Life Sciences Commons^™

Recent Studies In The United States On Parasites And Pathogens Of Marine Mollusks, With Emphasis On Diseases Of The American Oyster, Crassostrea Virginica Gmelin, William J. Hargis Jr.

VIMS Books and Book Chapters

Morphological, systematic, faunal, and life cycle studies predominated research on marine parasites and pathogens in the United States before World War II. Much was primarily basic or academic in nature. Since then it has grown and diversified under pressure or efforts to: I) Increase yields or invertebrate-based fisheries, In nature and under controlled conditions; and 2) understand , protect, and improve the resources, estuarine and marine environments, and human health and welfare. Over the last 30 yr pathobiologlcal investigations of economically and ecologically important marine Invertebrates have broadened into submlcroscopcal anatomy (TEM and SEM technlques), physiology, Immunology, genetics, host-parasite ecology, …

Laboratory Series 36 Virginia Institute Of Marine Science, Maurice P. Lynch

Miscellaneous

Overview of VIMS, brief history, areas of expertise and current programs, cooperating agencies and unique laboratory features.

Posted with permission of the copyright holder, American Fisheries Society.

The College Of William And Mary, School Of Marine Science, 1985-86 Program, College Of William And Mary, School Of Marine Science

Miscellaneous

Catalog for the Graduate program from the School of Marine Science at the College of William and Mary for the listed academic year.

Morphological Variation Accompanying Cave Evolution In Astyanax Fasciatus (Pisces: Characidae), Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Pirañas Imposibles, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Ontogenetic Change In Phototactic Responses Of Surface And Cave Populations Of Astyanax Fasciatus (Pisces: Characidae), Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Specialized Petiole Feeding Behavior In Cichlasoma Tuba, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

A New Marine Genus Of The Maera Group (Crustacea: Amphipoda) From Belize, James Darwin Thomas, J. L. Barnard

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

A new genus and species, Dumosus atari of the Maera group from coral rubble at Belize is described. It is related to Gammarella and is probably cryptic. The eyes are reduced. Dumosus differs from Gammarella in the loss of medial setation on the maxillae, reduction of article 3 on the mandibular palp, loss of article 2 on the outer ramus ofuropod 3, and in the loss of major spination on the plates of maxilla I and the maxilliped; in contrast to Gammarella, Dumosus retains the plesiomorphic uropod 3 typical of the Maera-group.

Two New Species Of Two New Gammaridan Genera (Crustacea: Amphipoda) From The Florida Keys, James Darwin Thomas, J. L. Barnard

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Two new species of the new genera Anamaera (A. hixom) and Spathiopus (S looensis), both belonging to the section Gammarida of Amphipoda, are described from the Florida Keys. Anamaera is a new genus close to Maera, Ceradocus, and Ceradomaera, but has an unique combination of minor character expressions. Males of Spathiopus have an unusual paddle-shaped antenna 2 but otherwise Spathiopus appears to be an apomorph of Elasmopus.

The Effect Of Dispersed Oil On The Calcification Rate Of The Reef-Building Coral Diploria Strigosa, Richard E. Dodge, A. H. Knap, Sheila C. Wyers, H. R. Frith, T. D. Sleeter, S. R. Smith

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches, Lectures

Hermatypic corals represent environmentally and economically important components of the reef ecosystem. Oil spills and clean-up operations in reef areas are potential sources of pollution impact. This paper presents an evaluation of the calcification rate of specimens of the reef-building coral Diploria strigosa in response to 24 hour treatments of chemically dispersed oil at concentrations of 20 ppm. The concentrations and durations were chosen to represent a scenario of a short-term oil spill treated with dispersant passing over a coral reef.

Calcification rates were determined by the buoyant weight technique at several day intervals for up to 29 days following …

Macrobenthic Community Structure At The Entrance To The Chesapeake Bay, Roberto Javier Llansa

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Microbial Manganese Reduction By Enrichment Cultures From Coastal Marine Sediments, David J. Burdige, Kenneth H. Nealson

OES Faculty Publications

Manganese reduction was catalyzed by enrichment cultures of anaerobic bacteria obtained from coastal marine sediments. In the absence of oxygen, these enrichment cultures reduced manganates when grown on either lactate, succinate, or acetate in both sulfate-free and sulfate-containing artificial seawaters. Sodium azide as well as oxygen completely inhibited microbial manganese reduction by these enrichment cultures, whereas molybdate had no effect on them. The addition of nitrate to the medium slightly decreased the rate of Mn²⁺ production by these enrichment cultures. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the manganese-reducing organisms in these enrichment cultures use manganates as terminal …

Perioculodes Cerasinus, N. Sp., The First Record Of The Genus From The Caribbean Sea (Amphipoda: Oedicerotidae), James Darwin Thomas, J. L. Barnard

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Perioculodes cerasinus, a probable cryptic fossorial amphipod with embedded white orbicular ommatidia in bright ruby eyes is described from Tobago, Belize, Florida Keys, and Biscayne Bay, Florida. The eyes are separated either into two lunes or combined side to side into one large irregular brow. This is the first western Atlantic record of a generic group heretofore confined to the warm eastern Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Close affinity appears to be with the type-species of the genus, P. longimanus, from the eastern Atlantic Ocean.

Biology And Distribution Of Species Of Polyacanthonotus (Pisces, Notacanthiformes) In The Western North-Atlantic, Re Crabtree, Kj Sulak, Ja Musick

VIMS Articles

The notacanthid genus Poiyacanthonotus is represented in the Atlantic by three species of demersal deep-sea fishes at depths from about 500-3,800 m. Recent collections have made available new material from the temperate and tropical western North Atlantic for life history study of P. merretti and P. rissoanus. Species of the genus are browsers on small benthic macrofauna including polychaetes, gammaridean amphipods, and mysids. Reproduction does not appear to be seasonal. Fecundity is positively correlated with size in P. merretti, and ranges between 1,900-5,700 ova. Fecundities are much higher (ca. 20,000-30,000 ova) in P. rissoanus and P. cha/lengeri, which attain a …

Soil Characteristics Of Four Juncus Roemerianus Populations In Mississippi, Lionel N. Eleuterius, John D. Caldwell

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The physical and chemical characteristics of soil from four widely separated Juncus roemerianus populations in Mississippi tidal marshes are determined. The J. roemerianus populations studied are located in Grand Bayou, Salt Flats, Weeks Bayou,and Belle Fantaine marshes. Organic matter, pH, CEC, N, P, K, Ca, S, Mg, and Zn analyses are based on composite soil samples. The percentage of sand, silt, and clay of the marsh soils is determined along with soil water content from the four locations. Statistical analysis indicates which marshes are different for each soil characteristic tested. No appreciable amounts of organic matter are present in the …

Metabolic Activity Of The Epiphytic Community Associated With Spartina Alterniflora, Wilmer C. Stowe, James G. Gosselink

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Primary production and respiration rates were determined for two epiphytic communities associated with Spartina alternifloraLoisel., in the southwestern Barataria Bay area of Louisiana. The communities studied were: (1) a shoreline community and (2) a community 1.5 meters inland from the shoreline site. Annual mean net production and respiration rates for the shoreline community were 25.8 and -19.6 mg C • (m² substrate area)^-1 • h^-1 respectively;whereas the inland community showed corresponding rates of -3.3 and -12.5 mg C • (m² substrate area)^-1 • h^-1, respectively. Thus, the shoreline community was a net …

Notes On Barnacles (Cirripedia: Thoracica) From The Gulf Of Mexico, Stephen R. Gittings

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Examination of several collections of barnacles from the northern and western Gulf of Mexico made over the last 30 years has improved our knowledge of the distributions of several taxa previously considered to be absent or rare in those regions. Conchoderma auritum (Linnaeus) and Heteralepas sp. aff. cornuta (Darwin) are recorded for the first time from the Gulf of Mexico. Conchoderma auritum, Conchoderma virgatum (Spengler), Heteralepas cornuta (Darwin), Balanus trigonus (Darwin), Balanus venustus Darwin, and Balanus amphitrite amphitrite Darwin have broad distributions outside the Gulf of Mexico. Tetraclita stalactifera stalactifera (Lamarck) is abundant in the intertidal zones of the …

Testis-Ova In Spawning Blue Tilapia, Oreochromis Aureus, B. Clark, H.J. Grier

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Hermaphroditism characterized by the presence of oocytes in the testes is described in the blue tilapia, Oreochromis aureus, for the first time. Testis-ova were observed in three of 24 spawning males exhibiting otherwise normal male morphology. The testis-ova appeared non-vitellogenic and lacked a follicle cell layer. It is speculated that the testis-ova did not become vitellogenic due to their association with Sertoli cells and the hormonal environment of the male.

A Survey Of Population Characteristics For Red Drum And Spotted Seatrout In Louisiana, John M. Wakeman, Paul R. Ramsey

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Red drum and spatted seatrout stocks were sampled from seven separate study areas along the Louisiana coast and from one estuarine area in Texas, with additional intensive temporal (monthly) and microgeographic (range of salinity regimes) samplings being carried out in one Louisiana study area. Condition coefficients, which did not appear to be affected by salinity regimes within the microgeographic sampling area, varied significantly according to study area, with Texas fish showing significantly lower condition coefficients than Louisiana fish. Van Bertalanffy growth equations were fitted and annual mortality rates were estimated to obtain preliminary estimates of yields, population numbers, and densities …

Spatial Influences On Temporal Variations In Leaf Growth And Chemical Composition Of Thalassia Testudinum Banks Ex König In Tampa Bay, Florida, Michael J. Durako, Mark D. Moffler

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The importance of spatial influences on seasonal fluctuations in Thalassia testudinum leaf blade lengths and chemical constituents was demonstrated. Differences between samples from fringe and mid-bed for several constituents were significant and, if not accounted for, could affect the measurement of apparent seasonal cycles. Fringe-shoots, reflecting the influence of more intense grazing activity, had shorter leaf blade lengths, lower dry weights and carbohydrate levels, and higher protein levels than mid-bed shoots. Mid-bed rhizomes and roots had highest protein and ash levels reflecting possible sediment influence. Percent ash and protein in the rhizomes, and percent carbohydrate in the roots exhibited seasonal …

Monomitopus-Magnus, A New Species Of Deep-Sea Fish (Ophidiidae) From The Western North-Atlantic, Hj Carter, Dm Cohen

VIMS Articles

Monomitopus magnus new species is described from slope waters off the southeastern coast of North America. M. magnus is most closely related to M. american urn from the continental slope of Uruguay and southern Brazil and is more distantly related to the western Pacific M. pallidus. M. magnus differs from M. americanum in having fewer developed gill rakers on the anterior arch (10-11 compared to 14-22) and more precaudal vertebrae (15 compared to 13-14). The 13 nominal species of Monomitopus are divided into three groups based on head shape and degree of ossification.

Distribution Of Demersal Fishes Of The Caribbean Sea Found Below 2,000 Meters, Me Anderson, Re Crabtree, Hj Carter, Et Al

VIMS Articles

Abyssal fishes of the Caribbean Sea are known from the work of six research vessels, yet only one ofthese collections has been reported. The most recent collection, that of the USNS BARTLETTin 1981, contains 13 new records of rare fish to the Caribbean, including two undescribed species. Twelve species accounts are given, documenting the new finds, along with some taxonomic changes from previous reports. Zoogeographical analysis revealed that the abyssal fish fauna of the Caribbean basins reflects a depauperate, tropical, western Atlantic subunit of a broader, circumglobal pattern of the world's abyssal fish fauna.

The Effects Of Seed Size, Shell Bags, Crab Traps, And Netting On The Survival Of The Northern Hard Clam Mercenaria Mercenaria (Linne), John N. Kraeuter, Michael Castagna

VIMS Articles

Seed size at planting is the dominant factor affecting hard clam survival to marketable size when field grow-out techniques are used. The use of plastic mesh nets, crab traps, and wire mesh bags (filled with oyster shells) alone or in combination can be used to increase survival of hard clams of ~ 6 to 8-mm shell height. These techniques do not provide sufficient protection for 2-mm seed. The combination of net + crab trap + shell bag was nearly twice as effective as the net alone when 10 to 14-mm seed was used and over five times as effective as …

Genetic Comparison Of Macoma Balthica (Bivalvia, Telinidae) From The Eastern And Western North Atlantic Ocean, Bw Meehan

VIMS Articles

No abstract provided.

Monogeneans From The Southern Pacific Ocean: Polyopisthocotyleids From The Australian Fishes, The Subfamily Microcotylinae, W. A. Dillon, William J. Hargis Jr., Antonio E. Harrises

Reports

This seventh in a series of monogenetic trematodes from the Southern Pacific Ocean discusses nine species of Monogenea from Australian waters. Redescriptions are given for Microcotyle arripis Sandars, 1945, M. bassensis Murray, 1931, M. helotes Sandars, 1944, M. nemadactylus Dillon and Hargis, 1965, M. neozealanicus Dillon and Hargis, 1965, M. odacis Sandars, 1945, M. pentapodi Sandars, 1944, and M. temnodontis Sandars, 1945. New locality records are reported for all of the above. New host records are established for Microcotyle bassensis Murray, 1931 and M. neozealanicus Dillon and Hargis, 1965. Microtyle sp. from the gills of Acanthopagrus australis (Gunther) is reported.

Norfolk Canyon Marine Sanctuary Resources Study Plan : Final Report, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Reports

Establishment of a Norfolk Canyon Marine Sanctuary provides the framework necessary to examine the biological, geological, and hydrographic processes functioning in submarine canyon systems and to improve the basis for management decisions related to exploitation of East Coast submarine canyons.

Research in submarine canyons is not an easy task. Although there are nearly 100 submarine canyons between Cape Hatteras and Nova Scotia, Norfolk Canyon, the canyon closest to the coast, is approximately 100 km from the nearest landfall. The Canyon begins at about the 80-100 m isobath contour and extends to a depth of more than 2000.

Striped Bass Research, Virginia - Annual Report 1985, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Reports

The research reported herein is directly in response to priorities established in the "Action Plan" of the Emergency Striped Bass Study (the Chafee Amendment (PL 96-118) of the Anadromous Fish Conservation Act (PL 89- 304)). The Amendment was the result of a decline in striped bass landings i along the Atlantic Coast that began in the .mid-1970's. The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) had previously conducted a juvenile striped bass seining program from 1967 through 1973 which was discontinued at that point due to a loss .of funding. The program was reinstated in 1980 with funding from the National …

A Bioeconomic Model Of The Middle Atlantic Surf Clam (Spisula Solidissima) Fishery, Thomas M. Armitage

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

A bioeconomic simulation model of the middle Atlantic surf clam (Spisula solidissima) fishery has been developed from a survey of biological and econometric relationships. While identifying the biological input parameters available in the literature, the economic submodel of the fishery has been developed with price and landings time series data, and with data obtained through the use of survey questionnaires and interviews with surf clam fishermen and processors. Alternative management scenarios in the fishery have been evaluated from industry costs in both the harvesting and processing sectors and analysis of the demand for raw product confronting surf clam fishermen. Multiple …

Energy Utilization Model For Silver Perch, Bairdiella Chrysoura (Bioenergetics, Sciaenidae, Growth, Eelgrass, Chesapeake Bay), Hugh Anthony Brooks

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

An energetics model was constructed as an alternative method to length frequency analysis for the estimation of growth for juvenile silver perch, Bairdiella chrysoura. The model approach was adopted since estimation of juvenile estuarine fish growth by only collecting length or weight frequency data is difficult due to the large bodies of water and variety of microhabitats that must be regularly sampled over short time intervals. Field and laboratory data was included in analysis of model compartments for growth, metabolism, food intake and energy loss in waste products. Food habit studies indicated that silver perch is a planktivore that feeds …

Abundance, Seasonality And Community Structure Of Fishes On The Mid-Atlantic Bight Continental Shelf, James Alden Colvocoresses

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Cluster analyses of seasonal (spring and fall) National Marine Fisheries Service Groundfish Survey bottom trawl catches on the Middle Atlantic Bight continental shelf revealed consistent species associations and faunal zones over a nine year period during. Boundaries between faunal zones tended to follow isotherms on the inner portions of the shelf and isobaths along the outer shelf. During the late winter/early spring, four faunal zones were identified: a northern inner and middle shelf zone extending from Cape Cod southward to about Delaware Bay, a northern middle and outer shelf zone offshore of the first zone, a southern middle and outer …