Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Commons^™

Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta Caretta) Hatchling Disorientation In Broward County, Florida, Allison Durland Donahou

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Hatchling disorientation after emergence is a major factor impacting sea turtle populations. This study utilized data from over 1,200 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Marine Turtle Disorientation Report forms from years 2006 to 2011 to assess changes in the severity and locations of disorientation events and the impact of municipal beach lighting ordinances. While the FWC forms were completed for all sea turtle species observed, this study focused only on loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta). A Disorientation Severity Index (DSI) was derived from the number of hatchlings and the direction of their tracks leaving the nests …

Environmental Variability And Biodiversity Of Megabenthos On The Hebrides Terrace Seamount (Northeast Atlantic), Lea-Anne Henry, Johanne Vad, Helen S. Findlay, Javier Murillo, Rosanna Milligan, J. Murray Roberts

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

We present the first remotely operated vehicle investigation of megabenthic communities (1004–1695 m water depth) on the Hebrides Terrace Seamount (Northeast Atlantic). Conductivity-temperature-depth casts showed rapid light attenuation below the summit and an oceanographic regime on the flanks consistent with an internal tide, and high short-term variability in water temperature, salinity, light attenuation, aragonite and oxygen down to 1500 m deep. Minor changes in species composition (3–14%) were explained by changes in depth, substratum and oceanographic stability, whereas environmental variability explained substantially more variation in species richness (40–56%). Two peaks in species richness occurred, the first at 1300–1400 m where …

Eyes In The Sky: Linking Satellite Oceanography And Biotelemetry To Explore Habitat Selection By Basking Sharks, Tobey H. Curtis, Stephan I. Zeeman, Erin L. Summers, Steven X. Cadrin, Gregory B. Skomal

Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Satellite-based oceanographic data products are a valuable source of information on potential resource availability for marine species. Satellite oceanography data may be particularly useful in biotelemetry studies on marine species that feed at low trophic levels, such as zooplanktivorous whales, sharks, and rays. The basking shark, Cetorhinus maximus, is a well-documented zooplanktivore in the western North Atlantic, yet little is known of its movements and spatial ecology in this region. A combination of satellite tag technologies were used to describe basking shark movements with respect to concurrent satellite-observed oceanographic conditions in order to test for selection of these …

Biophysical Interactions In The Straits Of Florida: Turbulent Mixing Due To Diel Vertical Migrations Of Zooplankton, Cayla Whitney Dean

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Diel vertical migrations (DVM) comprise the largest animal migration on the planet and are a phenomenon present in all bodies of water on Earth. A strong sound scattering layer undergoing DVM was observed in the Straits of Florida via a bottom-mounted Acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) Workhorse Longranger 75 kHz (Teledyne RD Instruments) located at the 244 m isobath. ADCP average backscatter showed a clear periodicity corresponding with sunrise and sunset times indicating the presence of a nocturnal DVM. Analysis of the ADCP backscatter data indicated zooplankton swimming velocities were faster during sunrise than sunset times. In several cases the …

Socioeconomics Of The Lionfish Derby Fishery, Kristina Ann Trotta

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Throughout the western North Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico, invasive Indo-Pacific lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles) have established dense populations, greatly impacting their host environments. Lionfish tournaments have been an important tool for resource managers and other concerned stakeholders in suppressing local populations of lionfish. Tournaments can also bring economic benefits to the communities where they are held, despite this not being the primary purpose.

Five derby events in Florida and the Bahamas were surveyed and 119 participants were interviewed on site, using a survey asking them to describe (1) the lionfish derby experience; (2) non-derby related lionfish …

A Review Of Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops Truncatus) Vocalizations And An Investigation Into The Existence Of Signature Whistles In A Captive Dolphin Population, Gillian Reily

HCNSO Student Capstones

Individual recognition of conspecifics is important for various reasons in both terrestrial and marine dwelling species and is carried out through a variety of modes including visual, chemical and auditory cues. The ability to recognize individuals acoustically is often carried out through the use of signature vocalizations. The production and use of signature whistles within bottlenose dolphins has been extensively tested since their existence was first suggested almost 50 years ago. From the research, two primary hypotheses have emerged: the signature whistle hypothesis and the whistle repertoire hypothesis. This work discusses the various acoustical means of individual recognition found within …

Global Population Structure Of The Dusky Shark And Geographic Sourcing Of Shark Fins From Commercial Markets, Teagen K. Gray

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The dusky shark, Carcharinus obscurus, is a globally distributed, coastal-pelagic species subject to an apparent high level of exploitation. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists this species as “Vulnerable” globally, and “Endangered” within western North Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico waters due to an over 80% decline in this region, with no evidence of population recovery. The extensive exploitation of dusky sharks may partly be attributed to the high market value of its fins, but the contribution of individual dusky shark stocks to the fin markets is unknown. This knowledge would be helpful to detect …

The Saco River Plume: A Discussion Of The Near-Field Dynamics, Barbara A. Fortier

All Theses And Dissertations

This study focused on the freshwater discharge plume from the Saco River in southwestern Maine to determine the mechanisms responsible for the largest impacts on the near-field dynamics in this region. We examined the forcing factors that tended to increase the plume's spatial extent upshelf of the river mouth. Salinity, temperature, and density data were collected during cruises from May through November 2010 and by two surface moorings deployed upshelf of the Saco River mouth. We found a distinct variation in the latitude of the upshelf boundary of the plume during and after periods of high discharge. Furthermore, we found …

A Comprehensive Evaluation Of C25 Highly Branched Isoprenoid Alkenes Of Marine Diatoms As Proxies For Sea Ice Extent In The Arctic Ocean, Tetiana Muniak

OES Theses and Dissertations

Sea Ice extent is one of the major factors regulating carbon cycling and ecosystem function in the modern Arctic Ocean. It is an essential component of climate models and is crucial for the evaluation of various oceanographic processes that influence a particular region. Yet it is also one of the most difficult attributes of the ocean with respect to our ability for its accurate reconstruction from paleo records. The lack of the detailed records prior to satellite information has encouraged the development of new proxy records for the reconstruction of past

sea ice conditions. In recent years, a new monounsaturated …

Spatial And Temporal Variability In Net Community Metabolism In The Middle Atlantic Bight, Georges Bank, And Gulf Of Maine: Observations Of Net Heterotrophic Phases In The Highly Productive Coastal Zone, Cory James Staryk

OES Theses and Dissertations

Net community metabolism (NCM), the balance between primary production and community respiration, was measured during two cruises, June 2011 and August 2012, in the Middle Atlantic Bight, Georges Bank and Gulf of Maine. Net heterotrophy was observed in Georges Bank and Gulf of Maine during the June 2011 cruise. During the August 2012 cruise, net heterotrophy was observed in the Middle Atlantic Bight and net autotrophy was observed in Georges Bank and the Gulf of Maine. Dark community respiration increased (DCR) with biomass and temperature. Gross community production (GCP) also increased with Chl a, bicarbonate uptake, and temperature. Net …

Coral Reef Conservation Program (Crcp) Local Action Strategy (Las) Project 3b “Southeast Florida Coral Reef Fishery-Independent Baseline Assessment” – 2012-2013 Interim Report, Kirk Kilfoyle, Brian K. Walker, Steven G. Smith, Richard E. Spieler

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

Reef fishes are important biologic, ecologic, and economic resources of the marine ecosystem which must be managed for sustainability. Until recently there was no long-term monitoring program in place to assess the condition of fish resources of the northern Florida Reef Tract (FRT) (northern Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and Martin counties). An assessment/monitoring plan for the northern Florida reef tract was designed through a joint cooperative effort by scientists at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, NOAA-Southeast Fisheries Science Center and Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center (NSUOC). This report is a synoptic compilation of the …

Southeast Florida Shallow-Water Habitat Mapping & Coral Reef Community Characterization, Brian K. Walker, Katelyn Klug

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

Baseline mapping and quantitative assessment data are required prior to future permitted or un-permitted impacts in order to determine the pre-existing state of the benthic resources; therefore, it is imperative that these data be collected on the ecologically sensitive and economically valuable shallow-water coral reef habitats in southeast Florida. In southeast Florida, the nearshore reef habitats are most vulnerable to coastal construction activities and other anthropogenic impacts, therefore these habitats were the focus for this study. The study goals were to provide a spatially appropriate map of increased resolution and a regional quantitative characterization of nearshore benthic resources to evaluate …

The Air-Sea Interface And Surface Stress Under Tropical Cyclones, Alexander Soloviev, Roger Lukas, Mark A. Donelan, Brian K. Haus, Isaac Ginis

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Tropical cyclone track prediction is steadily improving, while storm intensity prediction has seen little progress in the last quarter century. Important physics are not yet well understood and implemented in tropical cyclone forecast models. Missing and unresolved physics, especially at the air-sea interface, are among the factors limiting storm predictions. In a laboratory experiment and coordinated numerical simulation, conducted in this work, the microstructure of the air-water interface under hurricane force wind resembled Kelvin-Helmholtz shear instability between fluids with a large density difference. Supported by these observations, we bring forth the concept that the resulting two-phase environment suppresses short gravity-capillary …

Fine-Scale Features On The Sea Surface In Sar Satellite Imagery - Part 2: Numerical Modeling, Silvia Matt, A. Fujimura, Alexander Soloviev, S. H. Rhee, R. Romeiser

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

With the advent of the new generation of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites, it has become possible to resolve fine-scale features on the sea surface on the scale of meters. The proper identification of sea surface signatures in SAR imagery can be challenging, since some features may be due to atmospheric distortions (gravity waves, squall lines) or anthropogenic influences (slicks), and may not be related to dynamic processes in the upper ocean. In order to improve our understanding of the nature of fine-scale features on the sea surface and their signature in SAR, we have conducted high-resolution numerical simulations combining …

Book Review - Abominable Science!: Origins Of The Yeti, Nessie, And Other Famous Cryptids, J. Matthew Hoch

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

No abstract provided.

Harvest Incentives: A Tool For Managing Aquatic Invasive Species, Bob Wiltshire, Nathan Stone, Marshall Meyers, Bill Hyatt, Lori Williams, Jason Goldberg, Susan Pasko, Leah Elwell

National Invasive Species Council

Conclusion

The success of any harvest incentive program to address aquatic invasive species will depend upon numerous biological, socioeconomic, and legal considerations. Programs that encourage harvest may be a successful management tool in targeting small, distinct populations; in high priority areas within a larger invasion; or they may play a supplementary role within larger control programs. Their use, however, will require careful review, planning, and monitoring to ensure success and that they do not unintentionally lead to further spread of invasive species, cause additional harm to native species, or waste valuable resources.

Marine Viral Diversity And Spatiotemporal Variability, Dawn Goldsmith

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Marine viruses are the most numerous biological entities in the ocean, with an estimated abundance of 4 x 10³⁰. They merit study not only because of their sheer abundance, but also because of the role they play in the Earth's biogeochemical cycles. Viral lysis of bacteria redirects the flow of nutrients among marine microbes, which ultimately affects the efficiency of the biological pump. Viral diversity is important because most viruses are host-specific. In preying on a certain type of bacteria, viruses affect the diversity and structure of the bacterial community, leading to changes in carbon and nutrient flows. …

Inter-And Intra-Population Variability Across The Transcriptome Of Lake Baikal’S Endemic Copepod With Ramifications For Adapting To Climate Change, Larry L. Bowman Jr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The future of Lake Baikal’s biodiversity is uncertain in response to climate change. Unlike its diverse benthos, Lake Baikal’s zooplankton is species poor, with up to 96% of its biomass being composed of a single Calanoid copepod species, Epischura baikalensis. This study characterizes the genetic differentiation and differential gene expression of E. baikalensis. Using partial-transcriptome sequences obtained by 454 Rosche and Illumina sequencing technologies, the genetic differentiation at inferred single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sites and differential gene expression in populations sampled from various parts of the lake were analyzed. The functional genomics of genes showed significant differential …

Behavioral Criteria For The Diagnosis Of Domoic Acid Toxicosis In Zalophus Californianus, Christiana Wittmaack

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Introduction

California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) health is severely compromised by domoic acid toxicosis, which occurs in high levels during harmful algal blooms of Pseudonitzschia australis along the coast of California. Current diagnostic protocols are often inconclusive due to a 2-48 hour window of detectability within the urinary, circulatory, and gastric systems (Cook, et al. 2011 and Monte, Pers Comm, 2012). Past studies suggest that Z. californianus, with domoic acid toxicosis, commonly display abnormal behaviors (Goldstein, et al. 2008). However, many of these abnormal behaviors are also associated with other diagnoses and are therefore unreliable as diagnostic indicators. …

Body Size And Species Richness Changes In Glyptosaurinae (Squamata: Anguidae) Through Climatic Transitions Of The North American Cenozoic, Sara Elshafie

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Poikilothermic vertebrates offer excellent climate proxies based on relationships between environment and measurable variables such as body size and species richness. Relationships of these variables in lizards to environmental transitions over long time scales are poorly understood. Here I show that patterns of body size and species richness in a lizard clade, Glyptosaurinae (Squamata: Anguidae), correspond to known histories of paleotemperatures through the Cenozoic of North America. Glyptosaurines have the richest fossil record among North American Cenozoic lizards and exhibit a wide range of skull sizes. In order to estimate body size for glyptosaurines and other fossil anguids, I collected …

Seasonal Variability As A Source Of Uncertainty In The West Siberian Regional Ch4 Flux Upscaling, A. F. Sabrekov, Benjamin R. K. Runkle, M. V. Glagolev, I E. Kleptsova, S. S. Maksyutov

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study compares seasonal and spatial variations in methane fluxes as sources of uncertainty in regional CH4 flux upscaling from the wetlands of West Siberia. The study examined variability in summertime CH4 emissions from boreal peatlands, with a focus on two subtaiga fen sites in the southern part of West Siberia (Novosibirskaya oblast). We measured CH4 flux, water table depth, air and peat temperature, pH and electric conductivity of peat water during three field campaigns in summer 2011 (9–12 July, 26–28 July and 20–21 August). Fluxes were measured with static chambers at sites chosen to represent two of the most …

Overview Of The Integrated Pest Management (Ipm) Terrain And Activities In Furtherance Of The Walmart Initiative To Purchase Fresh Vegetables From Local Growers In Alabama, Franklin Quarcoo, Conrad Bonsi

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Tuskegee University has been providing various types of technical expertise to limited resource farmers who have been supplying Walmart with collard greens, watermelons and purple hull peas. A number of pests bedevil the cultivation of these crops; cost-effective management methods for these pests are needed. The objectives of this paper are to document the IPM activities associated with supplying produce to Walmart; summarize pest problems encountered on the afore-stated crops; recommend IPM methods suitable for limited resource farmers; and suggest other activities that ensure that farmers incur even less pest-related crop losses. Anthracnose was the major pest encountered on watermelons. …

The Surface Energy Balance And Its Drivers In A Boreal Peatland Fen Of Northwestern Russia, Benjamin R. K. Runkle, Christian Wille, Michal Gazovic, M. Wilmking, L. Kutzbach

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Boreal peatland energy balances using the eddy covariance technique have previously been made in Alaska, Canada, Scandinavia, and Western Siberia, but not in the European portion of the Russian Federation. European Russia contains approximately 200,000 km2 of peatlands and has a boreal (subarctic), continental climate influencing the region’s energy balance. To help fill this research gap, the surface energy balance was determined for a boreal peatland fen in the Komi Republic of Russia for an 11-month period in 2008–2009 using the eddy covariance method. The total measurement period’s cumulative energy balance closure rate was 86%, with higher closure during the …

Ecology Of The Oceanic Rim: Pelagic Eels As Key Ecosystem Components, Jennifer N. Feagans-Bartow, Tracey Sutton

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Although 92% of the total volume of the world’s oceans occurs below a depth of 200 m, our understanding of deep-sea food webs lags far behind that of continental shelves. In particular, little is known about the exchange of biomass at the interface of continental margins and deep-sea ecosystems. Recent studies suggest that the transport of organic matter from continental shelves may influence deep-sea ecosystems more than previously thought. Here, we present results of a pelagic nekton survey along the southern slope of Georges Bank, NW Atlantic, a transition area between coastal and deep-sea environments. Specimens were collected as part …

Intraspecific Variation In Vertical Habitat Use By Tiger Sharks (Galeocerdo Cuvier) In The Western North Atlantic, Jeremy J. Vaudo, Bradley M. Wetherbee, Guy Harvey, Richard S. Nemeth, Choy Aming, Lucy A. Howey-Jordan, Mahmood S. Shivji

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) are a wide ranging, potentially keystone predator species that display a variety of horizontal movement patterns, making use of coastal and pelagic waters. Far less, however, is known about their vertical movements and use of the water column. We used pop-up satellite archival tags with two data sampling rates (high rate and standard rate tags) to investigate the vertical habitat use and diving behavior of tiger sharks tagged on the Puerto Rico–Virgin Islands platform and off Bermuda between 2008 and 2009. Useable data were received from nine of 14 sharks tagged, tracked over a …

Issue Brief: Asset Management For Stormwater, New England Environmental Finance Center, Sustainable Communities Learning Network

Sustainable Communities Capacity Building

Asset management is a strategic approach to maintaining and sustaining infrastructure in order to meet the needs of the community at the lowest overall life cycle cost. This approach helps communities know how and where to prioritize limited funds in order to achieve the greatest benefit. Often applied to drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, this method is well suited to managing any assets, including stormwater systems.

This issue brief is intended to introduce local governments to the asset management process and to show how it can be applied in managing stormwater assets. It was adapted from an appendix written by …

Salinity Risk Mapping For Assessing Carbon Farming Initiative Proposals: Decision Support And Data Requirements, Paul Raper, Peter Gardiner

Resource management technical reports

The Clean Energy Legislation passed by the Australian Parliament on 8 November 2011 links the carbon price to the Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI). Under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Act 2011 (the Act), proponents need to consider regional natural resource management (NRM) plans to ensure that tree plantings for carbon bio-sequestration maximise environmental benefits and avoid unintended adverse effects on biodiversity, water and agricultural production systems.

Historical Reconstruction Of Population Density Of The Echinoid Diadema Antillarum On Florida Keys Shallow Bank-Barrier Reefs, Donald L. Kissling, William F. Precht, Steven Miller, Mark Chiappone

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

The 1983–1984 caribbean-wide mass mortality of the once ubiquitous long-spined sea urchin Diadema antillarum Philippi, 1845, is one of several factors considered responsible for coral reef change throughout the region. Unfortunately, there is a paucity of pre-mortality event density data for D. antillarum in the Florida Keys, making it difficult to determine pre-1983 population density levels. results from surveys conducted during 1970–1973 in the lower Florida Keys, in shallow (<12 m) fore reef habitats, yielded relatively abundant and widespread D. antillarum densities in qualitative transects at five reefs prior to the 1983–1984 die-off. In quantitative surveys at one reef, Middle sambo reef in 1972, up to 7.9 individuals m …

Effects Of Urban Stream Burial On Organic Matter Dynamics And Reach Scale Nitrate Retention, Jake J. Beaulieu, Paul M. Mayer, Sujay S. Kaushal, Michael J. Pennino, Clay P. Arango, David A. Balz, Timothy J. Canfield, Colleen M. Elonen, Ken M. Fritz, Brian H. Hill, Hodon Ryu, Jorge W. Santo Domingo

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Nitrogen (N) retention in streams is an important ecosystem service that may be affected by the widespread burial of streams in stormwater pipes in urban watersheds. We predicted that stream burial suppresses the capacity of streams to retain nitrate (NO₃ ⁻) by eliminating primary production, reducing respiration rates and organic matter availability, and increasing specific discharge. We tested these predictions by measuring whole-stream NO₃ ⁻ removal rates using ¹⁵NO₃ ⁻ isotope tracer releases in paired buried and open reaches in three streams in Cincinnati, Ohio (USA) during four seasons. Nitrate uptake lengths were 29 times …

Growth And Nitrogen Uptake Kinetics In Cultured Procentrum Donghaiense, Zhangxi Hu, Shunshan Duan, Margaret R. Mulholland

OES Faculty Publications

We compared growth kinetics of Prorocentrum donghaiense cultures on different nitrogen (N) compounds including nitrate, ammonium urea, glutamic acid, dialanine, and cynate. P. donghaiense exhibited standard Monod-type growth kinetics over a range of nitrogen concentrations for all N. Compounds tested. Cultures grown on glu and urea had the highest maximum growth rates. However, cultures grown on cyanate had lower half saturation constants. Nitrogen uptake kinetics were measured in nitrate-deplete and replete batch cultures of P. donghaiense. In nitrate-deplete batch cultures, P. donghaiense exhibited Michaelis-Menten type uptake kinetics for nitrate, ammonium, urea and algal amino acids; uptake was saturated at …