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Currently Active Research Projects
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Grazing Impact of diverse zooplankton on thin
layers.
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Monitoring larval stages of burrowing shrimp
and associated water quality variables in Willapa Bay, Washington.
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Molecular genetic identification of predators
as potential biological control agents of Ghost and Mud Shrimp in
Willapa Bay, Washington.
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Biological assessment of plankton in Vancouver Lake, WA.
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Plankton and Hydrographic Monitoring in the
Columbia River Estuary.
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Zooplankton response to environmental
variability in the San Francisco Estuary.
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Coastal Ocean Processes (CoOP)
Program: Wind Events and Shelf Transport (WEST)
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Breach III
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IRWM
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1. Grazing impact of
diverse zooplankton taxa on thin layers
Principal Investigators: Stephen Bollens, Alexander Bochdansky
(Old Dominion University), Gretchen Rollwagen-Bollens
Students: Joel Quenette
Funded by: Office of Naval Research
Award period: 2006 – 2009
Project Summary:
The US Navy needs to know how distributions and abundances of
light-scattering and sound-scattering organisms in the ocean vary in
space and time. Perhaps the most striking example of such variability is
in the vertical dimension, where biological properties have long been
known to vary several orders of magnitude over a few meters, and have
more recently been shown to vary over even smaller scales (e.g. "thin
layers"). Our previous research has allowed us to begin to understand
how zooplankton interact with thin layers and how they can take
advantage of biomass of prey concentrated in these small-scale features.
However, there is almost no information on how zooplankton can influence
the characteristics and persistence of thin layers.
The two important questions in this regard are: 1) To what extent do
zooplankton graze and export carbon from thin layers, and 2) Do
zooplankton influence the physical (e.g., optical and acoustical),
chemical, and biological characteristics of thin layers with their
presence? These two questions are tightly coupled to rate processes such
as feeding activity and excretion, which are very difficult to assess in
the field.
Therefore we have designed a detailed set of experimental studies that
will examine biological rate processes that contribute to the recycling
and export of material in and around thin layers. As in our previous
investigations, we will be able to separate physical from biological
processes in a controlled laboratory setting. Moreover, we will directly
link our experiments with current “thin layer” field programs by
employing the same taxa and densities observed at the field sites.
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Publications/Presentations resulting from this project:
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2. Monitoring larval
stages of burrowing shrimp and associated water quality variables in
Willapa Bay, Washington.
Principal Investigators: Stephen Bollens
Student: Joanne Breckenridge, Eileen Graham.
Funded by:
Award period: 2005-2009
Project Summary:
An increase in burrowing shrimp populations poses an economic threat to
the multimillion dollar oyster industry in Willapa Bay (Patten 2003).
Carbaryl spraying has been used to control these shrimp but is no longer
a viable solution, so new methods need to be sought to control the
shrimp. A thorough understanding of burrowing shrimp life-histories may
play a critical role in the development of effective pest management
strategies. Burrowing shrimp (i.e. Neotrypaea californiensis and
Upogebia pugettensis) have life-cycles that include planktonic
developmental stages during which larvae spend up to 8 weeks in the
water column prior to recruitment to the bottom of the estuary. The
recruitment phase may be the single most important life-history stage
with regards to management plans (Dumbauld et al. 1996), yet little is
known about the critical planktonic period leading up to this event.
Using WSUV’s 24-ft. research vessel, we have been routinely monitoring
larval shrimp abundance and associated water quality variables (e.g.,
temperature, salinity, chlorophyll and zooplankton) at six stations
throughout Willapa Bay since September 2005. Our sampling is done in
conjunction with on-going monitoring of harmful algal blooms (HABs) by
the Washington State Department of Ecology (WA DOE).
The analysis and interpretation of these routine monitoring data on
larval shrimp and associated water quality variables will help close
critical gaps in our understanding of the distribution, abundance and
population dynamics of burrowing shrimp in Willapa Bay. In addition,
these data will be of broad use to the oyster industry and general
public in evaluating the overall health and productivity of Willapa Bay
(e.g., harmful algal blooms, food resources for oysters, etc.).
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Publications/Presentations resulting from this project:
- •E.
Graham (2008) Macrozooplankton community in relation to
environmental variables in Willapa Bay, Washington. Master Of
Science Thesis, Washington State University
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•J.
Breckenridge (2008) Vertical distribution of Decapod crustacean
larvae: Field and Experimental Studies.
Master Of Science Thesis, Washington State University
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•Graham
E. S. and S. M. Bollens (Submitted) Macrozooplankton
community dynamics in relation to environmental variables in
Willapa Bay, Washington, USA. Estuaries and Coasts.
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•Breckenridge,
J. K and S. M. Bollens (Submitted) Biological
thin layer formation in response to physical thin layers:
interaction between the larval decapod, Neotrypaea
californiensis, salinity and light. Journal of
Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology.
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•Breckenridge,
J. K and S. M. Bollens (In
preparation) Vertical
distribution and migration of decapods larvae in relation to
light and tides in Willapa Bay, Washington. Marine Ecology
Progress Series.
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3. Molecular genetic
identification of predators as potential biological control agents of
Ghost and Mud Shrimp in Willapa Bay, Washington.
Principal Investigators: Stephen Bollens, Steven Sylvester (WSU-V)
Student:
Funded by:
Award period: 2005-2006
Project Summary:
The future of the multi-million dollar oyster industry in Willapa Bay,
WA is currently being threatened by burrowing shrimp populations, which
naturally make the sediment too soft for oyster culture. Carbaryl has
been the pesticide of choice for several decades, but is soon to be
banned. Thus the oyster industry is looking for any and all new control
agents – chemical, physical or biological.
One important aspect of the basic biology of burrowing shrimp that is
very poorly known, however, is the role of predation, especially in
Willapa Bay. Burrowing shrimp have been reported to occur in the
stomachs of a number of predators, including staghorn sculpin (Leptocottus
armatus), cutthroat trout (Salmo clarkia), Dungeness crab, (Cancer
magister), western gull (Larus occidentalis), starry flounder (Platichthys
stellatus), leopard shark (Triakis semifasciata), Pacific herring (Clupea
pallasii), chum and chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus keta and O. tshawytscha)
and grey whale (Eschrichtius robustus).
One obvious potential biological control agent, which has a long history
within pest management, is to use natural predators (e.g., Kareiva 1996,
Lafferty and Kuris 1996 and references therein). Our objective is to
identify the suite of natural predators, both vertebrate and
invertebrate, that prey upon ghost and mud shrimp in Willapa Bay. To do
so, we employ a variety of field sampling techniques (e.g. pelagic net
sampling, beach seining and fyke net sampling of tidal channels),
combined with microscopic dissection and molecular genetic analysis of
potential predator gut contents.
This study will provide the first comprehensive identification of
predators of burrowing shrimp in Willapa Bay. We will also gain
information on the relative importance of the burrowing shrimp within
the predators’ diet based on DNA content. Only with this information can
resource managers make informed decisions regarding possible use of
predators as effective biological control agents of the burrowing
shrimp. As the shrimp become manageable, the oyster industry can remain
a viable economic component of Willapa Bay and the State of Washington.
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Publications/Presentations resulting from this project:
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4. Biological assessment
of plankton in Vancouver Lake,
WA.
Principal Investigators: Gretchen Rollwagen-Bollens, Stephen Bollens
Student: Jennifer C. Duerr, Elizabeth Wagner, Tammy Lee
Funded by: Clark County, Department of
Public Works - Vancouver
Lake Watershed Partnership
Award period: 2007-2009
Project summary:
Vancouver Lake is a large, shallow lake in the Columbia River
floodplain. It was most likely a part of the Columbia River channel, but
formed into a lake as the river migrated to the south. Construction of
levees along the south and west margins of the lake and along the
Columbia River shoreline led to the eventual separation of the lake the
River. Recently, Vancouver Lake has had poor water quality, as evidenced
by late summer nuisance blooms of bluegreen algae resulting from high
concentrations of phosphorus and nitrogen, high temperature, and high
turbidity.
The Clark County Public Works and Water Resources Department initiated a
citizen volunteer monitoring program in Vancouver Lake in 2003.
Volunteers measure various chemical, physical and biological
characteristics of the Lake between June and October, focused primarily
on nutrients, O2, pH and algal concentrations. Beginning in October
2005, we have begun monthly sampling in Vancouver Lake, coinciding with
monthly sampling in the main Columbia River, for heterotrophic protists
and metazooplankton. We intend to maintain the monthly sampling schedule
throughout the year, thus providing the first quantitative observations
of non-algal plankton in the Lake and will allow us to describe how
zooplankton abundance and composition varies on a seasonal and
inter-annual basis. We intend to share this data with Clark County to
supplement and enhance their summer/fall monitoring for nutrients and
algae.
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Publications/Presentations resulting from this project:
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5. Plankton and Hydrographic Monitoring
in the Columbia River Estuary
Principal Investigators: Stephen Bollens, Gretchen Rollwagen-Bollens
Student: Lisa Marko, Josh Emerson
Funded by:
Award period: 2005-2008
Project summary:
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Publications/Presentations resulting from this project:
- L. Marko (2008)
Ichthyoplankton of the Lower Columbia River Estuary in Relation to
Environmental Variables.
Master
Of Science Thesis, Washington State University.
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6. Zooplankton response to
environmental variability in the San Francisco Estuary
Principal Investigators: Stephen Bollens
Collaborators: US Geological Survey (Menlo Park)
Project duration: on-going
Project summary:
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Publications/Presentations resulting from this project:
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7. Coastal Ocean Processes (CoOP)
Program: Wind Events and Shelf Transport (WEST)
Principal Investigators: Bollens, Kudela, Dugdale, Wilkerson, Garfield,
Largier, Dever, Dorman, Botsford, Lawrence, Hastings
Students: Jeff Dorman, Kathy Papastephenou (RTC)
Project duration: 2000-2007
Project summary:
This is a 5-year, NSF-funded study of the role of wind-driven transport
in shelf productivity. We are a team of 11 principle investigators from
5 academic institutions who aim to better understand the competing
influences of wind on productivity. Towards this end, we are studying
the 3-dimensional circulation, wind field, size-structured plankton
distributions, productivity processes and transport over the shelf off
Bodega Bay in northern California.
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Publications/Presentations resulting from this project:
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8. Breach III
Principal Investigators: Stephen Bollens
Student: Kate Olsen,
Sarah Bayer
Project duration: 2008-2009
Project summary:
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Publications/Presentations resulting from this project:
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9. IRWM
Principal Investigators: Stephen Bollens
Student:
Project duration:
Project summary:
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Publications/Presentations resulting from this project:
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