Life Sciences Commons^™

How A Simple Question About Freshwater Inflow To Estuaries Shaped A Career, Paul A. Montagna

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Chance and good luck led to a career studying how freshwater inflow drives estuary processes. In 1986, someone asked me: How much fresh water has to flow to a bay for it to be healthy? The question shaped my career. There is probably no better place on Earth to compare effects caused by inflow differences than the Texas coast, because the major estuarine systems lie in a climatic gradient where runoff decreases 56—fold from the Louisiana border in the northeast to the Mexico border in the southwest. This estuary—comparison experiment was used to study inflow effects. The science evolved from …

Seasonal And Spatial Patterns In Salinity, Nutrients, And Chlorophyll Α In The Alvarado Lagoonal System, Veracruz, Mexico, Angel Moran-Silva, Luis Antonio Martinez Franco, Rafael Chavez-Lopez, Jonathan Franco-Lopez, Carlos M. Bedia-Sanchez, Francisco Contreras Espinosa, Francisco Gutierrez Mendieta, Nancy J. Brown-Peterson, Mark S. Peterson

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Ten monthly collections, distributed among three seasons, were taken from July 2000 to June 2001 in the Alvarado lagoonal system, Veracruz, Mexico. Variables measured in situ included dissolved oxygen, salinity, and water temperature. Water samples were collected to determine concentrations of ammonium, nitrates, nitrites, orthophosphates, total phosphorus and chlorophyll α. Collections representing the rainy season were taken in September and October, those for the nortes season were taken in November, December, and January, and dry season collections were taken during February, March, May June, and July. There was seasonal and spatial variation in nutrient concentrations, and they were related to …

Effects Of Salinity On Development In The Ghost Shrimp Callichirus Islagrande And Two Populations Of C. Major (Crustacea: Decapoda: Thalassinidea), K.M. Strasser, D.L. Felder

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Salinity (S) was abruptly decreased from 35‰ to 25‰ at either the 4th zoeal (ZIV) or decapodid stage (D) in Callichirus islagrande (Schmitt) and 2 populations of C. major (Say). Other larvae were maintained at stable 35‰ or 25‰ S throughout development. In C. islagrande, duration of ZIV did not vary among the stable salinities. However, a decrease of salinity at ZIV reduced the duration of this stage, suggesting that the S decrease could be a possible cue for acceleration of larval development. In the Gulf population of C. major duration of ZIV was significantly longer at stable 35‰ …

Effects Of Salinity On Survival And Growth Of Postlarval Penaeus Vannamei, John T. Ogle, Kathy Beaugez, Jeffrey M. Lotz

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Eight and 22-day-old Penaeus vannamei postlarvae were exposed to several salinities for 24 hours and 120 hours by direct transfer from 32 ppt salinity to lower salinity waters. The challenge study included six experiments conducted on 8-day-old postlarvae (PL-8) and five experiments conducted on 22-day-old postlarvae (PL-22). Each experiment consisted of ten replicates of ten animals each. Shrimp were held in 1 L plastic containers with 500-ml of seawater. Lowered salinity resulted in lower survival for shrimp of both ages. Longer exposure time resulted in lower survival for shrimp of both ages. Younger shrimp exhibited lower survival than older shrimp. …

The Effect Of Salinity On Spawning Frequency Of Penaeus Setiferus In Aquaria, John T. Ogle

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Penaeus setiferus were matured and spawned in a small 120L tank system in the absence of males. No significant differences in the number of shrimp that spawned or the time required to spawn were detected for shrimp held at salinities of 20, 25 or 30 ppt in either natural or artificial seawater. The earliest that spawning occurred was an average of 17 days past ablation and as late as 28 days past ablation. None of the shrimp held in artificial seawater at 20 and 25 ppt spawned in the same molt cycle in which they were ablated, while one third …

Location Of The Mississippi Sound Oyster Reefs As Related To Salinity Of Bottom Waters During 1973-1975, Charles K. Eleuterius

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The relationship of producing natural oyster reefs of Mississippi Sound to the salinity regime of bottom waters is investigated. Extreme and average conditions were extracted from data taken at 87 stations over a 21-month period from June 1973 through February 1975. With one exception, the producing reefs were subjected to salinity minimums of 2.0 to 4.0 parts per thousand (ppt), maximums of 18.0 to 22.0 ppt, with average conditions being between 10.0 and 16.0 ppt. Salinity-suitable areas in the Sound not now inhabited by oysters are described.

A Review Of Salinity Problems Of Organisms In United States Coastal Areas Subject To The Effects Of Engineering Works, Gordon Gunter, Buena S. Ballard, A. Venkataramiah

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The nongaseous substances that normally move in and out of cells are metabolites, water and salts. The common salts in water determine its salinity, and the definition of sea water salinity and its composition are discussed. The relationships of salinity to all phyla of animals living in the coastal waters are reviewed, with emphasis on the estuaries of the Gulf and Atlantic coasts of the United States, which are particularly influenced by coastal engineering works and changes of salinity caused thereby.

The fauna of estuaries is made up of a few brackish water species which complete their life cycles there, …

Oyster Abundance In Apalachicola Bay, Florida In Relation To Biotic Associations Influenced By Salinity And Other Factors, R.W. Menzel, N.C. Hulings, R.R. Hathaway

Gulf and Caribbean Research

From June 1955 through May 1957, stations on three oyster reefs were sampled quantitatively at intervals and all oysters and associated macroscopic organisms were recorded per unit area. Station I was a privately leased “natural” reef, consisting of higher places exposed at low water, with a salinity range of 22.7-36.6 o/oo and was fairly productive. Station II, depth ca. two meters, was the least saline, range 1.2-29.3 o/oo, and was considered very productive for natural reef. Station III, depth one meter, salinity range 7.5-35.7 o/oo, was depleted although there was an abundant spatfall.

Depth and bottom types as well as …