Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Commons^™

Nonlinear Solutions To A Two-Layer Quasi-Geostrophic Model Of The Gulf Stream, Eiichi Oka

OES Theses and Dissertations

The Gulf Stream shows a large meander off Cape Hatteras. This is driven by an energy conversion process known as baroclinic instability and observations suggest that nonlinearity is an important part in this process. In order to understand the fundamental role of nonlinearity in baroclinic instability, an inviscid 2-layer quasi-geostrophic model is studied.

The linear solution is obtained by methods of normal mode and Fourier-Laplace transforms. It is found that the set corresponding to the continuous spectrum is null and the set corresponding to the discrete spectrum is complete.

The nonlinear solution is expanded in terms of the complete set …

The Remipedia (Crustacea): A Study Of Their Reproduction And Ecology, Jill Yager

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Remipedes are an unusual group of troglobitic crustaceans that live exclusively in anchialine caves. Since their discovery in 1979, nine species have been described, seven of which are found in caves in the West Indies, one from the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico and one from the Canary Islands. Most of what is known about these animals has come mainly from taxonomic descriptions. Little has been published about their reproductive biology or ecology. The objectives of this dissertation were to investigate the reproductive biology and ecology of the remipedes inhabiting Sagittarius Cave on Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas.

Sagittarius Cave was chosen …

The Temporal And Spatial Distribution Of Blue Crab Larvae On The Mid-Atlantic Bight Adjacent To The Chesapeake Bay, 1982-1983, Lyle Michael Varnell

OES Theses and Dissertations

Recruitment processes are important information for the management of commercially and recreationally exploited marine species. Recruitment processes of the Chesapeake Bay's most important commercial and recreational species, the blue crab, are unknown, due in part to the lack of knowledge of the processes directly preceeding recruitment.

The present study was undertaken to investigate and explain the movement and developmental patterns of blue crab larvae while offshore. Interannual and intraseasonal variations of these patterns were also examined.

Sampling occurred from May to November during 1982 and 1983. Larvae were collected at three depths (neuston layer (upper 10 cm), one meter and …

Picoplankton/Phytoplankton Dynamics In Hampton Roads, Virginia, Leslie E. Dorworth

OES Theses and Dissertations

The biomass distribution of the three main size components of the phytoplankton (net, nano, and picoplankton) was examined in the lower Chesapeake Bay. Work was done at two stations during the spring and neap tidal cycles when freshwater flow into the bay was at its seasonal minimum and maximum. Emphasis was placed on how the picoplankton ( < 2.0 μm, > 0.2 μm) reacted during the sampling period.

Picoplankton made up approximately 13% of the total biomass, during the observed time period, at the more oceanic station. The picoplankton fraction contributed up to 16% of the total biomass at the estuarine station. From this …

Population Variation In The Mitochondrial-Dna Of Two Marine Organisms: The Hard Shell Clam Mercenaria Spp. And The Killifish, Fundulus Heteroclitus, Bonnie Lynn Brown

OES Theses and Dissertations

The two major topics are covered in this dissertation: the integration of molecular genetic tools with applied aquacultural research and short-term evolutionary dynamics. The first study investigated the extent of geographic differentiation of native clam stocks along the U.S. east and Gulf coasts. Clam mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) demonstrated size polymorphism (16.5-19.0 kb) and restriction site heteroplasmy. Size heteroplasmic individuals occurred at a frequencies of 0-89% in clam populations. Restriction site heteroplasmy occurred in 12% of the 317 individuals assayed. Results of the study indicated that although harbouring a wealth of genetic variation, clams from northern regions were similar and lacked …

Phytoplankton Composition In A Borrow Pit Lake In Virginia, Seba B. Sheavly, Harold G. Marshall

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The phytoplankton assemblages in Lake Trashmore, Virginia, a borrow pit, were dominated by centric diatoms and cyanobacteria, with seasonal pulses of cryptomonads, euglenoids, and chlorophyceans. Ninety species were identified and their abundance levels noted for a 12-month period.

Are Artificial "Witham" Surface Collectors Adequate Indicators Of Caribbean Spiny Lobster, Panulirus Argus, Recruitment?, Mark J. Butler Iv, William F. Herrnkind

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Understanding the local dynamics of Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) postlarval influx, settlement, and recruitment may be essential for the responsible management of this important and heavily exploited resource. Most lobster recruitment research programs in the Caribbean employ derivations of the "Witham"-type surface collector to monitor postlarval (puerulus) lobster influx. However, the relevance of data obtained from surface collectors with respect to the estimation of actual puerulus influx, settlement, or recruitment to subsequent benthic juvenile stages remains untested. We investigated that relevance on regional (i.e., tens of kilometers) and local (i.e., tens of meters) scales by examining the …

The Effect On Earth's Surface-Temperature From Variations In Rotations Rate, Continent Formation, Solar Luminosity, And Carbon Dioxide, William R. Kuhn, J. C.G. Walker, Harold G. Marshall

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Proposed evolutionary histories of solar luminosity, atmospheric carbon dioxide amounts, Earth rotation rate, and continent formation have been used to generate a time evolution of Earth's surface temperature. While speculative because of uncertainties in the input parameters, such a study does help to prioritize the areas of most concern to paleoclimatic research while illustrating the relationships and mutual dependencies. The mean temperature averages about 5 K higher than today over most of geologic time; the overall variation is less than 15 K. The evolution of Earth's rotation rate makes a significant contribution to the surface temperature distribution as late as …

Hydrographic Variability Of Southeastern United States Shelf And Slope Waters During The Genesis Of Atlantic Lows Experiment: Winter 1986, Larry P. Atkinson, Eiichi Oka, Sunny Y. Wu, Thomas J. Berger, Jackson O. Blanton, Thomas N. Lee

CCPO Publications

Continental shelf waters are particularly responsive to winter storm events mainly because of their shallow depths. Those of the southeastern United States (the South Atlantic Bight (SAB)) are especially responsive because they are broad and shallow. Also, the Gulf Stream serves as a continual source of warm water at the outer boundary. Thus the SAB receives strong meteorological (wind stress and heat loss) and oceanographic (advective) forcing. During the Genesis of Atlantic Lows Experiment (GALE) the response of shelf waters to winter storm events and Gulf Stream forcing was observed. The mean conditions showed a mixed water column with areas …

Permanganate Colorimetric Rapid Method For Chemical Oxygen Demand In Seawater, Myung Zoon Czae, Taekee Hong, Myung Hoon Kim

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.