Detect Ecological Speciation in relationship between maturity of the gonad and size of the the Reef-fish Risor (Gobiidae) adductor muscle would inform market choice between these Sarah Yerrace, Senior, Aquatic & Fishery Sciences options for the emerging industry. Previous research on scal- Mary Gates Scholar lop energy allocation suggests that may allocate en- Mentor: Luke Tornabene, School of Aquatic and Fishery ergy away from the adductor and into the gonad during mat- Sciences and the Burke Museum of Natural History and uration. To evaluate this energetic tradeoff in rock scallops, Culture 1200 scallops were out-planted in Puget Sound, 400 at each of Microhabitat association is a key factor contributing to the 3 sites: Neah Bay, Dabob Bay, and South Puget Sound. Shell diversification of coral reef fishes. For species with specific height, shell width, and shell depth were measured at three microhabitat associations, a change in host organism (a coral, time points: initial outplanting (10/28/16), a sampling mid- , or other organism) on a reef could enable sympatric point (03/06/17), and final sampling (06/08/17 – 06/11/17). speciation, where a new species evolves in the same geo- Final sampling also included whole weight, meat weight, ad- graphic area as the ancestral species. The tusked goby, Risor ductor diameter, and samples of gonad tissue for histology. ruber, is a poorly studied obligate sponge-dwelling coral-reef The gonad tissue samples were mounted on slides, and an- fish. Preliminary genetic data on R. ruber indicate that there alyzed to determine sexual maturation levels. Using matu- are eight genetically distinguishable lineages based on mi- ration ratios, I will investigate whether there is correlation tochondrial DNA sequence data and that these linages of- between adductor size and maturation, and whether any de- ten live on specific host , pointing to a possibility tected correlation is consistent across outplanting sites. Such of ecologically-driven speciation. This study aims to un- a correlation would provide evidence of an energetic trade- cover potential connections between morphology, microhab- off during maturation as an individual shifts energy stored in itat, and genetics, by determining if the morphological vari- the adductor muscle into the gonad. This data will build on ation of the recurved canines and other morphological fea- previous research and inform the emerging rock aqua- tures, such as body length versus depth, correspond with the culture industry on market selection. genetic lineages identified and their host sponge preferences. Measurements will be taken from CT scans and preserved OSTER ESSION specimens. Fin counts, vertebral counts, and teeth will be P S 4 examined on cleared and stained specimens. Results of this MGH 258, Easel 182 study may lead to new species descriptions within the genus 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM Risor. Testing the Mutualism between Sponges and their Scallop Hosts: Impacts of Different Predators on Scallop POSTER SESSION 4 Swims to Protect their Epibiont Sponges MGH 258, Easel 192 Elliott M. Allen, Senior, Aquatic & Fishery Sciences 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM Mentor: Kenneth Sebens, Biology, SAFS

Growth and Sexual Maturation of Purple-Hinged Rock Symbiotic relationships are vital to the survival of a vast ar- Scallop (Crassadoma gigantea) as a Function of Energetic ray of organisms. A well-documented set of symbiotic re- Tradeoffs lationships in the marine environment are between bivalve Maya Garber Yonts, Senior, Aquatic & Fishery Sciences mollusks and the variety of epibionts that encrust their shells. Mary Gates Scholar Marine sponges are some of the most frequently observed Mentor: Lorenz Hauser, School of Aquatic and Fishery epibionts of bivalves, and can confer both positive and nega- Sciences tive effects on their hosts. The Puget Sound sponge species Mentor: Molly Jackson lives almost exclusively on the valves of the scallops rubida and . Stud- Energetic tradeoffs are responsible for the shift of energy allo- ies have found that this is mutualistic, with both cation between various physiological processes within an or- the scallop and the sponge acting as predator deterrent for ganism which define life history traits. By understanding en- the other, among other interactions. Additional research has ergetic tradeoffs, we can make predictions about growth and shown that presence of sponge does not significantly affect maturation during different life history stages. In aquacul- the swimming distance of scallops, however little has been tured species, such life history traits determine meat produc- done to look at the effect of different predators on scal- tion and time to harvest, and are thus important for profitabil- lop swims, as different scallop species may invest different ity of operations. The purple-hinged rock scallop is being amounts into protecting their sponge symbionts. This study developed for commercial production in Puget Sound. Two aimed to evaluate the responses of two species of scallops to common products for scallop meat are adductor muscle and two species of predatory sea star to determine if they react

8 differently and if one species of scallop is a better host to the sponge. Scallops were placed in tanks with either the sponge predator Pteraster tesselatus or the scallop predator Pycnopo- dia helianthoides and the scallop-sea star interactions were recorded. Time and distance of swims were measured for each scallop swim and were categorized by what initiated the swim. Distance and duration of swims were used to evaluate the response of the scallops to different predators to deter- mine if there was a difference between the two species.

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