Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Life Sciences Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Journal

The University of Southern Mississippi

Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology

2020

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Gulf Coast Marine Laboratories Past, Present And Future, Donald F. Boesch Jan 2020

Gulf Coast Marine Laboratories Past, Present And Future, Donald F. Boesch

Gulf and Caribbean Research

I spent my nearly 50—year career in marine science working at marine laboratories, most of that as a chief executive officer. So, it is appropriate that my reflections are about marine laboratories, rather than my own science. After relating my career course, I turn my attention to the history and development of marine laboratories along the U.S. coast of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). Surprisingly, the region’s first laboratory was actually constructed in 1903 at Cameron, LA, but operated less than a decade before closing. It was not until after World War II that the university—affiliated marine laboratories of today …


Pelagic Sargassum Prediction And Marine Connectivity In The Tropical Atlantic, Donald R. Johnson, James S. Franks, Hazel A. Oxenford, Shelly-Ann L. Cox Jan 2020

Pelagic Sargassum Prediction And Marine Connectivity In The Tropical Atlantic, Donald R. Johnson, James S. Franks, Hazel A. Oxenford, Shelly-Ann L. Cox

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Since 2011, pelagic Sargassum has experienced extraordinary blooms in the Tropical Atlantic where a system of persistent but seasonally variable currents has retained and consolidated it in large masses. Although beneficial at sea, principally as a unique pelagic habitat, when Sargassum inundates the nearshore environment it can have catastrophic effects on tourism, fisheries, health, and local ecosystems. Providing advanced warning of arrival dates of large masses of Sargassum is critical for enabling preparations and planning for its removal, use, and mitigation. Predictions of arrival time and location involve satellite identification of Sargassum at sea together with ocean current data for …