Marine Biology Commons^™

Coral Recruitment Patterns In The Florida Keys, Alison L. Moulding

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

This study examines scleractinian zooxanthellate coral recruitment patterns in the Florida Keys to determine if differences in density or community composition exist between regions. From July to September 2002, nine patch reefs, three in each of the upper, middle and lower Keys, were surveyed for coral recruits (colonies <5 cm in diameter) using randomly placed quadrats and transects. Coral recruits were enumerated, measured, and identified to genus. Fourteen genera of corals were observed across all sites and ranged from five to 13 per site. Densities ranged from 6.29 ± 1.92 (mean ± SE) to 39.08 ± 4.53 recruits m-2, and there were significant site and regional differences in recruit densities. The density of recruits in the upper Keys was significantly lower than in the middle and lower Keys. In addition, the upper Keys were less diverse and had a different recruit size-frequency distribution. The majority of recruits were non-massive scleractinian species that contribute relatively little to overall reef-building processes, a finding that is similar to previous studies. Fewer recruits of massive species were found in the upper Keys compared to the middle and lower Keys. The recruitment patterns of the reefs in the upper Keys could potentially hinder their ability to recover from stress and disturbances.

Fisheries Occasional Paper No. 19 - Management Of Western Rock Lobster Fishery - Proposed Resource Sustainability Management Package For The Northern Zones (A And B), Department Of Fisheries Western Australia

Fisheries Occasional Publications

The proposed effort reduction management package presented in this paper was developed in close co-operation with rock lobster industry to address the short-term sustainability concerns regarding the level of breeding stock in the northern region.

The management package does not address the serious long-term sustainability or socio-economic issues (e.g. cost pressures and related fleet capacity) facing the industry. If the fishery stays with input controls there will need to be regular reviews of the level of exploitation and its impact on the breeding stock. If exploitation increases and the breeding stock continues to decline additional fishing effort reductions in the …

Fisheries Occasional Paper No. 20 - Management Of Western Rock Lobster Fishery - Advice To Stakeholders - Assessment Of Southern Zone Resource Sustainability Options, Department Of Fisheries, Western Australia

Fisheries Occasional Publications

The management options presented in this paper have been developed in close cooperation with the rock lobster industry to address the short-term sustainability and economic concerns regarding the level of exploitation and its impact on the breeding stock in the southern region. The main focus in the short-term is to consider options that reduce fishing effort during periods that may be economically inefficient to fish and at the same time reduce the level of exploitation.

The management package does not address the serious long-term sustainability or socioeconomic issues (e.g. cost pressures and related fleet capacity) facing the industry. If the …

Pickering Brook Salt Marsh Restoration - Phase Ii, Patti Reilly

PREP Reports & Publications

In the early 1900’s, the majority of coastal salt marshes in New England were ditched as part of an aggressive mosquito control program. In an attempt to eradicate mosquito-breeding habitat, open water areas were drained by a series of ditches excavated in the thick peat soils. Elimination of open water and the unnatural drainage patterns led to degradation of healthy, functional saltmarsh systems and the disappearance of critical habitat for American black ducks, wading birds, shorebirds, shellfish, and fish species, including those that eat mosquito larvae. The practice of mosquito ditching has since been found to have unintended consequences in …

2004 Coastal Conservation Outreach, Danna B. Truslow

PREP Reports & Publications

The Seacoast Land Trust mission is to actively promote and effect the protection and stewardship of open lands in the Seacoast. Since our founding in 1998, programs and outings have been an essential part of the organizations activities. Through our programs we strive to raise the awareness about the importance of land conservation and land stewardship. The grant funding allowed us to offer a wide range of programs and activities and to focus on the importance of protection to our coastal habitats and wetland resources. The programs involved participants with a wide range of ages and interests and included concerned …

Eelgrass Distribution In The Great Bay Estuary 2003, Frederick T. Short

PREP Reports & Publications

In 2004, the NHEP funded annual monitoring for eelgrass in GBE. We collected aerial photography of eelgrass coverage for 2004 and mapped eelgrass distribution for 2003 from the information gathered the previous year. The present report presents the eelgrass distribution information for 2003.

2004 Student Estuarine Research Project, Terri W. Grizzle

PREP Reports & Publications

This report describes the results of the second education and bird-monitoring program conducted by sixth grade students, teachers, and volunteers at Portsmouth Middle School. The program combined classroom lessons with field trips to monitor bird populations in South Mill Pond, a tidal pond-like estuary in front of the school. The Pond has suffered over the years from a variety of environmental problems as the City of Portsmouth developed, including major watershed changes, combined sewer overflows, runoff from city streets and parking lots, and fill projects. Several years ago, the City initiated a long-term project to re-direct sewage away from the …

Spring 2005, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.

Morphological And Molecular Defects In Zebrafish Embryos (Danio Rerio) After Chromated Copper Arsenate Exposure, Kerry Jean Lee

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

This investigation identified the morphological defects caused by different concentrations of chromium, copper, and arsenic (CCA) on the developing zebrafish embryo; in addition to defects caused by the three combined components (complete CCA). A change in the DNA of the developing embryos in response to the three components of CCA and complete CCA was also determined. Early Dania rerio embryos were cultured for five days with various concentrations of CCA components and complete CCA. Morphological defects were assessed with light microscopy and DNA fragmentation was determined by agarose gel electrophoresis. Embryonic exposure of D. rerio to sub lethal concentrations of …

Feeding Behavior And Conditioning In Two Heterotrophic Dinoflagellates, Todd A. Egerton

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Growth and abundance of heterotrophic dinoflagellate predators are generally attributed to the availability of algal prey. Several species of dinoflagellates feed on a wide variety of food types including fish. However the actual feeding preferences of dinoflagellates have been much less studied. In the few studies that have been carried out on dinoflagellate feeding preference, none have looked at possible factors that may affect preference. I conducted three experiments on the toxic dinoflagellate Pfiesteria piscicida and the related unnamed species Cryptoperidiniopsis brodyi which, (1) calculated the feeding preferences between algal Rhodomonas prey and fish blood cells and identified factors that …

Fisheries Occasional Paper No. 16 - Report For The Sea Lion Scientific Reference Group, Richard Campbell Dr

Fisheries Occasional Publications

This interim report has been prepared for the Rock Lobster Industry Advisory Committee and the SLSRG. The research reported has been undertaken to address issues of sea lion-rock lobster fishing interaction as identified in the Ecologically Risk Assessment (ERA) process for the western rock lobster fishery (WRLF). This assessment process was undertake as part of the accreditation of the WRLF by the Marine Stewardship Council and to satisfy the Commonwealth Government regulations for sustainable development of fisheries under the EPBC Act (1999) (DoFWA in press). The relevant points of this document are based on the resolutions agreed upon by the …

A Story About Critters That Dine On New Hampshire Oysters, Sarah Mikulak

Inquiry Journal 2005

No abstract provided.

2004 Great Bay Organic Nitrogen (Pon & Don) And Light Extinction (Par) Monitoring Program, Jonathan Pennock

PREP Reports & Publications

Nitrogen is most often considered to be the limiting nutrient for plant growth in marine waters. As a result, knowledge of nitrogen loading and ambient water-column concentrations are considered to be critical to understanding the response of aquatic ecosystems to nutrient over-enrichment—a process known as eutrophication when it results in the excess production of organic matter. Plant production in many estuarine systems may also be limited by light availability as a result of high levels of turbidity in the water resulting from sediments, dissolved organic matter, and phytoplankton in the water column. Light limitation resulting from human-induced increases in turbidity …

2004 Great Bay Water Quality Monitoring Program (Datasonde), Jonathan Pennock

PREP Reports & Publications

In situ water quality assessment has become an important source of data for monitoring, research and management activities in estuaries nationwide. As part of the National Estuarine Research Reserve System, the Great Bay System-Wide Monitoring Program (SWMP) produces in situ water quality data for four sites in and around Great Bay. This project extends the SWMP program to include year-round in situ data for a station at the University of New Hampshire Coastal Marine Lab pier at the mouth of the Piscataqua River and summmer data for a station in the Salmon Falls (SF) River. This suite of stations provides …

2004 Lamprey River Dissolved Oxygen Study, Jonathan Pennock

PREP Reports & Publications

As part of the National Estuarine Research Reserve System, the Great Bay System-Wide Monitoring Program (SWMP) produces in situ water quality data for four sites in and around Great Bay. In recent years, DataSondes deployed in the upper Lamprey River have documented dissolved oxygen concentrations that do not meet federal standards during a significant portion of the summer and fall period. These low oxygen concentrations, if they persist may have a negative effect on benthic and pelagic organisms in the river and will necessitate management action to improve water quality.

Interannual Temperature Variability In The Tropical Pacific And Lagrangian Heat Transport Pathways, C. L. Holland, Gary T. Mitchum

Marine Science Faculty Publications

In a previous study we found that volume variability during an El Ni (n) over tildeo-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) event is well described by variations in, and redistribution of, the heat content for any given region within the tropical Pacific. In this study we use numerical model temperature and velocity fields in a Lagrangian analysis of heat content variability. These three-dimensional fields are used to examine specific warm and cool anomaly regions by computing trajectories back through time to the origins of the anomalously warm or cool water. In particular, we find that three distinct pathways are important in creating and …

Testing Of Great Bay Oysters For Two Protozoan Pathogens, New Hampshire Fish And Game Department

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) has continued assessing the presence and intensity of both disease conditions in oysters from the major beds, some open for harvest, within the Great Bay estuarine system.

A Sustainable Future For Recreational Fishing In The Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Proposal For Discussion., Department Of Fisheries.

Fisheries Management Papers

Fishing activity on the Cocos is essentially unmanaged at present and there has been some condern by the local community that a number of species, such as coral trout, have declined in numbers over the last decade. This draft strategy was developed by the Western Australian Department of Fisheries who now has responsibility for managing recreational fishing on behalf of the Commonwealth Department of Transport and Regional Services.

Fisheries Research Report No. 148 - Historical Distribution And Abundance Of The Australian Sea Lion (Neophoca Cinerea) On The West Coast Of Western Australia, Richard Campbell

Fisheries Research Reports

Analysis of historical patterns of abundance of the Australian sea lion on the west coast of Western Australia suggests that the population size was greater prior to the impacts of colonization and commercial sealing/whaling between the 18th and 20th centuries. In addition, it is evident that there has been a reduction in the number of breeding sites along the west coast, particularly around the greater Perth metropolitan area. There is limited evidence of the impact of indigenous hunting on the abundance and distribution of this species. The major impacts on Australian sea lion populations were a combination of subsistence and …

Fisheries Occasional Publication No.15 - A Unit Register For Commercial Fisheries: An Issues Paper, Western Rock Lobster Council, Department Of Fisheries Western Australia

Fisheries Occasional Publications

This paper is designed to encourage stakeholder involvement in a review of the existing Department of Fisheries' Register, and development of a concept for a new Unit 1 Register, under the Fish Resources Management Act 1994 (FRMA). It is not a fisheries management proposal but a proposal dealing with the facilitation of the fishing licence business. Comments are sought from all stakeholders, including commercial fishers, recreational fishers, banks, accountants, lawyers, third party investors and brokers.

The comments gathered through the responses to this 'issues paper' will form the basis for the Unit Register Working Group to develop the concept of …

Neotypification Of Lulworthia Fucicola, Jinx Campbell

Faculty Publications

There are no herbarium specimens or culture material for the type of Lulworthia fucicola G.K. Sutherl. With the absence of original material, and to preserve current usage of the name, a neotype is designated hereby. The neotype chosen for L. fucicola is a specimen from Chile.

Diffuse Attenuation Coefficient Of Downwelling Irradiance: An Evaluation Of Remote Sensing Methods, Zhongping Lee, Miroslaw Darecki, Kendall L. Carder, Curtiss O. Davis, Dariusz Stramski, W. Joseph Rhea

Marine Science Faculty Publications

The propagation of downwelling irradiance at wavelength λ from surface to a depth (z) in the ocean is governed by the diffuse attenuation coefficient, (λ). There are two standard methods for the derivation of (λ) in remote sensing, which both are based on empirical relationships involving the blue‐to‐green ratio of ocean color. Recently, a semianalytical method to derive (λ) from reflectance has also been developed. In this study, using (490) and (443) as examples, we compare the (λ) values derived from the three methods using data collected in three different regions that cover oceanic and coastal waters, with …

A Study Of Wave Effects On Wind Stress Over The Ocean In A Fetch-Limited Case, Jiayi Pan, David W. Wang, Paul A. Hwang

Faculty Publications

A field experiment was conducted for collecting three-dimensional wind, wave, and air-sea environmental data off the coast of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico in the mixed sea state of a wind sea limited by fetch and with swell propagating against the wind direction. Two methods, the inertial dissipation (ID) and eddy correlation (EC), are used to calculate wind stress. The results show that under the fetch-limited condition, the EC wind stress is greater than the ID stress. This difference is found to be correlated with the counter-wind swell. The swell-related drag coefficient is computed from the wind stress difference …

Ecological Functions And Values Of Fringing Salt Marshes Susceptible To Oil Spills In Casco Bay, Maine, Pamela A. Morgan, Michele Dionne, Richard Mackenzie, Lucas Curci

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

Casco Bay is the largest oil port in Maine and northern New England, handling over 20 million tons of crude oil and oil products annually. The susceptibility of the Bay’s estuarine habitats, especially its fringing salt marshes, to potential spill events was the impetus for this study. Although much has been learned to date about the effects of oil spills on estuarine habitats around the world, there is a real need for site-specific knowledge of the structures and functions of local habitats so that resource managers can be prepared in the event of a spill. Our study focused specifically on …

Minimising The Cost Of Future Stock Monitoring, And Assessment Of The Potential For Increased Yields, From The Oceanic Snapper, Pagrus Auratus, Stock Off Shark Bay, Michael J. Moran, Peter Stephenson, Daniel J. Gaughan, Nadia E. Tapp, Jenny Moore

Fisheries Research Reports

The investment in this project has resulted in a substantially more extensive set of age composition data than would have otherwise been possible. This in turn has underpinned stock assessment modeling that has provided the basis for determining that the commercial fishery for snapper in Shark Bay needed a substantial decrease the total allowable catch. The modeling was able to determine that the stock was at a low size following a period of low recruitment during the late 1990s. The suspected low recruitment, evident once the age date were collated, and anticipated negative effects on the stock were both quantitatively …

Comprehensive Conservation Outreach Plan, Town Of Newmarket, Nh

PREP Reports & Publications

With funding from the Natural Resources Outreach Coalition (NROC) and the New Hampshire Estuaries Project (NHEP) the Town of Newmarket has undertaken the constructing of three signs and two educational/information kiosks for two recently acquired open space parcels and associated information for distribution on all conservation and passive recreation lands in the Town of Newmarket. The third kiosk involved repairing an existing structure rather than building a new one. The costs for the project include the creation and printing of maps and brochures for distribution, creation and installation of the kiosks (which will also house several signs from our funding …

Implementation Of The Dearborn Brook Watershed Management And Protection Plan, Rockingham Planning Commission

PREP Reports & Publications

Dearborn Brook is a small but important stream located in Stratham and Exeter, New Hampshire. The Brook flows into the Town of Exeter Reservoir and is used to supply drinking water to the Town of Exeter and portions of Stratham. The Dearborn Brook Watershed Committee was established in 2001 to develop a management and protection plan for the Brook. Committee members represent the Conservation Commissions, Open Space Committees, Planning Departments, Water and Sewer Commissions, and Department of Public Works in the Towns of Exeter and Stratham. The purpose of this project was to begin implementing the top three recommendations made …

2004 Alewife Festival, Exeter River Local Advisory Committee

PREP Reports & Publications

On June 5, 2004, the Exeter River Local Advisory Committee (ERLAC) held the 4th Annual Exeter River Alewife Festival along the banks of the Squamscott River in downtown Exeter. Over three dozen organizations exhibited at the Festival and event organizers estimate approximately 750 people, including many children, attended the event. The purpose of the Festival was to increase awareness of the Exeter River watershed and the role it plays in the Great Bay ecosystem, as well as its role in providing drinking water, wildlife habitat, and scenic, historic and recreational resources for residents in the ten watershed towns. Funding provided …

Limiting Impervious Surface Cover And Protecting Water Resources Through Better Site Design And Planning, Rockingham Planning Commission

PREP Reports & Publications

The Rockingham Planning Commission (RPC) provided two forms of technical assistance to coastal communities to raise awareness and understanding of how to limit impervious surface cover, mitigate impacts of development, and protect water resources. The first phase of this project involved the organization of a workshop entitled “Improving Site Planning and Site Design for Sustainable Development”, held October 4, 2004 in Durham, New Hampshire. The workshop was offered to local decision makers and municipal employees in the forty two coastal communities and featured speakers from state agencies, local government, and the private sector.For the second phase of this project, the …

The Reproductive Cycle Of The Thorny Skate (Amblyraid Radiata) In The Western Gulf Of Maine, James A. Sulikowski, Jeff Kneebone, Scott Elzey, Joe Jurek, Patrick D. Danley, William Huntting Howell, Paul C.W. Tsang

Biological Sciences

The thorny skate (Amblyraja radiata) is a large species of skate that is endemic to the waters of the western north Atlantic in the Gulf of Maine. Because the biomass of thorny skates has recently declined below threshold levels mandated by the Sustainable Fisheries Act, commercial harvests from this region are prohibited. We have undertaken a comprehensive study to gain insight into the life history of this skate. The present study describes and characterizes the reproductive cycle of female and male thorny skates, based on monthly samples taken off the coast of New Hampshire, from May 2001 to May 2003. …