Effects of interspecific competition, salinity, and hurricanes on the success of an invasive fish, the Rio Grande cichlid (Herichthys cyanoguttatus)

The Rio Grande cichlid (Herichthys cyanoguttatus) has been established in the Greater New Orleans Metropolitan Area (GNOMA) for at least 20 years. It is often the most common fish species in urban canals and has also been found in natural waterways outside of the GNOMA. The effects and potential for further spread of H. cyanoguttatus is uncertain. My research addressed how extensive the cichlids spread in the GNOMA, how H. cyanoguttatus interacted with L. macrochirus, a native fish, and what salinity tolerance this species has. Surveys on Lake Pontchartrain and in the GNOMA indicated that H. cyanoguttatus is well established in urban habitats. These surveys also indicate that H. cyanoguttatus has spread rapidly into Bayou Saint John and City Park in recent years and that H. cyanoguttatus populations were relatively unaffected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. There is little evidence that H. cyanoguttatus has become established outside of the GNOMA, but this lack of persistence cannot be explained by abiotic variables I measured. Salinity may be a factor and this was measured in growth trials of H. cyanoguttatus. Salinities up to 16 ppt, however, had no significant effect on H. cyanoguttatus growth. Interspecific behavioral experiments were conducted to examine potential biotic interactions with native fish species. Prior resident trials indicated that H. cyanoguttatus was aggressive whether holding territory or not, and that native bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) was only aggressive while holding territory. Feeding experiments were performed to examine biotic interactions between H. cyanoguttatus and L. macrochirus. Lepomis macrochirus grew faster than H. cyanoguttatus when inter- and intraspecific trials were compared; however, no significant growth differences were seen when trials were structured with L. macrochirus as prior residents. The major findings of my research are a high salinity tolerance of H. cyanoguttatus, a potential mechanism for H. cyanoguttatus affecting native fishes through aggression as residents and invaders, and the presence of H. cyanoguttatus throughout the GNOMA, before and after the hurricanes

Changing perceptions of archaeology in post-Katrina New Orleans: a geographic information perspective

Hurricane Katrina had a significant impact on the number and distribution of known archaeological sites in New Orleans, Louisiana. Due to government mandated investigation in heavily damaged areas, many archaeological sites were recorded in geographic locations where there were previously none recorded. This thesis examined the spatial distribution of sites in the context of archaeological predictive modeling to determine the impact of disaster recovery on site location. In addition, decision making processes that led to the discovery of sites were examined to determine how they contributed to spatial bias in the distribution of sites recognized by the Louisiana Division of Archaeology. Sites were categorized based on the types of investigations that led to their discovery: academic research, development or disaster recovery. They were then subjected to spatial and statistical analysis methods to demonstrate geographic differences between categories. Differences in mean elevation and distance to water between site categories were found to be statistically significant. Spatial clusters were identified that were unique to each site category indicating that they were also spatially different. This study indicated that clusters of sites observed within the known site distribution were the result of biased survey methods rather than an accurate representation of the varying density of archaeological deposits throughout New Orleans. As a result, the use of known sites for predictive modeling in New Orleans is highly problematic and needs to be evaluated further. A different conceptual model of New Orleans archaeology was then proposed that considers the city as a single site that can be modeled as having varying degrees of archaeological sensitivity across geographic space

2008 Annual Report: Migratory Bird Conservation Commission

Table of Contents The Service’s Legacy of Conserving Migratory Waterfowl Habitat The Migratory Bird Conservation Commission The Migratory Bird Conservation Fund MBCC Approvals for Fiscal Year 2008 MBCF Land Acquisitions for Fiscal Year 2008 National Wildlife Refuge System –– New Area and Boundary Addition Approvals for Fiscal Year 2008 Notes on Tables One and Two Map – National Migratory Bird Refuges Table One – National Migratory Bird Areas Map – Wetland Management Districts Table Two – National Waterfowl Production Areas North American Wetlands Conservation Fund Summary of MBCC Approvals for Fiscal Year 2008 Table Three – U.S. Wetlands Conservation Standard Grant Proposals MBCC Approvals for Fiscal Year 2008 Table Four – U.S. Wetlands Conservation Small Grant Proposals MBCC Approvals for Fiscal Year 2008 Table Five – Canadian Wetlands Conservation Proposals MBCC Approvals for Fiscal Year 2008 Table Six – Mexican Wetlands Conservation Proposals MBCC Approvals for Fiscal Year 2008 MBCC Membership Char

Non-standard varieties of English in local colour writing: Creole speech in Kate Chopin’s Bayou Folk and A Night in Acadie

Traballo Fin de Grao en Lingua e Literatura Inglesas. Curso 2015-2016As the main focus, in order to expand our acknowledgements about this topic, we have chosen Kate Chopin, of French and Irish descent. Her heritage was an excellent starting point for us, in order to explain some curious points about her biography and the attributes of her literature. In two of her collections of short stories, Bayou Folk and A Night in Acadie, we perceived many accurate exemplifications of her way of using language, and her ability to capture those dialecticisms in a faithful, wise way – this latter point constitutes the most practical part of the project; once arrived to it, we will find out her dialectal skills. In the same context, paying attention to the historical and socio-cultural background of the Local Colour Writing, we found the necessary help to register the linguistic situation of the time, filling the informational gaps of today, even though we must wonder how we could fill more in the future, since the topic has not been developed enough. The use of English in both collections has been recorded in a few stories, where dialogues will be the focus of the review. In general terms, after this brief introduction, the project will begin with a descriptive approach of Kate Chopin; including her biography, the characteristics of her literature, and the way she reflects her reality in her works. Later, basic information about the Local Colour Writing will be provided: its historical, social and cultural background – including conventions and lifestyles in the 19th century, examples of other authors, and how characters are depicted in their fiction. The following subsection will deal with the Local Colour dialect and speech, the sociolinguistic situation at the time, and previous research on the topic. After that, the research will be developed by means of preliminary, terminological and conceptual considerations; among others, the notion of standard language, variety, and the element that influences Local Colour writing: the Creole. In other words, we will learn useful slang concerning sociolinguistics, in order to understand the next section: the data analysis. This will include the analysis of five Kate Chopin’s stories, two from Bayou Folk and three from A Night in Acadie – two of her most famous collections of short fiction. Our methodology consists on describing the non-standard English patterns which belong to the southern area of the United States, clearly appreciated in the dialogued parts. The linguistic richness and the diverse social profiles of the characters were the chosen criteria to select the storie

Refuge Update – September/October 2007, Volume 4, Number 5

Table of Contents: Searching for Japanese MIAs in Alaska – page 3 Japanese and Americans look for burial sites on Attu Island in Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. The Job of a Lifetime – pages 6-7 Meet a 90-year old volunteer and a 31-year old tractor driver. Crocs Come Back – page 27 American crocodiles are threatened but no longer endangered

Finding Aid for the Louis E. Bourgeois Collection (MUM01760)

A collection of published poems and stories by author Louis E. Bourgeois of Oxford, Miss

The Tensile Root Strength of Emergent Coastal Macrophytes

Spartina patens is a dominant emergent macrophyte in fresh, intermediate, and brackish marshes along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of United States where its biomechanical properties are a key component of wetland health and resilience. Its root biomass and tensile root strength are essential for anchorage, erosion protection, and are important determinants of soil strength. Nutrients and the herbicide atrazine are suspected of negatively impacting this wetland plant and others. The objectives of this study were to: 1) ascertain the tensile root strength of five emergent coastal macrophytes in coastal estuaries, and 2) test the effects of nutrient addition, atrazine exposure, flood duration, and possible interactive effects of these natural and anthropogenic stressors on the tensile root strength of S. patens. The tensile root strength of five coastal macrophytes declined with depth in four estuaries in southeastern Louisiana. The tensile strength of Panicum hemitomon and Sagittaria lancifolia growing in a wastewater treatment wetland also declined relative to a reference wetland site. The results from multiple greenhouse experiments demonstrated that combinations of nitrogen, phosphorus, and nitrogen+phosphorus resulted in the loss of about 50% tensile root strength of S. patens after four months. Atrazine treatments resulted in similar tensile root strength losses. The belowground biomass declined with nutrient and atrazine additions and in combination. The tensile root strength of S. patens varied depending on soil texture and flood duration regimes. The formation of aerenchyma tissue in response to flooding and the cessation of nutrient foraging by roots were the main factors that contributed to lower tensile root strength and less belowground biomass production. The field survey and greenhouse experiments results indicated that prolonged exposure to ambient levels of nutrient loads and atrazine weakens the tensile strength and degrades the belowground biomass. Prolonged inundation may exacerbate the effects of xenobiotics. The long-term effects of these multiple stressors may facilitate coastal land loss. Management efforts can ameliorate the effects of poor water quality on wetlands by amending agricultural practices and land use zoning

Sugar Hill: Architectural, Cultural and Historic Significance of an Early Twentieth Century African American Neighborhood in New Orleans, Louisiana

Across the United States, efforts are being made to document African American history and its contribution to the development of this country. At all levels of government and through individual research, attempts are being made to recognize and pay tribute to the role of the Black American. These efforts involve documenting the architectural, cultural, historical, scientific, and social contributions. In New Orleans, the Black American played a major role in the development of the city. For most of the 20th century, African Americans have been the majority of the population. However, little has been done to document their rich architectural and cultural contributions. This thesis involves original research on the architectural, cultural and historic significance of the properties in the Sugar Hill neighborhood of New Orleans. This research will be used to determine if this neighborhood meets the National Park Service\u27s criteria to be recognized as a National Register District. Keywords: New Orleans, African American, and Histori