Marine Biology Commons^™

Shifts In Attack Behavior Of An Important Kelp Forest Predator Within Marine Reserves, J. S. Berriman, M. C. Kay, D. C. Reed, A. Rassweiler, D. A. Goldstein, William G. Wright

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Marine reserves have become increasingly valuable tools with which to manage ecosystems. These reserves consistently restore populations of top predators, often reducing availability of their favored prey. We hypothesized that such prey reduction in reserves causes protected predators to alter their attack behavior to include less palatable prey, potentially amplifying top-down effects on community structure. To test this hypothesis, we presented the relatively unpalatable sea hare Aplysia californica to freely foraging spiny lobsters Panulirus interruptus in 4 marine no-take reserves, each paired with an adjacent fished area. We found that lobsters only attacked sea hares inside reserves, where lobster density …

Textures And Traction: How Tube-Dwelling Polychaetes Get A Leg Up, Rachel Merz

Biology Faculty Works

By controlling the traction between its body and the tube wall, a tube-dwelling polychaete can move efficiently from one end of its tube to the other, brace its body during normal functions (e.g., ventilation and feeding), and anchor within its tube avoiding removal by predators. To examine the potential physical interaction between worms and the tubes they live in, scanning electron microscopy was used to reveal and quantify the morphology of worm bodies and the tubes they produce for species representing 13 families of tube-dwelling polychaetes. In the tubes of most species there were macroscopic or nearly macroscopic (~10 μm–1 …

Dihydrolipoic Acid Conjugated Carbon Dots Accelerate Human Insulin Fibrillation, Sheba J. Kuruvilla, Shanghao Li, Lorenzo Sansalone, Blake Fortes, Ian Zheng, Patricia Blackwelder, Cyrus Pumilia, Miodrag Micic, Jhony Orbulescu, Roger M. Leblanc

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Protein fibrillation is believed to play an important role in the pathology and development of several human diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and type 2 diabetes. Carbon dots (CDs), as a new type of nanoparticle have recently been extensively studied for potential biological applications, but their effects on protein fibrillation remain unexplored. In reality, any application in biological systems will inevitably have “contact” between proteins and CDs. In this study, human insulin was selected as a model protein to study the effects of CDs on protein fibrillation, as proteins may share a common mechanism to form fibrils. Hydrophobic …

Migration Strategies Vary In Space, Time, And Among Species In The Smallfish Metacommunity Of The Everglades, J. Matthew Hoch, Eric R. Sokol, Aaron D. Parker, Joel C. Trexler

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Spatial ecology and movement strategies of aquatic organisms may limit their response to human-caused drying of wetland habitats. We characterized the movement strategies of the most abundant species of fish in the wetlands of the Everglades (USA) to better understand how they cope with annual fluctuations in aquatic habitat size. Over a six-year period, we used a sampling method designed to measure the density, activity levels, and movement direction of small fishes. We estimated changes in displacement speed and directional bias to identify patterns of movement that different fishes use to disperse over the gradient of disturbance in this environment. …

3d Dynamics Of Freshwater Lenses In The Near-Surface Layer Of The Tropical Ocean, Alexander Soloviev, Cayla Whitney Dean, Atsushi Fujimura

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Convective rains in the Intertropical Convergence Zone produce lenses of freshened water on the ocean surface. Due to significant density differences between the freshened and saltier seawater, strong pressure gradients develop, resulting in lateral spreading of freshwater lenses in the form of gravity currents. Gravity currents inherently involve three-dimensional dynamics. As a type of organized structure, gravity currents may also interact with, and be shaped by, the ambient oceanic and atmospheric environment. Among the important environmental factors are background stratification and wind stress. Under certain conditions, a resonant interaction between a propagating freshwater lens and internal waves in the underlying …

A Catch Per Unit Effort (Cpue) Spatial Metric With Respect To The Western North Atlantic Pelagic Longline Fishery, Max Appelman

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Catch per unit effort (CPUE) is a quantitative method used to describe fisheries worldwide. CPUE can be presented as number of fish per 1000 hooks, number of fish per amount of fishing time, or with any unit of effort that best describes the fishery (e.g., search time, hooks per hour, number of trawls). CPUE is commonly used as an index to estimate relative abundance for a population. These indices are then applied within stock assessments so that fisheries managers can make justified decisions for how to manage a particular stock or fishery using options such as quotas, catch …

A Decline In Benthic Foraminifera Following The Deepwater Horizon Event In The Northeastern Gulf Of Mexico, Patrick Schwing, Isabel C. Romero, Gregg R Brooks, David W Hastings, Rebekka A Larson, David Hollander

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Sediment cores were collected from three sites (1000-1200 m water depth) in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico from December 2010 to June 2011 to assess changes in benthic foraminiferal density related to the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) event (April-July 2010, 1500 m water depth). Short-lived radioisotope geochronologies (²¹⁰Pb, ²³⁴Th), organic geochemical assessments, and redox metal concentrations were determined to relate changes in sediment accumulation rate, contamination, and redox conditions with benthic foraminiferal density. Cores collected in December 2010 indicated a decline in density (80-93%). This decline was characterized by a decrease in benthic foraminiferal density and benthic foraminiferal accumulation rate (BFAR) …

Microbial Iron Mats At The Mid-Atlantic Ridge And Evidence That Zetaproteobacteria May Be Restricted To Iron-Oxidizing Marine Systems, Jarrod J. Scott, John A. Breier, George W. Luther Iii, David Emerson

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Chemolithoautotrophic iron-oxidizing bacteria play an essential role in the global iron cycle. Thus far, the majority of marine iron-oxidizing bacteria have been identified as Zetaproteobacteria, a novel class within the phylum Proteobacteria. Marine iron-oxidizing microbial communities have been found associated with volcanically active seamounts, crustal spreading centers, and coastal waters. However, little is known about the presence and diversity of iron-oxidizing communities at hydrothermal systems along the slow crustal spreading center of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. From October to November 2012, samples were collected from rust-colored mats at three well-known hydrothermal vent systems on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (Rainbow, Trans-Atlantic Geotraverse, and …

Rapid Imbibition Of Water In Fractures Within Unsaturated Sedimentary Rock, Chu-Lin Cheng, E. Perfect, B. Donnelly, H. Z. Bilheux, A. S. Tremsin, L. D. Mckay, V. H. Distefano, J. C. Cai, L. J. Santodonato

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The spontaneous imbibition of water and other liquids into gas-filled fractures in variably-saturated porous media is important in a variety of engineering and geological contexts. However, surprisingly few studies have investigated this phenomenon. We present a theoretical framework for predicting the 1-dimensional movement of water into air-filled fractures within a porous medium based on early-time capillary dynamics and spreading over the rough surfaces of fracture faces. The theory permits estimation of sorptivity values for the matrix and fracture zone, as well as a dispersion parameter which quantifies the extent of spreading of the wetting front. Quantitative data on spontaneous imbibition …

Identification Of Saccharina Groenlandica (Phaeophyceae) Around The Svalbard Archipelago: Dna Barcoding Using Cytochrome C Oxidase Subunit 1 (Coi), Anniken Lydon

Master's Theses

In the Arctic, brown algae (kelps) and seaweeds are ecologically important: providing habitat, protection, and nutrients for invertebrate and vertebrate species living in nearshore environments. Migrations of biota between the North Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans have occurred periodically during Earth’s history leading to colonization of the Arctic Ocean. Around 3.5 Mya the “Great Trans-Arctic Biotic Interchange” occurred and the Laminariales order of kelp, thought to be of North Pacific origin, underwent a massive radiation and speciation event around the Arctic Ocean. Phylogenetic analysis performed on “Laminaria-like” specimens collected from six sampling locations around the Svalbard Archipelago identified …

Computer Modeling The Incursion Patterns Of Marine Invasive Species, Matthew W. Johnston

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Abstract Not Available.

Regional Patterns In The Otolith Chemistry Of Juvenile Spotted Seatrout (Cynoscion Nebulosus) Differ Under Contrasting Hydrological Regimes, Chet F. Rakocinski, Bruce H. Comyns, Mark S. Peterson, Alan M. Shiller

Faculty Publications

The value of using otolith chemistry to characterize recruitment in terms of natal source regions depends on how consistently spatio-temporal variation can be resolved. The objective of this study was to compare regional classification patterns in the otolith chemistry of juvenile Spotted Seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus) between two years experiencing disparate hydrological regimes, and separated by a five year interlude. Spatial patterns in the whole-otolith chemistry of juveniles of this estuarine-dependent species were compared between years using five otolith elements and two stable isotopes. Consistent size-related trends in uptake and deposition were evidenced by parallel ontogenetic relationships for six otolith variables. …

Biogeochemical Analysis Of Ancient Pacific Cod Bone Suggests Hg Bioaccumulation Was Linked To Paleo Sea Level Rise And Climate Change, Maribeth S. Murray, C. Peter Mcroy, L. K. Duffy, Amy Hirons, J. M. Schaaf, Robert P. Trocine, John Trefry

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Deglaciation at the end of the Pleistocene initiated major changes in ocean circulation and distribution. Within a brief geological time, large areas of land were inundated by sea-level rise and today global sea level is 120 m above its minimum stand during the last glacial maximum. This was the era of modern sea shelf formation; climate change caused coastal plain flooding and created broad continental shelves with innumerable consequences to marine and terrestrial ecosystems and human populations. In Alaska, the Bering Sea nearly doubled in size and stretches of coastline to the south were flooded, with regional variability in the …

Water Column Productivity And Temperature Predict Coral Reef Regeneration Across The Indo-Pacific, Bernhard Riegl, Peter W. Glynn, Evie A. Wieters, Samuel J. Purkis, C. D'Angelo, Joerg Wiedenmann

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Predicted increases in seawater temperatures accelerate coral reef decline due to mortality by heat-driven coral bleaching. Alteration of the natural nutrient environment of reef corals reduces tolerance of corals to heat and light stress and thus will exacerbate impacts of global warming on reefs. Still, many reefs demonstrate remarkable regeneration from past stress events. This paper investigates the effects of sea surface temperature (SST) and water column productivity on recovery of coral reefs. In 71 Indo-Pacific sites, coral cover changes over the past 1-3 decades correlated negative-exponentially with mean SST, chlorophyll a, and SST rise. At six monitoring sites …

Seasonal And Interannual Oxygen Variability On The Washington And Oregon Continental Shelves, S. Siedlecki, N. Banas, K. Davis, S. Giddings, B. Hickey, P. Maccready, Thomas Connolly, S. Geier

Faculty Publications

The coastal waters of the northern portion of the California Current System experience a seasonal decline in oxygen concentrations and hypoxia over the summer upwelling season that results in negative impacts on habitat for many organisms. Using a regional model extending from 43°N to 50°N, with an oxygen component developed in this study, drivers of seasonal and regional oxygen variability are identified. The model includes two pools of detritus, which was an essential addition in order to achieve good agreement with the observations. The model was validated using an extensive array of hydrographic and moored observations. The model captures the …

Long-Term Impacts Of Disturbance On Nitrogen-Cycling Bacteria In A New England Salt Marsh, Anne E. Bernhard, Courtney Dwyer, Adrian Idrizi, Geoffrey Bender, Rachel Zwick

Biology Faculty Publications

Recent studies on the impacts of disturbance on microbial communities indicate communities show differential responses to disturbance, yet our understanding of how different microbial communities may respond to and recover from disturbance is still rudimentary. We investigated impacts of tidal restriction followed by tidal restoration on abundance and diversity of denitrifying bacteria, ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), and ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) in New England salt marshes by analyzing nirS and bacterial and archaeal amoA genes, respectively. TRFLP analysis of nirS and betaproteobacterial amoA genes revealed significant differences between restored and undisturbed marshes, with the greatest differences detected in …

Fdou Project 26a Part 5 Task 1 - Our Florida Reefs (Ofr) Survey Outreach Efforts, Brian K. Walker, Amanda Rose Costaregni

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

This report contains summaries of the OFR survey outreach activities completed in Miami-

Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and Martin counties between October 1st, 2014 and February

2nd, 2015.

A total of seven presentations were given in Broward, Palm Beach, and Martin Counties.

These presentations were for groups such as dive clubs, underwater photography clubs, fishing clubs, and environmental professionals clubs. Unfortunately, due to scheduling conflicts no survey presentations have been given in Miami-Dade County to-date. Summaries of these outreach presentations include the name of the club, location of the presentation, number of people reached, demographics, questions and responses during the …

Testing Of Great Bay Oysters For Two Protozoan Pathogens, Douglas E. Grout, Bruce W. Smith

PREP Reports & Publications

Two protozoan pathogens, Haplosporidium nelsoni (MSX) and Perkinsus marinus (Dermo) are known to be present in Great Bay oysters. With funds provided by the Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership (PREP), the Marine Fisheries Division of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department (NHF&G) continues to assess the presence and intensity of both of these disease conditions in oysters from the major natural beds within the Great Bay estuarine system and at selected aquaculture sites. Histological examinations of Great Bay oysters have also revealed other endoparasites.

Using The West Indian Manatee (Trichechus Manatus) As A Mechanism For Invasive Aquatic Plant Management In Florida, Aarin Conrad Allen, Edward O. Keith

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

West-Indian manatees (Trichechus manatus L.) are opportunistic, herbivorous aquatic mammals that occupy the warm, shallow coastal waters throughout the southeastern United States. Manatees are known to feed on large quantities of diverse plant types. Presently within the state of Florida, manatees are an endangered species facing environmental and anthropogenic threats. Several different organizations work to rescue and rehabilitate these animals for an eventual return to the wild. Also within Florida, invasive aquatic plants are becoming increasingly problematic, creating both negative economic and environmental impacts. Each year, efforts are made to control these exotic plant species through several different …

The Determination Of The Potential Risks Associated With Engineered Nanoparticles In Aquatic Environments, Karina Carey

Masters

The presented body of work is submitted for examination to the degree of Masters of Philosophy, (MPhil). The objective of the overall project is to assess the potential risks associated with engineered nanoparticles in the aquatic environment. The current study assesses the potential toxic effects of C60 and CB with a range of ecotoxicological end points. The tests employed here include cytotoxicological assessment using two end-points; the Alamar Blue Assay and the Neutral Red Assay on two fish cell lines; PLHC-1 and RTG2. Growth Inhibition of algae Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, OECD test 201, acute toxicity test of the crustacean Thamnocephalus platyurus, …

Population Genomics Reveals Seahorses (Hippocampus Erectus) Of The Western Mid-Atlantic Coast To Be Residents Rather Than Vagrants, J. T. Boehm, John Waldman, John D. Robinson, Michael J. Hickerson

Publications and Research

Understanding population structure and areas of demographic persistence and transients is critical for effective species management. However, direct observational evidence to address the geographic scale and delineation of ephemeral or persistent populations for many marine fishes is limited. The Lined seahorse (Hippocampus erectus) can be commonly found in three western Atlantic zoogeographic provinces, though inhabitants of the temperate northern Virginia Province are often considered tropical vagrants that only arrive during warm seasons from the southern provinces and perish as temperatures decline. Although genetics can locate regions of historical population persistence and isolation, previous evidence of Virginia Province persistence is only …

The Intended And Unintended Effects Of Fishing On Deep Sea Fish, David M. Bailey, Rosanna Milligan

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

No abstract provided.

Assessing Infection Patterns In Chinese Mystery Snails From Wisconsin, Usa Using Field And Laboratory Approaches, Brittany Harried, Kyle Fischer, Kathryn E. Perez, Gregory J. Sandland

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

The success of invasive species establishment in new habitats depends, in part, on interactions with other members of the invaded community. Cipangopaludina chinensis, the Chinese mystery snail (CMS), is an exotic, invasive snail in North America. Since its introduction in the 1890s, CMS have spread to a number of watersheds across the United States and parts of Canada. This invasion has generated questions about the snail’s capacity to serve as a host for parasites within local habitats, including parasites with conservation implications. To begin addressing these questions, we necropsied 147 wild-caught snails from 22 lakes across Wisconsin, finding only two …

Fishes Of The Choctawhatchee River System In Southeastern Alabama And Northcentral Florida, Thomas P. Simon, Charles C. Morris, Bernard R. Kuhajda, Carter R. Gilbert, Henry L. Bart Jr., Nelson Rios, Paul M. Stewart, Thomas P. Simon Iv, Mitt Denney

Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings

The diversity and distribution of fish species occurring in the Choctawhatchee River drainage in southeastern Alabama and northcentral Florida were surveyed to obtain historical baseline information. Three hundred seventy-four sites were evaluated for species diversity and distribution in the drainage, including compilation of unpublished records from southeastern natural history museums. The greatest diversity at any single site was 37 species. Sixty-eight sites were represented by 15 species or more, and 26 sites were represented by a single species. The most frequently encountered species includes Gambusia holbrooki, Percina nigrofasciata, Esox americanus, Notropis texanus, Lepomis macrochirus, Cyprinella n. sp. cf venusta, …

Operationalizing Resilience For Adaptive Coral Reef Management Under Global Environmental Change, Kenneth R. N. Anthony, Paul A. Marshall, Ameer Abdulla, Roger Beeden, Christopher Bergh, Ryan Black, C. Mark Eakin, Edward T. Game, Margaret Gooch, Nicholas A. J. Graham, Alison Green, Scott F. Heron, Ruben Van Hooidonk, Cheryl Knowland, Sangeeta Mangubhai, Nadine Marshall, Jeffrey A. Maynard, Peter Mcginnity, Elizabeth Mcleod, Peter J. Mumby, Magnus Nystrom, David Obura, Jamie Oliver, Hugh P. Possingham, Robert L. Pressey, Gwilym Rowlands, Jerker Tamelander, David Wachenfeld, Stephanie Wear

HCAS Student Articles

Cumulative pressures from global climate and ocean change combined with multiple regional and local-scale stressors pose fundamental challenges to coral reef managers worldwide. Understanding how cumulative stressors affect coral reef vulnerability is critical for successful reef conservation now and in the future. In this review, we present the case that strategically managing for increased ecological resilience (capacity for stress resistance and recovery) can reduce coral reef vulnerability (risk of net decline) up to a point. Specifically, we propose an operational framework for identifying effective management levers to enhance resilience and support management decisions that reduce reef vulnerability. Building on a …

Are Circadian Cycles The Dominant Proteome Rhythym In The Intertidal Mussel Mytilus Californianus?, Kristina M. Koster, Cory Elowe, Lars Tomanek

STAR Program Research Presentations

Mytilus californianus, also known as the California mussel, is a marine bivalve that is abundant along the West coast from Alaska to southern Baja California. They mainly reside in the upper-middle intertidal zone and cling to pier pilings and surf exposed rocks. They create multi-layered beds, which form a habitat for algae and many species of invertebrates. Intertidal mussels live in a naturally dynamic environment. It has previously been reported (Connor and Gracey, 2011) that the 24-hour circadian (day to night) rhythm of the intertidal mussel Mytilus californianus is primarily responsible for its rhythmic gene expression, as opposed to …

Size Frequency Variation Of An Emerging Fisheries Species Across Its Biogeographical Range, Katie O. Grady, Jenny Greene, Crow White

STAR Program Research Presentations

Kellet's whelk (Kelletia kelletii), a large subtidal gastropod is the basis for an emerging bycatch fishery in California. This commercial fishery has increased dramatically in the past two decades, but there is little biological information available to inform its management. There are currently no size limits and only seasonal restrictions for commercial and recreational fishing for Kellet’s whelk in California with annual total allowable catch at 100,000 pounds. After surveying 28 subtidal rocky reefs across the Kellet’s whelk range, our results indicate large natural variation in size frequencies, specifically between the mainland and island populations. Designing harvesting strategies …

Sea Turtle Hatchling Sex Ratios Determined Via Hormone Assay: Implications Of Climate Change?, William A. Hilton, Matthew Godfrey, Camryn D. Allen

STAR Program Research Presentations

Currently all species of sea turtles are listed as threatened or endangered with extinction under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Due to their status, sea turtle conservation is a high priority for the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. One major challenge conservationists face is the lack of a noninvasive, cost efficient method for determining the sex of hatchling sea turtles. Because secondary sex characteristics (i.e. males have longer tails) are not evident until turtles start to reach sexual maturity, the sex of hatchlings is not easily determined. The least invasive way to determine the …

Physiological Performance Of Warm-Adapted Marine Ectotherms: Thermal Limits Of Mitochondrial Energy Transduction Efficiency, Eloy Martinez, Eric Hendricks, Michael Menze, Joseph Torres

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Thermal regimes in aquatic systems have profound implications for the physiology of ectotherms. In particular, the effect of elevated temperatures on mitochondrial energy transduction (i.e. energy from carbon substrates to ATP) in tropical and subtropical teleosts may have profound consequences on organismal performance and population viability. Upper and lower whole-organism critical temperatures for teleosts suggest that subtropical and tropical species are not susceptible to the warming trends associated with climate change, but sub-lethal effects on energy transduction efficiency and population dynamics remain unclear. The goal of the present study was to compare the thermal sensitivity of processes associated with mitochondrial …

Exercise At Depth Alters Bradycardia And Incidence Of Cardiac Anomalies In Deep-Diving Marine Mammals, T. M. Williams, L. A. Fuiman, T. Kendall, P. Berry, B. Richter, S. R. Noren, Nicole Thometz, M. J. Shattock, E. Farrell, A. M. Stamper, R. W. Davis

Biology Faculty Publications

Unlike their terrestrial ancestors, marine mammals routinely confront extreme physiological and physical challenges while breath-holding and pursuing prey at depth. To determine how cetaceans and pinnipeds accomplish deep-sea chases, we deployed animal-borne instruments that recorded high-resolution electrocardiograms, behaviour and flipper accelerations of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) diving from the surface to 4200 m. Here we report that both exercise and depth alter the bradycardia associated with the dive response, with the greatest impacts at depths inducing lung collapse. Unexpectedly, cardiac arrhythmias occurred in 473% of deep, aerobic dives, which we attribute to the interplay between …