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University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Complete Mitochondrial Genome Of Carijoa Riisei (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860) (Octocorallia: Alcyonacea: Stolonifera: Clavulariidae), Erin E. Easton, David Hicks Apr 2020

Complete Mitochondrial Genome Of Carijoa Riisei (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860) (Octocorallia: Alcyonacea: Stolonifera: Clavulariidae), Erin E. Easton, David Hicks

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

We report the first complete Stolonifera mitochondrial genome. Carijoa riisei (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860) isolate CLP2_A03 was collected by scuba at 32 m on the USTS Texas Clipper (27° 53.7827′N, 93° 36.2702′W). The complete mitogenome has the ancestral octocoral gene order for its 14 protein-coding genes, two rRNA genes, and one tRNA gene. It is 18,714 bp (30.7% A, 15.8% C, 18.8% G, and 34.7% T). Of the Alcyonacea mitogenomes published to date, it is most genetically similar (94% uncorrected) to Sinularia ceramensis Verseveldt, 1977 (NC_044122).


First Record Of Black Corals (Antipatharia) In Shallow Coastal Waters Of Northern Chile By Means Of Underwater Video, Matthias Gorny, Erin E. Easton, Javier Sellanes Jun 2018

First Record Of Black Corals (Antipatharia) In Shallow Coastal Waters Of Northern Chile By Means Of Underwater Video, Matthias Gorny, Erin E. Easton, Javier Sellanes

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

This record is the first report of black corals (Antipatharia) in shallow waters of the continental coast of Chile, and extends their geographical range in shallow waters of the upper continental shelf of South America by ~3000 km from Ecuador (~1°S) to Coquimbo, Chile (~29°S). Specimens were observed between 70 and 107 m on three underwater video transects executed in July 2016 on the rocky reef El Toro, which is located about 65 km northwest of Coquimbo. The images were taken with the cameras of a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) at a distance of about two meters from the rocks. …


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

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

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 significantly differed …


Diversity Of Deep-Sea Fishes Of The Easter Island Ecoregion, Erin E. Easton, Javier Sellanes, Carlos F. Gaymer, Naiti A. Morales, Matthias Gorny, Eric Berkenpas Mar 2017

Diversity Of Deep-Sea Fishes Of The Easter Island Ecoregion, Erin E. Easton, Javier Sellanes, Carlos F. Gaymer, Naiti A. Morales, Matthias Gorny, Eric Berkenpas

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Easter Island Ecoregion is in the center of the South Pacific gyre and experiences ultra-oligotrophic conditions that could make it highly susceptible to global change and anthropogenic activities, so it is imperative that these regions are characterized and studied so that conservation and sustainable management strategies can be developed. From the few studies from the region, we know that the coastal areas are relatively depauperate and have relatively high rates of endemism. Here, we present a brief report from the first video observations from this region of the deep-dwelling fishes from ROV exploration of benthic communities from …