Marine Biology Commons^™

Oxford Avenue Sewer Extension Project In The City Of Portsmouth, Natalie Landry, Peter Rice

PREP Reports & Publications

Financial support provided by the New Hampshire Estuaries Project (NHEP) to the City of Portsmouth helped with the cost of installing a new sewer line at Oxford Avenue that replaced the on-site subsurface disposal systems (septic systems) for fourteen homes. The homes border the Great Bog and Pickering Creek watersheds. The construction occurred during the autumn of 2004.

Winter 2005, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.

The State Of Coral Reef Ecosystems Of Florida, Katherine Andrews (Ed.), Larry Nall (Ed.), Chris Jeffrey (Ed.), Simon Pittman (Ed.), Kenneth Banks, Carl Beaver, James A. Bohnsack, Richard E. Dodge, David S. Gilliam, Walter Jaap, Brian Keller, V. R. Leeworthy, Tom Matthews, Ramon Ruiz-Carus, Deborah Santavy, Richard E. Spieler, Jerald Ault, Gabriel Delgado, Fleur M. Ferro, Carol R. Fretwell, Bill Goodwin, Doug Harper, John Hunt, Margaret Miller, Christy Pattengil-Semmens, Bill Sharp, Steve Smith, Jennifer Wheaton, Dana Williams

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

Sea Turtle Conservation Program, Broward County, Fl 2005 Report, Curtis M. Burney, Stefanie Ouellette

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

Highly Streamlined Pcr-Based Genetic Identification Of Carcharhinid Sharks (Family Carcharhinidae) For Use In Wildlife Forensics, Trade Monitoring, And Delineation Of Species Distributions, Marcy Henning

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

An increase in worldwide industrialized shark fisheries resulting from the growing demand for shark products, especially shark fins in Asian markets, as well as high levels of bycatch mortality associated with multi-species fisheries have raised suspicions of substantial declines in global shark populations. Due to varying responses by individual species to fishing pressure, it has become necessary to manage sharks on a species-specific basis, which requires the collection of more accurate catch and trade data. The accumulation of such data is hindered, however, by difficulties in identifying species from only landed carcasses, body parts, or fins. This is especially true …

Early Blue Crab Recruitment To Alternative Nursery Habitats In Mississippi, Usa, Chet R. Rakocinski, Donna Drury Mccall

Faculty Publications

Although seagrass in the lower segments of estuaries provides good nursery habitat for blue crabs, the role of alternative inshore habitats for early blue crab recruitment is not well-known. Using suction sampling, we examined the recruitment dynamics of early blue crabs (Callinectes spp.) over a 10-wk study period at 7 sites representing potential nursery habitats, including 2 marsh edge sites, 2 subtidal unvegetated sites adjacent to salt marsh, 2 subtidal unvegetated sites adjacent to developed marsh, and 1 upestuary subtidal vegetated site. Abundances of small (< 6.0 mm CW) and large (&GE; 6.0 mm) juvenile crabs varied over the study period, mainly reflecting two monthly pulses of small crabs coinciding with the new moon phase. Early crabs were Significantly more abundant from structured habitats than from subtidal unvegetated habitat; although small crabs were moderately abundant at subtidal unvegetated sites situated lower in the estuary. Large crabs were not abundant from subtidal unvegetated sites; whereas large crabs were abundant from sites with structured habitat. Subtidal unvegetated sites were characterized by crab size-distributions with single modes representing postsettlement crabs and with few large crabs; whereas structured habitats contained relatively more large crabs. However, crab size-distributions varied among structured habitats. Spatio-temporal variation in the early recruitment dynamics of blue crabs reflected temporal changes, such as lunar periodicity; landscape effects, such as proximity to currents; and habitat effects.

The Pathogenic Copepod Phrixocephalus Cincinnatus (Copepoda: Pennellidae) In The Eye Of Arrowtooth Flounder, Atherestes Stomias, And Rex Sole, Glyptocephalus Zachirus, From British Columbia, Reginald B. Blaylock, Robin M. Overstreet, A. Morton

Faculty Publications

We report Phrixocephalus cincinnatus, a pennellid copepod infecting the eyes of flatfishes, from a single specimen of rex sole, Glyptocephalus zachirus, for the first time. In the typical host, the arrowtooth flounder, Atherestes stomias, the parasite occurred commonly in sampled populations from the Broughton Archipelago in British. Columbia, infected primarily the right eye of the flounder, and on only one occasion presented more than two parasites per eye. The copepod attached to the choroid layer and ramified throughout the posterior compartment of the eye, resulting in the disruption of the retina and probably impairing host vision. Inflammation and hyperplasia progressed …

Recent Observations Of The Whale Shark (Rhincodon Typus) In The Northcentral Gulf Of Mexico, Eric R. Hoffmayer, James S. Franks, John P. Shelley

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The whale shark (Rhincodon typus Smith, 1828) is the world’s largest fish, reaching 15 meters (m) and 18 metric tons (Colman 1997) and is found in all tropical and warm temperate seas (Compagno 2001). The whale shark is listed as ‘vulnerable’ by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN 2004) and is included in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES 2004). Little is known about whale sharks in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf). Only reports on the occurrence of whale sharks off Texas …

Demonstration Of Toxicity To Fish And To Mammalian Cells By Pfiesteria Species: Comparison Of Assay Methods And Strains, Joann M. Burkholder, Andrew S. Gordon, Peter D. Moeller, J. Mac Law, Kathryn J. Coyne, Alan J. Lewitus, John S. Ramsdell, Harold G. Marshall, Nora J. Deamer, S. Craig Cary, Jason W. Kempton, Steven L. Morton, Parke A. Rublee

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Toxicity and its detection in the dinoflagellate fish predators Pfiesteria piscicida and Pfiesteria shumwayae depend on the strain and the use of reliable assays. Two assays, standardized fish bioassays (SFBs) with juvenile fish and fish microassays (FMAs) with larval fish, were compared for their utility to detect toxic Pfiesteria. The comparison included strains with confirmed toxicity, negative controls (noninducible Pfiesteria strains and a related nontoxic cryptoperidiniopsoid dinoflagellate), and P. shumwayae strain CCMP2089, which previously had been reported as nontoxic. SFBs, standardized by using toxic Pfiesteria (coupled with tests confirming Pfiesteria toxin) and conditions conducive to toxicity expression, reliably detected …

New Species Of Amphipod Crustaceans In The Genera Tegano And Melita (Hadzioidea : Melitidae) From Subterranean Groundwaters In Guam, Palau, And The Philippines, Thomas R. Sawicki, John R. Holsinger, Thomas M. Iliffe

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Three new species of Tegano are described, two from caves on Panglao Island, Bohol, Philippines, and one from a cave on Peleliu Island, Palau. Sriha vagabunda from Sri Lanka is reassigned to the genus Tegano based primarily on the high degree of similarity between Sriha vagabunda and species of Tegano and the fact that these species exhibit a great deal of variation in the reduction of the mandibular palp. A new species of Melita with characters intermediate between those defining the genera Abludomelita, Melita, and Paraniphargus is described from a spring on Guam. The characters of the new …

Ecology Of The Rock Shrimp Sicyonia Dorsalis Kingsley, 1878 (Crustacea: Sicyoniidae) In A Subtropical Region Of Brazil, Rogerio Caetano Da Costa, Adilson Fransozo, Maria Lucia Negreiros-Fransozo

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The present study analyzes the abundance and distribution of the rock shrimp Sicyonia dorsalis, in relation to water temperature, salinity, depth, organic matter content, and sediment texture in Mar Virado (MV), Ubatuba (UBA) and Ubatumirim (UBM), 3 distinct bays along the northern coast of São Paulo State (23°S, 45°W), Brazil. Six transects were taken in each bay, 4 being parallel to the coastline and 2 next to the rocky shores. Monthly samples were taken over a 2-year period (1998 and 1999) with a shrimp fishing boat equipped with double-rig nets. A total of 2,498 specimens was obtained with 804 …

Fishery And Biology Of Blackfin Tuna Thunnus Atlanticus Off Northeastern Brazil, Katia M.F. Freire, Rosangela Lessa, Jorge Eduardo Lins-Oliveira

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Blackfin tuna, Thunnus atlanticus, is the target species of a handline artisanal fishery off northeastern Brazil in September–January, but it is also caught by anglers and as by-catch in industrial fisheries. The population structure, morphometric relationships, mortality, reproduction, and fishery dynamics were studied during 2 fishing seasons (1996 and 1997). The maximum length and weight observed were 87 cm FL and 10 kg W_d, respectively. Males were larger and predominant (1.9:1). The length at 50% maturity was 49.8 cm FL for females and 52.1 cm FL for males. This species uses the area for reproduction, although a …

Coastal Origin Of Common Snook, Centropomus Undecimalis, In Florida Bay, Heather M. Patterson, Ronald G. Taylor, Richard S. Mcbride

Gulf and Caribbean Research

We used the elemental signatures of otoliths to investigate the coastal origin of common snook (Centropomus undecimalis) in Florida Bay, Florida and evaluate current management boundaries. We examined juvenile otoliths from Florida’s Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) populations and determined that there were significant differences in several elemental ratios (Mn/Ca, Cu/Ca, Sr/Ca, Ba/Ca). In addition, a discriminant function analysis (DFA) indicated a significant separation between the juveniles from each coast and otoliths were never misclassified by coast, indicating a distinct difference in their otolith chemistry. Using only juvenile otoliths to derive a calibration function, a separate DFA …

Parasites Of The American White Pelican, Robin M. Overstreet, Stephen S. Curran

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Metazoan symbionts, including parasites, infecting the American white pelican (AWP) Pelecanus erythrorhynchos comprise a list of 75 species, 7 of which are new host records. Several new geographic records are also presented, but generally these have a low value because of the migratory nature of the bird. Evidence suggests that some parasites, mostly flies and other arthropods but also nematodes and digeneans, produce detrimental behavioral or pathologic changes in the AWP. Some of the arthropods transmit microbial agents to the pelican. Two digeneans that have the AWP as a definitive host harm and even kill their catfish intermediate host, especially …

Distribution Of Myodocopid Ostracods In Tampa Bay, Florida, And Association With Abiotic Variables, Stephen A. Grabe

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Myodocopid ostracods were identified from > 600 benthic samples collected from Tampa Bay, Florida, during 1995 to 2001, as part of an annual synoptic survey of the benthos. At least 24 taxa were present. Parasterope pollex was the most abundant (76%) and most frequently collected (48%) species; Rutiderma darbyi (28%) and Eusarsiella disparalis (16%) were the next most frequently collected species. Logistic regression and “center of abundance” calculations were used to identify habitat “preferences” for the most frequently occurring species. With the exception of P. pollex, these were more likely to occur in coarser sediments, in more saline waters, and at …

High Cyanobacterial Abundance In Three Northeastern Gulf Of Mexico Estuaries, Michael C. Murrell, Jane M. Caffrey

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Aquatic phytoplankton comprise a wide variety of taxa spanning more than 2 orders of magnitude in size, yet studies of estuarine phytoplankton often overlook the picoplankton, particularly chroococcoid cyanobacteria (cf. Synechococcus). Three Gulf of Mexico estuaries (Apalachicola Bay, FL; Pensacola Bay, FL; Weeks Bay, AL) were sampled during summer and fall 2001 to quantify cyanobacterial abundance, to examine how cyanobacterial abundance varied with hydrographic and nutrient distributions, and to estimate the contribution of cyanobacteria to the bulk phytoplankton community. Cyanobacterial abundances in all 3 estuaries were high, averaging 0.59 ± 0.76 X 10⁹ L^–1 in Apalachicola Bay, …

First Report Of The Mayan Cichlid, Cichlasoma Urophthalmus (Günther 1862) Collected In The Southern Littoral Zone Of Lake Okeechobee, Florida, Wilfredo A. Matamoros, Keith D. Chin, Bruce Sharfstein

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Here we report the collection of five juvenile Mayan cichlids in Lake Okeechobee, a large, shallow subtropical lake (26°60'N, 80°50'W). These specimens were collected on 4 and 10 November 2003 in the southern littoral zone of Lake Okeechobee at a site off the southwest tip of Torry Island (26°42'N, 80°44'W). The lake stage of this densely vegetated area is highly variable. Nico (in press) reported a single collection of 16 juvenile Mayan cichlids in 2001 from a backwater area in the rim-canal along the NE portion of Lake Okeechobee; an area that is hydrologically isolated from the lake proper, except …

Trophic Relationships Of Demersal Fishes In The Shrimping Zone Off Alvarado Lagoon, Veracruz, Mexico, Edgar Pelaez-Rodriguez, Jonathan Franco-Lopez, Wilfredo A. Matamoros, Rafael Chavez-Lopez, Nancy J. Brown-Peterson

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The diet of demersal piscivorous fishes captured as bycatch of the commercial shrimping fleet off the Alvarado lagoonal system, Veracruz, Mexico, was studied. Nine collections distributed throughout the nortes (windy), wet, and dry seasons were made from November 1993 to January 1995. Sampling yielded a total of 646 fishes representing 10 families and 14 species, of which 44.9% had empty digestive tracts and were excluded from analysis. Trichiurus lepturus and Synodus foetens were the most abundant demersal predators in the collections. Differences in food consumption of the 7 most abundant predators were observed among the 3 seasons, with the greatest …

Body-Induced Vortical Flows: A Common Mechanism For Self-Corrective Trimming Control In Boxfishes, Ian K. Bartol, Morteza Gharib, Paul W. Webb, Daniel Weihs, Malcolm S. Gordon

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Boxfishes (Teleostei: Ostraciidae) are marine fishes having rigid carapaces that vary significantly among taxa in their shapes and structural ornamentation. We showed previously that the keels of the carapace of one species of tropical boxfish, the smooth trunkfish, produce leading edge vortices (LEVs) capable of generating self-correcting trimming forces during swimming. In this paper we show that other tropical boxfishes with different carapace shapes have similar capabilities. We conducted a quantitative study of flows around the carapaces of three morphologically distinct boxfishes (spotted boxfish, scrawled cowfish and buffalo trunkfish) using stereolithographic models and three separate but interrelated analytical …

A Review Of Phytoplankton Composition Within Chesapeake Bay And Its Tidal Estuaries, Harold G. Marshall, Lubomira Burchardt, Richard Lacouture

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Based on a continuous 20-year data base ofmonthly sampling in Chesapeake Bay and tidal regions of its major tributaries, 1454 phytoplankton taxa have been identified in these waters. They represent a diverse assemblage of species with a dominant diatom flora throughout the year, in addition to large seasonal representation by chlorophytes, cyanobacteria, cryptophytes and dinoflagellates. Included among this flora were 34 potential harmful or toxin producing species. The phytoplankton compositions associated with the seasonal successional patterns are discussed, in addition to characterizing the dominant floral relationships, with comparison to early composition records within the Bay. Several of the present day …

Can Otolith Elemental Signatures Record The Capture Site Of Patagonian Toothfish (Dissostichus Eleginoides), A Fully Marine Fish In The Southern Ocean?, J. R. Ashford, C. M. Jones, E. Hofmann, I. Everson, C. Moreno, G. Duhamel, R. Williams

CCPO Publications

Otolith chemistry has been successfully used to reconstruct the environmental history experienced by estuarine-dependent teleost fish, including movement between estuaries and coastal areas. However, application has been more limited in species exposed exclusively to oceanic waters, where gradients in physical and chemical properties are less extreme. To test whether otolith elemental signatures record spatial information in an oceanic species, we sampled otoliths from Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides) and used an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) coupled to a laser ablation system to target the outer otolith edges corresponding to the period immediately before capture. Using multivariate analysis …

The Role Of Feeding Behavior In Sustaining Copepod Populations In The Tropical Ocean, J. D. Wiggert, A. G. E. Haskell, G.-A. Paffenhofer, E. E. Hofmann, J. M. Klinck

CCPO Publications

A fundamental question regarding marine copepods is how the many species coexist and persist in the oligotrophic environment (i.e. Hutchinson’s paradox). This question is addressed with a stochastic, object-oriented Lagrangian model that explicitly simulates the distinct foraging behaviors of three prominent tropical species: Clausocalanus furcatus, Paracalanus aculeatus and Oithona plumifera. The model also individually tracks all prey cells. Each particle’s motion combines sinking, turbulent diffusion and active swimming when applicable. The model successfully simulates observed size partitioned carbon uptake rates. Based on the model results, the wide-ranging translational ambit employed by C. furcatus is best suited for the acquisition …

Feeding Ecology Of Juvenile Spiny Lobster, Panulirus Interruptus, On The Pacific Coast Of Baja California Sur, Mexico, Verónica Castañeda‐Fernández‐De‐Lara, Elisa Serviere‐Zaragoza, Sergio Hernández‐Vázquez, Mark J. Butler Iv

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Many aspects of the early life history of the red lobster Panulirus interruptus are little known, including the relationship between habitat structure, food resource availability, and nutrition of juveniles. We investigated the spatial and temporal differences in food intake, diet composition, and nutritional condition of juveniles at two sites along the Pacific coast of the Baja California Peninsula (Mexico) with contrasting oceanographic and biological conditions. One site (Arvin) is located inside a protected bay, Bahia Tortugas, where the waters are cooler and temperate seagrasses and macroalgae are the dominant benthic flora. The second site (Queen) in Bahia Sebastian Vizcaino was …

Blind Cave Fishes Providing Important Clues To Human Blindness, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Researchers Uncover Black And White Truth Of Cave Fish Discovery, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Mussels Have Plenty To Say About State Of Environment, Aldemaro Romero Jr., Alan D. Christian

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Exploring Marine Biotoxins Using Analytical Techniques Based On Mass Spectrometry, Mónica Fernández Amandi

Theses

The impact of phycotoxins on human and animal health is of important concern for worldwide authorities and the scientific community. Domoic acid (DA) is a neurotoxin produced by phytoplankton {Pseudonitzchia spp.). It enters the food chain through the consumption of shellfish that feed on toxic diatoms. DA has been responsible for several outbreaks affecting humans and animals all around the world. Yessotoxin (YTX) is produced by dinoflagellate species {Protoceratiuni reticulatum) which are globally distributed. Its toxicity is low when ingested orally. However, the co-extraction of YTX with diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP) toxins, derives false positives when the mouse bioassay is …

Department Of Fisheries Annual Report To Parliament 2004/05, Government Of Western Australia Department Of Fisheries

Department of Fisheries Annual Reports

In accordance with Section 62 of the Financial Administration and Audit Act 1985 (FAAA) and Section 263 of the Fish Resources Management Act 1994 (FRMA), I submit for your information the Annual Report to Parliament of the Department of Fisheries of Western Australia for the financial year ending 30 June 2005.

The 2004/05 financial year has seen some important shifts in the external environment that bear on the economic viability of our major commercial fisheries and fishing-based tourism. But there has also been major progress within the Department on a number of significant issues - both strategic and operational - …

Benthic Fisheries Ecology In A Changing Environment: Unraveling Process To Achieve Prediction, Mark J. Butler Iv

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Marine fisheries and the ecosystems that sustain them are increasingly beset by environmental deterioration, and the problem is particularly acute in coastal zones where human Populations are increasing. In the best of circumstances, fishery managers are faced with the multiple, often conflicting, demands of resource users, politicians, and scientists when considering strategies for resource management. A further challenge is that management decisions must be made against a backdrop of a deteriorating environment and the shifting status of coastal ecosystem integrity. Traditional tools for single-species management may be inadequate in these settings. Furthermore. the necessary empirical data to appropriately parameterize models …

Phytoplankton Development Within Tidal Freshwater Regions Of Two Virginia Rivers, Usa, Harold G. Marshall, Lubomira Burchardt

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Phytoplankton composition and the range of seasonal patterns of abundance are presented for the tidal freshwater regions in two Virginia rivers based on data accumulated monthly from 1986 through 1999. Diatoms dominated the flora during spring, summer, and fall, whereas, other taxonomic categories were more representative when the river flow rates decreased, allowing for a more stable water system and increased residency time within this tidal region during summer and early fall. This summer/fall period was associated with increased water temperatures, higher productivity rates and chlorophyll levels, increased total phytoplankton abundance and species diversity. The major components of the summer …