Marine Biology Commons^™

Use Of An Artificial Pond And Marshes By Amphibians And Reptiles In West Virginia, Vanessa A. Dozeman

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

A farm pond approximately 40 years old located in Wayne County, West Virginia was studied to determine the ingress and egress of amphibians and reptiles. In addition to the pond, 2 small marshes were also examined. The study extended from February 2003 to November 2003. The pond is approximately 36 m long and 38 m wide and is located on a south-facing hillside at 202 m in elevation. A drift fence composed of landscaping cloth was constructed to completely encircle the site. At every 5.15 m, funnel traps were positioned on both sides of the fence. Traps were checked daily …

Habitat Preferences And Diving Behavior Of White Marlin (Tetrapturus Albidus) Released From The Recreational Rod-And-Reel And Commercial Pelagic Longline Fisheries In The Western North Atlantic Ocean: Implications For Habitat-Based Stock Assessment Models, Andrij Horodysky, David W. Kerstetter, John E. Graves

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

To improve billfish assessments, researchers have applied habitat-based models that incorporate behavioral and oceanographic parameters to standardize historical catch-per-uniteffort time -series data, accounting for significant gear changes over time. However, there has been little behavioral data from Atlantic billfishes to support these models. We provide information on habitat preferences of white marlin released from recreational and commercial fisheries in the western North Atlantic. White marlin were tagged with pop-up satellite archival tags (PSATs) from recreational rod and reel (n=22) and commercial pelagic longline (n=2) fisheries between May-November 2002. Our data indicate that each surviving white marlin spent the majority of …

Sea Turtle Conservation Program, Broward County, Fl 2004 Report, Curtis M. Burney, Stefanie Ouellette

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

Microfauna As Tracers Of Sediment Transport: Ft. Pierce Dredge Spoils Sediment Study, Patricia Blackwelder, Carlos Alvares Zarikian, Terry Hood, Charles M. Featherstone, John Proni, Jules Craynock

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

Ncri Work And Projects: Abstracts Of Oral Presentations And Scientific Poster Presentations, National Coral Reef Institute (Ncri)

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

Diel Activity Patterns, Space Utilization, Seasonal Distribution And Population Structure Of The Yellow Stingray, Urobatis Jamaicensis (Cuvier, 1817) In South Florida With Comments On Reproduction., Daniel P. Fahy

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The yellow stingray, Urobatis jamaicensis is the most common elasmobranch in the coastal waters of Southeast Florida. Despite their common occurrence the ecology of yellow stingrays remains poorly understood. In particular, yellow stingray daily movements, space utilization, seasonal distribution and population structure have not been described. This study was conducted to address the lack of knowledge of these fundamental life history parameters and to provide further information on the ecology of U. jamaicensis in coastal waters of Broward County, Florida.

The activity patterns and space utilization of U. jamaicensis were assessed by manual tracking with ultrasonic telemetry. Telemetry tracking of …

Embryogenesis In The Dwarf Seahorse, Hippocampus Zosterae (Syngnathidae), James T. Wetzel, John P. Wourms

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Embryogenesis of the dwarf seahorse, Hippocampus zosterae, was studied by scanning electron microscopy of a series of developmental stages. Stages ranged from initial cleavage of the egg through term embryos. Embryos hatch from their egg envelopes about midway through development, yet remain nestled in stromal chambers of vascularized epithelium within the male brood pouch until their yolk reserves are consumed. The difference in body shape between the pipefish and seahorse first becomes discernible during mid-development, just before hatching. At this stage, embryos begin to develop their characteristic prehensile tail in contrast to the straight body and typical caudal fin …

Northern Range Extensions For Caprella Scaura Templeton, 1836 (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Caprellidae) On The Florida Gulf Coast And In South Carolina, John M. Foster, Richard W. Heard, David M. Knott

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Previous northwestern Atlantic records for the caprellid amphipod Caprella scaura Templeton, 1836 were confined to St. Croix (US Virgin Islands), St. Barthélemy, and Puerto Rico, islands bordering the northern Caribbean Sea. Based on recent collections, C. scaura is now reported from the Gulf of Mexico (St. Andrew Bay, Florida) and the US east coast (Charleston Harbor, South Carolina). These constitute the first records for this apparently non-indigenous species in waters of the continental eastern United States, establishing considerable northern range extensions for C. scaura in the northwest Atlantic.

Gonadal Development And Sexual Dimorphism Of Gobiomorus Dormitor From The Estuarine System Of Tecolutla, Veracruz, Mexico, Raquel Hernandez-Saavedra, Jose Antonio Martinez-Perez, Nancy J. Brown-Peterson, Mark S. Peterson

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The bigmouth sleeper, Gobiomorus dormitor, is a benthic, euryhaline species, and is very abundant in river mouths, coastal lagoons, and sites away from marine influence from south Florida to Dutch Guyana. There are few studies of its life history, ecology, and abundance, particularly within Mexican waters. Nine trips to Tecolutla estuary, Veracruz, Mexico, were taken between October 1995 and May 1998 to estimate the gonadal development and sexual dimorphism of G. dormitor. A total of 94 individuals ranging from 15–260 mm SL and 0.05–181 g were captured. Seventy-two specimens were adults (60 females, 12 males) and 22 were …

Spatial Patterns Of Estuarine Habitat Type Use And Temporal Patterns In Abundance Of Juvenile Permit, Trachinotus Falcatus, In Charlotte Harbor, Florida, Aaron J. Adams, David A. Blewett

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The life history of many marine fishes is a 2-phase cycle: juveniles and adults make up a demersal phase, whereas larvae are planktonic. Determining ontogenetic patterns of habitat type use of the demersal phase has important management and habitat conservation implications for species that use coastal habitat types as juveniles. Juvenile permit, Trachinotus falcatus, are presumed to be limited to beaches exposed to open ocean, but few studies have addressed juvenile permit use of estuarine habitat types. Ten years of fisheries-independent monitoring data from a subtropical estuary were analyzed to determine habitat type use patterns and seasonality of juvenile …

Nhdes Shellfish Program Activities, Jan -Dec 2004, Nash, C, Chris Nash, Matt Wood

PREP Reports & Publications

This report summarizes the activities of the NH Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) Shellfish Program for the period of January 2004 to December 2004. The NHDES Shellfish Program conducts a number of activities to minimize the health risks associated with consuming shellfish, and to continue to comply with National Shellfish Sanitation Program guidelines. Among basic program functions is a routine water quality monitoring program, which involved the collection of nearly 800 samples at over 70 sites in 2004, the results of which are used to ensure that assessments of water quality for all areas are kept up-to-date. Weekly “red tide” …

Ambient Rivers And Shellfish Tissue Monitoring In New Hampshire Estuarine Watersheds 2003, Natalie Landry, Phil Trowbridge

PREP Reports & Publications

The Department of Environmental Services received funding from the New Hampshire Estuaries Project (NHEP) to conduct monitoring activities in 2003. The activities involved water monitoring in tidal tributaries and contaminant analyses of mussel tissue. These monitoring activities were completed with the overall purpose of improving the understanding of water quality trends and the concentrations of toxic contaminants in shellfish tissue. The Department of Environmental Services, in cooperation with the University of New Hampshire Jackson Estuarine Lab and others, completed all tasks as planned. This report includes the sample collection information, field data, and laboratory data, with the exception of contaminant …

Feeding Habits And Sexual Dimorphism Of The Violet Goby, Gobioides Broussoneti Lacepede (Pisces: Gobiidae), In The Estuarine System Of Tecolutla, Veracruz, Mexico, Sergio Mata-Cortes, Jose Antonio Martinez-Perez, Mark S. Peterson

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Gobioides broussoneti were sampled in Silveña estuary, a branch of the Tecolutla estuary, Veracruz, Mexico, during 2 trips made between February 1998 and June 1999 to evaluate diet and sexual dimorphism. A total of 65 G. broussoneti ranging from 49–401 mm SL (0.7–124.2 g WW) were collected. There was a 1:1.2 sex ratio in favor of females. Seven food types were noted, with filamentous algae (25.4%) and detritus (21.3%) representing the principal food types. A 24 h feeding study revealed that this species feeds continuously throughout the day. The ovaries of all female G. broussoneti contained previtellogenic oocytes, characteristic of …

Reproductive Biology Of The Opossum Pipefish, Microphis Brachyurus Lineatus, In Tecolutla Estuary, Veracruz, Mexico, Martha Edith Miranda-Marure, Jose Antonio Martinez-Perez, Nancy J. Brown-Peterson

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The reproductive biology of the opossum pipefish, Microphis brachyurus lineatus, was investigated in Tecolutla estuary, Veracruz, Mexico, to determine sex ratio, size at maturity, gonadal and brood pouch histology, reproductive seasonality, and fecundity of this little-known syngnathid. A total of 345 fish were collected between 1995–1998, with an overall sex ratio of 1:1.35 favoring females. Brooding males made up 45% of the population, resulting in an operational sex ratio of 1:2.45 heavily favoring females. All males > 90 mm SL were considered sexually mature, as this was the size at which the brood pouch was clearly developed. Females > 110 mm …

Studies On The Crustacea Of The Turks And Caicos Islands, British West Indies. V. Records Of Mysids From Pine Cay, Fort George Cay, Water Cay, And Adjacent Waters, W. Wayne Price, Richard W. Heard

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Only 2 species of mysids, Heteromysis spottei and Stygiomysis clarkei, have been previously reported from the Turks and Caicos Islands. Between 1988 and 1990, 21 species of mysids were collected from reef (to 38 m) and shallow non-reef habitats surrounding Pine Cay, Fort George Cay, and Water Cay, Turks and Caicos Islands. One species collected, Anchialina typica, is distributed throughout tropical and subtropical seas. Twelve species (Bowmaniella johnsoni, Dioptromysis paucispinosa, Heteromysis bermudensis, H. guitarti, H. mayana, Mysidium columbiae, M. gracile, M. integrum, Mysidopsis bispinulata, M. brattstromei, Parvimysis …

Diel Vertical Distribution Of Atlantic Croaker, Micropogonias Undulatus, Larvae In The Northcentral Gulf Of Mexico With Comparisons To Red Drum, Sciaenops Ocellatus, Bruce H. Comyns, Joanne Lyczkowski-Shultz

Faculty Publications

Atlantic croaker Micropogonias undulates (Linnaeus, 1766) larvae < 6 mm showed a distinct pattern of vertical stratification in inner-shelf waters (< 25 m depth) of the northcentral Gulf of Mexico. Discrete-depth plankton collections were taken at night, early morning after daylight, and at mid-day or early afternoon at 1, 5, and 11–16 m. No consistent pattern among cruises was evident in the vertical stratification of Atlantic croaker larvae found in mid-day and afternoon collections, but at night the highest abundances were observed at the deepest depths sampled. Atlantic croaker larvae were least abundant in surface waters (1 m) at night. Of the 66,913 Atlantic croaker larvae collected, only 346 specimens (< 1%) were found in 1 m collections at night, and 266 of these larvae were from a single collection of large specimens (mean = 6.7 mm). By morning the vertical distribution of larvae suggested that Atlantic croaker had moved up in the water column, and highest abundances were usually found at 5 m. There was no indication that patterns of larval distribution reflected hydrographic stratification within the water column, prey availability, size of larvae, or moonlight intensity.

Effects Of Salinity On Growth And Molting Of Sympatric Callinectes Spp. From Camaronera Lagoon, Veracruz, Mexico, Sergio Cházaro-Olvera, Mark S. Peterson

Faculty Publications

Megalopae of Callinectes rathbunae Contrareras, 1930 and C. sapidus Rathbun, 1896 were exposed to salinities of 5, 15, and 25 at 25.0degreesC (through crab stage 16) to determine if there were species-specific differences in survival, growth, and intermolt duration. Survival of C. rathbunae decreased significantly at higher salinities, but there was no salinity effect for C. sapidus. Callinectes rathbunae had significantly higher survival than C. sapidus in salinities of 5 and 15, but survival was not different in a salinity of 25. There was no difference in survival of C. rathbunae by gender; survival of both genders was generally lowest …

Winter 2004, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.

Summer 2004, Nova Southeastern University

Currents

No abstract provided.

Artificial Reef Matrix Structures (Arms): An Inexpensive And Effective Method For Collecting Coral Reef-Associated Invertebrates, Todd L. Zimmerman, Joel W. Martin

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Collecting reef-associated invertebrates usually involves disturbance of the reef area, often damaging the habitat and sometimes damaging live corals. We introduce a nondestructive, inexpensive, and effective method for collecting coral reef-associated invertebrates using approximations of small coral heads constructed of concrete, PVC pipes, nylon cleaning pads, and other materials easily obtainable in most tropical (coral-rich) countries. An example showing the effectiveness of the method is presented based on fieldwork in the eastern Caribbean.

Morphological Characteristics Of The Carapace Of The Hawksbill Turtle, Eretmochelys Imbricata, From Cuban Waters, Mari Kobayashi

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Hawksbill turtles, Eretmochelys imbricata (Linnaeus, 1766), from Cuban waters of the Caribbean were analyzed to determine the relationships between straight carapace length (SCL) and either straight carapace width (SCW) or body weight (Wt). The regression equations were SCW = 0.9136(SCL)^0.951 (R² = 0.923, n = 315) and Wt = 4.17 x 10^–4(SCL)^2.68 (R² = 0.798, n = 289), respectively. The regression equations between the first costal width (C1W) and either SCW or Wt were SCW = 3.223(C1W)^0.847 (R² = 0.919, n = 156) and Wt = 1.416 x 10^–2(C1W)^{2.426 …}

Helminths From Dormitator Maculatus (Pisces: Eleotridae) In Alvarado Lagoon, Veracruz, Mexico, And Supplemental Data For Clinostomum Complanatum Rudolphi, 1814 From Egretta Caerulea (Aves: Ardeidae), Jesus Montoya-Mendoza, Rafael Chavez-Lopez, Jonathan Franco-Lopez

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Fishes are important hosts of helminths with aquatic life stages, yet little information is available on host-parasite relationships in tropical low salinity ecosystems. In this paper we report helminth parasites of the fat sleeper, Dormitator maculatus, in the Alvarado lagoon system, Veracruz. Mexico. Four parasite species were recorded from D. maculatus, including trematode metacercariae of Clinostomum complanatum, as well as nematode larvae of Spyroxis sp. and Camallanus sp. and adults of Neochinorhynchus golvani. In addition, we obtained adult C. complanatum from the esophagus of the little blue heron, Egretta caerulea. Dormitator maculatus is a new …

A Characterization Of The Shallow-Water Coral Reefs And Associated Habitats Of Puerto Rico, Matthew S. Kendall, Curtis R. Kruer, Ken R. Buja, John D. Christensen, Ernesto Diaz, Robert A. Warner, Mark E. Monaco

Gulf and Caribbean Research

We mapped bottom types and shelf zones of 1600 km² or about one fourth of Puerto Rico’s insular shelf from the shoreline to the shelf edge. Overall map accuracy for these bottom types is estimated as 93.6% correct. Maps were produced through visual interpretation of benthic features using orthorectified aerial photographs within a Geographic Information System with customizable software. The maps are one component of an integrated mapping and monitoring program underway by NOAA and its partners in the US Coral Reef Task Force to assess all US reef ecosystems. Maps are currently being used to enhance coastal research …

Formation Of A Stress-Induced Check Mark On The Otoliths Of Juvenile Fishes: Implications For Mesocosm Studies, Thomas R. Reinert, Donald M. Baltz

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Daily otolith increment widths of spot Leiostomus xanthurus and spotted seatrout Cynoscion nebulosus were examined experimentally in field mesocosms for 5 to 7 days in various habitat types. Daily otolith increments were used as a surrogate for daily somatic growth so that growth prior to capture and handling could be examined. For both species, possible effects of habitat types were confounded by an overall decrease in daily increment widths during the experimental period when compared to increment widths prior to capture. Several spotted seatrout inadvertently captured during mesocosm deployment provided a means for assessing if there was a significant mesocosm …

The First Larval Stage Of Microprosthema Semilaeve (Von Martens, 1872) (Crustacea: Decapoda: Stenopodidea) Obtained In The Laboratory, Joel W. Martin, Joseph W. Goy

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The first larval stage of Microprosthema semilaeve (von Martens, 1872) is described from ovigerous females collected off Sombrero Key, Florida Keys, USA, and Guana Island, British Virgin Islands, Caribbean. The larvae are characterized by a broad, triangular telson bearing posterolateral spines and an “anomuran seta,” a first maxilliped that differs markedly from the very similar (to each other) second and third maxillipeds, and the presence of the first pereiopod as a swimming appendage upon hatching, as is apparently true of all stenopodidean first stage larvae. Characters of the larvae are compared to those described from the Indian Ocean by Raje …

Stomatopoda (Crustacea: Hoplocarida) From The Shallow, Inshore Waters Of The Northern Gulf Of Mexico (Apalachicola River, Florida To Port Aransas, Texas), John M. Foster, Brent P. Thoma, Richard W. Heard

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Six species representing the order Stomatopoda are reported from the shallow, inshore waters (passes, bays, and estuaries) of the northern Gulf of Mexico limited to a depth of 10 m or less, and by the Apalachicola River (Florida) in the east and Port Aransas (Texas) in the west. With the exception of the “live bottom” gonodactylid, Neogonodactylus bredini (Manning), these predatory crustaceans usually inhabit burrows in mud, sand-mud, and sand substrata in coastal and shelf waters. The species treated in this paper are Neogonodactylus bredini (Manning), Lysiosquilla scabricauda (Lamarck), Bigelowina biminiensis (Bigelow), Coronis scolopendra Latreille, Squilla empusa Say, and Gibbesia …

First Record Of Bonefish, Albula Vulpes, From Mississippi Coastal Waters, K.J. Cuevas, James S. Franks, M.V. Buchanan

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Bonefish (Albula spp.), Family Albulidae, occur worldwide in coastal waters of tropical and warm temperate seas (Crabtree et al. 1997), and 2 species, A. vulpes and A. nemoptera, are recognized from the western Atlantic Ocean (Rivas and Warlen 1967). The normal range of A. vulpes in the western Atlantic extends from Bermuda to Brazil, including the Bahamas, Cuba, Mexico, Central America and the Antilles (Hildebrand 1963), but in US waters, A. vulpes typically occurs off south Florida (Crabtree et al. 1997). In contrast, A. nemoptera has been reported from Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Jamaica and Hispaniola (Uyeno et al. …

Notes On Aquarium Brood Release And Feeding Of The Opossum Pipefish, Microphis Brachyurus Lineatus, Sarah Frias-Torres

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The opossum pipefish, Microphis brachyurus lineatus, is a migratory syngnathid with a salmon-like life history (Frias-Torres 2002). Adults breed in freshwater and oligohaline habitats associated with emergent vegetation, mostly Panicum sp. and Polygonum sp.; breeding occurs during the wet season (May to November) (Gilmore and Hastings 1983). In southern Mexico, opossum pipefish associate with Ruppia maritima, and reproduction is year-round (Miranda-Marure et al. 2004). Pelagic juveniles are found in the Atlantic Ocean and are associated with Sargassum sp. (Böhlke and Chaplin 1968). Juveniles eventually recruit into oligohaline habitats. The species range is from Sao Paulo, Brazil, to New …

Predators And The Distribution And Abundance Of Blennies On Offshore Petroleum Platforms, Tommy J. Rauch

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Predation may be important in structuring fish assemblages but studies of the intensity of predation on marine fish assemblages are uncommon. Predator avoidance behavior was used to identify the predators of an assemblage of blennies found on offshore petroleum platforms in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The distribution of predators was then compared with the distribution of 3 species of blennies to see if predation intensity was related to the vertical zonation of blennies. Predator approaches and blenniid activity were compared in low and high surface current events. Results did not support a hypothesis of predation controlling the distribution and …

Endocrine-Disrupting Effects Of Cattle Feedlot Effluent On An Aquatic Sentinel Species, The Fathead Minnow, Edward Orlando, Alan Kolok, Gerry Binzcick, Jennifer Gates, Megan Horton, Christy Lambright, L. Earl Gray Jr., Ana M. Soto, Louis J. Guilette

Biology Faculty Publications

Over the last decade, research has examined the endocrine-disrupting action of various environmental pollutants, including hormones, pharmaceuticals, and surfactants, in sewage treatment plant effluent. Responding to the growth of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and the pollutants present in their wastewater (e.g., nutrients, pharmaceuticals, and hormones), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency developed a new rule that tightens the regulation of CAFOs. In this study, we collected wild fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) exposed to feedlot effluent (FLE) and observed significant alterations in their reproductive biology. Male fish were demasculinized (having lower testicular testosterone synthesis, altered head morphometrics, and smaller …