Life Sciences Commons^™

Length-Based Risk Analysis Of Management Options For The Southern Florida Usa Multispecies Coral Reef Fish Fishery, Jerald Ault, Steven G. Smith, Matthew W. Johnson, Laura Jay W. Grove, James A. Bohnsack, Gerard T. Dinardo, Caroline Mclaughlin, Nelson M. Ehrhardt, Vanessa Mcdonough, Michael P. Seki, Steven Miller, Jiangang Luo, Jeremiah Blondeau, Michael P. Crosby, Glenn Simpson, Mark E. Monaco, Clayton G. Pollock, Michael W. Feeley, Alejandro Acosta

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Exploitation impacts and management options for 15 coral reef fish species central to the commercial and recreational fisheries of the southern Florida USA coral reef ecosystem were evaluated using a length-based risk analysis (LBRA) framework. Population abundance-at-length composition data were obtained from several regional federal-state sampling programs. These and updated life history demographic data were integrated into a length-based numerical cohort model to generate LBRA fishery sustainability metrics from a probabilistic perspective. Three of five groupers, eight of eight snappers, and two of two grunts were below the 40% spawning potential ratio (SPR) stock sustainability minimum; ten of these …

A Review Of The Global Commercial Cephalopod Fishery, With A Focus On Apparent Expansion, Changing Environments, And Management, Corey Clark

HCNSO Student Capstones

Cephalopods are both important predators and prey in many marine environments and important fishery resources in many countries. The global fishery has expanded almost continuously from landings of 580,000 metric tonnes in 1950 to over 4 m.t. in 2007. Cephalopods are ecological opportunists with highly plastic biological characteristics and varied population dynamics. Nearly all commercially harvested species are short-lived and can reproduce quickly, enabling them to evolve more rapidly under high selection pressure relative to many fish competitors and predators. As a result, they may have the biological means to be successful under conditions of long-term global climate change. This …

Biological Impacts Of Underwater Noise From Vessels, Kathy Heise

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

No abstract provided.

Assessment Of Floodplain Condition Across Puget Sound: An Emerging Tool For Tracking Investments And Communicating Status, Jennifer Burke, Colin Hume, Ilon Logan, Scott Mckinney

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Floodplains are some of the most economically and ecologically vital lands of Puget Sound but also some of the most impaired as well. Investments at the local and regional level aim to improve aquatic and terrestrial habitat, reduce flood risk, and protect economically important lands. However, the condition and status of Puget Sound floodplains is poorly quantified in a consistent manner across the 17 major watersheds, hindering strategic investments and planning. The Puget Sound Partnership and Washington Department of Ecology are developing an assessment of floodplain condition and status for a Sound-wide watershed-scale floodplain monitoring effort using spatial data and …

Nitrogen Inventory In The Nooksack-Fraser Transboundary Watershed, Jiajia Lin, Jana Compton, Jill Baron, Chris Clark, Donna Schwede, Shabtai Bittman, David Hooper, Barb Carey, Peter Homann, Hanna Winter, Peter Kiffney, Nichole Embertson, Heather Mackay, Robert Black, Gary Bahr

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

The Nooksack-Fraser transboundary area (2639 km2) is home to communities with a strong base in farming, fisheries and outdoor recreation. Water quality issues impact parts of this area, where sewage effluent and animal waste are potential sources of both fecal coliform bacteria (FCB) and nitrogen (N) in the environment. Excessive nitrogen loading can lead to eutrophication in coastal areas, and nitrate contamination of groundwater. The Nooksack-Fraser Transboundary Nitrogen (NFT-N) project was developed to determine the sources and fates of N in the watershed using data on energy use, transportation, fertilization, wastewater treatment plants, livestock operations, wildlife and more. This project …

A Framework For Incorporating The Toxicity Of Pesticide Mixtures Into Ecological Risk Assessments, Cathy Laetz, David Hugh Baldwin, Tony Hawkes, Scott A. Hecht, Nathaniel L. Scholz

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Pesticides are widely used throughout the Puget Sound region and are frequently detected as complex mixtures in aquatic habitats. As a result, pesticide mixture toxicity is an important component of risk assessments performed within the Salish Sea region. Here we describe a process for assessing toxicity of three categories of pesticide mixtures; formulated products (one product containing multiple active ingredients), tank mixes (multiple pesticides applied simultaneously), and environmental mixtures (resulting from unrelated pesticide use over the landscape). Mixtures were assumed to be either dose-additive or response-additive, depending on the modes of action of the individual pesticide components. Toxicity estimates utilized …

Noaa Rockfish Recovery Management And Research In The Salish Sea, Washington, James R. (James Robert) Selleck, Dan Tonnes

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Rockfish are a long-lived species group that provide an important function for the food web dynamics in the Salish Sea, as both a mid-level trophic predator and important prey source, and they hold cultural significance to the region. Rockfish are comprised of over 25 different species locally, and over 60 species from California to Alaska. Many species experienced declines since the 1980’s, and two species are listed in the Salish Sea under ESA as threatened (yelloweye) or endangered (Bocaccio). Different species occupy a range of habitat types, from deep-water rock piles and hard bottom substrate, to nearshore kelp forests and …

Thirty Years Of Research On Crown-Of-Thorns Starfish (1986–2016): Scientific Advances And Emerging Opportunities, Morgan S. Pratchett, Clemon F. Caballes, Jennifer C. Wilmes, Samuel Matthews, Camille Mellin, Hugh P. A. Sweatman, Lauren E. Nadler, Jon Brodie, Cassandra A. Thompson, Jessica Hoey, Arthur R. Bos, Maria Byrne, Vanessa Messmer, Sofia A. V. Fortunato, Carla C. M. Chen, Alexandra C. E. Buck, Russell C. Babcock, Sven Uthicke

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Research on the coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish (CoTS) has waxed and waned over the last few decades, mostly in response to population outbreaks at specific locations. This review considers advances in our understanding of the biology and ecology of CoTS based on the resurgence of research interest, which culminated in this current special issue on the Biology, Ecology and Management of Crown-of-Thorns Starfish. More specifically, this review considers progress in addressing 41 specific research questions posed in a seminal review by P. Moran 30 years ago, as well as exploring new directions for CoTS research. Despite the plethora of research on …

Reconciling The Challenge Of Aphanic Species Within Marine Conservation, Kerri L. Bolow

HCNSO Student Capstones

Aphanic species are those within a taxonomic complex that may not be readily distinguishable from other sympatric species. The existence of these species is becoming apparent at an increasing rate through the use of technological tools like molecular genetic analyses. A lack of clarity on the definitions of terms used to describe similar species, how these species are identified, and how prevalent they are can confound identification, description, and management of these organisms. This review collects and defines the terms used to describe these hidden species and suggests the use of the term aphanic for situations where additional information (and …

Vermont Agricultural Resilience In A Changing Climate: An Investigation Of Farmer Perceptions Of Climate Change, Risk, And Adaptation, Rachel E. Schattman

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Climate change forecasts tell of significant challenges ahead for agrifood systems at all scales, from global to highly local. Farmers are often at the forefront of these challenges. How farmers perceive climate related risks, and the actions they take to protect or adapt their lives and livelihoods are therefore a critical area of inquiry. The purpose of this dissertation is to describe how farmers in Vermont, in the Northeastern U.S., think about climate change, and how their experiences and perceptions influence engagement with adaptation or mitigation activities. To this end, my research questions included: (1) what are farmers already doing …

Seasonal Warm-Water Refuge And Sanctuary Usage By The Florida Manatee (Trichechus Manatus Latirostris) In Kings Bay, Citrus County, Florida, Danielle C. Sattelberger

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The largest Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) aggregation at a natural warm-water refuge occurs in Kings Bay, Crystal River, FL. Over the last 32 years, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the State of Florida have created a network of manatee protection areas within Kings Bay including a year-round refuge designation and seven Federal manatee sanctuaries during the winter manatee season (November 15 – March 31). Aerial survey data collected between 1983 and 2012 was used to examine the seasonal change in manatee distribution within Kings Bay in order to assess the effectiveness of current sanctuary sizes …

Water Column Productivity And Temperature Predict Coral Reef Regeneration Across The Indo-Pacific, Bernhard Riegl, Peter W. Glynn, Evie A. Wieters, Samuel J. Purkis, C. D'Angelo, Joerg Wiedenmann

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Predicted increases in seawater temperatures accelerate coral reef decline due to mortality by heat-driven coral bleaching. Alteration of the natural nutrient environment of reef corals reduces tolerance of corals to heat and light stress and thus will exacerbate impacts of global warming on reefs. Still, many reefs demonstrate remarkable regeneration from past stress events. This paper investigates the effects of sea surface temperature (SST) and water column productivity on recovery of coral reefs. In 71 Indo-Pacific sites, coral cover changes over the past 1-3 decades correlated negative-exponentially with mean SST, chlorophyll a, and SST rise. At six monitoring sites …

Global Population Structure Of The Dusky Shark And Geographic Sourcing Of Shark Fins From Commercial Markets, Teagen K. Gray

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The dusky shark, Carcharinus obscurus, is a globally distributed, coastal-pelagic species subject to an apparent high level of exploitation. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists this species as “Vulnerable” globally, and “Endangered” within western North Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico waters due to an over 80% decline in this region, with no evidence of population recovery. The extensive exploitation of dusky sharks may partly be attributed to the high market value of its fins, but the contribution of individual dusky shark stocks to the fin markets is unknown. This knowledge would be helpful to detect …

Coral Population Trajectories, Increased Disturbance And Management Intervention: A Sensitivity Analysis, Bernhard Riegl, M. L. Berumen, Andrew Bruckner

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Coral reefs distant from human population were sampled in the Red Sea and one-third showed degradation by predator outbreaks (crown-of-thorns-starfish = COTS observed in all regions in all years) or bleaching (1998, 2010). Models were built to assess future trajectories. They assumed variable coral types (slow/fast growing), disturbance frequencies (5,10,20 years), mortality (equal or not), and connectivity (un/connected to un/disturbed community). Known disturbances were used to parameterize models. Present and future disturbances were estimated from remote-sensing chlorophyll and temperature data. Simulations and sensitivity analysis suggest community resilience at >20-year disturbance frequency, but degradation at higher frequency. Trajectories move from fast-grower …

Nursing Females Are More Prone To Heat Stress: Demography Matters When Managing Flying-Foxes For Climate Change, Stephanie T. Snoyman, Jasmina Munich, Culum Brown

Ecological Impacts of Climate Change Collection

Determining the underlying mechanisms responsible for species-specific responses to climate change is important from a species management perspective. The grey-headed flying-fox, Pteropus poliocephalus, is listed as vulnerable but it also a significant pest species for orchardists and thereby presents an interesting management conundrum. Over the last century, the abundance of the grey-headed flying-fox, P. poliocephalus, in Australia has decreased due to a variety of threatening processes but has increased in abundance in urban areas. These flying-foxes are highly susceptible to extreme heat events which are predicted to increase in the future under climate change scenarios. Exceptionally hot days result in …

Slides: Climate Change And The Death Of Stationarity: A New Era For Western Water?, Stephen T. Gray

Western Water Law, Policy and Management: Ripples, Currents, and New Channels for Inquiry (Martz Summer Conference, June 3-5)

Presenter: Steven T. Gray, Wyoming State Climatologist, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY

48 slides

The State Of Coral Reef Ecosystems Of Southeast Florida, Chantal Collier, Rob Ruzicka, Ken Banks, Luiz Barbieri, Jeff Beal, David Bingham, James Bohnsack, Sandra Brooke, Nancy Craig, Richard E. Dodge, Lou Fisher, Nick Gadbois, David S. Gilliam, Lisa Gregg, Todd Kellison, Vladimir Kosmynin, Brian Lapointe, Erin Mcdevitt, Janet Phipps, Nikki Poulos, John Proni, Patrick Quinn, Bernhard Riegl, Richard E. Spieler, Joanna Walczak, Brian K. Walker, Denise Warrick

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

The northern extension of the Florida reef tract and a complex of limestone ridges run parallel to the subtropical Atlantic coastline of southeast Florida. Spanning 170 km from the northern border of Biscayne National Park (BNP) in Miami-Dade County to the St. Lucie Inlet in Martin County, the reefs and hardbottom areas in this region support a rich and diverse biological community (Figure 5.1). Nearshore reef habitats in southeast Florida include hardbottom areas, patch reefs and worm reefs (Phragmatopoma spp.) exhibiting abundant octocoral, macroalgae, stony coral and sponge assemblages. Offshore, coral reef associated biotic assemblages occur on linear Holocene Acropora …

Crop Updates 2005 - Farming Systems, David Stephens, Nicola Telcik, Ross Kingwell, Wayne Pluske, Bill Bowden, Mike Collins, Frances Hoyle, D. V. Murphy, N. Milton, M. Osman, L. K. Abbott, W. R. Cookson, S. Darmawanto, Bill Crabtree, Geoff Anderson, Darren Kidson, Ross Brennan, Nick Drew, Craig Scanlan, Lisa Sherriff, Bob French, Reg Lunt, Jeff Russell, Angie Roe, Ian Maling, Matthew Adams, George Yan, Mohammad Hamza, Glen Riethmuller, Wal Anderson, Angela Loi, Phil Nichols, Clinton Revell, David Ferris, Phil Ward, Andrea Hills, Sally-Anne Penny, David Hall, Michael Robertson, Don Gaydon, Tress Walmsley, Caroline Peek, Megan Abrahams, Paul Raper, Richard O'Donnell, Trevor Lacey, Meredith Fairbanks, David Tennant, Cameron Weeks, Richard Quinlan, Alexandra Edward, Chris Carter, Doug Hamilton, Peter Tozer, Renaye Horne, Tracey Gianatti, Paul Carmody, Ian Foster, Michele John, Ross George, Imma Farré, Ian Kininmonth, Dennis Van Gool, Neil Coles, Bill Porter, Louise Barton, Richard Harper, Peter Ritson, Tony Beck, Chris Mitchell, Michael Hill, Fiona Barker-Reid, Will Gates, Ken Wilson, Rob Baigent, Ian Galbally, Mick Meyer, Ian Weeks, Traci Griffin, D. Rodriguez, M. Probust, M. Meyers, D. Chen, A. Bennett, W. Strong, R. Nussey, I Galbally, M. Howden

Crop Updates

This session covers forty four papers from different authors:

PLENARY

1. 2005 Outlook, David Stephens and Nicola Telcik, Department of Agriculture

FERTILITY AND NUTRITION

2. The effect of higher nitrogen fertiliser prices on rotation and fertiliser strategies in cropping systems, Ross Kingwell, Department of Agriculture and University of Western Australia

3. Stubble management: The short and long term implications for crop nutrition and soil fertility, Wayne Pluske, Nutrient Management Systems and Bill Bowden, Department of Agriculture

4. Stubble management: The pros and cons of different methods, Bill Bowden, Department of Agriculture, Western Australia and Mike Collins, …

The State Of Coral Reef Ecosystems Of The United States And Pacific Freely Associated States: 2002, Donna D. Turgeon, Rebecca G. Asch, Billy Causey, Richard E. Dodge, Walter Jaap, Kenneth Banks, Joanne Delaney, Brian Keller, Richard E. Spieler, Cruz A. Matos, Jorge R. Garcia, Ernesto Diaz, Don Catanzaro, Caroline Rogers, Zandy Hillis-Starr, Richard Nemeth, Herman Taylor, Marcia Taylor, George P. Schmahl, Margaret W. Miller, David A. Gulko, James E. Maragos, Alan Friedlander, Cynthia L. Hunter, Russell E. Brainard, Peter Craig, Robert H. Richmond, Gerry W. Davis, John Starmer, Michael Trianni, Peter Houk, Charles E. Birkeland, Ahser Edward, Yimnang Golbuu, Jay Gutierrez, Noah Idechong, James E. Maragos, Gustav Paulay, Andrew Tafileichig, Nancy Vander Velde

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

Called for by the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force’s (USCRTF) National Action Plan to Conserve Coral Reefs, this is the first biennial report on the condition of coral reefs. It is the scientific baseline for subsequent reports on the health of U.S. coral reef ecosystems that are to be used by NOAA and others to evaluate the efficacy of coral reef conservation and management practices. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Ocean Service led the development of this report. It was authored by 38 experts and supported by 79 contributors from government agencies and non-governmental organizations across the nation …

Crop Updates 2002 - Cereals, Peter Burgess, Gary Fawell, Dean Diepeveen, Tim Setter, Jeff Russell, Tony Seymour, Robin Wilson, Iain Barclay, Robyn Mclean, Robert Loughman, Jenny Garlinge, Bill Lambe, Neil Venn, Peter Clarke, Mohammad Amjad, Wal Anderson, Raffael Del Cima, James Bee, Darshen Sharma, Sheena Lyon, Melaine Kupsch, Pam Burges, Veronika Reck, Brenda Shackley, Ray Tugwell, Bindi Webb, Steve Penny Jr, James Fisher, Bill Bowden, Craig Scanlan, Senthold Asseng, Michael Robertson, M. A. Hamza, G. Mcconnell, W. K. Anderson, Md Shahajahan Miyan, Darshan Sharma, Daya Patabendige, Patrick Gethin, Stephen Loss, Tim O'Dea, Ryan Guthrie, Lisa Leaver, Tyrone Henning, Lionel Martin, Narelle Hill, Simon Wallwork, Laurence Carslake, Darren Hughes, Glen Mcdonald, Nichole Burges, Dominie Wright, Jenny Hawkes, Roger Jones, Kith Jayasena, Kazue Tanaka, Vanessa Johnson, Robert Loughman, Josh Jury, Sean Kelly, Shashi Sharma, Robert Park, Phil Michael, Debbie Thackray, Christopher Newman, Garren Knell, Kevin Povey, David Stephens

Crop Updates

This session covers thirty one papers from different authors:

VARIETIES AND BREEDING

1. Agronomic evaluation of wheat and barley in the central wheatbelt of Western Australia, Peter Burgess¹and Gary Fawell², ¹Agritech and ²Farmanco Management

2. Evaluating stress tolerance to terminal drought by Western Australian wheats, Dean Diepeveen and Dr Tim Setter, Department of Agriculture

3. Broadscale wheat variety comparisons featuring Wyalkatchem, Jeff Russell, Department of Agriculture

4. Australian crop accreditation system variety selector, Tony Seymour, Australian Crop Accreditation System

5. Future wheat varieties, Robin Wilson, Iain Barclay,Robyn McLean, Robert Loughman, …

Status Of Coral Reefs In The Us Caribbean And Gulf Of Mexico: Florida, Texas, Puerto Rico, Us Virgin Islands And Navassa, Billy Causey, Joanne Delaney, Ernesto Diaz, Richard E. Dodge, Jorge R. Garcia, Jamie Higgins, Walter Jaap, Cruz A. Matos, George P. Schmahl, Caroline Rogers, Margaret W. Miller, Donna D. Turgeon

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

The following report on the status of US Caribbean coral reef ecosystems has been summarised from more extensive reports submitted to the US Coral Reef Task Force (USCRTF) working group that implemented in 2000 ‘A National Program to Assess, Inventory, and Monitor US Coral Reef Ecosystems’. The more-lengthy reports are also the basis for the biennial-issued document, ‘Status and Trends of US Coral Reef Ecosystems’. Each author is a recognised technical expert with responsibility for monitoring and/or managing aspects of their respective coral reef ecosystems.

Mass Marking Of Mosquitofish: Preliminary Results, Bruce Vondracek, Wayne A. Wurtsbaugh, Joseph J. Cech Jr.

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Three marking techniques were tested to determine their applicability for mosquitofish. Tetracycline drugs and DC Ar administered in the diet successfully marked laboratory-cultured mosquitofish, but exposure to direct sunlight in outdoor tanks resulted in the rapid disappearance of the marks. Preliminary data on fluorescent marks from a polystyrene pigment in a melamine-sulfonamide-formaldehyde resin forced into the dermal ,tissue with compressed air are more promising.

A t an optimal deliver pressure of 7.3 m Hg (140 p.s.i.) and spraying time of 15 sec., marking percentage is maximized and fish mortality is minimized. Mark retention time was up to 80 days in …