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Articles 1 - 30 of 72
Full-Text Articles in Marine Biology
Benthic Infaunal Responses To Shoreline Restoration, Jessica Lauren Cline
Benthic Infaunal Responses To Shoreline Restoration, Jessica Lauren Cline
Theses and Dissertations
In the age of increasing urban coastal sprawl, natural shorelines are being replaced by hard armoring structures, which result in the loss of valuable ecosystem services. Hybrid living shorelines, areas that include limited and less intensive armoring strategies paired with the integration of plants and other natural materials, present an opportunity to marry the need for more aggressive stabilization with the continued preservation of ecosystem functions and biological communities. This project uses benthic infauna to evaluate the success of a living shoreline installation in Palm Bay, Florida. The deployment features experimental treatments of breakwaters and red mangroves to explore how …
The Transition Zone Hypothesis On Biodiversity Of The Indian River Lagoon System, Florida, Richard L. Turner
The Transition Zone Hypothesis On Biodiversity Of The Indian River Lagoon System, Florida, Richard L. Turner
Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications
The Indian River Lagoon System (IRL) is regarded as having a high level of biodiversity. The level of biodiversity is often attributed in part to the 2-degree latitudinal span (251 km) of the IRL and to its position in a transitional zone between tropical and temperate biotic provinces. This hypothesis was tested for submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) based on a recent treatise (Littler, Littler, and Hanisak, 2008). Five of seven species of seagrass are tropical, and two have either a broad or very narrow latitudinal distribution; the transition-zone hypothesis does not hold for seagrasses. Most macroalgae (131 spp.) are tropical/subtropical; …
The Benefits Of Biofouling – Promoting The Growth Of Benthic Organisms To Enhance Ecosystem Services, Kailey Nicole Richard, Kelli Z. Hunsucker, Travis J. Hunsucker, Geoffrey Swain
The Benefits Of Biofouling – Promoting The Growth Of Benthic Organisms To Enhance Ecosystem Services, Kailey Nicole Richard, Kelli Z. Hunsucker, Travis J. Hunsucker, Geoffrey Swain
Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications
For the marine industry biofouling has a negative reputation. On ship hulls, the accumulation of these unwanted plants and animals can lead to increased drag, fuel consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions. Offshore platforms are also subject to biofouling which can result in corrosion and hydrodynamic loading, thus shortening their lifespan. While the harmful impacts of biofouling are commonly reported throughout the literature, biofouling can also benefit both aquatic and human populations. Common biofouling organisms act as natural filtration systems, thus improving water quality. Many of the same flora and fauna serve as a food source, and structures could be designed …
Using Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Uas) To Assess Body Condition Of Common Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus Truncatus) In The Indian River Lagoon, Florida, Jessica Jane Provenzano
Using Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Uas) To Assess Body Condition Of Common Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus Truncatus) In The Indian River Lagoon, Florida, Jessica Jane Provenzano
Theses and Dissertations
Common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus truncatus) in the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) have experienced four Unusual Mortality Events (UMEs). This stock is considered immunocompromised and is routinely subjected to persistent anthropogenic stressors such as fishing gear entanglement, vessel strikes, contaminants, and harmful algal blooms. Previous body condition assessments of this stock have involved invasive capture-release examinations or subjective methods using lateral body images. To improve precision, we investigated the use of photogrammetry data collected from noninvasive unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) combined with models developed from capture-release data to estimate morphometric parameters and subsequently determine the body condition of …
High Intraspecific Diversity Of Pocillopora Damicornis In Southeast Asia Reflects Adaptive Potential To Climate Change, Maria Lucille Carr
High Intraspecific Diversity Of Pocillopora Damicornis In Southeast Asia Reflects Adaptive Potential To Climate Change, Maria Lucille Carr
Theses and Dissertations
Marine heatwaves are increasing in intensity and frequency because of increased emissions of greenhouse gases. On coral reefs, warmer temperatures cause coral bleaching, mortality, and shifts in benthic composition. However, coral bleaching responses and survival vary geographically. Several hypotheses may explain such geographical differences in thermal tolerance, including the possibility that some localities may support higher intraspecific diversity than other localities, increasing the likelihood of survival of some individuals through heatwaves. Here we assessed geographic patterns of intraspecific genetic diversity in the ubiquitous coral Pocillopora damicornis. Intraspecific genetic diversity was assessed for 428 sequences across 44 sites in the Pacific …
Rescape: Transforming Coral-Reefscape Images For Quantitative Analysis, Zachary Ferris, Eraldo Ribeiro, Tomofumi Nagata, Robert Van Woesik
Rescape: Transforming Coral-Reefscape Images For Quantitative Analysis, Zachary Ferris, Eraldo Ribeiro, Tomofumi Nagata, Robert Van Woesik
Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications
Ever since the first image of a coral reef was captured in 1885, people worldwide have been accumulating images of coral reefscapes that document the historic conditions of reefs. However, these innumerable reefscape images suffer from perspective distortion, which reduces the apparent size of distant taxa, rendering the images unusable for quantitative analysis of reef conditions. Here we solve this century-long distortion problem by developing a novel computer-vision algorithm, ReScape, which removes the perspective distortion from reefscape images by transforming them into top-down views, making them usable for quantitative analysis of reef conditions. In doing so, we demonstrate the …
The Relationship Between Biofouling Adhesion And Frequency Of Mechanical Cleaning To Control The Recruitment To Clear Coatings, Dylan Thomas Eggers
The Relationship Between Biofouling Adhesion And Frequency Of Mechanical Cleaning To Control The Recruitment To Clear Coatings, Dylan Thomas Eggers
Theses and Dissertations
There is a need to control biofouling on sensors and transparent windows in the marine environment. Clear silicone coatings offer a method to reduce the adhesion strength of marine organisms to the surface, however, these also require mechanical cleaning to maintain the surfaces free of fouling. This research evaluated the performance of eighty seven formulations and took the top two candidates to investigate a) the frequencies of wiping required by a brush to maintain two coatings and uncoated glass surfaces free of fouling and b) the effects of clear silicone coatings fouling release properties on required frequencies. The panels were …
Climate Change And The Shifting Geography Of Coral-Reef Development, Victor Rodriguez-Ruano
Climate Change And The Shifting Geography Of Coral-Reef Development, Victor Rodriguez-Ruano
Theses and Dissertations
Coral-reef development is modulated by growth processes that deposit calcium carbonate onto the reef, such as calcification, and destructive processes that remove calcium carbonate from the reef, such as bioerosion. Wherever calcification rates exceed bioerosion rates, there is a net accretion of the reef through time, but where bioerosion rates exceed calcification rates, there is a net destruction of the reef through time. A reef’s framework is the legacy of the interaction of these processes throughout a reef’s history. Studying the fossil frameworks of reefs can shed light on the environmental factors that have controlled reef development in the past, …
Evaluating The Use And Performance Of Marine Protected Areas To Conserve Reef Fish Biodiversity In The Caribbean, Mathias Tjarko Cramer
Evaluating The Use And Performance Of Marine Protected Areas To Conserve Reef Fish Biodiversity In The Caribbean, Mathias Tjarko Cramer
Theses and Dissertations
Reef fishes are an integral part of life in the Caribbean, fulfilling essential roles in their native marine ecosystems and the many human communities that neighbor them. Perhaps most directly to humans, reef fishes and their fisheries are an essential source of dietary protein, and further support local human communities through employment opportunities. More indirectly, reef fishes fulfill numerous ecological roles that help maintain their native reef ecosystems, which, in turn, confer benefits to humans. For example, a recent analysis estimated that every square kilometer of coral reef generates an average annual income of $473,000 (USD), which would represent 23 …
A Sister-Group Comparison Of Branching And Pedicellariae In Brittlestar S (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea), Richard L. Turner, Brenna O. O'Neill
A Sister-Group Comparison Of Branching And Pedicellariae In Brittlestar S (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea), Richard L. Turner, Brenna O. O'Neill
Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications
Branching of arms and presence of pedicellariae are characters among ophiuroids found only in the order Euryalida (snakestars and basketstars). Family Asteronychidae has neither character; family Euryalidae has 2 small clades with branched arms; and family Gorgonocephalidae has all species with pedicellariae and 3 or 4 clades with branched arms. Despite the rare occurrence of these characters in the Ophiuroidea, they might be key adaptations within the Euryalida that have led to relatively high diversification. Sister-group comparison of the distribution of these 2 characters among taxa indicates that neither character alone explains diversity patterns within the order. In particular, branching …
Branching And Pedicellariae In Basketstars And Snakestars Database, Richard L. Turner, Brenna O. O'Neill
Branching And Pedicellariae In Basketstars And Snakestars Database, Richard L. Turner, Brenna O. O'Neill
Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications
No abstract provided.
The Form And Function Of Cranial Spines In Fishes, Louis Michael Penrod
The Form And Function Of Cranial Spines In Fishes, Louis Michael Penrod
Theses and Dissertations
Despite the prevalence of fishes that express cranial spines, quantitative investigations into the function of these spines are rare. Function is often assumed with little or no evidence. Commonly, spine-like structures are considered to be used for defense despite spines potentially being used for other purposes. Here, I took a high-level approach to investigate the morphology and potential functions of cranial spines in over 2000 fishes. Identifying the function of cranial spines in fishes not only informs us as to how these fishes interact with conspecifics, with other species, and with their environment, but also may provide advances in human …
Variations In Otolith-Zinc Concentrations Of Brown Surgeonfish (Acanthurus Nigrofuscus) Between Marine Protected Areas And Fished Reefs, Matthew Austin Nichols
Variations In Otolith-Zinc Concentrations Of Brown Surgeonfish (Acanthurus Nigrofuscus) Between Marine Protected Areas And Fished Reefs, Matthew Austin Nichols
Theses and Dissertations
As human populations continue to increase, the growing reliance on exploited fish stocks has furthered patterns of declining body size and biomass worldwide. To mitigate these impacts, fisheries managers have implemented a variety of conservation strategies, including marine protected areas (MPA), as these serve as a refuge for fish, resulting in increases in numerous health metrics (fish density, biomass, body-size, and species diversity). By using fish otolith samples previously concluded to have physiological and morphometric differences between MPA and fished reef (FR) fish, this thesis explores the potential of using microchemical analysis of zinc (Zn) to reveal impacts MPAs might …
The Potential Of Indian River Lagoon Muck To Act As A Reservoir For Emerging Organic Contaminants, Gregory David Belson
The Potential Of Indian River Lagoon Muck To Act As A Reservoir For Emerging Organic Contaminants, Gregory David Belson
Theses and Dissertations
Pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and personal care products are frequently found in sediments and waterways around the world. These chemicals, collectively known as Emerging Organic Contaminants (EOCs) can harm the environments in which they are deposited by killing or stressing the local flora and fauna. These EOCs also can be released back into the water column when these substrates are disturbed. Such sediments and their associated EOCs are particularly problematic in urbanized areas. However, the particular composition of urbanization-associated sediments as well as their potential to harbor EOCs needs to be evaluated in the context of their environment, to ensure proper mitigation …
Geographic Variability In The Reproductive Hormones And Oocyte Maturation Of Bonefish (Albula Vulpes) In The Bahamas, Ashley Yarbrough
Geographic Variability In The Reproductive Hormones And Oocyte Maturation Of Bonefish (Albula Vulpes) In The Bahamas, Ashley Yarbrough
Theses and Dissertations
Bonefish (Albula vulpes) are an extremely popular sport fish that are a vital component of the multimillion-dollar recreational flats fishery. Despite its economic importance for many countries, there is little information available about many aspects of their reproductive biology. Significant gaps include analysis of the hormones that influence oocyte development and the nutrient levels in oocytes that drive embryonic and early larval development and how these parameters vary among habitats. The goals of this study were to characterize and quantify the reproductive hormones, oocyte developmental stages, and nutrient composition of oocytes from fish at or near spawning sites across multiple …
Avian Biodiversity Of The Indian River Lagoon System, Florida, Richard L. Turner
Avian Biodiversity Of The Indian River Lagoon System, Florida, Richard L. Turner
Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications
Despite claims about high avian biodiversity in the Indian River Lagoon system, previous efforts to inventory the birds have been limited in geographic extent or in habitat. Compilation of a list of birds could rely on many resources, but ones of widespread availability, greatest historical record, and highest density of sites are two citizen-science projects: the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) and eBird. Lists of species were harvested from 17 CBC sites (‘‘circles’’) back to 1910 and from 432 eBird sites (‘‘hotspots’’) since 2002 within the boundaries of the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program (IRLNEP). In addition to lagoon waters, …
Biodiversity Of The Indian River Lagoon System: A Cautionary Tale From The Birds, Richard L. Turner
Biodiversity Of The Indian River Lagoon System: A Cautionary Tale From The Birds, Richard L. Turner
Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications
Prevailing dogma on comparative biodiversity of the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) stems mainly from one claim about ichthyofauna and two about avifauna. The extensive network of birdwatchers, clarity of bird taxonomy, long history of the Christmas Bird Count (CBC), and burgeoning database on ebird.org make birds excellent for geographic comparison. The 1985 claim that Merritt Island CBCs are often the ‘‘most speciose count’’ in the U.S. is unfounded. CBCs there in 1970–1985 never had the highest count, even compared to the nearby Cocoa site. For the 114th CBC (2013), it ranked 11th in Florida and 44th nationally. The 1989 claim …
Nursery Habitat Characteristics Of Juvenile Tarpon, Megalops Atlanticus, In The Northern Indian River Lagoon, Fl, Austen Zugelter
Nursery Habitat Characteristics Of Juvenile Tarpon, Megalops Atlanticus, In The Northern Indian River Lagoon, Fl, Austen Zugelter
Theses and Dissertations
The life history of tarpon is complex, involving multiple ontogenetic habitat shifts, which spatially separate larval, juvenile, and adult populations. Juvenile tarpon are obligate users of mangrove and marsh ecosystems as nursery habitats, whereas adults use the coastal ocean. Habitat loss/fragmentation due to coastal development however, threatens the availability and quality of obligate juvenile tarpon nursery habitat. Furthermore, there is a general lack of data on the environmental characteristics and spatial coverage of these important habitats. The goal of the present study was to identify potential environmental characteristics related to juvenile tarpon habitat utilization in the northern Indian River Lagoon, …
Ontogeny Of Similarity And Disparity In Length-At-Age Of Coral Reef Fishes In The Family Acanthuridae Between Marine Protected And Fished Areas, Mathias Tjarko Cramer
Ontogeny Of Similarity And Disparity In Length-At-Age Of Coral Reef Fishes In The Family Acanthuridae Between Marine Protected And Fished Areas, Mathias Tjarko Cramer
Theses and Dissertations
Drastic reductions in the harvestable biomass of exploited fish populations on coral reefs and other marine coastal ecosystems have been hypothesized to be a consequence of astronomical and unrelenting fishing pressures, particularly in the coastal small-scale and sustenance fisheries of the world. It has recently been proposed that the causal relationship between fishing pressure and fish biomass is rooted in the negative effects of size-selective fishing mortality, which consequently instigates directional shifts in phenotype (i.e., fishing induced evolution). To mitigate the effects of unsustainable fishing pressures, parcels of traditional fishing grounds have been designated as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). To …
Coral Reef Fishes Exhibit Beneficial Phenotypes Inside Marine Protected Areas, Robert Y. Fidler, Jessica Fidler, Kristen W. Rynerson, Danielle F. Matthews, Ralph G. Turingan
Coral Reef Fishes Exhibit Beneficial Phenotypes Inside Marine Protected Areas, Robert Y. Fidler, Jessica Fidler, Kristen W. Rynerson, Danielle F. Matthews, Ralph G. Turingan
Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications
Human fishing effort is size-selective, preferentially removing the largest individuals from harvested stocks. Intensive, size-specific fishing mortality induces directional shifts in phenotypic frequencies towards the predominance of smaller and earlier-maturing individuals, which are among the primary causes of declining fish biomass. Fish that reproduce at smaller size and younger age produce fewer, smaller, and less viable larvae, severely reducing the reproductive capacity of harvested populations. Marine protected areas (MPAs) are extensively utilized in coral reefs for fisheries management, and are thought to mitigate the impacts of size-selective fishing mortality and supplement fished stocks through larval export. However, empirical evidence of …
Altered Environmental Light Drives Retinal Change In The Atlantic Tarpon (Megalops Atlanticus) Over Timescales Relevant To Marine Environmental Disturbance, Lorian E. Schweikert, Michael S. Grace
Altered Environmental Light Drives Retinal Change In The Atlantic Tarpon (Megalops Atlanticus) Over Timescales Relevant To Marine Environmental Disturbance, Lorian E. Schweikert, Michael S. Grace
Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications
For many fish species, retinal function changes between life history stages as part of an encoded developmental program. Retinal change is also known to exhibit plasticity because retinal form and function can be influenced by light exposure over the course of development. Aside from studies of gene expression, it remains largely unknown whether retinal plasticity can provide functional responses to short-term changes in environmental light quality. The aim of this study was to determine whether the structure and function of the fish retina can change in response to altered light intensity and spectrum—not over the course of a developmental regime, …
Variability Of Paralarval-Squid Occurrence In Meter-Net Tows From East Of Florida, Usa, Carrie A. Erickson, Clyde F.E. Roper, Michael Vecchione
Variability Of Paralarval-Squid Occurrence In Meter-Net Tows From East Of Florida, Usa, Carrie A. Erickson, Clyde F.E. Roper, Michael Vecchione
Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications
We attempted to determine cross-shelf, diel, and seasonal distribution patterns of paralarval cephalopods off eastern Florida during a 5-year study that employed both open-net and discrete-depth closing-net sampling. Based on our 303 samples, abundant and common squid taxa included the squid Doryteuthis spp., which tended to be in coastal and intermediate waters, and Abralia cf veranyi (Eye-Flash Squid), Illex spp. (shortfin squid), and Ommastrephidae Type A (which could include Ommastrephes bartramii [Neon Flying Squid] and Ornithoteuthis antillarum [Atlantic Bird Squid]), mostly in intermediate and Florida Current waters. Species diversity and abundance were usually greatest in Florida Current waters versus coastal …
Climate Change And The Threat Of Novel Marine Predators In Antarctica, Kathryn E. Smith, Richard B. Aronson, Brittan V. Steffel, Margaret O. Amsler, Sven Thatje, Hanumant Pratap Singh, Jeffrey S. Anderson, Cecilia J. Brothers, Alastair Brown, Daniel S. Ellis, J. N. Havenhand, W. R. James, P.-O. Moksnes, A. W. Randolph, T. Sayre-Mccord, J. B. Mcclintock
Climate Change And The Threat Of Novel Marine Predators In Antarctica, Kathryn E. Smith, Richard B. Aronson, Brittan V. Steffel, Margaret O. Amsler, Sven Thatje, Hanumant Pratap Singh, Jeffrey S. Anderson, Cecilia J. Brothers, Alastair Brown, Daniel S. Ellis, J. N. Havenhand, W. R. James, P.-O. Moksnes, A. W. Randolph, T. Sayre-Mccord, J. B. Mcclintock
Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications
Historically low temperatures have severely limited skeleton-breaking predation on the Antarctic shelf, facilitating the evolution of a benthic fauna poorly defended against durophagy. Now, rapid warming of the Southern Ocean is restructuring Antarctic marine ecosystems as conditions become favorable for range expansions. Populations of the lithodid crab Paralomis birsteini currently inhabit some areas of the continental slope off Antarctica. They could potentially expand along the slope and upward to the outer continental shelf, where temperatures are no longer prohibitively low. We identified two sites inhabited by different densities of lithodids in the slope environment along the western Antarctic Peninsula. Analysis …
Repeated Thermal Stress, Shading, And Directional Selection In The Florida Reef Tract, Robert Van Woesik, Kelly R. Mccaffrey
Repeated Thermal Stress, Shading, And Directional Selection In The Florida Reef Tract, Robert Van Woesik, Kelly R. Mccaffrey
Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications
Over the last three decades reef corals have been subjected to an unprecedented frequency and intensity of thermal-stress events, which have led to extensive coral bleaching, disease, and mortality. Over the next century, the climate is predicted to drive sea-surface temperatures to even higher levels, consequently increasing the risk of mass bleaching and disease outbreaks. Yet, there is considerable temporal and spatial variation in coral bleaching and in disease prevalence. Using data collected from 2,398 sites along the Florida reef tract from 2005 to 2015, this study examined the temporal and spatial patterns of coral bleaching and disease in relation …
Long-Term Site Fidelity Of Endangered Smalltooth Sawfish (Pristis Pectinata) From Different Mothers, Gregg R. Poulakis, Philip W. Stevens, Amy A. Timmers, Christopher J. Stafford, Demian D.F. Chapman, Kevin Andrew Feldheim, Michelle Ra Nae Heupel, Caitlin Curtis
Long-Term Site Fidelity Of Endangered Smalltooth Sawfish (Pristis Pectinata) From Different Mothers, Gregg R. Poulakis, Philip W. Stevens, Amy A. Timmers, Christopher J. Stafford, Demian D.F. Chapman, Kevin Andrew Feldheim, Michelle Ra Nae Heupel, Caitlin Curtis
Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications
Understanding how endangered species use nursery habitats is vital for recovery planning. Research on the smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) has shown that areas of estuarine nurseries, called hotspots, are used consistently. The objectives of our study were 1) to determine whether 10 young-of-the-year smalltooth sawfish in an artificial, non-main-stem portion (i.e., a seawall canal system) of a hotspot were descended from one or different mothers and 2) to document long-term habitat use by these individuals. At least 4 mothers contributed to the group, which comprised siblings, half-siblings, and unrelated individuals. Young sawfish exhibited site fidelity to their capture location, spending …
Unprecedented Disease-Related Coral Mortality In Southeastern Florida, William F. Precht, Brooke Erin Gintert, Martha L. Robbart, Ryan Fura, Robert Van Woesik
Unprecedented Disease-Related Coral Mortality In Southeastern Florida, William F. Precht, Brooke Erin Gintert, Martha L. Robbart, Ryan Fura, Robert Van Woesik
Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications
Anomalously high water temperatures, associated with climate change, are increasing the global prevalence of coral bleaching, coral diseases, and coral-mortality events. Coral bleaching and disease outbreaks are often inter-related phenomena, since many coral diseases are a consequence of opportunistic pathogens that further compromise thermally stressed colonies. Yet, most coral diseases have low prevalence (<5%), and are not considered contagious. By contrast, we document the impact of an extremely high-prevalence outbreak (61%) of white-plague disease at 14 sites off southeastern Florida. White-plague disease was observed near Virginia Key, Florida, in September 2014, and after 12 months had spread 100 km north and 30 km south. The disease outbreak directly followed a high temperature coral-bleaching event and affected at least 13 coral species. Eusmilia fastigiata, Meandrina meandrites, and Dichocoenia stokesi were the most heavily impacted coral species, and were reduced to <3% of their initial population densities. A number of other coral species, including Colpophyllia natans, Pseudodiploria strigosa, Diploria labyrinthiformis, and Orbicella annularis were reduced to <25% of their initial densities. The high prevalence of disease, the number of susceptible species, and the high mortality of corals affected suggests this disease outbreak is arguably one of the most lethal ever recorded on a contemporary coral reef.
Does Dark-Spot Syndrome Experimentally Transmit Among Caribbean Corals?, Carly J. Randall, Adán Guillermo Jordán-Garza, Erinn M. Muller, Robert Van Woesik
Does Dark-Spot Syndrome Experimentally Transmit Among Caribbean Corals?, Carly J. Randall, Adán Guillermo Jordán-Garza, Erinn M. Muller, Robert Van Woesik
Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications
Over the last half-century, coral diseases have contributed to the rapid decline of coral populations throughout the Caribbean region. Some coral diseases appear to be potentially infectious, yet little is known about their modes of transmission. This study experimentally tested whether dark-spot syndrome on Siderastrea siderea was directly or indirectly transmissible to neighboring coral colonies.We also tested whether open wounds were necessary to facilitate disease transmission. At the completion of the experiments, we sampled bacterial communities on diseased, exposed, and healthy coral colonies to determine whether bacterial pathogens had transmitted to the susceptible colonies.We saw no evidence of either direct …
Keep Up Or Drown: Adjustment Of Western Pacific Coral Reefs To Sea-Level Rise In The 21st Century, Robert Van Woesik, Yimnang Golbuu, George Roff
Keep Up Or Drown: Adjustment Of Western Pacific Coral Reefs To Sea-Level Rise In The 21st Century, Robert Van Woesik, Yimnang Golbuu, George Roff
Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications
Since the Mid-Holocene, some 5000 years ago, coral reefs in the Pacific Ocean have been vertically constrained by sea level. Contemporary sea-level rise is releasing these constraints, providing accommodation space for vertical reef expansion. Here, we show that Porites microatolls, from reef-flat environments in Palau (western Pacific Ocean), are ‘keeping up’ with contemporary sea-level rise. Measurements of 570 reef-flat Porites microatolls at 10 locations around Palau revealed recent vertical skeletal extension (78±13 mm) over the last 6–8 years, which is consistent with the timing of the recent increase in sea level. We modelled whether microatoll growth rates will potentially ‘keep …
The Micronesia Challenge: Assessing The Relative Contribution Of Stressors On Coral Reefs To Facilitate Science-To-Management Feedback, Peter C. Houk, Rodney Camacho, Steven Johnson, Matthew Mclean, Selino Maxin, Jorg Anson, Eugene Joseph, Osamu Nedlic, Marsten Luckymis, Robert Van Woesik
The Micronesia Challenge: Assessing The Relative Contribution Of Stressors On Coral Reefs To Facilitate Science-To-Management Feedback, Peter C. Houk, Rodney Camacho, Steven Johnson, Matthew Mclean, Selino Maxin, Jorg Anson, Eugene Joseph, Osamu Nedlic, Marsten Luckymis, Robert Van Woesik
Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications
Fishing and pollution are chronic stressors that can prolong recovery of coral reefs and contribute to ecosystem decline. While this premise is generally accepted, management interventions are complicated because the contributions from individual stressors are difficult to distinguish. The present study examined the extent to which fishing pressure and pollution predicted progress towards the Micronesia Challenge, an international conservation strategy initiated by the political leaders of 6 nations to conserve at least 30% of marine resources by 2020. The analyses were rooted in a defined measure of coral-reef-ecosystem condition, comprised of biological metrics that described functional processes on coral reefs. …
Adrenal Gland And Lung Lesions In Gulf Of Mexico Common Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) Found Dead Following The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Stephanie Venn-Watson, Kathleen M. Colegrove, Jenny Litz, Michael Kinsel, Karen Terio, Jeremiah Saliki, Spencer Fire, Ruth Carmichael, Connie Chevis, Wendy Hatchett, Jonathan Pitchford, Mandy Tumlin, Cara Field, Suzanne Smith, Ruth Ewing, Deborah Fauquier, Gretchen Lovewell, Heidi Whitehead, David Rotstein, Wayne Mcfee, Erin Fougeres, Teri Rowles
Adrenal Gland And Lung Lesions In Gulf Of Mexico Common Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) Found Dead Following The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Stephanie Venn-Watson, Kathleen M. Colegrove, Jenny Litz, Michael Kinsel, Karen Terio, Jeremiah Saliki, Spencer Fire, Ruth Carmichael, Connie Chevis, Wendy Hatchett, Jonathan Pitchford, Mandy Tumlin, Cara Field, Suzanne Smith, Ruth Ewing, Deborah Fauquier, Gretchen Lovewell, Heidi Whitehead, David Rotstein, Wayne Mcfee, Erin Fougeres, Teri Rowles
Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications
A northern Gulf of Mexico (GoM) cetacean unusual mortality event (UME) involving primarily bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama began in February 2010 and continued into 2014. Overlapping in time and space with this UME was the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill, which was proposed as a contributing cause of adrenal disease, lung disease, and poor health in live dolphins examined during 2011 in Barataria Bay, Louisiana. To assess potential contributing factors and causes of deaths for stranded UME dolphins from June 2010 through December 2012, lung and adrenal gland tissues were histologically evaluated from 46 fresh …