Marine Biology Commons^™

Argulus From The Pascagoula River, Ms, Usa, With An Emphasis On Those Of The Threatened Gulf Sturgeon, Acipenser Oxyinchus Desotoi, Michael J. Andres, Jeremy M. Higgs, Paul O. Grammer, Mark S. Peterson

Faculty Publications

Species of Argulus (Branchiura Thorell, 1864) are common ectoparasites of freshwater, estuarine, and marine fishes. Argulid identification and taxonomy is often confusing because many species are reported to parasitize multiple host species, have similar morphological characters, and come from various salinity regimes. Gulf sturgeon is an anadromous fish natal to drainages in the north-central Gulf of Mexico, and as with many endangered species, has a poorly documented parasite community. During Gulf sturgeon tagging and monitoring studies (2016–2019) in the Pascagoula River, MS, USA, species of Argulus were collected from Gulf sturgeon as well as other incidentally captured fishes. Argulus flavescens …

The Effect Of Historic Shipwrecks On Sediment Microbiomes In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Melissa Brock

Master's Theses

Microorganisms are ubiquitously distributed across all aquatic habitats, but it is the environmental conditions of a habitat that determine which microorganisms can thrive in terms of abundance or metabolic activity. Habitats that experience consistent physical and chemical environmental conditions repeatedly favor specific taxonomic groups which may result in a microbial assemblage that is commonly associated with that habitat (i.e., a core microbiome). Core microbiomes have been identified for a variety of natural marine habitats including methane seeps, wood falls, octocoral, and deep-sea sediments. However, it was unknown if the presence of man-made structures on the seafloor, including historic shipwrecks, also …

Distribution, Abundance, And Trophic Ecology Of Anguilliform Leptocephali In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Lillian Collins

Master's Theses

All species of anguilliform eels have pelagic leptocephalus larval stages, which provides a means of monitoring the population dynamics of these otherwise cryptic and hard to study species. The goals of this study were to: 1) describe the distribution and abundance of anguilliform eel leptocephali across the northern Gulf of Mexico, and 2) examine the trophic ecology of leptocephali using stable isotope values of carbon and nitrogen (δ13C and δ15N). A 25-year (1990-2014) ichthyoplankton dataset provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (SEAMAP) was used to examine interannual variations in leptocephalus distribution, …

Early Recruitment Of Crassostrea Virginica To Restored And Natural Oyster Reefs In The Western Mississippi Sound: Larval Supply And Post-Settlement Success, Leah Morgan

Master's Theses

The eastern oyster (C. virginica) is a foundation species that improves water quality, protects shorelines, provides refuge for other organisms, and contributes to commercial fisheries. Successful early recruitment of eastern oyster is vital for resupplying adult populations in the face of habitat loss. Coastal oyster populations are challenged by freshwater input, hypoxia, predation and overfishing. Consequently, substantial efforts have been dedicated toward oyster restoration within the northern Gulf of Mexico. The overall objective of this study was to consider the role and importance of early recruitment to oyster restoration in western Mississippi Sound. During the summer 2018 recruitment period, we …

Development And Employment Of Environmental Dna Methods For The Detection Of Bull Sharks (Carcharhinus Leucas) In A Freshwater And Estuarine Interface In The Mobile-Tensaw Delta And Mobile Bay, Alabama, Katherine Schweiss

Master's Theses

Species conservation and management is influenced by the quality of monitoring methods employed, especially when targeting elusive, but ecologically significant species, like elasmobranchs. Bull Sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) are highly mobile predators that rely on estuaries and freshwater rivers for maturation, resources, and refuge; their ability to withstand changing environmental conditions may mean they are linking ecosystems through their habitat usage and movements. Rather than setting nets or attaching acoustic monitoring devices, which can be expensive, time-consuming, and invasive, the analysis of environmental DNA (eDNA) for tracing species presence was used to target C. leucasDNA. The present research …

Prospects For The Sustainable Management Of Public Oyster Resources, Thomas M. Soniat, Nathan A. Cooper, Eric N. Powell

Faculty Publications

Common-pool resources such as public oyster grounds are especially vulnerable to overexploitation and habitat loss. Like those elsewhere, oyster populations and habitat of Louisiana public grounds are in decline. To maintain reef habitat and increase oyster abundance, a sustainable harvest model is applied, which allows harvest above that required to maintain reef cultch stasis. The model is restrained to promote shell gain by limiting fishing by area, type (sack versus seed), effort, and season. Harvest quotas and cultch removal rates derived from shell-budget–based modeling are a foundation for sustainable management of public oyster resources.

Comparison Of Age And Growth Parameters Of Invasive Red Lionfish (Pterois Volitans) Across The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Alexander Q. Fogg, Joseph T. Evans, Mark S. Peterson, Nancy Brown-Peterson, Eric R. Hoffmayer, G. Walter Ingram Jr.

Faculty Publications

Invasive red lionfish (Pterois volitans) have spread rapidly throughout the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) partly because of their high growth rate. Red lionfish were collected from the northern GOM across 3 ecological regions from 2012 through 2015. For male and female red lionfish, relationships between weight and total length (TL) were differnt by ecological region. Males acheives a greater mean weight adjusted for TL (333.6 g [standar errer (SE) 3.6]) than females (195.1 g [SE 3.7]). A subsample of 1607 pairs of sagittal otoliths (from 744 males, 716 females, and 147 fish of unknown or undetermined sex) …

Changes In The Spatial Distribution And Anatomy Of A Range Shift For The Atlantic Surfclam Spisula Solidissima In The Mid-Atlantic Bight And On Georges Bank, Jeremy R. Timbs, Eric N. Powell, Roger Mann

Faculty Publications

The Atlantic surfclam Spisula solidissima supports one of the largest fisheries on the US northeast coast. Using ~30 yr of data from surfclam stock surveys, variance-to-mean ratios (VtMRs) were calculated both temporally and spatially for a range of surfclam size classes to determine the degree of patchiness. The VtMR declined from the 1980s to present in all regions (offshore Delmarva, New Jersey, Long Island, Southern New England, Georges Bank); however, VtMR rose with increasing clam size. Taylor’s power law (TPL) analysis corroborated the VtMR; the surfclam is highly patchy across its range. The surfclam’s proclivity for a patchy distribution varied …

Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops Truncatus) Vocal Responses To Sonar And Spectrally Pink Background Noise, Maria Zapetis

Dissertations

As human populations rise, the level of man-made noise increases globally. Naval sonar and boat traffic are underwater sound sources of particular concern to marine mammal welfare. To better understand the impact of these noise increases on cetaceans, studies can explore animals’ behavioral changes in response to noise. Studies have investigated the ‘dose-response’ relationship between the received sound pressure level of sonar signals and the behavior of cetaceans in the wild, but exposure studies in controlled environments are limited. The studies in this dissertation examined bottlenose dolphin vocal modifications during various experimental noise treatments. Acoustic recordings previously obtained for bottlenose …

The Effects Of Salinity On Zootechnical Performance Of Spotted Seatrout (Cynoscion Nebulosus) In Recirculating Aquaculture Systems, Eric Gigli

Master's Theses

The spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus) is a euryhaline finfish candidate for marine aquaculture in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Aquaculture of this species currently uses salinities of 25 psu or greater making production challenging in areas where high salinity water is not available. This study aimed to document the effects of salinity on zootechnical performance of spotted seatrout embryos, early larvae, and juveniles in recirculating aquaculture systems to assist with the development of protocols for low salinity culture.

Embryos obtained from a volitional spawn at 29 psu were incubated at three salinities (12.5, 18.75, or 25 psu) until …

Evaluating Alternate Management Strategies For Spotted Seatrout (Cynoscion Nebulosus) In The North-Central Gulf Of Mexico, Nathaniel Wallace Jermain

Master's Theses

Spotted Seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus) receive considerable fishing pressure as the most popular saltwater target species in the north-central Gulf of Mexico. The potential for alternate management strategies, including stock enhancement and reducing discard mortality, to support the sustainability of the stocks and the desires of stakeholders is unknown. The purpose of this study was to provide an objective evaluation of the efficacy of alternate management strategies for Spotted Seatrout in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. I used a management strategy evaluation (MSE) to measure the performance of 18 alternate management scenarios relative to control scenarios. Scenarios with a high …

Investigating Diel Periodicity In Export Flux In The Gulf Of Mexico Using A Particulate Imaging System, Justin Edward Blancher

Master's Theses

To estimate the diurnal periodicity in the biological pump, a floating array with a marine snow camera system at 150 m depth was used, and particles were imaged at a 40 second interval for a 24 to 30 hour period at five sites in the Gulf of Mexico in June 2017. Each image was processed to identify and size all the particles within the frame, which was then processed to determine diameter, an estimated volume, and settling speed for each particle. Using these parameters, particle mass was estimated using algebraically rearranged calculations for settling speed. Each hour during the deployment …

In Situ Observations Of Fish Larvae Encased Within A Pelagic Gelatinous Matrix, Adam T. Greer, Luciano M. Chiaverano, James G. Ditty, Frank J. Hernandez

Faculty Publications

The degree to which marine fish larvae aggregate (i.e. patchiness) is predominantly determined by the physical oceanographic environment. Biological traits, however, can also influence spatial distributions and have adaptive value for larvae (e.g. favorable transport or reducing predation mortality). Although several fish families are known to release eggs within a gelatinous matrix, hatched larvae have not been found inside this type of structure. We present observations of hatched, preflexion yolk-sac larvae encased within a pelagic gelatinous matrix (mass). Two different masses (40-60 mm in length) containing free swimming, elongate larvae were imaged in the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGOM) near …

Age And Growth Of Gray Triggerfish (Balistes Capriscus) From A North-Central Gulf Of Mexico Artifical Reef Zone, Amanda E. Jefferson, Robert J. Allman, Ashley E. Pacicco, James S. Franks, Frank J. Hernandez, Mark A. Albins, Sean P. Powers, Robert L. Shipp, J. Marcus Drymon

Faculty Publications

The overexploitation of many traditionally targeted reef fishes such as red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus, Poey 1860), alongside the implementation of increasingly restrictive management measures on those species, has led to increased targeting of conventionally discarded Gulf of Mexico gray triggerfish (Balistes capriscus, Gmelin 1789) commercially and recreationally. The goal of this study was to assess age and growth of gray triggerfish from the Alabama Artificial Reef Zone in the north-central Gulf of Mexico. Gray triggerfish (n = 1135) were collected predominantly from artificial habitat during 1999 – 2017. Specimens were sexed macroscopically and ages were assigned …

Sex-Specific Growth And Reproductive Dynamics Of Red Drum In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Corbin F. Bennetts, Robert T. Leaf, Nancy J. Brown-Peterson

Faculty Publications

The Red Drum Sciaenops ocellatus stock is heavily targeted in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) by recreational fishers and supports a small commercial fishery in Mississippi. Despite their popularity, little recent work has been done to describe their life history. In this work, we describe sex‐specific growth and reproductive dynamics of Red Drum collected from the northern GOM from September 2016 through October 2017. We evaluated seven candidate growth models and found that the three‐parameter von Bertalanffy growth function (VBGF) was the best candidate length‐at‐age model. No significant difference in growth between sexes was observed with the three‐parameter VBGF, despite …

Importance Of Weak Trophic Interactions In The Structure Of The Food Web In La Paz Bay, Southern Gulf Of California: A Topological Approach, Andrés F. Navia, Sergio R. Maciel-Zapata, Adrián F. González-Acosta, Robert T. Leaf, Victor H. Cruz-Escalona

Faculty Publications

Here, we describe the trophic structure of the La Paz Bay, Baja California Sur, Mexico, and evaluate the role of weak trophic interactions in the ecosystem using a suite of topological indices. We used information derived from published and unpublished stomach contents analysis studies from the region to construct an unweighted and directional trophic network (comprising 250 nodes and 1528 associated interactions) to assess the impact of predators in three scenarios. Each scenario simulated the removal of weak interactions corresponding to removal of those nodes with trophic contributions less than 5%, 10%, and 15%. In each removal scenario, the nodes …

White Spot Syndrome Virus (Wssv) In Cultured Juvenile Blue Crabs Callinectes Sapidus: Oral Versus Injection Exposure, And Feeding Frequency Effects, Reginald B. Blaylock, Stephen S. Curran, Jeffrey M. Lotz

Faculty Publications

The efficacy of oral versus injection exposure and the effect of feeding frequency on the transmission of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) in cultured juvenile blue crabs Callinectes sapidus were investigated. Crabs in Group 1 (G-1, n = 48) were exposed once orally to 100 mg of WSSV-infected shrimp tissue mg^-1 of body weight (BW). The oral inoculum contained 2.6 × 10⁹ WSSV genome copies mg^-1 tissue. Group 2 (G-2, n = 46) received the same dosage once weekly for 5 wk. Group 3 (G-3, n = 12) was injected with 0.01 ml (2.6 × 10^{7 …}

Population Connectivity Of Pelagic Megafauna In The Cuba-Mexico-United States Triangle, Jay R. Rooker, Michael A. Dance, R.J. David Wells, Matthew J. Ajemian, Barbara A. Block, Michael R. Castleton, J. Marcus Drymon, Brett J. Falterman, James S. Franks, Neil Hammerschlag, Jill M. Hendon, Eric R. Hoffmayer, Richard T. Kraus, Jennifer A. Mckinney, David H. Secor, Gregory W. Stunz, John F. Walter

Faculty Publications

The timing and extent of international crossings by billfishes, tunas, and sharks in the Cuba-Mexico-United States (U.S.) triangle was investigated using electronic tagging data from eight species that resulted in >22,000 tracking days. Transnational movements of these highly mobile marine predators were pronounced with varying levels of bi- or tri-national population connectivity displayed by each species. Billfishes and tunas moved throughout the Gulf of Mexico and all species investigated (blue marlin, white marlin, Atlantic bluefin tuna, yellowfin tuna) frequently crossed international boundaries and entered the territorial waters of Cuba and/or Mexico. Certain sharks (tiger shark, scalloped hammerhead) displayed prolonged periods …

Retrieval Of Phytoplankton Pigments From Underway Spectrophotometry In The Fram Strait, Yangyang Liu, Emmanuel Boss, Alison Chase, Hongyan Xi, Xiaodong Zhang, Rüdiger Röttgers, Yanqun Pan, Astrid Bracher

Faculty Publications

Phytoplankton in the ocean are extremely diverse. The abundance of various intracellular pigments are often used to study phytoplankton physiology and ecology, and identify and quantify different phytoplankton groups. In this study, phytoplankton absorption spectra (α_ph(λ)) derived from underway flow-through AC-S measurements in the Fram Strait are combined with phytoplankton pigment measurements analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to evaluate the retrieval of various pigment concentrations at high spatial resolution. The performances of two approaches, Gaussian decomposition and the matrix inversion technique are investigated and compared. Our study is the first to apply the matrix inversion …

A Scientific Name For Pacific Oysters, Brian Bayne, Marc Anglès D'Auriac, Thierry Backeljau, Peter Beninger, Pierre Boudry, Ryan B. Carnegie, Jonathan P. Davis, Ximing Guo, Dennis Hedgecock, Maureen Krause, Chris Langdon, Sylvie Lapègue, Donal Manahan, Roger Mann, Eric Powell, Sandra Shumway

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Purr Of The Lionfish: Sound And Behavioral Context Of Wild Lionfish In The Greater Caribbean, Michelle T. Schärer-Umpierre, Carlos Zayas, Richard S. Appeldoorn, Evan Tuohy, Jack C. Olson, Jessica A. Keller, Alejandro Acosta

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Passive acoustic technology has become a useful and cost-effective method to collect data with very high temporal resolution that can be used to detect the presence, distribution, and remotely monitor soniferous marine biodiversity. In order to maximize the potential of bioacoustic and soundscape research in the oceans, understanding the association between the different realms of sound sources, species-specific calls and behavioral context of sound production are fundamental. A previously unknown vocalization was associated with a behavioral display of lionfish (Pterois spp.) by recordings with synchronous audio and video at deep coral reefs in both Puerto Rico and the Florida …

Techniques Used To Increase Recapture Rates Of Dwarf Seahorses (Hippocampus Zosterae) In Tampa Bay: Implications For Population Estimates And Movement Patterns, Heather D. Masonjones, Emily Rose, Michael C. Masonjones

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Mark-recapture techniques were used to estimate population size and movement patterns of the Dwarf Seahorse (Hippocampus zosterae, Syngnathidae), a species native to the Gulf of Mexico and under review by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS, USA) for consideration under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Previous collection methods have failed to yield recapture rates high enough to use for population estimation, hypothesized to be a result of longer time durations between collections and large distances surveyed in previous studies. In this report, Dwarf Seahorses in Tampa Bay, Florida (USA) were sampled with a pushnet in a small, well-marked …

Comparisons Of Caribbean Spiny Lobster And Queen Conch Populations In Coastal Marine Reserves Of Belize Over 15 Years, Charles Acosta, Alyssa Frank, Kristafer Howard, Denice Robertson

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Many coastal fisheries are increasingly reliant on marine protected areas (MPAs) as a fishery management strategy. However, the efficacy of any particular MPA depends on a complex suite of factors. This study investigates whether Caribbean spiny lobster Panulirus argus and queen conch Lobatus gigas abundance, mean size, and fishery productivity changed in MPAs over 15 years of increasing effective enforcement. A before-after control-impact design was used to analyze differences between years in the same protected and fished sampling sites. Catch-per-unit-effort was higher for both species in protected than fished zones, but there were no significant changes between 2001 and 2016. …

Larsonia Pterophylla (Cnidaria, Pandeidae) Parasitic On Two Leptocephali: Paraconger Sp. (Congridae) And Callechelyini Gen. Sp. (Ophichthidae) In The Gulf Of Mexico, Matthew S. Woodstock, Charles Golightly, Danté Fenolio, Jon A. Moore

Gulf and Caribbean Research

No abstract provided.

Rapid Assessment Of Post-Hurricane Michael Impacts On A Population Of The Sea Urchin Lytechinus Variegatus In Seagrass Beds Of Eagle Harbor, Port Saint Joseph Bay, Florida, Roberta Challener, James B. Mcclintock, Raymond Czaja Jr., Christopher Pomory

Gulf and Caribbean Research

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Nursery Methods To Strengthen Oysters For Aquaculture, Emily M. Combs, Benjamin A. Belgrad, Delbert L. Smee

Gulf and Caribbean Research

No abstract provided.

Detection Of Adsorbed Chlordecone On Microplastics In Marine Sediments In Guadeloupe: A Preliminary Study, Fidji Sandre, Charlotte R. Dromard, Karyn Le Menach, Yolande Bouchon-Navaro, Sébastien Cordonnier, Nathalie Tapie, Hélène Budzinski, Claude Bouchon

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Plastic pollution in the oceans is recognized as a worldwide problem. Since the 1950s, the production of plastics has been increasing and the first reports of microplastics (particles < 500 μm) in the marine environment began to appear in the 1970s. These particles represent a growing environmental problem due to their dispersion in seawater and marine organisms. Additionally, microparticles in general can adsorb pollutants that will then become bioavailable to organisms by being desorbed during digestion, which could be an important pathway for the contamination of organisms. In Guadeloupe and Martinique, an organochlorine pesticide called “chlordecone” was used from 1972 to 1993 in banana plantations and this very persistent pollutant contaminates soils, rivers, and coastal marine areas and accumulates in marine foodwebs. To examine these issues, we had two goals: 1) to assess the contamination of marine sediments by microplastics surrounding Guadeloupe; and 2) to determine the ability of microplastics to adsorb chlordecone, as has been demonstrated for other organochlorine pollutants. To do so, marine sediments were collected in triplicate from 12 sites in coral reef environments around the island. Microplastics from each sample were then enumerated by size, color and shape under a binocular microscope. The results indicate that microplastics are found in all the studied sites and that their distribution could be linked to marine currents or proximity to areas of significant human activities (port activities, agglomeration, etc.). Finally, our preliminary results indicated that chlordecone could be adsorbed onto microplastics, with a concentration ranging from 0.00036—0.00173 µg/µg of microfilter.

Estimation And Comparison Of Epiphyte Loading On Holopelagic Sargassum Fluitans Collected In The North Atlantic Ocean And The Gulf Of Mexico, Sarah Shadle, Olivia Lestrade, Franziska Elmer, Frank Hernandez Jr.

Gulf and Caribbean Research

No abstract provided.

Seagrass Ecosystems: A Career-Long Quest To Understand Their Inner Workings, Kenneth L. Heck Jr

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Four decades of research findings associates on the ecology of seagrasses and their animal and plant associates are described here, along with some of the major changes and advances that have taken place in our understanding of the inner workings of these amazingly productive and diverse ecosystems. Of primary importance are shifts in the recognition of: 1) the importance of the nursery role of seagrasses and how it can be quantified; 2) the importance of direct herbivory in the trophic ecology of seagrass-dominated ecosystems; and 3) the primacy of consumer effects in determining the abundance of algal epiphytes that colonize …

The Potential Use Of Seagrass Herbivory Patterns As An Indicator Of Herbivore Community Change After Tropical Marine Protected Area Establishment, John M. Carroll, Amber D. Stubler, Christopher M. Finelli, Bradley J. Peterson

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Throughout the Caribbean, fishing pressure has decreased the abundance of many species, including both large predators and larger-bodied herbivores. In an effort to reverse these trends and reduce harvest pressure on vulnerable fish populations, Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have been established throughout the Caribbean. Yet, the effort to monitor fish communities, is variable, and there are MPAs where no monitoring program exists. It is possible that other metrics may be used to determine whether the impact of MPA establishment. By comparing two seagrass herbivory experiments, one pre- and one post-MPA establishment, we provide evidence that the MPA established in Discovery …