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Understanding The Physical Oceanography Of The Mississippi Sound: Observational Climatologies, Trends And Relationships In The Sound And Comparison Of The Surface Currents Of Ocean Models With High Frequency Radar Data, Tasnim Islam

Master's Theses

The Mississippi Sound is a shallow lagoon-type water estuarine system that is a major part of Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM) separated from the shelf waters by a series of barrier islands. It is mostly characterized by its strong weather fronts, storms and hurricanes that affect the hydro-morpho-dynamics of the region. This includes strong impact on the current circulation, flow pattern, sedimentation etc. Understanding the physical oceanography of the Sound through observing the climatologies of the ocean parameters, discovering the trends and relationships and knowing the circulation pattern is extensively important since the Sound is an indisputable ecological resource to …

Biophysical Factors Affecting Habitat Suitability For Crassostrea Virginica, Jason D. Tilley

Dissertations

Oyster reefs provide a variety of important ecosystem services. However, the mortality rate of eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, the dominant species that produces oyster reefs in the northern Gulf of Mexico, is increasing at an alarming rate due to a variety of abiotic and biological factors. I examined how biophysical factors, including the less-studied fatty acid profiles of the suspended particulate matter on which oysters feed, influenced morphometric condition of C. virginica.

I sampled suspended particulate matter (SPM) and oysters in-situ in the western Mississippi Sound, which historically supported the majority of oyster production in Mississippi waters. Sampling …

Dissolved Copper Distributions In The Western Mississippi Sound: Characterizing An Unrecognized Endmember, Megan Hansen

Honors Theses

This study examined the distribution of dissolved copper (Cu) in the western Mississippi Sound, as the element can be beneficial or harmful to organisms depending on its concentration and its chemical form. A mixing experiment eliminated flocculation as a control on Cu distributions during estuarine mixing in both dissolved and colloidal fractions. Field sampling of the western Mississippi Sound occurred during a low river discharge period, and distributions of Cu indicated conservative mixing between fresh ([Cu] ≈ 17 nM) and saline ([Cu] ≈ 2 nM) sources in mid-to-high salinities. Storm outfalls were sampled after rain events to evaluate the impact …

Plant Productivity And Diversity In Coastal Wetlands In Mississippi – Impact Of Hydrological Extremes, Kodi Feldpausch

Master's Theses

Wetlands are highly productive ecosystems that provide important ecosystem services and are threatened by extreme hydrological events. I evaluated how diversion of freshwater like Bonnet Carré Spillway openings in Louisiana, US, affected vegetation productivity and diversity in salt marshes on the neighboring Mississippi Gulf Coast, US. My study area is two estuarine systems that differ in their proximity to the Bonnet Carré Spillway, elevation, and salinity including Hancock County Marshes on the west, and Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) on the east in Mississippi. I collected above- and belowground biomass samples in 2020 and 2021, developed linear mixed-effects …

Mid-Breton Sediment Diversion (Mbrsd) Assessment – Final Report, Jerry D. Wiggert, Brandy N. Armstrong, M. Kemal Cambazoglu, Sandeep Kalathupurath Kuttan

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this project is to provide managers at the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR) with the scientific information needed to accurately address public concerns regarding the potential effects of the Louisiana Coastal Master Plan / Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) Mid-Breton Sediment Diversion (MBrSD) on the jurisdictional waters and resources of Mississippi. The stated design purpose of the MBrSD is to reconnect and re-establish the deltaic sediment deposition process between the Mississippi River and the Breton Sound Basin through a diversion that will deliver up to 75,000 cfs of sediment-laden freshwater. The report presented herein provides …

Monitoring 2019 Bonnet Carré Spillway Impacts - Final Report, J. Read Hendon, Jerry D. Wiggert, Jill Hendon

Faculty Publications

Due to the multiple and extended openings of the Bonnet Carré Spillway in 2019, the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) was tasked by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources to conduct ecological sampling in the Mississippi Sound and adjacent waters. in an effort to better understand the impacts of the extensive freshwater diversion of Bonnet Carré Spillway operations on Mississippi's coastal and marine resources. The period of performance for this project was June 1, 2019, to August 31, 2019. This technical report summarizes the three months of weekly surveys and analyses, over June - August 2019, conducted by the University …

Suspended Sediment And Particulate Matter Transport In Mississippi Sound And Bight Assessed With Physical Modeling, Remote Sensing And In Situ Measurements, Stephan O'Brien

Dissertations

Tidal passes between Mississippi Sound (MS Sound) and Mississippi Bight (MS Bight) act as a transport pathway for the exchange of estuarine discharge and suspended particulate matter. A better understanding of sediment and particulate matter exchange can provide insights into turbidity, nutrient supply and aquatic ecosystem health for the region. This work examined the effects of different forcing factors (e.g. wind and tides) on the advection of suspended sediments and particulate matter in the study area. Fieldwork included particle size distribution, Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) and conductivity-temperature-depth measurements in the MS Sound and MS Bight from summer 2015 through …

Concorde Meteorological Analysis (Cma) - Data Guide, Patrick Fitzpatrick, Yee H. Lau

Faculty Publications

CONCORDE is the CONsortium for oil spill exposure pathways in COastal River-Dominated Ecosystems (CONCORDE), and is an interdisciplinary research program funded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) to conduct scientific studies of the impacts of oil, dispersed oil and dispersant on the Gulf’s ecosystem (Greer et al. 2018). A CONCORDE goal is to implement a synthesis model containing circulation and biogeochemistry components of the Northern Gulf of Mexico shelf system which can ultimately aid in prediction of oil spill transport and impacts.

The CONCORDE Meteorological Analysis (CMA) is an hourly gridded NetCDF dataset which provides atmospheric forcing for …

Historical Change Of Seagrasses In The Mississippi And Chandeleur Sounds, Linh Thuy Pham

Dissertations

Seagrasses are important coastal resources facing numerous stressors, and losses have been documented from local to global assessments. Under the broad theme of habitat loss and fragmentation, a study of historical change in total area and landscape configuration of seagrasses in the Mississippi and Chandeleur Sounds was conducted. Mapping data was collated from a multitude of previous projects from 1940 to 2011.

Comparisons of seagrass area among various studies that used different mapping methods can result in overestimation of area change and misleading conclusions of change over time. The vegetated seagrass area (VSA) data were generalized to a common resolution …

The Effect Of Boat Type On Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops Trucatus) Behavior In The Mississippi Sound, Maria Zapetis

Master's Theses

Increases in oceanic shipping are a global phenomenon, and a leading cause of concern for marine animal welfare. While it may be difficult to assess the effect of boat traffic on all species in all contexts, it is vital to report anthropogenic impacts where longitudinal data is available, and doubly so where a dearth of information exists. The purpose of this study is to describe how dolphin behavior changed in the presence of boats in the Mississippi Sound between 2006 and 2012, and more specifically, to detail how different boat types impacted dolphins’ behavioral states. This study is unique in …

Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops Truncatus) Behaviors In The Presence Of Active And Non-Active Shrimp Trawlers In The Mississippi Sound, Crysta M. Lorenz

Honors Theses

Bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, are reported to have close associations with shrimp trawlers worldwide. The goal of this study was to assess differences in the behavior for bottlenose dolphins between activity states of shrimp trawlers in the Mississippi Sound. During active trawling, nets are actively gathering the catch closely behind the trawler, which provide feeding opportunities for bottlenose dolphins. Non-active groups are not able to take advantage of feeding prospects and display fewer feeding behaviors and maintain a farther distance than active trawler groups. Video of trawlers were collected from the Mississippi Wild Dolphin Project and analyzed for feeding …

Characterization Of Rain And Stormwater Nitrogen Inputs To The Mississippi Sound: A Landscape Approach, Joshua Michael Allen

Master's Theses

Urbanization in coastal watersheds is becoming an increasingly important issue in the world. Increased impervious surface cover, a factor of urbanization, has drawn more attention to stormwater runoff as a source of contamination to receiving waters. In this study, nitrogen species from rain and stormwater were analyzed across three different landscape types along the Mississippi Sound (hardened, residential, and pristine), as well as from drainage pipes that flow directly into to the Mississippi Sound. Nitrogen stable isotopes were used to trace the stormwater nitrogen to the surface waters and biota within the Sound.

The objective of this study was to …

Fluctuating Asymmetry Of Menidia Beryllina As A Measure Of The Environmental Stress Caused By The 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Savannah A. Michaelsen

Honors Theses

Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) is often used as an indicator of environmental stress on a population. Stress encountered during development can result in asymmetries in bilateral traits. By quantifying fluctuating asymmetry in Menidia beryllina, FA can be used as an indicator of possible environmental stress linked to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The hypothesis states that the levels of FA will be greater in M. beryllina from post oil spill samples compared to pre oil spill samples. Menidia beryllina were used because they are a numerically dominant species found in high wave action coastal …

Remote Sensing Of Harmful Algal Blooms In The Mississippi Sound And Mobile Bay: Modelling And Algorithm Formation, Dan Martin Holiday

Dissertations

The incidence and severity of harmful algal blooms have increased in recent decades, as have the economic effects of their occurrence./The diatom Pseudo-nitzschia spp. caused fisheries closures in Mobile Bay during 2005 due to elevated levels of domoic acid. In the previous 4 years Karenia brevis counts of >5,000 cells L"1 have occurred in Mobile Bay and the Mississippi Sound. Population levels of this magnitude had previously been recorded only in 1996. Increases in human populations, urban sprawl, development of shoreline properties, sewage effluent and resultant changes in NP ratios of discharge waters, and decline in forest and marsh lands, …

Observations On Mass Mortalities Of The Sooty Eel, Bascanichthys Bascanium, And The Speckled Worm Eel, Myrophis Punctatus, Associated With A Fish Kill In The Mississippi Sound, James S. Franks, Ross P. Dodds

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Mass mortalities of the sooty eel, Bascanichthys bascanium, and the speckled worm eel, Myrophis punctatus, were observed in association with a fish kill which occurred the morning of 18 June 1994 on the south shore of Deer Island, a nearshore barrier island located off Biloxi, Mississippi. B. bascanium and M. punctatus, as well as other fishes, were found dead and dying near the shore in reddish-brown water and along a lengthy stretch of fringing sandy beach. Both species of eels are infrequently reported from Mississippi waters but were the most abundant fishes recorded from the kill. A …

Butyltins In Crassostrea Virginica From Nine Reefs In Mississippi Sound, Thomas F. Lytle, Julia S. Lytle

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Tributyltin (TBT), a very effective anti-foulant, has been banned from most marine paint uses since 1988 because of its reputed toxicity to nontarget organisms. Crassostrea virginica were collected from nine reefs in the Mississippi Sound in 1993 and analyzed for concentrations of butyltins: TBT, dibutyltin (DBT) and monobutyltin (MBT). TBT concentrations ranged from <2 to >20 ng(Sn)/g wet wt. Highest concentrations of butyltins were found at eastern Sound reefs near intense shipping and ship building activities with lowest concentrations found in the western Sound.

Evaluation Of A Leased Oyster Bottom In Mississippi Sound, John Supan

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Twenty-four pairs of spat plates, strategically located on a 600-ha (1500-a) oyster lease, were monitored biweekly to determine the rate of oyster spatfall. Spatfall occurred from May 6 to July 31 and again from August 15 to October 24, 1979. The greatest spatfall occurred from August 15 to September 4, 1979. Data from shell bags that accompanied the spat plates indicated a maximum growth of 3.2 cm in two months. Oyster spat which attached to the planted cultch materials on the leases grew up to 7.9 cm during the 17-month sampling period, ending December 11, 1979. The lease area is …

Food Contents Of Six Commercial Fishes From Mississippi Sound, Robin M. Overstreet, Richard W. Heard

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Specific dietary contents from six fishes collected in Mississippi Sound are recorded. In order of their importance, primary components grouped in major taxonomic categories were fishes, penaeid shrimps, and other crustaceans for Cynoscion nebulosus; Crustaceans and fishes for C. arenarius; fishes and crustaceans for C. nothus; crustaceans, pelecypods, and polychaetes for Pogonias cromis; crustaceans, molluscs, polychaetes, and fishes for Archosargus probatocephalus; and fishes and penaeid shrimps for Paralichthys lethostigma. Principal items in the diets of most of the fishes included Anchoa mitchilli, Penaeus aztecus, P. setiferus, and Callinectes sapidus. Those …

First Recorded Observance Of The Dinoflagellate Prorocentrum Minimum (Pavillard) Schiller 1933 In Mississippi Sound And Adjacent Waters, Harriet M. Perry, Jerry A. Mclelland

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The present paper documents the occurrence of the dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum in Mississippi Sound and adjacent coastal waters. Outbreaks of discolored water are attributed to blooms of P. minimum in February 1977 and in January and February 1981. Data are presented on the seasonality of the organism in St. Louis Bay. Observations on water appearance and a descriptive analysis of the cells are presented for the 1981 blooms.

Studies On Amyloodinium Ocellatum (Dinoflagellata) In Mississippi Sound: Natural And Experimental Hosts, Adrian R. Lawler

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Four species of parasitic dinoflagellates have been found to occur naturally on the gills and fins of Mississippi Sound fishes: Amyloodinium ocellatum (Brown 1931) Brown and Hovasse 1946, Oodinium cyprinodontum Lawler 1967, and two undescribed species. Sixteen of 43 species of fishes examined had natural gill infections of A. ocellatum. Seventy-one of 79 species of fishes exposed to A. ocellatum dinospores were susceptible, and succumbed, to the dinoflagellate. Eight did not die even though exposed to numerous dinospores. The most common signs in an infested fish were spasmodic gasping and uncoordinated movements. Trophonts of A. ocellatum were found on …

Food Of The Atlantic Croaker, Micropogonias Undulatus, From Mississippi Sound And The Gulf Of Mexico, Robin M. Overstreet, Richard W. Heard

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The diet of the Atlantic croaker from Mississippi Sound has been examined for the first time. Over 83 taxa were encountered, or more than were reported from croaker in any other region. We also found 60 taxa, 36 of which overlapped with the above, in croaker from various offshore stations in the Gulf of Mexico. In Mississippi Sound the frequency of occurrence of items revealed primarily crustaceans followed by polychaetes, molluscs, fishes, and less common items, and, in the open Gulf, molluscs appeared slightly more often than in inshore croaker and than polychaetes in offshore fish. The diets were assessed …

Classification Of Mississippi Sound As To Estuary Hydrological Type, Charles K. Eleuterius

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Mississippi Sound is classified as to estuary hydrological type by the method of Pritchard (1955). Differences in salinity between surface and near-bottom water were calculated from 2,401 pairs of observations made at 90 stations from 4 April 1973 to 12 April 1977. Frequency distribution tables, constructed by tallying the vertical salinity differences into three classes corresponding to three of Pritchard's estuary types (A, stratified; B, partially mixed; D, well mixed) were used to assess salinity structure of the water column. The greatest variation as to type occurred from January through June. From July through December, the water column becomes predominately …

Food Of The Red Drum, Sciaenops Ocellata, From Mississippi Sound, Robin M. Overstreet, Richard W. Heard

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Examined digestive tracts of the red drum in Mississippi Sound contained mostly decapod crustaceans. Crustaceans accounted for 34 of 59 encountered taxa, more than reported from any other region. Nevertheless, the general diet for 104 fish with food contents out of the 107 examined is similar to that reported for red drum in several other studies from other areas. In addition to crustaceans, fishes followed by polychaetes occurred as the most important items (in 99, 43, and 15% of the drum with food, respectively). Blue crabs occurred in even more drum than the frequently encountered penaeid shrimps. Other commercial species …

Geographical Definition Of Mississippi Sound, Charles K. Eleuterius

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Boundaries for Mississippi Sound are determined by application of definitions, established surveying practices and observations of the physical processes of the area. U.S. Coast and Gcodetic charts 1266 (1972 edition), 1267 (1972 edition) and 1268 (1974 edition) were used in ascertaining the boundaries. These boundaries provide a formal geographical definition for Mississippi Sound.

Location Of The Mississippi Sound Oyster Reefs As Related To Salinity Of Bottom Waters During 1973-1975, Charles K. Eleuterius

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The relationship of producing natural oyster reefs of Mississippi Sound to the salinity regime of bottom waters is investigated. Extreme and average conditions were extracted from data taken at 87 stations over a 21-month period from June 1973 through February 1975. With one exception, the producing reefs were subjected to salinity minimums of 2.0 to 4.0 parts per thousand (ppt), maximums of 18.0 to 22.0 ppt, with average conditions being between 10.0 and 16.0 ppt. Salinity-suitable areas in the Sound not now inhabited by oysters are described.

Biology And Distribution Of The Macrocoelenterates Of Mississippi Sound And Adjacent Waters, W. David Burke

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Studies conducted in Mississippi Sound from April 1971 through June 1973 elucidated the seasonal and areal distribution of seven species of macrocoelenterates: Aurelia aurita (L), Chrysaora quinquecirrhu (Desor 1848), Pelagia noctiluca Forskål 1775, Chiropsalmus quadrumantus (Miiller 1859), Rhopilema verrillii (Fewkes 1887), Stomolophus meleagris L. Agassiz 1862, and Physalia physalis (L). Physical parameters presumed relevant to the distribution of each of these animals are presented. Developmental histories of certain of these forms are described.

Pelagic Cnidaria Of Mississippi Sound And Adjacent Waters, W. David Burke

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Investigations were made in Mississippi Sound and adjacent waters from March 1968 through March 197 1 to record the occurrence and seasonality of planktonic cnidarians. About 700 plankton samples were taken from estuarine and oceanic areas. From these samples, 26 species of hydromedusae were identified, 12 of which were collected from Mississippi Sound. In addition, 25 species of siphonophorae were identified from Mississippi waters, although only 6 species were collected in Mississippi Sound. From an examination of about 500 trawl samples taken during this period, 10 species of Scyphozoa were found in Mississippi waters, 6 of which occurred in Mississippi …

Cetacean Notes. I. Sei And Rorqual Whales On The Mississippi Coast, A Correction. Ii. A Dwarf Sperm Whale In Mississippi Sound And Its Helminth Parasites, Gordon Gunter, Robin Overstreet

Gulf and Caribbean Research

I. Gunter and Christmas (1973) described the events leading to the stranding of a baleen whale on Ship Island, Mississippi, in 1968, giving the species as Balaenoptera physalus, the Rorqual. Unfortunately the identification was in error, but fortunately good photographs were shown. The underside of the tail was a splotched white, but there was no black margin. The specimen also had fewer throat and belly grooves than the Rorqual, as a comparison with True’s (1904) photograph shows. Dr. James Mead (in litt.) pointed out that the animal was a Sei Whale, Balaenoptera borealis. This remains a …

The Seasonal Occurrence And Abundance Of Chaetognatha In Mississippi Sound, Mohammed Saeed Mulkana, Thomas D. Mcilwain

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The Chaetognatha as “biological indicators’’ have attracted attention from various fields of oceanography and fisheries biology because various species of Chaetognatha are associated with different water masses, and their distribution and numerical abundance are used to infer biological productivity and movements of water with their inherent temperature, salinity, sediment load pH, and other variables (Legark and Zoppi 1961, Redfield 1950). The Chaetognatha populations, therefore, tend to fluctuate following the seasonal changes and the influx of water masses from different sources.

The present work is a study of seasonal changes in the numerical abundance of the Chaetognatha species during a yearly …

Nutritional Components Of The Standing Plankton Crop In Mississippi Sound, Mohammed Saeed Mulkana, Walter Abbott

Gulf and Caribbean Research

A study on seasonal changes in the nutritional components of standing plankton biomass was made from 20 April 1965 to 6 September 1966. Plankton were separated into net plankton and nannoplankton fractions. Nannoplankton3 standing biomass exceeded by 72 times that of net plankton.

Although protein and carbohydrate levels were higher in net plankton on a unit weight basis, total nutrients available from nannoplankton were substantially higher. Some seasonal trends were apparent as changes in the standing biomass in net plankton. Nannoplankton exhibited no seasonal trends. Lipid and caloric values of net plankton showed seasonal trends similar to those shown by …