Life Sciences Commons^™

Analyzing Spatial Patterns In Reefscape Ecology Via Remote Sensing, Benthic Habitat Mapping, And Morphometrics, Shanna K. Dunn

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

A growing number of scientists are investigating applications of landscape ecology principles to marine studies, yet few coral reef scientists have examined spatial patterns across entire reefscapes with a holistic ecosystem-based view. This study was an effort to better understand reefscape ecology by quantitatively assessing spatial structures and habitat arrangements using remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS).

Quantifying recurring patterns in reef systems has implications for improving the efficiency of mapping efforts and lowering costs associated with collecting field data and acquiring satellite imagery. If a representative example of a reef is mapped with high accuracy, the data derived …

Climate Change, Coral Reef Ecosystems, And Management Options For Marine Protected Areas, Brian D. Keller, Daniel F. Gleason, Elizabeth Mcleod, Christa M. Woodley, Satie Airame, Billy D. Causey, Alan M. Friedlander, Rikki Grober-Dunsmore, Johanna E. Johnson, Steven Miller, Robert S. Steneck

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Marine protected areas (MPAs) provide place-based management of marine ecosystems through various degrees and types of protective actions. Habitats such as coral reefs are especially susceptible to degradation resulting from climate change, as evidenced by mass bleaching events over the past two decades. Marine ecosystems are being altered by direct effects of climate change including ocean warming, ocean acidification, rising sea level, changing circulation patterns, increasing severity of storms, and changing freshwater influxes. As impacts of climate change strengthen they may exacerbate effects of existing stressors and require new or modified management approaches; MPA networks are generally accepted as an …

Spatial Distribution Of Petroleum Hydrocarbons In Sediment Cores From Blind Pass, St. Pete Beach, Florida, Charles M. Featherstone, John Proni, Thomas P. Carsey, Cheryl J. Brown, Madeleine M. Adler, Patricia Blackwelder, Husain Alsayegh, Teresa A. Hood, Christina Piela, Donald S. Mccorquodale Jr.

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

One hundred and one sediment cores were collected to characterize the spatial distribution of petroleum hydrocarbons within and just outside Blind Pass, St. Pete Beach, Florida. Twenty-five percent of the cores exhibited levels of petroleum hydrocarbons above detection limits of the gas chromatograph/flame ionization detector (GC/FID) (0.01 mg/Kg), but at generally low concentrations. Petroleum hydrocarbon speciation studies of these samples (gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy [GC/MS]) indicate above-detection level (1 μg/Kg) petroleum hydrocarbons are similar to the non-volatile petroleum hydrocarbons found in a Bouchard 155 reference sample collected after the 1993 oil spill in the area, but are in a much degraded …

Extraction And Analysis Of Coral Reef Core Samples From Broward County, Florida., Anastasios Stathakopoulos

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The reefs off Broward County exist as three shore-parallel, sequentially deeper terraces named the "inner", "middle", and "outer" reefs and also a shallower, nearshore ridge complex. These structures span the continental coast of southeast Florida from Palm Beach County to southern Miami-Dade County and were characterized as relict, early Holocene shelf-edge and mid-shelf reefs along with limestone ridges. Presently, the reefs are colonized by a fauna characteristic of West Atlantic/Caribbean reef systems. Scleractinian coral cover is low except for a few dense patches of Acropora cervicornis, while Acropora palmata is absent except for a few individual living colonies.

Coral …

Diet Composition Of Swordfish, Xiphias Gladius, Within The Straits Of Florida, Amy Marie Heemsoth

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

A diet study of swordfish, Xiphias gladius, was conducted in the Straits of Florida from April 2007 to December 2008. The stomachs of 131 swordfish were analyzed. Thirteen species of teleosts, three species of cephalopods, and one species of crustacean were observed in the diet. Cephalopods dominated the swordfish diet by weight (73.38%), number (69.90%), and occurrence (80.91%) and ranked highest in importance in the diet when calculating the index of relative importance (IRI). Teleosts followed by weight (25.16%), number (26.34%), occurrence (68.18%), and IRI (3,510.97). The prey species with the greatest dietary importance was Illex sp followed by …

Trophic Structure Of The Northwest Hawaiian Islands And Resident Monk Seals (Monachus Schaundslandi) During The Twentieth Century, Nina M. Thompson, Amy Hirons, Charles W. Potter, Charles Littnan

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

The Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi) is an endangered species only found within the Hawaiian Archipelago. The majority of the breeding population for this seal is located around six islands in the Northwest Hawaiian Island chain (NWHI). Overall, both juvenile and adult seals have a wide range in δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N from 1912-2006 (δ¹³C: -12.5‰; δ¹⁵N: 12.6‰). Seals in the northern NWHI were enriched in δ¹³C by nearly 2‰ and depleted in δ¹⁵N by nearly 6‰ during the 96 years. Meanwhile, seals within the middle and …

Leucothoidae, Kristine N. White, James Darwin Thomas

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Four genera and 17 species of leucothoids, the majority of these belonging to the genus Leucothoe, are herein reported from the Great Barrier Reef. Fifteen species are new to science and only Anamixis bazimut has been previously reported from the Great Barrier Reef.

Relationship Of Reef Fish Assemblages And Topographic Complexity On Southeastern Florida Coral Reef Habitats, Brian K. Walker, Lance K. B. Jordan, Richard E. Spieler

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Reef fish assemblage relationships with in situ and lidar topographic measurements across the seascape were analyzed to evaluate the possibility of using lidar metrics as a proxy for prediction models. In situ topographic complexity (i.e., linear rugosity) was measured from 346 point-count fish surveys spanning the reef seascape. Lidar topographic measurements (i.e., surface rugosity, elevation, and volume) were obtained from a high-resolution lidar bathymetric dataset of each survey's footprint. The survey sites were characterized by an independently derived benthic habitat map. Reef fish abundance and species richness appeared to increase with increasing topographic complexity. Although significant, the relationship was weak. …

Net And Acoustic Examination Of Bathypelagic Nekton On The Mid-Atlantic Ridge, C. I. H. Anderson, J. Horne, Tracey Sutton

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

Spatial distributions of organisms play a key role in facilitating trophic interactions, which influence pelagic ecosystem structure and function. This study combines discrete net trawl sampling with continuous acoustic measurements to investigate the distribution of bathypelagic (1000- 3000 m depth) nekton biomass along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge from Iceland to the Azores. Two, previously unknown, acoustic scattering layers (ASLs) were observed using 18 kHz echosounder data. The first extended approximately 200 m from 2000 m depth and was ubiquitous wherever bottom depth allowed. The second, found within the 1500-2000 m depth stratum, only occurred south of the Sub-Polar Front. Backscatter from …

Preliminary Results On Feeding Ecology Of Stomiiforme Fishes Of The Northern Mid-Atlantic, Vanda Carmo, Odd Aksel Bergstad, Tone Falkenhaug, Gui Menezes, Tracey Sutton

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

Few previous studies have focused specifically on the role of the mid-ocean ridges in the ecology of pelagic fishes. This study targets on a dominant nekton component of the mid- Atlantic mesopelagic ichthyofauna - the Stomiiformes - and their food resources including zooplankton and other nekton. Its main goal is to characterize the diets of several species of these midwater fish towards understanding the trophic pathways of the deep-pelagic nekton of the northern MAR. The study material was provided by the G. O. Sars 2004 Expedition under the International project MAR-ECO. On the lab fish were dissected and diet items …

The Emerging Role Of Lidar Remote Sensing In Coastal Research And Resource Management Full Access, John C. Brock, Samuel J. Purkis

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Knowledge of coastal elevation is an essential requirement for resource management and scientific research. Recognizing the vast potential of lidar remote sensing in coastal studies, this Special Issue includes a collection of articles intended to represent the state-of-the-art for lidar investigations of nearshore submerged and emergent ecosystems, coastal morphodynamics, and hazards due to sea-level rise and severe storms. Some current applications for lidar remote sensing described in this Special Issue include bluegreen wavelength lidar used for submarine coastal benthic environments such as coral reef ecosystems, airborne lidar used for shoreline mapping and coastal change detection, and temporal waveform-resolving lidar used …

Interpretation Of Single-Beam Acoustic Backscatter Using Lidar-Derived Topographic Complexity And Benthic Habitat Classifications In A Coral Reef Environment, Greg Foster, Brian K. Walker, Bernhard Riegl

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Producing thematic coral reef benthic habitat maps from single-beam acoustic backscatter has been hindered by uncertainties in interpreting the acoustic energy parameters E1 (tail of 1st echo) and E2 (complete 2nd echo), typically limiting such maps to sediment classification schemes. In this study, acoustic interpretation was guided by high-resolution lidar (LIght Detection And Ranging) bathymetry. Each acoustic record, acquired from a BioSonics DT-X echosounder and multiplexed 38 and 418 kHz transducers, was paired with a spatially-coincident value of a lidar-derived proxy for topographic complexity, reef-volume (RV), and its membership to one of eight benthic habitat classes, delineated from lidar imagery, …

Reticulate Evolution And Marine Organisms: The Final Frontier?, Michael L. Arnold, Nicole D. Fogarty

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

The role that reticulate evolution (i.e., via lateral transfer, viral recombination and/or introgressive hybridization) has played in the origin and adaptation of individual taxa and even entire clades continues to be tested for all domains of life. Though falsified for some groups, the hypothesis of divergence in the face of gene flow is becoming accepted as a major facilitator of evolutionary change for many microorganisms, plants and animals. Yet, the effect of reticulate evolutionary change in certain assemblages has been doubted, either due to an actual dearth of genetic exchange among the lineages belonging to these clades or …

Movements And Habitat Utilization Of Two Longbill Spearfish Tetrapturus Pfluegeri In The Eastern Tropical South Atlantic Ocean, David W. Kerstetter, Eric S. Orbesen, S. Robert Snodgrass, Eric Prince

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

The longbill spearfish Tetrapturus pfleugeri Robins and de Sylva, 1963, is a small istiophorid billfish found in the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas that occurs as an infrequent by-catch in recreational and commercial pelagic fisheries. Although some data exist on diet and reproduction based on dead specimens, little is known of the species’ habitat preferences or individual movement patterns. In 2004, two longbill spearfish were tagged with pop-up satellite archival tags (PSATs) near Ascencion Island in the South Atlantic for 11 d and 45 d. Individual movement tracks derived from light-based geolocation estimates suggested little relationship with sea surface temperature …

Southeast Florida Coral Reef Evaluation And Monitoring Project 2008 Year 6 Final Report, David S. Gilliam

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

Summer/Fall 2009, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.

Segregation Of Palaemonid Shrimp Along The Shark River Estuary: Implications For Trophic Function, Lauren C. Mccarthy

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the abundance, distribution, and spatiotemporal variation of palaemonid shrimp species in relation to season and salinity in the Shark River Estuary, Everglades National Park (ENP), Florida, USA. Five palaemonid species occurred in the samples: Palaemonetes paludosus, P. pugio, P. intermedius, Palaemon floridanus, and Leander paulensis; L. paulensis was collected only during the wet season. Overall, shrimp catches in traps doubled in the dry season. Catches in the upper estuary were dominated by P. paludosus, particularly in the wet season, while catch per unit effort (CPUE) at the most downstream, …

Deep-Sea Fishes Of The Mid-Atlantic Ridge: Trophic Structure And Interactions, Tracey Sutton, Joel C. Hoffman, Jeanna Kidwell, Odd Aksel Bergstad, Tone Falkenhaug, F. M. Porteiro, M. Heino, C. I. H. Anderson, J. Horne, Ann Bucklin

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

Because deep-sea fisheries are increasing as coastal fisheries decline, fisheries scientists need baseline data on deep-sea ecosystems prior to further development of deep-water fisheries. We present preliminary results and ongoing efforts to characterize the trophic structure and energy flow of the pelagic ecosystems of the northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge, from Iceland to the Azores. This study is one component of the international CoML field project MAR-ECO (www.mar-eco.no). We found a diverse deep-pelagic fish fauna (205 spp.), with unexpectedly high bathypelagic fish biomass and spatial complexity. Based on literature reports of species present, crustacean planktivory is the dominant trophic guild (79% of …

Spatial Distributions Of Bathypelagic Fishes Along The Mid-Atlantic Ridge, C. I. H. Anderson, J. Horne, Tracey Sutton

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

The spatial distribution of organisms plays a key role in facilitating biological processes, such as trophic interactions, which influence pelagic ecosystem structure and function. This study combines discrete trawl net sampling with continuous, full water column, acoustic measurements to investigate the distribution of bathypelagic (1000- 3000 m depth) nekton biomass along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge from Iceland to the Azores in the North Atlantic. Two, previously unknown, distinct bathypelagic acoustic scattering layers (ASLs) were observed using 18 kHz echosounder data. One, extending down on average ~200 m from 2000 m depth, appears ubiquitous wherever bottom depth allows, while the second, found …

Surface Mucous As A Source Of Genomic Dna From Atlantic Billfishes (Istiophoridae) And Swordfish (Xiphiidae), John P. Hoolihan, Nerida G. Wilson, Ronald M. Faugue, Andrea Bernard, Rebekah L. Horn, Derke Snodgrass, Duane R. Schultz

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Procedures for sampling genomic DNA from live billfishes involve manual restraint and tissue excision that can be difficult to carry out and may produce stresses that affect fish survival. We examined the collection of surface mucous as a less invasive alternative method for sourcing genomic DNA by comparing it to autologous muscle tissue samples from Atlantic blue marlin (Makaira nigricans), white marlin (Tetrapturus albidus), sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus), and swordfish (Xiphias gladius). Purified DNA from mucous was comparable to muscle and was suitable for conventional polymerase chain reaction, random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis, …

Habitat Mapping In The Farasan Islands (Saudi Arabia) Using Casi And Quickbird Imagery, Gwilym Rowlands, James A. Goodman, Bernhard Riegl, Philip Renaud, Samuel J. Purkis

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

Map products derived from remote sensing technology increase our understanding and ability to manage tropical marine environments. The enhanced mapping capabilities of hyperspectral sensors are well understood; yet technology uptake, particularly for large scale tasks, has been slow. The study presented represents one of the largest hyperspectral projects to date, and paves the way towards increased use of this technology. Hyperspectral CASI-550 imagery and multispectral QuickBird imagery, was acquired over 3,168 km² of the Farasan Islands. In addition to the typical image processing steps, inopportune water condensation in the CASI sensors lens necessitated further processing to remove an across-track …

Aves Marinas Anidando En Islas De La Sonda De Campeche, Thor Morales, Enriqueta Velarde, Francisco Daniel Ruz, Edward O. Keith

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

Esta zona arrecifal, la más norteña del Golfo de México mexicano alberga las mayores colonias de anidación de aves marinas de la región. El último censo se realizó en 1986. En la zona se practica la pesca, turismo y explotación petrolífera, que potencialmente constituyen un riesgo para la biodiversidad del arrecife. La zona está pobremente estudiada y es importante obtener información sobre sus recursos para manejarlos adecuadamente. Nuestro objetivo es actualizar la información sobre las especies de aves marinas que anidan en las islas del Parque Nacional Arrecife Alacranes y Cayo Arenas. Se visitaron 6 islas a mediados de marzo …

An Analysis Of Policies And Conservation Techniques To Reduce The Accidental Deaths Of Sea Turtle Hatchlings Due To Light Pollution In Broward County, Fl., Megan Wilson

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Light pollution is any excessive or obtrusive man made light source which disrupts the natural environment. Hatchling marine turtles are adversely affected by light pollution and therefore unlit nesting beaches are essential habitats for all marine turtle species. In Broward County, the most significant conservation issue facing nesting and hatchling marine turtles is the amount of light pollution present on urban sea turtle nesting beaches. The reduction of hatchling mortality from light pollution is an ongoing conservation goal of the State of Florida, Broward County, and the Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Project (BCSTCP). Conservation techniques and policies intended to …

Spring 2009, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.

Markov Models For Linking Environments And Facies In Space And Time (Recent Arabian Gulf, Miocene Paratethys), Bernhard Riegl, Samuel J. Purkis

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Books and Book Chapters

This special publication Perspectives in Carbonate Geology is a collection of papers most of which were presented at a symposium to honor the 80th birthday of Bob Ginsburg at the meeting of Geological Society of America in Salt Lake City in 2005. The majority of the papers in this publication are connected with the study of modern carbonate sediments. Bob Ginsburg pioneered the concept of comparative sedimentology - that is using the modern to compare to and relate to and understand the ancient. These studies are concerned with Bob's areas of passion: coral reefs and sea-level; submarine cementation and formation …

Winter 2009, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.

Markov Models For Linking Environments And Facies In Space And Time (Recent Arabian Gulf, Miocene Paratethys), Bernhard Riegl, Samuel J. Purkis

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

If, as comparative sedimentology maintains, knowledge of the Recent can sometimes be helpful to explain the past (and vice-versa), common quantitative denominators might exist between Recent and fossil systems. It may also be possible to describe dynamics and find linkages between space and time with a unique set of quantitative tools. To explore such conceptual links, spatial facies patterns mapped using satellite imagery were compared with temporal patterns in analogous ancient outcropping facies using Markov chains and graphs. Landsat and Ikonos satellite imagery was used to map benthic facies in a nearshore carbonate ramp (Ras Hasyan) and offshore platform system …

Rapid Recovery Of A Coral Reef At Darwin Island, Galapagos Islands, Peter W. Glynn, Bernhard Riegl, Adrienne M. S. Correa, Iliana B. Baums

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Surveys at Darwin Island in 2006 and 2007 have demonstrated that this northernmost Galapagos Islands coral reef has recovered significantly since the 1982–3 El Niño event. When first surveyed in 1975, this structural reef exhibited actively accreting frameworks of pocilloporid and poritid corals. The coral suffered severe mortality in 1983, resulting in the near total loss of pocilloporids and extensive partial mortality of poritid corals. Large sections of the reef had not recovered by 1992 and dead frameworks were subject to bio-erosion, although small numbers of sexual recruits of pocilloporid corals and numerous recruits plus regenerating patches of Porites lobata …

New Perspectives On Ecological Mechanisms Affecting Coral Recruitment On Reefs, Raphael Ritson-Williams, Suzanne N. Arnold, Nicole D. Fogarty, Robert S. Steneck, Mark J. A. Vermeij, Valerie J. Paul

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Coral mortality has increased in recent decades, making coral recruitment more important than ever in sustaining coral reef ecosystems and contributing to their resilience. This review summarizes existing information on ecological factors affecting scleractinian coral recruitment. Successful recruitment requires the survival of coral offspring through sequential life history stages. Larval availability, successful settlement, and post-settlement survival and growth are all necessary for the addition of new coral individuals to a reef and ultimately maintenance or recovery of coral reef ecosystems. As environmental conditions continue to become more hostile to corals on a global scale, further research on fertilization ecology, connectivity, …

The Influence Of Artificial Reef Associated Fish Assemblages And Varying Substrates On Coral Recruitment, T. Patrick Quinn

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

This study examined enhancing coral recruitment to artificial substrate by manipulating fish assemblages and the use of coral attractant substrates. One hundred sixty artificial reef modules were organized into 40 four-module replicate configurations (quads) of varying complexity to induce different fish assemblages. The deployment array consisted of the 40 quads, each in a square configuration with three to four-meter sides (approximately 1 m separation between modules) measured from the outside corners. The quads were divided into four fill treatments of differing complexity: Empty, Small, Mixed, and Large. Each quad had four potential coral attractant treatments on settlement plates: CaCO3, iron, …