Life Sciences Commons^™

Midwater Fishes And Shrimps As Competitors And Resource Partitioning In Low Latitude Oligotrophic Ecosystems, T. L. Hopkins, Tracey Sutton

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Oligotrophic tropical-subtropical oceanic regimes constitute the largest and most ancient ecosystem on earth, with these enormous areas being characterized by high faunal diversity. The stability and age of the ecosystem have enabled the evolution of many similar species niches where there is considerable overlap in niche parameters such as food and space, resulting in high species packing, especially in the epi- and mesopelagic zones. Competition for limited resources undoubtedly exists and has been described by MacArthur (1972; Geographical ecology, Harper and Row, New York) as diffuse competition where each species is impacted by many other species sharing the environment. Most …

Trophic Diversity Of A Mesopelagic Fish Community., Tracey Sutton, Thomas L. Hopkins, Thomas M. Lancraft

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches, Lectures

To understand the character of prey partitioning in a low latitude oligotrophic region, a composite picture of the trophic structure of a mesopelagic fish community was made from the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Two hundred and twenty three species were collected in the area of which I61 species were abundant enough for analyses. Fifteen major categories of prey biomass are identified for diet analyses: viz. copepods, ostracods, amphipods, euphausiids, decapods, larvaceans, salps, coelenterates (primarily siphonophores), unidentified gelatinous prey, polychaetes, gastropods, cephalopods, chaetognaths, fish, other food. Prey partitioning is minimal across major prey categories as the vast majority of mesopelagic fishes …

Spring 1998, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.

Florida Coral Reef Damage From Nuclear Submarine Grounding And Proposed Restoration, Kenneth Banks, Richard E. Dodge (Editor), Lou Fisher, David K. Stout, Walter Jaap

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

The United States submarine Memphis grounded in approximately 10 m water depth on a tropical coral reef ofT southeast Florida in February, 1993. The grounding caused extensive physical and biological damage to the reef substrate and to the coral community. As part of a claim by the State of Florida against the United States, the impact of the grounding was assessed, and the area of damage was determined through field and photographic studies. A recovery rate for the reef was assigned from literature estimates. The NOAA Habitat Equivalency Model (HEM) was used to calculate the reef area needed to be …

A Near-Surface Microstructure Sensor System Used During Toga Coare. Part I: Bow Measurements., Alexander Soloviev, Roger Lukas, Sharon Decarlo, Jefrey Snyder, A. Arjannikov, Vyacheslav Turenko, M. Baker, Dmitry Khlebnikov

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

High-resolution probes mounted on the bow of the vessel at a 1.7-m depth in an undisturbed region ahead of the moving vessel were used for microstructure and turbulence measurements in the near-surface layer of the ocean during TOGA COARE. The probes measured temperature, conductivity, pressure, three-component fluctuation velocity, and two components of acceleration. Accumulation of large amounts of high-quality nearsurface data poses a difficult challenge, and deployment from the bow of a ship, such as is done with these sensors, requires rugged, well-calibrated, and low-noise sensors. The heaving motion of the ship that causes the sensors to break through the …

Sea Turtle Conservation Program, Broward County, Fl 1998 Report, Curtis M. Burney, William E. Margolis

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

Fall 1998, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.

The Extent And Condition Of Us Coral Reefs, Steven Miller, Steven Miller, Michael Crosby

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

The Occurrence Of Pcbs And Chlorinated Pesticide Contaminants In Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) In A Resident Community: Comparison With Age, Gender And Birth Order, Kathleen M. Kuss

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Tissue samples from twenty bottlenose dolphins from a stable, residential community of coastal dolphins in the western Gulf of Mexico were analyzed for toxic PCB congeners and chlorinated pesticides. The tissues analyzed (blubber and melon) were from known individuals in a long-term (27⁺ y) study that stranded and were recovered for necropsy. Substantial demographic data were available on these individuals and utilized in the analysis of maternal transfer of organochlorines to young.

The male dolphins in this study were shown to accumulate organochlorine contaminants with age. In female dolphins the organochlorine levels were found to decline with age. These …

Variability In Copepod Hatching Success: Observations On Natural Populations And Experiments On The Role Of Maternal Diet, Carol A. Burkart

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The objectives of this study were (1) to survey the percent hatching success of eggs produced by calanoid copepod species from a variety of ecosystems (i.e., polar, temperate, and sub-tropical), (2) to describe the relationship between egg production, hatching success of Acartia tonsa and the physical and food environments of Florida Bay, and (3) to describe the relationships between hatching success and maternal diet. In order to fulfill the first objective, an incubation system was designed to allow the monitoring of eggs at sea for extended periods of time. The second objective was addressed with a series of egg production …

Fall 1998, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.

Winter 1998, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.

Density, Species, And Size Distribution Of Groupers (Serranidae) In Three Habitats At Elbow Reef, Florida Keys, Robert D. Sluka, Mark Chiappone, Kathleen M. Sullivan-Sealey, Thomas A. Potts, Jose M. Levy, Emily F. Schmitt Lavin, Geoff Meester

Biology Faculty Articles

We examined the density, size and species distribution of groupers in three habitats on an inshore-to-offshore transect across Elbow Reef, Florida Keys: high-relief spur-and-groove (4–9 m depth), relict spur-and-groove (10–20 m), and deep fore reef slope (21–30 m). Physical relief was greatest in the high-relief spur-and-groove (up to 3 m), lowest in the relict spur-and-groove habitat (30%). There were significant differences in the density, size, and species distribution of groupers among the three habitats. Graysby, Epinephelus cruentatus, was numerically dominant, constituting 82–91% of individual observed. Black grouper, Mycteroperca bonaci, and Nassau grouper, E. striatus, were more abundant in high to …

Comparison Of Grouper Assemblages In Northern Areas Of The Wider Caribbean: A Preliminary Assessment, Emily F. Schmitt Lavin, Robert D. Sluka, Kathleen M. Sullivan-Sealey

Biology Faculty Articles

Groupers (Pisces: Serranidae) are important top-level predators in wider Caribbean, but have experienced significant exploitation, resulting in declines in abundance, size, spawning aggregations, and changes in species composition. Larger groupers are particularly vulnerable to intense fishing because of their longevity, slow growth, delayed reproduction, and aggregate spawning. Marine fishery reserves (MFR), areas permanently closed to consumptive use, offer a viable means to protect grouper resources. This study reports on fishery-independent surveys of groupers in four regions of the tropical western Atlantic during 1995 - 1997: Florida Keys, central Bahamas, southeastern Cuba, and Dominican Republic. The regions surveyed included two national …

Reef Fish Assemblages And Fisheries In Parque Nacional Del Este, Dominican Republic, Emily F. Schmitt Lavin, Mark Chiappone, Kathleen M. Sullivan-Sealey, F. X. Geraldes, E. Pugibet, Robert D. Sluka, R. E. Torres, M. Vega, Y. Rodriguez, J. L. Alarcon, Y. Lictensztain, G. Bustamante

Biology Faculty Articles

Parque National del Este is the second largest protected area in the Dominican Republic, comprising 110 km2 of terrestrial habitats located in the southeastern Dominican Republic. Established in 1975, the park delineation did not include the adjacent marine area, despite its long history of commercial fisheries. Since 1994, several U.S. and Dominican partner organizations have conducted scientific investigations of the marine resources of the area. This paper provides data on the status of snapper and groupers reef assemblages and finfish fisheriescollected during 1995 1997. Methods used in the study included: 1) visual transects (20 m x 5 m) of predatory …

Port Everglades Macroinvertebrate Monitoring: Monitoring Of Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assemblages At The Southport Turning Basin And Adjacent Areas Of John U. Lloyd State Recreation Area: Final Report, Charles G. Messing, Richard E. Dodge

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

Monitoring of benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages in the vicinity of Port Everglades Southport began in September 1988 in anticipation of dredging of the Southport Turning Notch and concomitant mitigation of mangrove habitats at adjacent areas of John U. Lloyd State Recreation Area. Twice-yearly surveys were carried out from September 1988 to January 1991 by Sheldon Dobkin (Florida Atlantic University), and subsequently, from August 1991 to January 1997, under the supervision of Charles G. Messing and Richard E. Dodge (Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center). From 1990 onward, surveyed sites consisted of 11 Ponar grab stations, 11 mangrove crab census stations, and three …

Use Of Fluorescence Microscopy In An Assay Of Sperm Density For The Gorgonian Coral, Plexaura Kuna, Timothy D. Swain, K. Kim, H. R. Lasker

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches, Lectures

The density of sperm in the water column during the broadcast spawning events of marine invertebrates is often undetermined or reported in terms of fertilization potential. The density of sperm during such events can be determined by directly counting numbers of spermatozoa using a modification of the acridine orange direct count (AODC) technique for enumerating bacteria. A number of variables in the handling and processing of samples may bias estimates. Sample collection in glass and rapid fixation and filtration are necessary for reproducible estimates. Once filtered, samples are stable for many months, and counts on filters that were poorly stained …

Observation Of Large Diurnal Warming Events In The Near-Surface Layer Of The Western Equatorial Pacific Warm Pool, Alexander Soloviev, Roger Lukas

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Because of the relatively calm winds which prevail over the western Pacific warm pool, the diurnal cycle of temperature in the near-surface layer of the ocean is often quite pronounced. During the TOGA Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment (COARE), very high resolution measurements of near-surface thermohaline and turbulence structures were made using bowmounted probes and a free-rising profiler. Experimental data demonstrate a strong dependence of near-surface thermal structure on weather conditions, In calm weather, SST was observed to exceed 33.25°C; this was associated with a diurnal warming of more than 3°C in the top I m of the ocean. A 1-D …

Sharp Frontal Interfaces In The Near-Surface Layer Of The Ocean In The Western Equatorial Pacific Warm Pool, Alexander Soloviev, Roger Lukas

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

During the TOGA COARE rich horizontal temperature and salinity variability of the near-surface layer of the ocean in the western Pacific warm pool was observed. High-resolution measurements were made by probes mounted on the bow of the vessel in an undisturbed region at ~1.7-m depth during four COARE cruises of the R/V Moana Wave. The authors observed several tens of cases of periodic sharp frontal interfaces of width 1– 100 m and separation 0.2–60 km. The sharp frontal interfaces were often found in frontal regions and on the periphery of freshwater puddles. Maneuvers of the ship were conducted to determine …

Port Everglades Macroinvertebrate Monitoring: Monitoring Of Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assemblages At The Southport Turning Basin And Adjacent Areas Of John U. Lloyd State Recreation Area: August 1996 (Including A Summary Of Previous Survey Results, 1991-1996), Charles G. Messing, Richard E. Dodge

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

This report documents the August 1996 monitoring of benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages in the Port Everglades Southport turning basin vicinity and adjacent areas of John U. Lloyd State Recreation Area. This is the eleventh monitoring effort of the series carried out by Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center. Samples were taken chiefly during the first two weeks of August although some sampling of crab stations was delayed until late September/early October.

Coastal Circulations Driven By River Outflow, Shuliang Zhang

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Variable-density, 1^1/2- and 2^1/2- layer models are used to examine the behavior of plumes resulting from a fresher outflow of transport M_r and salinity S_r into a pre-existing oceanic layer of initial thickness H₁ and salinity S₁. It is found that the plumes exhibit a variety of features depending on conditions of the outflow, the situation of the ambient ocean, and external forcing. Perhaps the most interesting feature is that the plume can flow along the upstream (to the left of the river mouth, looking seaward in the northern hemisphere) coast …

Isotope Ratio Studies Of Marine Mammals In Prince William Sound, Donald M. Schell, Amy Hirons

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

This project consists of two components: (1) provision of analytical services for the stable isotope ratio investigations associated with Exxon Valdez oil spill projects, and (2) an investigation of food web relationships and trophic interactions of harbor seals and other top consumers of Prince William Sound (PWS). Through the use of harbor seal tissues collected from native harvested animals and tagging programs, seasonal and migrational information has been obtained with regard to prey utilization and trophic status at differing locations within the sound and the adjacent Gulf of Alaska. Preliminary results indicate that within PWS, harbor seals fall at the …

Effects Of Ghost Crab (Ocypode Quadrata) Invasion On Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta Caretta) Nests At Hillsboro Beach, Florida, Terri S. Schmidt, Curtis M. Burney

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches, Lectures

No abstract provided.

Sea Turtle Conservation Program, Broward County, Fl 1997 Report, Curtis M. Burney, William E. Margolis

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

Since 1978, the Broward County Environmental Protection Department (BCEPD) has provided for the conservation of endangered and threatened sea turtle species within its area of responsibility. Broward County is within the normal nesting areas of three species of sea turtles: the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) and the leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). The loggerhead is listed as a threatened species, while the green and leatherback are listed as endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, 1973, and Chapter 370, F.S.

Since these statutes strictly forbid any disturbance …

Climate Records In Coral Skeletons, Peter K. Swart, Richard E. Dodge

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches, Lectures

No abstract provided.

Barium Chronologies From South Florida Reef Corals - Environmental Implications, D. Anderegg, Richard E. Dodge, Peter K. Swart, L. Fisher

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches, Lectures

Benthic algal blooms (e.g., Codium isthmocladum) have become increasingly common on reefs and hardgrounds of Southeast Florida. The contribution from possible responsible nutrient sources, including natural upwelling and local pollution, has not been quantified. In an attempt to differentiate each potential source, lattice-bound barium concentrations in the skeletons of two common Southeast Florida stony coral species (Montastraea faveolata and Solenastrea bournoni) were measured by isotope dilution inductively coupled mass spectrometry (ICP/MS). Specimens were collected offshore between 26˚01'-57'N at shallow (10m) and deep (20m) reefs. X-rays of skeletal slabs revealed annual density bands which guided annual and subannual …

Fall 1997, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.

Winter 1997, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.

Summer 1997, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.

Spring 1997, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.