Marine Biology Commons^™

Monitoring Ship Noise To Assess The Impact Of Coastal Developments On Marine Mammals, Nathan D. Merchant, Enrico Pirotta, Tim R. Barton, Paul M. Thompson

Biology - All Scholarship

The potential impacts of underwater noise on marine mammals are widely recognised, but uncertainty over variability in baseline noise levels often constrains efforts to manage these impacts. This paper characterises natural and anthropogenic contributors to underwater noise at two sites in the Moray Firth Special Area of Conservation, an important marine mammal habitat that may be exposed to increased shipping activity from proposed offshore energy developments. We aimed to establish a pre-develop- ment baseline, and to develop ship noise monitoring methods using Automatic Identification System (AIS) and time-lapse video to record trends in noise levels and shipping activity. Our results …

State Of The River Report For The Lower St. Johns River Basin, Florida: Water Quality, Fisheries, Aquatic Life, And Contaminants 2014, Environmental Protection Board, City Of Jacksonville, University Of North Florida, Jacksonville University, Lucy Sonnenberg, Gerry Pinto, Nisse Goldberg, Kimberly Mann, Radha Pyati, Gretchen Bielmyer-Fraser, Stuart Chalk, Peter Bacopoulos, Brian P. Zoellner

State of the River Report

No abstract provided.

Sedimentation And Barnacle Recruitment And Growth In A Shallow Coastal Lagoon Of South Texas, John Jack Gray

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, one of this nation’s greatest concerns to the receiving waters of an aquatic system is the impairment of water quality due to sediment transport. Thus, an aquatic system whose receiving waters are subject to unrestrained sediment transport from a spoil bank, which is an unstabilized depository for sediment acquired during a dredge, should be a concern. In this study an attempt was made to assess sedimentation and its effect on the life cycle of sessile aquatic life over a year. South Bay was chosen for the study site because it is adjacent …

Concordance Between Phylogeographic And Biogeographic Boundaries In The Coral Triangle: Conservation Implications Based On Comparative Analyses Of Multiple Giant Clam Species, Timery S. Deboer, Maria Rio Abdon Naguit, Mark V. Erdmann, Maria Carmen A. Ablan-Lagman, Ambariyanto, Kent E. Carpenter, Abdul Hamid A. Toha, Paul H. Barber

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Marine habitats are in decline worldwide, precipitating a strong interest in marine conservation. The use of biogeographic data to designate ecoregions has had significant impacts on terrestrial conservation efforts. However, classification of marine environments into ecoregions has only become available in the last several years, based on biogeographic data supplemented by geomorphology, ocean currents, and water temperatures. Here we use a comparative phylogeographic approach to test for concordant phylogeographic patterns in three closely related species of Tridacna giant clams across the Coral Triangle, the most biodiverse marine region in the world and one of the most threatened. Data from a …

Developing Important Marine Mammal Area Criteria: Learning From Ecologically Or Biologically Significant Areas And Key Biodiversity Areas, Collenn M. Corrigan, Jeff A. Ardron, Mia T. Comeros-Raynal, Erich Hoyt, Giuseppe Notarbartolo Di Sciara, Kent E. Carpenter

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

1. This paper explores how criteria to identify important marine mammal areas (IMMAs) could be developed, and nested in existing global criteria. This process would consider 134 species of marine mammals. 2. Particular attention is given to two suites of global criteria to identify areas important for the persistence of marine biodiversity: Ecologically or Biologically Significant Areas (EBSAs) developed through the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) in revision through the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). They are seen as mutually complementary in the development of IMMAs. 3. The specificities necessary for identifying …

Effects Of Salinity And Dissolved Organic Matter On Cu Toxicity To Americamysis Bahia In Estuarine Environments, Rabia Nasir

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

As salinity increases the geochemical speciation of Cu is altered as a result of organic/inorganic complexation/competition. Such salinity changes may further challenge the osmoregulatory capabilities of euryhaline organisms. This chemical-biological interaction complicates the understanding of the impacts of Cu in estuarine waters. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) has been widely established to be an important modifier of Cu toxicity in freshwaters however its effectiveness in modulating Cu toxicity across the range of salinities that occur in estuarine conditions has not been studied in a systematic manner. Site to site differences in DOM quality with respect to the potential for toxicity mitigation …

Development And Application Of A Gis-Based Long Island Sound Eelgrass Habitat Suitability Index Model, Jamie M.P. Vaudrey, Justin Eddings, Christopher Pickerell, Lorne Brousseau, Charles Yarish

Department of Marine Sciences

The primary objectives of the Eelgrass Habitat Suitability Index Model (EHSI Model) are to assist in the evaluation of sites being considered for eelgrass restoration efforts in the Long Island Sound (LIS) area and to identify areas where water quality issues reduce or eliminate the potential for natural eelgrass colonization. To achieve this goal, geospatial processing of data available from the Long Island Sound area was conducted using ArcGIS v10.0 including the 3D Analyst and Spatial Analyst extensions. The result is a series of maps presented in this report and a GIS-based model available for users to interact with the …

The Effects Of A Red Tide, Karenia Brevis Episode On The Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities Of South Padre Island, Texas, Liana Lerma

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

South Padre Island, Texas has experienced increasing frequency of harmful algal blooms (Karenia brevis) since the 1900’s, many of which resulted in massive fishes kills. In addition, shorebirds and other terrestrial wildlife deaths have been linked to K. brevis blooms prompting investigations of potential pathways by which brevetoxins may be transmitted to higher trophic levels. The benthic macrofanual community inhabiting the swash zone of sandy beaches consists primarily of filter feeding invertebrates which may serve as toxin bioaccumulators to secondary consumers of both marine and terrestrial food webs. The first reported mass mortality of swash zone benthic macrofauna on the …

Growth Of Tropical Dasyatid Rays Estimated Using A Multi-Analytical Approach, Owen R. O'Shea, Matias Braccini, Rory Mcauley, Conrad W. Speed, Mark G. Meekan

Fisheries Research Articles

We studied the age and growth of four sympatric stingrays: reticulate whipray, Himanutra uarnak (n=19); blue mask, Neotrygon kuhlii (n=34); cowtail, Pastinachus atrus (n=32) and blue-spotted fantail, Taeniura lymma (n=40) rays at Ningaloo Reef, a fringing coral reef on the north-western coast of western Australia. Age estimates derived from band counts within sectioned vertebrae ranged between 1 and 27 years (H. uarnak, 1 - 25 yrs.; N. kuhlii, 1.5 - 13 yrs.; P. atrus, 1 - 27 yrs. and T. lymma, 1 -11 yrs.). Due to limitations of sample sizes, we combined several analytical methods …

Technical Appendix: Economic Impact Of Commercial Fisheries On Local County Economies From Catch In California National Marine Sanctuaries 2010, 2011 And 2012, Vernon R. Leeworthy, Desiree Jerome, Kelsey Schueler

Working Papers

This report documents the data and methods of estimation used in estimating the economic impact of commercial fishing catch from all four National Marine Sanctuaries in California on local county economies in terms of harvest revenue received by fishermen and the associated economic impacts, including multiplier impacts, on total output, value added, income and the number of full- and part-time jobs.

This report is part of a series of reports meeting the priorities in the “Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) West Coast Region Socioeconomic Plan FY 2013 – FY 2014” and “national program priorities” on establishing the connection between …

A Quantitative Evaluation Of Growth In Leptodea Fragilis Before And After The Arrival Of Zebra Mussels In Lake Erie, Elizabeth Barkett, Robert A. Krebs, Matthew T. Begley

Undergraduate Research Posters 2013

The arrival of zebra mussels in the Great Lakes in the 1980’s marked several environmental changes, most notably in freshwater mussels in the Unionidae. There are no studies of population demographics of native Great Lake species before this period of time. In this study, several recent shell collections of Leptodea fragilis, a fast-growing freshwater mussel, were made on various beaches along Lake Erie. To compare the effects of the zebra mussels on L. fragilis, we compared growth rates, determined from size and estimated age of shells, to additional collections of L. fragilis from 1941 to 1967available at the Cleveland Museum …

The General Qapp For Long Island Sound Volunteer Coastal Monitoring (With Adoption Form), Jamie M.P. Vaudrey, Kimberly Gallagher

Department of Marine Sciences

The General QAPP for Long Island Sound Volunteer Coastal Monitoring is designed to streamline the process of writing a QAPP for Monitoring Programs in the Long Island Sound area. This document does not replace guidance on developing a program and is not sufficient as a stand-alone document to guide the initial development and sample design process for a monitoring program.

Evaluation Of Current Community-Based Monitoring Efforts And Recommendations For Developing A Cohesive Network Of Support For Monitoring Long Island Sound Embayments., Jamie M.P. Vaudrey, Jamie Alonzo, Adrienne Esposito, Curt Johnson, Maureen Dolan Murphy, Charles Yarish

Department of Marine Sciences

This project focuses on Long Island Sound embayments and represents an exploration of the potential for coordination among community-based water quality monitoring groups, and coordination between community-based groups and data end users, including scientists and managers. Community-based monitoring groups represent a potential valuable source of water quality information. The development of standardized protocols, training methods and reporting procedures will serve to provide end users with the confidence necessary to utilize the data collected as part of community-based monitoring programs. Both groups of stakeholders stand to benefit from this type of coordination with the ultimate benefit being a healthier, better understood …

Biofouling : A Means Of Aquatic Species Transfer, Anne Bouyssou, Josefin Madjidian

NSBWO

Ships carry seawater in their ballast tanks when they are not fully loaded with cargo, in order to maintain adequate trim, draught and stability, adjust list and limit stresses on the hull. It is now well documented that the water pumped into the ship contains aquatic organisms – which can also sink to the sediments at the bottom of tanks – and that these organisms are thereby transferred from the port of origin to the destination. But it is seldom mentioned that aquatic organisms are also found on the outside of ships, attached on their hulls and appendages, as a …

Zooplankton Trophic Ecology In The San Francisco Estuary During Summer As Determined By Stable Isotope Analysis, Kyla Bradylong, Steven Westbrook, Julien Moderan, Wim Kimmerer

STAR Program Research Presentations

Declines in the abundance of several pelagic fish species in the upper San Francisco Estuary have prompted investigation into food web interactions within the estuary and delta (the lower Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers). This area is characterized by low primary production and pelagic food webs much longer and reticulated than previously thought, implying low efficiency in the energy transfers from primary producers to planktivorous fish. We determined the carbon and nitrogen stable isotope (SI) composition of zooplankton samples collected monthly between June 2012 and February 2013 at eight stations along the salinity gradient. As consumers SI composition reflects that …

A Lover And A Fighter: The Genome Sequence Of An Entomopathogenic Nematode Heterorhabditis Bacteriophora, Xiaodong Bai, Byron J. Adams, Todd A. Ciche, Sandra Clifton, Randy Gaugler, Kwi-Suk Kim, Parwinder Grewal

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Heterorhabditis bacteriophora are entomopathogenic nematodes that have evolved a mutualism with Photorhabdus luminescens bacteria to function as highly virulent insect pathogens. The nematode provides a safe harbor for intestinal symbionts in soil and delivers the symbiotic bacteria into the insect blood. The symbiont provides virulence and toxins, metabolites essential for nematode reproduction, and antibiotic preservation of the insect cadaver. Approximately half of the 21,250 putative protein coding genes identified in the 77 Mbp high quality draft H. bacteriophora genome sequence were novel proteins of unknown function lacking homologs in Caenorhabditis elegans or any other sequenced organisms. Similarly, 317 of the …

James’S Rule And Causes And Consequences Of A Latitudinal Cline In The Demography Of John’S Snapper (Lutjanus Johnii) In Coastal Waters Of Australia, Mike Cappo, Ross J. Marriott, Stephen J. Newman

Fisheries Research Articles

Demographic parameters were derived from sectioned otoliths of John’s Snapper (Lutjanus johnii) from 4 regions across 9° of latitude and 23° of longitude in northern Australia. Latitudinal variation in size and growth rates of this species greatly exceeded longitudinal variation. Populations of John’s Snapper farthest from the equator had the largest body sizes, in line with James’s rule, and the fastest growth rates, contrary to the temperature size rule for ectotherms. A maximum age of 28.6 years, nearly 3 times previous estimates, was recorded and the largest individual was 990 mm in fork length. Females grew to a larger mean …

Uso De Hábitat Y Perspectivas De Lontra Longicaudis En Un Área Protegida De Tamaulipas, México, Piedad Esther Mayagoitia-González, Alejandro Fierro-Cabo, Raul Valdez, Mark Andersen, David Cowley, Robert Steiner

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

El hábitat de la nutria neotropical (Lontra longicaudis) en el Área Natural Protegida (ANP) La Vega Escondida, ubicada al sur de Tamaulipas, se encuentra rodeado de un paisaje urbano en expansión. Los humedales en esta región están sometidos a una intensa presión debido a diversas actividades antropogénicas tales como la agricultura, ganadería y pesca comercial, así como construcciones y rellenos en orillas de laguna y río. El presente estudio tuvo como objetivos principales la evaluación y uso de hábitat de la nutria dentro del ANP La Vega Escondida, así como determinar la actitud de la población humana hacia esta especie. …

Abundance, Distribution, And Habitat Of The Threatened Minnows Campostoma Ornatum And Notropis Chihuahua In The Trans-Pecos Region Of Texas, Seiji Miyazono, Christopher M. Taylor

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The Rio Grande and its tributaries in the Trans-Pecos region of Texas have been impacted by a variety of anthropogenic activities such as dewatering and the introduction of nonnative species. These environmental manipulations have negatively affected the native fishes leading to extirpations and declining populations throughout the region. Campostoma ornatum and Notropis chihuahua inhabit tributary streams of the Rio Grande in the Trans-Pecos region and are considered as state-listed threatened species. Little is known about their status and ecological requirements in the region. We hypothesized that the distribution and abundance of these threatened minnows in these spring-fed habitats can be …

Advocacy For Marine Management: Contributions To A Policy Advocacy Initiative In The Maldives, Neal Collins

Capstone Collection

On June 5, 2009 a 42-­‐km2 area of coral reef situated in the Alif Dhaalu (South Ari) atoll of the Republic of Maldives was designated the South Ari Atoll Marine Protected Area (S.A. MPA) due to a globally significant whale shark aggregation site. The whale shark is notorious for its gargantuan size and docile nature, which has led to a burgeoning tourist industry that gives people the opportunity to swim with the gentle giants in tropical sites such as the Maldives. The S.A. MPA receives tens of thousands of visitors a year that engage in whale shark excursions, however, there …

Bioremediation Mariculture In Zanzibar, Tanzania: A Viability Assessment Of Using Bath Sponge And Pearl Oyster Farms To Filter Highly Olluted Waters In The Zanzibar Channel, Hayley Oakland

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Bioremediation of polluted water off the coastline of the urban center of Zanzibar—Stone Town, Unguja—was assessed for implementation feasibility through bath sponge and pearl oyster mariculture. A vast research base of the city’s coastal area exists, including the pollution concentrations at various locations, the ramifications of this pollution on the fringing ecosystems, and the relevant water circulation system of eddies and passageways produced by the north flowing East African Counter Current. In following the experimental examples of bioremediation projects around the world, this study tested facets of the filtration abilities of marine sponges and oysters. Both organisms suggested strong pollution …

Behavioural Salinity Preferences Of Juvenile Green Sturgeon Acipenser Medirostris Acclimated To Fresh Water And Full-Strength Salt Water, J. B. Poletto, D. E. Cocherell, A. P. Klimley, J. J. Cech Jr., N. A. Fangue

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

To quantify the salinity preference of juvenile green sturgeon Acipenser medirostris, two groups of A. medirostris [140 days post hatch (dph); total length (L_T) 38.0–52.5 cm] were acclimated to either near fresh water (mean ± S.E. salinity = 3.2 ± 0.6) or full-strength salt water (34.1 ± 1.2) over 8 weeks. Following acclimation, the two groups were divided into experimental and control groups, where experimental A. medirostris from both freshwater and saltwater acclimations were individually introduced (200–220 dph) into a rectangular salinity-preference flume (maximum salinity gradient: 5–33). Control A. medirostris were presented with only their acclimation …

Gulf-Wide Decreases In The Size Of Large Coastal Sharks Documented By Generations Of Fishermen, Sean P. Powers, F. Joel Frodrie, Steven B. Scyphers, J. Marcus Drymon, Robert L. Shipp, Gregory W. Stunz

University Faculty and Staff Publications

Large sharks are top predators in most coastal and marine ecosystems throughout the world, and evidence of their reduced prominence in marine ecosystems has been a serious concern for fisheries and ecosystem management. Unfortunately, quantitative data to document the extent, timing, and consequences of changes in shark populations are scarce, thwarting examination of long-term (decadal, century) trends, and reconstructions based on incomplete data sets have been the subject of debate. Absence of quantitative descriptors of past ecological conditions is a generic problem facing many fields of science but is particularly troublesome for fisheries scientists who must develop specific targets for …

Bacterial Colonization And Extinction On Marine Aggregates: Stochastic Model Of Species Presence And Abundance, Andrew M. Kramer, M. Maille Lyons, Fred C. Dobbs, John M. Drake

OES Faculty Publications

Organic aggregates provide a favorable habitat for aquatic microbes, are efficiently filtered by shellfish, and may play a major role in the dynamics of aquatic pathogens. Quantifying this role requires understanding how pathogen abundance in the water and aggregate size interact to determine the presence and abundance of pathogen cells on individual aggregates. We build upon current understanding of the dynamics of bacteria and bacterial grazers on aggregates to develop a model for the dynamics of a bacterial pathogen species. The model accounts for the importance of stochasticity and the balance between colonization and extinction. Simulation results suggest that while …

Corrected Numbers For Fish On Red List, Bruce B. Collette, Beth Polidoro, Kent Carpenter

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

(First paragraph) Kelly Swing gives inaccurate numbers for marine fish species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. He also mistakenly conflates the scientific process of species assessment for the Red List with the separate political process of IUCN member voting (Nature 494, 314; 2013).

State Of The River Report For The Lower St. Johns River Basin, Florida: Water Quality, Fisheries, Aquatic Life, And Contaminants 2013, Environmental Protection Board, City Of Jacksonville, University Of North Florida, Jacksonville University

State of the River Report

No abstract provided.

Assessment Of Genetic Connectivity And Potential Management Plans For The Coral Reef Ecosystems Of Guna Yala, Panama, Molly Mcentee

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Genetic connectivity between three populations of the common reef sea urchin, Echinometra lucunter located in fringing reefs off the islands of Ukuptupu, Wichupwala and Porvenir in western Guna Yala was analyzed to give insight into population distribution and the most effective conservation management plans for the area. The reefs of Guna Yala are facing many threats on a global or regional scale including global warming, ocean acidification, sea level rise, disease and severe storms. On a local level, increasing stress is being placed on these reef ecosystems from human activity including coral mining, overfishing, and pollution. In order to prevent …

Bait Effects In Sampling Coral Reef Fish Assemblages With Stereo-Bruvs, Stacey R. Dorman, Euan S. Harvey, Stephen J. Newman

Fisheries Research Articles

Baited underwater video techniques are increasingly being utilised for assessing and monitoring demersal fishes because they are: 1) non extractive, 2) can be used to sample across multiple habitats and depths, 3) are cost effective, 4) sample a broader range of species than many other techniques, 5) and with greater statistical power. However, an examination of the literature demonstrates that a range of different bait types are being used. The use of different types of bait can create an additional source of variability in sampling programs. Coral reef fish assemblages at the Houtman Abrolhos Islands, Western Australia, were sampled using …

Evaluation Of Electrophoretic Protein Extraction And Database-Driven Protein Identification From Marine Sediments, Eli K. Moore, Brook L. Nunn, Jessica F. Faux, David R. Goodlett, H. Rodger Harvey

OES Faculty Publications

Intact proteins comprise a major component of organic carbon and nitrogen produced globally and are likely an important fraction of organic matter in sediments and soils. Extracting the protein component from sediments and soils for mass spectral characterization and identification represents a substantial challenge given the range of products and functionalities present in the complex matrix. Multiple forms of gel electrophoresis were evaluated as a means of enhancing recovery of sedimentary protein before proteomic characterization and compared with a direct enzymatic digestion of proteins in sediments. Resulting tryptic peptides were analyzed using shotgun proteomics and tandem mass spectra were evaluated …

Eelgrass Habitat Creation In Nantucket Harbor, Massachusetts, David M. Burdick, Gregg Moore, Chris Peter

Natural Resources & the Environment

In response to eelgrass habitat losses associated with development and marine activities in and around Nantucket Harbor, a plan to restore a meadow by transplanting eelgrass to previously vegetated areas was developed in conjunction with the Nantucket Land Council. Over 6,000 eelgrass shoots were sustainably harvested from an extensive bed within the Harbor that was located just west of First Point and near the inlet to Nantucket Sound. Four weeks following collection, impacts from our collection were shown by a 24% decline in shoot density, but live eelgrass cover did not decline significantly. After 12 weeks, no effects of collecting …