When data are not missing at random, approaches to reduce nonresponse bias include subsampling nonresponding units and modeling. The objective of this thesis is to develop unbiased and precise model-assisted estimators of the population total that are applicable to data from a complex survey design with nonignorable nonresponse. When information...
We report evidence of adaptive evolution in juvenile development time on a decadal timescale for the cinnabar moth Tyria jacobaeae (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae) colonizing new habitats and hosts from the Willamette Valley to the Coast Range and Cascades Mountains in Oregon. Four lines of evidence reveal shorter egg to pupa juvenile...
The distribution of mobile marine predators often reflects underlying dynamic ecological processes. The geographical focus of this PhD is the South Taranaki Bight (STB) of New Zealand, where wind-driven coastal upwelling generates productivity and prey to support a blue whale foraging ground. The STB is also New Zealand’s most industrial...
Species conservation depends on robust population assessment. Data on population abundance, distribution, and connectivity are critical for effective management, especially as baseline information for newly documented populations. I describe a pygmy blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda) population in New Zealand waters with year-round presence that overlaps with industrial activities. This...
Anthropogenic activities have posed many threats to the oceans and marine life. Understanding how individuals are affected and physiologically respond to these threats is crucial and allows for management and conservation applications. I evaluated the overall health condition of a subpopulation of gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) along the Oregon coast,...
In this study I explored the variety of educational opportunities
available in museums. Next, I examined the museum education programs
in the Portland, Oregon area and described what types of opportunities are
available to teachers. Finally, I made suggestions for teachers on how to
best access museum programs and for...
Monitoring marine ambient sound using standardized methods supports assessments of ocean sound levels across widespread ecosystems. This thesis quantifies differences among coastal and deep-water marine soundscapes in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The sources of sound in a soundscape are compartmentalized into three components and compared over time and among...
The Communication Decency Act became law in 1996 and was
immediately challenged on Constitutional grounds. It was subsequently declared
unconstitutional based on the First Amendment guarantee of free speech. Using
Fantasy Theme Analysis, an analysis of the dramatic elements of the key players
was accomplished. The dramatic elements of Overall...
Recent studies have demonstrated that some hormones are present in baleen powder from bowhead (Balaena mysticetus) and North Atlantic right (Eubalaena glacialis) whales. To test the potential generalizability of this technique for studies of stress and reproduction in large whales, we sought to determine whether all major classes of steroid...