Substantial scientific investment has been directed towards understanding factors that influence distribution patterns and animals' remarkable ability for precise orientation and navigation, yet fundamental gaps in our knowledge remain. In my dissertation, I applied emerging genetic technologies to conduct a top-down and bottom-up investigation of animal movement and cue perception....
Research on cetacean foraging ecology is central to our understanding of their spatial and behavioral ecology. Yet, functional mechanisms by which cetaceans detect prey across different scales remain unclear. Here, I postulate that cetaceans utilize a scale-dependent, multimodal sensory system to assess and increase prey encounters. I review the literature...
In the final phase of their spawning migration, Pacific salmon use chemical cues to identify their home river, but how they navigate from the open ocean to the correct coastal area has remained enigmatic [1]. To test the hypothesis that salmon imprint on the magnetic field that exists where they...
The decline of the Chinook Salmon has been a mystery of recent years due to their decline. It has been speculated that wild origin salmon have more vigor and survivability than hatchery reared fish. This is thought to be due to rearing conditions, possibly affecting sensory organ development. The sensory...
Numerous populations of salmon and trout undergo extensive migrations, migrating from freshwater to the sea and throughout ocean basins. Years later they return to their natal streams with remarkable accuracy and precision. The outward migration is accomplished without the benefit of following experienced migrants or prior individual experience. Evidence suggests...
The Oregon Wave Energy Trust (OWET) commissioned this study to develop protocols and
methods to achieve affordable, reliable, and repeatable electromagnetic (EM) measurements in
the near-shore environment. The study was conducted in several stages, with a number of
technical reports provided at each stage to document and describe findings. The...
Full Text:
magnetoreception, this
species relies on visual cues to locate natal stream and on olfactory cues to reach its
Marine renewable energy promises to assist in the effort to reduce
carbon emissions worldwide. As with any large-scale development in the marine
environment, however, it comes with uncertainty about potential environmental
impacts, most of which have not been adequately evaluated—in part because many of
the devices have yet to be...
Plant pathogens in the genus Phytophthora are known to cause disease on field crops, nursery plants, and forest trees. The best known example probably is Phytophthora infestans, which triggered the infamous Irish potato famine. Other important Phytophthora species include: P. ramorum (sudden oak death pathogen), P. sojae (soybean root rot...
The Oregon Wave Energy Trust (OWET) commissioned this study to develop protocols and
methods to achieve affordable, reliable, and repeatable electromagnetic (EM) measurements in
the near-shore environment. The study was conducted in several stages, with a number of
technical reports provided at each stage to document and describe findings. The...
Full Text:
magnetoreception, this
species relies on visual cues to locate natal stream and on olfactory cues to reach its
This dissertation uses argon geochronology and cosmogenic nuclide surface exposure dating methods to address three research questions. The first question concerns a geomagnetic instability recorded in lava flows on the island of Floreana in the Galapagos Archipelago. Changes in the Earth’s magnetic field (intensity and orientation) occur frequently throughout geologic...
This report summarizes the outcomes of a March 22-25, 2010, workshop in Seattle, Washington, on the environmental effects of tidal energy development. The workshop focused on building capabilities to evaluate the environmental effects of tidal energy from turbines placed in the water column throughout the United States. However, it did...
This dissertation presents novel, field-activated smart material systems for the actuation and control of autonomous robots. Smart materials, a type of material whose properties can be changed with an external stimuli, represent a promising direction to expand upon existing robotic control and actuation methods, particularly in the sub-fields of soft...