Marine Biology Commons^™

Fisheries Research Contract Report No. 18 - Aquatic Animal Health Subprogram: Current And Future Needs For Aquatic Animal Health Training And For Systems For Merit-Based Accreditation And Competency Assessments (Frdc Project No. 2005/641) Final Report, Matt Landos, Navneet Dhand, Brian Jones, Richard Whittington

Fisheries Research Contract Reports

To scope and clearly define current and future needs for aquatic animal health training and for systems for merit-based accreditation and competency assessments.

Provision of high quality aquatic animal health (AAH) services is a complex multidisciplinary activity. Hence, training programs must address all discipline areas to achieve the desired outcome of robust service delivery to meet all stakeholder group needs. The current and future needs for AAH training have been identified across many sectors through survey work and direct interviews with key stakeholders. There is a shortfall in both total capacity and more prominently, in the availability of high skill …

Satellite-Derived Surface Current Divergence In Relation To Tropical Atlantic Sst And Wind, Robert W. Helber, Robert H. Weisberg, Fabrice Bonjean, Eric S. Johnson, Gary S. Lagerloef

Marine Science Faculty Publications

The relationships between tropical Atlantic Ocean surface currents and horizontal (mass) divergence, sea surface temperature (SST), and winds on monthly-to-annual time scales are described for the time period from 1993 through 2003. Surface horizontal mass divergence (upwelling) is calculated using surface currents estimated from satellite sea surface height, surface vector wind, and SST data with a quasi-linear, steady-state model. Geostrophic and Ekman dynamical contributions are considered. The satellite-derived surface currents match climatological drifter and ship-drift currents well, and divergence patterns are consistent with the annual north–south movement of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) and equatorial cold tongue evolution. While the …

Fisheries Occasional Publication 40: A Summary Of Data Collected By The Angler’S Daily Log Book And Fishing Tournament Monitoring Programs In 2004-2006, Kimberley A. Smith, M Hammond, Joshua Brown

Fisheries Occasional Publications

Catch information and biological samples collected by recreational anglers in daily log books can provide valuable information about local fish stocks. The numbers and lengths of important recreational target species can be used to monitor their abundance and population structure, which can form the basis of fishery stock assessments. In addition, the total composition of the catch and observations about fish health provide measures of local biodiversity and ecosystem health. The Department of Fisheries (DoF) Recreational Angler’s Daily Log Book Program was launched in March 2004 as part of the DoF Research Angler Program (RAP). The current log book format …

Effects Of Ice Melting On Grace Observations Of Ocean Mass Trends, Don P. Chambers, Mark E. Tamisiea, R Steven Nerem, John C. Ries

Marine Science Faculty Publications

The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) was designed to measure variations in the Earth's gravity field from space at monthly intervals. Researchers have used these data to measure changes in water mass over various regions, including the global oceans and continental ice sheets covering Greenland and Antarctica. However, GRACE data must be smoothed in these analyses and the effects of geocenter motions are not included. In this study, we examine what effect each of these has in the computation of ocean mass trends using a simulation of ice melting on Greenland, Antarctica, and mountain glaciers. We find that the …

First Record Of A Sleeper Shark In The Western Gulf Of Mexico And Comments On Taxonomic Uncertainty Within Somniosus (Somniosus), George W. Benz, Eric R. Hoffmayer, William B. Driggers, Dan Allen, Lougan E. Bishop, David A. Brown

Faculty Publications

A sleeper shark, Somniosus (Somniosus) sp., is reported from Alaminos Canyon in the western Gulf of Mexico at a depth of about 2647 m based on observations made using a remotely operated vehicle. This is the first record of a sleeper shark (Somniosus, Somniosidae) from the western Gulf of Mexico and deepest record of any shark from the Gulf of Mexico. Despite claims to the contrary in the literature, no taxonomic character has been identified to date that can be used to unequivocally identify all representatives of Somniosus (Somniosus), and as a result, some species records must be considered dubious.

Grass Shrimp (Palaemonetes Spp.) Play A Pivotal Trophic Role In Enhancing Ruppia Maritima, Donna Drury Mccall, Chet R. Rakocinski

Faculty Publications

Coupled trophic-engineer interactions are potentially important for maintaining habitat function and ecosystem services. As ephemeral submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), Ruppia maritima has a short well-defined growth-senescence cycle and should benefit from any ecological interaction that enhances its physical condition and longevity. Grass shrimp (Palaemonetes spp.) are abundant facultative grazers of epiphytic algae and conveyors of nutrients in tidal marsh and SAV habitats. Grass shrimp addition consistently enhanced Ruppia biomass and shoot density in a series of three field experiments conducted in Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi, USA. In two experiments, epiphyte grazing by grass shrimp enhanced Ruppia by …

Testing Of Great Bay Oysters For Two Protazoan Pathogens, John I. Nelson

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 New Hampshire Estuaries Project (NHEP), the Marine Fisheries Division of New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, (NHF&G) continues to assess the presence and intensity of both disease conditions in oysters from the major beds, some open for harvest, within the Great Bay estuarine system. Histological examination of Great Bay oysters has also revealed other endoparasites.

New Record Of The Rare Amphidromous Gobiid Genus, Lentipes (Teleostei:Gobiidae) From Taiwan With The Comparison Of Japanese Population, I-Shiung Chen, Toshiyuki Suzuki, You-Hua Cheng, Chiao-Chuan Han, Yu-Min Ju, Lee-Shing Fang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The very rare species of sicydiine gobiid genus, Lentipes Günther, 1861 has been found first time from Taiwanese waters. The species can be identified as Lentipes armatus Sakai and Nakamura, 1979 previously proposed as Japanese endemic species, and was listed in the 5-star ranking red-list as one critically endangered species of Japan. The diagnosis and redescription of current species from Taiwanese and Japanese specimens are reported herein. The distribution range of current rare species extends to Taiwan including Lanyu (Orchid island) off eastern coast proved that this species is not Japanese endemic. The morphological comparison of Taiwan and Japanese populations …

Conservation Easement Monitoring-Brentwood, Jodi Castallo

PREP Reports & Publications

No abstract provided.

Town Of New Durham Zoning & Land Use Odinance, New Durham Planning Board

PREP Reports & Publications

The surface waters (streams, rivers, lakes and ponds) and wetlands of New Durham supply drinking water, wildlife habitat, and recreation opportunities for the community. In order to preserve these critically important resources New Durham shall require conservation and land management practices which minimize environmental degradation and alteration of scenic and rural character.

Fisheries Research Report No.159 - A 12-Month Survey Of Recreational Estuarine Fishing In The South Coast Bioregion Of Western Australia During 2002/03, C.B. Smallwood, N. R. Sumner

Fisheries Research Reports

The Recreational Fisheries Program of the Department of Fisheries, Western Australia, has a strategic plan to conduct comprehensive creel surveys of recreational fishing in each of the state’s marine bioregions (Penn et al., 2003). These bioregions are the West Coast, Gascoyne, Pilbara/ Kimberley and South Coast (Figure 1). To record and monitor changes in recreational catch and fishing effort, an integrated approach where all bioregions are to be surveyed on a regular basis was proposed. Until this study, the South Coast was the only bioregion in which a survey of recreational fishing had not been undertaken. Although originally intended to …

Nh Department Of Helath And Human Services Public Health Laboratories Shellfish Program Activites January 2006 – December 2006, Peter C. Wikoff

PREP Reports & Publications

The Department of Health and Human Services-New Hampshire Public Health Laboratories (DHHS-NHPHL) has continued to carry out various actions providing laboratory analyses for the routine water quality monitoring, “Red Tide” monitoring, and additional testing after rainfall, excess sewage treatment plant, and emergency events.

Preliminary Observations On The Reproductive Cycle And Uterine Fecundity Of The Yellow Stingray, Urobatis Jamaicensis (Elasmobranchii: Mylioba Tiformes: Urolophidae) In Southeast Florida, U.S.A., Daniel P. Fahy, Richard E. Spieler, William C. Hamlett

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

The yellow stingray, Urobatis jamaicensis is the most common elasmobranch observed among the coral reefs and associated habitats of Southeast Florida, U.S.A. In coastal waters off Broward County, Florida, gravid females were observed throughout the year. Urobatis jamaicensis is an aplacental viviparous species with evidence of a short gestation period (five to six months). Vitellogenesis occurs concurrently with gestation, with the females having both term fetuses and mature ova simultaneously. It is likely that the females have a bi-annual reproductive cycle where each female is capable of producing two broods annually. The ovulation period in the spring/summer reproductive cycle ranged …

Progressive Dolomitization Of Florida Limestone Recorded By Alkaline Earth Element Concentrations In Saline, Geothermal, Submarine Springs, Johan Schijf, Robert H. Byrne

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Studies in the late 1970s revealed that the effluents of saline, geothermal, submarine springs on the West Florida Shelf have compositions nearly identical to seawater, except for distinct Ca enrichments and Mg depletions, probably resulting from dolomitization. During annual visits between 1996 and 2003 we collected high‐purity effluents from four submarine springs and from Warm Mineral Springs (WMS), which is located on land. Filtered effluents were analyzed for major ions and for Sr and Ba. These analyses confirm the seawater‐like composition of the effluents as well as the Ca enrichment and Mg depletion. The alkaline earth elements Sr and Ba, …

Final Report-Rpc Buffer Project, Rockingham Planning Commission

PREP Reports & Publications

Met with the Planning Boards and Conservation Commission in the Town of Kensington, Brentwood, Hampton Falls, and Fremont to review the NHEP shoreland buffer maps: Reviewed existing land use regulations in each of these communities relative to protection of shoreland buffers; Reviewed land use regulations proposed in the Land Conservation Plan for NH’s Coastal Watersheds; Discussed local concerns about protecting buffers; Provided draft local land use regulations to increase protection of shoreland buffers.

Outreach Program To Develop And Implement Local Land Use Regulations To Protect The Remaining Undisturbed Natural Shoreland Buffers In The Towns Of Candia And Deerfield, Nh, Jack Munn, Brian Trippe

PREP Reports & Publications

The towns of Candia and Deerfield, New Hampshire, both situated within the Great Bay/Little Bay watershed and the Lamprey River subwatershed have agreed to participate with the Southern New Hampshire Regional Planning Commission (SNHPC) to develop and implement land use regulations to protect the remaining undisturbed natural shoreline buffers along the Lamprey and North Branch Rivers (2nd order or higher streams and tributaries) and other surface waters within these communities.

Identify And Report Water Pollution: An Interpretive Guide To Surface Water Conditions Of The New Hampshire Coastal Watershed, New Hampshire Estuaries Project

PREP Reports & Publications

This guide was designed to help people who work or recreate outdoors to interpret surface water conditions so that they would recognize a pollution incident and know how to report it. The guide also suggests actions that communities can take to prevent water pollution and protect vital water resources. Finally, the guide includes helpful, relevant resources that will further explain particular surface water conditions.

Stream Ambient Noise, Spectrum And Propagation Of Sounds In The Goby Padogobius Martensii: Sound Pressure And Particle Velocity, Marco Lugli, Michael L. Fine

Biology Publications

The most sensitive hearing and peak frequencies of courtship calls of the stream goby, Padogobius martensii, fall within a quiet window at around 100Hz in the ambient noise spectrum. Acoustic pressure was previously measured although Padogobius likely responds to particle motion. In this study a combination pressure (p) and particle velocity (u) detector was utilized to describe ambient noise of the habitat, the characteristics of the goby’s sounds and their attenuation with distance. The ambient noise (AN) spectrum is generally similar for p and u (including the quiet window at noisy locations), although the energy distribution of uspectrum is …

Extinction Of Rare Chinese Dolphin Shows Pollution Of Yangtze River, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Status Report For The Southern Cavefish, Typhlichthys Subterraneus In Arkansas, Aldemaro Romero Jr., Michel Conner

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Corticosterone And Foraging Behaviour In A Pelagic Seabird, F Angelier, Scott A. Shaffer, H Weimerskirch, C Trouvé, O Chastel

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

Because endocrine mechanisms are thought to mediate behavioral responses to changes in the environment, examining these mechanisms is essential for understanding how long-lived seabirds adjust their foraging decisions to contrasting environmental conditions in order to maximize their fitness. In this context, the hormone corticosterone (CORT) deserves specific attention because of its major connections with locomotor activities. We examined for the first time the relationships between individual CORT levels and measurements of foraging success and behavior using satellite tracking and blood sampling from wandering albatrosses (Diomedea exulans) before (pretrip CORT levels) and after (posttrip CORT levels) foraging trips during the incubation …

Whales And Whaling, E.C. M. Parsons, Aldemaro Romero Jr., Shelly Kannada, Naomi A. Rose

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Arkansas’ Aquatic Cave Fauna Being Threatened By Pollution, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Nh Department Of Environmental Services Shellfish Program Activities, January 2006 – December 2006, Chris Nash, Matt Wood

PREP Reports & Publications

This report summarizes the activities of the NH Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) Shellfish Program for the period of January 2006 to December 2006, emphasizing those tasks for which NHDES received direct funding from the NH Estuaries Project. The NHDES Shellfish Program conducts a number of activities to minimize the health risks associated with consuming shellfish, and to continue to comply with National Shellfish Sanitation Program guidelines. These include water sampling on a prescheduled/randomized basis, as well as a pollution source identification and evaluation program. These sampling programs are supplemented by other activities aimed at improving the management of conditionally-approved …

Joint United States-Brazil Billfish Research In The Western South Atlantic, David W. Kerstetter, Fabio H.V. Hazin, J. C. Pacheco, John E. Graves

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

A joint research project between Brazilian and U.S. scientists was initiated in 2004 to investigate the interaction of istiophorid billfishes with pelagic longline fisheries in the western equatorial South Atlantic Ocean. This project incorporates two general themes (1) an investigation into several aspects of pelagic longline operations by comparing catch results between circle and “J” style hooks, time-of-capture with hook time recorders, and by direct monitoring of pelagic longline gear behavior, and (2) an additional evaluation of billfish trophic ecology using a combination of satellite tag technology and traditional analyses (e.g., gut contents and ageing). Data obtained from this research …

Post-Release Survival Of Sailfish (Istiophorus Platypterus) Captured On Commercial Pelagic Longline Gear In The Southern Gulf Of Mexico, David W. Kerstetter, John E. Graves

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

To estimate post-release survival of sailfish caught incidentally to regular commercial pelagic longline fishing operations in the southern Gulf of Mexico targeting mixed swordfish and tunas, ten pop-up satellite archival tags were deployed for ten days on incidentally captured animals. All ten tags transmitted following the full deployment period, transmitting 25-82% of the archived data. Repeated, short-duration movements at depth and horizontal displacement data from were consistent with survival of those nine of the ten animals for the ten-day deployment period. The results of this study indicate that sailfish can survive the trauma resulting from interaction with pelagic longline gear …

Preliminary Results Of Circle And J-Style Hook Comparisons In The Brazilian Pelagic Longline Fishery, David W. Kerstetter, J. C. Pacheco, Fabio H.V. Hazin, P. E. Travassos, John E. Graves

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

Preliminary studies in western North Atlantic pelagic longline fisheries indicate that a change in terminal gear from J-style hooks to circle hooks may reduce bycatch mortality. However, such studies have not examined the impact of this change in the equatorial fishery. Catch composition, catch rates, hooking location, and condition at haulback were monitored during 26 sets in the commercial longline fishery operating in the western equatorial South Atlantic where circle (size 18/0, non-offset) and J-style (size 9/0 and 10/0, 10° offset) hooks were deployed in an alternating fashion. Catch rates for yellowfin tuna, swordfish, and a composite “all fishes” category …

The Crinoid Fauna (Echinodermata: Crinoidea) Of Palau, Charles G. Messing

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Taxonomic revisions and a recent survey using scuba place the number of shallow-water (< 50 m) crinoid species known from Palau at 22. Five are new records: Clarkcomanthus littoralis, Comanthus suavia, Alloeocomatella pectinifera, Oxycomanthus comanthipinna, and O. exilis. A submersible survey (to 310 m) recovered five additional new records, four of which are the first representatives of their families from Palauan waters:Eudiocrinus venustulus (Eudiocrinidae), Glyptometra sp. (Charitometridae), Cosmiometra belsuchel Messing, n. sp. (Thalassometridae), and Porphyrocrinus verrucosus(Phrynocrinidae), the first stalked crinoid recorded from Palau. Two of the three specimens of the latter have regenerating crowns, suggesting that this species may be subject to substantial predation or an …

Surface Associated Amoebae On The Ctenophore, Mnemiopsis Sp., Connie S. Versteeg

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Previous work by Moss et al. (2001) reported surface associated protists on the ctenophore Mnemiopsis sp. They frequently observed the ciliate Trichodina ctenophorii and a Flabellula-like amoeba attached to the comb plate surface. They noted that the ciliate and the amoeba were found on the subsagittal, subtentacular, and the auricular comb plates. The amoeba had a maximum width of about 15 μm and cells were crescent shaped. Ultrastructural evidence suggested that these protists were parasites although the exact nature of the association remained to be determined. This was the background for the present study.

The present investigation documented the …

Nhep Overview, Jennifer Hunter

PREP Reports & Publications

The NHEP is part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) National Estuary Program, which is a collaborative local/state/federal program established under the Clean Water Act with the goal of promoting the protection and enhancement of nationally significant estuarine resources. The NHEP receives its funding from the EPA and is administered by the University of New Hampshire. The mission of the NHEP is to protect, enhance, and monitor the environmental quality of the state’s estuaries.