Marine Biology Commons^™

Results Of 2013 Macroalgal Monitoring And Recommendations For Future Monitoring In Great Bay Estuary, New Hampshire, Elisabeth Cianciola, David M. Burdick

PREP Reports & Publications

The recently designated nitrogen impairment and reports of elevated macroalgal growth in Great Bay Estuary indicate ecological imbalance. However, reversing the Estuary’s ecological decline will require commitment of considerable resources and is complicated by the variety of sources that deliver nitrogen to the Estuary and the intermittent nature of historic macroalgal monitoring. To advance our understanding of the macroalgal and nitrogen dynamics of the Estuary, data were collected via three approaches: 1) assessing plant cover and biomass along transects; 2) assessing plant cover at randomly selected points; and 3) comparing the nitrogen isotope ratios of macroalgae collected from different habitats. …

An Assessment Of Gelatinous Zooplankton And Impacts On Planktonic Community Structure In Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, Christie L. Castellano

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Local populations of gelatinous zooplankton are experiencing increases in response to changes in coastal ecosystems due to anthropogenic forces. The abundance of the Atlantic sea nettle (Chrysaora quinquecirrha) has dramatically increased in Barnegat Bay, NJ. Lift net sampling was used to determine the density and distribution of sea nettle and ctenophore {Mnemiopsis leidyi) populations, while zooplankton tows were used to compare relationships between their abundance to that of other zooplankton species. Lift net results showed substantial spatial and temporal variability in density and distribution of ctenophores and sea nettles, with these patterns being inversely proportional. Chrysaora quinquecirrha was more abundant …

Behavioral Criteria For The Diagnosis Of Domoic Acid Toxicosis In Zalophus Californianus, Christiana Wittmaack

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Introduction

California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) health is severely compromised by domoic acid toxicosis, which occurs in high levels during harmful algal blooms of Pseudonitzschia australis along the coast of California. Current diagnostic protocols are often inconclusive due to a 2-48 hour window of detectability within the urinary, circulatory, and gastric systems (Cook, et al. 2011 and Monte, Pers Comm, 2012). Past studies suggest that Z. californianus, with domoic acid toxicosis, commonly display abnormal behaviors (Goldstein, et al. 2008). However, many of these abnormal behaviors are also associated with other diagnoses and are therefore unreliable as diagnostic indicators. …

Environews #9: The Sunshine State Is In A State., Richard Philp

Data and Test Instruments

Sewage contamination and fertilizer runoff are polluting Florida's springs and rivers and legislative protection is weak. Lion fish are invading northern Gulf waters.

Hindcasts Of Potential Harmful Algal Bloom Transport Pathways On The Pacific Northwest Coast, S. Giddings, P. Maccready, B. Hickey, N. Banas, K. Davis, S. Siedlecki, V. Trainer, R. Kudela, N. Pelland, Thomas Connolly

Faculty Publications

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) pose a significant threat to human and marine organism health, and negatively impact coastal economies around the world. An improved understanding of HAB formation and transport is required to improve forecasting skill. A realistic numerical simulation of the US Pacific Northwest region is used to investigate transport pathways from known HAB formation hot spots, specifically for Pseudo-nitzschia (Pn), to the coast. We show that transport pathways are seasonal, with transport to the Washington (WA) coast from a northern source (the Juan de Fuca Eddy) during the summer/fall upwelling season and from a southern source (Heceta Bank) …

Ecology Of The Oceanic Rim: Pelagic Eels As Key Ecosystem Components, Jennifer N. Feagans-Bartow, Tracey Sutton

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Although 92% of the total volume of the world’s oceans occurs below a depth of 200 m, our understanding of deep-sea food webs lags far behind that of continental shelves. In particular, little is known about the exchange of biomass at the interface of continental margins and deep-sea ecosystems. Recent studies suggest that the transport of organic matter from continental shelves may influence deep-sea ecosystems more than previously thought. Here, we present results of a pelagic nekton survey along the southern slope of Georges Bank, NW Atlantic, a transition area between coastal and deep-sea environments. Specimens were collected as part …

Intraspecific Variation In Vertical Habitat Use By Tiger Sharks (Galeocerdo Cuvier) In The Western North Atlantic, Jeremy J. Vaudo, Bradley M. Wetherbee, Guy Harvey, Richard S. Nemeth, Choy Aming, Lucy A. Howey-Jordan, Mahmood S. Shivji

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) are a wide ranging, potentially keystone predator species that display a variety of horizontal movement patterns, making use of coastal and pelagic waters. Far less, however, is known about their vertical movements and use of the water column. We used pop-up satellite archival tags with two data sampling rates (high rate and standard rate tags) to investigate the vertical habitat use and diving behavior of tiger sharks tagged on the Puerto Rico–Virgin Islands platform and off Bermuda between 2008 and 2009. Useable data were received from nine of 14 sharks tagged, tracked over a …

Measuring Viability Of The Red-Tide Dinoflagellate Lingulodinium Polyedra Following Treatment With Ultraviolet (Uv) Light, Scott Riley

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Harmful algae blooms (HABs) have caused millions dollars in annual losses to the aquaculture industry, inhibited beach recreation, and have threatened marine and human health. HABs and red tides can develop suddenly and their frequency, geographic range, and intensity have increased over the past decade. A possible source for spreading and seeding new areas expanding the geographic range of HABs is ballast water. The process of ballast water discharge has been identified as a primary vector for the translocation of non-indigenous species (NIS) and invasive species. National and international efforts are currently underway to address the impact of NIS and …

The Gut Of Geographically Disparate Ciona Intestinalis Harbors A Core Microbiota, Larry J. Dishaw, Jaime Flores-Torres, Simon Lax, Kristina Gemayel, Brittany Leigh, Daniela Melillo, M. Gail Mueller, Lenina Natale, Ivana Zucchetti, Rosaria De Santis, Maria Rosaria Pinto, Gary W. Litman, Jack W. Gilbert

Marine Science Faculty Publications

It is now widely understood that all animals engage in complex interactions with bacteria (or microbes) throughout their various life stages. This ancient exchange can involve cooperation and has resulted in a wide range of evolved host-microbial interdependencies, including those observed in the gut. Ciona intestinalis, a filter-feeding basal chordate and classic developmental model that can be experimentally manipulated, is being employed to help define these relationships. Ciona larvae are first exposed internally to microbes upon the initiation of feeding in metamorphosed individuals; however, whether or not these microbes subsequently colonize the gut and whether or not Ciona forms …

A Female Audience Increases Frequency Of Showy Agonistic Displays In Male Siamese Fighting Fish, Raisa Lück

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

The audience effect refers to a situation where individuals alter displays in the presence of bystanders. By changing display choice, displayers can optimize their effectiveness against both the opponent and audience. Many displays – territorial, aggressive, warning, and threatening – fall into the broad category of agonistic behavior. Male Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens) are known for being territorial, and they use the same set of stereotypical displays repeatedly from one male to the next. I observed effects of a female audience on male Betta displays to determine if males use certain displays more frequently than others when a female …

Stream Crossing Barrier Prioritization Methods For Increasing Eastern Brook Trout Habitat In The Little Androscoggin River Watershed, Michele Windsor

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

Eastern Brook Trout (Salvelinas fontanalis) are an important cold water fishery in the state of Maine. While populations in Maine are relatively abundant there has been decline in some parts of its range due in part to loss of habitat connectivity. Brook trout require access to specific types of stream habitat for spawning, feeding, and seasonal thermal refuges. Stream crossing structures such as undersized, poorly installed, or blocked culverts, as well as small remnant dams, can create barriers to accessing important stream habitat for brook trout. A recent Fish Barrier/Culvert Survey in the Little Androscoggin River Watershed provided data about …

Settlement Agreement And Release, New Hampshire Department Of Environmental Services, State Of New Hampshire, City Of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, City Of Dover, New Hampshire, City Of Rochester, New Hampshire

Additional Regional Technical Reports & Resources

Legal settlement and agreement discharging pending lawsuit State of New Hampshire Supreme Court, No. 2013-0119.

Increase Of Excavating Sponges On Caribbean Coral Reefs: Reproduction, Dispersal, And Coral Deterioration, Andia Chaves-Fonnegra

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Coral reefs ecosystems are deteriorating and facing dramatic changes. These changes suggest a shift in dominance from corals to other benthic organisms. Particularly in the Caribbean Sea, with corals dying, sponges have become the leading habitat-forming benthic animals. However, little is known about what life-history traits allow organisms to proliferate in a marine system that is undergoing change. Thus, the objective of this dissertation was to try to understand the current increase of encrusting excavating sponges on deteriorating Caribbean coral reefs through the study of reproduction, recruitment and dispersal potential of the widely distributed and currently expanding species, Cliona delitrix …

Historical Reconstruction Of Population Density Of The Echinoid Diadema Antillarum On Florida Keys Shallow Bank-Barrier Reefs, Donald L. Kissling, William F. Precht, Steven Miller, Mark Chiappone

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

The 1983–1984 caribbean-wide mass mortality of the once ubiquitous long-spined sea urchin Diadema antillarum Philippi, 1845, is one of several factors considered responsible for coral reef change throughout the region. Unfortunately, there is a paucity of pre-mortality event density data for D. antillarum in the Florida Keys, making it difficult to determine pre-1983 population density levels. results from surveys conducted during 1970–1973 in the lower Florida Keys, in shallow (<12 m) fore reef habitats, yielded relatively abundant and widespread D. antillarum densities in qualitative transects at five reefs prior to the 1983–1984 die-off. In quantitative surveys at one reef, Middle sambo reef in 1972, up to 7.9 individuals m …

Evidence Of The Enemy Release Hypothesis: Parasites Of The Lionfish Complex (Pterios Volitans And P. Miles) In The Western North Atlantic, Gulf Of Mexico, And Caribbean Sea, Kayelyn Regina Simmons

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Invasive species are becoming more common as human interactions within coastal waters and the aquarium trade continues to increase. The establishment of the invasive lionfish complex Pterois volitans and P. miles from the Indo-Pacific to the Western Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea has had significant negative effects on reef fish biodiversity and economically important species. Their rapid colonization and success has been attributed to their biological and ecological life history traits as well as their absence of predation. Past research has highlighted these characteristics; however, there is a knowledge gap in lionfish parasitism. This research explored the …

Molecular Ecology Of Globally Distributed Sharks, Christine B. Testerman

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Many sharks have life history characteristics (e.g., slow growth, late age at maturity, low fecundity, and long gestation periods) that make their populations vulnerable to collapse due to overfishing. The porbeagle (Lamna nasus), bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas), great hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran), and smooth hammerhead (S. zygaena), are all commercially exploited. The population genetic structure of these species was assessed based on globally distributed sample sets using mitochondrial control region (mtCR) sequences and/or nuclear markers. Complex patterns of evolutionary and demographic history were inferred using coalescent and statistical moment-based methods. All four species showed …

Combined Gut Content-Stable Isotope Trophic Analysis And Satellite Tagging Of The Pelagic Stingray Pteroplaytrygon Violacea (Bonaparte, 1832) From The Western North Atlantic Ocean, Tiffany A. Weidner

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The pelagic stingray, Pteroplatytrygon violacea, is a bycatch species in the global pelagic longline fishery. However, little research has been conducted on its basic biology, including prey composition, trophic positioning, and habitat utilization. Descriptions of the habitat utilization have largely been through indirect analyses of catch rates in commercial fisheries, which also provided no information on actual behaviors. The first chapter of this thesis will describe the habitat utilization and behavior of four individual pelagic stingrays using electronic tagging technology. Prior diet descriptions were hampered, in part, by low sample sizes and accordingly provided little information on the ecological …

A Case Study Of Rhincodon Typus Scarring In Ningaloo Reef: An Assessment Of The Current Scarring Classification System, Laura Korman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Rhincodon typus are the largest fish in the sea, but little is understood about this elusive species. They are known to annually aggregate in Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia—the location of this study. In order to better understand this species, scarring was observed on a subset of the population that aggregates in Ningaloo Reef. In addition, the scarring classification system was examined to determine if it is the most effective classification system. R. typus were observed, and photographed from April 9th-April 25th, 2014. These photos were then used for identification and scarring classification purposes. The analysis of the scars on R. …

Phytoplankton In Virginia Lakes And Reservoirs: Part Ii, Harold G. Marshall

Virginia Journal of Science

Phytoplankton composition from 16 Virginia lakes and reservoirs are discussed with emphasis on the dominant taxa, algal bloom producers, and potentially harmful species at these locations. This is a companion study to the more comprehensive publication regarding Virginia freshwater phytoplankton by Marshall (2013).

Growth And Nitrogen Uptake Kinetics In Cultured Procentrum Donghaiense, Zhangxi Hu, Shunshan Duan, Margaret R. Mulholland

OES Faculty Publications

We compared growth kinetics of Prorocentrum donghaiense cultures on different nitrogen (N) compounds including nitrate, ammonium urea, glutamic acid, dialanine, and cynate. P. donghaiense exhibited standard Monod-type growth kinetics over a range of nitrogen concentrations for all N. Compounds tested. Cultures grown on glu and urea had the highest maximum growth rates. However, cultures grown on cyanate had lower half saturation constants. Nitrogen uptake kinetics were measured in nitrate-deplete and replete batch cultures of P. donghaiense. In nitrate-deplete batch cultures, P. donghaiense exhibited Michaelis-Menten type uptake kinetics for nitrate, ammonium, urea and algal amino acids; uptake was saturated at …

Determination Of The Ecological Condition Of Benthic Communities Affected By Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons In The Elizabeth River, Chesapeake Bay, Usa, Adam M. Webb

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River, a tributary of Chesapeake Bay, has historically been polluted with hydrocarbon based industrial by-products. My study compared benthic community condition from two locations in the Southern Branch: the subtidal region near Money Point, historically affected by pollution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), to a subtidal region near Blows Creek on the opposite shore that is putatively designated as unimpacted by P AH contamination. Samples from both study sites in the Southern Branch were compared to the benthic community condition of samples from the same habitat type designations collected as part of the Chesapeake …

Benthic And Planktonic Microalgal Community Structure And Primary Productivity In Lower Chesapeake Bay, Matthew Reginald Semcheski

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Microalgal populations are trophically important to a variety of micro- and macroheterotrophs in marine and estuarine systems. In Chesapeake Bay, microalgae facilitate the survival and development of ecologically and economically relevant fauna, including shellfish and finfish populations. While regarded as significant components of coastal environments, microphytobenthic communities are historically understudied. In Chesapeake Bay, the importance of phytoplankton to the ecosystem is understood, but the contribution of microphytobenthos remains unclear. This project surveys intertidal microphytobenthic communities, in relation to phytoplankton communities, around lower Chesapeake Bay describing the taxonomic makeup of these populations, coupled with quantification of cell abundance, biomass, and primary …

Nitrogen, Phosphorus, And Suspended Solids Concentrations In Tributaries To The Great Bay Estuary Watershed In 2013, Matt A. Wood, Philip Trowbridge

PREP Reports & Publications

Nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment loads to the Great Bay Estuary are a growing concern. The Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership (PREP) calculates the nitrogen load from tributaries to the Great Bay Estuary for its State of Our Estuaries reports. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to collect representative data on nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended sediment concentrations in tributaries to the Great Bay Estuary in 2013. The study design followed the tributary sampling design which was implemented by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services between 2001 and 2007 and by the University of New Hampshire between 2008 and 2012, so …

Concentrations And Sources Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons In Surface Coastal Sediments Of The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Zucheng Wang, Zhanfei Liu, Kehui Xu, Lawrence M. Mayer, Zulin Zhang, Alexander S. Kolker, Wei Wu

Faculty Publications

Background: Coastal sediments in the northern Gulf of Mexico have a high potential of being contaminated by petroleum hydrocarbons, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), due to extensive petroleum exploration and transportation activities. In this study we evaluated the spatial distribution and contamination sources of PAHs, as well as the bioavailable fraction in the bulk PAH pool, in surface marsh and shelf sediments (top 5 cm) of the northern Gulf of Mexico. Results: PAH concentrations in this region ranged from 100 to 856 ng g(-1), with the highest concentrations in Mississippi River mouth sediments followed by marsh sediments and then …

State Of The U.S. Ocean And Coastal Economies 2014, Judith T. Kildow, Charles S. Colgan, Jason D. Scorse, Pat Johnston, Matt Nichols

Publications

The nation's coasts and oceans contribute much to the United States economy. For the past 14 years, the National Ocean Economics Program (NOEP), now a program of the Center for the Blue Economy at the Monterey Institute of International Studies, has compiled time-series data that track economic activities, demographics, ports and cargo volume and value, natural resource production and value, non-market values, and federal expenditures in the U.S. coastal zone both on land and in the water. A report on the ocean and coastal economies of the United States was released by NOEP in 2009 covering data through 2005. The …

Coastal And Ocean Economic Summaries Of The Coastal States 2014, Pat Johnston

Publications

The following summaries of the ocean and coastal economies were prepared by the National Ocean Economics Program as a companion the State of the U.S. Ocean and Coastal Economies 2014. The U.S. report, its appendices, and these state summary reports are available on the NOEP website at www.OceanEconomics.org/download.

Trophic Dynamics And Feeding Ecology Of The Southeast Florida Coastal Pelagic Fish Community, Travis Allan Moore

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The combined methods of stomach content analysis and stable ¹⁵N and ¹³C isotope biochemistry analysis were used to investigate the trophic dynamics and feeding ecology of coastal pelagic fishes in the waters off southeastern Florida, USA. The coastal pelagic fish complex includes blackfin tuna Thunnus atlanticus, dolphinfish Coryphaena hippurus, king mackerel Scomberomorus cavalla, little tunny Euthynnus alletteratus, skipjack tuna Katsuwonus pelamis, and wahoo Acanthocybium solandri. These coastal teleosts, particularly the tunas and wahoo, are primarily targeted by recreational anglers. However, there is a shortage of available trophic and diet composition data concerning …

Utilization Of The Invasive Alga Gracilaria Vermiculophylla (Ohmi) Papenfuss By The Native Mud Snail Ilyanassa Obsoleta (Say), Michele Guidone, Christine Newton, Carol S. Thornber

Biology Faculty Publications

The recent invasions of the red alga, Gracilaria vermiculophylla, to the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific Oceans have the potential to significantly alter intertidal and subtidal soft sediment communities. In particular, G. vermiculophylla increases habitat complexity and provides a novel hard substrate in an otherwise two dimensional habitat. Following our observations that the native omnivorous mud snail Ilyanassa obsoleta utilizes G. vermiculophylla for egg capsule deposition, our field surveys demonstrated that the in situ abundance of egg capsules on G. vermiculophylla matched abundances on a native alga Ceramium virgatumandwere at least 11–50 times greater than on all other co-occurring macrophytes. Additionally, …

Stem Art Learning Outcomes, Emily Gottlieb

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

No abstract provided.

The Ipocamp Pressure Incubator For Deep-Sea Fauna, Bruce Shillito, Françoise Gaill, Juliette Ravaux

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Animal Biology studies have always benefited from the achievement of experiments on live animals, which obviously provide data on dynamic aspects of physiology. When it comes to deep-sea fauna, in vivo experiments are impaired, and in some cases impossible, due to the severe and often lethal stress experienced by animals throughout the sampling process. However, freshly collected deep fauna may be maintained alive and in good condition, by using specific aquaria which restore environmental conditions prevailing at depth in situ. Here we describe the pressure device named “Incubateur Pressurisé pour l’Observation et la Culture d’Animaux Marins Profonds”, or IPOCAMP, and …