Life Sciences Commons^™

Assessment Of Oyster Reefs In Lynnhaven River As A Chesapeake Bay Tmdl Best Management Practice, Mac Sisson, M. Lisa Kellogg, Mark Luckenbach, Rom Lipcius, Allison Colden, Jeff Cornwell, Michael Owens

Reports

No abstract provided.

Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program Annual Report 2010, Susanna Musick, Lewis Gillingham

Reports

Through 2010, the Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program has maintained a 16-year database of records for tagged and recaptured fish. The program is a cooperative project of the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament (under the Virginia Marine Resources Commission-VMRC) and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) of the College of William and Mary (under the VIMS Marine Advisory Program).

Campus Map Virginia Institute Of Marine Science, College Of William And Mary Gloucester Point April 2011, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Miscellaneous

No abstract provided.

Campus Map Virginia Institute Of Marine Science, College Of William And Mary Gloucester Point August 2011, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Miscellaneous

No abstract provided.

2010 Annual Awards, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Miscellaneous

The Annual Awards ceremony is an occasion in which new employees and volunteers are introduced, employee service is recognized and student and faculty awards are presented.

Deep-Pelagic (0-3000m) Fish Assemblage Structure Over The Mid-Atlantic Ridge In The Area Of The Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone, April B. Cook

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Only a miniscule fraction of the world’s largest volume of living space, the ocean’s mid-water biome, has ever been sampled. As part of the International Census of Marine Life field project Mid-Atlantic Ridge Ecosystems (MAR-ECO), a discrete-depth trawling survey was conducted in 2009 aboard the NOAA ship Henry B. Bigelow to examine the pelagic faunal assemblage structure and distribution over the Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone (CGFZ) of the northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge. This is the first MAR-ECO project aimed specifically at describing diel vertical migration as a distributional phenomenon. Discrete-depth sampling from 0-3000 m was conducted during both day and night in …

Dynamics And Composition Of The Extracellular Polymeric Substances Produced By Benthic Microalgae: An In Situ 13c And 15n Approach, Stephanie Kara Salisbury

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The land-­‐ocean margin is characterized by a shallow water column, which allows light to reach the benthos and supports a diverse community of benthic autotrophs. One group of benthic autotrophs, consisting of benthic diatoms, cyanobacteria and other photosynthetic microorganisms living near the sediment surface (i.e., benthic microalgae) accounts for a substantial amount of this primary production. Benthic microalgae are also tightly coupled to carbon and nutrient cycling processes carried out by the sediment bacterial community. Benthic microalgae exude complex biopolymers, called extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), which consist mainly of carbohydrates, but can contain proteins and nucleic acids. EPS serves multiple …

Ecological, Physiological, And Bio-Optical Characteristics Of Phaeocystis Globosa In Coastal Waters Of South Central Vietnam, Xiao Liu

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Basal Food Web Dynamics In A Natural Eelgrass (Zostera Marina) Community: Cage-Free Field Experimentation, Matthew A. Whalen

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The relative strength of bottom-up and top-down processes operating within food webs is a fundamental determinant of community structure and function. In marine systems, inconspicuous but often highly abundant invertebrate herbivores (mesograzers) are implicated as strong consumers of primary production and important prey for higher-order consumers. Because of their small size, however, mesograzer abundance is not easily manipulated in the field, which limits our ability to adequately assess their grazing impacts. Seagrass systems present a pressing need for the study of food web dynamics because anthropogenic nutrient and sediment inputs decrease the amount of light reaching seagrass leaves, which limits …

The Effects Of Seagrass Species And Trophic Interactions In Experimental Seagrass Communities, Althea F. P. Moore

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Sailfish Habitat Utilization And Vertical Movements In The Southern Gulf Of Mexico And Florida Straits, David W. Kerstetter, Shannon M. Bayse, Jenny L. Fenton, John Graves

VIMS Articles

Pop-up satellite archival tags (PSATs) were deployed on 19 sailfish Istiophorus platypterus captured in the southern Gulf of Mexico and Florida Straits between 2005 and 2007 on commercial pelagic longline gear (n = 18) and recreational rod-and-reel gear (n = 1). The data from three tags indicated mortality events and were excluded from subsequent analyses. All PSATs were programmed to collect pressure (depth), temperature, and light-level data for 10 d at approximately 90-s intervals. These transmitted point data subsequently allowed the reconstruction of vertical movement patterns. The remaining 16 PSAT data sets indicate that sailfish are primarily associated with the …

Metazooplankton Community Structure, Feeding Rate Estimates, And Hydrography In A Meltwater-Influenced Greenlandic Fjord, Kam W. Tang, Torkel Gissel Nielsen, Peter Munk, John Mortensen

VIMS Articles

In order to assess the potential responses of Greenland's coastal ecosystems to future climate change, we studied the hydrography and distribution of metazooplankton, along a transect from the slope waters beyond Fyllas Banke to the inner part of Godthabsfjord, West Greenland, in July and August 2008, and estimated feeding rates for some of the larger species groups. Within the 4 regional domains that were covered in the study (continental slope, continental shelf, outer sill region, and main fjord basin), salty coastal water and glacial runoff mixed to various extents, and 7 water masses with specific characteristics were identified. The common …

Vertical Structure, Seasonal Drawdown, And Net Community Production In The Ross Sea, Antarctica, Matthew C. Long, Robert B. Dunbar, Philippe D. Tortell, Walker O. Smith Jr., David A. Mucciarone, Giacomo R. Ditullio

VIMS Articles

We calculate net community production (NCP) during summer 2005-2006 and spring 2006 in the Ross Sea using multiple approaches to determine the magnitude and consistency of rates. Water column carbon and nutrient inventories and surface ocean O-2/Ar data are compared to satellite-derived primary productivity (PP) estimates and C-14 uptake experiments. In spring, NCP was related to stratification proximal to upper ocean fronts. In summer, the most intense C drawdown was in shallow mixed layers affected by ice melt; depth-integrated C drawdown, however, increased with mixing depth. Delta O-2/Ar-based methods, relying on gas exchange reconstructions, underestimate NCP due to seasonal variations …

Early Season Depletion Of Dissolved Iron In The Ross Sea Polynya: Implications For Iron Dynamics On The Antarctic Continental Shelf, P. N. Sedwick, Walker O. Smith Jr.

VIMS Articles

The Ross Sea polynya is among the most productive regions in the Southern Ocean and may constitute a significant oceanic CO2 sink. Based on results from several field studies, this region has been considered seasonally iron limited, whereby a "winter reserve" of dissolved iron (dFe) is progressively depleted during the growing season to low concentrations (similar to 0.1 nM) that limit phytoplankton growth in the austral summer (December-February). Here we report new iron data for the Ross Sea polynya during austral summer 2005-2006 (27 December-22 January) and the following austral spring 2006 (16 November-3 December). The summer 2005-2006 data show …

An Evaluation Of Ocean Color Model Estimates Of Marine Primary Productivity In Coastal And Pelagic Regions Across The Globe, V. S. Saba, Marjorie A.M. Friedrichs, Walker O. Smith Jr.

VIMS Articles

Nearly half of the earth's photosynthetically fixed carbon derives from the oceans. To determine global and region specific rates, we rely on models that estimate marine net primary productivity (NPP) thus it is essential that these models are evaluated to determine their accuracy. Here we assessed the skill of 21 ocean color models by comparing their estimates of depth-integrated NPP to 1156 in situ C-14 measurements encompassing ten marine regions including the Sargasso Sea, pelagic North Atlantic, coastal Northeast Atlantic, Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Arabian Sea, subtropical North Pacific, Ross Sea, West Antarctic Peninsula, and the Antarctic Polar Frontal Zone. …

Multi-Locus Phylogeny Of Sponge-Dwelling Snapping Shrimp (Caridea: Alpheidae: Synalpheus) Supports Morphology-Based Species Concepts, Km Hultgren, Je Duffy

VIMS Articles

Alpheid snapping shrimp are one of the most diverse groups of coral-reef fauna, and sponge-dwelling shrimp in the genus Synalpheus (gambarelloides species group) have in particular become a model system for studying the evolution of social biology and host use in marine invertebrates. Despite recent advances in understanding the evolution and systematics of Synalpheus, the taxonomy and phylogenetic relationships within this group remain challenging. More than 20 new species in the S. gambarelloides species group have been described over the past two decades, primarily within several cryptic species complexes, which has doubled the known diversity of this group …

Sea Turtles As Potential Dispersal Vectors For Non-Indigenous Species: The Veined Rapa Whelk As An Epibiont Of Loggerhead Sea Turtles, Jm Harding, Wj Walton, Cm Trapani, Mj Frick, Roger L. Mann

VIMS Articles

We present the first record of Rapana venosa (Veined Rapa Whelk) as an epibiont of Caretta caretta (Loggerhead Sea Turtle) and the first observation of rapa whelks in the South Atlantic Bight, USA. Veined Rapa Whelks are invasive shellfish predators. The only known North American population of Veined Rapa Whelks is in the southern Chesapeake Bay. Collections of Veined Rapa Whelks as epibionts on Loggerhead Sea Turtles from Norfolk, VA and Wassaw Island, GA present a previously undescribed vector for whelk range expansion to widely separated coastal habitats. In October 2008, a live juvenile Loggerhead stranded near Norfolk, VA with …

Tidal Modulation On The Changjiang River Plume In Summer, Hui Wu, Jianrong Zhu, Jian Shen, Harry V. Wang

VIMS Articles

Tide effects on the structure of the near-field Changjiang River plume and on the extension of the far-field plume have often been neglected in analysis and numerical simulations, which is the focus of this study. Numerical experiments highlighted the crucial role of the tidal forcing in modulating the Changjiang River plume. Without the tidal forcing, the plume results in an unrealistic upstream extension along the Jiangsu coast. With the tidal forcing, the vertical mixing increases, resulting in a strong horizontal salinity gradient at the northern side of the Changjiang River mouth along the Jiangsu coast, which acts as a dynamic …

Lessons Learned From Efforts To Restore Oyster Populations In Maryland And Virginia, 1990 To 2007, Vs Kennedy, Dl Breitburg, Mc Christman, Mark Luckenbach, Kennedy Paynter, J Kramer, Kevin Sellner, J Dew-Baxter, C Keller, Roger L. Mann

VIMS Articles

A century-long decline of the fishery for the Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin, 1791) in Maryland and Virginia stimulated numerous efforts by federal, state, and nongovernmental agencies to restore oyster populations, with limited success. To learn from recent efforts, we analyzed records of restoration and monitoring activities undertaken between 1990 and 2007 by 12 such agencies. Of the 1,037 oyster bars (reefs, beds, or grounds) for which we obtained data, 43% experienced both restoration and monitoring, with the remaining experiencing either restoration or monitoring only. Restoration activities involved adding substrate (shell), transplanting hatchery or wild seed (juvenile oysters), bar cleaning, …

Genetic Diversity In U.S. Hatchery Stocks Of Crassostrea Ariakensis (Fujita, 1913) And Comparison With Natural Populations In Asia, Jie Xiao, Jan F. Cordes, Ja Moss, Kimberly S. Reece

VIMS Articles

Although several different U.S. hatchery stocks of the Asian Suminoe oyster Crassosirea ariakensis were used in laboratory and field trials assessing performance, and in comparative studies with the native oyster Crassostrea virginica, the genetic composition of these hatchery stocks has not yet been examined comprehensively. Using eight microsatellite markers we investigated the genetic variability among five hatchery stocks and compared the genetic makeup of these stocks with 8 wild populations from Asia. Results showed significant genetic differentiation among the 5 hatchery stocks that was 6-fold larger than that observed among wild populations. A significant reduction in genetic diversity was observed …

Observations On The Early Life History And Growth Rates Of Juvenile Channel Whelks Busycotypus Canaliculatus (Linnaeus, 1758), Juliana Harding

VIMS Articles

Channel whelks (Busycotypus canaliculatus) were cultured from hatch through 171 days to describe the early life history and growth rates of juveniles. Whelks began to hatch at water temperatures of 15-18 degrees C. Channel whelks grew quickly from average shell lengths (SL) at hatch of 3.8 mm (SE = 0.1) to an average of 48.4 mm SL (SE = 1.3, n = 42 individuals) at 171 days post-hatch. The largest individual reached 53.2 mm SL, a gain of similar to 49.4 mm SL in 171 days, with a growth rate of 0.29 mm/day. Juvenile whelks readily consumed oyster (Crassostrea virginica) …

Cownose Ray (Rhinoptera Bonasus) Predation Relative To Bivalve Ontogeny, Robert A. Fisher, Garrett C. Call, Rochelle Grubbs

VIMS Articles

The purpose of this study was to determine the ability of the cownose ray, Rhinoptera bonasus (Mitchill, 1815), to manipulate oysters and clams, to test for relative prey preference, and to investigate whether susceptibility to cownose ray predation changes with bivalve ontogeny. We investigated patterns of predation for captive adult and young-of-year cownose rays on 4 species of bivalves, including Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin, 1791), Crassostrea ariakensis (Fujita, 1913), Mercenaria mercenaria (Linnaeus, 1758), and Mya arenaria Linnaeus, 1758. In oyster (C. virginica) trials, predation probabilities by adult rays were highest at shell heights of 30-70 mm and shell depths of 8-22 …

Global Conservation Priorities For Marine Turtles, Bryan P. Wallace, John A. Musick

VIMS Articles

Where conservation resources are limited and conservation targets are diverse, robust yet flexible priority-setting frameworks are vital. Priority-setting is especially important for geographically widespread species with distinct populations subject to multiple threats that operate on different spatial and temporal scales. Marine turtles are widely distributed and exhibit intra-specific variations in population sizes and trends, as well as reproduction and morphology. However, current global extinction risk assessment frameworks do not assess conservation status of spatially and biologically distinct marine turtle Regional Management Units (RMUs), and thus do not capture variations in population trends, impacts of threats, or necessary conservation actions across …

Performance Of Pop-Up Satellite Archival Tags, M. K. Musyl, M. L. Domeier, N. Nasby-Lucas, Richard Brill

VIMS Articles

Pop-up satellite archival tags (PSATs) are used to chronicle or 'archive' the habitat preferences, horizontal and vertical movements, fishery interaction, and post-release mortality rates of a variety of pelagic animals. Though PSATs are valuable research tools, lower-than-expected reporting rates, early detachment, and incomplete data return remain problematic. These issues were quantified by analysis of reporting rates, retention times (i.e. the time period PSATs remained attached), and the quantity of depth, temperature, and geolocation data returned from 731 PSAT deployments on 19 species in the authors' database and 1433 PSAT deployments on 24 species taken from 53 published articles. The reporting …

Escaping Paradise: Larval Export From Hawaii In An Indo-Pacific Reef Fish, The Yellow Tang Zebrasoma Flavescens, Jeff A. Eble, Robert J. Toonen, Laurie Sorenson, Larry V. Basch

VIMS Articles

The depauperate marine ecosystems of the Hawaiian Archipelago share a high proportion of species with the southern and western Pacific, indicating historical and/or ongoing connections across the large oceanic expanse separating Hawaii from its nearest neighbors. The rate and direction of these interactions are, however, unknown. While previous biogeographic studies have consistently described Hawaii as a diversity sink, prevailing currents likely offer opportunities for larval export. To assess interactions between the remote reefs of the Hawaiian Archipelago and the species-rich communities of the Central and West Pacific, we surveyed 14 nuclear microsatellite loci (nDNA, n = 857) and a 614 …

Declining Impact Of An Introduced Pathogen: Haplosporidium Nelsoni In The Oyster Crassostrea Virginica In Chesapeake Bay, Ryan B. Carnegie, Eugene M. Burreson

VIMS Articles

Disease caused by the parasite Haplosporidium nelsoni has devastated Crassostrea virginica in Chesapeake Bay, exacerbating effects of overharvesting and adversely impacting the ecology of the bay. H. nelsoni is thought to persist as an impediment to oyster restoration because strong reproductive contributions from oysters in low-salinity refugia from parasitism have prevented development of disease resistance. On the contrary, long-term data indicate that while infection pressure on naive sentinels has grown, H. nelsoni levels in wild oysters have fallen, with prevalence typically below 20% and advanced infections uncommon. A transplant experiment comparing naive sentinels with oysters from disease-enzootic populations indicated that …

Antarctic Sea Ice Carbon Dioxide System And Controls, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science, Agneta Fransson, Melissa Chierici, Patricia L. Yager, Walker O. Smith Jr.

VIMS Articles

In austral summer, from December 2008 to January 2009, we investigated the sea-ice carbon dioxide (CO(2)) system and CO(2) controls in the Amundsen and Ross Seas, Antarctica. We sampled seawater, brine and sea ice for the measurements of total alkalinity (A(T)), total inorganic carbon (DIC), pH, inorganic nutrients, particulate organic carbon (POC) and nitrogen (PON), chlorophyll a, pigments, salinity and temperature. Large variability in all measured parameters was observed in time and space due to the complex sea-ice dynamics. We discuss the controls of the sea-ice CO(2) system, such as brine rejection, biological processes, calcium carbonate (CaCO(3)) precipitation/dissolution and CO(2) …

Virginia Institute Of Marine Science Research Experience For Undergraduates Program : Final Research Papers 2011, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Reports

• Examining Contemporary Method for Monitoring the Flux of Volatile Organic Carbon across Air-Sea Interface / Alexandra Badia
• The Potential for Using Macroalgae for Bioremediation in Clam Aquaculture Sites / Julianne Decker
• Fish Community Composition in Zostera marina Habitats: Local and Global Comparisons / Nicholas Hernandez
• Comparison of length-weight relationships for three fish species from the James, York, and Rappahannock rivers / Drew Howard
• Functional diversity of mesograzer communities in eelgrass ecosystems / Akela Kuwahara
• Modified Circumpolar Deep Water Variability in the Ross Sea /Dylan O'Connell
• Numerical Modeling of Continental Shelves / Daniel O'Hara
• Impacts of shoreline development on bivalve communities …

A Tale Of Two Blooms: Dynamics Of Nitrogen Uptake By Harmful Algae In The Eastern Gulf Of Mexico And York River, Virginia, Usa, Lynn M. Killberg-Thoreson

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The goal of this study was to determine the significance of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) to harmful phytoplankton. Two regions that experience frequent and persistent harmful algal blooms (HABs) were examined, the Eastern Gulf of Mexico and York River, Virginia. Nitrogen uptake by harmful algae in these regions was examined using a combination of stable isotopic (15N) tracer techniques and nutrient bioassays. In the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, kinetic parameters for uptake of N substrates by K. brevis were determined and indicated the greatest preference for ammonium (NH4+), although all substrates tested were taken up. …

The Status Of Virginia's Public Oyster Resource 2010, Melissa Southworth, Juliana M. Harding, Roger L. Mann

Reports

This report summarizes data collected during 2010 in the Virginia portion of the Chesapeake Bay. The report is composed of two parts, part one, oyster recruitment (shell string) in Virginia and part two, dredge survey of selected oyster bars in Virginia.