Marine Biology Commons^™

The Barbados (Alias Folkestone) Marine Reserve, Barbados: A Late Bloomer?, Robin Mahon, Michael B. Mascia

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The Barbados Marine Reserve (BMR) is a 2.2 km² no-take marine reserve occupying one of the most intensely used and impacted sections of the coast and comprises four zones: Scientific, Northern Watersports, Recreational, Southern Watersports. Establishment of the BMR in 1981 did little to change the de facto marine resource governance regime for the area. There was minimal consultation of stakeholders in determining the zoning and regulations. Fishers were negatively impacted, and no user group derived significant benefits from the reserve. A mandate to maximise revenues led the National Conservation Commission (NCC), responsible for BMR management, to virtually abandon …

Human System Connectivity: A Need For Mpa Management Effectiveness, Patrick Mcconney, Leah Bunce, Georgina Bustamante

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Near the conclusion of the GCFI meeting and its special MPA symposium a workshop was convened to address the topic of Human system connectivity: a need for MPA management effectiveness. The title was inspired by the marine science sessions that examined facets of ecosystem connectivity. The social scientists, MPA managers, and marine ecologists present thought that our understanding of MPAs would be enhanced by a session in which the human system and its connectivity, both to the marine system and within itself, was prominent. This workshop was loosely linked to presentations in the session on Capacity Building and Community …

A New Geographic Locality And Three New Host Records For Neobenedenia Melleni (Maccallum) (Monogenea: Capsalidae), Stephen A. Bullard, Robert J. Goldstein, Richard Hocking, Jack Jewell

Gulf and Caribbean Research

A new geographic locality record and three new host records for Neobenedenia melleni (MacCallum, 1921) (Monogenea: Capsalidae) are provided. Specimens of N. melleni were collected from the skin of three Florida pompano, Trachinotus carolinus (Linnaeus, 1166)(Carangidae),caught in the northern Gulf of Mexico off Horn Island, Mississippi; from the skin of a bluering angelfish, Pomacanthus annularis (Bloch, 1157) (Pomacanthidae), in the Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, Nevada; from the skin of a rock greenling, Hexagrammos lagocephalus (Pallas, 1810) (Hexagrammidae), in the Alaska SeaLife Center, Seward, Alaska; and from the skin of two blue-barred ribbon gobies, Oxymetopon cyanoctenosum Klausewitz …

Hydrodynamic Stability Of Swimming In Ostraciid Fishes: Role Of The Carapace In The Smooth Trunkfish Lactophrys Triqueter (Teleostei : Ostraciidae), Ian K. Bartol, Morteza Gharib, Daniel Weihs, Paul W. Webb, Jay R. Hove, Malcolm S. Gordon

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The hydrodynamic bases for the stability of locomotory motions in fishes are poorly understood, even for those fishes, such as the rigid-bodied smooth trunkfish Lactophrys triqueter, that exhibit unusually small amplitude recoil movements during rectilinear swimming. We have studied the role played by the bony carapace of the smooth trunkfish in generating trimming forces that self-correct for instabilities. The flow patterns, forces and moments on and around anatomically exact, smooth trunkfish models positioned at both pitching and yawing angles of attack were investigated using three methods: digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV), pressure distribution measurements, and force balance measurements. Models …

Bio-Optical Properties Of The Labrador Sea, Glenn F. Cota, W. Glen Harrison, Trevor Platt, Shubha Sathyendranath, Venetia Stuart

CCPO Publications

Three cruises were conducted during fall and spring in the Labrador Sea to investigate the effects of bio-optical properties on satellite retrievals of phytoplankton chlorophyll in this important high-latitude ecosystem. Taxon-specific and regional differences were found. Diatoms had similar to 1.5 lower chlorophyll-specific absorption but significantly higher reflectance ratios than prymnesiophytes. Particulate absorption at 443 nm for total, phytoplankton, and "detrital'' fractions was related to chlorophyll, but values were lower than reported for lower latitudes. Decreased particulate absorption is attributed primarily to pigment packaging, while low backscattering to scattering ratios result from a lower relative abundance of bacteria and picophytoplankton …

Synbranchiformes (Swamp And Spiny Eels), Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Cypriniformes Ii (Loaches And Relatives), Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Anguilliformes (Eels And Morays), Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Salmoniformes (Salmons), Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

One Eye But No Vision: Troglomorphic Astyanax Fasciatus (Pisces: Characidae) With Induced Eyes Do Not Respond To Light, Aldemaro Romero Jr., Steven M. Green, Andrea Romero, Megan M. Lelonek, Katy C. Stropnicky

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Status And Habitat Characteristics Of The Saltmarsh Topminnow, Fundulus Jenkinsi (Evermann) In Eastern Mississippi And Western Alabama Coastal Bayous, Mark S. Peterson, Gregory L. Fulling, Christa M. Woodley

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The saltmarsh topminnow, Fundulus jenkinsi (Evermann, 1892), occurs sporadically along the northern Gulf of Mexico and appears to prefer Spartina habitat. Throughout its range, it is considered rare or threatened and has been placed on the US Federal Register's List of Candidate Species. In order to determine the status and habitat characteristics of this species, we examined collections from 1985-1986, 1996, 1999, and 2001 from eastern Mississippi and western Alabama. We report on 868 F. jenkinsi collected in 82 locations using 414 seine hauls and 420 Breder traps over 40 dates. Results using all collections indicated F. jenkinsi is not …

Shallow-Water Reefs In Transition: Examples From Belize And The Bahamas, H. Allen Curran, Benjamin J. Greenstein

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

The plight of coral reefs throughout the Caribbean region has been widely reported by reef scientists. A variety of causes has lead to reefal decline, particularly in shallow waters. This study compares the responses of shallow-water reefs in Belize and the Bahamas to outbreaks of white­ band disease (WBD) and traces changes on these reefs to the early 2000s.

Prior to the mid-1980s, reef ridges of the Pelican Cays of Belize were constructed of luxu­ riant stands of Acropora cervicomis. As else­ where, this species suffered massive mortality in mid-1980s owing to WBD, and dead A. cervicor­ nis substrates were …

The Use Of Parasites In Discriminating Stocks Of Pacific Halibut (Hippoglossus Stenolepis) In The Northeast Pacific, Reginald B. Blaylock, Leo Margolis, John C. Holmes

Faculty Publications

The use of parasites as indicators of the stock structure of Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis) in the northeast Pacific was investigated by using 328 adult (>55 cm fork length) halibut from 15 composite localities ranging from northern California to the northern Bering Sea and 96 juvenile (10-55 cm) halibut from five localities ranging from the northern Queen Charlotte Islands to the Bering Sea. Counts of eight selected parasite species (the juvenile acanthocephalans Corynosoma strumosum and C. villosum, the metacestode Nybelinia surmenicola, the digenean metacercaria Otodistomum sp., and the larval nematodes Anisakis simplex, Pseudoterranova decipiens, Contracaecum sp., and Spirurid gen. …

Cross-Shelf Habitat Utilization Patterns Of Reef Fishes In Southwestern Puerto Rico, John D. Christensen, Christopher F.G. Jeffrey, Chris Caldow, Mark E. Monaco, Matthew S. Kendall, Richard S. Appeldoorn

Gulf and Caribbean Research

In June 2000, the National Ocean Service and University of Puerto Rico initiated a long-term reef-fish-monitoring program in La Parguera, Puerto Rico. Objectives of this ongoing work are to: 1) develop spatially-explicit estimates of reef fish habitat utilization patterns to aid in defining essential habitats, and 2) provide a quantitative and ecologically sound foundation to delineate marine reserve boundaries. Central to this effort are recently completed digital and georeferenced benthic habitat maps for the near-shore waters of Puerto Rico. The GIS-based map served as a framework for development of a spatially stratified reef-fish-monitoring program across the shelf. Simultaneous collections of …

Connectivity Between Coastal Habitats Of Two Oceanic Caribbean Islands As Inferred From Ontogenetic Shifts By Coral Reef Fishes, I. Nagelkerken, G. Van Der Velde

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Mangroves and seagrass beds are considered important nursery habitats for juveniles of coral reef fishes. Studies have mostly focused on the fish community of just one habitat, so the connectivity between different coastal habitats is often unclear. In this study, density and size of reef fish were determined using a single sampling technique in four non-estuarine bay habitats and four reef zones in Curaçao and Bonaire (Netherlands Antilles). The data indicate that of the complete reef fish community at least 21 species show ontogenetic crossshelf shifts in habitat utilization. The 21 species mainly utilized shallow-water habitats (mangroves, seagrass beds, channel …

Spawning Aggregation Sites Of Snapper And Grouper Species (Lutjanidae And Serranidae) On The Insular Shelf Of Cuba, Rodolfo Claro, Kenyon C. Lindeman

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Twenty-one spawning aggregation sites on the Cuban shelf were identified for eight species of snappers (Lutjanus) and groupers (Epinephelus and Mycteroperca) using information from experienced fishers and field studies. Three sites are on the southeastern shelf, eight on the southwest shelf bordering the Golfo de Batabanó, two in the northwest, and eight in the north-central region along the margins of the Archipiélago de Sabana-Camagüey. These numbers may reflect sampling effort as much as absolute aggregation numbers, with most effort concentrated in the southwest and north-central regions. Additional studies, particularly field assessments, are needed to determine the …

Community-Based Development Of Multiple-Use Marine Protected Areas: Promoting Stewardship And Sharing Responsibility For Conservation In The San Andres Archipelago, Colombia, Marion Howard, Ernesto Connolly, Elizabeth Taylor, June Marie Mow

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The San Andres Archipelago in the western Caribbean includes some of the largest and most productive coral reef ecosystems in the hemisphere. Declared the Seaflower Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2000, this Colombian archipelago has 3 inhabited islands, 5 atolls, and an oceanic area of 300,000 km². CORALINA, the local representative of the National Environment System, is responsible for environmental planning, management, and education. While setting up the Seaflower Biosphere Reserve, this agency had hundreds of meetings with the islands’ communities, listening to their concerns. Issues, conflicts, and threats to marine and coastal areas were identified during these …

Population Biology Of The Ghost Shrimp Sergio Trilobata (Biffar 1970) (Crustacea: Decapoda: Thalassinidea), J.L. Corsetti, K.M. Strasser

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Sergio trilobata is a common burrowing crustacean found in Tampa Bay, Lemon Bay, and Miami, Florida, where it inhabits mainly intertidal soft sediments (Biffar 1971, Manning and Lemaitre 1993 ). Although S. trilobata is a dominant member of the benthic community, very little is known about population dynamics and reproduction of these thalassinideans. The population biology of this ghost shrimp was examined over a period of a year and a half to gain understanding of its life history. Seasonal variation in the proportion of individuals in each size class was observed during the study, suggesting that there may be environmental …

Feeding Selectivity Of Anchovia Clupeoides (Pisces: Engraulidae) In The Ciénaga Grande De Santa Marta, Colombian Caribbean, Guillermo Duque, Arturo Acero P

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Food selection by fishes is an important piece of information for modeling food webs in aquatic ecosystem. Monthly collections were made over a twenty-four hour period between October 1995 and June 1996 to examine the feeding selectivity of the zabaleta anchovy (Anchovia clupeoides) in the coastal lagoon Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta, NE Colombia. A total of 4,389 specimens were collected, and the abundances and weights of the stomach food items were compared with similar measures calculated from samples obtained in nearby habitats. Our results indicate that the zabaleta anchovy is planktophagous, actively selecting copepods and detritus throughout …

Diet Of Tripletail, Lobotes Surinamensis, From Mississippi Coastal Waters, James S. Franks, Katherine E. Vanderkooy, Nikola M. Garber

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The diet of tripletail, Lobotes surinamensis, collected from the Mississippi Sound and Mississippi's offshore waters of the Gulf of Mexico between April and September 1995-1997, was investigated through analysis of stomach contents. Of 178 tripletail stomachs examined, 136 (76%) contained prey items, and 42 (24%) were empty. Tripletail with prey in their stomachs ranged from 183 to 787 mm total length (mean 522.6 mm) and 0.14 to 10.5 kg total weight (mean 3.64 kg). The diet consisted of 32 different prey types and was comprised of shrimp, crabs, and teleost fishes which were represented by about equal number and …

The Biology Of Wahoo (Acanthocybium Solandri) In The Western Central Atlantic, Hazel A. Oxenford, Peter A. Murray, Brian E. Luckhurst

Gulf and Caribbean Research

This contribution summarizes aspects of the biology of the wahoo, Acanthocybium solandri (Scombridae), that are pertinent to assessment and management of this species in the western central Atlantic (WCA). In this region wahoo is a target species for both commercial and recreational fisheries, and annual landings appear to have increased steadily over the last 30 years to in excess of 2000 mt. Wahoo is believed to be migratory, but little is known of the migration patterns. Significant seasonal variation in catches within the region indicates that it is seasonally abundant in most locations. Periods of peak abundance occur from the …

Using A Modified Purse Seine To Collect And Monitor Estuarine Fishes, Michael R. Wessel, Brent L. Winner

Gulf and Caribbean Research

We developed a modified purse seine to sample shallow water estuarine habitats and evaluated the efficacy of using this gear as a tool for monitoring estuarine fish populations in Tampa Bay, Florida. The purse seine (183-m long, 5.2 m deep and 50-mm stretch mesh nylon throughout) was easily deployed and retrieved by a 7 m flat-bottomed, bow-driven boat with a hydraulic wench and aluminum pursing davit. Retention rates of pinfish (Lagodon rhomboides) marked and released into 35 net sets averaged 49% (range 9-100%). Retention rates were not significantly influenced by sets over vegetated and unvegetated bottom types, various …

The Extent And Spatial Scale Of Connectivity Among Reef Fish Populations: Implications For Marine Protected Areas Designated For Fisheries Enhancement, Peter F. Sale, Stuart A. Ludsin

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Enthusiasm for the use of no-take marine protected areas (MPAs) as management tools for the protection and enhancement of coral reef fishes is widespread. However, evidence that such marine reserves actually enhance fishery yields is limited, primarily because of difficulties in quantifying the exchange of individuals—especially larvae—between local populations within and outside the protected area. Knowledge of the extent and spatial scale of this connectivity is of vital importance for the effective design and implementation of marine reserves intended as fishery management tools. We review our current understanding of connectivity among coral reef populations, including the role of important determining …

Effects Of Epiphyte Load On Optical Properties And Photosynthetic Potential Of The Seagrasses Thalassia Testudinum Banks Ex König And Zostera Marina L, Lisa A. Drake, Fred C. Dobbs, Richard C. Zimmerman

OES Faculty Publications

The biomass and optical properties of seagrass leaf epiphytes were measured to evaluate their potential impact on the photosynthetic performance of the seagrasses Thalassia testudinum Banks ex König (turtlegrass) and Zostera marina L. (eelgrass). Turtlegrass was obtained from oligotrophic waters near Lee Stocking Island, Bahamas; eelgrass was collected from a eutrophic environment in Monterey Bay, California. Leaf–epiphyte loads were characterized visually and quantified using measurements of their phospholipid biomass. Light absorption and reflectance of the intact epiphyte layer were determined spectrophotometrically. Turtlegrass epiphytes from the oligotrophic site absorbed a maximum of 36% of incident light in peak chlorophyll absorption …

Extracellular Enzyme Activity And Uptake Of Carbon And Nitrogen Along An Estuarine Salinity And Nutrient Gradient, Margaret R. Mulholland, Cindy Lee, Patricia M. Gilbert

OES Faculty Publications

Amino acid oxidation (AAO) and peptide hydrolysis (PH) are processes affecting the recycling of organic material and nutrients. We compared extracellular AAO and PH rates to C and N uptake rates along estuarine gradients of salinity, nutrients and productivity in the Pocomoke River, a subestuary of the Chesapeake Bay. This estuary is seasonally depleted in inorganic N, and rich in dissolved organic material (DOM) throughout the year. AAO, PH, and N uptake rates measured in 1999 and 2000 were not limited to particular size fractions measured, or to auto- or heterotrophic groups of organisms. At a station near the turbidity …

The Role Of Physical, Chemical, And Microbial Heterogeneity On The Field-Scale Transport And Attachment Of Bacteria, Brian J. Mailloux, Mark E. Fuller, Tullis C. Onstott, James Hall, Hailiang Dong, Mary F. Deflaun, Sheryl H. Streger, Randi K. Rothmel, Maria Green, Donald J. P. Swift, Jon Radke

OES Faculty Publications

A field-scale bacterial transport experiment was conducted at the Narrow Channel Focus Area of the South Oyster field site located in Oyster, Virginia. The goal of the field experiment was to determine the relative influence of subsurface heterogeneity and microbial population parameters on flow direction, velocity, and attachment of bacteria at the field scale. The field results were compared with results from laboratory-scale column experiments to develop a method for predicting field-scale bacterial transport. The field site is a shallow, sandy, unconfined, aerobic aquifer that has been characterized by geophysical, sedimentological, and hydrogeological methods. Comamonas sp. strain DA001 and a …

Demographic Assessment Of The Blue Crab (Callinectes Sapidus) In Chesapeake Bay Using Extractable Lipofuscins As Age Markers, Se-Jong Ju, David H. Secor, H. Rodger Harvey

OES Faculty Publications

The blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) plays an important economic and ecological role in estuaries and coastal habitats from the Gulf of Mexico to the east coast of North America, but demographic assessments are limited by length-based methods. We applied an alternative aging method using biochemical measures of metabolic byproducts (lipofuscins) sequestered in the neural tissue of eyestalks to examine population age structure. From Chesapeake Bay, subsamples of animals collected from the 1998-99 (n-769) and 1999-2000 (n=367) winter dredge surveys were collected and lipofuscin was measured. Modal analysis of the lipofuscin index provided separation into three modes, whereas carapace-width …

Shellfish Population And Bed Dimension Assessment In The Great Bay Estuary, Brian Smith

PREP Reports & Publications

This final report details a study funded by the NHEP over the course of 2001-02. The NHF&G Department was funded to delineate oyster bed size and density, monitor oyster disease, and examine the density of clam concentrations in the Great Bay Estuary.

Community Conservation Assistance, Frank Mitchell

PREP Reports & Publications

The Community Conservation Assistance Project had the following goal and objectives: Goal: Sustain and protect open space lands identified by communities and land trusts as critical to water quality and biodiversity through voluntary land conservation. Objectives: 1. With the SPNHF and other partners, establish a seacoast office for the Center for Land Conservation Assistance. 2. Provide education to various audiences in the seacoast region. 3. Create a library of relevant materials 4. Develop and compile publications 5. Establish with the SPNHF and other partners and participate in the first annual NH Land Conservation Conference 6. Evaluate program effectiveness 7. Coordinate …

Environmental Indicator Report: Water Quality, Phil Trowbridge

PREP Reports & Publications

During the fall and winter of 2001-2002, the New Hampshire Estuaries Project’s Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) developed a suite of environmental indicators to track progress toward the NHEP’s management goals and objectives. These indicators were fully described in terms of their performance criteria, statistical methods, and measurable goals in the NHEP’s Monitoring Plan published in May 2002. The next step is to use these indicators to produce an updated “State of the Estuaries” report by the spring of 2003. The TAC decided to break this task into three sections: shellfish indicators in the fall of 2002; water quality indicators in …