Browsing Doctoral Theses by Subject "/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Joint Program in Oceanography/Applied Ocean Science and Engineering."
Now showing items 21-40 of 45
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Functional characterization and expression of molluscan detoxification enzymes and transporters involved in dietary allelochemical resistance
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2008)Understanding how organisms deal with potentially toxic or fitness-reducing allelochemicals is important for understanding patterns of predation and herbivory in the marine environment. The ability of marine consumers to ... -
Functional genomics of a non-toxic Alexandrium lusitanicum culture
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2007)Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) is a human intoxication associated with the consumption of shellfish contaminated with a family of neurotoxins called saxitoxins. Many species in the dinoflagellate genus Alexandrium ... -
Geochemical tools and paleoclimate clues : multi-molecular and isotropic investigations of tropical marine sediments and alpine ice
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2006)South American climate has undergone dramatic changes since the last glacial period, as evidenced from Cariaco Basin (Venezuelan coast) and Peru Margin marine sediment biomarker records. Compounds derived from vascular ... -
Geochemistry of hydrothermal vent fluids from the northern Juan De Fuca Ridge
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2003)The presence of aqueous organic compounds derived from sedimentary organic matter has the potential to influence a range of chemical processes in hydrothermal vent environments. For example, hydrothermal alteration experiments ... -
Halogenated 1'-methyl-1,2'-bipyrroles (MBPs) in the Norwestern Atlantic
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2009)Halogenated 1'-methyl-1,2'-bipyrroles (MBPs) are a distinctive class of marine organic compounds. They are naturally produced, they have a unique carbon structure, they are highly halogenated, and they bioaccumulate in ... -
Laboratory evaluation of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) as a new in situ chemical sensing technique for the deep ocean
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2007)Present-day expeditionary oceanography is beginning to shift from a focus on short-term ship and submersible deployments to an ocean observatory mode where long-term temporally-focused studies are feasible. As a result, a ... -
Life cycle evolution and systematics of Campanulariid hydrozoans
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2004)The purpose of this thesis is to study campanulariid life cycle evolution and systematics. The Campanulariidae is a hydrozoan family with many life cycle variations, and provide an excellent model system to study life cycle ... -
Low-latitude Western North Atlantic climate variability during the past millennium : insights from proxies and models
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2009)Estimates of natural climate variability during the past millennium provide a frame of reference in which to assess the significance of recent changes. This thesis investigates new methods of reconstructing low-latitude ... -
Mark-recapture statistics and demographic analysis
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2002)Mark-recapture analysis of populations is becoming an important tool in population biology. Mark-recapture methods can be used to estimate transition probabilities among life-stages from capture histories of marked individuals ... -
Migratory patterns of American shad (Alosa sapidissima) revealed by natural geochemical tags in otoliths
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2007)Geochemical signatures in the otoliths of diadromous fishes may allow for retrospective analyses of natal origins. In an assessment of river-specific signatures in American shad (Alosa sapidissima), an anadromous clupeid ... -
Observations and modeling of wave-acceleration-induced sediment transport in the surfzone
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2004)Onshore sediment transport and sandbar migration are important to the morphological evolution of beaches, but are not understood well. Here, a new model that accounts for accelerations of wave-orbital velocities predicts ... -
Observations of turbulent fluxes and turbulence dynamics in the ocean surface boundary layer
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2008)This study presents observations of turbulence dynamics made during the low winds portion of the Coupled Boundary Layers and Air-Sea Transfer experiment (CBLAST-Low). Observations were made of turbulent fluxes, turbulent ... -
Orchestration : the movement and vocal behavior of free-ranging Norwegian killer whales (Orcinus orca)
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2008)Studying the social and cultural transmission of behavior among animals helps to identify patterns of interaction and information content flowing between individuals. Killer whales are likely to acquire traits culturally ... -
Overflows and upper ocean interactions : a mechanism for the Azores current
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2006)The oceanic response to overflows is explored using a two-layer isopycnal model. Overflows are a major source of the dense water of the global deep ocean, originating from only a few marginal seas. They enter the open ocean ... -
Petrologic and microstructural constraints on focused melt transport in dunites and the rheology of the shallow mantle
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2004)Observations at mid-ocean ridges indicate that magmas are focused to the ridge axis by a network of porous dunites in near chemical isolation. This thesis investigates several of the outstanding questions regarding the ... -
A qualitative and quantitative study of the distribution of pelagic sediment in the Atlantic Basin
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1997)Pelagic sedimentation is the primary modifier of topography generated by ridge-associated volcanic and tectonic processes. This thesis represents an effort to understand the processes of, and the general distribution of, ... -
Quantifying hurricane wind speed with undersea sound
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2006)Hurricanes, powerful storms with wind speeds that can exceed 80 m/s, are one of the most destructive natural disasters known to man. While current satellite technology has made it possible to effectively detect and track ... -
Recruitment of the intertidal barnacle Semibalanus balanoides : metamorphosis and survival from daily to seasonable timescales
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2008)The benthic habitat is the terminal destination for marine animals in terms of their reproductive lifecycle. Recruitment dynamics relating to seasonal changes in the benthic habitat may be the best source of information ... -
The relationship between iron and nitrogen fixation in Trichodesmium spp.
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2009)Trichodesmium spp. are considered the dominant nitrogen (N) fixing cyanobacteria in tropical and subtropical oceans, regimes frequently characterized by low iron (Fe). Limited information exists about what levels of Fe ... -
Seismic and magnetic constraints on the strucutre of upper oceanic crust and fast and slow spreading ridges
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1998)The upper ocean crust contains a comprehensive record of the shallow geological processes active along the world's mid-ocean ridge system. This thesis examines the magnetic and seismic structure of the upper crust at two ...