Marine Biology Commons^™

Cheloniidae (Marine Turtle) Nest Predation, John Woolard, Richard M. Engeman, Henry T. Smith, John Griner

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

On 19 June 2003 at 0217 h, an opossum (Didelphis virginiana) was observed for 10 min while digging into a marine turtle nest and eating 4 eggs on the beach at St. Lucie Inlet Preserve State Park (SLIPSP) on Jupiter Island, Florida. The predation event was observed using night vision equipment as part of nightly patrols to protect turtle nests from raccoon (Procyon lotor) and armadillo (Dasypus noverncinctus) predation during the nesting season. After verification of an ongoing predation event, the opossum was euthanized and removed. Prior to implementing predator removal on this beach, …

Light Dependence Of Selenium Uptake By Phytoplankton And Implications For Predicting Selenium Incorporation Into Food Webs, Stephen B. Baines, Nicholas S. Fisher, Martina A. Doblin, Gregory A. Cutter, Lynda S. Cutter, Brian Cole

OES Faculty Publications

The potentially toxic element selenium is first concentrated from solution to a large but highly variable degree by algae and bacteria before being passed on to consumers. The large loads of abiotic and detrital suspended particles often present in rivers and estuaries may obscure spatial and temporal patterns in Se concentrations at the base of the food web. We used radiotracers to estimate uptake of both selenite (Se(IV)) and C by intact plankton communities at two sites in the Sacramento/San Joaquin River Delta. Our goals were to determine (1) whether C and Se(IV) uptake were coupled, (2) the role of …

Black Carbon In Estuarine And Coastal Ocean Dissolved Organic Matter, Antonio Mannino, H. Rodger Harvey

OES Faculty Publications

We measured black carbon (BC) in ultrafiltered, high-molecular weight dissolved organic matter (UDOM) in surface waters of Delaware Bay, Chesapeake Bay, and the adjacent Atlantic Ocean (U.S.A.) to investigate the importance of riverine and estuarine dissolved organic matter (DOM) as a source of BC to the ocean. BC was 5-72% of UDOM-C (27 ± 17%), which corresponds to 8.9 ± 6.5% of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), with higher values in the heavily urbanized midbay region of the Delaware Estuary and lower yields in the river and coastal ocean. The spatial and seasonal distributions of BC along the salinity gradient of …

Age And Growth Of Scotia Sea Icefish, Chaenocephalus Aceratus, From The South Shetland Islands, M. La Mesa, J. Ashford, E. Larson, M. Vacchi

OES Faculty Publications

Samples of Chaenocephalus aceratus (Lönnberg) were collected during a trawl survey carried out around the South Shetland Islands in January–February 2002. Fish were caught by commercial bottom trawl fishing down to 500 m depth, using a stratified randomized sampling design. As observed in other recent surveys within the same area, C. aceratus represented one of the predominant species. Overall, 357 specimens ranging from 13 and 67 cm (TL) were selected for the present study. Ages were estimated by counting annuli present in the sagittal otoliths, exposed by grinding and polishing along their sagittal plane. To estimate the precision of age …

Advection, Krill, And Antarctic Marine Ecosystems, Eileen E. Hofmann, Eugene J. Murphy

CCPO Publications

Advective processes are recognized as being important in structuring and maintaining marine ecosystems. In the Southern Ocean advective effects are perhaps most clearly observed because the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) provides a connection between most parts of the system, including open ocean and continental shelf regions. The ACC also provides a mechanism for large-scale transport of plankton, such as Antarctic krill (Euphousia superba Dana), which is an important component of the Southern Ocean food web. This overview provides a summary of recent observational and modelling results that consider the importance of advection to the Southern Ocean ecosystem and, in particular, …

Fisheries Occasional Publication No. 8 - Department Of Fisheries Stakeholder Survey 2002, Tara Baharthah, Neil R. Sumner

Fisheries Occasional Publications

A telephone survey of Department of Fisheries' stakeholders was conducted in November 2002 in order to evaluate their perception of the Department's management of commercial and recreational fishing, pearling and aquaculture, and fish and fish habitat protection. The survey also assessed satisfaction with the level of service provided to stakeholders and their involvement in the decision making process.

The sample comprised of 149 interviews - 40 representing the commercial fishing sector, 40 representing the recreational fishing sector, 40 representing fish and fish habitat protection, and 29 representing aquaculture and pearling.

In general, the stakeholders gave positive responses regarding the Department …

Fisheries Research Contract Report No. 2 - Towards An Assessment Of Natural And Human Use Impacts On The Marine Environment Of The Abrolhos Islands (Phase 1 : Data Consolidation And Scoping - Final Report For Frdc Project 2000/1 66), C. F. Chubb, K. Nardi

Fisheries Research Contract Reports

This project has drawn together existing research data relating to natural and human impacts on the Abrolhos Islands marine habitats. It has surveyed current uses of these habitats and placed anthropogenic impacts within the context of natural perturbations. Through public forum presentation and debate, this work has allowed real issues, not perceptions, to surface and be addressed properly. This was achieved by defining a strategic programme of research through a scientific workshop process involving all community stakeholders. A two volume Fisheries Research Report (WA) summarizes current knowledge and details the workshop proceedings and strategic research plan.

Identifying Nursery Areas Used By Inner Bay And Oceanic Pink Snapper ( Pagrus Auratus) To The Effect Of Prawn Trawling On Inner Bay Snapper Stocks - Final Report For Frdc Project 2001/061, D. J. Gaughan, Michael J. Moran, Melinda M. Ranaldi, John R. Watling

Fisheries Research Contract Reports

Final Report for FRDC Project 2001/061

Pink snapper (Pagrus auratus) is the main commercial and recreational finfish (Kailola et al., 1993) in the Shark Bay region. Pink snapper are distributed along much of the temperate and tropical coasts of Western Australia from east of Esperance on the south coast to north of Shark Bay on the west (Paulin 1990). Previous research using genetics (Johnson et al. 1986), tagging (Moran et al. 2004), and otolith microchemistry (Edmonds et al., 1989, 1999) have shown that pink snapper from the innermost parts of Shark Bay do not mix with the ocean fish

Juvenile …

Effects Of Epiphyte Load On Optical Properties And Photosynthetic Potential Of The Seagrasses Thalassia Testudinum Banks Ex König And Zostera Marina L, Lisa A. Drake, Fred C. Dobbs, Richard C. Zimmerman

OES Faculty Publications

The biomass and optical properties of seagrass leaf epiphytes were measured to evaluate their potential impact on the photosynthetic performance of the seagrasses Thalassia testudinum Banks ex König (turtlegrass) and Zostera marina L. (eelgrass). Turtlegrass was obtained from oligotrophic waters near Lee Stocking Island, Bahamas; eelgrass was collected from a eutrophic environment in Monterey Bay, California. Leaf–epiphyte loads were characterized visually and quantified using measurements of their phospholipid biomass. Light absorption and reflectance of the intact epiphyte layer were determined spectrophotometrically. Turtlegrass epiphytes from the oligotrophic site absorbed a maximum of 36% of incident light in peak chlorophyll absorption …

A Biooptical Model Of Irradiance Distribution And Photosynthesis In Seagrass Canopies, Richard C. Zimmerman

OES Faculty Publications

Although extremely vulnerable to coastal eutrophication, seagrasses represent important structuring elements and sources of primary production in shallow waters. They also generate an optical signature that can be tracked remotely. Accurate knowledge of light absorption and scattering by submerged plant canopies permits the calculation of important plant- and ecosystem-level properties, including rates of photosynthesis, vegetation abundance, and distribution. The objectives of this study were to develop a realistic, yet simply parameterized two-flow model of plane irradiance distribution through a seagrass canopy submerged in an optically active water column, to evaluate its performance against in situ measurements, and to explore the …

Extracellular Enzyme Activity And Uptake Of Carbon And Nitrogen Along An Estuarine Salinity And Nutrient Gradient, Margaret R. Mulholland, Cindy Lee, Patricia M. Gilbert

OES Faculty Publications

Amino acid oxidation (AAO) and peptide hydrolysis (PH) are processes affecting the recycling of organic material and nutrients. We compared extracellular AAO and PH rates to C and N uptake rates along estuarine gradients of salinity, nutrients and productivity in the Pocomoke River, a subestuary of the Chesapeake Bay. This estuary is seasonally depleted in inorganic N, and rich in dissolved organic material (DOM) throughout the year. AAO, PH, and N uptake rates measured in 1999 and 2000 were not limited to particular size fractions measured, or to auto- or heterotrophic groups of organisms. At a station near the turbidity …

The Role Of Physical, Chemical, And Microbial Heterogeneity On The Field-Scale Transport And Attachment Of Bacteria, Brian J. Mailloux, Mark E. Fuller, Tullis C. Onstott, James Hall, Hailiang Dong, Mary F. Deflaun, Sheryl H. Streger, Randi K. Rothmel, Maria Green, Donald J. P. Swift, Jon Radke

OES Faculty Publications

A field-scale bacterial transport experiment was conducted at the Narrow Channel Focus Area of the South Oyster field site located in Oyster, Virginia. The goal of the field experiment was to determine the relative influence of subsurface heterogeneity and microbial population parameters on flow direction, velocity, and attachment of bacteria at the field scale. The field results were compared with results from laboratory-scale column experiments to develop a method for predicting field-scale bacterial transport. The field site is a shallow, sandy, unconfined, aerobic aquifer that has been characterized by geophysical, sedimentological, and hydrogeological methods. Comamonas sp. strain DA001 and a …

Fisheries Research Report No. 142 - Identifying The Development Stages Of Preserved Eggs Of Snapper, Pagrus Auratus, From Shark Bay, Western Australia, J. Norriss, Gary Jackson

Fisheries Research Reports

The characteristics used to identify 19 developmental stages of preserved eggs of snapper, Pagrus auratus, collected from Shark Bay, Western Australia, during annual plankton surveys, are described and illustrated. A key is provided to enable the age of each egg stage to be estimated based on sea surface temperature and salinity observed during sampling. This report is intended as a reference for inexperienced staff, to ensure that between-year comparisons of snapper spawning biomass, estimated using the daily egg production method, are based on consistent egg staging and ageing methods.

Fisheries Research Report No. 143 - Methods Used In The Collection, Preparation And Interpretation Of Narrow-Barred Spanish Mackerel (Scomberomorus Commerson) Otoliths For A Study Of Age And Growth In Western Australia, Paul Lewis, M. C. Mackie

Fisheries Research Reports

The narrow-barred Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson) is wide ranging throughout the Indo-West Pacific region where it has been the subject of various age and growth studies. Methods used in these studies have varied considerably and in some cases may have led to misleading conclusions. The purpose of this report, therefore, is to document in detail the methods used in determining the age and growth during a FRDC funded stock assessment of the species in the waters off Western Australia. These methods are considered to optimise the collection, processing, accuracy of microincrement counts, and interpretation of the annuli in both whole …

Review Of Recreational Take Of Coral In Western Australia. A Discussion Paper., Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Management Papers

This discussion paper has been prepared by the Department of Fisheries (Western Australia) to address the issue of recreational collection of coral in coastal waters of Western Australia. The paper describes: • popular coral locations in WA; • management issues associated with the recreational collection of corals; • management objectives and strategies as possible options to address the issue of recreational collection of corals; and • seeks public input on the proposed management objectives and strategies.

Fisheries Research Report No. 141 - A Guide To Good Otolith Cutting, Jerry Jenke

Fisheries Research Reports

This is a guide for embedding and sectioning fish otoliths. It is based on many years of otolith sectioning experience and is written as a recipe book for novice and expert alike. Included is a method for the enhancement of the clarity of small otoliths for improved sectioning, development of custom made tools, as well as a list of do’s and don’ts and hints to make the job easier. Use of this guide will assist in the most reliable interpretation of an otolith's internal structure, thereby improving ageing studies in general.

Fisheries Research Report No. 132 - A Review Of Food Availability, Sea Water Characteristics And Bivalve Growth Performance At Coastal Culture Sites In Temperate And Warm Temperate Regions Of The World, Sidney A. Saxby

Fisheries Research Reports

The suitability of a coastal area for bivalve farming, as well as the density at which bivalves can be farmed in that area, is limited by the available food supply and other environmental variables. In this review, a range of successful and marginal bivalve growing areas in temperate and warm temperate coastal areas around the world are characterised. These include areas of high food and nutrient levels, such as Saldanha Bay in South Africa, and the Seto Inland Sea, Japan, through to more oligotrophic areas, typified by parts of the South Australian coastline and the Mediterranean Sea. The latter areas …

Reseeding Of Grazing Gastropods And Bivalves Into The Marine Environment In Western Australia, Jane Borg

Fisheries Management Papers

The Department of Fisheries does not want to embark on what is ‘new territory’ in Western Australia without a policy framework to define what is to happen, why it is to happen, and what will happen if the project does or does not succeed. This paper therefore attempts to do three things. 1. It sets in place accepted definitions of reseeding and stock enhancement within the general context of fisheries management in Western Australia. 2. It discusses the policy issues associated with reseeding grazing gastropods and bivalves into the natural environment. 3. It proposes a framework or process to be …

Fisheries Research Report No. 138 - Historical Diving Profiles For Pearl Oyster Divers In Western Australia, H M A Lulofs, Neil R. Sumner

Fisheries Research Reports

The annual value of the pearl oyster fishery off the north coast of Western Australia is in the vicinity of 153 million dollars. Most pearl oyster fishing occurs in the Broome area. This area is managed on a quota system with a total allowable catch of 512,000 shells in 1996, during which 511,716 shells were taken. This required 12,775 hours of dive time at a catch rate of 40 shell per hour.

Drift diving practices in the Western Australian pearling industry over the last eighteen years are described and related to the number of medical incidents. The study provides a …

Fisheries Occasional Publication No. 2 - Scientific Workshop On The Margaret River Marron, Brett Molony

Fisheries Occasional Publications

Purpose of the Workshop

To gather together and review the scientific evidence around genetic and sustainability issues necessary for the management of Margaret River Marron (MRM)

The outcomes of the day will be to provide scientific advice, options and priorities to the relevant Programs within the Department of Fisheries to promote the sustainability of marron within MR.

* Introduction to, and comparison of, genetic techniques available to researchers. Presenter - Phil Vercoe

* What do we know about the genetic diversity of marron and other Cherax? Presenter - Chris Austin

* Morphology and Hybrids Presenter - Craig Lawrence

* The …

The Introduction And Aquaculture Of Non-Endemic Species In Western Australia: The ‘Rotund’ Yabby Cherax Rotundus And The All-Male Hybrid Yabby. A Discussion Paper., Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Management Papers

This discussion paper has been prepared to provide information to assist in the assessment of the possible impact of the translocation of Cherax rotundus and allmale hybrid yabbies within Western Australia, for the purposes of commercial aquaculture on private properties. In assessing the translocation of any aquatic species, the economic and social benefits must be balanced with biological and environmental risks.

Fisheries Research Report No. 134, Volume 2 - Towards An Assessment Of The Natural And Human Use Impacts On The Marine Environment Of The Abrolhos Islands, C F. Chubb, F J. Webster, C J. Dibden

Fisheries Research Reports

These proceedings form the second of two public documents resulting from the project “Towards an assessment of the natural and human use impacts on the marine environment” funded by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (project no. 2000/166). Volume 1, a summary of existing information and assessment of current levels of human use, was presented at a Public Forum in Geraldton on July 11, 2001.

A two-day workshop was held immediately after the forum and was attended by invited representatives from professional fishing and recreational groups together with research and management experts. The issues identified in Volume 1, and those …

Fisheries Research Report No. 135 - The Western Rock Lobster Fishery 1995/96 To 1996/97, C F. Chubb, E H. Barker

Fisheries Research Reports

This report is the latest in a series covering the West Coast Rock Lobster Managed Fishery (formerly the West Coast Rock Lobster Limited Entry Fishery), Western Australia’s largest and most valuable fishery. These reports form an historical record of fishery data and information documented season by season for use by industry and research personnel now and in the future. The reports provide information on catch, fishing effort and biology; value of the product and licences; input costs (fuel, bait, etc.); changes in fishing practices, gear, technology and boats and management/legislative changes. By necessity, the information contained herein is summarised from …

Fisheries Research Report No.131 - Pilchard (Sardinops Sagax) Nursery Areas And Recruitment Process Assessment Between Different Regions In Southern Western Australia, Daniel J. Gaughan, Graeme Baudains, Ronald W. Mitchell, Timothy I. Leary

Fisheries Research Reports

Pilchards have been the primary target of purse seine fisheries along the south and lower west coasts of WA for nearly 15 years. Western Australia’s pilchard population consists of separate west coast and south coast breeding stocks. The adult pilchards in the south coast stock can, in turn, be further divided into three separate assemblages. These adult assemblages correspond to the purse seine fisheries at Albany, Bremer Bay and Esperance. However, while the separateness of the adult assemblages is well established, the status of the juveniles within the context of these adult groups is not understood. For example, the habitats …

The Transformation Of Iodate To Iodide In Marine Phytoplankton Cultures, George T. F. Wong, Ajcharaporn U. Piumsomboon, William M. Dunstan

OES Faculty Publications

Six species of phytoplankton, representing 6 major phylogenetic groups (2 oceanic species: a cyanobacteria, Synechococcus sp., and a coccolithophorid, Emiliania huxleyi; and 4 coastal species: a prasinophyte, Tetraselmis sp., the green algae Dunaliella tertiolecta, the diatom Skeletonema costatum and a dinoflagellate Amphidinium carterae) were tested for their ability to reduce iodate to iodide in batch cultures. They all did so to varying degrees. Thus, the reduction of iodate to iodide by phytoplankton may be a general phenomenon in the marine environment. At ambient concentrations of iodate, the rates of depletion of iodate and appearance of …

Ocean: An Integrated Curriculum Unit, Institute For The Development Of Gifted Education, Ricks Center For Gifted Children, University Of Denver

Ricks Curriculum Units Series

An integrated curriculum is an instructional approach that connects the disciplines to an underlying theme or topic. Immersing students in an integrated-thematic unit provides the backdrop for experiences to occur across the disciplines. Shaping coursework around integrated themes is especially appropriate for gifted students, however using an integrated-thematic curriculum is appropriate for all learners as it develops students' abilities to make connections, to solve problems by looking at multiple perspectives, and to integrate information from different fields of experience. An integrated-thematic curriculum permits students to be active participants in their own learning as they design their own explorations and take …

Fisheries Research Report No. 127 - A 12-Month Survey Of Recreational Fishing In The Peel-Harvey Estuary Of Western Australia During 1998-99, B E. Malseed, Neil R. Sumner

Fisheries Research Reports

A survey of recreational boat-based and shore-based fishing in the Peel-Harvey Estuary was conducted between August 1998 and July 1999. During the survey 1,996 interviews were conducted at boat ramps. Of these, 1,136 boats had been crabbing and 136 angling in the estuary (43 were both crabbing and angling). In addition to the interviews at boat ramps, 909 shore-based fishing parties were interviewed.

The survey estimated the total annual boat-based recreational fishing effort as 126,000 fisher days, with 88% of this effort targeting blue swimmer crabs. The total annual shore-based recreational fishing effort was estimated to be 191,000 fisher days, …

Fisheries Research Report No. 129 - Morphology And Incidence Of Yabby (Cherax Albidus) Burrows In Western Australia, Craig S. Lawrence

Fisheries Research Reports

Yabby (Cherax albidus) burrows were recorded from dams, channels and ponds in Western Australia. Twenty five sites were sampled during Spring, 1998 and the burrow morphology and density was described from six of these locations where burrows were present. To improve the sample size and address seasonal trends 49 commercially harvested yabby dams were sampled over the summer of 1999/2000 and the number and density of yabby burrows were recorded. Burrow incidence and morphology was also recorded from 25 research ponds at the Avondale Research Station between 1995-1997. Soil and water chemistry values are presented and their relationships with burrow …

Fisheries Research Report No. 126 - A 12-Month Survey Of Recreational Fishing In The Swan-Canning Estuary Basin Of Western Australia During 1998-99, B E. Malseed, Neil R. Sumner

Fisheries Research Reports

A survey of recreational boat-based and shore-based fishing in the Swan-Canning Estuary Basin was conducted between August 1998 and July 1999. During the survey 1,302 interviews were conducted at boat ramps. The majority of these (62%) were not involved in fishing or crabbing activities, with a further 18 per cent fishing in the adjacent ocean. Of the remainder, 139 boats had been crabbing and 154 angling (29 were both crabbing and angling) within the Swan-Canning Estuary Basin. In addition to the interviews at boat ramps, 378 shore-based fishing parties were interviewed.

The survey estimated the total annual boat-based recreational fishing …

Fisheries Research Report No.128 - Aquaculture And Related Biological Attributes Of Abalone Species In Australia - A Review., Kylie A. Freeman

Fisheries Research Reports

China and Taiwan are the major producers of cultured abalone; with annual production estimated at 3,500 and 3,000 tonnes respectively. The world production of cultured abalone sold in 1999 was 7,775 tonnes. Australian farm production was still relatively low (89 tonne in 1999) but numerous abalone farms have been proposed and many have been constructed. On a national scale, Tasmania and South Australia are the major states involved in temperate abalone culture; however, new projects have commenced in Victoria and considerable interest exists in New South Wales. Pilot scale trials with tropical abalone aquaculture using the Donkey-ear abalone (Haliotis asinina) …