Marine Biology Commons^™

Barndoor Skate (Dipturus Laevis) Jaw Prep, Chase Adam Dejarnett, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Barndoor skate (Dipturus laevis) jaw preparation done by Chase DeJarnett and David Kerstetter for the Sharks and Their Relatives course Winter Semester 2021.

Squalus Acanthias, Spiny Dogfish Shark, Jaw, Sam Snell, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Jaw from Squalus acanthias, Spiny Dogfish Shark

Longnose Skate (Raja Rhina) Jaw, Tyler Miclau, David W. Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Jaw from Longnose Skate (Raja rhina)

Winter Skate (Leucoraja Ocellata) Jaw, Paige Spratt, Kathryn Kuruoglu, David W. Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Jaw from a winter skate (Leucoraja ocellata)

Winter Skate (Leucoraja Ocellata) Jaw, Emily M. Salonia, David W. Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Jaw 11.7 cm total length (TL) from Winter Skate (Leucoraja ocellata) collected from NSU Fisheries and Avian Ecology Laboratory on 3/23/21 by Emily Salonia.

Blacktip Shark (Carcharhinus Limbatus) Jaw, Katerina D. Sawickij, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Jaw from 176.1 cm total length (TL) Carcharhinus limbatus (Blacktip), collected from Hollywood Beach, FL on 3/13/21 by Katerina Sawickij.

Longnose Skate Jaw (Beringraja Rhina), Golda Stewart, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Jaw from female Longnose Skate (Beringraja rhina) collected on 30/3/2021 by Golda Stewart.

Exotic Brittle Star Interactions With Native Octocoral Epizoites: An Endemic Benthic Ctenophore In Peril?, Peter Glynn, Brian Coffman, Kyle Detloff, Joshua Dominguez, Philip Gilette, Nicholas Martinez, Nicolas Jones, Bernhard Riegl

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Widespread and large populations of the exotic eastern Pacific ophiuroid brittle star Opthiothela mirabilis now occur in southeastern Florida, extending the range of this recently introduced species from southern Brazil northward to the eastern Caribbean Sea and Florida. The Florida brittle stars, representing two lineages, are epibionts on shallow (3-18 m depth), tropical/subtropical plexaurid (e.g., Eunicea spp., Muricea elongata) and gorgoniid (Antillogorgia spp.) octocorals. The scope of this study includes recent distributional records of O. mirabilis in south Florida, field abundances in relation to the cohabiting endemic ctenophore Coeloplana waltoni, behavioral observations of the ophiuroid, ctenophore and …

Spiny Dogfish (Squalus Acanthias) Jaw Prep, Meredith M. Pratt, David W. Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Spiny dogfish jaw prep performed at NSU's Fisheries and Avian Ecology lab.

Caracuel_ Spiny Dogfish (Squalus Acanthias) Jaw, Nicolas M. Caracuel, David W. Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Female Spiny Dogfish (Squalus acanthias) jaw collected in MBIO 3910 Lab on 11/03/2021 by Nicolas M. Caracuel.

2 cm tall at the center/middle of the jaw.

3.1cm tall at the hinges.

7.9 cm long from hinge to hinge.

Editorial: Deep Pelagic Ecosystem Dynamics In A Highly Impacted Water Column: The Gulf Of Mexico After Deepwater Horizon, Tracey Sutton, Kevin M. Boswell, Heather Bracken-Grissom, Jose V. Lopez, Michael Vecchione, Marsh Youngbluth

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

The intermediate-sized midwater fauna (fishes, shrimps, and cephalopods; “micronekton” collectively) are dominant components of the pelagic ocean, which is by far the largest ecosystem type on Earth by several metrics (volume, organismal numbers, biomass, and productivity). Deep-pelagic micronekton, those animals residing in the water column below 200 m depth during the day, are the direct link between plankton and oceanic top predators, and through the linked processes of feeding and daily vertical migration facilitate one of Earth's most important ecosystem services to humans, carbon sequestration. Despite increasing recognition of this importance, a disconnect exists between stewardship and human impact; only …

Impacts Of Petroleum, Petroleum Components, And Dispersants On Organisms And Populations, Steven A. Murawski, Martin Grosell, Cynthia Smith, Tracey Sutton, Kenneth M. Halanych, Richard F. Shaw, Charles A. Wilson

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Following the Deepwater Horizon blowout, oil, degraded oil, oil mixed with dispersants, and management responses to the spill affected a variety of Gulf of Mexico organisms. This review provides examples of various documented impacts, common patterns, and trends across organisms and/or their environments, and discusses future implications as well as directions for future research. Organism effects are generally characterized as lethal and sublethal. Sublethal can be short term, long term, or permanent and multigenerational. We present individual examples of effects on behavioral response, olfaction, vision, cardiac function, and gene shift, based on research done in laboratories, mesocosm settings, and the …

State Of Satiation Partially Regulates The Dynamics Of Vertical Migration, Ryan P. Bos, Tracey Sutton, Tamara Frank

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Vertical migrations into shallower waters at night are beneficial for migrators as they reduce predation risk and allow migrators to encounter a higher density of prey. Nevertheless, ocean acoustics data and trawl data have shown that a portion of some vertically migrating populations remain at depth and do not migrate. One hypothesis for this phenomenon is the Hunger-Satiation hypothesis, which in part states that the non-migrating portion of the migrating species-assemblage refrains from migrating if they have full or partially full stomachs from daytime or nocturnal feeding. However, stomach fullness of the non-migrating subpopulation compared to the migrating portion has …

Comparison Of A Smartfin With An Infrared Sea Surface Temperature Radiometer In The Atlantic Ocean, Robert J. W. Brewin, Werenfrid Wimmer, Phillip J. Bresnahan, Tyler Cyronak, Andreas J. Andersson, Giorgio Dall’Olmo

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

The accuracy and precision of satellite sea surface temperature (SST) products in nearshore coastal waters are not well known, owing to a lack of in-situ data available for validation. It has been suggested that recreational watersports enthusiasts, who immerse themselves in nearshore coastal waters, be used as a platform to improve sampling and fill this gap. One tool that has been used worldwide by surfers is the Smartfin, which contains a temperature sensor integrated into a surfboard fin. If tools such as the Smartfin are to be considered for satellite validation work, they must be carefully evaluated against state-of-the-art techniques …

Atlantic Sailfish (Istiophorus Albicans) Distribution Off The East Coast Of Florida From 2003 To 2018 In Response To Sea Surface Temperature, Meredith M. Pratt

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

The Atlantic sailfish (Istiophorus albicans) ranges from 40°N to 40°S in the Western Atlantic Ocean and has great economic and recreational value for sport fishers. Off the east coast of Florida, recreational fishing boats often target this species due to its size, speed and strength. This project aimed to determine the relationship between sea surface temperature (SST) and the distribution of Atlantic sailfish caught and released over a fifteen-year period (2003 to 2018). Tagging information was collected from The Billfish Foundation and NOAA who have the most extensive programs for billfish. Using the time and location of each …

An Indo-Pacifc Coral Spawning Database, Andrew H. Baird, James R. Guest, Alasdair J. Edwards, Andrew G. Bauman, Jessica Bouwmeester, Hanaka Mera, David Abrego, Mariana Alvera-Noriega, Russel C. Babcock, Miguel B. Barbosa, Victor Bonito, John Burt, Patrick C. Cabaitan, Ching-Fong Chang, Suchana Chavanich, Chaolun A. Chen, Chieh-Jhen Chen, Wei-Jen Chen, Fung-Chen Chung, Sean R. Connolly, Vivian R. Cumbo, Maria Dornelas, Christopher Doropoulos, Gal Eyal, Lee Eyal-Shaham, Nur Fadli, Joana Figueiredo, Jean-François Flot, Sze-Hoon Gan, Elizabeth Gomez, Erin M. Graham, Mila Grinblat, Nataly Gutiérrez-Isaza, Saki Harii, Peter L. Harrison, Masayuki Hatta, Nina Ann Jin Ho, Gaetan Hoarau, Mia Hoogenboom, Emily J. Howells, Akira Iguchi, Naoko Isomura, Emmeline A. Jamodiong, Suppakarn Jandang, Jude Keyse, Seiya Kitanobo, Narinratana Kongjandtre, Chao-Yang Kuo, Charlon Ligson, Che-Hung Lin, Jeffrey Low, Yossi Loya, Elizaldy A. Maboloc, Joshua S. Madin, Takuma Mezaki, Choo Min, Masaya Morita, Aurelie Moya, Su-Hwei Neo, Matthew R. Nitschke, Satoshi Nojima, Yoko Nozawa, Srisakul Piromvaragorn, Sakanan Plathong, Eneour Puill-Stephan, Kate Quigley, Catalina Ramirez-Portilla, Gerard Ricardo, Kazuhiko Sakai, Eugenia Sampayo, Tom Shlesinger, Leony Sikim, Chris Simpson, Carrie A. Sims, Frederic Sinniger, Davies A. Spiji, Tracy Tabalanza, Chung-Hong Tan, Tullia I. Terraneo, Gergely Torda, James True, Karenne Tun, Kareen Vicentuan, Voranop Viyakarn, Zarinah Waheed, Selina Ward, Bette Willis, Rachael M. Woods, Erika S. Woolsey, Hiromi H. Yamamoto, Syafyudin Yusuf

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

The discovery of multi-species synchronous spawning of scleractinian corals on the Great Barrier Reef in the 1980s stimulated an extraordinary effort to document spawning times in other parts of the globe. Unfortunately, most of these data remain unpublished which limits our understanding of regional and global reproductive patterns. The Coral Spawning Database (CSD) collates much of these disparate data into a single place. The CSD includes 6178 observations (3085 of which were unpublished) of the time or day of spawning for over 300 scleractinian species in 61 genera from 101 sites in the Indo-Pacific. The goal of the CSD is …

Thermal Acclimation Of Tropical Coral Reef Fishes To Global Heat Waves, Jacob L. Johansen, Lauren E. Nadler, Adam Habary, Alyssa J. Bowden, Jodie Rummer

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

As climate-driven heat waves become more frequent and intense, there is increasing urgency to understand how thermally sensitive species are responding. Acute heating events lasting days to months may elicit acclimation responses to improve performance and survival. However, the coordination of acclimation responses remains largely unknown for most stenothermal species. We documented the chronology of 18 metabolic and cardiorespiratory changes that occur in the gills, blood, spleen, and muscles when tropical coral reef fishes are thermally stressed (+3.0°C above ambient). Using representative coral reef fishes (Caesio cuning and Cheilodipterus quinquelineatus) separated by >100 million years of evolution and …

Evaluating The Use Of Marine Protected Areas By Endangered Species: A Habitat Selection Approach, Kelsey E. Roberts, Brian J. Smith, Derek Burkholder, Kristen M. Hart

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

1. Optimizing the design of marine protected area (MPA) networks for the conservation of migratory marine species and their habitats involves a suite of important considerations, such as appropriate scale requirements and the distribution of anthropogenic impacts. Often, a fundamental component of the conservation planning process is delineating areas of high use or high biodiversity within a region of interest.

2. However, basing conservation strategies off merely the number of individuals in an ecosystem is outdated and potentially subject to arbitrary thresholds. To be effective at protecting marine megafauna, MPAs would ideally encompass habitats used by focal species. Through satellite-tracking …

Late Afternoon Seasonal Transition To Dissolution In A Coral Reef: An Early Warning Of A Net Dissolving Ecosystem?, Laura Stoltenberg, Kai G. Schulz, Coulson A. Lantz, Tyler Cyronak, Bradley D. Eyre

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

There are concerns that reefs will transition from net calcifying to net dissolving in the near future due to decreasing calcification and increasing dissolution rates. Here we present in situ rates of net ecosystem calcification (NEC) and net ecosystem production (NEP) on a coral reef flat using a slack-water approach. Up until dusk, the reef was net calcifying in most months but shifted to net dissolution in austral summer, coinciding with high respiration rates and a lower aragonite saturation state (Ω_arag). The estimated sediment contribution to NEC ranged from 8 – 21 % during the day and 45 …

Species Sensitivity Assessment Of Five Atlantic Scleractinian Coral Species To 1-Methylnaphthalene, Dorothy-Ellen A. Renegar, Nicholas Turner

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Coral reefs are keystone coastal ecosystems that are at risk of exposure to petroleum from a range of sources, and are one of the highest valued natural resources for protection in Net Environmental Benefit Analysis (NEBA) in oil spill response. Previous research evaluating dissolved hydrocarbon impacts to corals reflected no clear characterization of sensitivity, representing an important knowledge gap in oil spill preparedness related to the potential impact of oil spills to the coral animal and its photosymbiont zooxanthellae. This research addresses this gap, using a standardized toxicity protocol to evaluate effects of a dissolved reference hydrocarbon on scleractinian corals. …

Autonomous In Situ Calibration Of Ion‐Sensitive Field Effect Transistor Ph Sensors, Philip J. Bresnahan, Yuichiro Takeshita, Taylor Wirth, Todd R. Martz, Tyler Cyronak, Rebecca Albright, Kennedy Wolfe, Joseph K. Warren, Keaton Mertz

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Ion‐sensitive field effect transistor‐based pH sensors have been shown to perform well in high frequency and long‐term ocean sampling regimes. The Honeywell Durafet is widely used due to its stability, fast response, and characterization over a large range of oceanic conditions. However, potentiometric pH monitoring is inherently complicated by the fact that the sensors require careful calibration. Offsets in calibration coefficients have been observed when comparing laboratory to field‐based calibrations and prior work has led to the recommendation that an in situ calibration be performed based on comparison to discrete samples. Here, we describe our work toward a self‐calibration apparatus …

Assessment Of Monochloramine Toxicity On Three Small Coastal Organisms, Ashley K. Le

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Monochloramine ( is a secondary disinfectant used by water treatment facilities to eliminate lingering bacteria in basins, filters, and pipelines. While an effective disinfectant, monochloramine can have negative effects on aquatic organisms. Organis ms affected by the chemical can include species whose environment is near to effluent sites and aquaculture facilities that use tap water lines or has water intake pipes near to effluent sites. Three species commonly found in south Florida that are lik ely exposed to MCA by effluent sites or aquaculture facilities are mosquitofish Gambusia affinis pink shrimp Farfantepenaeus duorarum and the hard clam Mercenaria mercenaria These …

Ontogenetic Variation In Sciaenid Otolith Morphometry With Fish Size From The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Thomas C. Ingalls

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Sciaenids are a diverse family of coastal fishes and their fisheries are an important industry in the United States. In the northern Gulf of Mexico this industry is dominated by six species, specifically, red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus), black drum (Pogonias cromis), spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus), sand seatrout (C. arenarius), Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus), and spot (Leiostomus xathurus). Sagittal otoliths of all species were evaluated for changes in size and shape in relation to changes in fish total length and age across a variety of seasons and habitats. Evaluation …

A Predator-Based Methodology For Studying Predator-Prey Relationships In Fishes, Ashley Vettese

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Changes in the ocean including acidification, increasing temperatures, loss of habitat, and increased hypoxic events has the potential to change predator-prey relationships. These changes in single interactions can then have effects on population sizes, community structures, and changes in trophic cascades. Understanding how changing abiotic factors impact predator-prey relationships will be crucial for understanding what populations and communities will look like under future ocean conditions. In this review, the goals are to (1) summarize the current knowledge on how changing ocean conditions affect predator-prey relationships; (2) describe an example predator-based approach to examine how changing these changing factors impact predator-prey …

Social Familiarity Improves Fast-Start Escape Performance In Schooling Fish, Lauren E. Nadler, Mark I. Mccormick, Jacob L. Johansen, Paolo Domenici

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Datasets

Using social groups (i.e. schools) of the tropical damselfish Chromis viridis, we tested how familiarity through repeated social interactions influences fast-start responses, the primary defensive behaviour in a range of taxa, including fish, sharks, and larval amphibians. We focused on reactivity through response latency and kinematic performance (i.e. agility and propulsion) following a simulated predator attack, while distinguishing between first and subsequent responders (direct response to stimulation versus response triggered by integrated direct and social stimulation, respectively). In familiar schools, first and subsequent responders exhibited shorter latency than unfamiliar individuals, demonstrating that familiarity increases reactivity to direct and, potentially, …

Caribbean Fad Tracking Project Dataset, Erin E. Kimak, David W. Kerstetter, Thomas D. Pitchford

Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology Lab Datasets

This dataset encompasses crowd-sourced reports of abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG), particularly drifting Fish Aggregating Devices (dFADs) from citizen scientists around the North Atlantic Ocean and greater Caribbean region. Data collection did not involve survey efforts, but rather keyword searches of affiliated terms such as "bamboo raft" and "satellite buoy", as well as collection of reports via email and Facebook. Although this dataset is incomplete and an under representation of the total number of ALDFG dFADs as a result of widespread nature of stranding locations, it provides a minimum estimate of the numbers of FADs stranding in …

Unexpected Role Of Communities Colonizing Dead Coral Substrate In The Calcification Of Coral Reefs, Manoela Romanó De Orte, David A. Koweek, Tyler Cyronak, Yuichiro Takeshita, Alyssa Griffin, Kennedy Wolfe, Alina Szmant, Robert Whitehead, Rebecca Albright, Ken Caldeira

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Global and local anthropogenic stressors such as climate change, acidification, overfishing, and pollution are expected to shift the benthic community composition of coral reefs from dominance by calcifying organisms to dominance by non-calcifying algae. These changes could reduce the ability of coral reef ecosystems to maintain positive net calcium carbonate accretion. However, relationships between community composition and calcification rates remain unclear. We performed field experiments to quantify the metabolic rates of the two most dominant coral reef substrate types, live coral and dead coral substrate colonized by a mixed algal assemblage, using a novel underwater respirometer. Our results revealed that …

Deep-Pelagic Research In The Gulf Of Mexico: Ten Years And Counting…, Tracey Sutton

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

No abstract provided.

Black Grouper (Mycteroperca Bonaci) Neurocranium, Celeste Jaworski, David W. Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Neurocranium from 7.5 cm total length. Black Grouper (Mycteroperca bonaci), collected from Denny's Seafood Market on 15/10/2021 by Celeste Jaworski.

Gafftopsail Catfish Neurocranium, Allison J. Soucier

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Gafftopsail Catfish (Bagre marinus), neurocranium length: 11.5 cm, collected from Keewaydin Island in Marco Florida on 15/9/2021 by Allison Soucier.