Theses and dissertations published by graduate students in the Department of Biological Sciences, College of Sciences, Old Dominion University, since Fall 2016 are available in this collection. Backfiles of all dissertations (and some theses) have also been added.

In late Fall 2023 or Spring 2024, all theses will be digitized and available here. In the meantime, consult the Library Catalog to find older items in print.

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Theses/Dissertations from 2023

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Dissertation: Landscape Genetics of the Gulf Coast Tick, Amblyomma maculatum, Sara Simmons Benham

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Thesis: Influence of Abiotic Drivers and Plant Community Interactions on Bald Cypress (Taxodium Distichum) Seedlings: Implications for Restoration, Victoria Ellis

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Thesis: Genotyping of the Tick-Borne Pathogen Rickettsia parkeri, Rebecca Lynn Ferrara

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Thesis: Evaluating the Potential Use of Saltwater Quarries in the Florida Keys for the Semi-Wild Mariculture of Caribbean King Crab (Maguimithrax spinosissimus), Samantha Glover

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Thesis: Modified Vaccine Vectors to Understand Adjuvant Functions of Listeria During Chronic Schistosomiasis, Stephanie K. Norwood

Theses/Dissertations from 2022

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Thesis: Nestedness and Modularity of Avian Metacommunities Across Gradients of Chesapeake Bay Island Characteristics, Grant Walter Bowers

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Dissertation: The Influences of Disperser Behavior, Host Availability, and Environmental Conditions on the Distribution of Oak Mistletoe [Phoradendron Leucarpum (RAF.) Reveal & M. C. Johnst.] in Eastern Virginia and North Carolina, Nicholas Pearce Flanders

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Thesis: Mycobacteriosis of Striped Bass (Morone Saxatilis) in Virginia Tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay, Joshua S. McGilly

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Dissertation: Temporal Dynamics and Seed Dispersal in Plant-Frugivore Communities of the Dominican Republic, Spencer Christian Schubert

Theses/Dissertations from 2021

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Thesis: The Role of Backreef Soundscapes and their Spatial Structure for Recruitment of Tropical Marine Larvae, Emily R. Anderson

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Dissertation: Population Dynamics and Dispersal Coalitions in the Cooperatively Breeding Acorn Woodpecker, Natasha Hagemeyer

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Thesis: A Test of Rad Capture Sequencing on Ethanol-Preserved Centennial and Contemporary Specimens of Philippine Fishes, Madeleine I. Kenton

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Thesis: Efficacy of Sediment Contaminant Remediation of the Benthos in a Segment of the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River, Colton Martin

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Thesis: Determination of the Presence of Rickettsia Spp. and Borrelia Spp. Carried by Tortoise Ticks from Madagascar, Anna Phan

Theses/Dissertations from 2020

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Thesis: Assessment of Factors Influencing Migratory Landbird Use of Forested Stopover Sites Along the Delmarva Peninsula During Autumn Migration, J. Andrew Arnold

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Thesis: Global Conservation Status of Croaker and Drum (Family: Sciaenidae) and Role of the Maw Trade, Claire E. Gorman

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Thesis: The Effects of Hackberry Psyllids on Refueling Migratory Songbirds and Autumnal Seed Rain, Chance H. Hines

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Dissertation: Not Too Hot, Not Too Cold, But Moderately Variable: The Influence of Environmental Variability on Coral Thermal Tolerance, Courtney Nicole Klepac

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Thesis: Role of Ixodes scapularis Sphingomyelinase-Like Protein (IsSMase) in Tick Pathogen Interactions, Pravesh Regmi

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Thesis: Ixodes Scapularis SRC Kinase Is Required for Rickettsial Pathogen Survival in Ticks, Jeremy W. Turck

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Thesis: PTHR1/SOX9 and IDH1/IDH2 Relative Expression in Primary Chondrocyte and Chondrosarcoma Cells Under the Synergistic Influence of Inducible Hypoxia and Extracellular Acidosis, Kostika Vangjeli

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Thesis: Diet Analysis of Stranded Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Virginia, Kristen Marie Volker

Theses/Dissertations from 2019

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Thesis: Global Conservation Status and Threat Patterns of the World’s Most Prominent Forage Fishes (Teleostei, Clupeiformes), Tiffany L. Birge

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Dissertation: In Hot Water: Thermal Acclimation is Insufficient to Save Corals in the Anthropocene, Harmony Alise Martell

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Thesis: The Expression Of Connexin-43 By CD11c+ Dendritic Cells Is Required to Maintain CD4+ Foxp3+ Regulatory T Cell Population in Peripheral Lymphoid Organs, Caroline Titus Miller

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Dissertation: Molecular Systematics of Isoëtes (Isoëtaceae) in Eastern North America, Peter William Schafran

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Dissertation: Cryptic Herbivorous Invertebrates Restructure the Composition of Degraded Coral Reef Communities in the Florida Keys, Florida, USA, Angelo Jason Spadaro

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Dissertation: Sponge Community Biocomplexity, Competition, and Functional Significance in Hard-Bottom Habitats of the Florida Keys, FL (USA), Marla Maxine Valentine

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Dissertation: Tick Control Methods for Amblyomma americanum in Virginia: Applications and Modeling, Alexis Lynn White

Theses/Dissertations from 2018

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Thesis: Local Adaptation Signatures in Thermal Performance of the Temperate Coral Astrangia poculata, Hannah Elise Aichelman

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Thesis: Differential Gene Expression in Response to Hypoxia and Acidosis in Chest Wall Deformities and Chondrosarcoma, Jamie L. Durbin

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Dissertation: The Importance of Keeping the Big Ones: Harvest Slot Limits and Marine Protected Areas for the Management of the Caribbean Spiny Lobster, Gayathiri Gnanalingam

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Thesis: Zika Modulates Arthropod Histone Methylation in Mosquito Cells, Telvin Lee Harrell

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Thesis: Identifying Marine Key Biodiversity Areas in the Greater Caribbean Region, Michael S. Harvey

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Thesis: Lack of Delayed-Type Hypersensitivity in Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis), Jessica Shannon Miller

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Thesis: Fishery Interaction Modeling of Cetacean Bycatch in the California Drift Gillnet Fishery to Inform a Dynamic Ocean Management Tool, Nicholas B. Sisson

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Dissertation: Molecular candidates for Blocking the Transmission of Vector-Borne diseases, Ashish Naresh Vora

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Thesis: Potential Interaction Analysis of Offshore Wind Energy Areas and Breeding Avian Species on the US Mid-Atlantic Coast, Jeri Lynn Wisman

Theses/Dissertations from 2017

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Dissertation: Tracing the Genetic Footprints of the Redbelly Yellowtail Fusilier, Caesio Cuning, Across Multiple Spatial and Evolutionary Scales, Amanda Susanne Ackiss

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Dissertation: The Chondrocyte Channelome: A Novel Ion Channel Candidate in the Pathogenesis of Pectus Deformities, Anthony J. Asmar

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Dissertation: Effects of Carboxylated Nanodiamonds on Macrophages During and After Differentiation, Maisoun E. Bani Hani

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Thesis: Population Structure of Lethrinus Lentjan (Lethrinidae, Percoidei) Across the South China Sea and the Philippines Is Detected With Lane-Affected RADSeq Data, Ellen E. Biesack

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Thesis: Strawberries (Frag X Anan) Are Bigger When Native Mason Bees (Osmia lignaria) Are Experimentally Added to Small Farms, Laura A. Campbell

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Thesis: Determining Critical Internesting and Foraging Habitats for the Conservation of Sea Turtles in Gabon, Africa Using Satellite Tracking and Stable Isotope Analysis, Tiffany M. Dawson

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Dissertation: The Effect of "Casitas" on Lobster Biology and Fishery Sustainability in the Bahamas, Lester George Gittens

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Thesis: Foraging Behavior of Spring Bees and Their Agricultural Implications, Michael D. Gregory

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Thesis: Biology and Impacts of Leech Infestation in Largemouth Bass (Micropterus Salmoides) in Back Bay, Virginia, Amanda Nicole Pomposini

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Dissertation: Marine Reserves Promote Coral Reef Resilience by Mitigating Human Impacts Through the Restoration of Parrotfish Populations, Increasing Their Reproductive Output and Seeding Neighboring Overfished Reefs, Brian L. Stockwell

Theses/Dissertations from 2016

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Dissertation: Coarse Root Biomass and Architecture: Applications of Ground Penetrating Radar, John Claude Bain

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Thesis: Abiotic Factors Contributing to the Survival of Three Tick Species in Southeastern Virginia, Amblyomma Americanum (Lone Star Tick), Dermacentor Variabilis (American Dog Tick), and Amblyomma Maculatum (Gulf Coast Tick), Lindsey A. Bidder

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Thesis: Regional Extinction Risk and Conservation Priorities for Persian Gulf Marine Bony Fishes, Jack Ryan Buchanan

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Dissertation: Characterization of Soundscapes in Shallow Water Habitats of the Florida Keys (USA) and Their Influence on the Settlement of Larval Fish and Invertebrates, John R. Butler

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Thesis: Naturalization of Salt Marsh Restoration Sites in the Elizabeth River, Virginia, Assessed by Feeding Activity and Trophic Level of Mummichogs (Fundulus Heteroclitus), Moriah Anne Good

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Thesis: Hotspots, Extinction Risk and Conservation Priorities of Greater Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico Marine Bony Shorefishes, Christi Linardich

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Dissertation: A Hitchhiker’s Guide to Invasion Biology: Describing the Ecological Mechanisms Underlying the Range Expansions of Two Ixodid Tick Species, Robyn M. Nadolny

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Dissertation: Selfish Mutations: the Genetic Basis of the Paternal Age Effect, Eoin C. Whelan

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Dissertation: Anti-Predator Responses of Squid Throughout Ontogeny, Carly Anne York

Theses/Dissertations from 2015

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Thesis: Blue Carbon in Freshwater / Brackish Marshes on the Barrier Islands of Virginia Aboveground Net Primary Productivity and Carbon Pools, Emily Caitlin Adams

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Dissertation: Perch Selection by Male Dragonflies (Odonata, Anisoptera) Related to Competitive Ability and Species Composition, Jessica L. Beard

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Thesis: The Effects of Urbanization on Tick Parasitism Rates in Birds of Southeastern Virginia, Erin Leigh Heller

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Dissertation: Kinematics and Hydrodynamics of Cephalopod Turning Performance in Routine Swimming and Predatory Attacks, Rachel A. Jastrebsky

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Dissertation: DNA Repair Deficiency in Huntington's Disease Fibroblasts and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells, Peter Anthony Mollica

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Dissertation: Molecular Phylogenetics and Historical Biogeography of the Tribe Chiococceae (Rubiaceae), Sushil Kumar Paudyal

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Thesis: Molecular Phylogeny of the Genus Houstonia and Allies in Rubiaceae, Hunter Lee Shanks

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Thesis: Groundwater Thresholds for Root Decomposition and the Relation to Barrier Island Ecological State Changes, Matthew Lee Smith

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Dissertation: Determining the Prevalence and Distribution of Tick-Borne Pathogens in Southeastern Virginia and Exploring the Transmission Dynamics of Rickettsia Parkeri in Amblyomma Maculatum, Chelsea L. Wright Thompson

Theses/Dissertations from 2014

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Dissertation: Phylogeny and Biogeography of the Family Haemulidae Based on a Multigene Approach, Millicent D. Sanciangco

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Dissertation: Benthic and Planktonic Microalgal Community Structure and Primary Productivity in Lower Chesapeake Bay, Matthew Reginald Semcheski

Theses/Dissertations from 2013

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Thesis: Novel Architecture of Costal Cartilage and Implications in Chest Wall Deformities, Anthony J. Asmar

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Dissertation: Investigations of Phytoplankton Diversity in Chesapeake Bay, Todd Arthur Egerton

Theses/Dissertations from 2011

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Dissertation: Spatially-Explicit Agent-Based Modeling of Ecosystem Change and Epizootiological Impacts on Caribbean Spiny Lobster, Panulirus argus, Thomas William Dolan III

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Dissertation: Effects of 11 Years of CO2 Enrichment on Root Biomass and Spatial Distribution in a Florida Scrub-Oak Ecosystem, Rachel Eilenfield Schroeder

Theses/Dissertations from 2010

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Dissertation: Impacts of the Spotted Spiny Lobster (Panulirus guttatus) on the Long-Spined Sea Urchin (Diadema antillarum) and Patch Reef Communities in the Florida Keys, Meredith D. Kintzing

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Dissertation: Ecological Interactions Between Spiders and the Purple Pitcher Plant, Sarracenia purpurea, Marc Aaron Milne

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Thesis: A Test of the Area of Refuge Hypothesis in Indo-Pacific Marine Biogeography, Jonnell C. Sanciangco

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Dissertation: Ecological and Genetic Status of the Purple Pitcher Plant, Sarracenia purpurea L., in Maryland and Virginia, Philip M. Sheridan

Theses/Dissertations from 2009

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Dissertation: Ecology and Molecular Phylogenetics of Hydnora (Hydnoraceae) in Southern Africa, Jay Francis Bolin

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Dissertation: Lipid Targets of the Antimalarial Trioxanes in Plasmodium falciparum, Carmony Leah Hartwig

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Dissertation: Biotic and Abiotic Characteristics Influencing Nest Location and Trophic Relationships of the Fungus-Growing Ant Trachymyrmex septentrionalis (Formicidae: Attini), Jonathan Paul Howell

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Dissertation: Ecology of Neotropical Arboreal Snakes and Behavior of New World Mollusk-Eating Snakes, Julie M. Ray

Theses/Dissertations from 2008

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Dissertation: Microspore Wall Morphogenesis and Orbicule Ultrastructure of Isoetes, Khalid Alarid

Theses/Dissertations from 2007

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Dissertation: Modeling Habitat and Environmental Factors Affecting Mosquito Abundance in Chesapeake, Virginia, Alan Scott Bellows

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Dissertation: Molecular Phylogenetics of Perciform Fishes Using the Nuclear Recombination Activating Gene 1, Andrew R. Mahon

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Dissertation: Plant Assemblage Structure on Barrier Island ‘Pimple’ Dunes at the Virginia Coast Reserve Long-Term Ecological Research Site, Brett A. McMillan

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Dissertation: Effects of Elevated Atmospheric CO2 on Root Dynamics, Biomass and Architecture in a Scrub-Oak Ecosystem at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, Daniel Benjamin Stover

Theses/Dissertations from 2006

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Dissertation: Effects of Elevated Atmospheric CO₂ on Scrub-Oak Root Carbon Pools and Soil Microbial Processes, Alisha Lea Pagel Brown

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Thesis: An Examination of Seasonal Growth and Survivorship of Sigmodon hispidus in Southeastern Virginia, Heather Alyssa Green

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Dissertation: Chemical Evidence for Dietary Toxin Sequestration in the Asian Snake Rhabdophis tigrinus, Deborah A. Hutchinson

Theses/Dissertations from 2005

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Dissertation: Landscape Ecology of Birds on Mount Leconte, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Andreas P. Damalas

Theses/Dissertations from 2004

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Dissertation: Relating Water and Otolith Chemistry in Chesapeake Bay, and Their Potential to Identify Essential Seagrass Habitats for Juveniles of an Estuarine-Dependent Fish, Spotted Seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus), Emmanis Dorval

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Thesis: Characterization of Association Patterns of Coastal Migratory Bottlenose Dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, in the Nearshore Waters of Virginia Beach, Virginia, Holly Fearnbach

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Dissertation: Comparative Systematics of Subterranean Amphipod Crustaceans (Hadzioidea), Thomas R. Sawicki

Theses/Dissertations from 2003

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Dissertation: Geographic Variation in the Morphology of Crotalus horridus (Serpentes: Viperidae), John Robert Allsteadt

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Dissertation: The Ecological Ramifications of Disease and Density in the Caribbean Spiny Lobster, Panulirus argus, Donald C. Behringer Jr.

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Dissertation: Experimental Investigation of Elemental Incorporation in the Otoliths of Larval and Juvenile Fish: Implications for Use as Environmental Recorders, Gretchen Bath Martin

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Dissertation: Aphytophagy in the Miletinae (Lycaenidae): Phylogeny, Ecology, and Conservation, John Mathew

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Dissertation: Hybridization Between the Watersnakes Nerodia sipedon and Nerodia fasciata, in the Carolinas: A Morphological and Molecular Approach, Konrad Mebert

Theses/Dissertations from 2002

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Dissertation: Decomposition Dynamics in Restored and Naturally Recovering Atlantic White Cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides) Wetlands, Edward Ratcliffe Crawford

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Thesis: Vertical Distributions of Zooplankton at the Mouth of Chesapeake Bay and Calibration of Backscatter From an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler, Arthur Keith Jenkins

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Dissertation: Anting Behavior in Birds: Ant Selection and Effect of ant Chemistry on Feather Ectoparasites, Hannah Carrington Revis