Marine Biology Commons^™

Integrated Modeling Of Hydrodyanmics And Marsh Evolution Under Sea Level Rise In Apalachicola, Fl, Karim Alizad, Matthew V. Bilskie, Davina Passeri

Faculty Publications

The northern Gulf of Mexico is home to a vast amount of coastal ecosystems that provide natural and economic resources. Rising sea levels may threaten these resources with increased flood magnitude and frequency, accelerated erosion, loss of wetlands, and saltwater intrusion. The Ecological Effects of Sea Level Rise in Northern Gulf Of Mexico (EESLR-NGOM), a five year interdisciplinary effort funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), aims to assess these effects and provide local coastal managers with the knowledge and tools to prepare for the dynamic impacts of tides and storm surge magnified by sea level rise (SLR). …

Small-Scale Mapping Of Indeterminate Arborescent Acroporid Coral (Acropora Cervicornis) Patches, Brian K. Walker, E. A. Larson, Alison L. Moulding, David S. Gilliam

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Western Atlantic populations of the staghorn coral Acropora cervicornis have drastically declined over the past few decades. Hence, interest in its ecology and spatial extent has increased. Acroporid corals with indeterminate arborescent growth like A.cervicornis primarily reproduce asexually by fragmentation, which can lead to extensive monotypic patches. Since fragmentation is a major component in indeterminate acroporid reproduction, these patches may expand or move over time. Periodic perimeter mapping facilitates comparison of patch areas to determine movement or expansion. A repeatable, low-cost method using a differential GPS carried by a snorkeler was employed to map the perimeter of A.cervicornis …

Spatial Analyses Of Benthic Habitats To Define Coral Reef Ecosystem Regions And Potential Biogeographic Boundaries Along A Latitudinal Gradient, Brian K. Walker

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Marine organism diversity typically attenuates latitudinally from tropical to colder climate regimes. Since the distribution of many marine species relates to certain habitats and depth regimes, mapping data provide valuable information in the absence of detailed ecological data that can be used to identify and spatially quantify smaller scale (10 s km) coral reef ecosystem regions and potential physical biogeographic barriers. This study focused on the southeast Florida coast due to a recognized, but understudied, tropical to subtropical biogeographic gradient. GIS spatial analyses were conducted on recent, accurate, shallow-water (0–30 m) benthic habitat maps to identify and quantify specific regions …

Field Ecology Patterns Of High Latitude Coral Communities, Kristi A. Foster

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Some climate models predict that, within the next 30-50 years, sea surface temperatures (SSTs) will frequently exceed the current thermal tolerance of corals (Fitt et al. 2001; Hughes et al. 2003; Hoegh-Guldberg et al. 2007). A potential consequence is that mass coral bleaching may take place (i) during warm El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events which are predicted to occur in some regions more frequently than the current 3-7 year periodicity (Hoegh-Guldberg 1999; Sheppard 2003) or (ii) perhaps as often as annually or biannually if corals and their symbionts are unable to acclimate to the higher SSTs (Donner et al. 2005, …

Severe 2010 Cold-Water Event Caused Unprecedented Mortality To Corals Of The Florida Reef Tract And Reversed Previous Survivorship Patterns, Diego Lirman, Stephanie Schopmeyer, Derek Manzello, Lewis J. Gramer, William F. Precht, Frank E. Muller-Karger, Kenneth Banks, Brian Barnes, Erich Bartels, Amanda Bourque, James Byrne, Scott Donahue, Janice Duquesnel, Louis Fisher, David S. Gilliam, James C. Hendee, Meaghan E. Johnson, Kerry Maxwell, Erin Mcdevitt, Jamie Monty, Digna Rueda, Rob Ruzicka, Sara Thanner

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Background

Coral reefs are facing increasing pressure from natural and anthropogenic stressors that have already caused significant worldwide declines. In January 2010, coral reefs of Florida, United States, were impacted by an extreme cold-water anomaly that exposed corals to temperatures well below their reported thresholds (16°C), causing rapid coral mortality unprecedented in spatial extent and severity.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Reef surveys were conducted from Martin County to the Lower Florida Keys within weeks of the anomaly. The impacts recorded were catastrophic and exceeded those of any previous disturbances in the region. Coral mortality patterns were directly correlated to in-situ and satellite-derived …

Distribution And Abundance Of Introduced Fishes In Florida's Charlotte Harbor Estuary, Charles F. Idelberger, Christopher J. Stafford, Sarah E. Erickson

Gulf and Caribbean Research

A growing number of non-native fishes have been introduced into Florida waters in recent years, yet little information has been available on their distribution and abundance in southwest Florida. The ichthyofauna of the Charlotte Harbor estuary, Florida, was intensively sampled from 1989 through 2007. We collected eight introduced fish taxa: African jewelfish (Hemichromis letourneuxi), blue tilapia (Oreochromis aureus), brown hoplo (Hoplosternum littorale), grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), Mayan cichlid (Cichlasoma urophthalmus), sailfin catfishes (Pterygoplichthys spp.), spotted tilapia (Tilapia mariae), and walking catfish (Clarias batrachus). These fishes …

Potential Effects Of Catastrophic Cyanobacteria Blooms On Caribbean Spiny Lobster Population Dynamics In Florida Bay Usa, Donald C. Behringer, Mark J. Butler Iv

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Mapping Coral Reef Habitats In Southeast Florida Using A Combined Technique Approach, Brian K. Walker, Bernhard Riegl, Richard E. Dodge

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

To create maps of nearshore benthic habitats of Broward County, Florida, from 0 to 35 m depth, we combined laser bathymetry, acoustic ground discrimination, subbottom profiling, and aerial photography data in a geographic information system (GIS). A mosaic of interpolated, sun-shaded, laser bathymetry data served as the foundation upon which acoustic ground discrimination, limited subbottom profiling and aerial photography, and groundtruthing data aided in interpretation of habitats. Mapping criteria similar to NOAA biogeographic Caribbean mapping were used to allow for a comparable output. Expert-driven visual interpretation outlined geomorphological features at a scale of 1 : 6000 with a minimum mapping …

A Model Framework For Predicting Reef Fish Distributions Across The Seascape Using Gis Topographic Metrics And Benthic Habitat Associations, Brian K. Walker

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches, Lectures

Increased topographic complexity has been linked to increased species diversity and/or abundance in many ecological communities, including coral reefs. Several topographic metrics can be measured remotely in GIS using high resolution bathymetry, including elevation, surface rugosity, and seafloor volume within specified areas. Statistical relationships between these data and organismal distributions within mapped habitats can be used to make predictions across the entire bathymetric dataset. In this study a model framework is presented which utilizes statistically significant relationships between reef fish abundance and species richness and GIS topographic complexity measurements for samples within similar benthic habitats to create GIS-based prediction maps …

Long-Term Monitoring Of A High-Latitude Coral Reef System Off Southeast Florida, Usa: A Partnership Between Academia And Resource Management, David S. Gilliam, Kenneth Banks, Michael Callahan, Chantal Collier, Richard E. Dodge, Louis E. Fisher, Jennifer Wheaton

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches, Lectures

Significant coral reef community development exists along the eastern shelf of the United States from the Dry Tortugas through the Florida Keys (Monroe County) and Southeast (SE) Florida (Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and Martin Counties). State and county resource managers have partnered with academia to monitor the health of the SE Florida reef system. Since 2000, more than 20 sites have been monitored annually offshore Broward County. Quantitative data includes stony coral species cover, colony size, density, and condition (bleaching, disease, etc.) and gorgonian and sponge density. The SE Florida Coral Reef Evaluation and Monitoring Project (SECREMP) was established in …

Seagrass Distribution In The Pensacola Bay System, Northwest Florida, Michael A. Lewis, Richard Devereux, Pete Bourgeois

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Aerial surveys of seagrass coverage in the Pensacola Bay system (PBS) have been conducted during 1960, 1980, 1992 and 2003. This report summarizes the results for the 2003 survey and compares the results to those previously reported for other surveys. The estimated coverage of seagrass for the PBS during 2003 was 1,654 ha. Continuous and patchy coverages ranged from 0 to 684 ha and 11 to 543 ha, respectively, for five PBS subsystems. In 2003, the majority of seagrass coverage occurred in Santa Rosa Sound (76%). Declines in total coverage occurred for East Bay (93%) and Escambia Bay (75%) whereas …

Rapid Response And Restoration For Coral Reef Injuries In Southeast Florida: Guidelines And Recommendations, Chantal Collier, Richard E. Dodge, David S. Gilliam, Kelly Gracie, Lisa Gregg, Walter Jaap, Mike Mastry, Nikki Poulos

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

From the time an injury to coral reef resources is reported, a well-coordinated and implemented plan is critical to the success of response and restoration efforts. There are three major plan components, each of which is equally important: (1) the Initial Response period immediately following notification of the incident; (2) the Response period, during which the Responsible Party (RP) is identified, the Trustees and RP carry out their respective responsibilities, a Primary Restoration plan is developed, authorizations and contractors to conduct restoration activities are sought and obtained, and primary restoration activities are conducted; and (3) the Post-Response period, which is …

Habitat Use By Juvenile Gag, Mycteroperca Microlepis (Pisces: Serranidae), In Subtropical Charlotte Harbor, Florida (Usa), J. Patrick Casey, Gregg R. Poulakis, Philip W. Stevens

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Estuaries play a key role in the juvenile stage of gag (Myeteroperca microlepis). The use of estuarine habitats by juvenlle gag has been examined in temperate estuaries, which are at the northern limits of the range of this species, but the importance of subtropical estuaries during the early life history of this species has not been studied extensively. Gag were collected in subtropical Charlotte Harbor, Florida, during routine monthiy sampling from January 1996 to Decemher 2002. Juvenlle gag were collected using a 21.3-m seine, a 183-m haul seine, and a 183-m purse seine. A total of 738 individuals …

Benthic Nutrient Flux In A Small Estuary In Northwestern Florida (Usa), Guy T. Didonato, Emile M. Lores, Michael C. Murrell, Lisa M. Smith, Jane M. Caffrey

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Benthic nutrient fluxes of ammonium (NH₄⁺), nitrite/nitrate (NO₂^- + NO₃^-), phosphate (PO₄^-3), and dissolved silica (DSi) were measured in Escambia Bay, an estuary within the larger Pensacola Bay system of northwestern Florida (USA). Our study occurred during a severe drought which reduced riverine inputs to Escambia Bay. Laboratory incubations of field-collected cores were conducted on 8 dates between June and October 2000 to estimate nutrient flux, and cores were collected from locations exhibiting a range of sediment organic matter content. NH₄⁺ flux ranged from – 48.1 to …

Feeding Habits Of Common Snook, Centropomus Undecimalis, In Charlotte Harbor, Florida, David A. Blewett, Rebecca A. Hensley, Philip W. Stevens

Gulf and Caribbean Research

We examined the feeding habits, ontogenetic and seasonal diet variations, and predator size–prey size relationships of common snook, Centropomus undecimalis, in Charlotte Harbor, Florida, through stomach contents analysis. A total of 694 stomachs were extracted from common snook (300–882 mm standard length [SL]) during a 24-month period (March 2000–February 2002); 432 stomachs contained prey items. At least 37 prey taxa were identified, including 19 that had not been previously reported. Fishes made up 71% of the prey by number and 90% by weight. Three prey items made up almost 50% of the diet numerically—Lagodon rhomboides, Anchoa spp., …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Range Extensions And Review Of The Caprellid Amphipods (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Caprellidae) From The Shallow, Coastal Waters From The Suwanee River, Florida, To Port Aransas, Texas, With An Illustrated Key, John M. Foster, Brent P. Thoma, Richard W. Heard

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Eight species of the amphipod family Caprellidae sensu Myers and Lowry, 2003 are currently known to occur in the shallow, near shore waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM), from the Suwannee River, Florida, to Port Aransas, Texas, and to depths of 10 m. They include: Phtisica marina, Hemiaegina minuta, Paracaprella pusilla, Paracaprella tenuis, Deutella incerta, Caprella equilibra, Caprella penantis, and Caprella scaura. Another species, Caprella andreae, is also suspected to occur in this region due to its close association with sea turtles, which nest on the sand beaches of …

Past Stony Coral Growth (Extension) Rates On Reefs Of Broward County, Florida: Possible Relationships With Everglades Drainage, Richard E. Dodge, Kevin P. Helmle

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches, Lectures

No abstract provided.

3d Visualization Of Coral Reef Habitat, Brian K. Walker, Richard E. Dodge

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches, Lectures

A bathymetric survey was recently conducted in Southeast Florida (Broward County) during April 2001 using the Laser Airborne Depth Sounder (LADS) system. This four-meter resolution survey encompassed from North Dade County, through the length of Broward County coastline, to south Palm Beach County (approximately 43 km) and from the shore eastward to depths of approximately 40 m (2.5-3.5 km offshore). This georeferenced data was sun shaded at various angles and azimuths and draped with a NOAA NAPP 1:24,000 georeferenced air photograph mosaic. The model was zoomed and tipped to the desired orientations and processed into three-dimensional perspectives. Two views, slightly …

Acoustic Remote-Sensing Of Reef Benthos In Broward County, Florida (Usa), Ryan P. Moyer, Bernhard Riegl, Richard E. Dodge, Brian K. Walker, David S. Gilliam

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches, Lectures

Benthic assemblages of variable density cover three progressively deeper ridges that parallel the Broward County, Florida, coast. An acoustic bottom classification survey using QTCView5 with a 50 kHz transducer showed different acoustic classes on the shallow reef-ridge and the two deeper reef-lines, which both showed the same acoustic signature. Ground-truthing showed that the differences in acoustic signature corresponded to different benthic assemblages: nearshore hardgrounds had low live cover and were dominated by algae covering substrate, the two deeper reef-ridges had the same acoustic signature and similar benthic assemblages (dominated by sponges and gorgonians). The QTCView5 was also able to differentiate …

Spatial And Temporal Variability In Zooplankton Community Dynamics In Three Urbanized Bayous Of The Pensacola Bay System, Florida, Usa, Emile M. Lores, Michael A. Lewis, Ziad A. Malaeb

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Spatial and temporal patterns in zooplankton community composition and abundance in coastal areas of the Gulf of Mexico are not well understood. Spatial and temporal differences in zooplankton community composition and abundance from 10 stations located in four sites are presented (Pensacola Bay and Bayou Texar, Bayou Chico, and Bayou Grande, three adjacent mesohaline-tidal bayous affected by urban and industrial development). Statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) were found in log-biovolume among sites. The mean biovolume of zooplankton was highest in Pensacola Bay (0.38 ml m^-3) followed by Bayou Grande (0.21 ml m^-3), Bayou Chico (0.14 ml m^-3), and Bayou Texar (0.06 ml m^-3). Mean zooplankton abundances (organisms m^-3) in Pensacola …

Hydrobiid Snails (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Rissooidea) From St. Andrew Bay, Florida, Richard W. Heard, Robin M. Overstreet, John M. Foster

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Heleobops sp. of Hershler and Thompson appears to be the only previously published record for the gastropod family Hydrobiidae Troschel in tidal waters of the St. Andrew Bay System, Florida. Six species occurred in bayous, marshes, and brackish ponds associated with the System during studies conducted between 1984 and 1999: Texadina barretti (Morrison), Texadina sphinctostoma Abbott and Ladd, Littoridinops monroensis (Frauenfeld), Littoridinops palustris Thompson, Onobops jacksoni (Bartsch), and Heleobops sp. A. The last is an apparently undescribed species closely related to Heleobops carrikeri Davis and McKee. Based in part on this study, Heleobops sp. A, which occurs in brackish habitats …

An Annotated Checklist And Key To Hermit Crabs Of Tampa Bay, Florida, And Surrounding Waters, Karen M. Strasser, W. Wayne Price

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Fourteen species of hermit crabs, belonging to 5 genera, were identified from 35 stations in Tampa Bay and adjacent continental shelf waters. Ninety-two samples were taken from the intertidal zone to 15 m with a variety of gear including dip nets, trawls, dredges, and hand collections using SCUBA. Pagurus maclaughlinae, Pagurus longicarpus, and Pagurus pollicaris were distributed throughout the bay. These species were often sympatric, and were commonly found in seagrass beds, sandy substrates, and sand/mud substrates, respectively. Clibanarius vittatus, Pagurus gymnodactylus, and Pagurus stimpsoni inhabited the higher salinity waters of the bay entrance. Paguristes sp., …

John U. Lloyd Beach State Recreation Area Nature Guide, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Technical Reports

John U. Lloyd State Park is a 251 acre recreation area located on Ocean Drive in Dania, Broward County, Florida. The park is adjacent to Port Everglades and has a beach front park spanning 2.5 miles. It preserves some of south Florida's vanishing natural resources, while at the same time offers the public usage of beach and water recreational activities. Surf fishing, picknicking, and canoeing along the tidal waterway New River Sound or Whiskey Creek are just some of the activities the public can enjoy.

The recreation area was named in memory of the late John U. Lloyd, Broward County's …

A 240-Year Stable Oxygen And Carbon Isotopic Record In A Coral From South Florida: Implications For The Prediction Of Precipitation In Southern Florida, Peter Koenraad Swart, Richard E. Dodge, Harold J. Hudson

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

This study reports on the δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C composition of the skeleton from a 240-year-old specimen of Montastraea faveolata growing in Biscayne National Park, South Florida. Annual variations in the δ¹⁸O of the skeleton deposited during the summer months show a bimodal correlation with summer rainfall. During wetter years, the δ¹⁸O of the coral skeleton and the amount of precipitation during the summer months are inversely correlated (r = -0. 7) reflecting dilution of the seawater by meteoric water lower in δ¹⁸O. During years in which summer rainfall is less …

The Influence Of Temperature Salinity And Postlarval Transport On The Distribution Of Juvenile Spiny Lobsters, Panulirus Argus, In Florida Bay, Jennifer Marie Field

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Florida Bay is a major nursery for the Caribbean spiny lobster, Panulirus argus. The Bay contains a series of hardbottom or seagrass-covered basins separated by mudbanks, which serve as barriers to water circulation and presumably to transport of postlarvae. Temperatures can fluctuate dramatically in the basins and salinities range from 35 ppt to > 50 ppt. In this study I: i) investigated the physiological tolerance of spiny lobster postlarvae to combinations of temperature and salinity representative of conditions in Florida Bay, and ii) examined how postlarval availability and habitat structure influence spiny lobster recruitment into basins. I measured juvenile lobster …

Eleven New Species Of Free-Living Marine Nematodes, Edwin J. Keppner

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The genus Halalaimus is reviewed and divided into four groups based on characters of the male. Characters used to separate the groups of males include presence or absence of caudal algae and the presence or absence of a precloacal sensillum and/or pore. Ten new species are described from St. Andrew Bay, Bay County, Florida, and H. gerlachi n. sp. is proposed for H. gracilis sensu GerIach, 1967. New species from St. Andrew Bay are H. thalassinus, H. tarjani, H. bayensis, H. bulbocaudatus, H. variabilis, H. paracomatus, H. americanus, H. floridanus, H. brimi, …

Haustorius Jayneae, A New Species Of Haustoriid Amphipod From The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, With Notes On Its Ecology At Panama City Beach, Florida U.S.A., John M. Foster, Sara E. Lecroy

Gulf and Caribbean Research

A new species of sand-burrowing amphipod, Haustorius jayneae, is described from the swash zone and shallow subtidal sands along the north Florida and Mississippi Gulf coasts. It is most similar to H. canadensis from the American Atlantic coast, differing primarily in the presence of a distinct anterodistal spinous lobe on pereopod 6, article 5; a longer row of distal marginal spines on pereopod 7, article 4; and fewer proximal spines on the peduncle of uropod 1. A revised key to the known species of Haustorius is included and information on the ecology of H. jayneae n. sp. at Panama …