Marine Biology Commons^™

Blind Cave Fishes Providing Important Clues To Human Blindness, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Researchers Uncover Black And White Truth Of Cave Fish Discovery, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Mussels Have Plenty To Say About State Of Environment, Aldemaro Romero Jr., Alan D. Christian

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Exploring Marine Biotoxins Using Analytical Techniques Based On Mass Spectrometry, Mónica Fernández Amandi

Theses

The impact of phycotoxins on human and animal health is of important concern for worldwide authorities and the scientific community. Domoic acid (DA) is a neurotoxin produced by phytoplankton {Pseudonitzchia spp.). It enters the food chain through the consumption of shellfish that feed on toxic diatoms. DA has been responsible for several outbreaks affecting humans and animals all around the world. Yessotoxin (YTX) is produced by dinoflagellate species {Protoceratiuni reticulatum) which are globally distributed. Its toxicity is low when ingested orally. However, the co-extraction of YTX with diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP) toxins, derives false positives when the mouse bioassay is …

Oceanographic Conditions And Diversity Of Sea Stars (Echinodermata: Asteroidea) In The Gulf Of California, México, Carlos E. Cintra-Buenrostro, Hector Reyes-Bonilla, Maria Dinorah Herrero-Perezrul

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Species richness is one of the best indicators of biodiversity. However, there are few investigations on concordance of diversity patterns and environmental settings for marine regions. The objectives of this study were to correlate species richness of shallow water (< 200 m deep) sea stars with key oceanographic factors in the Gulf of California, México, and to predict species richness of Asteroidea using multiple regressions. In these analyses the Gulf was divided into nine sections of one degree in latitude (from 23 - 31° N), at each section we recorded: continental shelf area (at 100 and 200 m depth), temperature mean and range at three depth levels (0, 60 and 120 m), thermocline depth, surface nutrient concentrations (nitrates, phosphates and silicates), surface photosynthetic pigment concentration, and integrated productivity. Sea star species richness at each latitudinal section was estimated from literature data, new collections and museum records. Species were assigned to one of the following feeding guilds: predators of small mobile invertebrates (I), detritivores (D), predators of colonial organisms (C), generalist carnivores (G), and planktivores (P). There are 47 shallow water asteroid species in the Gulf of California (16 I, 15 D, eight C, six G, one P and one not assigned). Total species richness and guild species richness showed strong latitudinal attenuation patterns and were higher in the southernmost Gulf, an area characterized by a narrow shelf, high temperature, and low nutrient concentrations. Species diversity for each guild was correlated to a set of oceanographic parameters: temperature, nitrate concentration, and integrated productivity were linked to richness in must cases. We detected that nutrients and surface pigments always presented negative relationships with species richness, indicating that productive environments limit asteroid diversity in the study area. Finally, the postulated regression models to estimate species richness from oceanographic data were significant and highly precise. We conclude that species richness of Asteroidea in the Gulf of California is related to oceanographic conditions and can be estimated from regional oceanographic information.

A Fossil Reef From The Last Interglacial, Western Australia, Benjamin J. Greenstein, John M. Pandolfi, David R. Blakeway

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

We report an initial investigation of a Devils Point Event (DPE) style surface exposed approximately 1.5 m above present sea level in a spectacularly preserved reef sequence in southern Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia.

Department Of Fisheries Annual Report To Parliament 2004/05, Government Of Western Australia Department Of Fisheries

Department of Fisheries Annual Reports

In accordance with Section 62 of the Financial Administration and Audit Act 1985 (FAAA) and Section 263 of the Fish Resources Management Act 1994 (FRMA), I submit for your information the Annual Report to Parliament of the Department of Fisheries of Western Australia for the financial year ending 30 June 2005.

The 2004/05 financial year has seen some important shifts in the external environment that bear on the economic viability of our major commercial fisheries and fishing-based tourism. But there has also been major progress within the Department on a number of significant issues - both strategic and operational - …

Benthic Fisheries Ecology In A Changing Environment: Unraveling Process To Achieve Prediction, Mark J. Butler Iv

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Marine fisheries and the ecosystems that sustain them are increasingly beset by environmental deterioration, and the problem is particularly acute in coastal zones where human Populations are increasing. In the best of circumstances, fishery managers are faced with the multiple, often conflicting, demands of resource users, politicians, and scientists when considering strategies for resource management. A further challenge is that management decisions must be made against a backdrop of a deteriorating environment and the shifting status of coastal ecosystem integrity. Traditional tools for single-species management may be inadequate in these settings. Furthermore. the necessary empirical data to appropriately parameterize models …

Phytoplankton Development Within Tidal Freshwater Regions Of Two Virginia Rivers, Usa, Harold G. Marshall, Lubomira Burchardt

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Phytoplankton composition and the range of seasonal patterns of abundance are presented for the tidal freshwater regions in two Virginia rivers based on data accumulated monthly from 1986 through 1999. Diatoms dominated the flora during spring, summer, and fall, whereas, other taxonomic categories were more representative when the river flow rates decreased, allowing for a more stable water system and increased residency time within this tidal region during summer and early fall. This summer/fall period was associated with increased water temperatures, higher productivity rates and chlorophyll levels, increased total phytoplankton abundance and species diversity. The major components of the summer …

Early Blue Crab Recruitment To Alternative Nursery Habitats In Mississippi, Usa, Chet R. Rakocinski, Donna Drury Mccall

Faculty Publications

Although seagrass in the lower segments of estuaries provides good nursery habitat for blue crabs, the role of alternative inshore habitats for early blue crab recruitment is not well-known. Using suction sampling, we examined the recruitment dynamics of early blue crabs (Callinectes spp.) over a 10-wk study period at 7 sites representing potential nursery habitats, including 2 marsh edge sites, 2 subtidal unvegetated sites adjacent to salt marsh, 2 subtidal unvegetated sites adjacent to developed marsh, and 1 upestuary subtidal vegetated site. Abundances of small (< 6.0 mm CW) and large (&GE; 6.0 mm) juvenile crabs varied over the study period, mainly reflecting two monthly pulses of small crabs coinciding with the new moon phase. Early crabs were Significantly more abundant from structured habitats than from subtidal unvegetated habitat; although small crabs were moderately abundant at subtidal unvegetated sites situated lower in the estuary. Large crabs were not abundant from subtidal unvegetated sites; whereas large crabs were abundant from sites with structured habitat. Subtidal unvegetated sites were characterized by crab size-distributions with single modes representing postsettlement crabs and with few large crabs; whereas structured habitats contained relatively more large crabs. However, crab size-distributions varied among structured habitats. Spatio-temporal variation in the early recruitment dynamics of blue crabs reflected temporal changes, such as lunar periodicity; landscape effects, such as proximity to currents; and habitat effects.

Argulus Yucatanus N. Sp. (Crustacea: Branchiura) Parasitic On Cichlasoma Urophthalmus From Yucatan, Mexico, William J. Poly

Gulf and Caribbean Research

A new species, Argulus yucatanus, is described based on 14 specimens from Cichlasoma urophthalmus collected in Celestun Lagoon, Yucatan, Mexico. Diagnostic characters include the number of and shape of sclerites in the suction cup support rods, shape of and position of respiratory areas, and modifications on the legs of males. In males, the coxae of the 2nd legs bear an angular lobe with 5–7 erect scales and 13–21 sensilla. The new species is compared to Argulus funduli Krøyer, 1863, A. chromidis Krøyer, 1863, A. cubensis Wilson, 1936, A. rhamdiae Wilson, 1936, and A. varians Bere, 1936.

Manatee Occurrence In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, West Of Florida, D. Fertl, A.J. Schiro, G.T. Regan, C.A. Beck, N. Adimey, L. Price-May, A. Amos, G.A.J. Worthy, R. Crossland

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Reports of West Indian manatees (Trichechus manatus) in the US Gulf of Mexico west of Florida have increased during the last decade. We reviewed all available manatee sighting, capture, and carcass records (n = 377) from Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas since the early 1900s; only 40 of these were previously published. Manatees were reported most often in estuarine habitats, usually either near a freshwater source or natural or industrial warm-water springs/runoffs during winter months. The recent increase in manatee records may be due to a combination of increased public awareness and dispersal of manatees, most likely seasonal …

Selected Life-History Observations On The Cayman Gambusia, Gambusia Xanthosoma Greenfield, 1983 (Poeciliidae), Michael A. Abney, Richard W. Heard, Chet F. Rakocinski

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The Cayman gambusia (Gambusia xanthosoma Greenfield, 1983) is an uncommon species within the G. punctata species group, endemic to North Sound, Grand Cayman Island, BWI. Since the original description (Greenfield 1983) only phylogenetic information has been published and little is known of its habitat, feeding ecology, or reproductive life history (Wildrick and Greenfield 1985, Rauchenberger 1988). Originally described from a brackish-water (30 psu) mosquito control ditch, the species also occurred throughout marine mangrove habitat and inland saline ponds adjacent to North Sound, Grand Cayman Island. Here we present information on the habitat, diet, reproduction, life history, and parasites of …

Ecology Of The Mayan Cichlid, Cichlasoma Urophthalmus Günther, In The Alvarado Lagoonal System, Veracruz, Mexico, Rafael Chavez-Lopez, Mark S. Peterson, Nancy J. Brown-Peterson, Ana Adalia Morales-Gomez, Jonathan Franco-Lopez

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The Mayan cichlid, Cichlasoma urophthalmus, has a wide distribution in southeastern Mexico where it inhabits rivers and coastal lagoons. In the Alvarado lagoonal system, Veracruz, it is distributed towards the north in Camaronera Lagoon. The Mayan cichlid shows an affinity for oligohaline to mesohaline sites with submerged vegetation, well-oxygenated, deep, and transparent water. The major abundance and biomass of this species was obtained during December to February. The diet of Mayan cichlids consists principally of plant detrital material and algae. Length-frequency distribution shows 2 size classes during both the dry and rainy seasons, corresponding to reproductive fish and young …

Seasonal And Spatial Patterns In Salinity, Nutrients, And Chlorophyll Α In The Alvarado Lagoonal System, Veracruz, Mexico, Angel Moran-Silva, Luis Antonio Martinez Franco, Rafael Chavez-Lopez, Jonathan Franco-Lopez, Carlos M. Bedia-Sanchez, Francisco Contreras Espinosa, Francisco Gutierrez Mendieta, Nancy J. Brown-Peterson, Mark S. Peterson

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Ten monthly collections, distributed among three seasons, were taken from July 2000 to June 2001 in the Alvarado lagoonal system, Veracruz, Mexico. Variables measured in situ included dissolved oxygen, salinity, and water temperature. Water samples were collected to determine concentrations of ammonium, nitrates, nitrites, orthophosphates, total phosphorus and chlorophyll α. Collections representing the rainy season were taken in September and October, those for the nortes season were taken in November, December, and January, and dry season collections were taken during February, March, May June, and July. There was seasonal and spatial variation in nutrient concentrations, and they were related to …

Long-Term Fish Assemblage Dynamics Of The Alvarado Lagoon Estuary, Veracruz, Mexico, Rafael Chavez-Lopez, Jonathan Franco-Lopez, Angel Moran-Silva, Martin T. O'Connell

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The fish assemblages of Alvarado Lagoon Estuary (a complex of coastal lagoons in the state of Veracruz, Mexico) have been surveyed intermittently by different researchers over the last 40 years. Assessing longterm trends in fish assemblage composition for this ecosystem is problematic due to differences in sampling efforts among the survey periods (1966–1968, 1987–1988, 1989, 1989–1990, 1990–1991 and 2000–2001) and by the inherent ecological variability of estuaries. To overcome these data limitations and better understand fish assemblage change over time, we used robust, simulation-based analyses to compare collections from the different surveys. The 107 fish species collected from the Alvarado …

Iron In The Sargasso Sea (Bermuda Atlantic Time-Series Study Region) During Summer: Eolian Imprint, Spatiotemporal Variability, And Ecological Implications, Peter N. Sedwick, T. M. Church, A. R. Bowie, C. M. Marsay, S. J. Ussher, K. M. Achilles, P. J. Lethaby, R. J. Johnson, M. M. Sarin, D. J. Mcgillicuddy

OES Faculty Publications

We report iron measurements for water column and aerosol samples collected in the Sargasso Sea during July-August 2003 (summer 2003) and April-May 2004 (spring 2004). Our data reveal a large seasonal change in the dissolved iron (dFe) concentration of surface waters in the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study region, from ∼1-2nM in summer 2003, when aerosol iron concentrations were high (mean 10 nmol/m^-3), to ∼0.1-0.2nM in spring 2004, when aerosol iron concentrations were low (mean 0.64 nmol/m^-3). During summer 2003, we observed an increase of ∼0.6nM in surface water dFe concentrations over 13 days, presumably due to …

A Unique Seasonal Pattern In Phytoplankton Biomass In Low-Latitude Waters In The South China Sea, Chun-Mao Tseng, George T. F. Wong, I.-I. Lin, C.-R. Wu, K.-K. Liu

OES Faculty Publications

A distinctive seasonal pattern in phytoplankton biomass was observed at the South East Asian Time series Study (SEATS) station (18°N, 116°E) in the northern South China Sea (SCS). Surface chlorophyll-a, depth integrated chlorophyll-a and primary production were elevated to 0.3 mg/m³, ~35 mg/m² and 300 mg-C/m²/d, respectively, in the winter but stayed low, at 0.1 mg/m³, ~15 mg/m² and 110 mg-C/m²/d as commonly found in other low latitude waters, in the rest of the year. Concomitantly, soluble reactive phosphate and nitrate+nitrite in the mixed layer also became …

The Effect Of Growth Rate, Phosphorus Concentration, And Temperature On N-2 Fixation, Carbon Fixation, And Nitrogen Release In Continuous Cultures Of Trichodesmium Ims101, Margaret R. Mulholland, Peter W. Bernhardt

OES Faculty Publications

With the use of continuous culture systems, rates of dinitrogen (N₂) and carbon (C) fixation and nitrogen (N)- and C-based doubling times were assessed in Trichodesmium IMS101 growing exponentially at steady state dilution rates of 0.10, 0.20, and 0.33 d^-1 (doubling times of 10, 5, and 3 d - within the range reported for natural populations). Rates of C fixation, N₂ fixation, and N release were examined in replicate culture systems with several techniques. Biomass-specific C uptake varied little with population doubling time, but N₂ fixation and N release varied markedly among treatments. Total daily …

Do Viruses Affect Fecundity And Survival Of The Copepod Acartia Tonsa Dana?, Lisa A. Drake, Fred C. Dobbs

OES Faculty Publications

Naturally occurring viruses are extremely abundant in aquatic systems, and they infect bacteria, cyanobacteria, prokaryotic and eukaryotic phytoplankton, heterotrophic nanoflagellates, fish and mammals. Viral infections of single-celled organisms have been studied intensively in the past decade, but little is known about the effects of viruses on aquatic metazoans, other than for some economically important species. Because zooplankton assemblages are often dominated in number and biomass by copepods, we used them as model organisms to study the effects of naturally occurring viruses on higher trophic levels. We attempted to induce viral infection in laboratory-reared cultures of the estuarine copepod Acartia tonsa …

Biophysical Mechanisms Of Larval Fish Ingress Into Chesapeake Bay, Jonathan A. Hare, Simon Thorrold, Harvey Walsh, Christian Reiss, Arnoldo Valle-Levinson, Cynthia Jones

OES Faculty Publications

Selective tidal stream transport is hypothesized as a dominant mechanism by which larvae of marine animals move through estuarine openings. For larvae moving from the shelf to estuarine habitats, selective tidal stream transport proposes that larvae are higher in the water column during flood tide and lower in the water column during ebb tide. Although a number of studies conclude that selective tidal stream transport is the mechanism responsible for larval ingress, few studies consider alternative mechanisms or consider passive explanations for tidal patterns in larval distributions. We examined the biophysical mechanisms responsible for larval ingress into Chesapeake Bay using …

2004 Support For Shellfish Program And Estuarine Education, Meeker, S & Reid, A, B. Sharon Meeker, Ann S. Reid

PREP Reports & Publications

Working within the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Cooperative Extension/Sea Grant Program, the Great Bay Coast Watch (GBCW) is New Hampshire’s most wide ranging program for direct citizen involvement in monitoring estuarine and coastal systems. GBCW has a fifteen year history of educating citizens about the Great Bay Estuary, New Hampshire Seacoast, and Gulf of Maine watershed through active participation in monitoring and an accompanying education program. Based in Durham, NH, GBCW coordinates over 100 volunteers drawn from 19 New Hampshire and Southern Maine communities. In 1990, volunteers began monitoring eight sites on a monthly basis April through October. Today, …

Natural Resources Outreach Coalition: Coordination And Program Delivery, Stone, A, Frank Mitchell, Amanda Stone

PREP Reports & Publications

The Natural Resources Outreach Coalition (NROC) is a multi-organizational initiative providing technical and educational assistance to communities in New Hampshire’s coastal watersheds dealing with the effects of growth. The NROC program offered to communities includes an initial educational public presentation, Dealing with Growth, followed by a series of follow-up meetings to help the community focus their goals, develop an action-oriented work plan, and provide the technical and educational assistance needed to help the community meet its goals.

Wetlands Assessment, Inventory, And Prime Wetlands Designation Project In The Taylor River Watershed, Town Of Hampton, Hampton Conservation Commission, Rockingham County Conservation District

PREP Reports & Publications

The purpose of this project was to provide significant educational efforts on wetlands functions and values, prime wetlands designation, on-the-ground inventory findings, wildlife habitat, and New Hampshire's Prime Wetlands laws and rules for the two communities located within the project focus area. The focus area for this project was the Taylor River Watershed, which comprises the Taylor River as it flows through both

Hampton and Hampton Falls, a bit of Ash Brook and Old River as it flows through Hampton, and Grapevine Run as it flows through Hampton Falls. This project assessed over 152 wetland areas containing approximately 620 acres. …

Dover Natural Resource Mapping And Community Outreach Initiative, Bird, Dover Planning Department

PREP Reports & Publications

The grant funding has allowed us to further address the continuing need for community awareness for open space and natural resource protection in the City of Dover. This funding has enabled the City of Dover Planning Department in partnership with the City of Dover Open Lands Committee to present several events throughout October and November 2004. The events offered participants information about natural resource and open space protection as well as an opportunity to enjoy nature. They increased public awareness about the Open Lands Committee and its function. Activities and workshops from October to November 2004 included Apple Harvest Day …

On-Line Resource Clearinghouse For Rapidly Growing Communities, Amy Seif

PREP Reports & Publications

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, sprawl is among the biggest environmental challenges facing New England, where more than 1,200 acres of open space are lost to development each week. New Hampshire is the fastest growing state in New England, and much of this growth is located within the 42 community coastal watershed served by the New Hampshire Estuaries Project. The Resource Clearinghouse for Rapidly Growing Communities project was created out of an interest in getting community decision makers the information and access to resources that they need to make informed decisions in this challenging time. The clearinghouse is designed …

2004 Water Quality Education Onboard The Gundalow, Bolster, M, Molly Bolster

PREP Reports & Publications

The Gundalow Company (a non-profit 501(c)3 organization) sponsors maritime history and environmental educational programs for school groups and the public onboard the replica gundalow Captain Edward Adams from May through November in 12-15 riverfront locations in the Piscataqua region. The project funded by the NHEP in 2004 included the development of an expanded Gundalow Company education program curriculum in order to motivate all gundalow visitors to appreciate the relationship between regional maritime history, contemporary water quality issues and future stewardship responsibilities. The NHEP grant also supported the Gundalow Company’s efforts to bring the gundalow to Durham and Newmarket. The content …

Conservation Easement Outreach Project, Wenninger, Ray Wenninger

PREP Reports & Publications

Stratham voters approved a 5 million dollar conservation bond issue in 2002 to preserve open space through easement or outright purchase. The Ad-hoc Conservation Bond Subcommittee to the Conservation Commission is helping achieve Stratham’s open space goals and is continuing to reach out to landowners that have undeveloped land that may be suitable for Stratham’s open space initiative. It was an opportune time for the subcommittee to provide updated outreach materials when a grant by the Natural Resources Outreach Coalition (NROC) Implementation Grant Program became available. The grant, managed by the New Hampshire Estuaries Project, provided funding to produce and …

Coral Reef Ecosystem Restoration Off Southeast Florida, David S. Gilliam, Walter Jaap, Richard E. Dodge, Elizabeth Glynn Fahy, Jamie A. Monty, Brian K. Walker, Lauren F. Shuman, B. D. Ettinger, Daniel P. Fahy, Shaun M. Gill, Richard Shaul

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

Significant coral reef community development along the eastern shelf of the United States continues northward of the Florida Keys through Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and Martin Counties, Florida (to Latitude 27° N). These Southeast Florida high-latitude coral communities have approximately 30 species of stony corals, stony coral coverage of 2-3%, and a diverse assemblage of reef gorgonians, sponges, and fishes.

This system lays within 3 km of the coast offshore a highly urbanized area comprising a population of over 5 million people (the population of Broward County alone exceeds 1.7 million). These reefs are important economic assets: a 2001 economic …

2003 Coastal Municipal Stormwater Infrastructure Mapping Project, Jeffrey Marcoux

PREP Reports & Publications

This final report describes the grant program funded by NHEP and administered by DES. A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between NHEP and DES created a grant program to provide assistance to coastal communities to develop storm sewer infrastructure maps. DES issued a request for proposals (RFP), chose grant recipients, and managed the grant agreements. This report provides details on the grant projects completed by Farmington, Dover, Durham, Seabrook, Somersworth, and North Hampton. The deadline for completion of all grant projects was December 31, 2004.