Graduation Date
Spring 2023
Document Type
Thesis
Program
Master of Science degree with a major in Biology
Committee Chair Name
Sean Craig
Committee Chair Affiliation
HSU Faculty or Staff
Second Committee Member Name
Emanuela Di Martino
Second Committee Member Affiliation
Community Member or Outside Professional
Third Committee Member Name
Lee Hsiang Liow
Third Committee Member Affiliation
Community Member or Outside Professional
Fourth Committee Member Name
Allison Bronson
Fourth Committee Member Affiliation
HSU Faculty or Staff
Fifth Committee Member Name
John Reiss
Fifth Committee Member Affiliation
HSU Faculty or Staff
Abstract
The phylum Bryozoa is one of the most diverse groups of marine invertebrates, with a global distribution that spans marine and fresh waters. This study analyzes the Bryozoa in infralittoral communities on rocky surfaces from northern California (Point Saint George) to central California (Estero Bay), spanning 940 kilometers and encompassing 12 rocky intertidal sites. Although recent studies on bryozoan taxonomy and phylogeny have increased due to scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high throughput sequencing, there is still a lack of studies on species found in shallow waters at intertidal depths, particularly in the northeastern Pacific. This study aims to expand taxonomic sampling and assess the community diversity of bryozoans along the California coastline, using SEM to identify bryozoans to species level and examine species abundance and dispersal range along the outer rocky outer coast of California. Bryozoan community structure and diversity measurements were analyzed using NMDS ordinations with environmental and Pearson correlations. I also describe two Microporella species that are novel to the area of bryozoology. Environmental factors, including latitude and sea surface temperatures, correlate with bryozoan community structure changes. These findings indicate that the California coastline still has much to offer in terms of exploration. More species will likely be discovered there that have not yet been described or discovered but should be studied more thoroughly to examine more environmental variables in order to understand their distribution.
Citation Style
APA
Recommended Citation
Chowdhury, Ismael, "Diversity and distribution of bryozoans of the northern to central rocky outer coast of California" (2023). Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects. 651.
https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/etd/651