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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Seasonal Abundance Of The Nudibranch Dondice Jupiteriensis On The Colonial Hydroid Eudendrium Carneum, Erika Molina, Daniela Gutierrez-Andrade, Samantha Schlegel, Julia Piper, Louis J. Ambrosio, Michael L. Middlebrooks Jan 2024

Seasonal Abundance Of The Nudibranch Dondice Jupiteriensis On The Colonial Hydroid Eudendrium Carneum, Erika Molina, Daniela Gutierrez-Andrade, Samantha Schlegel, Julia Piper, Louis J. Ambrosio, Michael L. Middlebrooks

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Benthic colonial hydroids often serve as a host to a large variety of invertebrate taxa. The colonial hydroid Eudendrium carneum Clarke, 1882 is host to a variety of epifauna, including the recently described nudibranch Dondice jupiteriensis García—Méndez & Valdés, 2022. Like many species of heterobranch sea slugs, little is known about the natural history and population biology of D. jupiteriensis. Here we describe a year—long study recording the population density and size structure of D. jupiteriensis on E. carneum colonies in Tampa Bay, FL USA. We found that the D. jupiteriensis population persists year—round but is the densest during …


Richard W. Heard, Sara E. Lecroy, Joyce M. Shaw, Chet F. Rakocinski Jan 2023

Richard W. Heard, Sara E. Lecroy, Joyce M. Shaw, Chet F. Rakocinski

Gulf and Caribbean Research

No abstract provided.


Reflections On A Career Unplanned, Robert A. Glazer Jan 2023

Reflections On A Career Unplanned, Robert A. Glazer

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Sometimes life takes unexpected turns. I never planned to be a marine biologist; yet, after a long and unpredictable journey, that’s exactly where I found myself. After obtaining my B.S. in Fishery Biology from Colorado State University, I found myself meandering from job to job like a golden retriever following some vague scent. At first, I was hired by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to work seasonally in Grand Teton National Park on the freshwater trout fisheries. Soon thereafter, I found myself cultivating oysters, clams, and other shellfish in California. The skills I developed there as an algologist led …


How Is Pelagic Sargassum-Associated Biodiversity Assessed? Insights From The Literature, Kristie S.T. Alleyne Jan 2022

How Is Pelagic Sargassum-Associated Biodiversity Assessed? Insights From The Literature, Kristie S.T. Alleyne

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Over the past decade unprecedented blooming of pelagic Sargassum has occurred across the Equatorial Atlantic from West Africa to the Caribbean. Although pelagic Sargassum mats are considered beneficial in the open ocean, providing valuable habitat for a diverse array of endemic and associated species, they also inundate coastal areas and cause a plethora of management challenges for fisheries, tourism, nearshore coastal ecosystems, public health and the socioeconomic welfare of coastal communities. In—water harvesting has been suggested as a desirable management solution to prevent shoreline inundation, but destruction of the associated biodiversity is a concern with this approach and has not …


Diatoms Of The Northeastern Gulf Of Mexico: Light And Electron Microscope Observations Of Sulcatonitzschia, A New Genus Of Nitzschioid Diatoms (Bacillariales: Bacillariaceae) With A Transverse Sulcus, James A. Nienow, Akshinthala K. S. K. Prasad Jan 2021

Diatoms Of The Northeastern Gulf Of Mexico: Light And Electron Microscope Observations Of Sulcatonitzschia, A New Genus Of Nitzschioid Diatoms (Bacillariales: Bacillariaceae) With A Transverse Sulcus, James A. Nienow, Akshinthala K. S. K. Prasad

Gulf and Caribbean Research

During a systematic investigation of phytoplankton assemblages in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon blowout we encountered a population of diatoms morphologically similar to Nitzschia ossiformis (Taylor) Simonsen located about 75 km offshore and concentrated at a depth of 60—120 meters. The density of individuals in the population was sufficient to make detailed observations using light and electron microscopy. Our specimens were frequently united into short ribbon—like colonies. This, plus features of the fine structure of valve (biseriate striae, raphe canal without pores and flush with the valve surface) suggest the GOM population …


Short-Term Estimate Of Finfish Bycatch Discards In The Inshore Artisanal Shrimp Fishery Of Guyana, Leanna Kalicharan, Hazel A. Oxenford Jan 2020

Short-Term Estimate Of Finfish Bycatch Discards In The Inshore Artisanal Shrimp Fishery Of Guyana, Leanna Kalicharan, Hazel A. Oxenford

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The artisanal shrimp fishery in Guyana is important for livelihood and food security, involving around 300 vessels owned and crewed exclusively by Guyanese nationals. This fishery uses Chinese seines and operates in major river estuaries. It targets penaeid shrimp, but also retains some finfish and is known to discard a significant but undocumented quantity of smaller finfish bycatch. The lack of knowledge regarding the bycatch is a concern for fishery management and biodiversity conservation. In this study, we quantify for the first time the finfish bycatch discards through onboard observations (July—August 2016) of a single typical vessel operating in the …


Preliminary Multivariate Comparison Of Coral Assemblages On Carbonate Banks In The Western Gulf Of Mexico, Rebekah Rodriguez, Erin E. Easton, Thomas C. Shirley, John W. Tunnell, David Hicks Jan 2018

Preliminary Multivariate Comparison Of Coral Assemblages On Carbonate Banks In The Western Gulf Of Mexico, Rebekah Rodriguez, Erin E. Easton, Thomas C. Shirley, John W. Tunnell, David Hicks

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Hermatypic corals flourished on reefs in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) in the late Pleistocene and early Holocene. Today, many of these relict reefs are mesophotic banks that have unique coral assemblages and provide critical habitat; however, the South Texas Banks (STB) lack quantitative surveys. Therefore, we used a remotely operated vehicle to conduct quantitative surveys of 5 banks: Baker, Aransas, Dream, Blackfish Ridge, and Harte. Coral communities, based on estimated coral densities (colonies/m2), significantly differed among banks for terraces, slopes, and overall (combined terrace and slope) communities for most banks examined. Within banks, terrace and slope communities …


Luminescent Syllid (Odontosyllis Sp.) Courtship Display Densities Vary Across Marine Habitats Around South Water Caye, Belize, Mitchel Mccloskey, Joshua Scheil, Gregory J. Sandland, Gretchen A. Gerrish Jan 2017

Luminescent Syllid (Odontosyllis Sp.) Courtship Display Densities Vary Across Marine Habitats Around South Water Caye, Belize, Mitchel Mccloskey, Joshua Scheil, Gregory J. Sandland, Gretchen A. Gerrish

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Bright—green luminescent clouds frequently occur at the surface of shallow waters of the Caribbean Sea. These clouds are produced by syllid polychaetes during courtship. Although temporal variation in the occurrence of these courtship displays has been documented throughout the diurnal and lunar cycle, other factors such as habitat type have not been well studied. In this study, we investigated how syllid courtship—display densities varied across 3 substrate types (grassbed, rubble and coral) over a 3 day period. In line with previous studies, we found that syllid courtship displays occurred over seagrass and rubble substrates; however, we also found that display …


Distribution And Habitat Use Of The Golden Crab Chaceon Fenneri Off Eastern Florida Based On In Situ Submersible And Rov Observations And Potential For Impacts To Deep Water Coral/Sponge Habitat, John K. Reed, Stephanie Farrington, Charles Messing, Andrew David Jan 2017

Distribution And Habitat Use Of The Golden Crab Chaceon Fenneri Off Eastern Florida Based On In Situ Submersible And Rov Observations And Potential For Impacts To Deep Water Coral/Sponge Habitat, John K. Reed, Stephanie Farrington, Charles Messing, Andrew David

Gulf and Caribbean Research

This study documents the distribution and habitat preferences of the golden crab, a commercially fished species, in relation to deep-sea coral/sponge ecosystems (DSCEs) at 200-900 m depths off eastern Florida. A total of 386 h of videotapes from 94 submersible and remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dives from 1999 to 2009, covering a total distance of 376 km, were reviewed and characterized for habitat type and presence of crabs. The DSCEs surveyed included Lophelia coral mounds, Miami Terrace, Pourtalès Terrace, and Tortugas Valleys. Video transect data also included environmental surveys of proposed deep-water routes for Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) pipelines, LNG …


Spatial Biodiversity Patterns Of Fish Within The Aransas Bay Complex, Texas, Bridgette F. Froeschke, Megan M. Reese Robillard, Gregory W. Stunz Jan 2016

Spatial Biodiversity Patterns Of Fish Within The Aransas Bay Complex, Texas, Bridgette F. Froeschke, Megan M. Reese Robillard, Gregory W. Stunz

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The goal of this study was to consider the effects of habitat type and environmental conditions on the biodiversity of fishes within the Aransas Bay Complex, Texas and provide a management framework and an ecosystem examination of Essential Fish Habitat (EFH). A stratified, randomized experimental design was used to collect fishes from seagrass, oyster, and non-vegetated habitats within the Aransas Bay Complex from February through May 2010 over large spatial scales at the “bay-complex” level. We developed a biodiversity habitat model using Boosted Regression Trees (BRT). Fitted functions from the “best” fit BRT habitat model indicated that fish biodiversity was …


Parasites From The Red Lionfish, Pterois Volitans From The Gulf Of Mexico, Alexander Q. Fogg, Carlos F. Ruiz, Stephen S. Curran, Stephen A. Bullard Jan 2016

Parasites From The Red Lionfish, Pterois Volitans From The Gulf Of Mexico, Alexander Q. Fogg, Carlos F. Ruiz, Stephen S. Curran, Stephen A. Bullard

Gulf and Caribbean Research

No abstract provided.


Endohelminth Parasites Of Some Midwater And Benthopelagic Stomiiform Fishes From The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Michael J. Andres, Mark S. Peterson, Robin M. Overstreet Jan 2016

Endohelminth Parasites Of Some Midwater And Benthopelagic Stomiiform Fishes From The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Michael J. Andres, Mark S. Peterson, Robin M. Overstreet

Gulf and Caribbean Research

: Mesopelagic fishes represent significant ecological links between mesozooplankton and the larger pelagic squids, fishes, and marine mammals. As such, these fishes also play a significant role as intermediate or paratenic hosts for parasites that require a crustacean intermediate host and mature in marine mammals or pelagic fishes. We examined a total of 208 individuals representing 5 species of Sternoptychidae and 88 individuals representing 2 species of Phosichthyidae from 20 locations in the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGOM). Six of the 7 species we examined are mesopelagic and one species was benthopelagic. We found the larval stages of Anisakis brevispiculata …