Bdelloid rotifers are well documented as inhabitants within lobules of the widely distributed epiphytic liverwort, Frullania eboracensis. This research provides a detailed description of rotifer occupancy within lobules of F. eboracensis and tests the hypothesis that rotifer excrement might be a source of nutrients for F. eboracensis. My goals were to 1) investigate how rotifers are distributed among F. eboracensis, 2) how rotifer abundance is impacted by seasonality, and 3) use quantum dot (QD) labeled Escherichia coli as a food source for rotifers and track the QDs from bacteria to rotifer to F. eboracensis. Frullania eboracensis samples were collected in fall 2014 to fall 2016. QD experiments were conducted in fall 2023. The results showed rotifers had a much higher probability of occupancy for the first 5-6 lobules, slowly declining thereafter. Rotifer abundance was stable across the 1.5-year period, but there was a slight increase in density during the late fall and early winter. QD fluorescence was observed within the stomach cavity and intestine of rotifers and F. eboracensis showed evidence of rotifer-derived QD uptake from rotifer feces. The findings in this study support the hypothesis that F. eboracensis utilizes nutrients from rotifer feces and is the first study to document transfer of QDs from bacteria to animal to liverwort.
","abstract_html":"<p>Bdelloid rotifers are well documented as inhabitants within lobules of the widely distributed epiphytic liverwort, <em>Frullania eboracensis</em>. This research provides a detailed description of rotifer occupancy within lobules of <em>F. eboracensis</em> and tests the hypothesis that rotifer excrement might be a source of nutrients for <em>F. eboracensis</em>. My goals were to 1) investigate how rotifers are distributed among <em>F. eboracensis</em>, 2) how rotifer abundance is impacted by seasonality, and 3) use quantum dot (QD) labeled <em>Escherichia coli</em> as a food source for rotifers and track the QDs from bacteria to rotifer to <em>F. eboracensis</em>. <em>Frullania eboracensis</em> samples were collected in fall 2014 to fall 2016. QD experiments were conducted in fall 2023. The results showed rotifers had a much higher probability of occupancy for the first 5-6 lobules, slowly declining thereafter. Rotifer abundance was stable across the 1.5-year period, but there was a slight increase in density during the late fall and early winter. QD fluorescence was observed within the stomach cavity and intestine of rotifers and <em>F. eboracensis</em> showed evidence of rotifer-derived QD uptake from rotifer feces. The findings in this study support the hypothesis that <em>F. eboracensis</em> utilizes nutrients from rotifer feces and is the first study to document transfer of QDs from bacteria to animal to liverwort.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Mydlowski, Emily A"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Biology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Dr. Alan Rebertus"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2024,"date_issued":"2024-04-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2024-04-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:24:36Z","subjects":["Bdelloid rotifer","liverwort ecology","nutrient transfer","quantum dots","Biology","Biotechnology","Bryology","Zoology"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://commons.nmu.edu/theses/842","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Dr. Alan Rebertus"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Mydlowski, Emily A"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2029-05-07T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Biology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Bdelloid rotifer","liverwort ecology","nutrient transfer","quantum dots","Biology","Biotechnology","Bryology","Zoology"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://commons.nmu.edu/theses/842"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Bdelloid rotifers are well documented as inhabitants within lobules of the widely distributed epiphytic liverwort, Frullania eboracensis. This research provides a detailed description of rotifer occupancy within lobules of F. eboracensis and tests the hypothesis that rotifer excrement might be a source of nutrients for F. eboracensis. My goals were to 1) investigate how rotifers are distributed among F. eboracensis, 2) how rotifer abundance is impacted by seasonality, and 3) use quantum dot (QD) labeled Escherichia coli as a food source for rotifers and track the QDs from bacteria to rotifer to F. eboracensis. Frullania eboracensis samples were collected in fall 2014 to fall 2016. QD experiments were conducted in fall 2023. The results showed rotifers had a much higher probability of occupancy for the first 5-6 lobules, slowly declining thereafter. Rotifer abundance was stable across the 1.5-year period, but there was a slight increase in density during the late fall and early winter. QD fluorescence was observed within the stomach cavity and intestine of rotifers and F. eboracensis showed evidence of rotifer-derived QD uptake from rotifer feces. The findings in this study support the hypothesis that F. eboracensis utilizes nutrients from rotifer feces and is the first study to document transfer of QDs from bacteria to animal to liverwort.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["SEASONAL VARIATION IN ROTIFER OCCUPANCY WITHIN FRULLANIA EBORACENSIS LOBULES: ILLUMINATING A SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TWO OVERLOOKED SPECIES"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Dr. Alan Rebertus"],"dc:creator":["Mydlowski, Emily A"],"dc:date.available":["2029-05-07T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Bdelloid rotifers are well documented as inhabitants within lobules of the widely distributed epiphytic liverwort, Frullania eboracensis. This research provides a detailed description of rotifer occupancy within lobules of F. eboracensis and tests the hypothesis that rotifer excrement might be a source of nutrients for F. eboracensis. My goals were to 1) investigate how rotifers are distributed among F. eboracensis, 2) how rotifer abundance is impacted by seasonality, and 3) use quantum dot (QD) labeled Escherichia coli as a food source for rotifers and track the QDs from bacteria to rotifer to F. eboracensis. Frullania eboracensis samples were collected in fall 2014 to fall 2016. QD experiments were conducted in fall 2023. The results showed rotifers had a much higher probability of occupancy for the first 5-6 lobules, slowly declining thereafter. Rotifer abundance was stable across the 1.5-year period, but there was a slight increase in density during the late fall and early winter. QD fluorescence was observed within the stomach cavity and intestine of rotifers and F. eboracensis showed evidence of rotifer-derived QD uptake from rotifer feces. The findings in this study support the hypothesis that F. eboracensis utilizes nutrients from rotifer feces and is the first study to document transfer of QDs from bacteria to animal to liverwort.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://commons.nmu.edu/theses/842"],"dc:subject":["Bdelloid rotifer","liverwort ecology","nutrient transfer","quantum dots","Biology","Biotechnology","Bryology","Zoology"],"dc:title":["SEASONAL VARIATION IN ROTIFER OCCUPANCY WITHIN FRULLANIA EBORACENSIS LOBULES: ILLUMINATING A SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TWO OVERLOOKED SPECIES"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Biology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:24:36Z"}