Marine Biology Commons^™

Fall 2010, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.

2010 Tropical Coral Reefs (Appendix 10), Joana Figueiredo

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

SUMMARY

• Coral reef ecosystems are global biodiversity hotspots that depend on the massive calcium carbonate structures mainly deposited by scleractinian (i.e., “hard”) corals. Scleractinian coral distribution is primarily limited by sea-surface temperature, light, depth, ocean pH, sea water salinity, nutrients and sediment loads. These ecosystems are currently threatened by localized stresses such as overfishing and destructive fishing practices, pollution, terrestrial nutrient and sediment run-off, but are increasing impacted by direct and indirect impacts of rising CO2 concentrations and climate change.
• Coral reefs provide a broad range of ecosystems services with high socio-economic value: tourism, fisheries (food and employment), nutrient cycling, …

Sailfish (Istiophorus Platypterus) Habitat Utilization In The Southern Gulf Of Mexico And Florida Straits With Implications On Vulnerability To Shallow-Set Pelagic Longline Gear, David W. Kerstetter, Shannon Michael Bayse, John E. Graves

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

A total of 19 pop-up satellite archival tags (PSATs) were deployed on sailfish in the southern Gulf of Mexico between 2005 and 2007 aboard a commercial pelagic longline vessel (n = 18) and a recreational rod-and-reel vessel (n = 1). All PSATs were programmed to collect pressure (depth), temperature, and light-level data for 10 days at approximately 90-second intervals. These point-level data were not summarized prior to transmission, allowing the reconstruction of vertical movement patterns. Three tags suggested mortality events and were excluded from subsequent analyses. We present the preliminary data analyses from the remaining 16 PSATs. Sailfish are primarily …

Standardized Catch Rates Of Sandbar Sharks And Dusky Sharks In The Vims Longline Survey: 1975-2009, Jason G. Romine, Kristene T. Parsons, R. Dean Grubbs, John A. Musick, Tracey Sutton

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

The Virginia Institute of Marine Science has conducted a fishery-independent longline survey during summer months since 1974. Data for sandbar sharks and dusky sharks captured in the survey between 1975 and 2009 are presented. Most of the sandbar sharks encountered by the survey were immature, with females composing almost all of the mature sandbar catch. Almost all dusky sharks captured were immature. Most of the catch since the early 1990’s has been composed of 0-4 year age classes. Nominal and standardized catch rates are presented. CPUE for both species decreased from the early 1980’s to minima in 1992. CPUE then …

Marine Resources Of The Falklands' Shallow Marine Environment, Karen L. Neely, Paul Brickle, Vladimir Laptikhovsky

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

Seasonal And Salinity Effects On The Distribution Of Higher Filamentous Marine Fungi At Rookery Bay, Fl., Julia Ossler

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

More than 500 species of higher marine fungi in over 300 genera have been described. Many marine fungi are highly specialized for marine environments relative to their terrestrial counterparts, having appendaged ascospores and conidia to aid in buoyancy, entrapment, and adherence to substrates. They have been reported to inhabit a wide variety of substrates including decaying wood, leaves, calcareous and chitinous substrates, seaweeds, and seagrasses. Most early studies on marine fungi were carried out in temperate regions. Investigations have now shifted to tropical locations in order to better evaluate the abundance and diversity of marine fungi on a global basis. …

West Florida Shelf: A Natural Laboratory For The Study Of Ocean Acidification, Pamela Hallock, Lisa L. Robbins, Rebekka Larson, Tanya Beck, Patrick Schwing, Michael Martínez-Colón, Brad Gooch

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Declining oceanic pH and carbonate-ion concentrations are well-known consequences of increased atmospheric and surface-ocean partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO₂). The possible subject of shifts in seawater carbonate chemistry on biocalcification and survival rates of marine organisms provides questions amenable to both experimental and field study (Kleypas and Langdon, 2006). To date, limited quantitative data exist with which to formalize and test hypotheses regarding such impacts, particularly in continental-shelf settings. The continental shelves of Florida provide an ideal natural laboratory in which to test latitudinal (and temperature and depth) shifts in habitat ranges of calcifying organisms. Both the …

Toxicodynamics And Biotransformation Of Azaspiracids Incorporating Liquid Chromatography-Tandem-Mass Spectrometry (Lc-Ms/Ms) Techniques., Daniel O'Driscoll

Theses

Azaspiracids (AZAs) are a family of lipophilic polyether marine biotoxins, that have caused a number of human intoxication incidents in Europe since 1995, which was the first incident reported following the consumption by consumers of intoxicated shellfish {Mytilus edulis). This class of phycotoxins has been responsible for extended closures of shellfisheries in various locations around Europe, where levels of AZAl-3 are regulated in shellfish. Since their discovery in 1995, AZAs have become the focus of extensive research, resulting in the discovery of numerous analogues. Only AZAl and AZA2 have been found in phytoplankton and all the other analogues are believed …

Benthic Ecology From Space: Optics And Net Primary Production In Seagrass And Benthic Algae Across The Great Bahama Bank, Heidi M. Dierssen, Richard C. Zimmerman, Lisa A. Drake, David J. Burdige

OES Faculty Publications

Development of repeatable and quantitative tools are necessary for determining the abundance and distribution of different types of benthic habitats, detecting changes to these ecosystems, and determining their role in the global carbon cycle. Here we used ocean color remote sensing techniques to map different major groups of primary producers and estimate net primary productivity (NPP) across Great Bahama Bank (GBB). Field investigations on the northern portion of the GBB in 2004 revealed 3 dominant types of benthic primary producers: seagrass, benthic macroalgae, and microalgae attached to sediment. Laboratory measurements of NPP ranged from barely net autotrophic for grapestone sediment …

Modeling The Vertical Distributions Of Downwelling Plane Irradiance And Diffuse Attenuation Coefficient In Optically Deep Waters, X. J. Pan, Richard C. Zimmerman

OES Faculty Publications

The diffuse attenuation coefficient Kᵈ is critical to understand the vertical distribution of underwater downwelling irradiance (Eᵈ). Theoretically Eᵈ is composed of the direct solar beam and the diffuse sky irradiance. Applying the statistical results from Hydrolight radiative transfer simulations, Kᵈ is expressed into a mathematical equation (named as PZ06) integrated from the contribution of direct solar beam and diffuse sky irradiance with the knowledge of sky and water conditions. The percent root mean square errors (RMSE) for the vertical distribution of Eᵈ(z) under various sky and water conditions between PZ06 and Hydrolight results are typically less than 4%. Field …

The Path To Preservation: Using Proteomics To Decipher The Fate Of Diatom Proteins During Microbial Degradation, Brook L. Nunn, Ying S. Ting, Lars Malmström, Yihsuan S. Tsai, Angela Aquier, David R. Goodlett, H. Rodger Harvey

OES Faculty Publications

We drew upon recent advances in tandem mass spectrometry-based proteomic analyses in order to examine the proteins that remain after a diatom bloom enters the stationary phase, precipitates out of the photic zone, and is subjected to microbial degradation over a 23-d period within a controlled laboratory environment. Proteins were identified from tandem mass spectra searched against three different protein databases in order to track proteins from Thalassiosira pseudonana and any potential bacterial contributions. A rapid loss of diatom protein was observed over the incubation period; 75% of the proteins initially identified were not detected after 72 h of exposure …

Effect Of The Heterotrophic Dinoflagellate Oxyrrhis Marina And The Copepod Acartia Tonsa On Vertical Carbon Flux In And Around Thin Layers Of The Phytoflagellate Isochrysis Galbana, A. B. Bochdansky, S. M. Bollens, G. C. Rollwagen-Bollens, A. H. Gibson

OES Faculty Publications

Dynamics of material and energy flow through food webs differ when resources are allocated in patches in comparison to situations in which the same resources are distributed evenly throughout the water column. Thin layers of plankton are special cases of such resource patches. While previous studies have predominantly focused on the response of organisms to these layers, we investigated how 2 types of grazers in turn affect thin layers. In an experimental study with tightly controlled environmental conditions, we monitored the redistribution of particulate organic (POC), dissolved organic (DOC) and inorganic (DIC) carbon from thin layers of Isochrysis galbana. …

Role Of Macroscopic Particles In Deep-Sea Oxygen Consumption, Alexander B. Bochdansky, Hendrik M. Van Aken, Gerhard J. Herndl

OES Faculty Publications

Macroscopic particles (> 500 µg), including marine snow, large migrating zooplankton, and their fast-sinking fecal pellets, represent primary vehicles of organic carbon flux from the surface to the deep sea. In contrast, freely suspended microscopic particles such as bacteria and protists do not sink, and they contribute the largest portion of metabolism in the upper ocean. In bathy- and abyssopelagic layers of the ocean (2,000-6,000 m), however, microscopic particles may not dominate oxygen consumption. In a section across the tropical Atlantic, we show that macroscopic particle peaks occurred frequently in the deep sea, whereas microscopic particles were barely detectable. In …

Determination Of Total Dissolved Cobalt In Uv-Irradiated Seawater Using Flow Injection With Chemiluminescence Detection, Rachel U. Shelley, Bernhard Zachhuber, Peter N. Sedwick, Paul J. Worsfold, Maeve C. Lohan

OES Faculty Publications

A sensitive flow-injection method with chemiluminescence detection (FI-CL) for the determination of dissolved cobalt in open ocean samples, suitable for shipboard use has been developed. To date, FI methods for dissolved cobalt have been used only in coastal and estuarine waters. Therefore, significant modifications to existing methods were required, including (1) the use of a commercially available iminodiacetate (IDA) resin (Toyopearl AF-chelate 650M) in place of resin immobilized 8-hydroxyquinoline for online preconcentration and matrix removal, (2) the introduction of acidified ammonium acetate (pH 4) as a column-conditioning step before sample loading and rinse steps, and most importantly, (3) UV irradiation …

Theory Of Island Biogeography On A Microscopic Scale: Organic Aggregates As Islands For Aquatic Pathogens, M. M. Lyons, J. E. Ward, Holly Gaff, R. E. Hicks, J. M. Drake, Fred C. Dobbs

OES Faculty Publications

Four predictions of the MacArthur-Wilson theory of island biogeography were evaluated to assess the degree to which detrital-based organic aggregates (e.g. marine snow, organic detritus, and bioflocs) may provide a favorable microhabitat (i.e. an 'island') for bacteria in general, and specifically aquatic pathogens. We demonstrate the theory's relevance for microbial communities in aquatic environments by describing the community metabolic response and functional diversity of individual organic aggregates while documenting the persistence of potential pathogens and fecal indicator bacteria. Our results support the 4 predictions, including a significant species-area relationship, consistency of species richness at equilibrium, non-zero level of species turnover …

A Seasonal Study Of Dissolved Cobalt In The Ross Sea, Antarctica: Micronutrient Behavior, Absence Of Scavenging, And Relationships With Zd, Cd, And P., M. A. Saito, T. J. Goepfert, A. E. Noble, E. M. Bertrand, Peter N. Sedwick, Giacomo R. Ditullio

OES Faculty Publications

We report the distribution of cobalt (Co) in the Ross Sea polynya during austral summer 2005-2006 and the following austral spring 2006. The vertical distribution of total dissolved Co (dCo) was similar to soluble reactive phosphate (PO(4)(3-)), with dCo and PO(4)(3-) showing a significant correlation throughout the water column (r(2) = 0.87, 164 samples). A strong seasonal signal for dCo was observed, with most spring samples having concentrations ranging from similar to ~ 45-85 pM, whereas summer dCo values were depleted below these levels by biological activity. Surface transect data from the summer cruise revealed concentrations at the low range …

Bacterial Acquisition In Juveniles Of Several Broadcast Spawning Coral Species, Koty H. Sharp, Kim B. Ritchie

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Coral animals harbor diverse microorganisms in their tissues, including archaea, bacteria, viruses, and zooxanthellae. The extent to which coral-bacterial associations are specific and the mechanisms for their maintenance across generations in the environment are unknown. The high diversity of bacteria in adult coral colonies has made it challenging to identify species-specific patterns. Localization of bacteria in gametes and larvae of corals presents an opportunity for determining when bacterial-coral associations are initiated and whether they are dynamic throughout early development. This study focuses on the early onset of bacterial associations in the mass spawning corals Montastraea annularis, M. franksi, M. faveolata, …

Influence Of Selenium And Mercury Chemistries On The Progression Of Cardiomyopathy In Pygmy Sperm Whales, Kogia Breviceps, Colleen E. Bryan

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Pygmy sperm whales (Kogia breviceps) are the second most frequently stranded toothed whale along the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coasts. More than half of documented cases exhibit signs of cardiomyopathy (CMP). Many factors may contribute to the development of idiopathic CMP in K. breviceps, including genetics, infectious agents, contaminants, biotoxins, and dietary intake (vitamins, selenium, mercury, and pro-oxidants). Nutritional deficiencies of selenium (Se) have been shown in mouse and bovine models to contribute to CMP. The K. breviceps diet, consisting mainly of squid, imparts a high dose of mercury (Hg), which requires detoxification, and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) that require …

Winter 2010, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.

Impacts Of The Spotted Spiny Lobster (Panulirus Guttatus) On The Long-Spined Sea Urchin (Diadema Antillarum) And Patch Reef Communities In The Florida Keys, Meredith D. Kintzing

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Caribbean coral reefs have undergone a phase shift from a system dominated by corals to one where algae are pervasive. This shift was precipitated by the loss of herbivores, including the mass mortality of the long spined sea urchin (Diadema antillarum), coupled with disease and the recruitment failure of hermatypic corals. Diadema populations have recovered in some areas of the Caribbean, but are still below historical levels in the Florida Keys, likely due to low larval supply coupled with predation on juveniles. Lobsters are sea urchin predators in other systems and the spotted spiny lobster (Panulirus guttatus …

Growth Patterns Of Shoal Grass Halodule Wrightii And Manatee Grass Syringodium Filiforme In The Western Gulf Of Mexico, Melissa A. Gutierrez, Annette A. Cardona, Delbert L. Smee

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Although manatee grass is becoming increasingly abundant in Texas bays, its growth characteristics have not been measured in the western GOM. Changes in seagrass species composition can have significant community effects (Micheli et al. 2008), but the effects of a transition from shoal to manatee grass in the LM have not been extensively studied (but see Tolan et al. 1997). The goals of our study were to measure growth patterns of these two seagrass species in two locations in the western GOM that vary in salinity, epiphyte loads, and nutrient inputs.

Fish Invaders At Gypsy Point: Katie And George Learn About Alternatives To Aquarium Dumping, Grace V. Nimnualrat, Anne Marie Wotkyns, George H. Zaleski, Linda Walters, Susan Zaleski

CEELAB Children's Books

While snorkeling, Katie and George come across a beautiful but unknown fish, so they snap a photo of it and take the photo to Dr. Linda at the University Marine Lab. She describes the unknown fish as a lionfish - a new, invasive species in western Atlantic waters that was most likely introduced by aquarium dumping (humans releasing unwanted plants and pets from aquarium tanks in to local waterways). Dr. Linda discusses the serious problems this fish and another invasive species, the green seaweed Caulerpa taxifolia, are causing to coral reefs and other aquatic habitats. She also explains better alternatives …

Constructing A Fish Metabolic Network Model, Shuzhao Li, Alexander Pozhitkov, Rachel A. Ryan, Charles Steve Manning, Nancy J. Brown-Peterson, Marius Brouwer

Faculty Publications

We report the construction of a genome-wide fish metabolic network model, MetaFishNet, and its application to analyzing high throughput gene expression data. This model is a stepping stone to broader applications of fish systems biology, for example by guiding study design through comparison with human metabolism and the integration of multiple data types. MetaFishNet resources, including a pathway enrichment analysis tool, are accessible at http://metafishnet.appspot.com.

Adsorption Of Lead (Ii) By A Non-Living Algal Biomass., Mudher A Hussein

Student Works (2010-2019)

Conventional techniques for removing dissolved heavy metals are only practical and cost-effective when applied to high strength wastes with heavy metal ion concentrations greater than 100 ppm. The possibility of using a non-living algal biomass to solve this problem was studied. Lead(II) was used in this study because it has been reported to cause several disorders in human. The non-living algal biomass was obtained from the filamentous green alga Spirogyra neglecta. The effects of initial concentration and contact time, pH, and temperature on the adsorption of lead(II) by the non-living algal biomass were studied. The equilibrium isotherms and kinetics were …

Antimicrobial Potential Of Selected Actinomycetes Isolated From The Marine Ecosystem., Nur Rahimatul Hayati Abdul Rahman

Student Works (2010-2019)

Actinomycetes are widespread in marine ecosystem. They are of interest in research field as they are capable to produce bioactive secondary metabolites which can be developed into useful pharmaceutical products. An example of the product is antibiotics which can be used to treat infectious diseases. The potential of antibacterial and antifungal activity of eleven marine derived actinomycetes from the genus Streptomyces were studied. They were tested against bacteria Enterobacter faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Pleisiomonas shigelloides and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and fungi Candida parapsilosis and Candida albicans. Primary screening by the cross streak method and secondary screening by diffusion using paper …

Biofouling And Short-Term Dynamics On Fish Cage Netting In Relation To Fish Rearing And Environmental Factors., John Madin

Student Works (2010-2019)

Four studies were conducted in a floating net-cages farm at Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve (MMFR), Perak, Malaysia, to elucidate the biofouling assemblages on cage nettings and factors that influence their development. In the first study (Chapter 3),biofouling on 1.6 cm mesh net panels (size 0.2 m x 2 m) suspended inside (homemade pellet ‘P’, trash fish ‘T’) and outside (O) experimental net-cages in a fish farm were monitored every week until net openings were completely occluded by macrofouling organisms. Eight species (7 phyla) of sessile organisms and 27 species (3 phyla) of nonsessile associates were recorded.Colonization by macrofouling organisms usually …

State Of The River Report For The Lower St. Johns River Basin, Florida: Water Quality, Fisheries, Aquatic Life, And Contaminants 2010, Environmental Protection Board, City Of Jacksonville, University Of North Florida, Jacksonville University

State of the River Report

No abstract provided.

Do Small, Patchy, Constructed Intertidal Oyster Reefs Reduce Salt Marsh Erosion As Well As Natural Reefs?, Alix G. Stricklin, Mark S. Peterson, John D. Lopez, Christopher A. May, Christina F. Mohrman, Mark S. Woodrey

Gulf and Caribbean Research

One ecological service that oyster reefs provide is stabilization of shorelines through reduced wave energy and erosion from boat traffic, storms, and predominant wind direction. Additionally, increasing sedimentation can enhance the growth of emergent marsh vegetation which further stabilizes unconsolidated sediments. A 21 mo study of constructed (with only 30-35% coverage) and natural oyster reefs in 3 bayous in the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) suggested constructed reefs benefit this retrograding deltaic ecosystem. The marsh edge adjacent to all constructed reefs was less eroded (mean = 0.043 m) than edges adjacent to natural reefs (mean = 0.728 m), …

Observations Of A Black Grouper (Mycteroperca Bonaci) Spawning Aggregation In Bermuda, Brian E. Luckhurst

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Diving observations at a black grouper (Mycteroperca bonaci) spawning aggregation site on Bermuda’s reef platform revealed many similarities to observations of this species obtained at multi-species spawning aggregation sites in Belize. In addition to similarities in body sizes, color patterns and some behavior, the principal spawning period in the days after the full moon was also similar. Although spawning was not observed in this study, there was ample indirect evidence of spawning at the site, i.e. courtship behavior by males, females with distended abdomens, and color changes. The formation of temporary spawning territories by males and courtship behavior …

Effects Of Hurricane Katrina On An Incipient Population Of Giant Salvinia Salvinia Molesta In The Lower Pascagoula River, Mississippi, Pam L. Fuller, Mike G. Pursley, Dale Diaz, Wesley Devers

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The objectives of this study were to: 1) survey the lower Pascagoula River Basin and determine the post–storm distribution and abundance of giant salvinia; 2) control any remaining giant salvinia through physical and/or chemical means; 3) determine the fate of the bio–control agents; and 4) determine if re–introduction of salvinia weevils is needed and if so, to decide where best to release them.