{"694038":{"#nid":"694038","#data":{"type":"event","title":"MS Defense by Michon A. Shaw","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMaster of Science in Biology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003Ein the\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMichon A. Shaw\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWill defend his thesis\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u201c\u003C\/strong\u003EQuantitative Analysis of Living Shoreline Stability Through Observed Behavioral Adaptations of Eastern Oysters (\u003Cem\u003ECrassostrea Virginica\u003C\/em\u003E)\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFriday November 20th, 2026\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E2:00 pm\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKendeda Building Seminar Room 118\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/teams.microsoft.com\/meet\/2776873581776448?p=SOEiaPkbSMIazN8h6v\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/teams.microsoft.com\/meet\/2776873581776448?p=SOEiaPkbSMIazN8h6v\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThesis Advisor:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Marc J. Weissburg\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESchool of Ocean Science \u0026amp; Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECommittee Members:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Joseph P. Montoya\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESchool of Ocean Science \u0026amp; Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Emily G. Weigel\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbstract:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELiving shorelines are increasingly recognized as important forms of natural coastal infrastructure, providing shoreline stabilization, habitat complexity, and essential ecosystem services. Eastern oysters (\u003Cem\u003ECrassostrea virginica\u003C\/em\u003E), as foundational ecosystem engineers, contribute to these functions through reef formation and water filtration. However, the ecological consequences of predator-induced behavioral adaptations in oysters, particularly their potential effects on filtration activity, remain insufficiently understood. This study investigated whether exposure to predator-associated chemical cues, specifically homarine and trigonelline, influences the filtration behavior of juvenile Eastern oysters. Using a 12-hour mesocosm experiment, juvenile oyster spat were exposed to four experimental treatments: high concentrations of predator chemical cues, low concentrations of predator chemical cues, no chemical cues, and a no-oyster control. The experiment consisted of six experimental blocks, with four replicates per treatment within each block. Chlorophyll-a concentrations were measured at the beginning and end of each trial to quantify chlorophyll depletion and estimate oyster clearance rates. A mixed-model analysis revealed no statistically significant effect of chemical treatment on the proportionate reduction of chlorophyll-a (F(3,87) = 1.60, p = 0.195), indicating insufficient evidence to conclude that predator-associated chemical cues significantly altered oyster filtration behavior under the experimental conditions. Although treatment differences were observed, oysters in the no-chemical treatment generally exhibited greater chlorophyll depletion, while the no-oyster control demonstrated minimal chlorophyll loss. Oyster size measurements also revealed no significant differences among experimental groups (F = 1.23, p = 0.297), suggesting that variation in juvenile spat size was unlikely to explain the observed treatment patterns. Despite the absence of statistically significant treatment effects, observed differences in filtration activity suggest that predator-associated chemical cues may influence oyster feeding behavior and warrant further investigation. These findings highlight the importance of examining non-consumptive predator effects when evaluating oyster physiology, ecological functioning, and the long-term performance of restored living shorelines.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EQuantitative Analysis of Living Shoreline Stability Through Observed Behavioral Adaptations of Eastern Oysters (\u003Cem\u003ECrassostrea Virginica\u003C\/em\u003E)\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Quantitative Analysis of Living Shoreline Stability Through Observed Behavioral Adaptations of Eastern Oysters (Crassostrea Virginica)\u201d"}],"uid":"27707","created_gmt":"2026-11-12 15:16:00","changed_gmt":"2026-11-12 15:16:49","author":"Tatianna Richardson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2026-11-20T14:00:00-05:00","event_time_end":"2026-11-20T16:00:00-05:00","event_time_end_last":"2026-11-20T16:00:00-05:00","gmt_time_start":"2026-11-20 19:00:00","gmt_time_end":"2026-11-20 21:00:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2026-11-20 21:00:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"location":" Kendeda Building Seminar Room 118","extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"111531","name":"ms defense"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1788","name":"Other\/Miscellaneous"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78771","name":"Public"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}