Life Sciences Commons^™

The Occurrence Of The Remarkable Scyphozoan, Deepstaria Enigmatica, In The Gulf Of Mexico And Some Observations On Cnidarian Symbionts, Philip J. Phillips

Gulf and Caribbean Research

On 8 July 1965 one damaged specimen of the remarkable scyphozoan, Deepstaria enigmatica Russell 1967, was taken in the course of a sampling program conducted by the Department of Oceanography, Texas A&M University in a ten-foot Issacs-Kidd midwater trawl in the Yucatan Basin. The trawl was put into water at Lat. 19" 58' N, Long. 85" 14' W. This is the first report of Deepstaria in the Atlantic region. This medusa is otherwise known only from the Pacific Ocean where it has been captured by slurp gun from the submersible Deepstar over the San Diego Trench and has been taken …

Some Effects Of Hurricanes On The Terrestrial Biota, With Special Reference To Camille (Reprint), Gordon Gunter, Lionel N. Eleuterius

Gulf and Caribbean Research

This is a verbatim reprinting of the paper with the same title published in Volume 3, Number 2 of this journal, which was so improperly laid out that reprints with the plates could not be made and the legends were missing.

Protozoan Symbionts From The Anemone Bunodosoma Cavernata From Galveston Island, Texas, Philip J. Phillips

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The anemone Bunodosoma cavernata is a common inhabitant of the Texas coast and cursory observation revealed a large complement of protozoan associates. These included Saprodinium, Euplotes, Paraeuplotes, Vorticella, Cohnilembus, Anophrys, Uronema and Vahlkampfia.

Approximately forty anemones were collected from jetty rocks on Galveston Island on 3 November 1970. Note was made within one day of protozoans found on the external surfaces, in the coelenteron and in surrounding sea water. The anemones were kept until 7 December 1970 under varying conditions and bi-weekly note was made of the associated protozoan fauna.

Some Analyses Of Twentieth Century Landing Statistics Of Marine Shrimp Of The South Atlantic And Gulf States Of The United States, Gordon Gunter, Katherine Mcgraw

Gulf and Caribbean Research

There is a strong correlation between the total catch of white and brown shrimp with dockside prices on the United States Gulf Coast since 1902, but there is no significant correlation between South Atlantic production and prices, probably because the South Atlantic shrimp stocks have been over-fished since the 1920s. There is no negative or positive correlation between the catch statistics of brown and white shrimp of the United States, and these species seem to be weakly competitive, if at all. There is a significant correlation between the annual production of South Atlantic and Gulf white shrimp, but there is …

A Geochemical Study Of A Marsh Environment, Thomas F. Lytle, Julia Sever Lytle, Patrick L. Parker

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The goal of this study was twofold: 1) chemically to characterize a specific salt marsh, the sediments and associated biota and 2) to establish clear relationships between the chemical substances residing in the sediments and similar or identical substances occurring in the biological specimens. In this particular study it was felt that the hydrocarbons would yield the most significant organic geochemical information. These compounds are ubiquitous but minor components of all organisms. Though their function is not entirely understood, it is known that they are concentrated in the waxy coatings of plants and most likely aid in the protective mechanisms …

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 …

Effect Of Holothurin On Sarcoma 180 And B-16 Melanoma Tumors In Mice, S.D. Cairns, C.A. Olmstead

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Holothurin, a biotoxic principle from the Cuvierian glands of the Bahamian sea-cucumber, Actinopyga agassizi, was studied as an anti-tumor agent capable of retarding tumor growth and prolonging the life of tumor-bearing mice. White Swiss mice injected with Sarcoma 180 had a mean survival time of 18.1 days with an average weight gain representing tumor and ascites fluid accumulation amounting to 25.1 grams in 15 days. Of five white Swiss mice with Sarcoma 180 receiving 0.15 mg Holothurin every other day, one was alive at 57 days and the average weight gain of the group was 10.4 grams in 15 …

Studies On The Toxicity Of Mirex To The Estuarine Grass Shrimp, Palaemonetes Pugio, Greg Redmann

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Estuarine grass shrimp (Palaemonetes) are common along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts (Faxon 1879, Gunter 1950, Williams 1965, Fleming 1967). These small decapods are found ranging through freshwater areas, brackish estuaries and into inshore saline waters where they are occasionally the predominant animal (Gunter 1950).

In view of the trophic significance of these shrimp, static system bioassays were made to determine the sensitivity of Palaemonetes pugio to Mirex in water and to 0.15% Mirex bait granules, since the USDA is continuing the fire ant control program but has plans in the future to substitute 0.15% Mirex bait for …

A Quarter Century Of Geology At The Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (1948-1973), Ervin G. Otvos Jr.

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Overview of the history of geology courses and research at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.

An Examination Of Legislation For The Protection Of The Wetlands Of The Atlantic And Gulf Coast States, Anthony J. Haueisen

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The most useful aquatic areas in the world are in serious danger of destruction. The estuaries, where fresh water, land and sea meet in a dynamic and highly productive zone, are today gravely threatened through unwise and unplanned excessive use of their valuable but finite capacities. Estuaries include the coastal zone which is affected by both the run-off of fresh water from the land and the salt water from the sea. This zone includes tidal rivers, marshes, bays and river mouths. The value of these estuarine regions has been well established by biologists. However, this value is fully appreciated by …

A Study Of Nektonic And Benthic Faunas Of The Shallow Gulf Of Mexico Off The State Of Mississippi As Related To Some Physical, Chemical, And Geological Factors, James S. Franks, J.Y. Christmas, Walter L. Siler, Ralph Combs, Richard Waller, Charles Burns

Gulf and Caribbean Research

A seasonal study of the nektonic and benthic faunas of the shallow Gulf of Mexico off Mississippi was conducted from January 1967 through May 1969. It was planned to sample monthly six fixed offshore stations at depths ranging from 5 to 50 fathoms in the open Gulf. In general this was carried out fairly well.

Water samples were taken from surface, midwater, and bottom levels each time a station was occupied, and temperatures and salinities were recorded for each of these. Samples were tested for the presence of nitrates, nitrites, ortho-phosphates and total phosphates. Secchi disc extinction points were recorded. …

Notes On Insect Occurrences On The Mississippi Gulf Coast And Offshore Islands, Bryant Mather

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Dr. Gordon Gunter (1970) has written that, through the work of Dr. E. A. Richmond, “. . . The species of living organisms of Horn Island are better recorded than those of any large island on the South Atlantic and Gulf Coast.” It is to be hoped that Dr. Richmond’s work will inspire others to contribute much more to the knowledge of the fauna and flora of the Gulf Coast and its offshore islands. I give here a few notes to place some of Dr. Richmond’s work in context, to recognize work by others, and to indicate the paucity of …

Recent Changes In The Louisiana Marsh Near Vermilion Bay, Lionel N. Eleuterius

Gulf and Caribbean Research

A special interest in marsh ecology led to the present study. Permanent sampling stations, whereby long range changes can be observed, have been neglected by researchers and there is only one known in the Gulf Coastal marshes. The uniqueness of the permanent transect offered an opportunity to study the floristic changes, if any, which occurred over a period of 18 years. Notes on the topography and other influencing factors were taken, as well as general observations on the surrounding marsh areas.

A Bibliography Of Anomalies Of Fishes, Supplement 2, C.E. Dawson

Gulf and Caribbean Research

This listing adds 213 titles to the original bibliography (Gulf Res. Repts. 1 (6), 1964) and the 1966 supplement (Gulf Res. Repts. 2(2) :169-176). Although a number of previously overlooked references are included, there are 137 citations of works published during the 1965-70 period. The frequency of recent publications offers some indication of the current worldwide interest in problems of fish teratology.

Descriptions Of Shrimp Larvae (Family Penaeidae) Off The Mississippi Coast, Chebium B. Subrahmanyam

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Müller (1864) showed that the penaeid egg hatches into a nauplius. Some years later studies of the metamorphosis of penaeid shrimps in the Gulf of Mexico were made (Pearson 1939, Heegaard 1953, Dobkin 1961, Cook and Murphy 1965, and Renfro and Cook 1963). The present paper treats the larvae taken in Mississippi and brings together the descriptions of the larvae scattered in the literature. The salient features of various stages of different species of the six genera studied are pointed out with the aid of drawings to facilitate easier identification. Besides the references cited above, the works of Heldt (1938), …

Some Effects Of Hurricanes On The Terrestrial Biota, With Special Reference To Camille, Gordon Gunter, Lionel N. Eleuterius

Gulf and Caribbean Research

There have been very few articles concerning the effects of hurricanes upon marine and shore organisms. Some effects on fishes have been described by Hubbs (1962) and in that paper he reviewed some of the previous references.

Information on animals killed or injured by hurricanes is scarce because potential observers in areas where they strike are generally more concerned with practical personal matters than biological studies right after a bad storm. The senior author has been in or very close to seven West India hurricanes as they came ashore. Each time he was somewhat forewarned and had determined to make …

The Relative Abundance And Distribution Of Penaeid Shrimp Larvae Off The Mississippi Coast, Chebium B. Subrahmanyam

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The objectives of the present investigation are: (a) to delineate spawning seasons and the areas of as many species as possible based on larval abundance; (b) to study the spatial and seasonal distribution of penaeid larvae in relation to depth, temperature, salinity and seasons, which will indicate the movements of the spawners; (e) to inquire whether any correlation exists between occurrence of larvae and of adults in any area; (d) to examine the relationship between Penaeus postlarval abundance in the Mississippi Sound and larval and postlarval occurrence in the open sea; and (e) to study the vertical seasonal distribution of …

Observations On The Biology Of Mudshrimps Of The Genus Callianassa (Anomura: Thalassinidea) In Mississippi Sound, Philip J. Phillips

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The apparent habitat isolation of the mudshrimps Callianassa islagrande Schmitt and Callianassa jamaicense louisianensis Schmitt (Anomura : Thalassinidea) in Mississippi Sound is a function of species-related differences in ability to burrow and survive in the significantly different substrates of each habitat. C. islagrande is found only in sand bottomed beaches of the offshore barrier islands, whereas C. j. louisianensis is found only in the muddy backwaters of the mainland and Deer Island. Both forms produce deep and extensive permanent or semipermanent burrows in their respective habitat and are probably of some significance in sediment turnover. Laboratory studies show that C. …

Survival Of The Oyster Crassostrea Virginica (Gmelin) In The Laboratory Under The Effects Of Oil Drilling Fluids Spilled In The Laguna De Tamiahua, Mexico, Jorge Cabrera

Gulf and Caribbean Research

In 1965, 970.12 m³ of oil drilling fluid were spilled in the Laguna de Tamiahua, Mexico. Laboratory experiments were carried out to determine possible effects of this upon the oyster Crassostrea virginica. It was found that drilling fluid reduced the survival of oysters to a significant degree in concentrations above 200 ppm. At turbidities between 200 and 500 ppm, there was 50% survival on the seventh day. Tanino in concentrations between 90 and 170 ppm had a drastic effect upon survival which was 50% between the fourth and fifth days. Bentonita in 110 to 190 ppm resulted in …

Discovery Of The Carolina Marsh Clam, Polymesoda Caroliniana (Bosc), A Supposed Florida Disjunct Species, In Everglades National Park, Florida, D.C. Tabb, D.R. Moore

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The presence of disjunct species of animals on either side of the Florida peninsula has been reported by a number of authors. The littorinid mollusk, Littorina irrorata Say, which has a range from Massachusetts to the Rio Grande of Texas, except for south Florida, is one such species (Bequaert 1943). The marsh crab, Sesarma cinereum (Bosc), is another example of an animal with a distribution from Virginia to the western Gulf of Campeche except for a break in southern Florida (Rathbun, 1918). Williams (1965) lists 23 species of crustaceans having interrupted distribution at the Florida peninsula. This report on discovery …

Observations On Claviceps Purpurea On Spartina Alterniflora In The Coastal Marshes Of Mississippi, Lionel N. Eleuterius

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Seventy-five years ago the first report of the occurrence of Claviceps purpurea (Fr.) Tul. on Spartina alterniflora Loisel in Mississippi was made by Tracy and Earle (1895). Collections were taken at Ocean Springs, Mississippi on Christmas Day in 1892. These specimens are in the herbarium of the Department of Plant Pathology at Mississippi State University. Tracy and Earle presented no data on the infection rate nor does collection data indicate widespread infection. Parris (1959) published a revised host index of Mississippi plant diseases in which he listed C. purpurea based on the collections by 'Tracy and Earle. No further reports …

Fishes Rarely Caught In Shrimp Trawl, Charles Burns

Gulf and Caribbean Research

During a three year study made of the offshore waters of Mississippi the author became interested in the fishes "rarely caught" in shrimp trawls. This report concerns all data for the project, which was carried out during 1967, 1968 and 1969. The only characteristic common to the following species is the rarity with which they are taken in regular shrimp trawling operations. Some are by no means rare in terms of total number available in the Gulf of Mexico, but it is worthwhile to report data collected as compared to others taken thirty-nine to forty-one years ago in nearby Louisiana. …

The Occurrence Of Lymphocystis In Micropogon Undulatus And Cynoscion Arenarius From Mississippi Estuaries, J.Y. Christmas, H.D. Howse

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Lymphocystis was observed in Atlantic croakers (Micropogon undulatus) and sand seatrouts (Cynoscion arenarius) collected from brackish waters of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. This is the first report of lymphocystis in Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico and adds one family and two species to host records.

Microscopic examination of the tumors revealed several histologic differences in the lesions of the two species. Mature tumor cells in the croakers were larger than those in the sand seatrout. In the croakers, these cells were closely packed and their hyaline capsules were usually confluent. In the sand seatrouts, the …

An Investigation Of The Fish Population Within The Inland Waters Of Horn Island, Mississippi, A Barrier Island In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, James S. Franks

Gulf and Caribbean Research

An investigation to ascertain the species composition and the relative abundance of the fish population within the inland waters of Horn Island, Mississippi, a member of the offshore barrier island chain, was made from August 1965 to September 1966, and 69 species representing 58 genera and 35 families were encountered. In respect to the fishes certain biological and physical factors were noted.

Forty-nine collecting stations were established on the island, and these were categorized according to the nature of their appearance and location. A salinity range from fresh to 29.9 ppt. was recorded for the sampled bodies of water, with …

Embryogenesis, Histology, And Organology Of The Ovary Of Brevoortia Patronus, Ralph M. Combs

Gulf and Caribbean Research

One hundred ninety-one large scale menhaden, Brevoortia patronus, ranging in age from larvae to sexually mature females were used in this study. Collections were made in the littoral and shallow off shore waters of the Gulf of Mexico from Dauphin Island, Alabama, westward to West Bay, Louisiana, at intervals throughout a five year period. Using standard paraffin techniques a number of staining methods were employed. Cytological and histological accounts are presented of the tissue elements of the gonads beginning with inception in the larvae, sexual differentiation to the sexes, and the cyclic changes associated with oogenesis and spawning in …

A Study Of Syngnathus Scovelli In Fresh Waters Of Louisiana And Salt Waters Of Mississippi, Edward Caldwell Whatley

Gulf and Caribbean Research

A breeding population of Syngnathus scovelli was discovered in 1960 in Lake St. John near Ferriday, Louisiana, which is over 300 river miles from the Gulf of Mexico by the shortest possible route. Although S. scovelli has been known to be euryhaline, this constitutes the first record of a breeding population in fresh water.

This study encompassed the period from July 1960 through February 1966. During this time S. scovelli were maintained for varying periods of time in fresh water aquaria. The longest period of time any one specimen lived in captivity was from 29 September 1960 until 16 November …

Seasonal Occurrence Of The Pelagic Copepoda In Mississippi Sound, Thomas D. Mcilwain

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Collections of planktonic copepods from Mississippi Sound were made from January 1965 to March 1966. The following fifteen free­ living copepods were identified: Eucalanus pileatus, Paracalanus par­vus, Centropages hamatus, Centropages furcatus, Temora stylifera, Temora longicornis, Labidocera aestiva, Labidocera species, Acartia tonsa, Oithona brevicornis, Oithona species, Oncaea venusta, Cory­caeus species, Sappharina nigromaculata and Euterpina acutifrons.

It was found that there is a definite seasonal distribution of cope­pods in Mississippi Sound with peak populations of copepods occu­rring in the spring, summer and fall.

Observations On The Stone Crab, Menippe Mercenaria Say, In The Vicinity Of Port Aransas, Texas, Earnest H. Powell Jr., Gordon Gunter

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Observations on the stone crab, Menippe mercenaria Say, were started on December 16, 1947. The purpose of these observations was to study the natural history and behavior of this crab, with special reference to its importance as an oyster predator. Plans called for some simple laboratory experimentation and monthly field observations. Although the regularity of the observations was interrupted for various reasons, some information gained which may interest workers is herewith presented.

The Status Of Seals In The Gulf Of Mexico With A Record Of Feral Otariid Seals Off The United States Gulf Coast, Gordon Gunter

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The only seal native to the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean area is the West Indian seal (family Phocidae). It is tan on the upper surface and a yellowish white underneath. It is now extinct or nearly so. Two seals were reported in Louisiana near the mouth of the Mississippi in January 1966. Photographs of one animal taken from a helicopter showed an otariid seal. In late June a light colored otariid seal began to reside on the buoys of the ship channel leading into Mobile Bay. It stayed there about two and a half weeks. The animal was …

Meristic And Morphometric Data On The Flatfish Citharichthys Gilberti From Panama, C.E. Dawson

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Citharichthys gilberti Jenkins and Evermann, a common eastern Pacific flatfish, is known from Guaymas and Baja California, Mexico, south to Peru (Miller, 1966). It attains a total length of at least 260 mm (Meek and Hildebrand, 1928), frequently occurs on muddy bottoms and may enter rivers or other brackish water environments. Despite wide distribution there are apparently few literature references to the species and little is known of its life history or development. During a recent trip to the Pacific coast of Panama, C. gilberti was found to be the most abundant flatfish taken at a number of poisoned inshore …