Digital Commons Network^™

Natural And Anthropogenic Oil Impacts On Benthic Foraminifera In The Southern Gulf Of Mexico, M. L. Machain-Castillo, A. C. Ruiz-Fernández, Adolfo Gracia, J. A. Sanchez-Cabeza, A. Rodríguez-Ramírez, H. M. Alexander-Valdés, L. H. Pérez-Bernal, X. A. Nava-Fernández, L. E. Gómez-Lizárraga, L. Almaraz-Ruiz, Patrick Schwing, David Hollander

Marine Science Faculty Publications

The Campeche Sound is the major offshore oil producing area in the Southern Gulf of Mexico (SGoM). To evaluate the impact of oil related activities in the ocean floor sediments, we analyzed the geochemical (major and trace element, organic carbon and hydrocarbon concentrations) and biological (benthic foraminifera) composition of 62 superficial sediment samples, from 13 to 1336 m water depth. Cluster and Factor analysis of all the variables indicate that their distribution patterns are mainly controlled by differences between the terrigenous and carbonate platforms in the SGoM. Benthic foraminiferal assemblages were abundant and diverse, and their distribution patterns are mainly …

Evolving And Sustaining Ocean Best Practices And Standards For The Next Decade, Frank Muller-Karger

Marine Science Faculty Publications

The oceans play a key role in global issues such as climate change, food security, and human health. Given their vast dimensions and internal complexity, efficient monitoring and predicting of the planet’s ocean must be a collaborative effort of both regional and global scale. A first and foremost requirement for such collaborative ocean observing is the need to follow well-defined and reproducible methods across activities: from strategies for structuring observing systems, sensor deployment and usage, and the generation of data and information products, to ethical and governance aspects when executing ocean observing. To meet the urgent, planet-wide challenges we face, …

The Coastal Ocean Circulation Influence On The 2018 West Florida Shelf K. Brevis Red Tide Bloom, Robert H. Weisburg, Yonggang Liu, Chad Lembke, Chuanmin M. Hu, Katherine Hubbard, Mathew Garrett

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Blooms of the harmful alga, Karenia brevis on the west Florida continental shelf are thought to initiate offshore before manifesting as a nuisance along the coastline. Contributing to such blooms are a complex sequence of events occurring within oligotrophic waters, which in any given year may or may not be facilitated by the ocean circulation. Once initiation occurs, the delivery from the region of offshore origination to the region of coastline manifestation requires an upwelling circulation, whereby K. brevis cells are advected shoreward along the bottom. The 2018 K. brevis bloom was particularly intense owing to cells from the …

Ecosystem Model Of The Entire Beaufort Sea Marine Ecosystem: A Temporal Tool For Assessing Food-Web Structure And Marine Animal Populations From 1970 To 2014, Paul M. Suprenand, Cameron H. Ainsworth, Carie Hoover

Marine Science Faculty Publications

The Beaufort Sea coastal-marine ecosystem is a 476,000 km2 area in the Arctic Ocean, which extends from -112.5 to -158.0° longitude to 67.5 to 75.0° latitude. Within this polar area the United States indigenous communities of Barrow, Kaktovik, and Nuiqsut, and the Canadian indigenous communities of Aklavik, Inuvik, Tuktoyaktuk, Paulatuk, Ulukhaktok, and Sachs Harbour, subsist by harvesting marine mammals, fish, and invertebrates to provide the majority of their community foods. The Beaufort Sea coastal-marine ecosystem includes many specialized marine animals whose life history is tied to the sea ice, such as polar bears that rely on sea-ice for foraging activities …

Ecological And Indigenous Community Impacts Of Oil Spill Mortality In Alaskan Marine Ecosystems, Paul M. Suprenand, Carie Hoover, Cameron H. Ainsworth, L. Dornberger, C. J. Johnson

Marine Science Faculty Publications

While hydrocarbon exploration and extraction in the Arctic ebbs and flows, reduced sea ice has opened new travel routes across the Arctic. The opening of the Northwest Passage has allowed larger ships (including oil tankers) and higher traffic into remote regions. More ice loss is expected in the future. With this comes the potential for hydrocarbon spills. To quantify the ecosystem impacts of a spill in the Alaska North Slope region, an Ecospace model using the Ecopath with Ecosim software was developed. We highlight the impacts of four potential hydrocarbon contamination scenarios: a subsurface crude oil pipeline release, a surface …

Optical Backscattering Measured By Airborne Lidar And Underwater Glider, James H. Churnside, Richard D. Marchbanks, Chad Lembke, Jordon Beckler

Marine Science Faculty Publications

The optical backscattering from particles in the ocean is an important quantity that has been measured by remote sensing techniques and in situ instruments. In this paper, we compare estimates of this quantity from airborne lidar with those from an in situ instrument on an underwater glider. Both of these technologies allow much denser sampling of backscatter profiles than traditional ship surveys. We found a moderate correlation (R = 0.28, p < 10⁻⁵), with differences that are partially explained by spatial and temporal sampling mismatches, variability in particle composition, and lidar retrieval errors. The data suggest that there are two …

Large-Scale Deposition Of Weathered Oil In The Gulf Of Mexico Following A Deep-Water Oil Spill, Isabel Romero, Gerardo Toro-Farmer, Arne R. Diercks, Patrick Schwing, Frank E. Muller-Karger, Steven Murawski, David Hollander

Marine Science Faculty Publications

The blowout of the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) drilling rig in 2010 released an unprecedented amount of oil at depth (1,500 m) into the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Sedimentary geochemical data from an extensive area (∼194,000 km2) was used to characterize the amount, chemical signature, distribution, and extent of the DWH oil deposited on the seafloor in 2010–2011 from coastal to deep-sea areas in the GoM. The analysis of numerous hydrocarbon compounds (N = 158) and sediment cores (N = 2,613) suggests that, 1.9 ± 0.9 × 104 metric tons of hydrocarbons (>C9 saturated and aromatic fractions) were deposited in …

Generation Of Germ-Free /Ciona Intestinalis For Studies Of Gut-Microbe Interactions, Brittany A Leigh, Assunta Liberti, Larry J Dishaw

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Microbes associate with animal hosts, often providing shelter in a nutrient-rich environment. The gut, however, can be a harsh environment with members of the microbiome settling in distinct niches resulting in more stable, adherent biofilms. These diverse communities can provide orders of magnitude more gene products than the host genome; selection and maintenance of a functionally relevant and useful microbiome is now recognized to be an essential component of homeostasis. Germ-free (GF) model systems allow dissection of host-microbe interactions in a simple and direct way where each member of the symbiosis can be studied in isolation. In addition, because immune …

Towards Quantitative Viromics For Both Double-Stranded And Single-Stranded Dna Viruses., Simon Roux, Natalie E Solonenko, Vinh T Dang, Bonnie T Poulos, Sarah M Schwenck, Dawn B Goldsmith, Maureen L Coleman, Mya Breitbart, Matthew B Sullivan

Marine Science Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Viruses strongly influence microbial population dynamics and ecosystem functions. However, our ability to quantitatively evaluate those viral impacts is limited to the few cultivated viruses and double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) viral genomes captured in quantitative viral metagenomes (viromes). This leaves the ecology of non-dsDNA viruses nearly unknown, including single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) viruses that have been frequently observed in viromes, but not quantified due to amplification biases in sequencing library preparations (Multiple Displacement Amplification, Linker Amplification or Tagmentation).

METHODS: Here we designed mock viral communities including both ssDNA and dsDNA viruses to evaluate the capability of a sequencing library preparation …

Temporal Variability Of Diapycnal Mixing In The Northern South China Sea, Hui Sun, Qingxuan Yang, Wei Zhao, Xinfeng Liang, Jiwei Tian

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Temporal variability of diapycnal mixing over 7 months in the northern South China Sea was examined based on McLane Moored Profiler observations from 850 to 2200 m by employing a finescale parameterization. Intensified diffusivity exceeding the order of 10⁻³ m²/s in magnitude was found over the first half of October 2014, and from 2 December 2014 to 21 January 2015 (a typical wintertime). Strong internal tides and winds in winter were the likely candidates for the high‐level diapycnal mixing in winter. As for the enhanced mixing during October 2014, we suspect the generation of near‐bottom near‐inertial waves …

Variability Of Particle Size Distributions In The Bohai Sea And The Yellow Sea, Zhongfeng Qui, Deyong Sun, Chuanmin Hu, Sengquiang Wang, Lufei Zheng, Yu Huang, Tian Peng

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Particle size distribution (PSD) is an important parameter that is relevant to many aspects of marine ecosystems, such as phytoplankton functional types, optical absorption and scattering from particulates, sediment fluxes, and carbon export. However, only a handful of studies have documented the PSD variability in different regions. Here, we investigate the PSD properties and variability in two shallow and semi-enclosed seas (the Bohai Sea (BS) and Yellow Sea (YS)), using in situ laser diffraction measurements (LISST-100X Type C) and other measurements at 79 stations in November 2013. The results show large variability in particle concentrations (in both volume and number …

Quantifying Trace Element And Isotope Fluxes At The Ocean-Sediment Boundary: A Review., William B. Homoky, Thomas Weber, William M. Berelson, Tim M. Conway, Gideon M. Henderson, Marco Van Hulten, Catherine Jeandel, Silke Severmann, Alessandro Tagliabue

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Quantifying fluxes of trace elements and their isotopes (TEIs) at the ocean's sediment-water boundary is a pre-eminent challenge to understand their role in the present, past and future ocean. There are multiple processes that drive the uptake and release of TEIs, and properties that determine their rates are unevenly distributed (e.g. sediment composition, redox conditions and (bio)physical dynamics). These factors complicate our efforts to find, measure and extrapolate TEI fluxes across ocean basins. GEOTRACES observations are unveiling the oceanic distributions of many TEIs for the first time. These data evidence the influence of the sediment-water boundary on many TEI cycles, …

Hearing In The Juvenile Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia Mydas): A Comparison Of Underwater And Aerial Hearing Using Auditory Evoked Potentials, Wendy E D Piniak, David A Mann, Craig A Harms, T Todd Jones, Scott A Eckert

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Sea turtles spend much of their life in aquatic environments, but critical portions of their life cycle, such as nesting and hatching, occur in terrestrial environments, suggesting that it may be important for them to detect sounds in both air and water. In this study we compared underwater and aerial hearing sensitivities in five juvenile green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) by measuring auditory evoked potential responses to tone pip stimuli. Green sea turtles detected acoustic stimuli in both media, responding to underwater stimuli between 50 and 1600 Hz and aerial stimuli between 50 and 800 Hz, with maximum sensitivity between …

Dissolved Iron And Iron Isotopes In The Southeastern Pacific Ocean, Jessica N. Fitzsimmons, Tim M. Conway, Jong-Mi Lee, Richard Kayser, Kristen M. Thyng, Seth G. John, Edward A. Boyle

Marine Science Faculty Publications

The Southeast Pacific Ocean is a severely understudied yet dynamic region for trace metals such as iron, since it experiences steep redox and productivity gradients in upper waters and strong hydrothermal iron inputs to deep waters. In this study, we report the dissolved iron (dFe) distribution from seven stations and Fe isotope ratios (δ⁵⁶Fe) from three of these stations across a near‐zonal transect from 20 to 27°S. We found elevated dFe concentrations associated with the oxygen‐deficient zone (ODZ), with light δ⁵⁶Fe implicating porewater fluxes of reduced Fe. However, temporal dFe variability and rapid δ⁵⁶Fe …

Sediment Core Extrusion Method At Millimeter Resolution Using A Calibrated, Threaded-Rod, Patrick Schwing, Isabel C. Romero, Rebekka A Larson, Bryan J. O'Malley, Erika E Fridrik, Ethan Goddard, Gregg R Brooks, David Hastings, Brad Rosenheim, David Hollander, Guy Grant, Jim Mulhollan

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Aquatic sediment core subsampling is commonly performed at cm or half-cm resolution. Depending on the sedimentation rate and depositional environment, this resolution provides records at the annual to decadal scale, at best. An extrusion method, using a calibrated, threaded-rod is presented here, which allows for millimeter-scale subsampling of aquatic sediment cores of varying diameters. Millimeter scale subsampling allows for sub-annual to monthly analysis of the sedimentary record, an order of magnitude higher than typical sampling schemes. The extruder consists of a 2 m aluminum frame and base, two core tube clamps, a threaded-rod, and a 1 m piston. The sediment …

A Practical Application Of Reduced-Copper Antifouling Paint In Marine Biological Research, Andrea S Jerabek, Kara R Wall, Christopher D Stallings

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Biofouling of experimental cages and other field apparatuses can be problematic for scientists and has traditionally been addressed using frequent manual removal (e.g., scraping, scrubbing). Recent environmental restrictions and legislative changes have driven the development of less hazardous antifouling products, making antifouling paint a potential alternative option to manual removal. Consequently, the viability of using these newly developed products as a replacement for the manual cleaning of exclusion cages was experimentally investigated. There were six treatments tested, comprising three with settlement tiles in experimental cages coated with antifouling paint, two with settlement tiles in unpainted experimental cages, and one cage-free …

The Growth Response Of Two Diatom Species To Atmospheric Dust From The Last Glacial Maximum, Tim M. Conway, Linn J. Hoffmann, Eike Breitbarth, Robert F. Strzepek, Eric W. Wolff

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Relief of iron (Fe) limitation in the surface Southern Ocean has been suggested as one driver of the regular glacial-interglacial cycles in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). The proposed cause is enhanced deposition of Fe-bearing atmospheric dust to the oceans during glacial intervals, with consequent effects on export production and the carbon cycle. However, understanding the role of enhanced atmospheric Fe supply in biogeochemical cycles is limited by knowledge of the fluxes and 'bioavailability' of atmospheric Fe during glacial intervals. Here, we assess the effect of Fe fertilization by dust, dry-extracted from the Last Glacial Maximum portion of the EPICA Dome …

Employing Extant Stable Carbon Isotope Data In Gulf Of Mexico Sedimentary Organic Matter For Oil Spill Studies, Brad E. Rosenheim, Matthew A. Pendergraft, George C. Flowers, Robert Carney, José L. Sericano, Jeff Chanton, Zeynep Dincer, Terry L. Wade

Marine Science Faculty Publications

We have compiled and mapped available carbon isotope data from sedimentary organic material sampled from the Gulf of Mexico prior to 2010. These data provide a baseline to which any changes in the Gulf of Mexico after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill can be compared. The mean (±1σ) δ¹³C values, relative to PDB, are −21.4±1.9‰ (entire Gulf of Mexico), −21.7±1.2‰ (shelf sediments), −20.4±1.6‰ (deepwater sediments), and −25.2±4.1‰ (seep-affected sediments). We compare pre-spill mean δ¹³C values to carbon isotope measurements of sedimentary organic material from coretop samples collected after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil …

Seascapes As A New Vernacular For Pelagic Ocean Monitoring, Management And Conservation, Maria T. Kavanaugh, Matthew J. Oliver, Francisco P. Chavez, Ricardo M. Letelier, Frank E. Muller-Karger, Scott C. Doney

Marine Science Faculty Publications

For terrestrial and marine benthic ecologists, landscape ecology provides a framework to address issues of complexity, patchiness, and scale—providing theory and context for ecosystem based management in a changing climate. Marine pelagic ecosystems are likewise changing in response to warming, changing chemistry, and resource exploitation. However, unlike spatial landscapes that migrate slowly with time, pelagic seascapes are embedded in a turbulent, advective ocean. Adaptations from landscape ecology to marine pelagic ecosystem management must consider the nature and scale of biophysical interactions associated with organisms ranging from microbes to whales, a hierarchical organization shaped by physical processes, and our limited capacity …

Changes In Sediment Redox Conditions Following The Bp Dwh Blowout Event, D. W. Hastings, Patrick Schwing, G. R. Brooks, R. A. Larson, J. L. Morford, T. Roeder, K. A. Quinn, T. Bartlett, Isabel C. Romero, David Hollander

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Following the blowout of the Macondo well, a pulse in sedimentation resulted in changes in sedimentary redox conditions. This is demonstrated by downcore and temporal changes in the concentration of redox sensitive metals: Mn, Re, and Cd. Sediment cores collected in the NE Gulf of Mexico (GoM) reveal increased sedimentation after the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) blowout. The formation of mucous-rich marine snow in surface waters and subsequent rapid deposition to underlying sediments is the likely cause. Respiration of this material resulted in decreased pore-water oxygen concentration and a shoaled redoxcline, resulting in two distinct Mn peaks in sediments following …

A Compilation Of Global Bio-Optical In Situ Data For Ocean-Colour Satellite Applications, Frank Muller-Karger

Marine Science Faculty Publications

A compiled set of in situ data is important to evaluate the quality of ocean-colour satellite-data records. Here we describe the data compiled for the validation of the ocean-colour products from the ESA Ocean Colour Climate Change Initiative (OC-CCI). The data were acquired from several sources (MOBY, BOUSSOLE, AERONET-OC, SeaBASS, NOMAD, MERMAID, AMT, ICES, HOT, GeP&CO), span between 1997 and 2012, and have a global distribution. Observations of the following variables were compiled: spectral remote-sensing reflectances, concentrations of chlorophyll a, spectral inherent optical properties and spectral diffuse attenuation coefficients. The data were from multi-project archives acquired via the open …

Clumped Isotope Composition Of Cold-Water Corals: A Role For Vital Effects?, Peter T. Spooner, Weifo Guo, Laura F. Robinson, Nivedita Thiagarajan, Katharine R. Hendry, Brad E. Rosenheim, Melanie J. Leng

Marine Science Faculty Publications

The carbonate clumped isotope thermometer is a promising tool for determining past ocean temperatures. It is based on the temperature dependence of rare isotopes ‘clumping’ into the same carbonate ion group in the carbonate mineral lattice. The extent of this clumping effect is independent of the isotope composition of the water from which carbonate precipitates, providing unique advantages over many other paleotemperature proxies. Existing calibrations of this thermometer in cold-water and warm-water corals suggest clumped isotope ‘vital effects’ are negligible in cold-water corals but may be significant in warm-water corals. Here, we test the calibration of the carbonate clumped isotope …

Coral-Associated Bacterial Diversity Is Conserved Across Two Deep-Sea Anthothela Species, Stephanie N. Lawler, Christina A Kellogg, Scott C. France, Rachel W. Clostio, Sandra D. Brooke, Steve W. Ross

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Cold-water corals, similar to tropical corals, contain diverse and complex microbial assemblages. These bacteria provide essential biological functions within coral holobionts, facilitating increased nutrient utilization and production of antimicrobial compounds. To date, few cold-water octocoral species have been analyzed to explore the diversity and abundance of their microbial associates. For this study, 23 samples of the family Anthothelidae were collected from Norfolk (n = 12) and Baltimore Canyons (n = 11) from the western Atlantic in August 2012 and May 2013. Genetic testing found that these samples comprised two Anthothela species (Anthothela grandiflora and Anthothela sp.) and Alcyonium grandiflorum. DNA …

Assessing The Impacts Of Oil-Associated Marine Snow Formation And Sedimentation During And After The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Kendra L. Daly, Uta Passow, Jeffrey Chanton, David Hollander

Marine Science Faculty Publications

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill was the largest in US history, unprecedented for the depth and volume of oil released, the amount of dispersants applied, and the unexpected, protracted sedimentation of oil-associated marine snow (MOS) to the seafloor. Marine snow formation, incorporation of oil, and subsequent gravitational settling to the seafloor (i.e., MOSSFA: Marine Oil Snow Sedimentation and Flocculent Accumulation) was a significant pathway for the distribution and fate of oil, accounting for as much as 14% of the total oil released. Long residence times of oil on the seafloor will result in prolonged exposure by benthic organisms and economically …

Synchronicity Between Ice Retreat And Phytoplankton Bloom In Circum‐Antarctic Polynyas, Yun Li, Rubao Ji, Meibing Jin, Julienne Stroeve

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Phytoplankton in Antarctic coastal polynyas has a temporally short yet spatially variant growth window constrained by ice cover and day length. Using 18‐year satellite measurements (1997–2015) of sea ice and chlorophyll concentrations, we assessed the synchronicity between the spring phytoplankton bloom and light availability, taking into account the ice cover and the incident solar irradiance, for 50 circum‐Antarctic coastal polynyas. The synchronicity was strong (i.e., earlier ice‐adjusted light onset leads to earlier bloom and vice versa) in most of the western Antarctic polynyas but weak in a majority of the eastern Antarctic polynyas. The west‐east asymmetry is related to sea …

Gut Immunity In A Protochordate Involves A Secreted Immunoglobulin-Type Mediator Binding Host Chitin And Bacteria, Larry J. Dishaw, Brittany Leigh, John P. Cannon, Assunta Liberti, M. Gail Mueller, Diana P. Skapura, Charlotte R. Karrer, Maria R. Pinto, Rosaria De Santis, Gary W. Litman

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Protochordate variable region-containing chitin-binding proteins (VCBPs) consist of immunoglobulin-type V domains and a chitin-binding domain (CBD). VCBP V domains facilitate phagocytosis of bacteria by granulocytic amoebocytes; the function of the CBD is not understood. Here we show that the gut mucosa of Ciona intestinalis contains an extensive matrix of chitin fibrils to which VCBPs bind early in gut development, before feeding. Later in development, VCBPs and bacteria colocalize to chitin-rich mucus along the intestinal wall. VCBP-C influences biofilm formation in vitro and, collectively, the findings of this study suggest that VCBP-C may influence the overall settlement and colonization of bacteria …

Begomovirus-Associated Satellite Dna Diversity Captured Through Vector-Enabled Metagenomic (Vem) Surveys Using Whiteflies (Aleyrodidae), Karyna Rosario, Christian Marr, Arvind Varsani, Simona Kraberger, Daisy Stainton, Enrique Moriones, Jane E Polston, Mya Breitbart

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Monopartite begomoviruses (Geminiviridae), which are whitefly-transmitted single-stranded DNA viruses known for causing devastating crop diseases, are often associated with satellite DNAs. Since begomovirus acquisition or exchange of satellite DNAs may lead to adaptation to new plant hosts and emergence of new disease complexes, it is important to investigate the diversity and distribution of these molecules. This study reports begomovirus-associated satellite DNAs identified during a vector-enabled metagenomic (VEM) survey of begomoviruses using whiteflies collected in various locations (California (USA), Guatemala, Israel, Puerto Rico, and Spain). Protein-encoding satellite DNAs, including alphasatellites and betasatellites, were identified in Israel, Puerto Rico, and Guatemala. Novel …

Climate Controls Multidecadal Variability In U. S. Extreme Sea Level Records, Thomas Wahl, Don P. Chambers

Marine Science Faculty Publications

We investigate the links between multidecadal changes in extreme sea levels (expressed as 100 year return water levels (RWLs)) along the United States coastline and large‐scale climate variability. We develop different sets of simple and multiple linear regression models using both traditional climate indices and tailored indices based on nearby atmospheric/oceanic variables (winds, pressure, sea surface temperature) as independent predictors. The models, after being tested for spatial and temporal stability, are capable of explaining large fractions of the observed variability, up to 96% at individual sites and more than 80% on average across the region. Using the model predictions as …

Characterization Of Available Light For Seagrass And Patch Reef Productivity In Sugarloaf Key, Lower Florida Keys, Gerardo Toro-Farmer, Frank E. Muller-Karger, Maria Vega-Rodriguez, Nelson Melo, Kimberly Yates, Sergio Cerdeira-Estrada, Stanley R. Herwitz

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Light availability is an important factor driving primary productivity in benthic ecosystems, but in situ and remote sensing measurements of light quality are limited for coral reefs and seagrass beds. We evaluated the productivity responses of a patch reef and a seagrass site in the Lower Florida Keys to ambient light availability and spectral quality. In situ optical properties were characterized utilizing moored and water column bio-optical and hydrographic measurements. Net ecosystem productivity (NEP) was also estimated for these study sites using benthic productivity chambers. Our results show higher spectral light attenuation and absorption, and lower irradiance during low tide …

Linking Oceanographic Modeling And Benthic Mapping With Habitat Suitability Models For Pink Shrimp On The West Florida Shelf, Peter J. Rubec, Jesse Lewis, David Reed, Christi Santi, Robert H. Weisberg, Lianyuan Zheng, Chris Jenkins, Charles F. Ashbaugh, Curt Lashley, Salvatore Versaggi

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Research was undertaken to model and map the spatial distributions and abundances of pink shrimp Farfantepenaeus duorarum on the West Florida Shelf (WFS) using habitat suitability modeling (HSM). Data loggers and electronic logbook systems on three shrimp boats were used to gather catch and effort data along with bottom temperature, salinity, and depth data at the fishing locations. Vessel monitoring system (VMS) data supplied by the fishing company helped delineate areas with high fishing activity. For the vessels participating in this study, significantly higher mean catch per unit effort (CPUE) of pink shrimp was realized on the WFS during June–September …