Animal behavior

The pelagic longline fishery is responsible for significant mortality to sea turtles as a
result of foul hooking, entanglement in the lines, and internal injury after consuming the
baited hook. Bait, gear and lights (used to attract the target fishes to the baits at night) are
three variables that could also attract sea turtles to the lines. This study tests the role of
the lights in attracting leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) turtles and compares their
behavior to the loggerhead (Caretta carelta), shown in previous studies to orient toward
both lightsticks and battery powered LEDs used in the fishery. The same lights were
used in experiments done on leatherbacks reared at Florida Atlantic University's Marine
Laboratory. The leatherbacks were exposed to the lights at night when they were
between 5 and 42 days old. The results show that leatherbacks, unlike loggerheads, either do not orient toward the lights or orient away from them at an angle that enabled
the turtles to keep the light in their peripheral field cf view. Thus, the capture of
leatherbacks in longlines is probably a consequence of other factors (such as attraction to
the odor of the baits, or to natural prey located near the Iines) that need to be investigated
through future research. The results also show that efforts to reduce the incidental capture
and injury of marine turtles in longlines must be based upon a firm understanding of the
similarities, as well as the differences, between turtle species.

Understanding the foraging and nesting ecology of Wood Storks will play an
important role in Everglades restoration because this species has specific resource
requirements during the breeding season which ultimately affect nest success. I
conducted a foraging habitat use and selection study, which indicated that Wood Storks
from coastal colonies, Paurotis Pond and Rodgers River Bay, require a narrow range of
water depths in the mangrove-saltwater marsh ecotone near their colonies as well in the
freshwater marsh habitats of the inland Everglades. Wood Storks nesting at the inland
colony, Tamiarni West, relied heavily upon nearby freshwater marsh habitat and selected
foraging sites associated with shrub swamp habitat as well as optimal water depths. The
observational nesting ecology study of Wood Storks showed marked differences in
parental nest attendance and food delivery rates between the two years of study, 2005 and
2006, which had different hydrological patterns.

The ecosystem created by pelagic Sargassum is important in the life histories of a
number of economically and ecologically important associated organisms. Fishes play a
vital role in this food web and nutrient flow within these systems, but it is unknown how
they locate these floating habitats. This study examined the role of natural chemical cues
from Sargassum patches and the synthetic chemical Dimethylsulfonionpropionate
(DMSP) for an associated fish, the planehead filefish (Stephanolepis hispidus) and a
control fish species not associated with Sargassum, the masked goby (Coryphopterus
personatus). Choice trials with a Y-maze apparatus determined that S. hispidus
responded significantly to chemical cues from Sargassum while C. personatus did not.
DMSP cues did not result in any significant behavioral responses for either fish.
Demonstrating that S. hispidus can respond to chemical cues from Sargassum helps
further our understanding of this unique floating algal reef and how fishes may locate it.

Personality is defined as inter-individual variation of behavioral traits while
maintaining intra-individual stability. The focus of this study was to observe distinct
personality trait categories, establish baseline personality trait phenotypes for the juvenile
population, and compare the personality phenotypes between different categories, such as
sex or generation. Three personality traits were studied—sociability, curiousity, and
boldness—based on the percentage of time individuals spent with conspecifics, human
researchers, and their mothers, respectively. The surveyed individuals significantly
varied positively and negatively from the means of each trait, and no significant
difference for any trait was found between males and females, or across time periods. A
moderately strong correlation was discovered between two personality traits, boldness
and curiousity, suggesting a personality syndrome. The second primary goal was to use
the aforementioned baseline to determine if personality traits can be used to predict neophilic behavior specific to human-dolphin communication research. Six of the study
subjects were more prone than their peers to engage with the two-way work, and these
individuals were more bold—spent less time with their mothers—than the other subjects.
This suggests that boldness has some predictive capabilities towards this type of
neophilia.

This dissertation examined the natal origins, home-range, and in-situ foraging behavior of an aggregation of sub-adult hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) found off the coast of Palm Beach County, Florida. Surveys were conducted on approximately 30 linear km of reef between 15 and 30 m in depth. Tissue samples were retrieved from 112 turtles for mtDNA haplotype determination. GPS-linked satellite transmitters were deployed on six resident sub-adults, resulting in both minimum convex polygon (MCP) and 95%, 50%, and 25% kernel density estimates (KDE) of home-range size. A foraging ethogram was developed, and sequential analysis performed on thirty videos (141 total minutes) of in-situ foraging behavior. Seventeen total haplotypes were identified in this aggregation, the majority (75%) of which represented rookeries on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. Other sources, from most to least important, include Barbados, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Antigua, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The cues used by marine turtles to locate foraging areas in the open ocean are largely
unknown though some species (especially the green turtle [Chelonia mydas], the
loggerhead [Caretta caretta], and the leatherback [Dermochelys coriacea]) somehow
locate areas of high productivity. Loggerheads can detect airborne odors, but a capacity
to orient has not yet been investigated. In this comparative study, tethered loggerheads
and leatherbacks were exposed to dimethyl sulfide (DMS) or food odors in a laminar
flow of air. Turtles did not orient into the air current. Free-swimming loggerheads and
green turtles were also exposed to air- or waterborne food (squid) odor plus a neutral
visual stimulus. Both species showed increases in swimming activity and biting behavior
to both stimuli. These results suggest that airborne odors are likely not used to locate
distant areas, but that they are used in localized food searching efforts.

Kangaroo care (KC), has been shown to promote healthy development for both
pre-term and full-term infants, and to improve mother-infant bonding (Ludington-Hoe,
2011; Charpak et al., 2005). Current research on the maternal benefits of kangaroo care is
scarce, primarily focuses on early KC, and is mostly qualitative in nature (Fegran,
Helseth, & Fagermoan, 2008; Matos et al., 2010). The present study examined the effect
of late KC on maternal behaviors, sensitivity, and mother-infant interactive mutuality
when infants were 3 months of age. Mothers who used kangaroo care as directed were
found to have greater bonding scores and less anxiety about caring for their infants as
measured through the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire. Kangaroo care was also found
to have an effect on mothers’ ability to effectively calm their infants after an arm restraint
task. Further research on the usefulness of late intermittent KC with full-term infants is
needed.

The current study examined the effects of kangaroo care on breastfeeding
practices, infant stress reactivity, and biobehavioral measures of mother-infant bonding
across the first 3 months postpartum. Additionally, the role of breastfeeding in infant
cortical maturation in the frontal lobe was examined. Thirty two mother-infant dyads
participated in the current study; 16 mother-infant dyads were randomly assigned to the
kangaroo care group and 17 mother-infant dyads were assigned to the control group.
Mothers in the kangaroo care group received training on proper kangaroo care procedures
by a trained administrator during the first 1-2 weeks postpartum. Mothers in the kangaroo
care group were asked to use the kangaroo care procedure for 1 hour per day for 6 weeks. Maternal perceptions of fetal attachment, mood, feeding intentions, and urinary
oxytocin measurements were assessed prenatally. At a newborn visit, infant
neurobehavioral functioning and urinary oxytocin measurements were assessed. Maternal
mood and feeding practices were also assessed at the newborn visit. At 3 months
postpartum, mother-infant dyads were assessed on urinary oxytocin measurements.
Mother-infant dyads were recorded during a play session and feeding session. Infant
baseline EEG recordings were taken over a 5 minute period. Infant cortisol
measurements were collected from infant saliva before and after a mild behavioral
stressor, an infant arm restraint procedure. Maternal perceptions of postpartum bonding,
mood, infant temperament, and feeding practices were also assessed. Results indicate that
kangaroo care produced medium to large effects on cortisol reactivity, dyadic bonding,
and breastfeeding practices if kangaroo care was practiced for the recommended amount
of time. Kangaroo care produced medium to large effects on oxytocin levels in motherinfant
dyads regardless of use. Cortical measures of infant frontal activity indicated that
all infants in the samples displayed functional maturity of the frontal lobe. Kangaroo care
can be used a viable, low-cost tactile procedure that can be implemented after birth to aid
in breastfeeding practices, mother-infant bonding, and lower infant stress reactivity.
Infants in the study who received at least one breastfeeding session displayed advanced
patterns of frontal activation. Further study is needed to determine if peripheral oxytocin
measurements are 1) reliable and 2) are indicative of dyadic bonding behaviors.

Masking or decorator crabs, conceal themselves partially through camouflage, by
selecting or indiscriminately attaching materials from their environment to their
exoskeleton. Functional aspects of decorating behavior and morphology in this group
have not been documented. Using Microphrys bicornutus as a model species, this
dissertation demonstrates clearly that decorating is an advantageous phenotype that has
evolved to serve several functions. Decorating is a complex behavior that begins when a crab approaches an algal substrate and results in the attachment of algae to hooked setae on the exoskeleton. Once decorated, crabs remain motionless on the substrate until disturbed or until another behavior is initiated. This was confirmed for M. bicornutus, as crabs spent a significant
amount of time feeding, remaining motionless, picking, and walking when compared to
decorating. Crabs displayed agonistic behaviors during encounters with conspecifics conspecifics. These included both active aggressive behavior and display behavior.
Crabs showed a decrease in motility during these encounters, helping maintain dispersed
distributions, thereby decreasing intrsapecific encounters in the field. Trials were done to determine the effect of conspecifics, predators and feeding preferences on algal utilization. M. bicornutus showed a significant decrease in the amount of algae used for decoration in the highest density trials (i.e., 4 and 8 crabs). Agonistic displays and aggressive behavior between these crabs likely affected the time available for decorating. Decorated crabs isolated from an algal substrate were more likely to survive in the presence of either of two sympatric fish predators. Thus, being protected by the algal decoration on their exoskeletons. Trials also showed a parallel between algal consumption and algal materials used for decoration. In addition to its protective function, algae used by M. bicornutus for decoration simultaneously serve as
short term food supplies for the crabs. Eleven morphologically complex structures were identified and mapped on the exoskeleton. Hooked setae were the primary structures used to attach algae to the crab’s body. Ten additional setal structures were present, including two novel types of setae. On the basis of location and morphological variation exhibited among these latter structures, a primary sensory function may be inferred.

An analysis of the variables influencing the ontogeny of predatory
attack in the cat was undertaken. Three stages of
development were delineated. In Stage I, no interest was
shown in the mouse. In Stage II, pursuit, swiping, and bite
attempts occured sporadically, but an integrated pattern of
attack was not observed. In Stage III, attack was more persistent
but remained inefficient, and included both components
of approach (visual tracking, approach of the whole
body, seizing with the forepaw, and biting) and withdrawal
(retraction of head and upper torso, swiping). The latter
appeared to produce a "playful" style of attack and to inhibit
killing. The role of hunger and movement of the mouse
were also evaluated. Latencies to bite were faster when the
kitten was food deprived or when given a dead mouse. The
latter finding suggests that inefficient "playful" attack is
elicited by specific stimulus properties of the prey, rather
than being a reflection of a playful "mood."