Life Sciences Commons^™

First Report Of The Mayan Cichlid, Cichlasoma Urophthalmus (Günther 1862) Collected In The Southern Littoral Zone Of Lake Okeechobee, Florida, Wilfredo A. Matamoros, Keith D. Chin, Bruce Sharfstein

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Here we report the collection of five juvenile Mayan cichlids in Lake Okeechobee, a large, shallow subtropical lake (26°60'N, 80°50'W). These specimens were collected on 4 and 10 November 2003 in the southern littoral zone of Lake Okeechobee at a site off the southwest tip of Torry Island (26°42'N, 80°44'W). The lake stage of this densely vegetated area is highly variable. Nico (in press) reported a single collection of 16 juvenile Mayan cichlids in 2001 from a backwater area in the rim-canal along the NE portion of Lake Okeechobee; an area that is hydrologically isolated from the lake proper, except …

Trophic Relationships Of Demersal Fishes In The Shrimping Zone Off Alvarado Lagoon, Veracruz, Mexico, Edgar Pelaez-Rodriguez, Jonathan Franco-Lopez, Wilfredo A. Matamoros, Rafael Chavez-Lopez, Nancy J. Brown-Peterson

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The diet of demersal piscivorous fishes captured as bycatch of the commercial shrimping fleet off the Alvarado lagoonal system, Veracruz, Mexico, was studied. Nine collections distributed throughout the nortes (windy), wet, and dry seasons were made from November 1993 to January 1995. Sampling yielded a total of 646 fishes representing 10 families and 14 species, of which 44.9% had empty digestive tracts and were excluded from analysis. Trichiurus lepturus and Synodus foetens were the most abundant demersal predators in the collections. Differences in food consumption of the 7 most abundant predators were observed among the 3 seasons, with the greatest …

Arrival Timing And Seasonal Reproductive Performance In A Long-Distance Migratory Landbird, Robert J. Smith, Frank R. Moore

Faculty Publications

The date when a landbird migrant arrives on its breeding grounds may have reproductive consequences. Generally, early arriving individuals begin breeding earlier and consequently experience greater seasonal reproductive performance. Here, we describe relationships between arrival timing and seasonal reproductive performance in the American redstart (Setophaga ruticilla), a long-distance passerine migrant, arriving at northerly breeding grounds in Michigan’s eastern Upper Peninsula. Evidence suggests that both males and females benefited from early arrival at the breeding grounds. Early males appeared to settle on higher quality territories and hatched nestlings sooner than later arrivals. Early females began their clutches early, produced …

Argulus Yucatanus N. Sp. (Crustacea: Branchiura) Parasitic On Cichlasoma Urophthalmus From Yucatan, Mexico, William J. Poly

Gulf and Caribbean Research

A new species, Argulus yucatanus, is described based on 14 specimens from Cichlasoma urophthalmus collected in Celestun Lagoon, Yucatan, Mexico. Diagnostic characters include the number of and shape of sclerites in the suction cup support rods, shape of and position of respiratory areas, and modifications on the legs of males. In males, the coxae of the 2nd legs bear an angular lobe with 5–7 erect scales and 13–21 sensilla. The new species is compared to Argulus funduli Krøyer, 1863, A. chromidis Krøyer, 1863, A. cubensis Wilson, 1936, A. rhamdiae Wilson, 1936, and A. varians Bere, 1936.

Manatee Occurrence In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, West Of Florida, D. Fertl, A.J. Schiro, G.T. Regan, C.A. Beck, N. Adimey, L. Price-May, A. Amos, G.A.J. Worthy, R. Crossland

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Reports of West Indian manatees (Trichechus manatus) in the US Gulf of Mexico west of Florida have increased during the last decade. We reviewed all available manatee sighting, capture, and carcass records (n = 377) from Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas since the early 1900s; only 40 of these were previously published. Manatees were reported most often in estuarine habitats, usually either near a freshwater source or natural or industrial warm-water springs/runoffs during winter months. The recent increase in manatee records may be due to a combination of increased public awareness and dispersal of manatees, most likely seasonal …

Selected Life-History Observations On The Cayman Gambusia, Gambusia Xanthosoma Greenfield, 1983 (Poeciliidae), Michael A. Abney, Richard W. Heard, Chet F. Rakocinski

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The Cayman gambusia (Gambusia xanthosoma Greenfield, 1983) is an uncommon species within the G. punctata species group, endemic to North Sound, Grand Cayman Island, BWI. Since the original description (Greenfield 1983) only phylogenetic information has been published and little is known of its habitat, feeding ecology, or reproductive life history (Wildrick and Greenfield 1985, Rauchenberger 1988). Originally described from a brackish-water (30 psu) mosquito control ditch, the species also occurred throughout marine mangrove habitat and inland saline ponds adjacent to North Sound, Grand Cayman Island. Here we present information on the habitat, diet, reproduction, life history, and parasites of …

Ecology Of The Mayan Cichlid, Cichlasoma Urophthalmus Günther, In The Alvarado Lagoonal System, Veracruz, Mexico, Rafael Chavez-Lopez, Mark S. Peterson, Nancy J. Brown-Peterson, Ana Adalia Morales-Gomez, Jonathan Franco-Lopez

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The Mayan cichlid, Cichlasoma urophthalmus, has a wide distribution in southeastern Mexico where it inhabits rivers and coastal lagoons. In the Alvarado lagoonal system, Veracruz, it is distributed towards the north in Camaronera Lagoon. The Mayan cichlid shows an affinity for oligohaline to mesohaline sites with submerged vegetation, well-oxygenated, deep, and transparent water. The major abundance and biomass of this species was obtained during December to February. The diet of Mayan cichlids consists principally of plant detrital material and algae. Length-frequency distribution shows 2 size classes during both the dry and rainy seasons, corresponding to reproductive fish and young …

Seasonal And Spatial Patterns In Salinity, Nutrients, And Chlorophyll Α In The Alvarado Lagoonal System, Veracruz, Mexico, Angel Moran-Silva, Luis Antonio Martinez Franco, Rafael Chavez-Lopez, Jonathan Franco-Lopez, Carlos M. Bedia-Sanchez, Francisco Contreras Espinosa, Francisco Gutierrez Mendieta, Nancy J. Brown-Peterson, Mark S. Peterson

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Ten monthly collections, distributed among three seasons, were taken from July 2000 to June 2001 in the Alvarado lagoonal system, Veracruz, Mexico. Variables measured in situ included dissolved oxygen, salinity, and water temperature. Water samples were collected to determine concentrations of ammonium, nitrates, nitrites, orthophosphates, total phosphorus and chlorophyll α. Collections representing the rainy season were taken in September and October, those for the nortes season were taken in November, December, and January, and dry season collections were taken during February, March, May June, and July. There was seasonal and spatial variation in nutrient concentrations, and they were related to …

Long-Term Fish Assemblage Dynamics Of The Alvarado Lagoon Estuary, Veracruz, Mexico, Rafael Chavez-Lopez, Jonathan Franco-Lopez, Angel Moran-Silva, Martin T. O'Connell

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The fish assemblages of Alvarado Lagoon Estuary (a complex of coastal lagoons in the state of Veracruz, Mexico) have been surveyed intermittently by different researchers over the last 40 years. Assessing longterm trends in fish assemblage composition for this ecosystem is problematic due to differences in sampling efforts among the survey periods (1966–1968, 1987–1988, 1989, 1989–1990, 1990–1991 and 2000–2001) and by the inherent ecological variability of estuaries. To overcome these data limitations and better understand fish assemblage change over time, we used robust, simulation-based analyses to compare collections from the different surveys. The 107 fish species collected from the Alvarado …

Incremental Genetic K-Means Algorithm And Its Application In Gene Expression Data Analysis, Yi Lu, Shiyong Lu, Farhad Fotouhi, Youping Deng, Susan J. Brown

Faculty Publications

Background

In recent years, clustering algorithms have been effectively applied in molecular biology for gene expression data analysis. With the help of clustering algorithms such as K-means, hierarchical clustering, SOM, etc, genes are partitioned into groups based on the similarity between their expression profiles. In this way, functionally related genes are identified. As the amount of laboratory data in molecular biology grows exponentially each year due to advanced technologies such as Microarray, new efficient and effective methods for clustering must be developed to process this growing amount of biological data.

Results

In this paper, we propose a new clustering algorithm, …

Spring Phytoplankton Photosynthesis, Growth, And Primary Production And Relationships To A Recurrent Coastal Sediment Plume And River Inputs In Southeastern Lake Michigan, Steven E. Lohrenz, Gary L. Fahnenstiel, David F. Millie, Oscar M.E. Schofield, Tom Johengon

Faculty Publications

[1] A recurrent coastal sediment plume (RCP) is an episodic event in the southern basin of Lake Michigan that typically coincides with the spring diatom bloom. Strong winter storm activity during El Nino conditions in 1998 resulted in a large and intense RCP event. Consistently higher values of the light-saturated rate of photosynthesis, P-max(B), were observed in spring 1998 compared to 1999 and 2000. Higher values of P-max(B) in 1998 appeared to be related to increased availability of phosphorus, as evidenced by significant correlations of P-max(B) with soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP). Light-saturated growth rates were also significantly correlated with SRP …

On The Approximation Of The Coriolis Terms In C-Grid Models, Dmitri A. Nechaev, Max Yaremchuk

Faculty Publications

A new representation of the Coriolis terms on the Arakawa C grid is proposed. The approximation dumps the grid-scale noise that arises because of spatial averaging of the Coriolis terms when the grid spacing is larger than the deformation radius. The proposed approximation can also be applied in C-grid schemes with semi-implicit treatment of the Coriolis terms. The new scheme is analyzed in the context of the linear inertial-gravity waves and its advantageous behavior is demonstrated with respect to the conventional technique.

Rationale For A New Generation Of Indicators For Coastal Waters, Gerald Niemi, Denice Wardrop, Robert Brooks, Susan Anderson, Valerie Brady, Hans Paerl, Chet Rakocinski, Marius Brouwer, Barbara Levinson, Michael Mcdonald

Faculty Publications

More than half the world'S human population lives within 100 km of the coast, and that number is expected to increase by 25% over the next two decades. Consequently, coastal ecosystems are at serious risk. Larger coastal populations and increasing development have led to increased loading of toxic substances, nutrients and pathogens with subsequent algal blooms, hypoxia, beach closures, and damage to coastal fisheries. Recent climate change has led to the rise in sea level with loss of coastal wetlands and saltwater intrusion into coastal aquifers. Coastal resources have traditionally been monitored on a stressor-by-stressor basis such as for nutrient …

Impacts Of A Recurrent Resuspension Event And Variable Phytoplankton Community Composition On Remote Sensing Reflectance, Trisha Bergmann, Gary Fahnenstiel, Steven Lohrenz, David Millie, Oscar Schofield

Faculty Publications

In order to characterize the impact of turbidity plumes on optical and biological dynamics, a suite of environmental parameters were measured in southern Lake Michigan during the springtime recurrent sediment plume. In-water measurements of inherent optical properties (IOPs) were entered into the Hydrolight 4.2 radiative transfer model and the output was compared with measured apparent optical properties (AOPs) across a wide range of optical conditions. Hydrolight output and measured underwater light fields were then used to clarify the effects of the sediment plume on primary production, phytoplankton community composition, and nearshore remote sensing ocean color algorithms. Our results show that …

Decadal Variability Of Circulation In The Arctic Ocean Retrieved From Climatological Data By A Variational Method, Dmitri A. Nechaev, Max Yaremchuk, Motoyoshi Ikeda

Faculty Publications

[1] An inverse 3D finite-element ocean circulation model has been designed and used to study variability of the Arctic Ocean circulation in the last 4 decades. We obtained stationary model solutions with the temperature and salinity fields close to the ones given by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) [1998] atlas. Transports at the open boundaries, wind forcing and hydrographic fields are treated as unknowns, which are varied to minimize a quadratic cost function subject to model constraints. The inverse problem is solved for 10 gridded hydrographic data sets that were obtained as winter and summer averages of EWG data over …

Translocation As A Strategy To Rehabilitate The Queen Conch (Strombus Gigas) Population In The Florida Keys, Gabriel A. Delgado, Claudine T. Bartels, Robert A. Glazer, Nancy J. Brown-Peterson, Kevin J. Mccarthy

Faculty Publications

Queen conch (Strombus gigas) stocks in the Florida Keys once supported commercial and recreational fisheries, but overharvesting has decimated this once abundant snail. Despite a ban on harvesting this species since 1985, the local conch population has not recovered. In addition, previous work has reported that conch located in nearshore Keys waters are incapable of spawning because of poor gonadal condition, although reproduction does occur offshore. Queen conch in other areas undergo ontogenetic migrations from shallow, nearshore sites to offshore habitats, but conch in the Florida Keys are prevented from doing so by Hawk Channel. The present study was initiated …

A New Method For Estimation Of The Sensible Heat Flux Under Unstable Conditions Using Satellite Vector Winds, Jiayi Pan, Xiao-Hai Yan, Young-Heon Jo, Quanan Zheng, W. Timothy Liu

Faculty Publications

It has been difficult to estimate the sensible heat flux at the air - sea interface using satellite data because of the difficulty in remotely observing the sea level air temperature. In this study, a new method is developed for estimating the sensible heat flux using satellite observations under unstable conditions. The basic idea of the method is that the air - sea temperature difference is related to the atmospheric convergence. Employed data include the wind convergence, sea level humidity, and sea surface temperature. These parameters can be derived from the satellite wind vectors, Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) precipitable …

Seasonal Use Of Bridges By Rafinesque's Big-Eared Bat, Corynorhinus Rafinesquii, In Southern Mississippi, Austin W. Trousdale, David C. Beckett

Faculty Publications

We conducted surveys of concrete bridges in southern Mississippi from 2000–2002 to determine the phenological pattern of use by Rafinesque's big-eared bat, Corynorhinus rafinesquii. The earliest dates on which we located maternity colonies were 9 March 2000, 20 April 2001, and 15 May 2002. Maternity colonies increased in size and abundance as spring progressed. Pups were born in mid- to late May (first observed 12 May 2000, 15 May 2001, 27 May 2002) and nursed through midsummer (lactating females last captured 14 July 2000, 25 July 2001, 16 July 2002). Colony size and percentage of bridges occupied by bats declined …

Hydrogen Peroxide In Deep Waters Of The North Pacific Ocean, Jinchun Yuan, Alan M. Shiller

Faculty Publications

Hydrogen peroxide is a reactive oxygen intermediate that can play a role in a variety of redox cycles. In the ocean, it is generally considered to be dominantly photo-produced with negligible concentrations in deep waters. We have utilized a highly sensitive analytical method to investigate hydrogen peroxide in deep waters of the North Pacific Ocean. We present evidence that hydrogen peroxide exists in low nanomolar concentrations in these deep waters with an apparent minimum in the depth range of the oxygen minimum. A consideration of possible mechanisms and rates suggests both a short (similar to12 day) residence time as well …

Embryogenesis In The Dwarf Seahorse, Hippocampus Zosterae (Syngnathidae), James T. Wetzel, John P. Wourms

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Embryogenesis of the dwarf seahorse, Hippocampus zosterae, was studied by scanning electron microscopy of a series of developmental stages. Stages ranged from initial cleavage of the egg through term embryos. Embryos hatch from their egg envelopes about midway through development, yet remain nestled in stromal chambers of vascularized epithelium within the male brood pouch until their yolk reserves are consumed. The difference in body shape between the pipefish and seahorse first becomes discernible during mid-development, just before hatching. At this stage, embryos begin to develop their characteristic prehensile tail in contrast to the straight body and typical caudal fin …

Northern Range Extensions For Caprella Scaura Templeton, 1836 (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Caprellidae) On The Florida Gulf Coast And In South Carolina, John M. Foster, Richard W. Heard, David M. Knott

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Previous northwestern Atlantic records for the caprellid amphipod Caprella scaura Templeton, 1836 were confined to St. Croix (US Virgin Islands), St. Barthélemy, and Puerto Rico, islands bordering the northern Caribbean Sea. Based on recent collections, C. scaura is now reported from the Gulf of Mexico (St. Andrew Bay, Florida) and the US east coast (Charleston Harbor, South Carolina). These constitute the first records for this apparently non-indigenous species in waters of the continental eastern United States, establishing considerable northern range extensions for C. scaura in the northwest Atlantic.

Gonadal Development And Sexual Dimorphism Of Gobiomorus Dormitor From The Estuarine System Of Tecolutla, Veracruz, Mexico, Raquel Hernandez-Saavedra, Jose Antonio Martinez-Perez, Nancy J. Brown-Peterson, Mark S. Peterson

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The bigmouth sleeper, Gobiomorus dormitor, is a benthic, euryhaline species, and is very abundant in river mouths, coastal lagoons, and sites away from marine influence from south Florida to Dutch Guyana. There are few studies of its life history, ecology, and abundance, particularly within Mexican waters. Nine trips to Tecolutla estuary, Veracruz, Mexico, were taken between October 1995 and May 1998 to estimate the gonadal development and sexual dimorphism of G. dormitor. A total of 94 individuals ranging from 15–260 mm SL and 0.05–181 g were captured. Seventy-two specimens were adults (60 females, 12 males) and 22 were …

Spatial Patterns Of Estuarine Habitat Type Use And Temporal Patterns In Abundance Of Juvenile Permit, Trachinotus Falcatus, In Charlotte Harbor, Florida, Aaron J. Adams, David A. Blewett

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The life history of many marine fishes is a 2-phase cycle: juveniles and adults make up a demersal phase, whereas larvae are planktonic. Determining ontogenetic patterns of habitat type use of the demersal phase has important management and habitat conservation implications for species that use coastal habitat types as juveniles. Juvenile permit, Trachinotus falcatus, are presumed to be limited to beaches exposed to open ocean, but few studies have addressed juvenile permit use of estuarine habitat types. Ten years of fisheries-independent monitoring data from a subtropical estuary were analyzed to determine habitat type use patterns and seasonality of juvenile …

Feeding Habits And Sexual Dimorphism Of The Violet Goby, Gobioides Broussoneti Lacepede (Pisces: Gobiidae), In The Estuarine System Of Tecolutla, Veracruz, Mexico, Sergio Mata-Cortes, Jose Antonio Martinez-Perez, Mark S. Peterson

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Gobioides broussoneti were sampled in Silveña estuary, a branch of the Tecolutla estuary, Veracruz, Mexico, during 2 trips made between February 1998 and June 1999 to evaluate diet and sexual dimorphism. A total of 65 G. broussoneti ranging from 49–401 mm SL (0.7–124.2 g WW) were collected. There was a 1:1.2 sex ratio in favor of females. Seven food types were noted, with filamentous algae (25.4%) and detritus (21.3%) representing the principal food types. A 24 h feeding study revealed that this species feeds continuously throughout the day. The ovaries of all female G. broussoneti contained previtellogenic oocytes, characteristic of …

Reproductive Biology Of The Opossum Pipefish, Microphis Brachyurus Lineatus, In Tecolutla Estuary, Veracruz, Mexico, Martha Edith Miranda-Marure, Jose Antonio Martinez-Perez, Nancy J. Brown-Peterson

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The reproductive biology of the opossum pipefish, Microphis brachyurus lineatus, was investigated in Tecolutla estuary, Veracruz, Mexico, to determine sex ratio, size at maturity, gonadal and brood pouch histology, reproductive seasonality, and fecundity of this little-known syngnathid. A total of 345 fish were collected between 1995–1998, with an overall sex ratio of 1:1.35 favoring females. Brooding males made up 45% of the population, resulting in an operational sex ratio of 1:2.45 heavily favoring females. All males > 90 mm SL were considered sexually mature, as this was the size at which the brood pouch was clearly developed. Females > 110 mm …

Studies On The Crustacea Of The Turks And Caicos Islands, British West Indies. V. Records Of Mysids From Pine Cay, Fort George Cay, Water Cay, And Adjacent Waters, W. Wayne Price, Richard W. Heard

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Only 2 species of mysids, Heteromysis spottei and Stygiomysis clarkei, have been previously reported from the Turks and Caicos Islands. Between 1988 and 1990, 21 species of mysids were collected from reef (to 38 m) and shallow non-reef habitats surrounding Pine Cay, Fort George Cay, and Water Cay, Turks and Caicos Islands. One species collected, Anchialina typica, is distributed throughout tropical and subtropical seas. Twelve species (Bowmaniella johnsoni, Dioptromysis paucispinosa, Heteromysis bermudensis, H. guitarti, H. mayana, Mysidium columbiae, M. gracile, M. integrum, Mysidopsis bispinulata, M. brattstromei, Parvimysis …

Diel Vertical Distribution Of Atlantic Croaker, Micropogonias Undulatus, Larvae In The Northcentral Gulf Of Mexico With Comparisons To Red Drum, Sciaenops Ocellatus, Bruce H. Comyns, Joanne Lyczkowski-Shultz

Faculty Publications

Atlantic croaker Micropogonias undulates (Linnaeus, 1766) larvae < 6 mm showed a distinct pattern of vertical stratification in inner-shelf waters (< 25 m depth) of the northcentral Gulf of Mexico. Discrete-depth plankton collections were taken at night, early morning after daylight, and at mid-day or early afternoon at 1, 5, and 11–16 m. No consistent pattern among cruises was evident in the vertical stratification of Atlantic croaker larvae found in mid-day and afternoon collections, but at night the highest abundances were observed at the deepest depths sampled. Atlantic croaker larvae were least abundant in surface waters (1 m) at night. Of the 66,913 Atlantic croaker larvae collected, only 346 specimens (< 1%) were found in 1 m collections at night, and 266 of these larvae were from a single collection of large specimens (mean = 6.7 mm). By morning the vertical distribution of larvae suggested that Atlantic croaker had moved up in the water column, and highest abundances were usually found at 5 m. There was no indication that patterns of larval distribution reflected hydrographic stratification within the water column, prey availability, size of larvae, or moonlight intensity.

Effects Of Salinity On Growth And Molting Of Sympatric Callinectes Spp. From Camaronera Lagoon, Veracruz, Mexico, Sergio Cházaro-Olvera, Mark S. Peterson

Faculty Publications

Megalopae of Callinectes rathbunae Contrareras, 1930 and C. sapidus Rathbun, 1896 were exposed to salinities of 5, 15, and 25 at 25.0degreesC (through crab stage 16) to determine if there were species-specific differences in survival, growth, and intermolt duration. Survival of C. rathbunae decreased significantly at higher salinities, but there was no salinity effect for C. sapidus. Callinectes rathbunae had significantly higher survival than C. sapidus in salinities of 5 and 15, but survival was not different in a salinity of 25. There was no difference in survival of C. rathbunae by gender; survival of both genders was generally lowest …

Survey Of Salamanders In Mississippi Limestone Caves, John G. Himes, David C. Beckett, Austin W. Trousdale

Faculty Publications

During 2000-2002 we surveyed for salamanders in the larger limestone caves of Mississippi, all within the Vicksburg Group rock unit. We found four species: Plethodon mississippi was the most abundant, followed by Eurycea guttolineata, Eurycea cirrigera, and Desmognathus conanti. We did not find Pseudotriton montanus in any of the caves, and question the validity of an investigator's statement made nearly 45 years ago that, "it is one of the most numerous salamanders in Mississippi. limestone caves." The salamander fauna we found is similar to that of the only other comprehensive survey of salamanders in Mississippi caves, conducted almost thirty years …

Artificial Reef Matrix Structures (Arms): An Inexpensive And Effective Method For Collecting Coral Reef-Associated Invertebrates, Todd L. Zimmerman, Joel W. Martin

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Collecting reef-associated invertebrates usually involves disturbance of the reef area, often damaging the habitat and sometimes damaging live corals. We introduce a nondestructive, inexpensive, and effective method for collecting coral reef-associated invertebrates using approximations of small coral heads constructed of concrete, PVC pipes, nylon cleaning pads, and other materials easily obtainable in most tropical (coral-rich) countries. An example showing the effectiveness of the method is presented based on fieldwork in the eastern Caribbean.