Mass stranding and unusual sightings of northern bottlenose whales (Hyperoodon ampullatus) in Skjálfandi Bay, Iceland

Poster.-- World Marine Mammal Conference, Barcelona, 9-12 December 2019Peer reviewe

Wildlife Use Patterns in a Constructed Wetland

Wetland habitats fill vital environmental roles because they typically enhance wildlife diversity and perform important ecosystem services. The Outdoor Discovery Center/ Macatawa Greenway in Holland, MI began construction of a wetland from an agricultural field in the summer of 2015, hoping to trap sediments that otherwise travel downstream to Lake Macatawa while restoring wildlife populations. However, this site is near Tulip City Regional Airport, which raises concerns for increased aviation collisions with wildlife. Our study investigates the potential wildlife hazard to aviation and explores ecological questions regarding transitional changes of wildlife use of different habitats. We measured wildlife activity and abundance as well as vegetation structure at the constructed wetland and at nearby wet meadow, open water, and airport habitats. Compared to previous agricultural land use, the new wetland has shown a substantial increase in vegetation structural diversity and wildlife species diversity. Seasonal migrations dominate changes in wildlife abundance, activity, and aviation threat in each habitat type. Results thus far suggest no consistently increased hazard to aviation even though wildlife has flourished in the new wetland

Isolation of 35 Mycobacteriophages and Genomic Analysis of the Novel Mycobacteriophage, Bella96

Thirty-five new mycobacteriophages were isolated from soil samples collected on or nearby Hope College in Holland, Michigan. All were capable of infecting Mycobacterium smegmatis and produced a variety of plaque morphologies based on size, shape, and clarity, consistent with the isolation of an assortment of different phages. Both lytic and temperate phages appear represented in this collection. Purified phage stocks were used to prepare genomic DNA samples for restriction digest analysis. A comparison of those 35 digest results revealed few similarities among the group, further supporting our interpretation that most of the new phage isolates were distinct. One mycobacteriophage, Bella96, was chosen for complete genome sequencing using the Illumina MiSeq platform and comparative genomic analysis. The predominant plaque produced by Bella96 at 32⁰C was turbid and 3 mm in diameter. No plaques grew at 42⁰C. Genome sequence data for Bella96 revealed a relationship to a group of 23 mycobacteriophages in Cluster K1. The genome of Bella96 is 60.7 Kb, 66.1% GC, and contains 97 genes in agreement with the genome characteristics of closely related phage. A detailed analysis of the complete genome sequence and comparison with sequenced members of this small and unique group of mycobacteriophages is the subject of the second semester of this yearlong course and is presented