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VIMS Articles

2014

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Articles 1 - 30 of 30

Full-Text Articles in Animal Sciences

Host Behavior Alters Spiny Lobster-Viral Disease Dynamics: A Simulation Study, Tw Dolan, Mj Butler, Jeffrey D. Shields Aug 2014

Host Behavior Alters Spiny Lobster-Viral Disease Dynamics: A Simulation Study, Tw Dolan, Mj Butler, Jeffrey D. Shields

VIMS Articles

Social behavior confers numerous benefits to animals but also risks, among them an increase in the spread of pathogenic diseases. We examined the trade-off between risk of predation and disease transmission under different scenarios of host spatial structure and disease avoidance behavior using a spatially explicit, individual-based model of the host pathogen interaction between juvenile Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) and Panulirus argus Virus 1 (PaV1). Spiny lobsters are normally social but modify their behavior to avoid diseased conspecifics, a potentially effective means of reducing transmission but one rarely observed in the wild. We found that without lobster avoidance of …

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Bonamia Exitiosa Transmission Among, And Incidence In, Asian Oyster Crassostrea Ariakensis Under Warm Euhaline Conditions, Corinne Audemard, Ryan B. Carnegie, Km Hill, Ch Peterson, Em Burreson Jul 2014

Bonamia Exitiosa Transmission Among, And Incidence In, Asian Oyster Crassostrea Ariakensis Under Warm Euhaline Conditions, Corinne Audemard, Ryan B. Carnegie, Km Hill, Ch Peterson, Em Burreson

VIMS Articles

Previously reported in Australia, New Zealand, and more recently in Europe, the protistan parasite Bonamia exitiosa was also reported in the mid-Atlantic region of the USA after causing serious mortalities there in the Asian oyster Crassostrea ariakensis. At the time, this oyster was being considered for introduction, and the potential consequences of introducing this species were being assessed using field and laboratory studies. B. exitiosa emerged as the most serious disease threat for this oyster species, especially under warm euhaline conditions and for oystersariakensis, we investigated B. exitiosa transmission and incidence in C. ariakensis. During a first trial, potential direct …

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Investigating The Relationship Between Biodiversity And Ecosystem Multifunctionality: Challenges And Solutions, Jarrett E. K. Byrnes, Lars Gamfeldt, Forest Isbell, Jonathan S. Lefcheck, John N. Griffin, Andy Hector, Bradley J. Cardinale, David U. Hooper, Laura E. Dee, J. Emmett Duffy Feb 2014

Investigating The Relationship Between Biodiversity And Ecosystem Multifunctionality: Challenges And Solutions, Jarrett E. K. Byrnes, Lars Gamfeldt, Forest Isbell, Jonathan S. Lefcheck, John N. Griffin, Andy Hector, Bradley J. Cardinale, David U. Hooper, Laura E. Dee, J. Emmett Duffy

VIMS Articles

Summary 1. Extensive research shows that more species-rich assemblages are generally more productive and efficient in resource use than comparable assemblages with fewer species. But the question of how diversity simultaneously affects the wide variety of ecological functions that ecosystems perform remains relatively understudied. It presents several analytical and empirical challenges that remain unresolved. In particular, researchers have developed several disparate metrics to quantify multifunctionality, each characterizing different aspects of the concept and each with pros and cons. 2. We compare four approaches to characterizing multifunctionality and its dependence on biodiversity, quantifying (i) magnitudes of multiple individual functions separately, (ii) …

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Occurrence Of Juvenile Paralichthys Lethostigma (Southern Flounder) In Tributaries Of Chesapeake Bay, Sc Lusk, Be Watkins, A Rhea, Cb Dillman, Eric J. Hilton Jan 2014

Occurrence Of Juvenile Paralichthys Lethostigma (Southern Flounder) In Tributaries Of Chesapeake Bay, Sc Lusk, Be Watkins, A Rhea, Cb Dillman, Eric J. Hilton

VIMS Articles

Paralichthys lethostigma (Southern Flounder) inhabits the continental shelf and estuarine waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the east coast of the North Atlantic, from peninsular Florida to Albemarle Sound in North Carolina. Between 30 May and 20 August 2012, we collected 15 juvenile (71-192 mm) Southern Flounder in fyke nets in the Mattaponi River, a tributary of the York River, in southeastern Virginia. This is the first known documentation of juvenile Southern Flounder in any tributary of Chesapeake Bay. We confirmed our identification of the specimens as Southern Flounder morphologically and genetically by counting gill rakers and sequencing cytochrome …

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Coastal Response To Late-Stage Transgression And Sea-Level Highstand, C J. Hein, Dm Fitzgerald, Jt De Menezes, Wj Cleary, Ahf Klein Jan 2014

Coastal Response To Late-Stage Transgression And Sea-Level Highstand, C J. Hein, Dm Fitzgerald, Jt De Menezes, Wj Cleary, Ahf Klein

VIMS Articles

Coastal morphologic features associated with past shoreline transgressions and sea-level highstands can provide insight into the rates and processes associated with coastal response to the modern global rise in sea level. Along the eastern and southern Brazilian coasts of South America, 6000 years of sea-level fall have preserved late-stage transgressive and sea-level highstand features 1-4 m above present mean sea level and several kilometers landward of modern shorelines. GPS with real-time kinematics data, ground-penetrating radar, stratigraphy, and radiocarbon dating within a 2-3-km-wide river-associated strandplain in central Santa Catarina (southern Brazil) uncovered a diverse set of late-stage transgressive and highstand deposits. …

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Ocean Processes At The Antarctic Continental Slope, Kj Heywood, S Schmidtko, C Heuze, J Kaiser, Td Jickells, Walker O. Smith, Et Al. Jan 2014

Ocean Processes At The Antarctic Continental Slope, Kj Heywood, S Schmidtko, C Heuze, J Kaiser, Td Jickells, Walker O. Smith, Et Al.

VIMS Articles

The Antarctic continental shelves and slopes occupy relatively small areas, but, nevertheless, are important for global climate, biogeochemical cycling and ecosystem functioning. Processes of water mass transformation through sea ice formation/melting and ocean-atmosphere interaction are key to the formation of deep and bottom waters as well as determining the heat flux beneath ice shelves. Climate models, however, struggle to capture these physical processes and are unable to reproduce water mass properties of the region. Dynamics at the continental slope are key for correctly modelling climate, yet their small spatial scale presents challenges both for ocean modelling and for observational studies. …

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Value Of Coastal Habitats For Exploited Species: Introduction To A Theme Set Of Articles, Rochelle D. Seitz Jan 2014

Value Of Coastal Habitats For Exploited Species: Introduction To A Theme Set Of Articles, Rochelle D. Seitz

VIMS Articles

Many exploited fish and invertebrate species use coastal habitats during one or more life-history stages as spawning, feeding, and nursery areas; yet, the value of these habitats has not been adequately characterized. As habitat availability can be a bottleneck for many populations, concerns about habitat effects on exploited species have been increasing. We have compiled nine articles presenting the state of knowledge and future research priorities regarding the importance of habitat for exploited species. Reviews from European habitats and several geographical locations throughout the United States demonstrate the influence of coastal habitats on survival, growth, and movement, especially during the …

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Effect Of Temperature On Rates Of Ammonium Uptake And Nitrification In The Western Coastal Arctic During Winter, Spring, And Summer, Se Baer, Tl Connelly, Rachel E. Sipler, Pl Yager, Da Bronk Jan 2014

Effect Of Temperature On Rates Of Ammonium Uptake And Nitrification In The Western Coastal Arctic During Winter, Spring, And Summer, Se Baer, Tl Connelly, Rachel E. Sipler, Pl Yager, Da Bronk

VIMS Articles

Biogeochemical rate processes in the Arctic are not currently well constrained, and there is very limited information on how rates may change as the region warms. Here we present data on the sensitivity of ammonium (NH4+) uptake and nitrification rates to short-term warming. Samples were collected from the Chukchi Sea off the coast of Barrow, Alaska, during winter, spring, and summer and incubated for 24h in the dark with additions of (NH4+)-N-15 at -1.5, 6, 13, and 20 degrees C. Rates of NH4+ uptake and nitrification were measured in conjunction with bacterial production. In all seasons, NH4+ uptake rates were …

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Species Diversity Of The Deep-Water Gulper Sharks (Squaliformes: Centrophoridae: Centrophorus) In North Atlantic Waters - Current Status And Taxonomic Issues, A Verissimo, Cf Cotton, Rh Buch, J Guallart, Gh Burgess Jan 2014

Species Diversity Of The Deep-Water Gulper Sharks (Squaliformes: Centrophoridae: Centrophorus) In North Atlantic Waters - Current Status And Taxonomic Issues, A Verissimo, Cf Cotton, Rh Buch, J Guallart, Gh Burgess

VIMS Articles

The gulper sharks (genus Centrophorus) are a group of deep-water benthopelagic sharks with a worldwide distribution. The alpha taxonomy of the group has historically been problematic and the number of species included in the genus has varied considerably over the years and is still under debate. Gulper sharks are routinely caught in mid- and deep-water fisheries worldwide and some have shown a considerable decline in abundance in the last few decades. Clear and consistent species discrimination of Centrophorus is essential for an efficient and sustainable management of these fisheries resources. Our study used molecular cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) and …

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Ameson Metacarcini Sp Nov (Microsporidia) Infecting The Muscles Of Dungeness Crabs Metacarcinus Magister From British Columbia, Canada, Hamish J. Small, Gr Meyer, Gd Stentiford, Js Dunham, K Bateman, Jeffrey D. Shields Jan 2014

Ameson Metacarcini Sp Nov (Microsporidia) Infecting The Muscles Of Dungeness Crabs Metacarcinus Magister From British Columbia, Canada, Hamish J. Small, Gr Meyer, Gd Stentiford, Js Dunham, K Bateman, Jeffrey D. Shields

VIMS Articles

The Dungeness crab Metacarcinus magister supports a large and valuable fishery along the west coast of North America. Since 1998, Dungeness crabs exhibiting pink- to orange-colored joints and opaque white musculature have been sporadically observed in low prevalence from the Fraser River delta of British Columbia, Canada. We provide histological, ultrastructural, and molecular evidence that this condition is caused by a new microsporidian parasite. Crabs displaying gross symptoms were confirmed to have heavy infections of ovoid-shaped microsporidian spores (similar to 1.8 x 1.4 mu m in size) within muscle bundles of the skeletal musculature. The parasite apparently infected the outer …

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Ultrastructural Comparison Of Bonamia Spp. (Haplosporidia) Infecting Ostreid Oysters, Pm Hine, Rb Carnegie, Ma Kroeck, A Villalba, My Engelsma, Em Burreson Jan 2014

Ultrastructural Comparison Of Bonamia Spp. (Haplosporidia) Infecting Ostreid Oysters, Pm Hine, Rb Carnegie, Ma Kroeck, A Villalba, My Engelsma, Em Burreson

VIMS Articles

The ultrastructure of Bonamia from Ostrea angasi from Australia, Crassostrea ariakensis from the USA, O. puelchana from Argentina and O. edulis from Spain was compared with described Bonamia spp. All appear conspecific with B. exitiosa. The Bonamia sp. from Chile had similarities to the type B. exitiosa from New Zealand (NZ), but less so than the other forms recognized as B. exitiosa. Two groups of ultrastructural features were identified; those associated with metabolism (mitochondrial profiles, lipid droplets and endoplasmic reticulum), and those associated with haplosporogenesis (Golgi, indentations in the nuclear surface, the putative trans-Golgi network, perinuclear granular material and haplosporosome-like …

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Zooplankton Carcasses And Non-Predatory Mortality In Freshwater And Inland Sea Environments, Kw Tang, Mi Gladyshev, Op Dubovskaya, G Kirillin, Hp Grossart Jan 2014

Zooplankton Carcasses And Non-Predatory Mortality In Freshwater And Inland Sea Environments, Kw Tang, Mi Gladyshev, Op Dubovskaya, G Kirillin, Hp Grossart

VIMS Articles

Zooplankton carcasses are ubiquitous in marine and freshwater systems, implicating the importance of non-predatory mortality, but both are often overlooked in ecological studies compared with predatory mortality. The development of several microscopic methods allows the distinction between live and dead zooplankton in field samples, and the reported percentages of dead zooplankton average 11.6 (minimum) to 59.8 (maximum) in marine environments, and 7.4 (minimum) to 47.6 (maximum) in fresh and inland waters. Common causes of non-predatory mortality among zooplankton include senescence, temperature change, physical and chemical stresses, parasitism and food-related factors. Carcasses resulting from non-predatory mortality may undergo decomposition leading to …

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Pan-Atlantic Analysis Of The Overlap Of A Highly Migratory Species, The Leatherback Turtle, With Pelagic Longline Fisheries, S Fossette, Mj Witt, P Miller, Ma Nalovic, D Albareda, Et Al. Jan 2014

Pan-Atlantic Analysis Of The Overlap Of A Highly Migratory Species, The Leatherback Turtle, With Pelagic Longline Fisheries, S Fossette, Mj Witt, P Miller, Ma Nalovic, D Albareda, Et Al.

VIMS Articles

Large oceanic migrants play important roles in ecosystems, yet many species are of conservation concern as a result of anthropogenic threats, of which incidental capture by fisheries is frequently identified. The last large populations of the leatherback turtle, Dermochelys coriacea, occur in the Atlantic Ocean, but interactions with industrial fisheries could jeopardize recent positive population trends, making bycatch mitigation a priority. Here, we perform the first pan-Atlantic analysis of spatio-temporal distribution of the leatherback turtle and ascertain overlap with longline fishing effort. Data suggest that the Atlantic probably consists of two regional management units: northern and southern (the latter including …

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Ecological Value Of Coastal Habitats For Commercially And Ecologically Important Species, Rochelle D. Seitz, H Wennhage, U Bergstrom, Rn Lipcius, T Ysebaert Jan 2014

Ecological Value Of Coastal Habitats For Commercially And Ecologically Important Species, Rochelle D. Seitz, H Wennhage, U Bergstrom, Rn Lipcius, T Ysebaert

VIMS Articles

Many exploited fish and macroinvertebrates that utilize the coastal zone have declined, and the causes of these declines, apart from overfishing, remain largely unresolved. Degradation of essential habitats has resulted in habitats that are no longer adequate to fulfil nursery, feeding, or reproductive functions, yet the degree to which coastal habitats are important for exploited species has not been quantified. Thus, we reviewed and synthesized literature on the ecological value of coastal habitats (i.e. seagrass beds, shallow subtidal and intertidal habitats, kelp beds, shallow open water habitats, saltmarshes, mussel beds, macroalgal beds, rocky bottom, and mariculture beds) as feeding grounds, …

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Paradox Reconsidered: Methane Oversaturation In Well-Oxygenated Lake Waters, Kw Tang, Df Mcginnis, K Frindte, V Bruchert, Hp Grossart Jan 2014

Paradox Reconsidered: Methane Oversaturation In Well-Oxygenated Lake Waters, Kw Tang, Df Mcginnis, K Frindte, V Bruchert, Hp Grossart

VIMS Articles

The widely reported paradox of methane oversaturation in oxygenated water challenges the prevailing paradigm that microbial methanogenesis only occurs under anoxic conditions. Using a combination of field sampling, incubation experiments, and modeling, we show that the recurring mid-water methane peak in Lake Stechlin, northeast Germany, was not dependent on methane input from the littoral zone or bottom sediment or on the presence of known micro-anoxic zones. The methane peak repeatedly overlapped with oxygen oversaturation in the seasonal thermocline. Incubation experiments and isotope analysis indicated active methane production, which was likely linked to photosynthesis and/or nitrogen fixation within the oxygenated water, …

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Earth Is (Mostly) Flat: Apportionment Of The Flux Of Continental Sediment Over Millennial Time Scales Comment, Ja Warrick, Jd Milliman, De Walling, Rj Wasson, Jpm Syvitski, Re Aalto Jan 2014

Earth Is (Mostly) Flat: Apportionment Of The Flux Of Continental Sediment Over Millennial Time Scales Comment, Ja Warrick, Jd Milliman, De Walling, Rj Wasson, Jpm Syvitski, Re Aalto

VIMS Articles

No abstract provided.

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Inner-Shelf Circulation And Sediment Dynamics On A Series Of Shoreface-Connected Ridges Offshore Of Fire Island, Ny, Jc Warner, Jh List, Wc Schwab, G Voulgaris, B Armstrong, N Marshall Jan 2014

Inner-Shelf Circulation And Sediment Dynamics On A Series Of Shoreface-Connected Ridges Offshore Of Fire Island, Ny, Jc Warner, Jh List, Wc Schwab, G Voulgaris, B Armstrong, N Marshall

VIMS Articles

Locations along the inner-continental shelf offshore of Fire Island, NY, are characterized by a series of shoreface-connected ridges (SFCRs). These sand ridges have approximate dimensions of 10 km in length, 3 km spacing, and up to similar to 8 m ridge to trough relief and are oriented obliquely at approximately 30 degrees clockwise from the coastline. Stability analysis from previous studies explains how sand ridges such as these could be formed and maintained by storm-driven flows directed alongshore with a key maintenance mechanism of offshore deflected flows over ridge crests and onshore in the troughs. We examine these processes both …

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Biogeochemical Variability In The Southern Ross Sea As Observed By A Glider Deployment, De Kaufman, Mam Friedrichs, Wj Smith Jr., By Queste, Kj Heywood Jan 2014

Biogeochemical Variability In The Southern Ross Sea As Observed By A Glider Deployment, De Kaufman, Mam Friedrichs, Wj Smith Jr., By Queste, Kj Heywood

VIMS Articles

High-resolution autonomous glider data (including temperature, salinity, fluorescence, and optical backscatter) collected during the 2010-2011 austral summer identified variations in phytoplankton biomass along two glider sections near 76 degrees 40'S. Sea surface temperatures were warmer during the latter, westward section, while mixed layer depths were deeper. Substantial quantities of Modified Circumpolar Deep Water, identified by neutral density criteria, were located within both sections. Chlorophyll (Chl) concentrations computed from fluorescence exhibited daily quenching near the surface, and deep chlorophyll concentrations at 200 m became periodically elevated, suggesting substantial export on small space and time scales. The concentrations of particulate organic carbon …

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Urea Uptake And Carbon Fixation By Marine Pelagic Bacteria And Archaea During The Arctic Summer And Winter Seasons, Tl Connelly, Se Baer, Jt Cooper, Da Bronk, B Wawrik Jan 2014

Urea Uptake And Carbon Fixation By Marine Pelagic Bacteria And Archaea During The Arctic Summer And Winter Seasons, Tl Connelly, Se Baer, Jt Cooper, Da Bronk, B Wawrik

VIMS Articles

How Arctic climate change might translate into alterations of biogeochemical cycles of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) with respect to inorganic and organic N utilization is not well understood. This study combined N-15 uptake rate measurements for ammonium, nitrate, and urea with N-15-and C-13-based DNA stable-isotope probing (SIP). The objective was to identify active bacterial and archeal plankton and their role in N and C uptake during the Arctic summer and winter seasons. We hypothesized that bacteria and archaea would successfully compete for nitrate and urea during the Arctic winter but not during the summer, when phytoplankton dominate the uptake …

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Microcell Parasites Of Molluscs: Introduction To Dao Special 7, Rb Carnegie, My Engelsma Jan 2014

Microcell Parasites Of Molluscs: Introduction To Dao Special 7, Rb Carnegie, My Engelsma

VIMS Articles

First discovered decades ago, microcell protistan parasites of the genera Bonamia and Mikrocytos remain relevant today for their economic impacts on growing molluscan aquaculture industries and fisheries. Bonamia parasites have received more attention over the years in part because they are more widespread and thus of wider concern, but there has been renewed interest in Mikrocytos recently with the generation of important new findings. Among these has been the surprising observation that Mikrocytos has phylogenetic affinities to the Rhizaria, which includes the haplosporidian protists and the genus Bonamia. This Diseases of Aquatic Organisms Special, emerging from the 5th Meeting of …

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Temperature, Hypoxia, And Mycobacteriosis: Effects On Adult Striped Bass Morone Saxatilis Metabolic Performance, D Lapointe, Wolfgang K. Vogelbein, Mary C. Fabrizio, Debra J. Gauthier, Richard Brill Jan 2014

Temperature, Hypoxia, And Mycobacteriosis: Effects On Adult Striped Bass Morone Saxatilis Metabolic Performance, D Lapointe, Wolfgang K. Vogelbein, Mary C. Fabrizio, Debra J. Gauthier, Richard Brill

VIMS Articles

Mycobacteriosis, a chronic bacterial disease of fishes, is prevalent in adult striped bass from Chesapeake Bay (USA). Although environmental factors may play a role in disease expression, the interaction between the disease and environmental stress remains unexplored. We therefore examined the individual and interactive effects of elevated temperature, hypoxia, and mycobacteriosis on the metabolism of wild-caught adult striped bass from Chesapeake Bay using respirometry. Because the spleen is the primary target organ of mycobacteriosis in striped bass, we hypothesized that the disease interferes with the ability of fish to increase their hemato crit in the face of increasing oxygen demands. …

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Evidence Of Eelgrass (Zostera Marina) Seed Dispersal By Northern Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys Terrapin Terrapin) In Lower Chesapeake Bay, Diane C. Tulipani, Romuald N. Lipcius Jan 2014

Evidence Of Eelgrass (Zostera Marina) Seed Dispersal By Northern Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys Terrapin Terrapin) In Lower Chesapeake Bay, Diane C. Tulipani, Romuald N. Lipcius

VIMS Articles

The initial discovery in May 2009 of eelgrass (Zostera marina) seeds in fecal samples of wild-caught northern diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin terrapin) was the first field evidence of eelgrass seed ingestion in this species. This finding suggested the potential of terrapins as seed dispersers in eelgrass beds, which we sampled for two additional years (2010 and 2011). Seeds were only found in feces of terrapins captured prior to June 8 in all three years, coinciding with eelgrass seed maturation and release. Numbers of seeds in terrapin feces varied annually and decreased greatly in 2011 after an eelgrass die off in …

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Phylogenetics Of Bonamia Parasites Based On Small Subunit And Internal Transcribed Spacer Region Ribosomal Dna Sequence Data, Km Hill, Na Stokes, Sc Webb, Pm Hine, Ma Kroeck, Jd Moore, Ms Morely, Kimberly S. Reece, Eugene M. Burreson, Ryan Carnegie Jan 2014

Phylogenetics Of Bonamia Parasites Based On Small Subunit And Internal Transcribed Spacer Region Ribosomal Dna Sequence Data, Km Hill, Na Stokes, Sc Webb, Pm Hine, Ma Kroeck, Jd Moore, Ms Morely, Kimberly S. Reece, Eugene M. Burreson, Ryan Carnegie

VIMS Articles

The genus Bonamia (Haplosporidia) includes economically significant oyster parasites. Described species were thought to have fairly circumscribed host and geographic ranges: B. ostreae infecting Ostrea edulis in Europe and North America, B. exitiosa infecting O. chilensis in New Zealand, and B. roughleyi infecting Saccostrea glomerata in Australia. The discovery of B. exitiosa-like parasites in new locations and the observation of a novel species, B. perspora, in non-commercial O. stentina altered this perception and prompted our wider evaluation of the global diversity of Bonamia parasites. Samples of 13 oyster species from 21 locations were screened for Bonamia spp. by PCR, and …

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Longitudinal Study Of Winter Mortality Disease In Sydney Rock Oysters Saccostrea Glomerata, Zb Spiers, M Gabor, Sa Fell, Rb Carnegie, M Dove, Et Al. Jan 2014

Longitudinal Study Of Winter Mortality Disease In Sydney Rock Oysters Saccostrea Glomerata, Zb Spiers, M Gabor, Sa Fell, Rb Carnegie, M Dove, Et Al.

VIMS Articles

Winter mortality (WM) is a poorly studied disease affecting Sydney rock oysters Saccostrea glomerata in estuaries in New South Wales, Australia, where it can cause significant losses. WM is more severe in oysters cultured deeper in the water column and appears linked to higher salinities. Current dogma is that WM is caused by the microcell parasite Bonamia roughleyi, but evidence linking clinical signs and histopathology to molecular data identifying bonamiasis is lacking. We conducted a longitudinal study between February and November 2010 in 2 estuaries where WM has occurred (Georges and Shoalhaven Rivers). Results from molecular testing of experimental oysters …

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Field Experimental Evidence That Grazers Mediate Transition Between Microalgal And Seagrass Dominance, Pl Reynolds, Jp Richardson, Je Duffy Jan 2014

Field Experimental Evidence That Grazers Mediate Transition Between Microalgal And Seagrass Dominance, Pl Reynolds, Jp Richardson, Je Duffy

VIMS Articles

We tested the relative effects of nutrient loading, reduced predation, and reduced grazing on eelgrass community dynamics in Chesapeake Bay and found evidence supporting the "mutualistic mesograzer model" in which small invertebrate grazers control accumulation of epiphytic algae, buffer eutrophication effects, and thus facilitate seagrass dominance. Experimental reduction of crustacean grazers in the field stimulated a nearly sixfold increase in epiphytic algae, and reduced seagrass biomass by 65% compared to controls with grazers. Nutrient fertilization generally had much weaker effects, but an interaction with mesograzers was key in changing the sign of fertilization effects on the system: aboveground eelgrass biomass …

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Bonamia Parasites: A Rapidly Changing Perspective On A Genus Of Important Mollusc Pathogens, My Engelsma, Sc Culloty, Sa Lynch, I Arzul, Rb Carnegie Jan 2014

Bonamia Parasites: A Rapidly Changing Perspective On A Genus Of Important Mollusc Pathogens, My Engelsma, Sc Culloty, Sa Lynch, I Arzul, Rb Carnegie

VIMS Articles

Organisms of the genus Bonamia are intracellular protistan parasites of oysters. To date, 4 species have been described (B. ostreae, B. exitiosa, B. perspora and B. roughleyi), although the status of B. roughleyi is controversial. Introduction especially of B. ostreae and B. exitiosa to naive host populations has been shown to cause mass mortalities in the past and has had a dramatic impact on oyster production. Both B. ostreae and B. exitiosa are pathogens notifiable to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the European Union. Effective management of the disease caused by these pathogens is complicated by the …

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Individual, Population, And Ecosystem Effects Of Hypoxia On A Dominant Benthic Bivalve In Chesapeake Bay, W. Christopher Long, Rochelle D. Seitz, Bryce J. Brylawski, Romuald N. Lipcius Jan 2014

Individual, Population, And Ecosystem Effects Of Hypoxia On A Dominant Benthic Bivalve In Chesapeake Bay, W. Christopher Long, Rochelle D. Seitz, Bryce J. Brylawski, Romuald N. Lipcius

VIMS Articles

Hypoxia is an environmental stressor that affects abundance, biomass,diversity, and ecosystem function of benthic assemblages worldwide, yet its collective impact at individual, population, and ecosystem levels has rarely been investigated. We examined the effects of hypoxia on the biomass-dominant clam,Macoma balthica, in the York and Rappahannock Rivers (Chesapeake Bay, USA). We (1) surveyed the M. balthica populationsin both rivers in 2003 and 2004, (2) determined the effects of low dissolved oxygen (DO) on M.balthica fecundity in a laboratory experiment, and (3) employed a predator-exclusion fieldexperiment to establish the effects of hypoxia and prey density on predation upon M. balthica.The resultant …

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Home Range And Seasonal Movements Of Black Sea Bass (Centropristis Striata) During Their Inshore Residency At A Reef In The Mid-Atlantic Bight, Mary C. Fabrizio, John P. Manderson, Jeffrey P. Pessutti Jan 2014

Home Range And Seasonal Movements Of Black Sea Bass (Centropristis Striata) During Their Inshore Residency At A Reef In The Mid-Atlantic Bight, Mary C. Fabrizio, John P. Manderson, Jeffrey P. Pessutti

VIMS Articles

Black Sea Bass (Centropristis striata) in the mid-Atlantic Bight undertake seasonal cross-shelf movements to occupy inshore rocky reefs and hardbottom habitats between spring and fall. Shelf-wide migrations of this stock are well documented, but movements and home ranges of fish during their inshore residency period have not been described. We tagged 122 Black Sea Bass with acoustic transmitters at a mid-Atlantic reef to estimate home-range size and factors that influence movements (>400 m) at a 46.1-km(2) study site between May and November 2003. Activity of Black Sea Bass was greatest and most consistent during summer but declined rapidly in …

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Multifunctionality Does Not Imply That All Functions Are Positively Correlated, J Byrnes, Js Lefcheck, L Gamfeldt, Jn Griffin, F Isbell Jan 2014

Multifunctionality Does Not Imply That All Functions Are Positively Correlated, J Byrnes, Js Lefcheck, L Gamfeldt, Jn Griffin, F Isbell

VIMS Articles

No abstract provided.

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The Effects Of Changing Winds And Temperatures On The Oceanography Of The Ross Sea In The 21st Century, Walker O. Smith, Ms Dinniman, Ee Hofmann, Jm Klinck Jan 2014

The Effects Of Changing Winds And Temperatures On The Oceanography Of The Ross Sea In The 21st Century, Walker O. Smith, Ms Dinniman, Ee Hofmann, Jm Klinck

VIMS Articles

The Ross Sea is critically important in regulating Antarctic sea ice and is biologically productive, which makes changes in the region's physical environment of global concern. We examined the effects of projected changes in atmospheric temperatures and winds on aspects of the ocean circulation likely important to primary production using a high-resolution sea ice-ocean-ice shelf model of the Ross Sea. The modeled summer sea-ice concentrations decreased by 56% by 2050 and 78% by 2100. The duration of shallow mixed layers over the continental shelf increased by 8.5 and 19.2days in 2050 and 2100, and the mean summer mixed layer depths …

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