Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Commons^™

Regional Ocean-Colour Chlorophyll Algorithms For The Red Sea, Robert J.W. Brewin, Dionysios E. Raitsos, Giorgio Dall'olmo, Nikolaos Zarokanellos, Thomas Jackson, Marie Fanny Racault, Emmanuel S. Boss, Shubha Sathyendranath, Burt H. Jones, Ibrahim Hoteit

Marine Sciences Faculty Scholarship

The Red Sea is a semi-enclosed tropical marine ecosystem that stretches from the Gulf of Suez and Gulf of Aqaba in the north, to the Gulf of Aden in the south. Despite its ecological and economic importance, its biological environment is relatively unexplored. Satellite ocean-colour estimates of chlorophyll concentration (an index of phytoplankton biomass) offer an observational platform to monitor the health of the Red Sea. However, little is known about the optical properties of the region. In this paper, we investigate the optical properties of the Red Sea in the context of satellite ocean-colour estimates of chlorophyll concentration. Making …

Ecological And Biogeographic Null Hypotheses For Comparing Rarefaction Curves, Luis Cayuela, Nicholas J. Gotelli, Robert K. Colwell

College of Arts and Sciences Faculty Publications

The statistical framework of rarefaction curves and asymptotic estimators allows for an effective standardization of biodiversity measures. However, most statistical analyses still consist of point comparisons of diversity estimators for a particular sampling level. We introduce new randomization methods that incorporate sampling variability encompassing the entire length of the rarefaction curve and allow for statistical comparison of i ≥ 2 individual-based, sample-based, or coverage-based rarefaction curves. These methods distinguish between two distinct null hypotheses: the ecological null hypothesis (H0eco) and the biogeographical null hypothesis (H0biog). H0eco states that the i samples were drawn from a single assemblage, and any differences …

Climate Change Resilience And Socioeconomic Impacts Of Mpas And Mpa Networks In The Caribbean - Case Study: Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of The Management Of Mpas And Coastal Zones In The Dominican Republic, Andrea Isabella Vogel

HCNSO Student Capstones

Many Caribbean nations have established MPAs to preserve marine biodiversity and maintain their economically important marine resources. In some Caribbean nations, in particular the Dominican Republic, most MPAs have failed in these respects and have remained “paper parks” due to being modeled along traditional conservation lines without careful consideration of socioeconomic factors, good management practices or increasingly important climate change factors. Successful Caribbean MPAs and MPA networks effectively function as refuges, attractions, sources of socioeconomic development and ecosystem-based climate change resilience mechanisms. The latter is of utmost importance to Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and other larger island developing states …

Probing The Past 30-Year Phenology Trend Of Us Deciduous Forests, X. Yue, N. Unger, Xiaoyang Zhang, C.S. Vogel

GSCE Faculty Publications

Phenology is experiencing dramatic changes over deciduous forests in the USA. Estimates of trends in phenology on the continental scale are uncertain, however, with studies failing to agree on both the magnitude and spatial distribution of trends in spring and autumn. This is due to the sparsity of in situ records, uncertainties associated with remote sensing data, and the regional focus of many studies. It has been suggested that reported trends are a result of recent temperature changes, though multiple processes are thought to be involved and the nature of the temperature forcing remains unknown. To date, no study has …

Assessing Biogeochemical Impacts And Environmental Conditions Associated With Cross-Shelf High Chlorophyll Plumes In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Erin Brooke Jones

Dissertations

The northern Gulf of Mexico is a complex marine system subject to episodic physical phenomena such as loop current eddies. Flow fields generated by these eddies can result in cross-shelf exchanges between riverine influenced shelf waters and the offshore water column. This study considers the impacts of high chlorophyll plumes (HCPs) resulting from cross-shelf exchanges to the bio-optical properties of affected waters and how these plumes are influenced by their environment. The seasonal, interannual and decadal chlorophyll cycles of the Gulf of Mexico and the northern Gulf of Mexico are described to provide context for evaluating the ecological effects of …

Radiocarbon Isotopic Classification Of Deep Tropical Forest Soils, Brooke Butler, Karis J. Mcfarlane, Jennifer Pett-Ridge, Katherine A. Heckman

STAR Program Research Presentations

Tropical forest soils have an important role in global carbon (C) stocks. Small changes in the cycling of C could drastically affect atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations and active cycling of carbon in a forest community. Currently, little is understood of how tropical forest soils will respond to the increasing global temperatures. To examine the effects of warming/ drought on losses of older versus younger soil C pools, we implemented radiocarbon (14C) isotopic characterization of various soil plot samples and depths from the Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico. 14C was measured using Accelerated Mass Spectrometry (AMS) from catalytically condensed carbon …

Participatory Research Workshop On Seasonal Prediction Of Hydroclimatic Extremes In The Greater Horn Of Africa, Tsegaye Tadesse, Deborah Bathke, Nicole Wall, Jacob Petr, Tonya Haigh

Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

Sixty participants, including experts from seven countries from the Greater Horn of Africa (GHA) and project coinvestigators from the United States, met to discuss seasonal prediction of hydroclimatic extremes across the GHA, engage decision-makers in the assessment of information requirements, and use feedback to orient prediction models to address user needs. Perceptions of current climate change impacts in the GHA were assessed using pre- and postworkshop surveys. Participatory research was conducted through small group discussions on water, agriculture, impacts, and data sharing.

Chesapeake Bay Nitrogen Fluxes Derived From A Land-Estuarine Ocean Biogeochemical Modeling System: Model Description, Evaluation, And Nitrogen Budgets, Yang Feng, Marjorie A.M. Friedrichs, John Wilkin, Hanqin Tian, Qichun Yang, Eileen E. Hofmann, Jerry D. Wiggert, Raleigh R. Hood

Faculty Publications

The Chesapeake Bay plays an important role in transforming riverine nutrients before they are exported to the adjacent continental shelf. Although the mean nitrogen budget of the Chesapeake Bay has been previously estimated from observations, uncertainties associated with interannually varying hydrological conditions remain. In this study, a land-estuarine-ocean biogeochemical modeling system is developed to quantify Chesapeake riverine nitrogen inputs, within-estuary nitrogen transformation processes and the ultimate export of nitrogen to the coastal ocean. Model skill was evaluated using extensive in situ and satellite-derived data, and a simulation using environmental conditions for 2001–2005 was conducted to quantify the Chesapeake Bay nitrogen …

Predictability Of Sea Ice Near Bifurcations, Dawn Marie Kopacz

Theses and Dissertations

There is evidence in Earth’s history of relatively stable climate regimes abruptly transitioning to alternative states. It has been argued that the greatest potential for such abrupt transitions in Earth’s system in the near future is located in the Arctic. Here we analyze the Arctic sea ice evolution of two current generation climate models that exhibit critical transitions. We demonstrate the detectability of two early warning signals: increased variance and increased autocorrelation. We introduce another metric that forewarns of abrupt changes in sea ice; a decrease in predictability before the threshold points. Observations of Arctic sea ice extent are searched …

The Distribution Of Dissolved Barium Along The U.S. Geotraces North Atlantic Transect: Impact Of Biogeochemical Processes, Circulation And Phase Association, Karen Renee Grissom

Master's Theses

During the last four decades, since the completion of the GEOSECS program, there has been a growing interest in the biogeochemical cycle of barium (Ba) due to its potential as a proxy for interpreting the geologic record. The typical barium distribution exhibits removal in the upper water column and regeneration at depth, consistent with its classification as a bio-intermediate element and similar to the nutrient-like profiles of silicic acid and alkalinity. To better constrain the uses of Ba, trace element clean samples were collected during the North Atlantic US GEOTRACES cruises.

The cycling of barium in the North Atlantic region …

Time-Series Evaluation Of Suspect Rickettsiales-Like Bacteria Presence In Acropora Cervicornis Off Of Broward County From Years 2001–2012, Steven Di Lauro

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Rickettsiales-like organisms (RLOs) are thought to be related to bacteria in the order Rickettsiales. They have been reported to occur in the staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis), and this study investigated trends of infection over time, and in relation to the health of infected corals. This study focuses on tissue samples taken mostly from visibly healthy A. cervicornis thickets in Broward County, Florida, and processed for histological examination. Samples were originally collected and analyzed to document reproduction during years 2001 through 2012, and tissue loss diseases (white-band disease [WBD] types I and II, and rapid tissue loss). …

A Comparative Evaluation Of Mitigation Wetlands In Broward County, Florida, Using Chironomid (Ditera) Pupal Exuviae: A Potential Technique For Assessing Mitigation Success, Ryan St. George

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Wetland resources in South Florida are regulated at three redundant jurisdictional levels: local or municipal regulations set forth by many independent jurisdictions, State regulations derived directly from Florida Statutes, and Federal regulations promulgated primarily under the Clean Water Act. All three levels of government can have jurisdiction over projects that affect regulated wetland resources, yet inconsistent policies and standards remain and continue to confound regulators despite decades of intensive coordination efforts and a rapidly growing scientific research base. The size of a wetland mitigation area is of primary consideration when evaluating its perceived ecological value, although wetland mitigation areas constructed …

Benthic Invertebrate Communities And Habitat Characterization Of The Pourtalès Terrace, Florida With Analysis Of The Deepwater Coral Habitat Areas Of Particular Concern And The East Hump Marine Protected Area, Jana K. Ash

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The Pourtalès Terrace is a gently curved, narrow triangular platform that parallels the Florida Keys for 213 km running from southern Key Largo to between Key West and the Marquesas Keys. The main Terrace surface begins in 200 m and dips gently to approximately 450 m, where the Pourtalès Escarpment slopes steeply to the deep floor of the southern Straits of Florida. The Terrace platform exhibits a wide variety of Neogene-age geological features, including high-relief ledges, mounds, sinkholes and deep-water biogenic build-ups called bioherms. Previous research revealed dense and diverse benthic assemblages dominated by stylasterid hydrocorals, octocorals and sponges.

Many …

Improving Nocturnal Fire Detection With The Viirs Day-Night Band, Thomas N. Polivka

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

As an important component in the Earth-atmosphere system, wildfires are a serious threat to life and property that—despite improving warning systems—have exacted greater costs in recent years. In addition, they impact global atmospheric chemistry by releasing potent trace gasses and aerosols. Using the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), this study investigates the adjustment of fire pixel selection criteria to include visible light signatures at night, creating the Firelight Detection Algorithm (FILDA). This allows for greatly improved detection of smaller and cooler fires from satellite observations. VIIRS scenes with coincident Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection (ASTER) overpasses are examined …

The Evolution Of Mode-2 Nonlinear Internal Waves Over The Northern Heng-Chun Ridge South Of Taiwan, S.R. Ramp, Y.J. Yang, D.B. Reeder, Maarten C. Buijsman, F.L. Bahr

Faculty Publications

Two research cruises were conducted from the R/V OCEAN RESEARCHER 3 during 05–16 August 2011 to study the generation and propagation of high-frequency nonlinear internal waves (NLIWs) over the northern Heng-Chun Ridge south of Taiwan. The primary study site was on top of a smaller ridge about 15 km wide by 400 m high atop the primary ridge, with a sill depth of approximately 600 m. A single mooring was used in conjunction with shipboard observations to sample the temperature, salinity and velocity structure over the ridge. All the sensors observed a profusion of mode-2 NLIWs. Some of the waves …

The Life Cycle Of Instability Features Measured From The Andes Lidar Observatory Over Cerro Pachon On 24 March 2012, J. H. Hecht, K. Wan, Lynette Gelinas, David Fritts, R. L. Walterscheid, R. J. Rudy, Alan Liu, Steven J. Franke, Fabio Vargas, P. -D. Pautet, Michael Taylor, Gary Swenson,

Publications

The Aerospace Corporation's Nightglow Imager (ANI) observes nighttime OH emission (near 1.6 µm) every 2 s over an approximate 73¬∞ field of view. ANI had previously been used to study instability features seen over Maui. Here we describe observations of instabilities seen from 5 to 8 UT on 24 March 2012 over Cerro Pachon, Chile, and compare them with previous results from Maui, with theory, and with Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS). The atmosphere had reduced stability because of the large negative temperature gradients measured by a Na lidar. Thus, regions of dynamical and convective instabilities are expected to form, depending …

Flooding In The Media, Jeremy Wheeler

July 24, 2015: Communicating Frequent Flooding

No abstract provided.

Communicating Flood Risks, Meg Pittenger

July 24, 2015: Communicating Frequent Flooding

No abstract provided.

From Tidewatch To "Flood Watch", Molly Mitchell

July 24, 2015: Communicating Frequent Flooding

No abstract provided.

Agenda, Hr Adaptation Forum

July 24, 2015: Communicating Frequent Flooding

No abstract provided.