Other Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Commons^™

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Exposure, Hepatic Accumulation, And Associated Health Impacts In Gulf Of Mexico Tilefish (Lopholatilus Chamaeleonticeps), Susan M. Snyder

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, systematic demersal longline surveys were conducted throughout the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) continental shelf to evaluate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure, hepatic accumulation, and health indices in demersal fishes. Tilefish (Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps) were chosen as a target species due to high vulnerability to environmental disturbance, commercial importance, Gulf-wide distribution, and documented high exposure to PAHs post-Deepwater Horizon. Over 200 Tilefish were sampled in the north central GoM at repeat stations from 2012 to 2017, and from the northwest GoM, southwest GoM, Bay of Campeche, and Yucatán Shelf over years 2015 and 2016. Tilefish …

Investigation Of Retention Versus Export Of Planktonic Fish Eggs In The Northeastern Gulf Of Mexico, Bich Vi Viviane Nguyen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Planktonic fish eggs can be reliably identified with DNA barcoding, and their distribution and abundance can be monitored. Passive drifting fish eggs can be advected by ocean currents and as a result, can either be locally retained or exported away from the West Florida Shelf (WFS). Investigating their retention or export helps in the interpretation of egg abundance trends and in understanding their distribution in long-term surveys. The present investigation was performed in two steps using a combination of biological and physical oceanographic methods. First, fish fecundity of three species (Red Snapper, Vermilion Snapper, and Sand Perch) was assessed, first, …

A Study Of The Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea Virginica, In Tampa Bay: Effects Of Perkinsus Marinus On Reproduction And Condition, Bridgit Melora Mccrickard

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Five sites in Tampa Bay, Florida, were sampled monthly from February 2006 to January 2007. These sites were located at the mouth of the Alafia River, in an inlet of Cross Bayou, on the easement of Gandy Bridge, near mangrove in Manatee County, and an inlet of Salt Creek, off Bayboro Harbor. Standard methods were used to determine shell height and Condition Index (CI). Intensity and prevalence of Perkinsus marinus were analyzed using Ray's Thioglycollate medium test, while Haplosporidium nelsoni was studied by histological examination. Histological methods were also used to determine sex ratios, reproductive phases, and egg diameters. …

Florida Fishery-Wide Reproductive Indices Of Stone Crab, Menippe Mercenaria, And Their Application To Stock Assessment And Management, Claire Elizabeth Crowley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The stone crab, Menippe mercenaria, supported the third most valuable fishery in Florida in 2016. Declining catch per unit effort (CPUE) and overall negative trend in landings since 2000 have raised concerns among fisherman, researchers, and fishery managers about the resiliency of the fishery. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute estimated that the Florida stone crab fishery has been overexploited since 1997. Overexploited fisheries, such as the commercial stone crab fishery, risk induced changes in life history parameters, such as age at maturation and reproductive output. In turn, these population-level changes have the potential to reduce the spawning …