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The Texture Of Surficial Sediments In Western Long Island Sound Off The Norwalk Islands, Connecticut, Roman Zajac, Larry J. Poppe, B. B. Taylor, Dann Blackwood, A. E. Harmon

Biology and Environmental Science Faculty Publications

Grain-size analyses were performed on 69 samples from western Long Island Sound. The relative grain-size frequency distributions and related statistics are reported herein. Descriptions of the benthic character from video tapes and still camera photographs of the bottom at these stations, and 33 others, are also presented. The southern and eastern parts of the study area are dominated by poorly sorted clayey silts that have nearly symmetrical distributions. Gravelly sediments are prevalent in the shallow northwestern part of the study area, but are also present in central part of the study area. Bands of sand, silty sand, and sand-silt-clay occur …

Spring 1996, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.

Historic Trends In The Secchi Disk Transparency Of Lake Pontchartrain, J.C. Francis, M.A. Poirrier, D.E. Barbe, V. Wijesundera, M.M. Mulino

Gulf and Caribbean Research

A major environmental concern about Lake Pontchartrain is an assumed long-term increase in turbidity based on Secchi disk transparency observations. Regression of the available data on Secchi disk transparency versus time (1953 through 1990) reveals a statistically significant decrease in transparency of about 40%. However, the data set is biased in that it does not adequately represent the seasonal effects of salinity and wind speed. Two analytical procedures were undertaken to determine the extent to which the apparent long-term decrease in transparency was dependent on the seasonal bias. One procedure involved seasonal adjustment of the data for the effects of …

Chesapeake Bay Phytoplankton: I. Composition, Harold G. Marshall

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

A list of 708 Phytoplankton taxa from 10 algal divisions has been compiled for the Chesapeake Bay and is based on the analysis of 2384 water samples over three decades of study.

Remote Detection Of Coral 'Bleaching' Using Pulsed-Laser Fluorescence Spectroscopy, J. T. Hardy, F. E. Hoge, J. K. Yungel, Richard E. Dodge

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Despite their biological and economic importance coral reefs are increasingly threatened by human activities. Recently, 'bleaching' of reefs, i.e. loss of photosynthetic pigmentation, has occurred at numerous globally-distributed sites. A number of environmental stressors, including increased water temperature, can induce bleaching. Several investigators have suggested that the widespread occurrence of coral bleaching represents an early warning signal of global greenhouse warming. Regardless of the cause, the extent of coral bleaching, both regionally and globally, needs to be documented and monitored. We conducted laboratory studies to evaluate the potential of using remotely-sensed laser-induced fluorescence to monitor coral pigmentation. Five species of …

Effects Of A Dispersed And Undispersed Crude Oil On Mangroves, Seagrasses And Corals, T. G. Ballou, Richard E. Dodge, S. C. Hess, A. H. Knap, Thomas D. Sleeter

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the application of dispersant to spilled oil as a means of reducing adverse environmental effects of oil spills in nearshore, tropical waters. The results of numerous laboratory and field studies have suggested that dispersants may play a useful role in reducing adverse impacts on sensitive and valued environments such as mangroves, seagrasses, and corals. However, the use of dispersants has not been allowed thus far in most situations because of a lack of direct experimental data on the various effects of dispersants and the environmental trade-offs presumed to occur as a …

Tropical Oil Pollution Investigations In Coastal Systems (Tropics): Final Report, T. G. Ballou, Richard E. Dodge, S. C. Hess, A. H. Knap, T. D. Sleeter

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

Autecology Of The Black Needlerush Juncus Roemerianus, Lionel N. Eleuterius

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Juncus roemerianus generally occupies the upper half of the intertidal plane and covers about 92% or 25,000 hectares of marsh in Mississippi. The vegetative canopy is best described as a series of disjunct and intergrading populations. Considerable phenotypic variation and differences in standing crop exist between populations. J. roemerianus has very wide environmental tolerances in comparison to all other tidal marsh angiosperms. Soil types inhabited by the rush range from very sandy to highly organic muds and peats, which may vary in the concentration of nutrient elements (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium). Neither soil type, nutrient concentration, water content, pH nor …

Comments On Density Inversions In Marine Shallow Waters And Beyond, Gordon Gunter, Forrest V. Durand

Gulf and Caribbean Research

It has been shown within the past 70 years that salinity and thus density inversions are often detectible in shallow bays and estuaries. This terminology means that surface salinities are sometimes higher than those at lower depths. The first such discoveries in this country were made by Sumner, Louderback, Schmitt and Johnston (1914) in San Francisco Bay. They used Negetti-Zambta reversing thermometers for temperature and silver nitrate titration for salinity determination. These were by then considered to be classical methods and had been worked out in northern Europe, mostly in Scandinavia. They were introduced to the United States Gulf Coast …

Effects Of Saltwater Intrusion From The Inner Harbor Navigation Canal On The Benthos Of Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, Jane A. Junot, Michael A. Poirrier, Thomas M. Soniat

Gulf and Caribbean Research

A study of the benthos of southern Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, was conducted from July 1976 to July 1978. Seven offshore stations and three stations in the New Orleans Marina complex were sampled seasonally. Offshore stations formed a transect from the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway to the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal (I.H.N.C.). A west to east gradient of increasing salinity and salinity stratification was evident.

Faunal differences among stations were assessed using indices of diversity, biological dominance, pollution, and station homogeneity. The fauna of the marina stations had a low species diversity and was dominated by annelids, indicative of a stressed environment. …

Occurrence And Seasonality Of Perkinsus Marinus (Protozoa: Apicomplexa) In Mississippi Oysters, John Ogle, Katherine Flurry

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Oysters from four reefs in Mississippi Sound, sampled over a period of 25 months, were found to have a low prevalence of the protozoan parasite Perkinsus marinus. The greatest values were 80% prevalence, and 0.88 weighted incidence recorded for oysters from Biloxi Bay, Mississippi.

A Partial Bibliography Of Cyprinodon Variegatus (Osteichthyes: Cyprinodontidae), David A. Bengtson

Gulf and Caribbean Research

A partial bibliography of the sheepshead minnow Cyprinodon variegatus Lacépède, 1803, is presented. Scientific works related to systematics and general biology are listed along with references to recent work involving toxicological bioassays. An extensive search of the literature on parasites of C. variegatus was not conducted.

Fisheries Report No 38 - The Shark Bay Prawn Fishery (1970 - 1976), J. W. Penn, R. W. Stalker

Fisheries Research Reports

The existence of prawn stocks in Shark Bay, Western Australia, has been known since 1904 when the sailing ketch "Rip" on charter to the Western Australian Government, trawled large quantities of prawns from the area between Bernier Island and the mainland, Gale (1905). Although the Fisheries research vessel "Lancelin" trawled potentially commercial quantities of prawns from Shark Bay in the early 1950's, it was not until 1962 that a regular fishery was begun.

Today the prawn stocks of Shark Bay support Western Australia's largest and most consistent prawn fishery, having an annual production currently exceeding 2 000 tonnes. The catch …

Macrobenthos Of Simmons Bayou And An Adjoining Residential Canal, James T. Mcbee, Walter T. Brehm

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Species composition, abundance and seasonal variations of benthic macroinvertebrates in Simmons Bayou, Mississippi, and an adjoining dead-end canal were investigated from July 1976 through June 1977. Cluster analysis of the data summed over five stations indicated four major time periods: July, August-November, December-February, and March-June. Polychaetes and oligochaetes were most abundant in the winter and spring, amphipods in the summer, and chironomids in the spring. Temporal changes in abundance of polychaetes, oligochaetes, and chironomids appeared to reflect seasonal reproductive cycles. The peak in amphipod density corresponded with dense growths of Ruppia maritima. Within the dead-end canal, poor water quality …

Notes On The Genus Probythinella Thiele, 1928 (Gastropoda: Hydrobiidae) In The Coastal Waters Of The Northern Gulf Of Mexico And The Taxonomic Status Of Vioscalba Louisianae Morrison, 1965, Richard W. Heard

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The gastropod genus Probythinella Thiele, 1928, is considered a senior synonym of Vioscalba Morrison, 1965. Probythinella louisianae (Morrison, 1965) n. comb. tentatively is recognized as a valid species distinct from the closely related P. lacustris (Baker, 1928) and P. protera Pilsbry, 1953. The eastern range of P. louisianae is extended to Mobile Bay, Alabama. Limited observations on the habitat and reproduction of P. louisianae are reported.

Effects Of 1973 Floodwaters On Plankton Populations In Louisiana And Mississippi, Suzanne R. Hawes, Harriet M. Perry

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Studies to assess the impact of floodwater diversion on plankton populations in coastal waters of Mississippi and Louisiana were conducted from 23 April 1973 through 13 July 1973. Fixed stations in Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Borgne and western Mississippi Sound were sampled once in April, twice in May and June, and once in July. Stations in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana were visited once in May, June and July.

Data are presented on changes in the species composition of zooplankton subsequent to the opening of the Bonnet Card and Morganza floodways. The hydrographic conditions at the time of sampling are discussed.

The Effect Of Depth On Survival And Growth Of Oysters In Suspension Culture From A Petroleum Platform Off The Texas Coast, John Ogle, Sammy M. Ray, W.J. Wardle

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The effect of depth on oysters in suspension culture from a petroleum platform off the Texas coast was monitored for 20 months. Growth and condition was similar for adult oysters cultured at five levels down to 8 m. Oysters had a growth rate of 1.2 mm (level 3) to 1.4 mm (level 1) per month,representing an increase in length of 94% to 150% for the 20 months. The condition was best in June 1973 after five months placement offshore (condition index of 14.8, 15.5, 14.7, 13.5 and 13.2 for levels 1 through 5, respectively). The condition was lowest in June …

Seasonal Composition Of Zooplankton Of Lower Chesapeake Bay And Virginia Coastal Waters, Elizabeth W. Atkinson

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Abstract unavailable.

Some Effects Of Hurricanes On The Terrestrial Biota, With Special Reference To Camille, Gordon Gunter, Lionel N. Eleuterius

Gulf and Caribbean Research

There have been very few articles concerning the effects of hurricanes upon marine and shore organisms. Some effects on fishes have been described by Hubbs (1962) and in that paper he reviewed some of the previous references.

Information on animals killed or injured by hurricanes is scarce because potential observers in areas where they strike are generally more concerned with practical personal matters than biological studies right after a bad storm. The senior author has been in or very close to seven West India hurricanes as they came ashore. Each time he was somewhat forewarned and had determined to make …

A Supplement To The Fauna And Flora Of Horn Island, Mississippi, E. Avery Richmond

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Since the publication of “The Fauna and Flora of Horn Island, Mississippi’’ (Richmond 1962) search for unrecorded species present on this island, or in the waters surrounding it, has been continuing by myself and others. The premise that all of the plants and animals living in a given area can never be located completely is naturally well-founded. However, it seems advisable to continue the search for unlisted species of Horn Island.

Many unrecorded specimens have been collected and it seems proper at this time to make a supplementary list available to the public, particularly those interested in fields of science …

Diurnal Distribution Of Phytoplankton From A Single Station At The Mouth Of The James River, Harold G. Marshall

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Eight sets of water samples were taken to a depth of 36 ft. during a 24-hr. period. A homogeneity was found in the vertical distribution of the total phytoplankton in samples from 7 of the 8 hydro-casts. Skeletonema costatum and Asterionella japonica were the most numerous phytoplankters in every sample, with the majority of their counts each exceeding 500, 000 cells per liter.

Oyster Abundance In Apalachicola Bay, Florida In Relation To Biotic Associations Influenced By Salinity And Other Factors, R.W. Menzel, N.C. Hulings, R.R. Hathaway

Gulf and Caribbean Research

From June 1955 through May 1957, stations on three oyster reefs were sampled quantitatively at intervals and all oysters and associated macroscopic organisms were recorded per unit area. Station I was a privately leased “natural” reef, consisting of higher places exposed at low water, with a salinity range of 22.7-36.6 o/oo and was fairly productive. Station II, depth ca. two meters, was the least saline, range 1.2-29.3 o/oo, and was considered very productive for natural reef. Station III, depth one meter, salinity range 7.5-35.7 o/oo, was depleted although there was an abundant spatfall.

Depth and bottom types as well as …

The Distribution Of Phytoplankton Along A 140 Mile Transect In The Chesapeake Bay, Harold G. Marshall

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The composition of phytoplankton progressively changed in the surface samples taken between Norfolk, Virginia and Cambridge, Maryland. These was an inverse relationship between the numbers of phytoplankters and zooplankters in the transect samples. Vertical stratification of the plankton was studied at two 24-hr, stations at the Great Wicomlco and Patuxent Rivers. The vertical centers of zooplankton and phytoplankton populations fluctuated over the study period and evidence is given to support a grazing phenomenon. Large concentrations of nannoplankters were found in all the plankton samples taken and is attributed to the collection procedure using the Van Dorn sampler.

A Seasonal Ecological Study Of Foraminifera From Timbalier Bay, Louisiana, Robert P. Waldron

Gulf and Caribbean Research

This study concerns the ecological habits of living Foraminifera from a shallow Louisiana coastal bay during a period of ten months. It is a part of an extensive study undertaken by the Coastal Studies Institute of Louisiana State University to determine the effect of chemical and physical properties of water upon marine life in a large, open bay over an extended period of time. Samples were collected monthly from established locations for the chemical, biological and foraminiferal determinations. Results of the chemical and biological studies will be published by the respective investigators in subsequent papers.

The period of time covered …

Biological Investigations Of The St. Lucie Estuary (Florida) In Connection With Lake Okeechobee Discharges Through The St. Lucie Canal, Gordon Gunter, Gordon E. Hall

Gulf and Caribbean Research

A survey of the turbidity, salinity and sediment effects of St. Lucie Canal discharge into the St. Lucie Estuary was authorized by the Chief of Engineers on May 9, 1955. Expansion of that program to include the work of the present biological investigation was authorized by the Chief of Engineers on June 12, 1956.

The scope and purpose of this biological work was to: (a) review the history of the St. Lucie Canal and analyze the problems concerned with discharges of fresh water into the St. Lucie Estuary: (b) present biological data from a 2-year investigation of estuarine conditions, January …