East Carolina University : Research and Creative Achievement Week 2011
rudimentary stage, where life history and reproductive traits of many species are poorly known due to difficulties with observation and capture logistics. Furthermore, new species are being discovered at a high rate. This study will add to our knowledge of reproductive adaptation of these fascinating but imperiled animals.
Surface and groundwater quality in the Alligator River estuarine system, North Carolina, Angela Giuliano, Alex Manda, Department of Geological Sciences, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858 The Emily and Richardson Preyer Buckridge Coastal Reserve is a low-lying, peatland-dominated peninsula that is bounded by drowned tributaries of the Alligator River estuarine system. For over a century, construction of a canal network dedicated to forestry activities and draining of adjacent agricultural lands has altered the hydrology of the reserve. In recent years, observations show that saltwater intrusion linked to the Alligator River is degrading the ecosystem. In this study preliminary results indicate elevated levels of salinity in groundwater, canals and the Alligator River. Electrical conductivity data indicate that brackish water conditions are present in both the canal network and the groundwater system. Salinity levels in the Alligator River are observed to be more elevated upstream than downstream, particularly under the influence of southwesterly winds. The groundwater data also reveal that salinity levels are lower in the north than the south and the north has less variability in electrical conductivity. Based on these observations, it is hypothesized that the intra-coastal waterway to the south of the reserve is acting as a conduit for saltwater intrusion from the Pamlico Sound. Canals that are not directly connected to the Alligator River have less variability of salinity than canals that are connected to the river which are influenced by variable wind tide directions. Ongoing monitoring of salinity distributions in the canal network and groundwater system will be used to determine processes that could contribute to the degradation of the ecosystem in the reserve.
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Prey risk assessment and antipredator behavioral choices in larval anurans, Molly Albecker, Heather Vance-Chalcraft, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858 Larval anurans assess risk and make behavioral choices to avoid predation. Since antipredator behaviors may reduce foraging opportunities, prey behavioral decisions can be constrained by a tradeoff between survival and growth. To improve our understanding of prey risk assessment, we asked whether L. sphenocephala tadpoles make behavioral choices based on characteristics of predators, such as their lethality, microhabitat use, or taxonomic group. To test this question, we ran an experiment in aquaria that included 13 treatments (6 predators x lethal/non-lethal plus a nopredator control), replicated eight times in a temporal block design. Three predators occupy benthic microhabitats (White crayfish, Pachydiplax dragonfly larvae, and Pirate perch), and three occupy 71
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