Natural History Specimen Collections

The Fish Collection described in this document was transferred in 1992 to the Fish Collection of the University of Texas at Austin in Austin (at that time administratively in the Texas Memorial Museum, but at the time of publication of this digital version of the document it is one (https://biodiversity.utexas.edu/resources/collections/ichthyology) of the Biodiversity Collections in the University's Biodiversity Center (https://biodiversity.utexas.edu/). Thus, the data on the specimens in the Fish Collection described here are now included in the data published to GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/dataset/6080b6cc-1c24-41ff-ad7f-0ebe7b56f311) and other global biodiversity data aggregators by the UT Biodiversity Center's Fish Collection. The same data are also included in the Fishes of Texas Project (http://fishesoftexas.org - Hendrickson, Dean A., and Adam E. Cohen. 2015. “Fishes of Texas Project Database (Version 2.0)” doi:10.17603/C3WC70). Some of the UTMSI Fish Collection specimens remained at the UT Marine Science Insitute on long-term loan from 1992 until sometime in 2017 when the MSI disposed of all remaining specimens (including also Invertebrates). Some were disposed of by a professional HazMat company, but many were apparently taken to the Smithsonian Institution's (USNM) division of Invertebrate Biology. The fate of fish specimens, however, remains unresolved, but the Ichthyology Division at USNM had no knowledge of them at the time this report was archived here. Dean A. Hendrickson, Curator of Ichthyology, UT Austin, May 1, 2019The University of Texas Marine Science Institute, Port Aransas Marine Laboratory, Natural History Collection of Marine Organisms was initiated in the mid-1940's. Since that time specimens have been added from studies in the Gulf of Mexico, associated estuaries, and marine-influenced terrestrial habitats, with emphasis on the Texas and Mexico coasts. These studies were the baseline surveys for this area and have resulted in the collection of valuable marine organisms. The collection now holds approximately 5,000 catalogued specimens including all forms of biota, vertebrates, invertebrates, algae and flowering plants. The collection includes the marine fish and invertebrate specimens of the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, incorporated into the UTMSI-PAML collection in 1976. This state collection, numbering 3,000, is composed primarily of Texas Gulf coast species of fish and invertebrates, representing baseline surveys conducted by the state fisheries biologists. With this collection are card catalogues by specimen number and phylogenetic order. Other collections incorporated are those from R/V Oregon cruises (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, exploratory fishing vessel), H. H. Hildebrand's faunal surveys of the brown and pink shrimp grounds , Whitten et al.'s faunal survey of Texas coast jetties , J. W. Hedgepeth’s specimens collected during numerous faunal surveys, tide trap studies, and vegetation and algal surveys. Noteworthy studies from which specimens have been added to the collection are listed in Table 1. The museum collection is housed in an air-conditioned building in a room specifically designed for this collection. The present facility contains 924 square feet with 1089 square feet of shelf space, which can be trebled to accommodate BLM collections. There are at present 32 1' x 12' shelves, totaling 384 square feet; 194 18" x 12-1/2" shelves, totaling 303 square feet; and 120 11-1/2" x 42" shelves, totaling 402 5 square feet. The collection is a working museum open to the scientific community; specimens are available on loan to members of this community. Specimens may be used by visiting researchers, graduate-level students, professors, and classes. Attached is an invoice form, "Invoice of Specimens" - a standard form used for loan of collection items. The Port Aransas Marine Laboratory is committed to the continuing curation of specimens and will continue to provide the supplies necessary to maintain the natural history specimen collections. The University of Texas Marine Science Institute, Port Aransas Marine Laboratory is willing to incorporate the Bureau of Land Management collection into its collection. Funding is requested from BLM to obtain and incorporate all archived BLM specimens from the S.T.O.C.S. survey into the collection.Integrative Biolog

Elevating Dissolved Oxygen—Reflections on Developing and Using Long-Term Data

This prospectus took me about as long to generate as my 36—year record of working on the issue of northern Gulf of Mexico (nGOM) oxygen deficiency, or so I felt. There was so much to cover, but I focused on the issue of hypoxia on the Louisiana continental shelf from the early 1980s to present and my participation in the research and outreach. Not that I was ignoring other aspects of my academic research career (e.g., stone crab populations and their differences in physiology and larval development along the nGOM coast; settlement of crab megalopae, especially blue crabs, on artificial substrates and their timing with tidal events; oil and gas pollutant discharges in coastal waters of Louisiana, and as Director of the Coastal Waters Research Consortium (CWC) of the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI), and marsh infaunal researcher. I must say, however, that the journey through the documentation of low dissolved oxygen on the Louisiana continental shelf, and its linkage to the changes in the Mississippi River nutrient loads to the coastal waters of the nGOM, marked a dominant part of my career. This prospectus follows my research and outreach career from my first journey offshore in an outboard to set stations for the transect off Terrebonne Bay in early summer of 1985 to now

Identification of math anxiety subtypes

Conceptualizations of mathematics anxiety, as well as factors that are empirically related to it, were identified from the existing literature. These factors are test, evaluation, trait, and state anxiety, as well as gender and level of math ability. Differences in these factors were hypothesized to distinguish subtypes of highly math anxious individuals from one another. In order to determine whether subtypes exist, cluster analyses were performed on a sample of 96 highly math anxious college students. The results revealed three clusters distinguished by completion time on two versions of a math test and age. Furthermore, participants\u27 responses on a variety of self-report questionnaires, as well as performance on a math test, were assessed under stressful versus relaxing testing conditions. Stressful testing conditions produced a decrement in math test performance, and also resulted in an increase in state anxiety level, particularly for women. The obtained results supported the existence of math anxious subtypes; they also suggested that level of anxiety can be manipulated by instructions in a math testing setting

Creating a haven : how one art teacher promotes acceptance for LGBTQ students in the art classroom

textThe purpose of this study was to investigate how one art teacher in Nevada promotes acceptance for Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer (LGBTQ) students in her classroom. Through case study methodology, the researcher observed the high school classroom for five consecutive days. With a focus on pedagogy, classroom management, curriculum, and interactions in the classroom, data collected included field notes, interviews and images of the classroom. The researcher interviewed the teacher and four former students that self-identify as LGBTQ. The collected data was analyzed through in- vivo coding, descriptive coding, axially coding, and visual analysis. The results from this study demonstrated that the teacher promoted acceptance through four strategies. The first strategy was to incorporate the work of artists that self-identify as LGBTQ to provide positive role models for students. The second strategy was to establish a rapport with students through humor. The students reported that the sarcastic banter encouraged friendship between the students and teacher. The third strategy performed by the teacher was to treat the students as adults, with respect, on a regular basis. Offering the students respect, and accountability, gave the students a sense of ownership over the space. Lastly, the teacher promoted acceptance for LGBTQ students by promoting acceptance for every student. By creating a space where everyone was respected, from conservative Mormon students, to lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender and queer students. The classroom operated as a haven for all individuals, including LGBTQ students. These strategies are shared so that art teachers may have a better understandings of how to create a safe learning environment.Art Educatio

Development of a Real-Time PCR Assay for Detection and Quantification of \u3cem\u3eEscherichia coli\u3c/em\u3e O157:H7 in Apple Juice

Apple cider/juice contaminated with Escherichia coli O157:H7 has been implicated in several foodborne illness outbreaks, but due to the presence of reaction inhibitors, detection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is often difficult. The studies presented in this dissertation were conducted to evaluate techniques to improve detection of E. coli O157:H7 in apple juice using a fluorogenic probe-based real-time PCR assay without prior enrichment. Two commercial DNA extraction and purification procedures, GenEluteTM Bacterial Genomic DNA Kit and PrepMan® Ultra Sample Preparation Reagent, were combined with two real-time PCR chemistries, SYBR® Green I dye and TaqMan® probes for potential use in the apple juice assay. After real-time PCR, no significant differences were observed in cycle threshold values (Ct) (p\u3e0.05) among the methods. The PrepMan/TaqMan method was subsequently combined with a real-time PCR assay based on detection of the stx1, stx2, and uidA genes. Apple juice was inoculated individually with nine strains of E. coli O157:H7 (1.0 log CFU/ml to 4.0 log CFU/ml) and plated to verify initial inocula. For particulate removal, apple juice was vacuum filtered twice (Whatman No. 4 and Whatman No. 1), followed by a distilled water wash. Samples were plated again to obtain post-filtration inocula. Filtered juice was centrifuged, pellets were resuspended in 1 ml phosphate buffer, and E. coli O157:H7 cells were concentrated by immunomagnetic separation. PrepMan Ultra was added to the magnetic bead/E. coli O157:H7 complex for DNA extraction. Extracts were combined as appropriate with primers, probe and other reagents, and real-time PCR was performed. Average E. coli O157:H7 inoculum levels of 0.3, 2.2, 3.3 and 4.3 log CFU/ml in apple juice were detected at average Ct values of 41.22, 37.54, 34.69 and 31.81 (stx1); 43.13, 38.74, 35.21 and 32.58 (stx2); and 44.13, 41.54, 37.81 and 34.06 (uidA). Across all E. coli O157:H7 strains, populations as low as 1.6 (44 CFU/ml) (stx1), 1.6 (43 CFU/ml) (stx2), and 1.5 (33 CFU/ml) (uidA) log CFU/ml could be quantified using the cell concentration/real-time PCR assay. However, E. coli O157:H7 was detected on occasion below the quantifiable level at the lowest inoculum level for all strains. This method can be used for rapid detection and quantification (\u3c5 h) of E. coli O157:H7 in apple cider/juice and potentially other foods

Framing Theory and Its Application to the Fracking Controversy in St. Tammany Parish

When Helis Oil & Gas Company announced it was interested in drilling for oil in Louisiana’s St. Tammany Parish, it ignited a firestorm. The proposed drilling project would use hydraulic fracturing – or “fracking” – causing some residents to voice their concerns for the parish’s wellbeing. My thesis looks to framing theory to analyze how local media covered the issue, as well as the effects those frames might have on public policy and the lawsuits that arose out of the proposed drilling operation. I performed quantitative and qualitative content analyses of local media coverage of this issue from April 2014 through December 2014. I found that the media focused the most on the “public backlash” frame. The media coverage showed that public opinion has already had an impact on public policy; it could also influence litigation in this matter