Marine Biology Commons^™

Climate Controls Multidecadal Variability In U. S. Extreme Sea Level Records, Thomas Wahl, Don P. Chambers

Marine Science Faculty Publications

We investigate the links between multidecadal changes in extreme sea levels (expressed as 100 year return water levels (RWLs)) along the United States coastline and large‐scale climate variability. We develop different sets of simple and multiple linear regression models using both traditional climate indices and tailored indices based on nearby atmospheric/oceanic variables (winds, pressure, sea surface temperature) as independent predictors. The models, after being tested for spatial and temporal stability, are capable of explaining large fractions of the observed variability, up to 96% at individual sites and more than 80% on average across the region. Using the model predictions as …

Characterization Of Available Light For Seagrass And Patch Reef Productivity In Sugarloaf Key, Lower Florida Keys, Gerardo Toro-Farmer, Frank E. Muller-Karger, Maria Vega-Rodriguez, Nelson Melo, Kimberly Yates, Sergio Cerdeira-Estrada, Stanley R. Herwitz

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Light availability is an important factor driving primary productivity in benthic ecosystems, but in situ and remote sensing measurements of light quality are limited for coral reefs and seagrass beds. We evaluated the productivity responses of a patch reef and a seagrass site in the Lower Florida Keys to ambient light availability and spectral quality. In situ optical properties were characterized utilizing moored and water column bio-optical and hydrographic measurements. Net ecosystem productivity (NEP) was also estimated for these study sites using benthic productivity chambers. Our results show higher spectral light attenuation and absorption, and lower irradiance during low tide …

Does Dark-Spot Syndrome Experimentally Transmit Among Caribbean Corals?, Carly J. Randall, Adán Guillermo Jordán-Garza, Erinn M. Muller, Robert Van Woesik

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Over the last half-century, coral diseases have contributed to the rapid decline of coral populations throughout the Caribbean region. Some coral diseases appear to be potentially infectious, yet little is known about their modes of transmission. This study experimentally tested whether dark-spot syndrome on Siderastrea siderea was directly or indirectly transmissible to neighboring coral colonies.We also tested whether open wounds were necessary to facilitate disease transmission. At the completion of the experiments, we sampled bacterial communities on diseased, exposed, and healthy coral colonies to determine whether bacterial pathogens had transmitted to the susceptible colonies.We saw no evidence of either direct …

Notes On The Identification And Distribution Of The Exotic Western Hemisphere Mussel, Mytella Charruana D'Orbigny 1846, In The Estuaries Of Pangasinan, Philippines., Michael Rice, Paul Rawson, Westly Rosario

Michael A Rice

Surfactant-Associated Bacteria In The Near-Surface Layer Of The Ocean, Naoko Kurata, Katie E. Vella, Bryan Hamilton, Mahmood S. Shivji, Alexander Soloviev, Silvia Matt, Aurelien Tartar, William Perrie

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Certain marine bacteria found in the near-surface layer of the ocean are expected to play important roles in the production and decay of surface active materials; however, the details of these processes are still unclear. Here we provide evidence supporting connection between the presence of surfactant-associated bacteria in the near-surface layer of the ocean, slicks on the sea surface, and a distinctive feature in the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery of the sea surface. From DNA analyses of the in situ samples using pyrosequencing technology, we found the highest abundance of surfactant-associated bacterial taxa in the near-surface layer below the …

Comparative Analysis Of Xenorhabdus Koppenhoeferi Gene Expression During Symbiotic Persistence In The Host Nematode, Ruisheng An, Parwinder Grewal

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

Species of Xenorhabdus and Photorhabdus bacteria form mutualistic associations with Steinernema and Heterorhabditis nematodes, respectively and serve as model systems for studying microbe-animal symbioses. Here, we profiled gene expression of Xenorhabdus koppenhoeferi during their symbiotic persistence in the newly formed infective juveniles of the host nematode Steinernema scarabaei through the selective capture of transcribed sequences (SCOTS). The obtained gene expression profile was then compared with other nematode-bacteria partnerships represented by Steinernema carpocapsae-Xenorhabdus nematophila and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora-Photorhabdus temperata. A total of 29 distinct genes were identified to be up-regulated and 53 were down-regulated in X. koppenhoeferi while in S. scarabaei infective …

Latitudinal Variation In Ecological Opportunity And Intraspecific Competition Indicates Differences In Niche Variability And Diet Specialization Of Arctic Marine Predators, David J. Yurkowski, Steven Ferguson, Emily S. Choy, Lisa L. Loseto, Tanya M. Brown, Derek Cg Muir, Christina Ad Semeniuk, Aaron T. Fisk

Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research Publications

Individual specialization (IS), where individuals within populations irrespective of age, sex, and body size are either specialized or generalized in terms of resource use, has implications on ecological niches and food web structure. Niche size and degree of IS of near-top trophic-level marine predators have been little studied in polar regions or with latitude. We quantified the largescale latitudinal variation of population- and individual-level niche size and IS in ringed seals (Pusa hispida) and beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) using stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis on 379 paired ringed seal liver and muscle samples and 124 paired beluga skin and …

Isolation And Characterization Of Eight Polymorphic Microsatellites For The Spotted Spiny Lobster, Panulirus Guttatus, Nathan Truelove, Donald C. Behringer, Mark J. Butler Iv, Richard F. Preziosi

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Microsatellite sequences were isolated from enriched genomic libraries of the spotted spiny lobster, Panulirus guttatus using 454 pyrosequencing. Twenty-nine previously developed polymerase chain reaction primer pairs of Panulirus argus microsatellite loci were also tested for cross-species amplification in Panulirus guttatus. In total, eight consistently amplifying, and polymorphic loci were characterized for 57 individuals collected in the Florida Keys and Bermuda. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 8 to 20 and observed heterozygosities ranged from 0.409 to 0.958. Significant deviations from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium were found in one locus from Florida and three loci from Bermuda. Quality control testing indicated …

Employing Individual Measures Of Baseline Glucocorticoids As Population-Level Conservation Biomarkers: Considering Within-Individual Variation In A Breeding Passerine, Christine L. Madliger, Oliver P. Love

Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research Publications

Labile physiological variables, such as stress hormones [i.e. glucocorticoids (GCs)], allow individuals to react to perturbations in their environment and may therefore reflect the effect of disturbances or positive conservation initiatives in advance of population-level demographic measures. Although the application of GCs as conservation biomarkers has been of extensive interest, few studies have explicitly investigated whether baseline GC concentrations respond to disturbances consistently across individuals. However, confirmation of consistent responses is of paramount importance to assessing the ease of use of GCs in natural systems and to making valid interpretations regarding population-level change (or lack of change) in GC concentrations. …

Temporal Overlap And Repeatability Of Feather Corticosterone Levels: Practical Considerations For Use As A Biomarker, Christopher M. Harris, Christine L. Madliger, Oliver P. Love

Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research Publications

The measurement of corticosterone (CORT) levels in feathers has recently become an appealing tool for the conservation toolbox, potentially providing a non-invasive, integrated measure of stress activity throughout the time of feather growth. However, because the mechanism of CORT deposition, storage and stability in feathers is not fully understood, it is unclear how reliable this measure may be, especially when there is an extended interval between growth and feather collection. We compared CORT levels of naturally grown feathers from tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) that were moulted and regrown concurrently and therefore expected to have similar CORT levels. Specifically, we compared …

Determination Of The Gut Retention Of Plastic Microbeads And Microfibers In Goldfish 1 (Carassius Auratus), Stefan Grigorakis, Sherri A. Mason, Ken G. Drouillard

Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research Publications

Microplastics are ubiquitous pollutants in aquatic habitats and commonly found in the gut contents of fish yet relatively little is known about the retention of these particles by fish. In this study, goldfish were fed a commercial fish food pellet amended with 50 particles of one of two microplastics types, microbeads and microfibers. Microbeads were obtained from a commercial facial cleanser while microfibers were obtained from washed synthetic textile. Following consumption of the amended pellet, fish were allowed to feed to satiation on non-amended food followed by fasting for periods ranging from 1.5 h to 6 days. Fish sacrificed at …

Branch Shape, Charles Messing

Character and Character State Guides

No abstract provided.

Global Solutions To Regional Problems: Collecting Global Expertise To Address The Problem Of Harmful Cyanobacterial Blooms. A Lake Erie Case Study, George S. Bullerjahn, Robert M. Mckay, Timothy W. Davis, David B. Baker, Gregory L. Boyer, Lesley V. D'Anglada, Gregory J. Doucette, Jeff C. Ho, Elena G. Irwin, Catherine L. Kling, Raphael M. Kudela, Rainer Kurmayer, Anna M. Michalak, Joseph D. Ortiz, Timothy G. Otten, Hans W. Paerl, Boqiang Qin, Brent L. Sohngen

Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research Publications

In early August 2014, the municipality of Toledo, OH (USA) issued a ‘do not drink’ advisory on their water supply directly affecting over 400,000 residential customers and hundreds of businesses (Wilson, 2014). This order was attributable to levels of microcystin, a potent liver toxin, which rose to 2.5 μg L−1 in finished drinking water. The Toledo crisis afforded an opportunity to bring together scientists from around the world to share ideas regarding factors that contribute to bloom formation and toxigenicity, bloom and toxin detection as well as prevention and remediation of bloom events. These discussions took place at an NSF- …

Refinement Of The Critical Angle Calculation For The Contrast Reversal Of Oil Slicks Under Sunglint, Yingcheng Lu, Shaojie Sun, Minwei Zhang, Brock Murch, Chuanmin Hu

C-IMAGE Publications

It has long been observed that oil slicks under sunglint can reverse their optical contrast against nearby oil‐free seawater. Such a phenomenon has been described through both empirical statistical analysis of the sunglint strength and modeled theoretically using a critical angle concept. The critical angle, in this model, is the angle at which the image pixels show no or negligible contrast between oiled and nonoiled seawater. Pixels away from this critical angle show either positive or negative contrast from the oil‐free pixels. Although this concept has been fully demonstrated in the published literature, its calculation needs to be further refined …

How Did The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Impact Deep-Sea Ecosystems?, Charles R. Fisher, Paul A. Montagna, Tracey Sutton

C-IMAGE Publications

Approximately 90% of the volume of the Gulf of Mexico is contained in water deeper than 200 m, a region where the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) blowout had more impact on ecosystems than any previous oil spill. The remoteness and relative inaccessibility of the deep sea makes documenting even acute impacts to the animals that live in this realm difficult. This article reviews Natural Resource Damage Assessment studies and follow-up work funded as part of the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative that targeted deepwater pelagic and benthic fauna. Oil was incorporated into the pelagic food web, and a reduction in planktonic …

Gulf Of Mexico Low-Frequency Ocean Soundscape Impacted By Airguns, Sean M. Wiggins, Jesse M. Hall, Bruce J. Thayre, John A. Hildebrand

C-IMAGE Publications

The ocean soundscape of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) has not been well-studied, although it is an important habitat for marine mammals, including sperm and beaked whales, many dolphin species, and a potentially endangered baleen whale species. The GOM is also home to high levels of hydrocarbon exploration and extraction, heavily used commercial shipping ports, and significant fishery industry activity, all of which are known contributors to oceanic noise. From 2010–2013, the soundscape of three deep and two shallow water sites in the GOM were monitored over 10 – 1000 Hz. Average sound pressure spectrum levels were high, > 90 dB …

Connecting Rivers For Healthy Ocean Fisheries, Catherine Schmitt

Maine Sea Grant Publications

Across Maine, communities and land owners are reconnecting rivers and streams by improving road crossings, fixing broken culverts, and removing dams and other barriers. There are many reasons for doing this work, including preventing costly repairs associated with flooding and washouts, enhancing water quality, increasing wildlife habitat, and restoring fish populations. Connecting Rivers explores some of the ways that streams connect inland lakes and forests and the sea. This first fact sheet in the series focuses on connections between populations of migratory river fish (alewives and blueback herring) and groundfish (e.g., cod).

Proceedings Of The Us And Canada Scallop Science Summit: St. Andrews, New Brunswick, May 6–8, 2014, Skylar Bayer, Trisha Cheney, Carla Guenther, J. A. Sameoto

Maine Sea Grant Publications

A council of stakeholders ranging from fishermen, to scientists, and fisheries managers from both Canada and the United States convened on May 6, 7, and 8, 2014 in St. Andrews, New Brunswick to review and discuss the most recent scientific information relevant to the sea scallop fisheries and aquaculture efforts in the US and Canada. The US and Canada Scallop Summit aimed to strengthen and broaden the knowledge base in the scallop fisheries, with a focus on the nearshore fisheries in the Gulf of Maine and Bay of Fundy, as well as aquaculture efforts, and develop research priorities that aim …

Rapid Response Plan For Management And Control Of The Chinese Mitten Crab, Northeast United States And Atlantic Canada, A. Eberhardt, J. Pederson, B. Bisson

Maine Sea Grant Publications

The Rapid Response Plan for Management and Control of the Chinese Mitten Crab is intended to guide efforts to mitigate the further introduction and spread of the Chinese mitten crab in the northeastern United States and Canada. Due to the unique challenges of invasive species introductions to marine and coastal ecosystems, the mitten crab and other existing and potential marine invasive species are more difficult and often more costly to manage or control than freshwater aquatic or terrestrial invasive species. These challenges include ecosystem connectivity across vast geographic areas, ocean currents and tidal influence, and shipping- and ballast-related vectors for …

Supplemental Material For Reich 2016, Deborah Robertson, Hannah G. Reich, Gretchen Goodbody-Gringley

Faculty Works

No abstract provided.