44th ALBERT L. TESTER MEMORIAL SYMPOSIUM

APRIL 10-13th, 2019 THE DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY

UNIVERSITY OF HAWAIʻI AT MĀNOA

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HISTORY of the ALBERT TESTER MEMORIAL SYMPOSIUM The Albert L. Tester Memorial Symposium is held in honor of Professor Albert Tester who, at the time of his death in 1974, was Senior Professor of Zoology at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. The faculty and students of the Department of Zoology proposed an annual symposium of student research papers as a means of honoring, in a continuing and active way, Dr. Tester’s lively encouragement of student research in a broad range of fields within marine biology. Today the Tester Memorial Symposium welcomes research from any scientific field. WHO WE ARE Graduate Student Organizers: Emily Young, Patrick Nichols, Ariana Huffmyer Faculty Organizers: Megan Porter, Celia Smith Staff Organizers: Pia Dizon, Audrey Shintani Department Chair: Heinz Gert de Couet Subcommittee Members: Valentina Alvarez, Carlo Caruso, Mark Nakamoto, Ashleigh Epps, Katherine Ackerman, Jay Brett, Rosana Zenil-Ferguson, Kama Chock, Clarisse Sullivan, Arby Barone, Grace Fitting, Feresa Cabrera, Mariah Opalek, Maria Costantini, Jesse Black, Hoaka Thomas, Michael Wallstrom Panel & Workshop Organizers: Jessica Perelman, Kaleonani Hurley, Kanoeʻulalani Morishige Volunteers: We can’t say “thank you” enough to all of our volunteers who assist with planning and activities during the symposium. Testers wouldn’t be able to run without you! CONTACT US Instagram: @tester_uh, #testers2019 Website: manoa.hawaii.edu/biology/testersymposium Email: testerms@hawaii.edu Phone: (808) 956-8303 The Department of Biology

2538 McCarthy Mall Edmondson Hall 216 Honolulu, HI 96822

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MAHALO to our SPONSORS and SUPPORTERS!

Waikīkī Aquarium East-West Center at UH Mānoa UH Mānoa Sustainability Office Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology Sea Grant Hawaiʻi UH Mānoa Student Activity Program Fee Board UH Mānoa Botany Department UH Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research & Education UH School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology UH College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources SEED Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access and Success Association for Marine Exploration Govinda’s Food Truck Blank Canvas Jana Light, Associate Director of Development, CTAHR Karla Zarate-Ramirez, Executive Director of Development, College of Engineering & CNS ThermoFischer Scientific Cengage Waikīkī Brewing Company Down to Earth Study Hall Artwork by Kai Smart A special mahalo to individual contributors and past Testers organizers, who provide support for the Tester’s Symposium out of their own pocket. These generous donors will be highlighted throughout the symposium.

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TABLE of CONTENTS: TESTERS 44 PROGRAM Sustainability at Testers 44 5 Social Activities and Events 6 Keynotes, Panels, and Workshops 7 Awards 9 Overview of Testers 44 10 Full Schedule Detail:

Wednesday April 10 11 Thursday April 11 12 Friday April 12 14

Presenter Abstracts:

Poster Presentations 16 Oral Presentations Abstracts 18 Poster Presentation Abstracts 50

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SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES at TESTERS 44 We recognize the importance of reducing our impact on the environment and this year we are making the effort to make Testers more sustainable and be recognized as a Hawaiʻi State Green Event! We would like to particularly acknowledge the Sustainability Subcommittee leaders, Katherine Ackerman and Ashleigh Epps, for their hard work in this effort and the UH Sustainability Office for their support and partnership.

While attending Testers, we invite you to help us facilitate these sustainability initiatives and participate in reducing our impact. Check out the ways you can help below!

- Bring your own reusable mug for coffee and beverage services during the symposium. If you forget yours, don’t worry, you can keep one of the travel mugs kindly provided by the UH Sustainability Office!

Using this UH Sustainability mug will also earn you $1 coffee at Simply To

Go through the end of the semester on UH Mānoa campus!

- Kindly follow signage and instructions for your waste disposal during the symposium. We will be sorting our waste for recycling and composting.

- Download and store electronic copies of our program on your mobile device or computer. We will not provide hard copies in an effort to reduce paper consumption.

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SOCIAL ACTIVITIES and EVENTS POSTER SESSION, THURSDAY APRIL 11 4:30PM-6:30PM Poster presentations by graduate and undergraduate students across scientific disciplines at UH Mānoa. This event will be held on the Marine Science Building lanai with complementary refreshments sponsored by Waikīkī Brewing Company. T-shirt and stickers will be distributed at the poster session, so be sure to attend! PAU HANA, Friday APRIL 12 5:30PM Join us for a keynote pau hana after Dr. Kroeker’s keynote address on Friday! Pau hana will be held at 5:30PM on the Edmondson Hall lanai. AWARDS CEREMONY & BANQUET, SATURDAY APRIL 13 6:00PM-9:00PM The awards ceremony and banquet will once again be held at the Waikīkī Aquarium on 2777 Kalākaua Ave. Happy hour begins at 6:00PM with awards presented at 7:00PM. Dinner will be catered by Da Spot at 6:30PM. Music throughout by local artists, Native Sons. Some refreshments will be provided, but if you would like to bring your own alcoholic beverages, please drop them off at the Biology Office (Edmondson 216) by Friday, April 12 at 4:00PM.

@tester_uh #testers2019

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KEYNOTES, PANELS, and WORKSHOPS

Our distinguished speaker: DR. KRISTY KROEKER This year, we are honored to have Dr. Kristy Kroeker of UC Santa Cruz as our distinguished keynote speaker. Dr. Kroeker is an Associate Professor in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, a Packard Fellow in Science and Engineering, and a Sloan Fellow in Ocean Sciences. Research in her lab focuses on global change ecology and scaling up from individuals to ecosystems to study the emergent effects of environment change. Science talk on Wednesday April 10, 4:15PM-5:15PM Sea change: Scaling up the effects of ocean change from individuals to ecosystems Public talk on Friday April 12, 4:15PM-5:15PM Sea change: How climate change and ocean acidification affect ocean health Graduate student lunch with speaker, Wednesday April 10, 11:30AM-12:15PM

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KEYNOTES, PANELS, and WORKSHOPS Lunchtime workshops & panel discussions THURSDAY APRIL 11 12:05PM-1:30PM The media method: Essential skills for working with professional communicators Nathan Eagle – Civil Beat Marcie Grabowski – SOEST Outreach Coordinator Dan Meisenzahl – UH Spokesperson Come join us for a special workshop to expand your communication toolbox! During this interactive session you will have the chance to work with professional communicators to learn and practice the best techniques for engaging your science with the public. Learn how to craft your press release with Marcie Grabowski, SOEST Outreach coordinator, practice your media interview skills with Nathan Eagle from Civil Beat, and hear about the communications resources that are available to you from the UH Communication office from UH Spokesperson, Dan Meisenzahl. Complementary lunch will be provided for workshop participants (by sign-up only) at Govindaʻs food truck, outside Kennedy Theater. FRIDAY APRIL 12 11:50AM-1:00PM: Indigenous perseverance in the face of climate change: Empowering community-based research to support healthy biocultural systems Organizers: Kaleonani Hurley and Kanoeʻulalani Morishige To adapt to the already present harmful effects of global climate change, we must recognize the complex set of social, cultural, and ecological challenges faced by local communities in Hawai'i and other Pacific Islands. Join a panel of indigenous researchers as they discuss how they are helping their communities adapt to changes using cultural knowledge and academic research. Attendance is open to everyone and is not limited! During the lunch break from 11:20AM-11:50AM, complementary lunch will be provided for the first 24 panel participants (by sign-up only) at Govindaʻs food truck, outside Kennedy Theater.

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AWARDS Graduate Student Awards Best Graduate Papers Best Graduate Rapid-Fire Talk Best Graduate Poster Undergraduate Student Awards Best Undergraduate Paper Best Undergraduate Rapid-Fire Talk Best Undergraduate Poster People’s Choice People’s Choice Graduate Paper People’s Choice Undergraduate Paper Award winners will be announced at the Closing Banquet on Saturday, April 13th at the Waikīkī Aquarium! All undergraduate and graduate presenters are highly encouraged to attend!

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OVERVIEW of TESTERS 44 All talks, keynote addresses, workshops, and panel discussions will be held in the Keoni Auditorium in the East West Center of UH Mānoa campus. The Thursday poster session will be hosted on the Marine Science Building lanai and the Friday pau hana will be held on the Edmondson Hall lanai. WEDNESDAY APRIL 10, 12:30PM-5:15PM Introductory remarks Research talks: Ten 15-minute and two 5-minute student talks Keynote address: Dr. Kristy Kroeker at 4:15PM-5:15PM, “Sea change: Scaling up the effects of ocean change from individuals to ecosystems” THURSDAY APRIL 11, 9:00AM-6:30PM Research talks: Eighteen 15-minute and eight 5-minute student talks Lunchtime workshop: Workshop, The media method: Essential skills for working with professional communicators Poster session: Twenty-seven posters by graduate and undergraduate students on the Marine Science Building lanai from 4:30PM-6:30PM. Complementary beverages will be provided! T-shirts and stickers will be distributed during the poster session, so be sure to attend! FRIDAY APRIL 12, 9:00AM-5:15PM Research talks: Sixteen 15-minute and nine 5-minute student talks Lunchtime panel: Panel, Indigenous perseverance in the face of climate change: Empowering community-based research to support healthy biocultural systems Public address: Dr. Kristy Kroeker at 4:15PM-5:15PM, “Sea change: How climate change and ocean acidification affect ocean health” Pau hana: Held on the Edmondson Hall lanai at 5:30PM SATURDAY APRIL 13, 6:00PM-9:30PM Venue: The Waikīkī Aquarium, generously sponsored by Dr. Andrew Rossiter Dinner: Served at 6:30PM catered by Da Spot Music: By local artists Native Sons

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FULL SCHEDULE: WEDNESDAY APRIL 10

All talks and the keynote address are held in the Keoni Auditorium. Coffee service provided by East West Center – don’t forget to bring your mug!

12:30 Introductory remarks

SESSION 1: The circle of life: Marine & terrestrial life histories 13:00 Eric Dilley: Juvenile coral demography in contrasting environments and herbivory

regimes 13:15 Beth Lenz: Reproductive plasticity and parental effects in a Hawaiian reef-building

coral under ocean warming 13:30 Nina Bean: The effect of parental bleaching history on the survivorship of

Montipora capitata offspring exposed to high temperatures 13:45 Evan Strouse: The effects on the survival and reproduction of captive Hawaiian

tree snails fed a lab-cultured diet, compared with those fed with vegetation from native forests

14:00 Rebecca Weible: The life history traits of resource fishes within and surrounding a community based subsistence fishing area at Hāʻena, Kauaʻi

14:15 Keith Kamikawa: Following Hawaiian bonefishes: Connecting the dots from ocean to table

BREAK 14:30-14:50

SESSION 2: Terra firma: Life on land 14:50 Stephanie Bell: Mortality distribution of the Hawaiian short-eared owl (Asio

flammeus sandwichensis) 14:55 Rebecca Barone: Quantification of total phenolic content in the genus Sida to

estimate antioxidative capacity 15:00 Vânia Filipa Lima Fernandes: Evolution of sensory-behavior laterality in Astyanax

mexicanus 15:15 Van Wishingrad: Landscape genetics inferences at multiple scales 15:30 Robyn Screen: Boldness and behavioral syndromes in urban vs. rural habitats in

the brown anole (Anolis sagrei) 15:45 Chantell Balaan: The ketogenic diet and its effects on social behaviors in

Astyanax mexicanus

BREAK 16:00-16:15

KEYNOTE ADDRESS

16:15-17:15 Science Keynote, Dr. Kristy Kroeker, “Sea change: Scaling up the effects of ocean change from individuals to ecosystems”

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FULL SCHEDULE: THURSDAY APRIL 11

All talks and workshops are held in the Keoni Auditorium with the poster session and pau hana held at the Marine Science Building lanai. Coffee service provided by East West Center – don’t forget to bring your mug!

SESSION 3: Science is like a box of chocolates

9:05 Kimberly Lactaoen: Genetic architecture for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)-like symptoms in cavefish

9:10 Emily Conklin: A molecular basis for acclimatization and adaptation to climate change in Hawaiian reef-building coral species

9:15 Noam Altman-Kurosaki: Do O'ahu's MPAs have more and bigger coral reef fishes and urchins than fished areas?

9:30 Evan Barba: Population genomics at the archipelago scale: Applications, (reduced) costs, and value to conservation

9:45 Eileen Nalley: What’s on your plate?: Land-based pollutants in Hawaiian reef fishes

10:00 Carlo Caruso: Innovative reef restoration in Hawai'i: Enhancing coastal protection with resilient corals

10:15 Ashley McGowan: Ridge restoration and reef response: Impacts of invasive mangrove removal on nearshore coral reef

BREAK 10:30-10:45

SESSION 4: See the sea: Population sensing and visual physiology in the ocean 10:45 Shreya Yadav: King tuna: Indian Ocean trade, offshore fishing, and coral reef

resilience in the Maldives archipelago 10:50 Trevor Johannsen: Dramatic increases in the mushroom coral Lobactis (Fungia)

scutaria, population in Kāneʻohe Bay, Hawaiʻi over the last 18 years 11:05 Yvonne Barkley: Advancing passive acoustic localization and species distribution

models for sperm whales in Hawaiian waters 11:20 Hannah Moon: How do seabirds perceive light? 11:35 Marisa McDonald: Visual physiology of the grass shrimp Palaemonetes vulgaris 11:50 Tom Iwanicki: Glowing in the dark: Vision and bioluminescence in diel vertically

migrating marine copepods

LUNCH 12:05-13:30

WORKSHOP 12:05 Workshop, “The media method: Essential skills for working with professional

communicators”

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FULL SCHEDULE: THURSDAY APRIL 11, cont.

SESSION 5: From the ground up: Ecosystems & organisms 13:30 Julia Vu: Effect of dissolved inorganic nitrogen from submarine groundwater

discharge input on benthic recruitment in Maunalua Bay Oʻahu, HI 13:35 Katia Chikasuye: Management implications of submarine groundwater discharge

on coral reef metabolism in Maunalua Bay 13:50 Ron Vave: Culturally protected water bodies in Fiji: What we don’t know and the

risks the pose 14:05 Veronica Gibson: Examining algal physiological and community responses to

submarine groundwater discharge on the south shore of Oʻahu 14:20 Cuong Tran: Updating historical shoreline change rates of North Kāʻanapali,

Honokōwai, and Kahana, West Maui

BREAK 14:35-14:45

SESSION 6: Zooming in: Molecules & microbes 14:45 Hoaka Thomas: Identifying extrinsic conditions favoring multicellularity in natural

populations of choanoflagellates 14:50 Becca Lensing: Phylogenetic curation of the Choanoflagellata: Building a better

eukaryotic reference database 14:55 Kristina Theam: Identifying opsin gene expression in the visual system of the

copepod Labidocera madurae 15:00 Mariana Rocha de Souza: Spatial and temporal variation of free-living coral

symbionts in Kāneʻohe Bay 15:05 Sarah Tucker: Population dynamics of dominant marine microbes within and

immediately adjacent to Kāneʻohe Bay, Hawaiʻi 15:20 Wesley Sparagon: Exploring the combined impacts of dissolved organic matter

and thermal stress on the coral microbiome 15:35 Chris Wall: Symbiont genotypes drive isotope values of a reef coral across a light

gradient 15:50 Rina Carrillo: Protein disulfide isomerase 9 (PDI9) interacts with a critical stress

response regulator in plants

BREAK 16:05-16:30

POSTER SESSION

16:30-18:30 Poster session and pau hana on the MSB lanai Poster presentations are listed on page 16.

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FULL SCHEDULE: FRIDAY APRIL 12

All talks, keynote addresses, and panels are held in the Keoni Auditorium. The keynote pau hana will be held at the Edmondson Hall lanai. Coffee service provided by East West Center – don’t forget to bring your mug!

SESSION 7: Fish are friends... and so are charismatic mega-fauna

9:00 Kaylee Scidmore-Rossing: Lasting impressions: A study determining total length of tiger sharks, Galeocerdo cuvier, using partial bite impressions in Hawaiian waters

9:05 Derek Kraft: Dude, who bit my board? Transfer DNA from shark bite impressions in surfboards used to identify species responsible

9:10 Austin Greene: CoralCam: a low-cost, autonomous camera for daily measurements of coral recruitment, growth, and post-settlement selection

9:15 Anke Kügler: Using male humpback whale song chorusing to study their ecology: Strengths and limitations of passive acoustic monitoring of a vocally active baleen whale

9:30 Erik Brush: Reef fish recruitment to Pocillopora corals 9:45 Ryan Jones: Habitat use, interspecific competition, and predatory effects of two

coral-dwelling Scorpionfishes (Sebastapistes spp.)

BREAK 10:00-10:15

SESSION 8: You, me, and our family tree

10:15 Michael Wallstrom: Testing the accuracy and adequacy of phylogenetic inference models using experimental evolution

10:20 Manichanh Satdichanh: Phylogenetic diversity matters to aboveground biomass production during tropical forest succession

10:35 McLean Worsham: Epigenetic regulation of adaptive phenotypes of Mexican tetras

10:50 Anamica Bedi de Silva: Light affects fitness costs of viral resistance in Micromonas

11:05 Melissa Atkins: The visual genes associated with eye reduction and loss in parasitic Arthropods

LUNCH 11:20-13:15

PANEL DISCUSSION

11:20 Panel, “Indigenous perseverance in the face of climate change: Empowering community-based research to support healthy biocultural systems”

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FULL SCHEDULE: FRIDAY APRIL 12, cont.

SESSION 9: Urchins, mudweed, and ants, oh my! 13:15 Erika Ryckman: The potential dangers of Yellow Crazy Ants on ghost crab

populations 13:20 Sydney Luitgaarden: Conserving a sustainable food source: Differences in

freshwater availability may affect dietary habits of native and invasive mullet 13:25 Richard Chen: Comparing the distribution of boring and grazing urchins of Oʻahu’s

reefs 13:30 Rebecca Cottrill: eDNA as a fast and cost-effective method to assess benthic

algal assemblages 13:45 Scott Van De Verg: Is hydrogen peroxide a new management tool in the battle

against leather mudweed? 14:00 Gioconda Lopez: Ecological effects of seaweed harvesting: A case study of

harvesting and population dynamics of Mazzaella laminarioides in Matanzas, Chile 14:15 Zack Oyafuso: Management strategy evaluation of fishing reserves designed via

spatial optimization models

BREAK 14:30-14:40

SESSION 10: Changing climate: A real icebreaker 14:40 Luke Campillo: Population genomics of an endemic Hawaiian lineage and the

effect of habitat fragmentation on ‘elepaio (AVES: Chasiempis) demography 14:45 Grace Fitting: Effects of submarine groundwater discharge in Wailupe Bay on algal

species diversity 14:50 Jessica Bullington: Septicemia and the sea: Modeling the distribution of a

pathogenic bacterium, Vibrio vulnificus, in the Ala Wai Canal 15:05 Molly Timmers: Effects of elevated pCO₂ and temperature on reef biodiversity

using Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures 15:20 Nicole Yamase: Assessing the benthic plant community in a 2-year mesocosm

study at HIMB, Kāneʻohe Bay 15:35 Shayle Matsuda: Drop it like it’s hot: The response of four Hawaiian coral species

to thermal stress 15:50 Lindsey Bull: Climate change impacts nesting green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas,

Cheloniidae) hatch success on East Island, French Frigate Shoals, Hawaiʻi

BREAK 16:05-16:15

KEYNOTE ADDRESS & PAU HANA

16:15-17:15 Public Keynote, Dr. Kristy Kroeker, “Sea change: How climate change and ocean acidification affect ocean health”

17:30 Keynote pau hana, Edmondson Hall lanai

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POSTER PRESENTATIONS

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS 1. Ackerman, Katherine: Implementation of low-cost technology for open-

ocean atmospheric sampling 2. Carroll, Brenna: Effects of future ocean conditions on the microbiome of

crustose coralline algae with implications for coral settlement and growth 3. Chang, Ryan: Control of growth-related genes by pituitary hormones in the

liver and gonad of male and female Mozambique Tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus)

4. Chen, Solomon: Comparative analysis of water quality and long term variability in Ala Wai watershed

5. Epps, Ashleigh: Growth and survivorship patterns in aggregate Pocillopora acuta juvenile coral colonies

6. Ferrier, Adam: Effect of steady-state and tidally changing salinities on the expression of intestinal aquaporins in Oreochromis mossambicus

7. Hu, Huanli: Understanding patients with epilepsy that use unconventional treatments: Medical marijuana use in Hawaii

8. Huynh-Nguyen, Tina: The effectiveness of monthly removal of invasive algae on percent cover of native Hawaiian algae in Maunalua Bay

9. Lopera, Diana: Thermal tolerance of Anolis aquaticus at sites with different land-use histories

10. Marchiani, Joelle: What goes around comes around: benthic recruitment and species diversity of crustose coralline algae in Wailupe Bay Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi

11. Opalek, Mariah: Cladocopium exhibits higher growth rates than Durusdinium in different light environments, independent of color, in the coral species Montipora capitata

12. McLaury, Alex: Epitope mapping a Zika virus envelope protein monoclonal antibody using site-directed mutagenesis and 15-mer peptides

13. Nakayama, Daniel: Using morphological identification to describe four new species of Cumacean in the genus Cyclaspis found off the coast of Western Australia

14. Neal, Hailee: North-eastern Pacific Margin macrofauna biomass in organic-rich deep sea wood-fall habitats

15. Parks, Riley: Combined evidence phylogeny of knob scaled lizards 16. Patwardhan, Geetika: Hypertension as a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease: A

bivariate logistic regression of patient demographics in Hawaiʻi 17. Simon, Noah: Molecular phylogeny and eye reduction evolution in batflies

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POSTER PRESENTATIONS, cont. 18. Tokuda, Andrew: The structure of food webs in the Mariana and Kermadec

trenches from stable isotope analysis 19. Wong, Amanda: The art of botany: The effect of drought on plant anatomy GRADUATE STUDENTS 20. Anderson, Todd: Phylogenetic relationships of Hawaiian Sugarcane,

Saccharum Officinarum 21. Diemert, Sabrina: Genomic analyses of municipal wastewater Salmonella

suggest a clinically missed outbreak in Honolulu 22. Marohnic, Olivia: Holocene hydroclimatic changes at three windward

montane wetland sites on the Island of Hawaiʻi 23. Palecanda, Sitara: Characterization of ultraviolet opsin diversity in larval

stomatopod crustaceans 24. Pitts, Jacqueline: Turning waste into resources: Anaerobic digestate’s

potential as a biofertilizer in Hawaiʻi 25. Royer, Mark: Scalloped hammerheads swim on their side with a diel shift in

roll magnitude and frequency 26. Sesno, Emily: Growth and skeletal formation of the common collector

urchin, Tripneustes gratilla, under a changing climate 27. Vivier, Fabien: Calibrating Unoccupied Aerial System (UAS)

photogrammetry to derive delphinid population demographic parameters

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ORAL PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT ABSTRACTS Bean, Nina – Biology, UH Mānoa The effect of parental bleaching history on the survivorship of Montipora capitata offspring exposed to high temperatures N. Bean, C. Drury, C. Harris Reef-building corals are threatened by rising seawater temperatures and light stress induced by climate change which results in coral bleaching. In 2015, there was a bleaching event in Kāneʻohe Bay, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, USA where some Montipora capitata colonies bleached, while those directly adjacent did not. This study investigated whether differences in bleaching susceptibility are passed on to future generations using pools of larvae from 11 parents of each known phenotype. We exposed offspring from parents with different bleaching histories to high temperatures and analyzed survivorship. High temperature (~30.1°C) treated larvae from colonies that had bleached and recovered (bleached phenotype) experienced reduced survivorship and size in comparison to all other phenotypes and treatments. In the primary polyp stage, the bleaching history of the parents also drove larval survivorship trends, where settlers from nonbleached parents performed better than those from bleached parents. These results show similar phenotypes among the parents, larvae, and juveniles, suggesting an underlying heritability of genes and/or epigenetic modifications relating to bleaching susceptibility. More studies need to be conducted to understand the heritability of these genes and modifications to better forecast coral reef persistence in the future. By the mid 2050’s, it is projected that pantropical bleaching events will occur annually, which will be highly detrimental to coral populations if corals are not able to acclimate and if solutions are not implemented in time. Bell, Stephanie – Biology, UH Mānoa Mortality distribution of the Hawaiian short-eared owl (Asio flammeus sandwichensis) S. Bell, L. Luther, C. Wilhite, M. Price The Hawaiian Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus sandwichensis; Pueo) is the only native raptor that breeds on all of the main Hawaiian Islands (Berger 1981). Pueo fill an ecological niche in controlling introduced rodent populations that threaten native Hawaiian fauna (Work & Hale 1996; Shields, 2011). Pueo are also a culturally significant animal, serving as an ʻamakua, or ancestral guide to many Native Hawaiian families (Price & Cotín 2018). Currently Pueo are state-listed as endangered on Oahu, although research on Pueo is limited (DLNR 2005; Price & Cotín 2018). Proper evaluation of mortality of Pueo is critical to proper management and conservation. In this study, for the first time, mortality data was statistically analyzed to evaluate patterns of Pueo mortality across all of the main Hawaiian Islands. Data was collected from various government and nonprofit entities, to analyze cause of death, location and time of year. Due to the inherent bias of mortality studies, trends will likely show higher mortality rates in populated areas, however this study will act as an important baseline for wildlife and conservation managers and will aide in future management decisions.

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Bull, Lindsey – Biology, UH Mānoa Climate change impacts nesting green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas, Cheloniidae) hatch success on East Island, French Frigate Shoals, Hawaiʻi L. Bull, T. Jones, S. Martin Hawaiʻi is home to a population of green sea turtles that are geographically linked to Hawaii. This population of turtles uses the main Hawaiian Islands as their foraging grounds but then migrate to French Frigate Shoals (FFS) atoll in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument to lay their eggs. FFS consists of 8 sandy islands: Shark, Tern, Trig, Round, East, Gin, Little Gin, and Disappearing, and a single rocky pinnacle called La Perouse. East and Tern Island are home to about 96% of the nesting population of Hawaiian green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas, Cheloniidae). Of that 96%, 50% of the nesting occurs on East Island from April to October. Data collected using HOBO Temperature Data Loggers from the 2016, 2017, and 2018 nesting seasons were analyzed with the following results: the incubation period range was from 55 days to 99 days, the average incubation temperature for successful embryonic development was 25°C to 33°C, and the average hatch success was 83.40 %. The survival of Hawaiian green sea turtle population greatly depends on the percent of hatchlings that survive at FFS. The purpose of this study was to determine how climate change is impacting Hawaiian green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas, Cheloniidae) populations hatch success using Generalized Additive Models (GAM) exploring the influence of year, month, nest temperature (mean, minimum, or maximum), and incubation period. A particular focus was on the affect lay month had on the incubation temperature which in turn impacted the incubation period and nest success. Chen, Richard – Marine Biology, UH Mānoa Comparing the distribution of boring and grazing urchins of Oʻahu's reefs Herbivory and bioerosion are important functions of a healthy coral reef. Urchins fulfill both of these key functions on coral reefs, depending on their role as grazers or eroders. However, the loss or reduction of urchins results in excessive algal growth, while excessive bioerosion can reduce habitat complexity. The loss of the primary grazing species Diadema antillarum in the Caribbean had a significant impact on the mass coral die off in the 1980s (Silvia et al 2017). Echinometra mathaei, a boring species, is ubiquitous on many coral reefs and is a major bioeroder. However, if rate of erosion exceeds accretion, bioerosion can become detrimental on degraded reefs. (McClanahan 2001). This suggests that functional composition of urchins on the reef is critical for their maintenance and recovery. Understanding the function of Hawaiian urchins is increasingly important. Hawaiian reefs are threatened by introductions of invasive algae, such as Gracilaria salicornia, and recent bleaching events (Rodgers et al. 2017). While the use of grazing species Tripneustes gratilla as biocontrol in Kāneʻohe demonstrated positive results (Neilson et al. 2018), the general impact of urchin assemblages in Hawaiʻi is relatively unknown. Here, we examined the abundance, sizes, and species of urchins within and outside of marine protected areas. With this data we hope to find trends in the differences of urchin assemblages between protected and unprotected zones. By comparing those functional trends to benthic conditions, we expect to find correlations with between functional trend and reef state.

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Cottrill, Rebecca – Marine Biology, UH Mānoa eDNA as a fast and cost-effective method to assess benthic algal assemblages Invasive species are a major threat to biodiversity throughout the globe (Molnar et al. 2008). In Hawaii, non-native invasive algae are outcompeting native benthic organisms, resulting in unhealthy coral reef ecosystems and reduced biodiversity (Smith et al. 2003). Monitoring the spread of invasive algae is a crucial step to ensuring species diversity in an especially endemic region. However, current methods to survey benthic marine habitats have several limitations. This research project addresses the issues with current biomonitoring methods by applying an emerging technique known as environmental DNA (eDNA). By applying eDNA as a method to assess benthic algal assemblages, monitoring of invasive algae can be cost-effective and fast to conservation managers of benthic marine habitats. Fitting, Grace – Biology, UH Mānoa Effects of submarine groundwater discharge in Wailupe Bay on algal species diversity M. Donahue, P. Nichols, A. Greene I am studying the affects of submarine ground water discharge on the local algal community in Wailupe Bay. We installed twenty tiles and looked at percent cover on those tiles. We also observed the benthic community near those tiles in twenty different quadrants and measured the percent cover of the different species. We will be looking at how the proximity to submarine groundwater source affects the algal community. This will be done using species diversity and species richness. I expect to see a decrease in species diversity and an increase in percent cover as the proximity to the submarine ground water discharge decreases. Luitgaarden, Sydney – Marine Bioloogy, UH Mānoa Conserving a sustainable food source: differences in freshwater availability may affect dietary habits of native and invasive mullet S. Luitgaarden, P. Nichols, R. Alegado With a developing world, sustainable food sources are necessary. Aquaculture is a reliable and green way to produce food for a growing population. Ecofriendly and culturally important Hawaiian fish ponds can lead in the right direction of food security. Within this study we set out to understand if the presence or absence of fresh water in The Heʻeia fish pond affects the diet based on isotope analysis for the two species of mullet, Osteomugil engeli (Australian mullet) and the Native Mugil cephalus (native stripped mullet). To account for fresh water samples, we collected from two different locations in the pond. The northeast location which has a fresh water source and the southeast location which does not have a direct fresh water source. Fish samples were collected by traditional Hawaiian net throwing, while benthic samples were collected by transect surveys of the benthos. Both the fish tissues and benthos samples N14 signature were identified by isotope analysis. We expect to find matching signatures between the benthos of the northeast sample site and the M. cephalus due to the fact that these native species of mullet have been largely observed in fresh water streams. We would expect O. engeli to feeding in both cites because they are observed throughout the fish pond. Understanding

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these species’ diet can lead to a greater understandings of how to create a suitable environment for the native M. cephalus to be cultivated. Ryckman, Erika – Biology, UH Mānoa The potential dangers of Yellow Crazy Ants on ghost crab populations Invasive species are one of the largest threats to biodiversity, especially in isolated locations like Hawaiʻi. The aggressive pests, yellow crazy ants (Anoplolepis gracilipes), have recently been discovered in Hawaiʻi. This species is known for spraying formic acid and forming super colonies. Although the effect of A. gracilipes has been minimally explored in Hawaiʻi, it is known that species in other affected areas around the world have been nearly driven to extinction or completely forced out of their niches. At James Campbell Wildlife Reserve located in Kahuku, Hawaiʻi, the population density of ghost crabs (Ocypode ceratophthalmus and Ocypode laevis Dana) was measured at 27 different sandy areas along the beach. Using noninvasive methods, the number of burrows and their diameters were measured from a meter above highest tide up to the farthest burrows in the vegetation. At each sandy area, the presence or absence of yellow crazy ants was observed. Their nests were seen inhabiting crab burrows and affecting the ghost crabs. The data reveals that the effects of yellow crazy ants must be closely monitored in order to determine if action needs to be taken to protect surrounding species from the ants’ rapid dispersal. Scidmore-Rossing, Kaylee – Marine Biology, UH Mānoa Lasting Impressions: A study determining total length of tiger sharks, Galeocerdo cuvier, using partial bite impressions in Hawaiian waters K. Scidmore-Rossing, C. Meyer Following shark bite incidents, people are left with many questions. Most often, the public wants to know how “big” was the shark. In Hawaiʻi, surfing and stand-up paddle boarding attract the most attention from sharks. In order to better assess human shark interactions, bite impressions on surf boards have been used to estimate shark size. The permanent preservation of the bite left in the boards is a useful tool to help estimate shark length. In this study, bite curvature length of partial bite impressions collected from live tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) were evaluated to find 1) the relationship of jaw curvature to a semicircle and 2) calculate average bite curvature ratios. Although the data set was small, there was correlation between the total length of the shark and the bite curvature measurement. This indicates the utility of bite curvature ratios in estimating total shark length. Moving forward, a larger data set of bite impressions would allow more accuracy in evaluation of bite curvature and estimating shark size. Ultimately this will provide important information on human shark interactions to researchers, first responders, and the public.

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Strouse, Evan – Interdisciplinary, UH Mānoa The effects on the survival and reproduction of captive Hawaiian tree snails fed a lab-cultured diet, compared with those fed with vegetation from native forests The Hawaiian Islands were once home to more than 750 species of terrestrial snails (Cowie, 1995). This remarkable diversity represented one of the greatest species radiations in the world. Unfortunately, due to threats like shell collection, habitat loss, and invasive predators, only 25%-35% of endemic Hawaiian tree snail species are still extant (Solem, 1990). Most of these survivors are now only found in small isolated populations, some with their entire population confined to one single tree. The urgency to save these animals has sparked the creation of the Snail Extinction Prevention Program, a state effort administered by the Department of Land and Natural Resources. One aspect of this program involves a captive rearing laboratory, which serves as a temporary “emergency room” for snail species being decimated by invasive predators. One of the only threats to the captive snails is pathogen introduction through collection of leaves from the wild for their diet. Contaminated vegetation has the potential to introduce disease that could quickly spread within cages, which has occurred once already. This study aims to test if the survival and reproduction of captive tree snails is affected when fed solely on a lab cultured diet rather than their native vegetation. For this study we are observing both fecundity and mortality of the snails over a 6 month period in the lab. The results of this study may help to reduce risks of contamination in captive settings and understand how the diet of the snails affects survival and reproduction. Theam, Kristina – Biology, UH Mānoa Identifying opsin gene expression in the visual system of the copepod Labidocera madurae K. Theam, M. Porter, M. Steck Copepods are zooplankton: the basis of many marine food webs for commercially important fish species, serving as the essential link between photosynthetic phytoplankton and larger, heterotrophic marine creatures like fish, sea birds, seals, and whales. Despite their importance to marine ecosystems, we do not know very much about copepod visual systems, especially how they function in detecting prey, avoiding predators, and distinguishing mates. While most copepod species have a singular three-partite eye, the Pontellid copepods have modified this eye type, forming three separate eyes: two dorsal and one ventral. These dorsal eyes are unique due to the presence of a lens, scanning abilities, and an unusual photoreceptor setup. Additionally, the genus Labidocera is sexually dimorphic: males have larger dorsal eyes than females. Because of the uniqueness of L. madurae eyes, it would be valuable to analyze their opsin gene expression, as opsins are proteins that mediate light detection in animal visual systems. The Porter Vision Lab has previously isolated three copepod opsin genes, which will be used to perform in situ hybridization (ISH). After ISH, confocal imaging will be used to visualize gene expression in adult L. madurae organisms. Differences in expression are expected to be seen between each of the three opsin genes, between the ventral and dorsal eyes, and between male and female eyes. Because of the copepods’ ecological importance, it will be valuable to try to understand their currently-poorly studied visual systems, and hopefully gain insight on copepod eye evolution.

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Tran, Cuong – Oceanography, UH Mānoa Updating historical shoreline change rates of North Kāʻanapali, Honokōwai, and Kahana, West Maui C. Tran, C. Fletcher Tracking shoreline movement across the main Hawaiian Islands provides empirical data to assist in the development of better coastal management practices. The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Coastal Geology Group uses empirical data to calculate shoreline change rates on the islands of Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, and Maui. In this study, 2015 raw satellite imagery, provided by World View 3, was used to update the historical shoreline database of North Kāʻanapali, Honokōwai, and Kahana, West Maui. We calculate 2015 shoreline change rates and analyze differences compared to an earlier database in 2007. The satellite imagery we used was orthorectified using ArcGIS and PCI Geomatica Inc., the low water mark and coastal vegetation line were digitized, and shoreline position locations were measured from transects spaced 20 meters alongshore. These locations were modeled using linear regression to identify long-term rates of change at each transect. Including the 2015 shoreline, the data reviewed that 77% of all transects had a trend of erosion, compared to 73% in 2007. With regard to beach loss, 2007 experienced a loss of 80 meters whereas the 2015 database showed a loss of 920 meters. Vu, Julia – Biochemistry, UH Mānoa Effect of dissolved inorganic nitrogen from submarine groundwater discharge input on benthic recruitment in Maunalua Bay Oahu, HI J. Vu, M. Donahue, A. Greene Over time, population growth has led to increased inorganic nutrient wastewater discharge into Hawaii’s intertidal zone. This submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) causes eutrophication in the surrounding water, which has prompted a large phase shift of coral-dominated to macro-algae dominated reefs. As a widespread concern for Hawaiʻi’s biodiversity, this research analyzes how the change in nutrient supply caused by chemical factors in the SGD affects the surrounding species diversity. More specifically, the project focuses on dissolved inorganic nitrogen and how its presence provides favorable or unfavorable conditions for algae and coral recruits in Wailupe. Benefits include potential to understanding broader impacts of dissolved inorganic matter in tidal zones beyond Hawaiʻi, especially how dissolved nitrogen affects benthic communities as a whole and how it affects the biodiversity of the species living in the marine ecosystem.

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GRADUATE STUDENT ABSTRACTS Altman-Kurosaki, Noam – Marine Biology, UH Mānoa Do Oʻahu's MPAs have more and bigger coral reef fishes and urchins than fished areas? Valuation of Hawaiian coral reefs indicates that they may be worth up to 33.57 billion USD/year in the Main Hawaiian Islands alone (Bishop et al. 2011). However, they are increasingly threatened by anthropogenic stressors, such as overfishing and climate change (Pauly et al. 2005; Newton et al. 2007; Carpenter et al. 2008). The state of Hawai'i recently launched the "30 by 30" initiative with the goal of effectively managing 30% of its nearshore waters by 2030 to mitigate the effects of these stressors and maintain the productivity and value of the reefs (DAR 2016). Among the most effective ways to promote Hawaiian reef health is to protect herbivore populations (Chung et al. 2018). With these goals in mind, we assessed the effectiveness of O'ahu's protected areas in protecting herbivore assemblages. We conducted roving diver surveys to assess four key herbivore functional groups: grazer, scraper/excavator, browser, and urchin. We chose to include urchins because they have a well-documented role in promoting reef resilience in the Caribbean (e.g. Carpenter 1986, 1988; Russ 2003), and yet almost no studies have included urchins in their analyses of herbivore assemblages in Hawai'i. While previous studies suggested that the protected areas house greater herbivore biomass than the surrounding fished areas (e.g. Friedlander et al. 2006), preliminary results show that herbivore density, biomass, and size structure are all similar between protected and non-protected areas across functional groups. These results suggest that Oʻahu's protected areas are not accomplishing their goal of effectively managing these critical marine resources. Atkins, Melissa – Zoology, UH Mānoa The visual genes associated with eye reduction and loss in parasitic Arthropods M. Atkins, N. Simon, M. Porter A common morphological feature amongst parasitic arthropods is the rudimentary development of their visual system. Parasitism is well-known to cause a reduction in eye structures independent of light environments. Although this is well studied, the evolutionary processes driving this reduction are not. Bat flies are an ectoparasite derived from fully visual, free-living ancestors. In line with other ectoparasites, all bat fly species exhibit varying levels of eye reduction, including complete loss of visual systems. Therefore, this species offers a unique opportunity to examine reduction of compound eyes and the genetic mechanisms involved with intermediary visual phenotypes. To date, five types of macro-morphologies have been described that are thought to reflect microstructural changes; round, bar shaped, and folding eyes with sphere-like and irregular ommatidia, as well as eyeless bat flies lacking any macro-morphology. Preliminary data on microanatomical structure of bat flies identified the fusion of two adjacent rhabdoms, a feature suggesting adaptation to low light levels. I hypothesize that genetic changes will be consistent with the varying eye morphologies found in bat flies. An in-depth transcriptome from multiple species of bat flies that represent the differing levels of eye reduction is key to identifying opsin gene numbers and their relation to bat fly eye macro-morphology, as well as ecological niches. This work aims to understand the evolutionary trajectories of broader ectoparasite trends in visual system reductions.

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Balaan, Chantell – Anatomy, Biochemistry, & Physiology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, UH Manoa The ketogenic diet and its effects on social behaviors in Astyanax mexicanus C. Balaan, M. Iwashita, J. Kato, M. Wong, R. Lee, M. Yoshizawa Sociality is a means for communication conserved between species throughout the animal kingdom. It is also a paradigm utilized in diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Recent studies suggest that ASD symptoms result from the effects of brain-gut communication, gut microbiota, and metabolomic pathways. However, the precise underlying mechanisms which governs these effects remain unknown. Astyanax mexicanus, a species of teleost with surface and cave morphs, is a novel model to study the molecular pathways that link gut microbes and metabolic systems in development of ASD-like behaviors. The cave morph exhibits a battery of ASD comorbid symptoms: imbalanced attention, hyperactivity, and sleeplessness as well as altered gut microbiota. We have previously shown that the ketogenic diet (KD) mitigated these comorbid behaviors in adolescent cave morphs. Here, we tested whether a ketogenic diet mitigates core ASD-like symptoms (repetitive behavior and associality). Adult morphs (N~15 each) were treated with control diet or KD for ≥ 4 weeks and assayed for repetitive turning behavior and social interaction. Semi-autodetection of repetitive behavior in fish and auto-detection of reciprocal social interaction under the dark were both novel. After developing these analysis pipelines, our results indicated that the KD rescued social behaviors in cave morphs, but we could not discern a change in repetitive turning behavior, which mirrored observations seen in ASD patients under KD treatment. We then hope to reach a level of systemic understanding by investigating the association between these behaviors, gut microbiota, blood metabolome, and brain transcriptome in ASD symptomology. Barba, Evan – Marine Biology Graduate Program, Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, UH Mānoa Population genomics at the archipelago Scale: Applications, (reduced) costs, and value to conservation E. Barba, E. Conklin, D. Kraft, Z. Forsman, R. Toonen Understanding how genetic exchange between populations varies is key to identifying hotspots of diversity, sinks and sources, and regions potentially predisposed to resiliency. Single marker studies offer some insights, but these approaches may be misleading or missing subtle patterns due to an under sampling of the genome. Relying on single markers also limits the ability to detect important aspects of biology (such as male mediated dispersal). Next generation sequencing (NGS) has allowed us to scan entire genomes, providing finer scale resolution and improving confidence when defining management boundaries. The cost of individual genome scans is considerably higher compared to single marker studies, and it is not clear if that additional investment is proportionally worthwhile. Pooled sequencing (pool-seq) approaches offer a compromise that may be particularly well suited for gathering population genetic information across many individuals and broad geographic areas. Currently, analyzing pooled data remains computationally challenging and unstandardized. Several programs have been developed specifically to handle pool-seq data, unfortunately most still require heavy formatting or programming skills. Our pipeline (AsessPool) utilizes bash and R code to process a file of identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and implements a series of population genetic

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tools to ultimately identify regions of genomic differentiation between pools of populations. AssessPool then outputs publication-ready, interactive visualizations, which can be utilized by researchers as well as managers and policy makers, without requiring extensive experience in population genetics or bioinformatics. Barkley, Yvonne – Marine Biology Graduate Program, Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, UH Mānoa Advancing passive acoustic localization and species distribution models for sperm whales in Hawaiian waters Y. Barkley, E. Nosal, E. Oleson Sperm whales are a globally-distributed, highly-mobile top predator found throughout the Hawaiian Archipelago in deep, offshore waters. Passive acoustic monitoring can detect and identify sperm whale echolocation clicks from diving animals several kilometers away. A semi-automated localization algorithm was developed to estimate the locations of echolocating sperm whales detected by an array of hydrophones towed behind a ship during cetacean line-transect surveys. The localization algorithm allows for post-analysis of sperm whale acoustic data and includes measures of uncertainty due to errors introduced by hydrophone positions, timing inaccuracies, and the sound speed profile. Passive acoustic data of sperm whales collected during six line-transect surveys were analyzed resulting in location estimates for 250 non-sighted, sperm whale encounters. Location estimates will be incorporated into a species distribution model to examine the relationship between sperm whales and their environment. Previous sperm whale distribution models for the Hawaiian Archipelago only include information associated with sperm whale sightings from visual observers, excluding distant diving sperm whales. Including information from acoustic detections of sperm whales may result in more robust distribution models for this endangered species. Results from the localization algorithm and a description of the species distribution modeling framework will be discussed. Barone, Rebecca - Molecular Biosciences & Bioengineering, UH Mānoa Quantification of total phenolic content in the genus Sida to estimate antioxidative capacity R. Barone, D. Owens Hawaiʻi is a favorable subtropical environment where plants can develop without common seasonal threats. This milder environment has led to increased competition for resources and driven species to develop a unique array of phytochemicals, such as phenolics, to increase their overall fitness as they engage in a continual “chemical warfare” with neighboring organisms. Phenolics, a class of aromatic hydrocarbons, are of particular interest to human health because they can act as antioxidants and protect against cellular damage. Members of the genus Sida (Malvaceae) are employed extensively in traditional medicine due to their observed and reported antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidative capacities. Likewise, the native Hawaiian species, Sida fallax, was frequently administered in lāʻau lapaʻau (Hawaiian herbal medicine) to treat a range of conditions; however, studies on its phytochemicals are limited and it has never been phytochemically characterized. In this project, the total phenolic contents of two co-occurring Sida species were analyzed using the gallic acid equivalence method. Whole plants were

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collected from two sites on Oʻahu and each tissue type (stems, leaves, flowers, and roots) was processed and measured separately. Preliminary results indicate that the native Sida fallax exhibits comparable total phenolic content to the non-native Sida acuta. The findings of this study further our understanding of both the density of phytochemicals produced by the native Sida fallax and its ability to combat cellular stress. Bedi de Silva, Anamica – Oceanography, UH Mānoa Light affects fitness costs of viral resistance in Micromonas A. Bedi de Silva, C. Schvarcz, K. Edwards, G. Steward Resistance to viral infections is wide-spread among marine microbes. However, some cells remain susceptible to infection, indicating that there is a fitness cost associated with resistance. This Cost-of-Resistance (CoR) has not been detected in marine eukaryotes in previous experiments. We posited that resource deplete conditions may exacerbate this CoR, allowing it to be detected. To test this, resistant and susceptible lines of the marine eukaryote Micromonas were used in high and low light growth experiments. Results indicated that Micromonas does experience CoR, particularly in high light growth conditions. This could mean that resistant cells occur more frequently at depth where light levels are low. Future work will include isolating new strains of Micromonas from above and below the deep chlorophyll maximum to determine if light levels affect resistance under natural conditions. Brush, Erik – Biology, UH Mānoa Reef fish recruitment to Pocillopora corals E. Brush, R. Jones Recruitment, or the transition from pelagic larvae to reef-oriented juveniles undergone by many fish species, is a critical process that shapes population dynamics and community structure on coral reefs. The spatial distribution and survival of new recruits on a reef can be influenced by a variety of factors, including predation, competition, habitat complexity, and social organization, to name a few. During the summer of 2017, we quantified reef fish recruitment to 20 coral colony clusters at each of three different sites around Oʻahu, and documented predators of small fish and nearby coral colonies. Each cluster contained a central antler coral (Pocillopora grandis) and three nearby cauliflower corals (P. meandrina). A mixed effects general linear model showed that recruitment was greater on cauliflower coral at one of the sites but comparable to antler coral at the others, increased with colony size for cauliflower coral, and decreased with colony density. To both verify the accuracy of conducting biweekly surveys to quantify recruitment as well as test the interactive effect of habitat complexity and coral species on fish recruit abundance, daily surveys centered around the July new moon were conducted on 14 clusters of cauliflower coral during the summer of 2018. Half of these clusters included a large central antler coral while the other half included a central cauliflower coral (central colonies were not censused). There was a trend for recruitment to cauliflower coral increasing in the presence of antler coral, suggesting a potential interaction between coral species that could influence fish recruitment.

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Bullington, Jessica – Oceanography, UH Mānoa Septicemia and the sea: Modeling the distribution of a pathogenic bacterium, Vibrio vulnificus, in the Ala Wai Canal J. Bullington, C. Nelson Water quality monitoring to detect pathogens is costly and time-consuming. Fecal coliforms, such as Escherichia coli, are often used as indicators of pathogen contamination. Vibrio vulnificus, however, is a native Hawaiian pathogenic bacterium that can cause sepsis and septicemia and is not necessarily associated with sewage contamination. Predictive modeling is a viable alternative to traditional methods of water sampling for fecal indicator bacteria, especially for monitoring V. vulnificus. To this end, we are actively working to build a publicly accessible model to predict pathogen risk from environmental conditions, particularly temperature and salinity, that can be easily measured with deployable oceanographic sensors. This effort is particularly important in urbanized estuarine environments, such as the Ala Wai Canal in Honolulu, where increased rainfall can seed blooms of this infectious pathogen, and especially as climatic changes may bring more frequent and higher intensity storms. Campillo, Luke – Zoology, UH Mānoa Population genomics of an endemic Hawaiian lineage and the effect of habitat fragmentation on ‘elepaio (AVES: Chasiempis) demography L. Campillo, R. Thomson, E. VanderWerf The clock-like production of islands in the Hawaiian Archipelago makes it an ideal setting to investigate the processes that drive population diversification. Evolutionary dynamics in this archipelago have produced highly diverse and charismatic floral and faunal radiations (e.g. Hawaiian Honeycreepers), as well as a large series of radiations that are also endemic, but less diverse. One such radiation, ‘elepaio includes three described species, one each from the islands of Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, and Hawaiʻi. ‘Elepaio exists today only as a series of relictual populations due to rapid habitat loss from land development and a changing climate. Despite being limited by the same temporal constraints and abiotic resources, ‘elepaio attained far less phenotypic and genotypic diversity than the endemic honeycreepers. Understanding the evolutionary history of this imperiled radiation may provide a fundamental description as to how habitat fragmentation may doom a population before they can adjust to a more restricted habitat. Here, I propose utilizing contemporary phylogenomic and population genomic methods to harness the genetic information harbored in historical museum specimens to complement blood and fresh tissue samples. Studying the DNA present in historical museum specimens and blood samples from recently extirpated populations, will allow me to infer historic population demographics and the impact that habitat degradation has had on extant ‘elepaio population level diversity. Specifically, I propose to investigate population genomic changes associated with habitat fragmentation by extending my sampling to include recently and historically extirpated populations.

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Carrillo, Rina – Molecular Biosciences & Bioengineering, UH Mānoa Protein disulfide isomerase 9 (PDI9) interacts with a critical stress response regulator in plants Abiotic stresses, such as drought or heat, are leading causes of crop loss worldwide. Environmental stresses such as heat cause cellular proteins to unfold and misfold, which adversely impacts plants if uncontrolled. Protein disulfide isomerases (PDIs) are an essential class of folding enzymes that catalyze the formation of disulfide bonds in nascent or misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). PDIs are imperative to maintain proper protein folding to prevent ER stress and the accumulation of aberrant proteins. When proteins fail to fold, their accumulation in the ER activates the unfolded protein response (UPR) pathway, which stimulates protein folding capacity. Arabidopsis PDI9 levels increase in response to environmental stress through the UPR. However, the mechanisms by which PDI9 participates in the UPR, including the proteins it binds to and folds are unknown. Mammalian models suggest a major sensor in the UPR pathway, inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1) interacts with PDI9, but how they function together in plants is a mystery. We have recombinant PDI9 and IRE1 proteins tagged with specific epitopes for protein interaction studies in Escherichia coli. We found that PDI9 binds to IRE1, the master regulator of the UPR. PDI9 co-immunoprecipitated with IRE1, suggesting that these two proteins functionally interact. Deciphering the role of PDI9 is a crucial aspect of stress-signaling pathways in plants. This knowledge will lead to novel strategies that mitigate heat stress in plants and promote future agricultural advancements to improve plant tolerance to stress. Caruso, Carlo - Marine Biology Graduate Program, Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, UH Mānoa Innovative reef restoration in Hawai'i: Enhancing coastal protection with resilient corals C. Caruso, F. Drury, K. Hughes Coral reefs continue to degrade under conditions of global climate change. This existential threat motivates preservation of extant coral reefs even if unconventional methods are indicated. The Gates Coral Lab explores multiple approaches to increasing coral resilience via human intervention, mainly through “assisted evolution” strategies. We are now investigating a parallel approach involving selective propagation of thermally-tolerant coral stocks within coral restoration projects in Hawai’i. Samples from individual coral colonies in the vicinity of a restoration site are screened for temperature tolerance in purpose-built aquaria. Examination of thermal tolerance distribution in the population of Montipora capitata from Kaneohe Bay indicates a significant range in response, consistent with heat-tolerance being a continuous multifactor trait. Multiple unique individuals from higher-performing percentiles of this standing variation are designated “temperature-tolerant” and used preferentially to enhance some restoration plots. Three types of plots are established within each restoration site, plots populated with stock enriched for temperature-tolerant genotypes, plots populated with randomly selected coral stock, and control sites with no-alteration. This approach to resource management is attractive because it uses unmodified local organisms and preserves diversity. However, it is unknown if sufficient capacity exists in standing coral populations to maintain functional reefs under future conditions or if inclusion of thermally-tolerant coral stocks in

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restoration projects engenders enough benefit to warrant the effort of selecting, propagating, and out-planting them. This project establishes an empirical test for the efficacy of using selective stock in restoration projects as a means to promote reef persistence and resilience under future conditions. Chikasuye, Katia – National Resources & Environmental Management, UH Mānoa Management implications of submarine groundwater discharge on coral reef metabolism in Maunalua Bay K. Chikasuye, C. Nelson, N. Silbiger The challenges of coral reef management continue to increase from compounding stressors, with some studies predicting the total loss of reefs in the next century. Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) has been identified as a significant source of nutrients to nearshore reefs in Hawaiʻi, although there is conflicting evidence regarding the impacts of SGD on reef metabolism, particularly the dynamics of net community calcification (NCC) and net community production (NCP). This study investigates how reef metabolism is influenced by SGD across a spatial mixing gradient in Maunalua Bay on Oʻahu by examining the change in total alkalinity (TA) as a function of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) over 24h cycles at Black Point and Wailupe. We test the hypothesis that the delivery of nutrients by SGD alters community metabolism to reduce the specific calcification of reef communities by increasing proportional algal biomass. Tidal and seasonal interactions are examined to assess potential trends in reef metabolism. This study highlights the need to understand the impacts of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) on coral reef metabolism as this knowledge can aid in assessing coral susceptibility to ongoing climate change and support management decisions that will conserve remaining reefs. Conklin, Emily – Zoology, UH Mānoa A molecular basis for acclimatization and adaptation to climate change in Hawaiian reef-building coral species E. Conklin, C. Jury, R. Toonen Coral reefs are in steep decline due to a combination of local and global stressors. Rising ocean temperature is predicted to increase the frequency of mass bleaching events, and ocean acidification due to increasing atmospheric CO2 may threaten coral skeleton calcification. Recent research suggests that O‘ahu corals have adapted or acclimatized to changing conditions since the 1970s, although resilience is spatially inconsistent. It remains unknown whether this variation between individuals reflects differences in genotype or instead a plastic acclimatization response in which genes are differentially regulated. Past research has identified over fifty genes, including those related to heat shock and immune response, that show upregulation in more resilient corals. In this study, we compare genetically identical coral clones raised under ambient and projected climate change conditions in a 2.5+ year mesocosm experiment. This system contains 800+ clonally fragmented corals from eight species and six sites around O‘ahu, raised in factorial temperature and CO2 conditions. Using next-generation sequencing and whole-genome methylation data from these coral clones, our research goal is to compare expression profiles in genes of interest between treatments. We predict that corals raised in high temperature and high CO2 will show differential regulation of genes previously implicated in stress and bleaching responses than corals raised in ambient conditions, even

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though these corals have identical genotypes. A mechanistic understanding is critical for determining the pace at which corals can adapt to a rapidly changing climate, since epigenetic modifications can occur within a single generation and are highly heritable. Dilley, Eric - Marine Biology Graduate Program, Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, UH Mānoa Juvenile coral demography in contrasting environments and herbivory regimes Coral recruitment, survivorship, and growth collectively determine the abundance and distribution of coral colonies. Pocillopora is a common coral genus on Hawaiian reefs and is characterized by high recruitment and colony growth. To determine how demographic rates of juvenile (1 square centimeter) Pocillopora colonies vary with reef environments and herbivory regimes, the Hixon Lab constructed artificial coral heads (1 cubic meter cement modules) in sand flats at Waikīkī (near unprotected “degraded” reefs) and Hanauma Bay (near protected “healthy” reefs) during the summer of 2016. There are 6 modules at each location, half of which have many holes for herbivores and half of which are holeless. We tracked the fate of individual colonies recruiting from May 2017 to May 2018 to test two hypotheses. First, at the reefscape scale, Pocillopora recruitment, survival, and growth will be greater at Hanauma Bay because algal cover is lower due to higher herbivore abundance and lower nutrient levels. Second, at the module scale, Pocillopora recruitment, survival, and growth will be greater on modules with more shelter because those modules will support more herbivores. We found that coral recruitment was greater at Waikiki regardless of shelter treatment. There were no differences among all treatments in coral survival or growth, although growth was positively correlated with urchin abundance overall. These patterns occurred despite a trend for more herbivorous fish on high-shelter modules, more urchins at Hanauma Bay, and higher algal cover at Waikīkī. Time will tell whether these patterns persist as coral recruits grow into larger colonies. Gibson, Veronica – Botany, UH Mānoa Examining algal physiological and community responses to submarine groundwater discharge on the south shore of Oʻahu While submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) has been linked to algal bloom conditions, yet physiological responses by macroalgae to SGD conditions are not well understood. A cryptic yet common feature on basaltic coastlines, SGD delivers a flux of fresh, nutrient rich basal groundwater to the nearshore ecosystem. Coastal nutrient dynamics are influenced by contamination of SGD with nutrients by anthropogenic land use, this strongly influences coastal nutrient availability leading to increased algal growth and algal blooms. Algal bloom conditions negatively impact nearshore ecology by decreasing species diversity and decreasing dissolved oxygen in the water column. To examine the influence of SGD on nearshore algal physiology and ecology a multi-factor analysis is employed here. Field characterization across a gradient of SGD influence measures physiological response by invasive Gracilaria salicornia to SGD at Wailupe Beach. Differential responses by G. salicornia are seen across this gradient of SGD influence. These results are tied to characterization of benthic communities for 3 SGD influenced sites on the south shore of Oʻahu, to further investigate the influence of SGD on ecology and broader

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composition of these communities. Species diversity, community composition and percent cover of macroalgal and coral are linked to SGD influence and compared across these sites. Greene, Austin – Biology, UH Mānoa CoralCam: a low-cost, autonomous camera for daily measurements of coral recruitment, growth, and post-settlement selection After settlement, coral recruits are subject to a wide array of post-settlement selection such as environmental stress, competitive interactions, or predation. Daily in-situ observation of coral post-settlement selection is logistically and financially demanding, or impossible in some settings such as mesophotic reefs or remote atolls. Combined with poor representation of corals smaller than 2cm in many survey efforts our understanding of coral recruit growth, competition, and mechanisms of mortality is sparse. CoralCam is a low-cost, autonomous camera platform developed to capture daily observations of coral recruitment, growth, and post-settlement selection across a range of marine environments. Having successfully prototyped CoralCam in Kāneʻohe Bay, I plan to use this instrumentation to detect and compare fine-scale post-settlement selection mechanisms on shallow and mesophotic coral reefs. Iwanicki, Tom – Biology, UH Mānoa Glowing in the dark: vision and bioluminescence in diel vertically migrating marine copepods T. Iwanicki, J. Chen, M. Steck, G. Johnsen, E. Goetze, M. Porter Bioluminescence is ubiquitous in the marine realm. Bioluminescence is the result of luciferin becoming oxidized by luciferase producing oxyluciferin and light. Recent efforts have been made to characterize the diversity and evolution of luciferase genes within Metridinidae, with relatively low coverage among Pleuromamma species (i.e., P. abdominalis, P. xiphias, and P. scutullata). Vision may play a critical role in the ecology of copepod bioluminescence. The opsin gene is the molecular basis for vision across all taxa. The opsin repertoire of the Metridinidae has not been previously described. To date we have sequenced transcriptomes for 7 of 13 described species of Pleuromamma (i.e., Pleuromamma abdominalis, P. antarctica, P. gracilis, P. piseki, P. quadrungulata, P. robusta, and P. xiphias). We obtained full length coding sequences of the putative visual opsin gene, MWS, for all. MWS has a high degree of conservation at the protein coding level among species, ranging from 95% to 100% identity. Furthermore, we sequenced previously described luciferases (Takenaka et al., 2012, 2013) as well as discovered novel luciferase paralogs. The number of luciferases varied among species from 3 (P. antarctica and P. robusta) to 5 (P. quadrungulata). The variation in luciferase number among species raises interesting questions about selection on paralogous genes and the potential for different spectral and kinetic properties guided by sequence variation of luciferases. We report on preliminary data from in vitro measurements of the spectral and kinetic properties of four species (P. xiphias, P. abdominalis, P. piseki, and P. gracilis) collected from station ALOHA.

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Johannsen, Trevor - Marine Biology Graduate Program, Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, UH Mānoa Dramatic increases in the Mushroom Coral Lobactis (Fungia) scutaria: Population in Kāneʻohe Bay, Hawaiʻi over the last 18 years. The coral reefs of Kāneʻohe Bay, Hawaiʻi have undergone significant changes in the past 100 years. By the 1960’s, vibrant coral reefs were transformed to an algae-dominated ecosystem as a result of dredging and increased nutrient input. After the diversion of sewage from the southern bay in the 1970’s, corals have made a slow recovery despite recent bleaching and fresh water flooding events. This study repeated surveys done in 2000 for the common mushroom coral Lobactis (Fungia) scutaria. Two surveyors snorkeled for 30 minutes (1 man-hour) at 42 sites across Kāneʻohe Bay and found a significant increase in abundance and density of L. scutaria for all regions of the bay. The population structure was slightly expansive also suggesting an increasing population. Sexual recruits made up 9.2% of the population while asexual buds made up 3.8% of the population. This represents a dramatic shift in reproductive modes from 2000 to 2018. There were no significant differences in recruit density by regions but there was a positive relationship between sexual recruit density and adult density. I also compared densities on sites managed by the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources through removal of invasive algae and sea urchin out-planting. Although there was significant reduction in algae on treated reefs I found no significant increase in mushroom coral densities at these sites. This is probably due to the decrease in algae bay wide. All of these findings point to a recovering population of mushroom corals in Kāneʻohe Bay, Hawaiʻi. Jones, Ryan – Biology, UH Mānoa Habitat use, interspecific competition, and predatory effects of two coral-dwelling Scorpionfishes (Sebastapistes spp.) R. Jones, E. Brush Despite being common on coral reefs in Hawai‘i, very little is known about the ecology of coral-associated scorpionfishes (Sebastapistes spp.). Around O‘ahu, nearly a quarter of all cauliflower corals (Pocillopora meandrina), one of the most common corals on Hawaiian reefs, harbor resident scorpionfish. Scorpionfish use the complex morphology of this coral as shelter during the day, then emerge at night and feed on various fishes and invertebrates. Given that scorpionfish share habitat with juvenile recruits of other fish species, they may be a largely undocumented source of juvenile fish mortality. To better describe the distribution of scorpionfishes among reefs, we conducted surveys of fish communities within cauliflower corals along the south and west shores of O‘ahu. These data allowed us to correlate habitat characteristics (depth and nearest coral distances) and coral morphologies (colony volume and average branch width) associated with scorpionfish distribution and abundance. One major trend we observed was an inverse depth distribution gradient between two species: the rarer Speckled Scorpionfish (S. coniorta) was found almost exclusively in shallow reef areas (<35ft) while the more common Galactic Scorpionfish (S. galactacma) occurred over a broader depth range, especially in deeper habitats. To determine whether scorpionfishes inhabit and routinely return to specific coral colonies, we tagged individuals and monitored movements. Tagging revealed a high rate of fidelity to specific coral colonies. Future studies will examine whether

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there are any effects of intra- and interspecific competition between Speckled and Galactic Scorpionfishes at both the reef and coral colony scale. Kamikawa, Keith - Marine Biology Graduate Program, Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, UH Mānoa Following Hawaiian bonefishes: Connecting the dots from ocean to table Bonefish (‘Ō‘io) are valued for subsistence in developing countries and for their fighting prowess in developed regions. Their importance in Hawai‘i is unique, as they are targeted by multiple gear types in a mixture of non-commercial and commercial fisheries. Only recently has there been considerable life history and ecological information published on the two bonefish species that reside in Hawai‘i (Albula glossodonta and A. virgata). The underlying theme of this research is to create a holistic image of Hawaiian bonefishes’ life cycle from larvae to potential capture as an adult, by filling in gaps in larval and juvenile biology, population genetics, and fishery dynamics. Light traps have successfully captured 26 leptocephali and juveniles ranging in size from 23mm-64mm. Collaborative efforts with local anglers have yielded 142 fin clips across O‘ahu, Maui, and Hawai‘i Island. Preliminary survey data indicate bonefish disposition after capture is incredibly unique when compared with other highly prized nearshore species. These data will be combined with current biological and ecological knowledge to track bonefish from the ocean to the fishermen. Combining larval characteristics with population structure has tangible local management implications. This study is based on the concept that management is best applied with an understanding of fishery dynamics and angler preferences. Kraft, Derek - Marine Biology Graduate Program, Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, UH Mānoa Dude, who bit my board? Transfer DNA from shark bite impressions in surfboards used to identify species responsible D. Kraft, C. Meyer, K. Scidmore-Rossing Identifying the species responsible in shark bite incidents is often challenging but modern DNA techniques provide a potential tool for definitive species identification provided sufficient DNA is transferred from the shark to the victim or victim’s articles (e.g. surfboard). To test the potential for shark species identification using transfer DNA from surfboards, we swabbed a tiger shark bite impression in a surfboard collected under simulated real-world conditions, and extracted, amplified and sequenced the DNA collected. Swab samples stored in extraction buffer gave the clearest results and matched several Galeocerdo cuvier samples listed on GeneBank. Our results demonstrate that shark species can be definitively identified from transfer DNA recovered from bite impressions in surfboards, even if the board is repeatedly immersed in seawater before swabbing. Transfer DNA could also potentially be collected from the wound margins of shark bite victims and used to identify the individual shark responsible.

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Kügler, Anke - Marine Biology Graduate Program, Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, UH Mānoa Using male humpback whale song chorusing to study their ecology: strengths and limitations of passive acoustic monitoring of a vocally active baleen whale A. Kügler, M. Lammers Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) with autonomous bottom-moored recorders is widely used to study cetacean occurrence, distribution, and behaviors, as it is not subject to factors that limit other traditional observation methods (e.g. vessel, land and aerial-based surveys) such as inclement weather, sighting conditions, the remoteness of study sites, etc. Each winter, an estimated 12,000 humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) migrate from their high-latitude feeding grounds in Alaska to breed in the shallow tropical waters around the Main Hawaiian Islands. There, mature males produce an elaborate acoustic display known as song, which becomes the dominant source ambient noise during the reproductive season (ca. December-April). Calculating root-mean-square sound pressure levels (RMS SPLs) using data from long-term PAM recordings made off Maui, we can compare the low frequency acoustic energy (0-1.5 kHz) produced by singing males across time and sites. Over the season, acoustic energy levels mirror the whales’ migratory pattern, indicating that male chorusing can be used as a proxy for relative whale abundance. The uses for PAM can be varied, including monitoring the relative abundance at the same site over time and comparing occurrence among multiple recording locations to understand spatial patterns of habitat use. However, females and mother-calf pairs have been shown to be acoustically cryptic and any PAM study on wintering humpback whales will predominantly capture singing males. Furthermore, some observed spatial and temporal acoustic patterns can be ambiguous. We propose that linking acoustics with other survey methods, will greatly reduce the ambiguity typical of each individual method. Lactaoen, Kimberly - Anatomy, Biochemistry, & Physiology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, UH Manoa Genetic architecture for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)-like symptoms in cavefish K. Lactaoen, M. Ito, J. Nguyen, J. Onaga, M. Yoshizawa Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disease affecting about 1% of the world population. Much of ASD’s core etiology is unknown due to its complex nature—the involvement of genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors. Therefore, current treatments for ASD are underdeveloped and only aim to mitigate ASD-associated behaviors. A strong genetic model that overlaps molecular and neural pathways of humans and shows a set of behaviors related to core ASD symptoms is necessary to unravel the causes of ASD. A teleost, Astyanax mexicanus, is composed of ASD-like cave-dwelling morphs and normative surface-dwelling morphs that fulfill these aspects. Our former studies revealed that cave morphs of A. mexicanus covers a majority of comorbid ASD symptoms in immune impairment, altered metabolism, altered gut physiology and microbiota, and behaviors (imbalanced attention, hyperactivity, insomnia, repetitiveness, associality, high anxiety). Here, we are first determining the correlation between ASD-like behaviors and cave alleles of ASD-risk genes by using F2 generation intercrosses derived from a P0 pair of cave and surface morphs. Thus far, we have completed behavioral assays for

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imbalanced attention, hyperactivity, insomnia, and repetitiveness on 431 F2 hybrids. We dissected these F2 fish for fin, brain, and gut tissues for analyzing genotypes, RNA expressions, and microbiota, respectively. As the first step to reveal the relationships between ASD-risk genes and ASD-associated behaviors, we are currently genotyping the F2 hybrids to perform sequence-based Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) mapping. Lensing, Becca - Marine Biology Graduate Program, Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, UH Mānoa Phylogenetic curation of the Choanoflagellata: Building a better eukaryotic reference database Next-generation sequencing has transformed biodiversity assessments of microbial eukaryotes by revealing previously unknown lineages and their distribution. However, the precision and reliability of barcode-based techniques is critically dependent on the quality of the reference databases used to assign an identity to environmental sequences. Existing databases contain erroneous annotations and struggle to keep pace with the rapidly evolving eukaryotic taxonomy as sequencing continues to uncover new lineages and associations. Most environmental barcoding is based on small subunit ribosomal DNA (18S rRNA for eukaryotes). EukRef (eukref.org) is a community effort to improve the taxonomic information and environmental context of 18S rRNA sequences for the creation a better metabarcode/amplicon database. The Alegado Lab continues to investigate the evolutionary biology of choanoflagellates, a unicellular opisthokont group of aquatic, ubiquitous, heterotrophic filter feeders with a signature conical collar (choanos). The taxonomy of choanoflagellates, previously based upon morphology, has been under revision as molecular analyses uncover new evolutionary relationships. Here, I present my work on curating the 18S rDNA reference database for the Choanoflagellata at the third edition of the EukRef Workshop at the Station Biologique Roscoff in Roscoff, France. Lenz, Elizabeth - Marine Biology Graduate Program, Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, UH Mānoa Reproductive plasticity and parental effects in a Hawaiian reef-building coral under ocean warming E. Lenz, R. Gates The rate of ocean warming is a critical threat to modern coral reef ecosystems, disrupting the coral-algal symbiosis and physiological function of reef-building corals. Successful sexual reproduction and recruitment are essential for recovery and maintenance of genetic variation in coral populations. Reproductive plasticity and parental effects in response to elevated sea surface temperatures, however, remain understudied in corals. Recent bleaching events in Hawaiʻi elicited high variation in bleaching susceptibility in Montipora capitata, a dominant reef-building coral and hermaphroditic broadcast spawner. M. capitata colonies in Kāneʻohe Bay, Oʻahu were selected based on their bleaching response in 2015 (bleached and recovered vs. nonbleached) to examine parental effects associated with bleaching history and manipulative thermal conditioning. Colonies were split and conditioned for five months under control and high temperature treatments representative of historical conditions in Kāneʻohe Bay (average vs. average +2°C, n = 10 per treatment). Conditioning encompassed spermatogenesis, vertical

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transmission of zooxanthellae, egg-sperm bundle formation, and spawning events to generate reaction norms for spawning dynamics, fecundity, and gamete traits. Offspring were reared under reciprocal temperature treatments to test parental effects on survivorship and settlement. This study aims to identify potential intergenerational plasticity that may contribute to reef resilience against chronic stress driven by anthropogenic climate change. Lima Fernandes, Vânia Filipa - Anatomy, Biochemistry, & Physiology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, UH Manoa Evolution of Sensory-Behavior Laterality in Astyanax mexicanus V. F. Lima Fernandes, H. Hernandez, M. Yoshizawa Many animal species exhibit laterality in sensation and behavioral responses, namely, the preference for using either the left or right side of the sensory system. However, it is largely unknown whether such laterality in sensory-behavior coupling evolves during rapid adaptation processes. A cave form of the Mexican tetra, Astyanax mexicanus, evolved from surface-dwelling ancestors and rapidly adapted to cave by enhancing traits including vibration attraction behavior (VAB), an adaptive foraging behavior in darkness, and its underlying mechanosensors, superficial neuromasts (SN). In our former study, we found that the left side-SN increase, regardless of by the normal development or by inhibitor treatment, was positively correlated with VAB in juvenile cavefish. The association with right side-SN, or laterality in surface fish was not observed, suggesting the laterality between left SN and VAB may have evolved during adaptation to cave. We will discuss current attempts on SN neuro-tracing and brain anatomy which are potentially related to asymmetrical VAB response as well as the impact of asymmetric ablation of the lateral line in VAB level. Lopez, Gioconda – Botany, UH Mānoa Ecological effects of seaweed harvesting: A case study of harvesting and population dynamics of Mazzaella laminarioides in Matanzas, Chile Worldwide seaweeds are cultivated and wild harvested for industrial purposes, however, they can have economic importance and cultural value for coastal communities. Today they are industrially used for biofuels, fertilizers, food supplements, medicines, and extraction of polysaccharides present in their cell walls. This study evaluated the effects of the intensification of harvest on a population of M. laminarioides from Matanzas, South Central Chile. We used a case of study of M. laminarioides, an intertidal seaweed endemic of Chile. This species is increasingly wild harvested for commercial production of carrageenan and is also traditionally consumed as a food by local indigenous populations. We permanently marked 13 experimental units and applied three treatments based on harvesting strategies and frequency: pulling leaves by hand monthly, pulling once at the beginning of the season, and scraping once. We assessed the units monthly for the full duration of the harvesting season (December 2016 to May 2017). For statistical analysis we used linear mixed effect models with three response variables: number of discs, number of leaves, and number of harvestable leaves (>10 cm). The less detrimental treatment, which allowed recovery for the three variables studied, was “hand pull once”; plots with the treatment “hand pull monthly” recovered for discs and number of leaves but not for harvestable leaves; and the plots scraped just recovered for number of

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discs. Our results suggest that pulling by hand, rotating harvesting areas and waiting longer to revisit the same spot would be the most sustainable method. Matsuda, Shayle - Marine Biology Graduate Program, Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, UH Mānoa Drop it like it’s hot: The response of 4 Hawaiian coral species to thermal stress S. Matsuda, R. Gates Scleractinian reef corals live within a few degrees from their upper thermal limit and are therefore threatened by episodic and seasonal ocean warming that disrupts their mutualistic symbiosis with Symbiodiniaceae, a process known as coral bleaching. In recent years, global bleaching events have contributed to massive coral die-offs. Symbiodiniaceae communities play an integral role in holobiont nutrition, defense, and physiology, and have been shown to affect the performance of reef corals during (and following) temperature stress. Here, we examine how thermal stress effects the host-Symbiodinaceae symbioses and the overall holobiont health in four coral species in Kāne‘ohe Bay, Hawai‘i (Montipora capitata, Porites compressa, Pocillopora acuta, and Pavona varians) differing in key functional traits (skeletal morphology, tissue thickness, and Symbiodiniaceae fidelity and transmission mode). Twelve genotypes (n=5 ramets genotype-1) of each species were collected and exposed to ambient (ca. 28°C) or high (ca. 31°C) temperature treatments for 2 weeks, and then held at 28°C for one month for physiological recovery. Of the four species, Montipora capitata was the most resistant to thermal stress, showing no significant decrease in Symbiodiniaceae cell counts and the smallest drop in photochemical efficiency. Symbiodiniaceae assemblages did not change in response to thermal stress or experimental time points, however, ITS2 profiles remained consistent by genotype. Our results show that heat stress can have minimal effects on some coral species and their symbionts compared to others. McDonald, Marisa - Marine Biology Graduate Program, Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, UH Mānoa Visual physiology of the grass shrimp Palaemonetes vulgaris M. McDonald, J. Cohen, M. Porter Grass shrimp of the genus Palaemonetes are visual animals, which use their eyes for predation, defense, and orientation. However, work on their visual physiology is dated and comparative studies on sympatric species are absent. This study investigated the visual physiology of P. vulgaris through the use of electroretinogram (ERG) recordings. ERG data was used to model multiple spectral classes in shrimp tested under dark and orange chromatic adaptation and assess irradiance sensitivity with V-logI curves. P. vulgaris were found to be dichromatic, consistent with earlier work that described a broad peak at 540 nm and a narrow peak at 390 nm. The primary peak was clearly seen in dark-adapted animals in the green spectrum at 531 nm. Under orange chromatic-adaptation a UV peak emerged at 390 nm. As well as being a narrower peak shape, there was a 10 nm wavelength discrepancy in the peak wavelength of the green visual pigment compared to earlier work. The UV visual pigment was consistent with previous studies. In addition to spectral sensitivity, irradiance sensitivity measurements were taken at 530 nm in P. vulgaris, as well as in the closely related species P. pugio. These species are found sympatrically, but tend to separate by salinity and substrate in their natural habitats.

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We found that there is no significant difference between the irradiance sensitivities of the two species. This suggests differences in habitat do not appear to be reflected in irradiance sensitivities, although spectral sensitivities comparisons have yet to be tested. McGowan, Ashley – Zoology, Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, UH Mānoa Ridge restoration and reef response: Impacts of invasive mangrove removal on nearshore coral reef A. McGowan, K. Bahr, R. Toonen The Heʻeia watershed has been severely impacted by invasive species, including red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle). While mangroves are native to most tropical ecosystems, they have become invasive in Hawaiʻi since introduction in 1902, appear to not serve the same critical ecosystem functions as in their native range. Mass removal of invasive mangroves and replanting of native riparian plants and loʻi taro is underway since the recent incorporation of Heʻeia into the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS). To better understand how these changes in the watershed may influence the nearshore coral reef, we established 24 permanent monitoring stations on the Heʻeia reef flat where we assess marine fish populations, sedimentation levels, water quality, and coral reef condition before, during, and after restoration. Preliminary results indicate no significant change in rates of sedimentation or nutrient loading in coral-dominated areas since the start of mass mangrove removal. Monitoring of reef conditions provides baseline data for potential changes to the coral reef as restoration progresses and presents a unique chance to study how mangrove removal affects nearshore coral reefs outside of the native range. The marine ecosystem data we collect complements research in the freshwater, fishpond, and terrestrial environments to allow for an ecosystem approach in understanding and managing the entire ahupuaʻa while maximizing benefits to both natural and human communities. Moon, Hannah – Biology, UH Mānoa How do seabirds perceive light? H. Moon, T. Anderson, M. Porter Artificial lights at night cause high mortality in fledgling seabirds due to attraction and subsequent grounding. Seabirds most affected by grounding are Procellariformes, including shearwaters and petrels. Of concern in Hawaii are the Hawaiian Petrel (Pterodroma sandwichensis), Newell's shearwater (Puffinus newelli), and the Wedge-tailed shearwater (Ardenna pacifica). Newell's Shearwater fledglings have the highest susceptibility, which suggests differences in behavior and/or vision between species as well as between fledglings and adults. Previous studies on migratory birds suggest that the color of light can affect attraction. To better understand visual perception in seabirds and drivers of light attraction, the temporal sensitivity of the target species was tested in different spectra and intensities of light. Flashing LED lights were used in up to five intensities in three wavelengths- violet (385nm), blue (450nm), and white light (peak at 594nm). Electroretinography was used to measure the magnitude of response in the eye to each intensity and identify the flicker fusion frequency. Juveniles of each species and one adult A. pacifica have been tested by the end of the first field season. All species were sensitive to 385nm light at bright intensities, suggesting a violet sensitive visual system. Preliminary analyses suggest a flicker fusion frequency of about 30Hz in

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the violet-sensitive photoreceptor of P. newelli. Preliminary results also suggest variation in response of the eye to different colors of light between species and life stages. Ultimately, a greater understanding of the physiology of visual systems in seabirds may help us reduce artificial light attraction and groundings. Nalley, Eileen – Marine Biology Graduate Program, Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, UH Mānoa What’s on your plate?: Land-based pollutants in Hawaiian reef fishes E. Nalley, J. Zill, M. Donahue As modern land use continuously modifies coastal environments, sedimentation and runoff increasingly threaten coral reefs. In urban areas with high concentrations of pollutants and few permeable surfaces, contaminants can be quickly transported onto the reef through groundwater discharge or surface runoff. Once on the reef, marine organisms that consume detritus may ingest these contaminants. In this study we explored the relationship between land use and reef fishes in Hawaiʻi by examining the concentrations of different metals in sediments and the tissues of fishes spanning multiple trophic levels from sites on Oʻahu (7 sites) and Kauaʻi (3 sites). We particularly focused on species that are commonly targeted by fishermen. Tissue samples were analyzed for a suite of 21 metals using inductively-coupled mass spectrometry. Data from our preliminary analyses indicate high levels of arsenic at several locations in multiple species, which may be a result of historic agriculture in Hawaiʻi. Particularly high arsenic concentrations were seen in weke ʻa (Mulloidichthys flavolineatus) and moano (Parupeneus multifasciatus) samples from Oʻahu. As we incorporate data from the rest of our analyses, our results from 2018 will inform our sampling efforts in 2019, and we will examine the trophic pathways linking land-based pollutants and reef fishes. We hope that our results will help communities and resource managers in Hawaiʻi by providing information on the locations and species of potential concern and the possible pollution pathways. Oyafuso, Zack - Marine Biology Graduate Program, Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, UH Mānoa Management strategy evaluation of fishing reserves designed via spatial optimization models Z. Oyafuso, E. Franklin, P. Leung Fishing reserves and other spatial management tactics can be useful tools for fisheries management. Reserve selection models can guide managers by calculating placements of reserves subject to explicit management objectives and targets. Results from reserve selection modelling indicate a strong tradeoff between conservation representation and socioeconomic impact. Thus, a range of optimal reserve solutions can arise, and the preferences of the decision makers can influence the subset of optimal solutions that is relevant. We examined the bioeconomic effects of a diverse range of reserve solutions calculated from reserve selection models when implemented over time. We first developed a spatially explicit operating model (OM) with biomass-pool fish population dynamics, individual-based fleet dynamics, and spatiotemporal variation in fishery accessibility. The OM was progressed until varying levels of population depletion, then a reserve optimization model was used to approximate the pareto

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frontier of solutions comprised of maximizing conservation representation and minimizing socioeconomic opportunity cost. Three types of optimal reserve solutions were calculated: 1) lowest socioeconomic impact, 2) highest conservation representation, and 3) a compromise solution equally balancing the conservation and socioeconomic objectives. Reserve scenarios were a combination of the three solution types and two total area scenarios. Each reserve scenario was then implemented for another 50 years. Total fish biomass, profit, effort, catch, and number of fishers were tracked over time. Results from this simulation are intended to show how bioeconomic tradeoffs identified when designing marine reserves are translated through time under stochastic spatiotemporal dynamics and reacting fish and fisher populations. Rocha de Souza, Mariana - Marine Biology Graduate Program, Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, UH Mānoa Spatial and temporal variation of free-living coral symbionts in Kāneʻohe Bay M. Rocha de Souza, R. Toonen, R. Gates Corals host endosymbiotic algae from the family Symbiodiniaceae that by sharing the products of photosynthesis with corals provide corals with about 90% of its energy supply. Symbiodiniaceae diversity and abundance fluctuate under different conditions, influencing coral susceptibility to bleaching and resistance to climate change. The adaptive bleaching hypothesis posits that bleaching creates the opportunity for corals to acquire Symbiodiniaceae that are more suited to the new conditions in the host's habitat. The hypothesis highlights the need to characterize the Symbiodiniacaeae community available for coral uptake, which has received little attention. The composition and availability of free-living Symbiodiniaceae in reef waters and sediments may represent sources of Symbiodiniaceae and influence symbiotic assemblages in the corals. Those free-living algae represent an opportunity for the coral to interact and select from these symbiont populations and are important reservoirs of potential endosymbionts for corals recovering from bleaching. A metacommunity framework, in which an array of local communities is connected by dispersal, may provide insight into the drivers and scales of Symbiodiniaceae community assembly in different compartments on the reef. In this study, I am using amplicon sequencing to characterize the Symbiodiniaceae community in the water column and sediment of five sites in Kāneʻohe Bay and its drivers (seasonality, temperature, sedimentation rate and nutrients). Investigating this dynamic interaction and its drivers will provide us valuable insights on the capacity of corals to recover from bleaching and acclimatize in stressful conditions. Satdichanh, Manichanh - World Agroforestry Centre, East and Central Asia Phylogenetic diversity matters to aboveground biomass production during tropical forest succession M. Satdichanh, H. Ma, R. Harrison Enhancing knowledge on the role of evolutionary history during forest succession and its relationship with ecosystem function is particularly relevant in the context of forest landscape restoration for climate change mitigation and adaptation. We used fine resolution vegetation and environmental data from two large-scale surveys (320 x 1000 m2 plots in two 10 km x 10 km blocks) in the Upper Mekong to quantify (1) the role of abiotic and biotic (species interactions) factors in community assembly processes and (2) the effect of biodiversity,

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environmental factors and forest succession on aboveground biomass (AGB). We found strong correlation between soil fertility and community structure in the early successional seres, while species interactions played an increasingly important role in older seres, presumably due to species complementary. We detected a significant relationship between AGB and phylogenetic diversity, elevation and soil fertility across successional gradients. Our results support the hypothesis that abiotic filtering influences species assembly in the initial stages of forest succession, while biotic interactions dominate community assembly processes in older seres. We found that phylogenetic diversity, soil fertility and elevation gradients were strongly predictive of AGB in a secondary tropical montane forest in Southeast Asia. However, elevation may reflect other underlying abiotic gradients, such as water availability. Considering phylogenetic diversity in restoration plantings and the management of forests younger than 15 years old could enhance forest biomass and the climate mitigation function forest landscape restoration. Screen, Robyn – Biology, UH Mānoa Boldness and behavioral syndromes in urban vs. rural habitats in the brown anole (Anolis sagrei) Behavior is a key component of an animal’s response to novel stressors such as anthropogenic change. One way in which behavior can affect how an animal responds to a changing environment is through behavioral syndromes, where different behavioral types are more successful in different environments. For example, previous research indicates that individuals in urban environments are bolder than their rural conspecifics and display strong within-individual consistency in this boldness. The brown anole lizard (Anolis sagrei) was introduced to Oʻahu in the 1980s and has been thriving in both urban and more rural areas, providing an ideal system for better understanding behavioral traits driving success in urban habitats. In this study I performed three behavioral assays in the field on 279 brown anole lizards across eight populations to assess 1) whether individuals show consistently bold behavior across trials and 2) whether urban populations are, on average, bolder than rural populations. An intraclass correlation coefficient indicated that within-individual behavioral consistency exists, but is weak. Similarly, a mixed model approach provided evidence for individual consistency, but individual explained relatively little of the variation across trials. The analysis of boldness levels among populations found that smaller lizards were bolder than larger lizards, and that there is a trend towards urban lizards being bolder than rural lizards. While this study demonstrates that a boldness syndrome exists in A. sagrei on Oʻahu, there does not appear to be a strong difference in boldness between urban and rural populations. Sparagon, Wesley - Marine Biology Graduate Program, Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, UH Mānoa Exploring the combined impacts of dissolved organic matter and thermal stress on the coral microbiome W. Sparagon, C. Nelson The coral holobiont is a consortium of symbionts including the coral host, algae, fungi, viruses, and bacteria. Symbiotic bacteria within coral, referred to here as the coral microbiome, play crucial roles in mediating coral response to stressors. Two of the most damaging stressors corals face are algal competition and ocean warming. Both dissolved organic matter (DOM)

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exuded from algae and thermal stress induce shifts in bacterial communities towards a more fast-growing, putatively pathogenic state, which in turn can destabilize the coral microbiome and negatively impact coral health. Given the co-occurrence of algal competition and thermal stress on coral reefs, as well as the documented effects of these two stressors on bacteria, it is crucial to investigate how they might interact to impact the coral microbiome and coral health. We conducted a 10-day mesocosm experiment to explore the effects of algal DOM and thermal stress on the coral microbiome. Montipora capitata nubbins collected from Kāneʻohe Bay, Oʻahu were continuously exposed to Gracilaria salicornia derived DOM for 3 days, followed by 7 days of combined DOM and thermal stress. Coral microbiomes were analyzed by sequencing the 16S rDNA gene region. Preliminary results indicate a potential interaction between algal DOM and temperature and a significant effect of temperature and on coral microbiome community structure. Further analysis will investigate the potential mechanisms and impacts of this microbiome shift, with the hope to better understand why the coral microbiome responds to rapid environmental change and what this means for the future of coral reefs worldwide. Thomas, Hoaka - Marine Biology Graduate Program, Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, UH Mānoa Identifying extrinsic conditions favoring multicellularity in natural populations of choanoflagellates H. Thomas, R. Alegado Multicellularity is a key evolutionary transition that arose independently at least 23 times across the tree of life. Though mechanisms elucidating the transition from solitary to multi-celled states have been deciphered in several organisms, animal multicellularity remains elusive. As the closest living unicellular relatives of animals, life history transitions in choanoflagellates have the potential to provide insights into animal origins. Salpingoeca rosetta is a colonial choanoflagellate that has been developed as an experimental model of simple multicellularity. We previously discovered that the marine Bacteroidetes Algoriphagus machipongonensis induces colony formation in S. rosetta, implicating a role for extrinsic factors in the evolution of multicellularity in this lineage. To elucidate additional extrinsic factors regulating choanoflagellate multicellularity, we identified coastal subtropical estuaries in the Pacific as having relatively high natural populations of S. rosetta. Constructed estuarine systems such as Hawaiian fishponds provide the ideal habitat in which to investigate environmental drivers of choanoflagellate multicellularity. On O’ahu island, we sample He’eia Fishpond, a site with relatively stable marine conditions. We expect to see temporal and seasonal variation of abiotic and biotic factors in the fishpond, factors that can potentially change frequencies of S. rosetta cell morphotypes. The goals of this study are: 1) to sort cell morphotypes using colonial tags and flow cytometry, 2) to assess seasonal abundance and frequency of S. rosetta and 3) to assess cell morphotype frequency of ambient samples using flow cytometry. By describing conditions favoring multicellularity in choanoflagellates, we can experimentally test future hypotheses on the evolution of multicellularity.

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Timmers, Molly – Zoology, Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, UH Mānoa Effects of elevated pCO₂ and temperature on reef biodiversity using Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures M. Timmers, J. Vicente, K. Bahr Carbon dioxide driven changes in ocean chemistry and temperature is predicted to severely reduce diversity, structural complexity, and resilience on coral reefs. The goal of this project is to improve our understanding of the effects of ocean acidification and warming on coral reef communities by examining responses of entire suites of reef organisms recruiting to Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS) in benthic mesocosms. We performed a fully factorial experiment that consisted of four treatments of low and high temperature and pCO2 levels over a multiannual time frame. To examine these effects on biodiversity, at the end of the experiment, each ARMS unit was scrapped clean of all biological material which was subsequently homogenized, extracted, and sequenced via metabarcoding techniques. Here we present our initial findings. Tucker, Sarah - Marine Biology Graduate Program, Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, UH Mānoa Population dynamics of dominant marine microbes within and immediately adjacent to Kāneʻohe Bay, Hawaiʻi S. Tucker, M. Rappé Surface seawater microbial communities are dominated by a few globally distributed lineages of bacteria, archaea, and eukarya. These dominant marine microbes consist of photoautotrophs like the cyanobacteria Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus, as well as heterotrophs like the SAR11 clade of Alphaproteobacteria. Most dominant marine microbes tend to come from lineages of high genetic diversity associated with ecological differentiation. Although much effort has focused on how biotic and abiotic factors drive ecological differentiation in these dominant groups of marine microbes, few studies have examined differentiation across coastal and into oceanic environments. This research takes advantage of a steep physiochemical gradient within and immediately outside of Kāne‘ohe Bay, Hawai‘i to examine how the population structure of dominant marine microbes, as defined by amplicon sequences of the 16S SSU rRNA gene, varies along a transect from nearshore to the open ocean environments. A high-resolution time-series approach, sampling every 4 hours for 52 hours straight, was employed to capture diel changes in the population structure of dominant marine microbes across time and space and to explore how these changes are further influenced by both abiotic and biotic drivers. Preliminary analyses show that the population structure for SAR11 and Prochlorococcus and alpha diversity within Kāne‘ohe Bay differs from that in the open ocean outside of the bay.

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Van De Verg, Scott – Botany, UH Mānoa Is hydrogen peroxide a new management tool in the battle against leather mudweed? Coastal communities on Oʻahu have been under pressure of a persistent, aggressive invasive species, leather mudweed, since it was first described on Oʻahu over 39 years ago (Brostoff, 1989). This seaweed has since spread to form substantial mounds on windward shores of Oʻahu and has been reported on Kauaʻi and elsewhere on Maui. Despite previous experiments, no biological agent successfully controls this seaweed. This project aims to understand the role of hydrogen peroxide as a new management tool and cost-efficient means to mitigate the impact of invasive leather mudweed via the injection of solution into the holdfast (underground base of the plant). Preliminary results show that low volumes of 3% hydrogen peroxide is more effective at reducing photosynthesis as measured by a pulse amplitude modulated fluorometer than does regular household glyphosate-based herbicide (ready-to-use Roundup) in isolated, replicated aquaria. These tests will help to elucidate potential uses of a non-toxic biocide, hydrogen peroxide, as a chemical control method to manage proliferation of this macroalga and will help to identify new management practices to enlist alongside other efforts such as manual removal (hand pulling) and biocontrol methods (out-planting of collector urchins, Tripneustes gratilla). Field work will be employed to assess regional applicability starting in summer 2019, especially in regions with up to 100% cover. Vave, Ron - Marine Biology Graduate Program, Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, UH Mānoa Culturally protected water bodies in Fiji: What we don’t know and the risks they pose R. Vave, A. Friedlander, R. Richmond Globally, an immense body of literature exists that advocates for, and details the benefits of indigenous community involvement in biodiversity conservation. However, in Fiji, only a few of these mention protected areas that are established for cultural reasons. Very little detail is known on the types of Culturally Protected Water Bodies (CPWB) that occur in Fiji, where and who they are done for or how long protection is in place. Nor do we know its benefits and challenges. This paper will share preliminary findings based on five CPWBs known to occur in Fiji; (1) Pregnancy, (2) Meconium, (3) Circumcision, (4) Chiefly installation and (5) Funerary. The three key findings on CPWBs in Fiji are (a) contemporary biodiversity conservation rarely considers CPWBs and is partially responsible for its displacement and rapid erosion. This stems from and exacerbates the fact that (b) CPWBs are not as widely known, even among indigenous Fijians, and especially by staff of conservation NGOs. CPWBs are (c) place-based and therefore affected by human migration plus other governance and social issues. However, the successful harvest of small-sized, short term CPWBs have reaffirmed the correlation for indigenous Fijians that natural resources needs to be protected in order to have more. This cultural practice may have contributed to the widespread adoption of larger, longer term protected areas by and with communities, of which about 400 currently exist in Fiji for both biodiversity and food security.

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Wall, Chris - Marine Biology Graduate Program, Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, UH Mānoa Symbiont genotypes drive isotope values of a reef coral across a light gradient C. Wall, M. Kaluhiokalani, M. Donahue Reef corals are mixotrophic organisms that meet metabolic demands through symbiont-derived photoautotrophy and the capture of particles/prey from seawater (collectively, heterotrophy). However, some symbiont genotypes (Family: Symbiodiniaceae) display environmentally mediated or genetically fixed opportunistic tendencies to the detriment of host nutrition and growth. In addition, the capacity for corals to exploit heterotrophy under normal and stressed conditions varies among coral species and the composition and integrity of the symbiont community. To better understand symbiont community effects on the biology and nutrition of reef corals, we sampled Montipora capitata from a human impacted Hawaiian coral reef ecosystem (Kāne‘ohe Bay), where M. capitata associates with Cladocopium and Durusdinium symbionts (hereafter, C- and D-colonies) that partition with depth. We observed significant changes in the biology and δ13C isotopic values of M. capitata and its symbiont algae over a relatively small depth zone (<1–9m) during two seasons with distinct patterns in host-symbiont interactions (symbiont densities, photopigmentation) and isotopic values dependent on symbiont community. D-colonies had higher symbiont densities, lower photopigments/cell and lower δ13C values in host and symbiont tissues, consistent with lower carbon translocation rates and/or greater isotope fractionation. While δ13C values declined with depth, neither holobiont showed indications of greater heterotrophy or nutritional plasticity. These results indicate D-colonies may experience nutritional tradeoffs and hosting Durusdinium may be energetically taxing for coral hosts. These findings provide insight into the ecology of the coral-Symbiodiniaceae symbiosis and the abiotic and biotic influences on stable isotope proxies for coral nutrition. Wallstrom, Michael – Biology, UH Mānoa Testing the accuracy and adequacy of phylogenetic inference models using experimental evolution M. Wallstrom, M. Shaulsky, F. Reed, B. Thomson Inferring phylogenetic relationships among organisms has become routine in comparative biological research studies and is an area of rapid methodological development. Early methods for phylogenetic inference were based on numerical algorithms that made many simplifying assumptions about the evolutionary process, which led to concerns about their accuracy. One way that the accuracy of these early methods was tested was by creating known phylogenies, wherein organisms are allowed to evolve along a known history. By reconstructing evolutionary history among the experimentally evolved organisms and comparing this to the known history, straightforward tests of accuracy are possible. Hillis et al. (1992) created the first known phylogeny by experimentally evolving the bacteriophage T7. This was then used to compare the accuracy of five methods of phylogenetic inference. Since this time, these early methods of phylogenetic inference have been supplanted by a family of methods that make use of stochastic evolutionary models which increase the accuracy of phylogenetic inference, ease interpretation of data, and vastly expand the scope of questions that can be addressed using DNA sequence data. Here, we use a lab experiment to evolve T7 along a known phylogeny using

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the methods developed by Hillis et al. (1992). We will then sequence whole genomes from the viral lineages that result from this experiment and use these data to measure the accuracy and adequacy of the field’s new generation of evolutionary models. Weible, Rebecca – Zoology, Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, UH Mānoa The life history traits of resource fishes within and surrounding a community based subsistence fishing area at Hāʻena, Kauaʻi Since the establishment of the Hāʻena CBSFA fishing rules and regulations in 2015, the local community has questions regarding their newly regulated fisheries. One of these questions from the community at Hāʻena includes: are the resource fishes in the newly established Hāʻena CBSFA reaching reproductive maturity as a result of decreased fishing pressure that the CBSFA may have provided since 2015. To answer this question, it is important to understand and address the conditions that favor fishes to reach reproductive maturity, the significance of a CBSFA, and how the establishment of a CBSFA has the potential to foster the maturity of resource fishes, to create a more sustainable coastal fishery. The Coral Reef Ecology Laboratory and the Division of Aquatic Resources conducted rapid assessment surveys in August 2016, June and August 2017, and July 2018 within and outside the CBSFA boundaries. The belt transect method was used to estimate fish abundance and sizes. Maturity indicating parameters, such as L50 values, were derived from the literature and used to statistically analyze and compare the resource fish sizes observed on the transect within and outside the boundaries and throughout the three years of data collection. Results will be preliminary, as the analysis is still in progress. Wishingrad, Van – Biology, UH Mānoa Landscape genetics inferences at multiple scales V. Wishingrad, R. Thomson The field of landscape genetics aims to understand the effect of landscape structure on evolutionary processes. Research in this field has made great strides in contributing to our understanding of how landscape composition affects population connectivity, the relative strength of geographic distance, topography, and environmental heterogeneity in shaping patterns of gene-flow, and how adaptive genetic variation is linked to environmental variation across geographic space. However, while several studies have described landscape effects on genetic divergence, it remains unclear how generalizable landscape genetics inferences may be across latitudinal and longitudinal gradients, elevation gradients, and spatial scales. I will measure gene-flow in several study areas and calculate the effect of environmental variation and habitat types on gene-flow to understand how consistent or idiosyncratic the effect of habitat and environmental variation on gene-flow between populations of a species may be. Specifically, this study tests the generalizability of inferences in landscape genetics using the Western Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis) as a model species, which is widely distributed over diverse range of habitat types to answer the following questions: (1) How consistent are landscape genetics results across space? (2) Are species interacting differently with their landscape at different scales? (3) What landscape elements play a more prominent role at smaller spatial scales vs. larger spatial scales? The degree to which landscape genetics processes are generalizable in different locations or at different spatial scales is not well

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understood. This study aims to resolve some of the important problems facing landscape geneticists by drawing inferences about the reproducibility and generalizability of landscape genetics findings, bringing about greater understanding of concordance and conflict in landscape genetics studies at multiple scales, and contributing to the development of landscape genetic theory. Worsham, McLean – Zoology, UH Mānoa Epigenetic regulation of adaptive phenotypes of Mexican tetras M. Worsham, M. Yoshizawa, J. Fang Epigenetic mechanisms modify gene expressions in response to factors encountered in the environment without immediately changing genomic nucleotide composition. These mechanisms can contribute to genome-wide heritable modifications within a single generation; therefore, epigenetics has been proposed as one of the drivers of organismal evolution. However, it is largely unknown how these mechanisms actually play a role in evolution; for example, it is unknown whether epigenetic modifications contribute to genetic assimilation of certain genotypes, or why epigenetic regulation affects certain traits but not others. The present research strives to determine the effects of epigenetics modification in trait evolution within Mexican tetras. This teleost model has a strong advantage for the study of epigenetics as cave population shows hypermethylation of cytosine across the genome in comparison with surface populations. Here, we treated both surface fish and cavefish with inhibitors of DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) and histone deacetylase-increasing transcription; and methionine, a methyl donor-decreasing transcription. We then measured the effect on eye development, foraging behavior, and circadian activity. Our results showed that treatments with the inhibitor cocktail increased eye-size in cavefish but had no effect in surface fish, while treatment with the methyl donor reduced eye size in surface fish but had no effect in cavefish. However, our result indicated that these drug treatments did not affect behavioral phenotypes in cave or surface fish. We also report our current attempt at a quick methylation assay system and CpG island profiling. Yadav, Shreya - Marine Biology Graduate Program, Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, UH Mānoa King tuna: Indian Ocean trade, offshore fishing, and coral reef resilience in the Maldives archipelago The traditional offshore pole-and-line tuna fishery of the Maldives historically fostered low levels of reef fishing in this archipelago. A local preference for tuna in cuisine has had substantial benefits to the resilience of Maldivian coral reefs by driving pelagic as opposed to reef fishing. While the tuna fishery is old and extensive – some evidence suggests it has been in place for over a thousand years – the reasons for its development have not been closely examined. Why did an offshore pelagic fishery develop in such small and isolated islands, with abundant and easily accessible nearshore reefs? Why is tuna considered the “king of fish” in the Maldives, in contrast to many other islands across the globe where reef fish are prized for a wide variety of cultural and social reasons, often deeply rooted in community histories? In this paper, we trace the written accounts of travelers, voyagers, and traders, in addition to more recent research to gain an understanding of how early Indian Ocean trade networks, primarily driven by money

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cowries, might have shaped the development of the tuna fishery over time. While this has kept reef fishing historically light, we explore how the growth and expansion of the Maldivan tourist industry threatens to endanger the long-term sustainability of reef fisheries today. Yamase, Nicole – Botany, UH Mānoa Assessing the benthic plant community in a 2-year mesocosm study at HIMB, Kāneʻohe Bay N. Yamase, C. Jury, R. Toonen, C. Smith Macroalgae are vital reef plants that serve multiple purposes in the shallow coastal marine ecosystems providing forage for herbivores and refuge for juveniles from several trophic levels. In addition, published information on the biology of our flora such as rates of growth and photosynthesis are limited. These gaps limit our ability to anticipate how reef communities will change in the next 100 years as primary production changes. The Toonen Lab completed a two-year study at HIMB that allowed the growth of communities in 40 mesocosms. There were four treatments (10 replicates per treatment): 1) ambient, 2) elevated temperature, 3) elevated CO2, and 4) a combination of elevated temperature and elevated CO2. Over the course of two years, there has been an abundance in coral, sponge and macroalgal growth. All four sides of each tank was photographed for percent cover. Macroalgae was collected and identified from each mesocosm, tracking which side of each tank was sampled. Photosynthetic measurements of ETRm and Ek immediately followed after collections. For this study, I have assessed and identified the benthic plant community in each mesocosm via percent cover determinations and examined the physiological responses by measuring rates of photosynthesis. This work will determine which plant species were successful in each of the four treatments. Understanding which plants will be able tolerate and adapt to these environmental changes will allow us to realize a truer view of future reefs, prepare for those changes and work to secure the livelihoods of local communities across the Pacific.

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POSTER PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT POSTER ABSTRACTS Ackerman, Katherine – Atmospheric Science, UH Mānoa Implementation of low-cost Technology for open-ocean atmospheric sampling Using 3D printers and low-cost Arduino boards, science is becoming cheaper and more accessible. Under an EAGER NSF Grant, Dr. Nugent has created a low-cost sea salt aerosol sampler called a Giant Nuclei Impactor, or GNI for short, that can be attached to kites or drones to sample aerosol at various heights and locations. In January of 2019 I attended the Kilo Moana HOT Cruise #309 where I used the GNIs to sample open-ocean sea salt aerosols at heights of 100m, 200m, and 300m. We sampled aerosols that preceded and proceeded a large rainfall event, where we hope to find a difference aerosol concentrations and nuclei sizes. Carroll, Brenna – SOEST, UH Mānoa Effects of future ocean conditions on the microbiome of crustose coralline algae with implications for coral settlement and growth B. Carroll, C. Nelson, C. Jury It is relatively well known that crustose coralline algae are important for coral reef health, and possibly even coral larval settlement. I investigated how the relationship between two species of CCA and microbial communities in coral reefs may change with the stressors of ocean acidification and sea surface temperature rise. CCA were placed into ambient and high temperature, high pH conditions in a full factorial cross, resulting in 4 “treatments”. Tissue and exudate samples were taken to observe changes in microbial communities and exudate composition between species and treatments to understand how reef relationships may change in the future. Effects of “future ocean conditions” on CCA-associated organic matter and microbial communities will be discussed. Chang, Ryan – Biology & Human Nutrition, Food, and Animal Sciences, UH Mānoa Control of growth-related genes by pituitary hormones in the liver and gonad of male and female Mozambique Tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) R. Chang, F. Celino-Brady, A. Seale Many vertebrates, including fish, are sexually dimorphic, exhibiting marked differences in growth between sexes. This sexual dimorphism with respect to growth is largely governed by the endocrine system. While sexual and environmental effects on growth are well documented, the mechanisms underlying the endocrine control of growth between males and females are not fully understood. The growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor (GH/IGF) system plays a major role in regulating growth and development while gonadotropins, such as luteinizing hormone (LH), stimulate the production of sex hormones in the gonads, which initiate and maintain gonadal development. Prolactin (PRL) plays a major role in osmoregulation in fish, and combined with GH may affect reproduction by modulating the regulation of gonadal steroids. Conversely, LH (through gonadal steroids) may affect growth by modulating the regulation of GH and PRL in

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the pituitary and/or affecting IGF production in the liver. Our objective was to determine the effects of pituitary hormones on growth-related genes in the liver and gonads of male and female Mozambique tilapia. We surgically removed the pituitary gland (hypophysectomy) and replaced GH, LH and PRL by intraperitoneal injections. We found that hypophysectomy decreased relative gonad mass within 10 days in both sexes; the gonad mass lost after hypophysectomy was recovered following combined treatment with GH and LH, suggesting a synergistic effect of these hormones on gonad development. Further analyses of GH receptor and IGF gene expression in liver and gonads will provide insight into the endocrine control of growth and sexual dimorphism in fish. Chen, Solomon – Oceanography, UH Mānoa Comparative analysis of water quality and long term variability in Ala Wai watershed Extensive urbanization has led to severe eutrophication in Ala Wai Canal, an artificial estuary waterway connecting three major streams (Makiki, Pālolo, Mānoa) and numerous city drainages in Honolulu to the ocean. The lack of previous watershed data inhibits restoration and resilience efforts in Ala Wai canal. In order to understand the biogeochemical interactions and anthropogenic inputs within the watershed, this study aims to construct high-resolution spatial and temporal characterizations of the current conditions with physical and chemical parameters. Data collection was conducted via sensor casting in the canal and discrete water sampling throughout the watershed. Bathymetry surveys and water column sampling were conducted (e.g. temperature, salinity, air saturation, oxygen concentration, chlorophyll concentration). Discrete water sampling provided nutrient content information (e.g. nitrogen, phosphorus, inorganic carbon). The stratification and lateral gradient in the Ala Wai canal were strongly affected by the salinity gradient and canal bathymetry. Lateral mixing is inhibited by sediment shoals, while vertical mixing was largely affected by salinity gradient. Stratification was enhanced during rain events. Data show that the Kapahulu end of the canal was largely anoxic in the bottom water due to restricted ventilation and enhanced organic matter respiration. Quantification of physical/chemical parameters can assist in understanding urbanization and ecological effect, which is especially important for future planning, legislation, engineering, and resilience decisions. Epps, Ashleigh – Biology, UH Mānoa Growth and survivorship patterns in aggregate Pocillopora acuta juvenile coral colonies A. Epps, A. S. Huffmyer, R. D. Gates The successful settlement and survivorship of juvenile corals impacts on coral reef community composition and recovery from disturbance. However, due to the cryptic distribution of early juvenile colonies, much remains unknown on the environmental and biological factors that influence successful growth to reproductive age. Juvenile corals have been observed to settle in aggregations, which is a potential survival strategy in early life stages, offering opportunities for increased growth, genetic diversity, or energetic resources. We examined the survivorship and growth patterns in aggregate and solitary juvenile corals of the species Pocillopora acuta over the course of one-year post-settlement. Aggregate juvenile colonies had significantly higher

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survivorship than solitary colonies and also had increased growth. There was complete mortality in solitary colonies in this study by 6-months post-settlement, indicating a negative effect of solitary settlement. Understanding processes that influence post-settlement survivorship and growth has important applications in reef restoration and recruitment efforts in the context of environmental stress on today’s reef ecosystems. Ferrier, Adam – Biology & Human Nutrition, Food, and Animal Science, UH Mānoa Effect of steady-state and tidally changing salinities on the expression of intestinal aquaporins in Oreochromis mossambicus A. Ferrier, C. Petro-Sakuma, A. Seale Osmoregulation, or salt-and-water balance, is essential to life. Due to differences in osmotic gradient, fish living in hyperosmotic environments are challenged with excessive ion uptake and water loss, while the opposite is a challenge for fish living in hyposmotic environments. In order to maintain homeostasis and survive, fish must keep their internal osmolality within a tight range, typically about 1/3 that of seawater (SW). Understanding the regulation of water transport under changing salinities shall provide insight into the mechanisms underlying osmoregulation in teleost fish. We analyzed the mRNA expression of the water channels, aquaporin (AQP) 1 and 3, in the anterior, middle, and posterior intestinal segments of Mozambique tilapia acclimated to fresh water (FW), SW, and a tidal regimen (TR), which is characterized by changes between FW and SW every 6h. We also tracked changes in AQP 1 and 3 expression over a 7 day period following transfer from FW to SW and vice-versa. We found that expression of AQPs was highest in the posterior intestine, indicating that this intestinal segment is involved in water absorption. Furthermore, our preliminary results indicate that both AQPs are upregulated in SW, suggesting that these channels play a role in facilitating water transport during acclimation to hyperosmotic environments. Hu, Huanli – Hawaiʻi Pacific Neuroscience Understanding patients with epilepsy that use unconventional treatments: Medical marijuana use in Hawaiʻi A study of a sample of patients with epilepsy using cannabis/marijuana-related products and determine factors that drove these patients into their usage of marijuana, by comparing between patients with epilepsy using recreational marijuana and medical marijuana in Hawaii. Data was extracted from patient charts using ICD-10 codes for epilepsy. Patients were grouped by ethnic-culture and clinical history was reviewed. The following were analyzed: type of epilepsy, type of marijuana product, seizure frequency, substance use, depression, anxiety, quality of life, and use of AEDs.

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Huynh-Nguyen, Tina – SOEST, UH Mānoa The effectiveness of monthly removal of invasive algae on percent cover of native Hawaiian algae in Maunalua Bay T. Huynh-Nguyen, M. Manning The big three invasive alien algae, Avrainvillea amadelpha, Gracilaria salicornia, and Acanthophora spicifera are well-established within Mauanalua Bay, O‘ahu. These invasive, nonindigenous species are outcompeting native organisms for limited habitat and resources. The dominate invasive species, A. amadelpha could be an ecosystem engineer species within Mauanalua Bay by trapping sediments within its holdfast and providing secondary substrate for epiphytic species. To mitigate the spreading of invasive species within the bay, Mālama Maunalua supports habitat restoration activities. In 2016, these conservation efforts removed more than 50,000 pounds of invasive algae from the waters of Maunalua, Bay. However, even after large-scale removals of invasive algae the bay’s recovery towards a more native ecosystem is uncertain. This study investigated the effectiveness of monthly manual removal of invasive algae species verses a one-time clearing of invasive algae within a single 10m x 10m plot over a seven-month duration. Lopera, Diana – GES, Oceanography, UH Mānoa Thermal tolerance of Anolis aquaticus at sites with different land-use histories D. Lopera, B. Putman, L. Swierk Global climate change has profound effects on species, especially those in habitats already altered by humans. Tropical reptiles are predicted to be highly at risk from global temperature increases, particularly those adapted to cooler temperatures at higher altitudes. As tropical montane habitats warm, cool-adapted reptiles are left without low-temperature refugia on mountain “islands”. We investigated how one such species, the water anole (Anolis aquaticus), copes with temperature stress associated with a warming climate. Using populations from three habitat types (primary forest, secondary forest, and abandoned pasture), we tested the hypothesis that water anoles from deforested (warmer) habitats would have higher body temperatures and therefore be more acclimated to heat and better withstand temperature stress. In a field survey, we found that 1) anoles from the primary forest and 2) operative temperature models of anoles placed in the primary forest had lower temperatures than those in the abandoned pasture. In the laboratory, we determined the critical thermal maxima of anoles from each site and found that, contrary to expectations, anoles from the primary forest were the most tolerant of short-term temperature stress. Our results demonstrate within-species variability in responses to temperature stress, depending on habitat type and provide insight into how tropical reptiles may fare in a warming world.

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Marchiani, Joelle – CNCS, UH Mānoa What goes around comes around: Benthic recruitment and species diversity of crustose coralline algae in Wailupe Bay Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi In order to better manage and preserve the abundance of coral reefs worldwide, we need to look closer at recruitment of their precursors in the marine environment. CCA is a significant precursor of coral reef health, and analyses of larval recruitment on settlement plates failed to demonstrate any coral recruitment. The study site, Wailupe Bay, located within the greater Maunalua Bay, Oʻahu, is classified as an algal dominated reef characterized by its presence of submarine groundwater discharge. Utilizing benthic surveys and percent cover of plate growth, we will gain a more complete understanding of CCA distribution throughout the bay. This presentation shows the species abundance and diversity with Shannon-Wiener and Simpson’s indexes of crustose coralline algae across an environment altered by SGD, which negatively impacts coral, as well as CCA. Opalek, Mariah – Marine Biology, UH Mānoa Cladocopium exhibits higher growth rates than Durusdinium in different light environments, independent of color, in the coral species Montipora capitata M. Opalek, S. Matsuda, R. Cunning Coral bleaching is a devastating event affecting the health and survival of corals. However, growth can also be a determining factor for life or death in a competitive reef habitat. Montipora capitata is a dominant reef-building coral species found in Kāne‘ohe Bay, O‘ahu. They rely on their algal endosymbiont partners, Symbiodinaceae, to generate nutrients needed for coral growth through photosynthesis. Colonies of M. capitata can range from orange to brown color morphs, and associate with algal symbionts Cladocopium, Durusdinium or both. Here we investigate how Symbiodinaceae type and coral color influence coral growth at different light environments. Coral fragments were collected from a patch reef from parent colonies with a known history of being brown and Cladocopium dominant, orange and Cladocopium dominant or orange and Durusdinium dominant. Fragments from each genotype were placed into four different light exposure treatments using shade cloth: 100% and reductions to 50%, 25% and 12.5%. Growth was measured by buoyant weight every four weeks for three months. Brown morphs showed higher growth rates than orange morphs in all treatments except in the control tank. Also, Cladocopium dominant fragments independent of color had a higher growth rate than Durusdinium dominant fragments. Insight on how Symbiodinaceae type effects coral growth in different light environments helps us better understand trade offs faced by coral because associating with different Symbiodinaceae may have consequences for coral survival if faster growing corals are also more prone to bleaching.

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McLaury, Alex – John A. Burns School of Medicine, UH Mānoa Epitope mapping a Zika virus envelope protein monoclonal antibody using site-directed mutagenesis and 15-mer peptides A. McLaury, A. To, L. Medina The purpose of this study is to validate results from peptide mapping using a library of 15-mer peptides identifying a possible epitope for a monoclonal antibody binding Zika virus (ZIKV) envelope protein E by using site-directed mutagenesis. Detailed characterization of the epitope that a highly-specific monoclonal antibody against ZIKV E binds to may help determine the structural basis of the reactivity with E proteins from various flaviviruses and as such may help define the potential utility of this antibody in development of diagnostic assays. Based on molecular modeling of the relevant E protein surface areas, we identified three amino acids suspected to be involved in antibody-antigen binding. By using the expression vector (pMT-BiP) containing the sequence for ZIKV prME protein devoid of the transmembrane and cytosolic portions, we designed primers to introduce one or two mutations (of the three identified sites: M151A, V153A and R164A). These mutations replace amino acids suspected to be of importance for mAb binding with alanines to reduce the side chains to simple methyl groups. Mutants generated by PCR are being transfected into E. coli (NEB-5α) and colonies are subsequently sequenced to confirm those containing the desired mutation(s). Mutant protein expression plasmids will be transfected into the Drosophila S2 insect cell line to produce the designed ZIKV E mutants. The generated proteins will then be used in an ELISA assays and Western blots to determine which mutations are involved in antibody binding. After screening over 190 different linear 15mer peptides, we identified three specific amino acids that could play a major role in mAb A.11 binding. Successful expression of structural variants of ZIKV E and subsequent testing in binding assays may help to firmly localize antibody binding on the surface of the ZIKV E protein. Nakayama, Daniel – Marine Biology, UH Mānoa Using morphological identification to describe four new species of Cumacean in the genus Cyclaspis found off the coast of Western Australia D. Nakayama, L. Watling I have been studying a group of preserved cumaceans caught from various sites off the coast of Western Australia. There are a multitude of forms and sizes of cumaceans in Australia, with the variation of the carapace being the most outwardly obvious difference between different species. Some cumaceans are smaller and have smooth carapaces, while other often larger cumaceans are seen with a high amount of ornamentation. Through various methods of morphological identification, we were able to deduce 4 new species in the genus Cyclaspis. These 4 species are currently in the process of being described. Methods included comparing species to original drawings and holotypes from scientific papers, as well as comparing the carapaces, 1st pereopods, and uropods across various known species. Some obstacles we needed to overcome included a lack of mature males in our possession, notable differences in the morphologies between mature males, mature females, and juveniles within species, and vague drawings depicted in some journals making it difficult at times to use them as a means of identifying species.

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Neal, Hailee – Oceanography, UH Mānoa North-eastern Pacific Margin macrofauna biomass in organic-rich deep sea wood-fall habitats H. Neal, E. Young, C. Smith Wood falls provide organic-rich habitat islands at the deep seafloor and foster highly abundant and diverse macrofaunal assemblages. Xylophagaid bivalves are wood-boring, ecosystem engineers that consume wood falls, creating new habitat for detritivores. In this experiment, we tested the following hypotheses: (1) Xylophagaid biomass in wood falls is correlated with wood-mass loss, and (2) xylophagaid biomass is positively correlated with the biomass of other macrofauna inside the wood. We deployed three replicate wood blocks for 15 months at each of two locations at 1500 m depth along the Washington-Oregon margin. Upon recovery, macrofauna were quantitively removed from the wood, identified to species, and AFDW biomass measured for each species. We recovered 23,067 individuals from the 6 blocks (Xylophagaidae = 22%, other taxa = 78%). Xylophagaidae dominated total biomass (>88%), and dorvilleid polychaetes dominated biomass of the non-bivalve taxa. There was no significant correlation between percent wood-loss after 15 months and Xylophagaidae biomass. In addition, there was no significant correlation between xylophagaid biomass and the total biomass of other macrofaunal species. This experiment fails to support the hypothesis that higher biomass of xylophagaid results is necessarily correlated with wood loss and higher biomass of the non-bivalve macrofauna. Our original prediction assumed that the xylophagaid population would be rapidly growing and creating new burrows after 15 months. However, our results suggest that the xylophagaid populations were already in the decline phase, having reached maximum occupancy of the wood parcels in <15 months. Parks, Riley – Biology, UH Mānoa Combined evidence phylogeny of knob scaled lizards R. Parks, S. Harrington, R. Thomson Middle-American knob scaled lizards of the genus Xenosaurus are viviparous lizards characterized by flattened bodies, peculiar knob like scales, and extreme specialization to a crevice dwelling ecology. This rarely seen and enigmatic genus is distributed throughout much of Mexico and Guatemala and is the sole surviving genus of an ancient group of lizards known as the Xenosauridae. Little is known about when these lizards originated or how their current distribution was established. To address this, we estimated divergence times across Xenosaurus by using a hierarchical Bayesian model that allows joint estimation of evolutionary history and time of divergence from information contained in a combination of morphological, DNA, and fossil occurrence data. Crown Xenosaurus was estimated to be 35 million years old, suggesting a high rate of extinction across Xenosauridae. The distribution of Xenosaurus populations across Mexico and the location of the three fossil relatives in western North America suggest a possible north to southeast direction of range evolution in Xenosaurus. To test this hypothesis, we performed a Bayesian biogeographic analysis in order to estimate the historical ranges and patterns of dispersal across the genus. The results of the biogeographic analysis supported this historical north to southeast movement.

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Patwardhan, Geetika – John A. Burns School of Medicine, UH Mānoa Hypertension as a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease: A bivariate logistic regression of patient demographics in Hawaiʻi Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder, affecting over 12 million individuals worldwide. AD is thought to result from the accumulation of amyloid beta protein plaques and Tau neurofibrillary tangles, which contribute to its characteristic progressive dementia. Treatments have been focused on the prevention of possible indicators and comorbidities associated with AD, such as hypertension, but the literature has been mixed with regard to the relationship that exists between blood pressure and AD. Objective: To determine whether hypertension and dementia of the Alzheimer’s type are comorbid with one another. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted at the Memory Disorders Center at Hawaii Pacific Neuroscience between January 2011 and August 2018. Patients diagnosed with dementia were filtered through eClinicalWorks using the trial’s inclusion and exclusion criteria. A bivariate logistic regression was used to determine which combination of variables is correlated with having AD. Results: Asians (30.8%) and Whites (20.2%) contributed the greatest percentage of individuals with AD and hypertension. Hypertension and hypothyroidism were the top two comorbidities found in patients with AD. The bivariate logistic regression showed that older individuals are more likely to have both hypertension and AD, so age is a significant (p<0.001) confounding variable to age and hypertension. The results of the bivariate logistic regression showed that when age was factored in, all other variables were no longer significant because age increases the likelihood of having both AD and hypertension, confounding any previous associations. Simon, Noah – Biology, UH Mānoa Molecular phylogeny and eye reduction evolution in batflies N. Simon, M. Porter, K. Dittmar Batflies are obligate parasites of bats. These flies have varying degrees of eye reduction, including complete eye loss in some genera. This makes batflies a valuable model for studying evolutionary reduction of visual systems. The current taxonomy places batflies in 2 families: Nycteribiidae and Streblidae. However, this taxonomy is based on morphology and there is evidence that it does not accurately describe the evolutionary history of batflies. We used genetic data from a diverse sample of batfly species to create a preliminary molecular phylogeny. Additionally, we used scanning electron microscopy to capture images of batfly eyes. These images were used to measure morphological characters (eye size, shape, facet number, organization) from various batfly species. Finally, the morphological characters were mapped onto the phylogeny in order to track eye reduction.

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Tokuda, Andrew – SOEST, UH Mānoa The structure of food webs in the Mariana and Kermadec trenches from stable isotope analysis A. Tokuda, J. Drazen, M. Gerringer Hadal trenches may serve as hotspots for biomass and community activity because their V-shaped structure facilitates food concentration. However, trench food web structure, which could provide insight into such processes are poorly described. We used stable isotope (δ15N, δ13C) analysis (bulk and CSIA-AA) to evaluate food web structure, nutritional sources and animal trophic levels in the Kermedec and Mariana trenches. In the Kermedec Trench, the bulk δ15N values ranged from 5.8‰ in trench sediment to 17.5‰ in the giant amphipod, higher than fishes at ~15‰. The detritivores had δ15N values much higher (~6‰) than expected in comparison to sediment, their putative food source. The δ13C values ranged from -21.4‰ in sediment to -17.3‰ in the brittle star, and did not co-vary strongly with δ15N values. In the Mariana Trench, only fishes, amphipods and sediments were analyzed, and the δ15N values were similar to those from the Kermedec Trench (sediment δ15N values were 1‰ higher and giant amphipod values were lower at 15‰). The substantial enrichment in δ15N from sediment to detritivores and the variability in δ13C values suggest multiple food inputs to the system. Additional CSIA-AA of organisms from the Kermadec trench showed that trophic levels ranged from 3 for detritivores and 5 for fishes. Furthermore, the δ15N source-AA values of the organisms increase with depth, suggesting that nutritional input to hadal trenches also accumulate with depth, which supports the hypothesis that these habitats facilitate food concentration to trench communities. Wong, Amanda – Botany, Oceanography, UH Mānoa The Art of Botany: The Effect of Drought on Plant Anatomy A. Wong, K. Barton Plants are negatively affected by water deficiencies, and water stress is expected to increase due to more frequent and prolonged droughts from climate change. I investigated the effect of drought on the internal anatomy of the invasive Syzygium cumini plant. In the greenhouse, S. cumini plants were grown, such that half of the plants were watered daily, while the remaining number of plants did not receive any water for the entire experiment. After nine weeks, the base of the main stem was cut into thin disks, stained, and the center was viewed through a microscope for the pith cells that provide structural support, conduct water, and store starch. The regularly watered plants had circular shaped piths with expanded, rigid cells filled with water and starch, while the non-watered plants had pinched and elongated piths with shriveled cells filled with air, light staining, and a lack of starch. S. cumini demonstrated exceptional drought tolerance with no mortality and only slight wilting; however, the lack of water and the energy storage starch in the pith cells indicates that the plants were stressed. This experiment provides insight into the ability for the drought-tolerant S. cumini to become more invasive under climate change-induced drought in Hawaiʻi.

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GRADUATE STUDENT POSTER ABSTRACTS Anderson, Todd – Tropical Plant & Soil Sciences, UH Mānoa Phylogenetic relationships of Hawaiian Sugarcane, Saccharum Officinarum T. Anderson, J. Doherty, M. Kantar, J. Wang, N. Lincoln Sugarcane, Saccharum officinarum, or kō, is one of the world’s oldest crops and is of particular economic and cultural significance in Hawaiʻi, where historically there were many different landraces grown. Saccharum officinarum or “Noble Cane” has a high sugar content making it a major component of breeding programs and a primary parent of all modern commercial sugarcane hybrids. Traditional Hawaiian sugarcane are all Saccharum officinarum varieties, and this population has been a major contributor to modern sugarcane cultivar development. As a complex polyploid, sugarcane genetic ancestry and cultivar distinction present with unique challenges owing to technical limitations. In this project, a custom SNP-array was used to assay 80 individuals. Using these markers we assessed the relationship of 80 varieties of traditional Hawaiian varieties (Saccharum officinarum) as well as introduced varieties from other Pacific island groups and complex interspecific hybrids developed in Hawaii. Understanding the relationships within varieties of the Hawaiian population could potentially be useful in future breeding and ethnographic studies. Diemert, Sabrina – Civil & Environmental Engineering, UH Mānoa Genomic analyses of municipal wastewater Salmonella suggest a clinically missed outbreak in Honolulu S. Diemert, T. Yan Municipal wastewater (MW) includes human waste which contains normal and pathogenic enteric microorganisms: this collective microbiome can be monitored to investigate community health. In a previous study, we assessed salmonellosis disease burden using MW from Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, which was monitored in 2010-2011. We found that Salmonella loads in MW (log concentration and weekly flux) were significantly correlated with community salmonellosis cases. During this time, a specific Salmonella serovar (Paratyphi B var. L(+) tartrate (+), also known as S. Java) was identified: this strain was detected simultaneously to a clinically-reported outbreak caused by contaminated raw ahi (tuna). Pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns were identical between clinical and MW isolates, supporting the theory that this outbreak was successfully captured through MW surveillance. Months after the outbreak subsided, the same strain was increasingly detected in MW samples, with no corresponding clinical cases reported. However, PFGE is not sensitive enough to conclude definitively that this second peak of MW S. Java was due to the same outbreak agent. Using comparative genomic tools, we found that all S. Java MW isolates were clonal and matched a clinical isolate from the NCBI database, indicating a likely resurgence of the original outbreak. This demonstrates the sensitivity and utility of MW surveillance for determining enteric disease outbreaks which may be un-reported through traditional clinical methods.

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Marohnic, Olivia – Geography & Environment, UH Mānoa Holocene hydroclimatic changes at three windward montane wetland sites on the Island of Hawaiʻi O. Marohnic, D. Beilman, J. Juvik Few terrestrial records of long-term environmental change for Hawai‘i, and detailed paleoclimate records for the Holocene are still needed. This study presents high-resolution (16-80 yr cm-1) radiocarbon-dated sediment proxy data from three montane wetlands on the windward side of the Island of Hawaiʻi, which share similar elevations and mean temperatures but which span a range in annual rainfall (281-607 cm yr-1). Physical and geochemical characteristics of organic sediments are interpreted as ecohydrological proxies, including ẟ13C values, carbon-to-nitrogen ratios, sediment density, and rates of sediment and carbon accumulation. Onset of peat formation around 7-8 kya at multiple sites shows consistently wetter conditions. An increase in carbon accumulation rates (by ~10 gC/m2/yr) and decrease in ẟ13C (1-2 ‰) at around 3-4 kya, at the same time as a third site initiates peat formation, suggests a peak in wetness at this time. From ~2.5kya to present, all proxies shift towards a drier signal (decreased carbon accumulation rates, increased ẟ13C, C:N ratio in one of the cores), indicating a shift back to relatively drier conditions. At the site with the highest resolution over the last 4 kya (averaging 16 yr cm-1), multivariate analysis of n-alkane chain length distributions from modern Hawaiian bog plants and organic sediments shows little discernible change in plant input over time, suggesting that changes in ecohydrological proxies were driven by changes in regional climate. This evidence compared to other paleoclimate proxies across the Hawaiian Islands point to a millennial scale central-Pacific/Hawaiian wet period around ~4-2.5 kya. Palecanda, Sitara – Biology, UH Mānoa Characterization of ultraviolet opsin diversity in larval stomatopod crustaceans S. Palecanda, R. Shiesha, M. Porter Stomatopods (Crustacea, Stomatopoda), are well known for their unique visual system. Their eyes have multiple spectral and polarization channels, with some species possessing up to 16 spectrally unique photoreceptors and expressing 33 different visual opsin proteins as adults. The retina of larval stomatopods by contrast are thought to be less complex and lacking in photoreceptor diversity. During the last larval stage, the adult stomatopod retina is formed alongside the degrading larval retina. Ultraviolet (UV) sensitive opsins have been found in several adult stomatopods and are particularly common in species that live in UV rich shallow water. We have found UV sensitive opsins expressed in early developmental stages of Pullosquilla thomassini, though the cellular structures responsible for UV sensitivity were not thought to exist in the simple larval eye. Based on this data we have conducted a molecular survey of stomatopod UV opsin diversity using available stomatopod transcriptomes and targeted PCR. UV opsin expression was found in all seven species of stomatopod larvae which were tested. In total 12 larval UV opsin sequences were identified. Species of stomatopods for which larval and adult UV opsin sequences were available appear to express the same UV opsins in both life stages. Unexpectedly, of the seven species of stomatopod larvae found to express UV opsins, four expressed two different UV opsins. Tests of selection will be performed to try and elucidate the sequence level underpinnings of UV vision and whether this is a trait that confers advantages to pelagic larvae.

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Pitts, Jacqueline – Tropical Plant & Soil Sciences, UH Mānoa Turning waste into resources: Anaerobic digestate’s potential as a biofertilizer in Hawaiʻi J. Pitts, J. Deenik, N. Nguyen, S. Khanal Anaerobic digestion is a process used to both manage waste and produce renewable fuel from organic materials. The primary product is biogas, largely composed of methane, which can be used to generate electricity or refined into natural gas and fuels. The effluent that remains, referred to as “digestate” can be utilized as a nutrient-rich fertilizer and soil amendment. In order to assess the value of digestate as a biofertilizer, a study was conducted investigating its impacts on the growth of kai choy. The goal of the study was to assess the effects of two different digestates on kai choy growth and yield. In addition, various parameters were measured (root structure and growth, nutrient use efficiency, and total biomass) in order to better understand the mechanisms behind digestate’s effects on plant growth. The results from preliminary studies indicate that digestate may have a greater impact on plant growth than its nutrient value alone. Digestate addition increased plant dry biomass significantly more than an equivalent synthetic nutrient solution. This suggests that there may be additional mechanisms by which digestate improves plant growth. In addition, digestate addition showed similar growth to a conventional fertilizer at only half the rate of application, suggesting that the use of digestate may help decrease the need for costly inputs of fertilizer. An additional study is being conducted to assess the effects of the digestates on root growth and morphology as a possible mechanism for improved plant growth with digestates. Royer, Mark – Zoology, Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, UH Mānoa Scalloped hammerheads swim on their side with a diel shift in roll magnitude and frequency M. Royer, K. Holland, K. Maloney, C. Meyer, K. Whittingham, E. Cardona, N. Payne While most sharks maintain an upright posture while swimming, it has been demonstrated that great hammerheads (Sphyrna mokarran) swim on their sides to for greater hydrodynamic efficiency by utilizing their dorsal fin as a lift-generating surface. Like great hammerheads, scalloped hammerheads (Sphyrna lewini) have larger dorsal fins than pectoral fins which might allow for similar hydrodynamic efficiency by exhibiting the same rolling behavior. In this study we equipped adult S. lewini with multi-instrument tag packages to directly measure depth, body orientation and swimming performance. Our specific objectives were to examine whether (1) S. lewini exhibit any rolling behavior while they swim and if they do, (2) examine for any pattern of variation in the magnitude and frequency of their rolling. We obtained 180 total days of data from 9 free-swimming adult S. lewini with individual deployment durations ranging from 7 to 23 days. Rolling behavior was observed in all sharks throughout their entire deployments, with each shark spending about 95% of their time swimming on their side. The degree (magnitude) and frequency of rolling showed a diel pattern. During the day the sharks would change sides on average every 45-60 seconds and maintain roll angles between 40-50 degrees for each side, whereas at night the roll frequency would decrease with a change of sides every 120 seconds while magnitude would increase with roll angles increasing to 60-70 degrees. The diel variation in the rolling behavior raises interesting questions on the locomotor function of this behavior.

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Sesno, Emily – Marine Biology Graduate Program, HIMB, UH Mānoa Growth and skeletal formation of the common collector urchin, Tripneustes gratilla, under a changing climate As climate change leads to alterations in ecosystem and organism functionality, the need to explore the breadth of effects is paramount. Increased temperatures (T) and ocean acidity (OA) can lead to alterations in body size, calcification, and skeletal composition in marine invertebrates, however the full effects are unknown. In this study, Tripneustes gratilla, the common collector urchin native to Hawaiʻi, were exposed to increased temperature, acidity, and combination of both over a 5-month period and were compared to those in ambient conditions. To understand the effects of these treatments on body size, measurements of urchin test diameter were taken throughout the experiment. In addition, to determine the impact on skeletal development, images of cross sections of spines were captured using scanning electron microscopy. Using skeletal porosity as a proxy for density, these detailed images may reveal the influence of these stressors on calcification. Future work will include evaluation of the composition spines to understand which elements are maximized across treatments. Preliminary results reveal interactive effects between warming and acidification, although further analysis is needed and underway. Results of this study will add to gaps in understanding of invertebrate response to increased T and OA and will aid in the protection of these ecologically important invertebrates as well as their nearshore environments. Vivier, Fabien – Marine Biology Graduate Program, HIMB, UH Mānoa Calibrating Unoccupied Aerial System (UAS) photogrammetry to derive delphinid population demographic parameters F. Vivier, A. Bradford, L. Bejder Cetaceans are protected under the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act. It is important to understand their population dynamics to optimally manage these species. Healthy populations exhibit stable age structures while deviances from such indicate unhealthy populations. Quantifying the age structure of free-ranging cetacean populations has previously required years of intensive effort. However, new technologies allow for the development of novel approaches to accurately and efficiently quantify population age structure and growth. Such parameters may provide early insights into whether there may be cause for concern for certain populations. Aerial photogrammetry has become common practice in cetacean surveys, and emerging Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UAS or ‘drones’) have facilitated the collection of such imagery. To date, studies have not ground-truthed UAS-derived morphometric measurements of cetaceans with their true sizes. This study aims at comparing physical and UAS-derived measurements (length, width, volume) of 10-15 bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and one false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens), all of known age, housed at Sea Life Park, Hawaii to 1) quantify the precision and accuracy of aerial photogrammetry in assessing these metrics and 2) infer age-class based on length. For cross-calibration, two UAS platforms will be flown consecutively over each animal at five different altitudes. Animals will be measured when a) lying flat (not curved) at the surface to assess length and width and b) performing a natural surfacing to account for body curvature. This methodology will provide precise information on UAS-obtained length measurements and represents the first step to assessing demographic parameters of free-ranging delphinids.

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