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A Review Of The Lethal Spiny Lobster Virus Pav1 - Ten Years After Its Discovery, Donald C. Behringer, Mark J. Butler Iv, Jeffrey D. Shields Nov 2009

A Review Of The Lethal Spiny Lobster Virus Pav1 - Ten Years After Its Discovery, Donald C. Behringer, Mark J. Butler Iv, Jeffrey D. Shields

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

In 1999, we discovered that juvenile Caribbean spiny lobsters (Panulirus argus) in the Florida Keys were infected with PaV1 (Panulirus argus virus 1), the first naturally occurring pathogenic virus reported from lobsters. The virus profoundly affects their biology and ecology. PaV1 is probably wide-spread in the Caribbean with confirmed infections from the United States (Florida), St Croix, Mexico, and Belize; and anecdotal reports from the Bahamas and Cuba. Mean prevalence in the Florida Keys has been stable since 1999 (5 - 8%), but has risen from 2.7% to 10.9% in Mexico (Puerto Morelos), the only other country where …


Behavioral Enhancement Of Onshore Transport By Postlarval Caribbean Spiny Lobster (Panulirus Argus), Jason S. Goldstein, Mark J. Butler Iv Sep 2009

Behavioral Enhancement Of Onshore Transport By Postlarval Caribbean Spiny Lobster (Panulirus Argus), Jason S. Goldstein, Mark J. Butler Iv

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

We conducted a series of laboratory experiments to examine the orientation, settlement, and metamorphosis of Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) pueruli (postlarvae) in response to cues characteristic of their nursery in back-reef tropical lagoons. Our results suggest that pueruli were attracted to coastal water sources and the metabolites of red macroalgae (Laurencia spp.) when compared with oceanic water and artificial seawater treatments. Pueruli were not attracted to waterborne cues from sea grass, were repelled by hypersaline or hyposaline water, and discerned coastal cues from water collected as far as 30 km offshore from the reef. We also conducted experiments to …


Habitat-Based Intraguild Predation By Caribbean Reef Octopus Octopus Briareus On Juvenile Caribbean Spiny Lobster Panulirus Argus, Mark J. Butler Iv, Jennifer A. Lear Jul 2009

Habitat-Based Intraguild Predation By Caribbean Reef Octopus Octopus Briareus On Juvenile Caribbean Spiny Lobster Panulirus Argus, Mark J. Butler Iv, Jennifer A. Lear

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Intraguild predation occurs when species simultaneously compete for resources and interact as predator and prey, which describes the interaction between juvenile Caribbean spiny lobster Panulirus argus and Caribbean reef octopus Octopus briareus in the Florida Keys, USA. Octopuses are notorious predators of decapod crustaceans, and their use of crevice shelters suggests that they may also compete for shelter with their lobster prey. Lobsters use mainly chemical cues to detect and avoid octopus, so we hypothesized that the negative association between these species may be as much the consequence of avoidance of a superior competitor as it is of direct predation. …


Effect Of The Herbivorous Channel Clinging Crab (Mithrax Spinosissimus) On Patch Reef Algal Communities In The Florida Keys, Florida (Usa), Angela M. Mojica Osorio Jul 2009

Effect Of The Herbivorous Channel Clinging Crab (Mithrax Spinosissimus) On Patch Reef Algal Communities In The Florida Keys, Florida (Usa), Angela M. Mojica Osorio

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Coral reefs worldwide are undergoing dramatic habitat modification from coral to macroalgal dominance due to water pollution, coral diseases, global. warming, and the loss of herbivores. This phase-shift bas been particularly severe on Caribbean reefs due in large measure to the decline of piscine and echinoderm grazers, whose presence appears crucial for stemming the decline of coral reefs and enhancing their resilience. Virtually unknown, however, is the role of other macrograzers in coral reef ecosystems. This is the first study to examine the feeding ecology and grazer effect of the herbivorous West Indian spider crab (Mithrax spinosissimus) on inshore patch …


Changing Fecundity And Reproductive Output In Females Of A Chesapeake Bay Population Of Blue Crab, Callinectes Sapidus, Shannon L. Wells Jul 2009

Changing Fecundity And Reproductive Output In Females Of A Chesapeake Bay Population Of Blue Crab, Callinectes Sapidus, Shannon L. Wells

OES Theses and Dissertations

The Chesapeake Bay blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, is an important species both ecologically and as a fishery. Fishery dependent and independent data indicate that the population declined abruptly in the mid-1990s and has remained low. Previous work prior to the decline in population abundance found a significant relationship between size and fecundity for mature females. As with many heavily fished populations, this population has experienced a reduction in the size at maturity. The objectives of this study were to reassess the fecundity of the population, determine the lipid and protein energy allocated for reproduction, and to examine the concentrations …


Hydrodynamics Of Pulsed Jetting In Juvenile And Adult Brief Squid Lolliguncula Brevis: Evidence Of Multiple Jet 'Modes' And Their Implications For Propulsive Efficiency, Ian K. Bartol, Paul S. Krueger, William J. Stewart, Joseph T. Thompson Jun 2009

Hydrodynamics Of Pulsed Jetting In Juvenile And Adult Brief Squid Lolliguncula Brevis: Evidence Of Multiple Jet 'Modes' And Their Implications For Propulsive Efficiency, Ian K. Bartol, Paul S. Krueger, William J. Stewart, Joseph T. Thompson

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The dynamics of pulsed jetting in squids throughout ontogeny is not well understood, especially with regard to the development of vortex rings, which are common features of mechanically generated jet pulses (also known as starting jets). Studies of mechanically generated starting jets have revealed a limiting principle for vortex ring formation characterized in terms of a 'formation number' (F), which delineates the transition between the formation of isolated vortex rings and vortex rings that have 'pinched off' from the generating jet. Near F, there exists an optimum in pulse-averaged thrust with (potentially) low energetic cost, raising the question: do …


Pulsed Jet Dynamics Of Squid Hatchlings At Intermediate Reynolds Numbers, Ian K. Bartol, Paul S. Krueger, William J. Stewart, Joseph T. Thompson May 2009

Pulsed Jet Dynamics Of Squid Hatchlings At Intermediate Reynolds Numbers, Ian K. Bartol, Paul S. Krueger, William J. Stewart, Joseph T. Thompson

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Squid paralarvae (hatchlings) rely predominantly on a pulsed jet for locomotion, distinguishing them from the majority of aquatic locomotors at low/intermediate Reynolds numbers (Re), which employ oscillatory/undulatory modes of propulsion. Although squid paralarvae may delineate the lower size limit of biological jet propulsion, surprisingly little is known about the hydrodynamics and propulsive efficiency of paralarval jetting within the intermediate Re realm. To better understand paralarval jet dynamics, we used digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) and high-speed video to measure bulk vortex properties ( e. g. circulation, impulse, kinetic energy) and other jet features [ e. g. average and …


A Bio-Optical Model For Syringodium Filiforme Canopies, Margaret A. Stoughton Apr 2009

A Bio-Optical Model For Syringodium Filiforme Canopies, Margaret A. Stoughton

OES Theses and Dissertations

Seagrasses are significant ecological and biogeochemical agents in shallow water ecosystems throughout the world. In many regions, seagrass meadows occupy a sufficient fraction of the coastal zone, and generate optical signatures that can be observed from space. Bio-optical models of light absorption and scattering by submerged plant canopies for certain species such as Thalassia testudinum and Zostera marina have successfully modeled the plane irradiance distribution and photosynthesis within the submerged canopies. Syringodium filiforme differs &om T. testudinttm and Z marina, in leaf morphology and canopy architecture. The objective of this study was to develop a radiative transfer model that …


Is Seagrass An Important Nursery Habitat For The Caribbean Spiny Lobster, Panulirus Argus, In Florida?, Donald C. Behringer, Mark J. Butler Iv, William Herrnkind, John H. Hunt, Charles A. Acosta, William C. Sharp Jan 2009

Is Seagrass An Important Nursery Habitat For The Caribbean Spiny Lobster, Panulirus Argus, In Florida?, Donald C. Behringer, Mark J. Butler Iv, William Herrnkind, John H. Hunt, Charles A. Acosta, William C. Sharp

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) settle preferentially in macroalgal-covered hard-bottom habitat, but seagrass is more prevalent in Florida (United States) and the Caribbean, so even low settlement of lobsters within seagrass could contribute substantially to recruitment if post-settlement survival and growth were high. We tested the role of seagrass and hard-bottom habitats for P. argus recruitment in three ways. We first explored possible density-dependent regulation of early benthic juvenile lobster survival within cages deployed in seagrass and hard-bottom habitats. Second, we compared settlement and survival of P. argus in both habitats, by comparing the recovery of microwire-tagged early …


Thin Layer Formation During Runaway Stratification In The Tidally Dynamic San Francisco Estuary, Alexander B. Bochdansky, Stephen M. Bollens Jan 2009

Thin Layer Formation During Runaway Stratification In The Tidally Dynamic San Francisco Estuary, Alexander B. Bochdansky, Stephen M. Bollens

OES Faculty Publications

During the course of a year, we repeatedly collected high-resolution vertical fluorometer data timed to coincide with a specific state during the tidal cycle. The time (end of the ebb during neap tide) and the location (a deep channel half-way between the Golden Gate and the point of tidally averaged bottom salinity of 2 psu) were chosen with the goal to observe runaway stratification. We consistently found at least one pronounced chlorophyll peak in the water column; however, the vertical location of these peaks varied within three types including surface, bottom and subsurface maxima. Our results showed that heterogeneity of …


Cross-Basin Comparison Of Phosphorus Stress And Nitrogen Fixation In Trichodesmium, Annette M. Hynes, P. Dreux Chappell, Sonya T. Dyhrman, Scott C. Doney, Eric A. Webb Jan 2009

Cross-Basin Comparison Of Phosphorus Stress And Nitrogen Fixation In Trichodesmium, Annette M. Hynes, P. Dreux Chappell, Sonya T. Dyhrman, Scott C. Doney, Eric A. Webb

OES Faculty Publications

We investigated the phosphorus (P) status and N2 fixation rates of Trichodesmium populations from the North Pacific, western South Pacific, and western North Atlantic. Colonies of Trichodesmium were collected and analyzed for endogenous alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity using enzyme-labeled fluorescence ( ELF) and for nitrogenase activity using acetylene reduction. AP hydrolyzes dissolved inorganic phosphate (DIP) from dissolved organic phosphorus and is active in Trichodesmium colonies experiencing P stress. Across multiple stations in the subtropical North and South Pacific, there was low to moderate ELF labeling in Trichodesmium, although labeling was present in other taxa. In contrast, Trichodesmium ELF …


Influence Of Irradiance And Iron On The Growth Of Colonial Phaeocystic Antarctica: Implications For Seasonal Bloom Dynamics In The Ross Sea, Antarctica, Nathan S. Garcia, Peter N. Sedwick, Giacomo R. Ditullio Jan 2009

Influence Of Irradiance And Iron On The Growth Of Colonial Phaeocystic Antarctica: Implications For Seasonal Bloom Dynamics In The Ross Sea, Antarctica, Nathan S. Garcia, Peter N. Sedwick, Giacomo R. Ditullio

OES Faculty Publications

Laboratory culture experiments were used to investigate the growth rate of colonial Phaeocystis anarctica as a function of irradiance and dissolved iron concentration. The experiments were conducted with a P. antarctica strain isolated from the southern Ross Sea, Antarctica, and made use of natural, low-iron (P. antarctica attained an average maximum cell-specific growth rate of 0.37 d-1at an irradiance of 68 μE m-2s-1, above which growth rates decreased to 0.27 d-1 at an irradiance of 314 μE m-2s-1. The dependence of growth rate on ambient dissolved iron concentration was …


Understanding How Disease And Environment Combine To Structure Resistance In Estuarine Bivalve Populations, Eileen E. Hofmann, David Bushek, Susan E. Ford, Ximing Guo, Dale Haidvogel, Dennis Hedgecock, John M. Klinck, Coren Milbury, Diego Narvaez, Eric Powell, Yongping Wang, Zhiren Wang, Liusuo Zhang Jan 2009

Understanding How Disease And Environment Combine To Structure Resistance In Estuarine Bivalve Populations, Eileen E. Hofmann, David Bushek, Susan E. Ford, Ximing Guo, Dale Haidvogel, Dennis Hedgecock, John M. Klinck, Coren Milbury, Diego Narvaez, Eric Powell, Yongping Wang, Zhiren Wang, Liusuo Zhang

CCPO Publications

Delaware Bay oyster (Crassostrea virginica) populations are influenced by two lethal parasites that cause Dermo and MSX diseases. As part of the US National Science Foundation Ecology of Infectious Diseases initiative, a program developed for Delaware Bay focuses on understanding how oyster population genetics and population dynamics interact with the environment and these parasites to structure he host populations, and how these interactions might modified by climate change. Laboratory and field studies undertaken during this program include identifying genes related to MSX and Dermo disease resistance, potential regions for refugia and the mechanisms that allow them to exist, …


Potential Effects Of Catastrophic Cyanobacteria Blooms On Caribbean Spiny Lobster Population Dynamics In Florida Bay Usa, Donald C. Behringer, Mark J. Butler Iv Jan 2009

Potential Effects Of Catastrophic Cyanobacteria Blooms On Caribbean Spiny Lobster Population Dynamics In Florida Bay Usa, Donald C. Behringer, Mark J. Butler Iv

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.


The Epidemiological Status Of Pav1, And The Effects Of Infection On Caribbean Spiny Lobster (Panulirus Argus) Condition, Olfaction, And Predation Risk, Donald C. Behringer, Mark J. Butler Iv, Jeffrey D. Shields Jan 2009

The Epidemiological Status Of Pav1, And The Effects Of Infection On Caribbean Spiny Lobster (Panulirus Argus) Condition, Olfaction, And Predation Risk, Donald C. Behringer, Mark J. Butler Iv, Jeffrey D. Shields

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.


Patterns Of Spiny Lobster (Panulirus Argus) Postlarval Recruitment In The Carribbean: A Crtr Project, Mark J. Butler Iv, Angela M. Mojica, Eloy Sosa-Cordero, Marines Millet, Paul Sanchez-Navarro, Miguel A. Maldonado, Juan Posada, Bladimir Rodriguez, Carlos M. Rivas, Adrian Oviedo, Marcio Arrone, Martha Prada, Nick Bach, Nilda Jimenez, Maria Del Carmen Garcia-Rivas, Kirah Forman, Donald C. Behringer Jr., Thomas Matthews, Claire Paris, Robert Cowen Jan 2009

Patterns Of Spiny Lobster (Panulirus Argus) Postlarval Recruitment In The Carribbean: A Crtr Project, Mark J. Butler Iv, Angela M. Mojica, Eloy Sosa-Cordero, Marines Millet, Paul Sanchez-Navarro, Miguel A. Maldonado, Juan Posada, Bladimir Rodriguez, Carlos M. Rivas, Adrian Oviedo, Marcio Arrone, Martha Prada, Nick Bach, Nilda Jimenez, Maria Del Carmen Garcia-Rivas, Kirah Forman, Donald C. Behringer Jr., Thomas Matthews, Claire Paris, Robert Cowen

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

As part of the Coral Reef Targeted Research (CRTR) Program, a partnership between the Global Environment Facility and the World Bank, our research team examined the recruitment patterns of Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) postlarvae among regions in the Caribbean, with a particular focus on Mesoamerica. Our goal was to collect comparable information on postlarval supply among regions and to provide data to test predictions of connectivity generated from a coupled biophysical oceanographic model of lobster larval dispersal. Here we present the results of the postlarval recruitment monitoring program. We monitored the catch of postlarvae on Witham-style collectors …


Regional Characterisation Of Hard-Bottom Nursery Habitat For Juvenile Caribbean Spiny Lobster (Panulirus Argus) Using Rapid Assessment Techniques, Rodney D. Bertelsen, Mark J. Butler Iv, William F. Herrnkind, John H. Hunt Jan 2009

Regional Characterisation Of Hard-Bottom Nursery Habitat For Juvenile Caribbean Spiny Lobster (Panulirus Argus) Using Rapid Assessment Techniques, Rodney D. Bertelsen, Mark J. Butler Iv, William F. Herrnkind, John H. Hunt

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Shallow, hard-bottom habitat constitutes approximately 30% of the coastal waters of south Florida, United States, yet it is a chronically understudied feature of the marine seascape in this region. In this study, we characterised the general biogeographic and structural features of shallow benthic hard-bottom communities in the Florida Keys, and related those to the abundance of juvenile Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus), the target of one of Florida's most economically valuable fisheries. We used rapid assessment techniques to survey more than 100 hard-bottom sites in the Florida Keys to estimate the percentage bottom coverage of vegetation (seagrass and …


Phytoplankton Blooms: Their Occurence And Composition Within Virginia's Tidal Tributaries, Harold G. Marshall, Todd A. Egerton Jan 2009

Phytoplankton Blooms: Their Occurence And Composition Within Virginia's Tidal Tributaries, Harold G. Marshall, Todd A. Egerton

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Sporadic algal bloom development within a 10 year monitoring program in Virginia tidal tributaries of Chesapeake Bay is reviewed. These blooms were common events, characteristically producing a color signature to the surface water, typically short lived, occurring mainly from spring into autumn throughout different salinity regions of these rivers, and were produced primarily by dinoflagellates. The abundance threshold levels that would identify bloom status from a non-bloom presence were species specific, varied with the taxon's cell size, and ranged from ca. 10 to 10(4) cells mL(-1). Among the most consistent sporadic bloom producers were the dinoflagellates Akashiwo sanguinea, Cochlodinium …


Spatial Variation In Otolith Chemistry Of Atlantic Croaker Larvae In The Mid-Atlantic Bight, Jason J. Schaffler, Christian S. Reiss, Cynthia M. Jones Jan 2009

Spatial Variation In Otolith Chemistry Of Atlantic Croaker Larvae In The Mid-Atlantic Bight, Jason J. Schaffler, Christian S. Reiss, Cynthia M. Jones

OES Faculty Publications

Larval Atlantic croaker Micropogonias undulatus (1 to 7 mm in standard length) were collected on the east coast of the United States from North Carolina to Delaware during 2000. We defined 3 water-mass boundaries for potential groups of spawning Atlantic croaker using temperature and salinity measured at each sampling station. We tested the hypothesis that distinct otolith chemistries existed among 3 groups of larval Atlantic croaker collected from these water masses using solution-based inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Multivariate analysis of variance indicated that otolith chemistry differed significantly among water masses. Using a quadratic discriminant function, we were able to correctly …


Patterns Of Larval Atlantic Croaker Ingress Into Chesapeake Bay, Usa, Jason J. Schaffler, Christian S. Reiss, Cynthia M. Jones Jan 2009

Patterns Of Larval Atlantic Croaker Ingress Into Chesapeake Bay, Usa, Jason J. Schaffler, Christian S. Reiss, Cynthia M. Jones

OES Faculty Publications

We compared ingress patterns of Atlantic croaker Micropogonias undulatus larvae into Chesapeake Bay, USA, with published ingress patterns through barrier island inlets, the accepted model for larval fish ingress. This model asserts that larvae ingress on night flood tides at the flooddominated side of the inlet and at all depths. At the Chesapeake Bay mouth and in the adjacent coastal waters, we compared the distribution of abundance, size, age, and growth rates of croaker prior to ingress, In contrast to the barrier island inlet model, croaker larvae were more abundant at depth than closer to the surface regardless of location. …