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The University of Maine

Marine Sciences Faculty Scholarship

2002

Articles 1 - 12 of 12

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Evolution Of 1996-1999 La Niña And El Niño Conditions Off The Western Coast Of South America: A Remote Sensing Perspective, M. E. Carr, P. T. Strub, Andrew Thomas, J. L. Blanco Dec 2002

Evolution Of 1996-1999 La Niña And El Niño Conditions Off The Western Coast Of South America: A Remote Sensing Perspective, M. E. Carr, P. T. Strub, Andrew Thomas, J. L. Blanco

Marine Sciences Faculty Scholarship

We present the evolution of oceanographic conditions off the western coast of South America between 1996 and 1999, including the cold periods of 1996 and 1998-1999 and the 1997-1998 El Niño, using satellite observations of sea level, winds, sea surface temperature (SST), and chlorophyll concentration. Following a period of cold SST and low sea levels in 1996, both were anomalously high between March 1997 and May 1998. The anomalies were greatest between 5 degrees S and 15 degrees S, although they extended beyond 40 degrees S. Two distinct peaks in sea level and SST occurred in June-July 1997 and December …

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Kelp Forest Ecosystems: Biodiversity, Stability, Resilience And Future, Robert Steneck, M. H. Graham, B. J. Bourque, D. Corbett, J. M. Erlandson, J. A. Estes, M. J. Tegner Dec 2002

Kelp Forest Ecosystems: Biodiversity, Stability, Resilience And Future, Robert Steneck, M. H. Graham, B. J. Bourque, D. Corbett, J. M. Erlandson, J. A. Estes, M. J. Tegner

Marine Sciences Faculty Scholarship

Kelp forests are phyletically diverse, structurally complex and highly productive components of cold-water rocky marine coastlines. This paper reviews the conditions in which kelp forests develop globally and where, why and at what rate they become deforested. The ecology and long archaeological history of kelp forests are examined through case studies from southern California, the Aleutian Islands and the western North Atlantic, well-studied locations that represent the widest possible range in kelp forest biodiversity. Global distribution of kelp forests is physiologically constrained by light at high latitudes and by nutrients, warm temperatures and other macrophytes at low latitudes. Within mid-latitude …

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Air-Sea Interactions During The Passage Of A Winter Storm Over The Gulf Stream: A Three-Dimensional Coupled Atmosphere-Ocean Model Study, Y. P. Li, Huijie Xue, J. M. Bane Nov 2002

Air-Sea Interactions During The Passage Of A Winter Storm Over The Gulf Stream: A Three-Dimensional Coupled Atmosphere-Ocean Model Study, Y. P. Li, Huijie Xue, J. M. Bane

Marine Sciences Faculty Scholarship

A three-dimensional, regional coupled atmosphere-ocean model with full physics is developed to study air-sea interactions during winter storms off the U. S. east coast. Because of the scarcity of open ocean observations, models such as this offer valuable opportunities to investigate how oceanic forcing drives atmospheric circulation and vice versa. The study presented here considers conditions of strong atmospheric forcing (high wind speeds) and strong oceanic forcing (significant sea surface temperature (SST) gradients). A simulated atmospheric cyclone evolves in a manner consistent with Eta reanalysis, and the simulated air-sea heat and momentum exchanges strongly affect the circulations in both the …

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Molecular Phylogenetics Of Mole Crabs (Hippidae : Emerita), P. A. Haye, Y. K. Tam, Irv Kornfield Nov 2002

Molecular Phylogenetics Of Mole Crabs (Hippidae : Emerita), P. A. Haye, Y. K. Tam, Irv Kornfield

Marine Sciences Faculty Scholarship

Mole crabs of the genus Emerita (Family Hippidae) inhabit many of the temperate and tropical sandy beaches of the world. The nine described species of this genus are rarely sympatric, and most are endemic to broad biogeographic regions. The phylogenetic relationships among the species have not yet been investigated. Based on presumed morphological synapomorphics, it has been suggested that the species inhabiting the New World constitute a monophyletic group, as do the species inhabiting the Old World, The relationships within the New World species were previously studied using sequence data from Cytochrome Oxidase I and 16S rRNA mitochondrial genes; the …

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Nearshore Physical Processes And Bio-Optical Properties In The New York Bight, G. C. Chang, T. D. Dickey, O. M. Schofield, A. D. Weidemann, E. Boss, W. S. Pegau, M. A. Moline, S. M. Glenn Sep 2002

Nearshore Physical Processes And Bio-Optical Properties In The New York Bight, G. C. Chang, T. D. Dickey, O. M. Schofield, A. D. Weidemann, E. Boss, W. S. Pegau, M. A. Moline, S. M. Glenn

Marine Sciences Faculty Scholarship

Temporal and spatial variability of physical, biological, and optical properties on scales of minutes to months and meters to ∼50 km are examined using an extensive data set collected on the New York Bight continental shelf during the Hyperspectral Coastal Ocean Dynamics Experiment. Measurements from a midshelf mooring and bottom tripod (∼25 km offshore, 24 m water depth) and two nearshore profiling nodes (∼5 km offshore, 15 m water depth) are utilized to quantify and correlate midshelf and nearshore variability. Towed shipboard undulating profilers and a high-frequency radar (CODAR) array provide complementary spatial data. We show that phytoplankton and dissolved …

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Ocean Color Observations Of Eddies During The Summer In The Gulf Of California, W. Scott Pegau, Emmanuel Boss, Antonio Martínez May 2002

Ocean Color Observations Of Eddies During The Summer In The Gulf Of California, W. Scott Pegau, Emmanuel Boss, Antonio Martínez

Marine Sciences Faculty Scholarship

Using SeaWiFS ocean color satellite images collected during 1997-2001, a series of eddies have been observed in the Gulf of California. These eddies are not clearly seen in the summertime sea surface temperature images. The surface circulation between the midriff islands and the mouth of the gulf appears to be dominated by this series of eddies that have an alternating sense of rotation. An eddy pair is observed to extend from Cabo Lobos in each of the three years, suggesting that the eddies are topographically locked. The formation mechanism of the eddies remains unknown; however, we suspect the most likely …

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Clonal Fitness Of Attached Bacteria Predicted By Analog Modeling, J. L.S. Murray, Peter Jumars Apr 2002

Clonal Fitness Of Attached Bacteria Predicted By Analog Modeling, J. L.S. Murray, Peter Jumars

Marine Sciences Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

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Hydrographic Conditions Off Northern Chile During The 1996-1998 La Niña And El Niño Events, J. L. Blanco, M. E. Carr, Andrew Thomas, P. T. Strub Mar 2002

Hydrographic Conditions Off Northern Chile During The 1996-1998 La Niña And El Niño Events, J. L. Blanco, M. E. Carr, Andrew Thomas, P. T. Strub

Marine Sciences Faculty Scholarship

The evolution of oceanographic conditions in the upwelling region off northern Chile (18 degrees-24 degrees S) between 1996 and 1998 (including the 1997-1998 El Niño) is presented using hydrographic measurements acquired on quarterly cruises of the Chilean Fisheries Institute, with sea surface temperature (SST), sea level, and wind speeds from Arica (18.5 degrees S), Iquique (20.5 degrees S), and Antofagasta (23.5 degrees S) and a time series of vertical temperature profiles off Iquique. Spatial patterns of sea surface temperature and salinity from May 1996 to March 1997 followed a normal seasonal progression, though conditions were anomalously cool and fresh. Starting …

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Sexually Different Growth Histories Of The American Eel In Four Rivers In Maine, K. Oliveira, James Mccleave Mar 2002

Sexually Different Growth Histories Of The American Eel In Four Rivers In Maine, K. Oliveira, James Mccleave

Marine Sciences Faculty Scholarship

Growth histories of yellow-phase American eels Anguilla rostrata collected in four rivers in Maine, were back-calculated from sagittal otolith increments. Our objectives were to first determine whether sexually dimorphic growth rates exist and then compare the growth histories of American eels from four rivers within a geographic region. For female eels, the maximum growth rate was 31.9 +/- 1.7 mm/year at age 8, decreasing to 25.1 +/- 2.9 mm/year at age 14. Males attained a maximum of 29.8 +/- 1.6 min/year at age 3, decreasing to a minimum of 17.9 +/- 1.3 mm/year at age 11. Females grew faster than …

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Phase Function Effects On Oceanic Light Fields, Curtis D. Mobley, Lydia K. Sundman, Emmanuel Boss Feb 2002

Phase Function Effects On Oceanic Light Fields, Curtis D. Mobley, Lydia K. Sundman, Emmanuel Boss

Marine Sciences Faculty Scholarship

Numerical simulations show that underwater radiances, irradiances, and reflectances are sensitive to the shape of the scattering phase function at intermediate and large scattering angles, although the exact shape of the phase function in the backscatter directions (for a given backscatter fraction) is not critical if errors of the order of 10% are acceptable. We present an algorithm for generating depth–and wavelength-dependent Fournier–Forand phase functions having any desired backscatter fraction. Modeling of a comprehensive data set of measured inherent optical properties and radiometric variables shows that use of phase functions with the correct backscatter fraction and overall shape is crucial …

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Redescription Of Hyalella Azteca From Its Type Locality, Vera Cruz, Mexico (Amphipoda : Hyalellidae), E. R. Gonzalez, Les Watling Feb 2002

Redescription Of Hyalella Azteca From Its Type Locality, Vera Cruz, Mexico (Amphipoda : Hyalellidae), E. R. Gonzalez, Les Watling

Marine Sciences Faculty Scholarship

Hyalella azteca is a species complex distributed in North, Central, and northern South America. The identity of the species has always been a problem, especially because the original description by Saussure (1858) from a "cistern" in Vera Cruz, Mexico, is poor, and the figures are not clear. Since then, mention of the type material or specimens from the type locality has not been made by investigators using the name H. azteca. Ecological and genetic information available today suggests that there are several species in the complex commonly referred to as H. azteca. The subtle morphological differences among the populations have …

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Springtime Nutrient And Phytoplankton Dynamics On Georges Bank, David Townsend, M. Thomas Jan 2002

Springtime Nutrient And Phytoplankton Dynamics On Georges Bank, David Townsend, M. Thomas

Marine Sciences Faculty Scholarship

The dynamics of phytoplankton and nutrients before, during and after the winter-spring bloom on Georges Bank were studied on 6 monthly survey cruises from January to June 1999. We measured hydrography, phytoplankton cell densities, chlorophyll a, dissolved inorganic nutrients (NO3 + NO2, NH4, Si(OH)(4), PO4), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and phosphorus (DOP), particulate organic carbon (POC) and nitrogen (PON) and total particulate phosphorus (TPP). We present evidence that phytoplankton production may be significant year-round, and that the winter-spring bloom may have started in January. From January to April the phytoplankton was comprised almost exclusively of diatoms, reaching cell densities in …

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