Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Sailfish (Istiophorus Platypterus) Habitat Utilization In The Southern Gulf Of Mexico And Florida Straits With Implications On Vulnerability To Shallow-Set Pelagic Longline Gear, David W. Kerstetter, Shannon Michael Bayse, John E. Graves

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

A total of 19 pop-up satellite archival tags (PSATs) were deployed on sailfish in the southern Gulf of Mexico between 2005 and 2007 aboard a commercial pelagic longline vessel (n = 18) and a recreational rod-and-reel vessel (n = 1). All PSATs were programmed to collect pressure (depth), temperature, and light-level data for 10 days at approximately 90-second intervals. These point-level data were not summarized prior to transmission, allowing the reconstruction of vertical movement patterns. Three tags suggested mortality events and were excluded from subsequent analyses. We present the preliminary data analyses from the remaining 16 PSATs. Sailfish are primarily …

Marine Resources Of The Falklands' Shallow Marine Environment, Karen L. Neely, Paul Brickle, Vladimir Laptikhovsky

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

Spatial Distribution Of Petroleum Hydrocarbons In Sediment Cores From Blind Pass, St. Pete Beach, Florida, Charles M. Featherstone, John Proni, Thomas P. Carsey, Cheryl J. Brown, Madeleine M. Adler, Patricia Blackwelder, Husain Alsayegh, Teresa A. Hood, Christina Piela, Donald S. Mccorquodale Jr.

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

One hundred and one sediment cores were collected to characterize the spatial distribution of petroleum hydrocarbons within and just outside Blind Pass, St. Pete Beach, Florida. Twenty-five percent of the cores exhibited levels of petroleum hydrocarbons above detection limits of the gas chromatograph/flame ionization detector (GC/FID) (0.01 mg/Kg), but at generally low concentrations. Petroleum hydrocarbon speciation studies of these samples (gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy [GC/MS]) indicate above-detection level (1 μg/Kg) petroleum hydrocarbons are similar to the non-volatile petroleum hydrocarbons found in a Bouchard 155 reference sample collected after the 1993 oil spill in the area, but are in a much degraded …

Southeast Florida Coral Reef Evaluation And Monitoring Project 2008 Year 6 Final Report, David S. Gilliam

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

Critical Review Of The Literature On Marine Mammal Population Modelling, Edward O. Keith

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

A comprehensive literature review and modeling effort have been conducted in order to determine which vital rates are most important to determining the growth and sustainability of marine mammal populations. Also addressed are the impacts of life-history, ecological, and genetic variation on vital rates and population sustainability and how much each vital parameter can change before a change in population trend would be expected. Additionally, the influence of ecological energetics and foraging strategies on vital rates and their limits of sustainable change are examined, and the nature of how an increase in sound in the marine environment might influence marine …

Southeast Florida Coral Reef Evaluation And Monitoring Project 2007 Year 5 Final Report, Jennifer Wheaton, Michael Callahan, Jeff Beal, Chantal Collier, Laura Herren, Jamie Monty, Joanna Walczak, David S. Gilliam, Vanessa I. P. Brinkhuis, Allison S. Brownlee, Daniel P. Fahy, Shaun M. Gill, Elizabeth Goergen, Jenna R. Lueg, Lindsey Habakuk Klink, M. A. Philips, Nicole R. Stephens, Adam T. St. Gelais, Brian K. Walker, Richard E. Dodge, Tim Mcintosh, Steven Blair, Kenneth Banks, Louis E. Fisher, David Stout, Joe Ligas, Janet Phipps

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

The State Of Coral Reef Ecosystems Of Southeast Florida, Chantal Collier, Rob Ruzicka, Kenneth Banks, Luiz Barbieri, Jeff Beal, David Bingham, James A. Bohnsack, Sandra Brooke, Nancy Craig, Richard E. Dodge (Editor), Louis E. Fisher, Nick Gadbois, David S. Gilliam, Lisa Gregg, Todd Kellison, Vladimir N. Kosmynin, Brian Lapointe, Erin Mcdevitt, Janet Phipps, Nikki Poulos, John Proni, Patrick Quinn, Bernhard Riegl, Richard E. Spieler, Joanna Walczak, Brian K. Walker, Denise Warrick

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

The State Of Coral Reef Ecosystems Of Southeast Florida, Chantal Collier, Rob Ruzicka, Ken Banks, Luiz Barbieri, Jeff Beal, David Bingham, James Bohnsack, Sandra Brooke, Nancy Craig, Richard E. Dodge, Lou Fisher, Nick Gadbois, David S. Gilliam, Lisa Gregg, Todd Kellison, Vladimir Kosmynin, Brian Lapointe, Erin Mcdevitt, Janet Phipps, Nikki Poulos, John Proni, Patrick Quinn, Bernhard Riegl, Richard E. Spieler, Joanna Walczak, Brian K. Walker, Denise Warrick

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

The northern extension of the Florida reef tract and a complex of limestone ridges run parallel to the subtropical Atlantic coastline of southeast Florida. Spanning 170 km from the northern border of Biscayne National Park (BNP) in Miami-Dade County to the St. Lucie Inlet in Martin County, the reefs and hardbottom areas in this region support a rich and diverse biological community (Figure 5.1). Nearshore reef habitats in southeast Florida include hardbottom areas, patch reefs and worm reefs (Phragmatopoma spp.) exhibiting abundant octocoral, macroalgae, stony coral and sponge assemblages. Offshore, coral reef associated biotic assemblages occur on linear Holocene Acropora …

Rapid Response And Restoration For Coral Reef Injuries In Southeast Florida: Guidelines And Recommendations, Chantal Collier, Richard E. Dodge, David S. Gilliam, Kelly Gracie, Lisa Gregg, Walter Jaap, Mike Mastry, Nikki Poulos

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

From the time an injury to coral reef resources is reported, a well-coordinated and implemented plan is critical to the success of response and restoration efforts. There are three major plan components, each of which is equally important: (1) the Initial Response period immediately following notification of the incident; (2) the Response period, during which the Responsible Party (RP) is identified, the Trustees and RP carry out their respective responsibilities, a Primary Restoration plan is developed, authorizations and contractors to conduct restoration activities are sought and obtained, and primary restoration activities are conducted; and (3) the Post-Response period, which is …

Southeast Florida Coral Reef Evaluation And Monitoring Project 2006 Year 4 Final Report, Jennifer Wheaton, Carl Beaver, Sandra Brooks, Michael Callahan, Shannon Wade, Jeff Beal, Chantal Collier, Laura Herren, Jamie Monty, David S. Gilliam, Vanessa I. P. Brinkhuis, Daniel P. Fahy, Shaun M. Gill, Lindsey Habakuk Klink, M. A. Philips, Nicole R. Stephens, Brian K. Walker, Joanna C. Walczak, Richard E. Dodge, Tim Mcintosh, Steven Blair, Kenneth Banks, Louis E. Fisher, David Stout, Joe Ligas, Janet Phipps

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

Development Of Gis Maps For Southeast Florida Coral Reefs, Bernhard Riegl, Brian K. Walker, Greg Foster, Kristy Foster

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

The present report outlines the results of an integrated mapping project undertaken to provide habitat maps of the shallow Palm Beach County seafloor between the 6m and 35m contours. This study is a continuation of a similar mapping study undertaken in Broward County, and results were produced such that a seamless and fully compatible mapping product is now available for both counties. The study area stretched from 26.4429o (E. Linton Blvd) in the south to 26.9590o (Jupiter Inlet) in the north. Compatibility with other, in particular NOAA, mapping products was also assured. Data types used in this mapping effort included …

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 …

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 …

Some Preservation Techniques For (Deep Water) Coral Samples For Subsequent Molecular Studies: A Special Supplement From Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Jose V. Lopez

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

Around the time that the thirteen original Atlantic colonies were fighting for independence from Britain, there existed little agreement among naturalists as to the nature of corals. Were they inanimate (stones), plants, animals, or intermediate between the latter two (zoophytes)? This diversity of definition and opinions undoubtedly produced considerable confusion and disagreement among naturalists interested in such things. The symbiotic nature of algal cells in the tissues of some corals was also not well understood. It was not until the Darwinian period in the nineteenth century that little doubt remained, and therefore it was generally agreed, that corals were actually …

Southeast Florida Coral Reef Evaluation And Monitoring Project 2005 Year 3 Final Report, Jennifer Wheaton, Carl Beaver, Walter Jaap, Michael Callahan, Selena Kupfner, Shannon Wade, David S. Gilliam, B. D. Ettinger, Daniel P. Fahy, Shaun M. Gill, Lindsey Habakuk Klink, Jamie A. Monty, M. A. Philips, Lauren F. Shuman, Nicole R. Stephens, Brian K. Walker, Joanna C. Walczak, Richard E. Dodge, Tim Mcintosh, Steven Blair, Kenneth Banks, Louis E. Fisher, David Stout, Joe Ligas, Janet Phipps

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

A Fish Habitat Classification Model For The Upper And Middle Sections Of The Bay Of Quinte, Lake Ontario, C. K. Minns, Andrea Bernard, C. N. Bakelaar, M. Ewaschuk

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

A fish habitat classification model was developed and applied to the upper and middle sections of the Bay of Quinte, Lake Ontario. Available habitat inventories were assembled in a GIS database, bringing bathymetric, shoreline, substrate, and vegetation data together in a series of layers. The classification model was developed in four steps. In the first step, the Defensible Methods (DM) model developed by Minns et al. (2000) was used to estimate suitability values in all habitat patches for a set of nine fish groups each with three life stages. The fish groups were formed from the assemblage of fish species …

Sponges Of Navassa, Janie L. Wulff, Timothy D. Swain

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

This photographic guide was compiled from data collected during the 2004 NOAA survey of the coral reefs of Navassa and does not represent a comprehensive list of all Porifera in Navassa. Specifically missing are taxa that inhabit caves, overhangs, vertical walls; species that live in the interstices of the reef framework; and species found at depths greater than 50 meters. Specimens were identified by Janie Wulff and Timothy Swain of Florida State University using a combination of digital photography, field observations, and microscopic examination of siliceous spicules. Genera are organized into higher taxa according to Systema Porifera, Hooper & van …

Sea Turtle Conservation Program, Broward County, Fl 2006 Report, Curtis M. Burney, Stefanie Ouellette

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

Since 1978, the Broward County Environmental Protection Department (BCEPD) has provided for the conservation of endangered and threatened sea turtle species within its area of responsibility. Broward County is within the normal nesting areas of three species of sea turtles: the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) and the leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). The loggerhead is listed as a threatened species, while the green and leatherback are listed as endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, 1973, and Chapter 370, F.S.

Since these statutes strictly forbid any disturbance …

Southeast Florida Coral Reef Evaluation And Monitoring Project 2004 Year 2 Final Report, Jennifer Wheaton, Carl Beaver, Walter Jaap, Michael Callahan, Selena Kupfner, Shannon Wade, Jim Kidney, Stopher Slade, Erin Mcdevitt, Eric Ault, Fred Voss, David S. Gilliam, B. D. Ettinger, Daniel P. Fahy, Elizabeth Glynn Fahy, Shaun M. Gill, Jamie A. Monty, Lauren F. Shuman, Brian K. Walker, Richard E. Dodge, Tim Mcintosh, Steven Blair, Kenneth Banks, Louis E. Fisher, David Stout, Joe Ligas, Janet Phipps

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

Development Of An Underwater Infrared Camera To Detect Manatees, Edward O. Keith

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

In calendar year 2004, watercraft related mortality was the second leading cause of death of the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) accounting for 25% of total known manatee deaths. In an attempt to reduce this significant cause of manatee mortality, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute has instituted two rounds of Manatee Avoidance Technology grants. Herein I report the results of an evaluation of the ability of underwater infrared video cameras to detect captive manatees and other non-living targets. If such cameras could detect manatees at sufficient distances, they could be mounted in the bows of watercraft …

The State Of Coral Reef Ecosystems Of Florida, Katherine Andrews (Ed.), Larry Nall (Ed.), Chris Jeffrey (Ed.), Simon Pittman (Ed.), Kenneth Banks, Carl Beaver, James A. Bohnsack, Richard E. Dodge, David S. Gilliam, Walter Jaap, Brian Keller, V. R. Leeworthy, Tom Matthews, Ramon Ruiz-Carus, Deborah Santavy, Richard E. Spieler, Jerald Ault, Gabriel Delgado, Fleur M. Ferro, Carol R. Fretwell, Bill Goodwin, Doug Harper, John Hunt, Margaret Miller, Christy Pattengil-Semmens, Bill Sharp, Steve Smith, Jennifer Wheaton, Dana Williams

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

Sea Turtle Conservation Program, Broward County, Fl 2005 Report, Curtis M. Burney, Stefanie Ouellette

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

Southeast Florida Coral Reef Evaluation And Monitoring Project 2003 Year 1 Final Report, Jennifer Wheaton, Carl Beaver, Walter Jaap, Michael Callahan, Selena Kupfner, Shannon Wade, Jim Kidney, Stopher Slade, Erin Mcdevitt, Eric Ault, Fred Voss, David S. Gilliam, B. D. Ettinger, Daniel P. Fahy, Elizabeth Glynn Fahy, Shaun M. Gill, Jamie A. Monty, Lauren F. Shuman, Brian K. Walker, Richard E. Dodge, Tim Mcintosh, Steven Blair, Kenneth Banks, Louis E. Fisher, David Stout, Joe Ligas, Janet Phipps

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

Development Of Gis Maps For Southeast Florida Coral Reefs, Bernhard Riegl, Brian K. Walker, Ryan P. Moyer, Luz Hernandez-Cruz, Greg Foster, Christy Foster

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

The present report outlines the results of an integrated mapping project undertaken to provide a habitat map of the shallow Broward County seafloor between the 0m and 35m contour. The study area stretched from Golden Beach in northern Dade County to just north of the Palm Beach County line. To produce this map and assure its compatibility with other, in particular NOAA, mapping products, a series of data were integrated. Data types included Laser Airborne Depth Sounder (LADS) bathymetry, multi- and single-beam bathymetry, acoustic seafloor discrimination, ecological assessments, and groundtruthing. The method used for acoustic seafloor discrimination was based on …

Habitat Preferences And Diving Behavior Of White Marlin (Tetrapturus Albidus) Released From The Recreational Rod-And-Reel And Commercial Pelagic Longline Fisheries In The Western North Atlantic Ocean: Implications For Habitat-Based Stock Assessment Models, Andrij Horodysky, David W. Kerstetter, John E. Graves

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

To improve billfish assessments, researchers have applied habitat-based models that incorporate behavioral and oceanographic parameters to standardize historical catch-per-uniteffort time -series data, accounting for significant gear changes over time. However, there has been little behavioral data from Atlantic billfishes to support these models. We provide information on habitat preferences of white marlin released from recreational and commercial fisheries in the western North Atlantic. White marlin were tagged with pop-up satellite archival tags (PSATs) from recreational rod and reel (n=22) and commercial pelagic longline (n=2) fisheries between May-November 2002. Our data indicate that each surviving white marlin spent the majority of …

Sea Turtle Conservation Program, Broward County, Fl 2004 Report, Curtis M. Burney, Stefanie Ouellette

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

Microfauna As Tracers Of Sediment Transport: Ft. Pierce Dredge Spoils Sediment Study, Patricia Blackwelder, Carlos Alvares Zarikian, Terry Hood, Charles M. Featherstone, John Proni, Jules Craynock

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

The State Of Coral Reef Ecosystems Of The United States And Pacific Freely Associated States: 2002, Donna D. Turgeon, Rebecca G. Asch, Billy Causey, Richard E. Dodge, Walter Jaap, Kenneth Banks, Joanne Delaney, Brian Keller, Richard E. Spieler, Cruz A. Matos, Jorge R. Garcia, Ernesto Diaz, Don Catanzaro, Caroline Rogers, Zandy Hillis-Starr, Richard Nemeth, Herman Taylor, Marcia Taylor, George P. Schmahl, Margaret W. Miller, David A. Gulko, James E. Maragos, Alan Friedlander, Cynthia L. Hunter, Russell E. Brainard, Peter Craig, Robert H. Richmond, Gerry W. Davis, John Starmer, Michael Trianni, Peter Houk, Charles E. Birkeland, Ahser Edward, Yimnang Golbuu, Jay Gutierrez, Noah Idechong, James E. Maragos, Gustav Paulay, Andrew Tafileichig, Nancy Vander Velde

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

Called for by the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force’s (USCRTF) National Action Plan to Conserve Coral Reefs, this is the first biennial report on the condition of coral reefs. It is the scientific baseline for subsequent reports on the health of U.S. coral reef ecosystems that are to be used by NOAA and others to evaluate the efficacy of coral reef conservation and management practices. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Ocean Service led the development of this report. It was authored by 38 experts and supported by 79 contributors from government agencies and non-governmental organizations across the nation …

Habitat Standardization Of Cpue Indices: Research Needs, C. Phillip Goodyear, David Die, David W. Kerstetter, Donald Olson, Eric Prince, Gerald P. Scott

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

Habitat standardization for billfish CPUE offers a potentially useful alternative to the statistical procedures used in the past. However, most of the assumptions of the current habitatstandardization methodology remain untested and some are not consistent with current knowledge about the behavior of billfish. This paper outlines research required to ensure the methods for habitat standardization produce robust estimates of CPUE.