Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Commons^™

A Test Of The Area Of Refuge Hypothesis In Indo-Pacific Marine Biogeography, Jonnell C. Sanciangco

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Many hypotheses have been proposed to explain the marine biogeographic patterns of species richness of the Indo-Pacific. One of these hypotheses suggests that available habitat area is the main predictor of species richness. This is the basis for the area of refuge hypothesis that attempts to explain the global maxima of species richness found in the Coral Triangle, the area encompassing mostly the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia. This species-area effect also has habitat heterogeneity as a potential component. The purpose of this study is to test the effects of habitat availability predictors, such as shallow water area and coastline length …

The 13c Suess Effect In Scleractinian Corals Mirror Changes In The Anthropogenic Co2 Inventory Of The Surface Oceans, Peter Koenraad Swart, Lisa Greer, Brad E. Rosenheim, Chris S. Moses, Amanda J. Waite, A. Winter, Richard E. Dodge, Kevin P. Helmle

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

New δ¹³C data are presented from 10 coral skeletons collected from Florida and elsewhere in the Caribbean (Dominica, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Belize). These corals range from 96 to 200 years in age and were collected between 1976 and 2002. The change in the δ¹³C of the skeletons from these corals between 1900 and 1990 has been compared with 27 other published coral records from the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. The new data presented here make possible, for the first time, a global comparison of rates of change in the δ¹³C value …

Temporal Resolution And Spectral Sensitivity Of The Visual System Of Three Coastal Shark Species From Different Light Environments, D. Michelle Mccomb, Tamara M. Frank, Robert E. Hueter, Stephen M. Kajiura

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Visual temporal resolution and scotopic spectral sensitivity of three coastal shark species (bonnethead Sphyrna tiburo, scalloped hammerhead Sphyrna lewini, and blacknose shark Carcharhinus acronotus) were investigated by electroretinogram. Temporal resolution was quantified under photopic and scotopic conditions using response waveform dynamics and maximum critical flicker‐fusion frequency (CFF). Photopic CFF_max was significantly higher than scotopic CFF_max in all species. The bonnethead had the shortest photoreceptor response latency time (23.5 ms) and the highest CFF_max (31 Hz), suggesting that its eyes are adapted for a bright photic environment. In contrast, the blacknose had the longest response …

Applying A Molecular Genetics Approach To Shark Conservation And Management: Assessment Of Dna Barcoding In Hammerhead Sharks And Global Population Genetic Structuring In The Gray Reef Shark, Carcharhinus Amblyrhynchos., Rebekah L. Horn

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Chapter 1

DNA barcoding based on the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene sequence is emerging as a useful tool for identifying unknown, whole or partial organisms to species level. However, the application of only a single mitochondrial marker for robust species identification has also come under some criticism due to the possibility of erroneous identifications resulting from species hybridizations and/or the potential presence of nuclear-mitochondrial psuedogenes. The addition of a complementary nuclear DNA barcode has therefore been widely recommended to overcome these potential COI gene limitations, especially in wildlife law enforcement applications where greater confidence in the …

Study Of Secondary Metabolite Gene Expression In Marine Microbial Co-Cultures Using Quantitative Real-Time Pcr, Crystal A. Conway

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Interactions among microbial organisms often cannot be observed directly, but they can be inferred genetically using new molecular techniques. The analysis of secondary metabolite gene expression produced by co-cultured marine microbial species allows us to see how these organisms interact with one another when kept in the same environment. Co-cultures of three different strains of marine bacteria, P. aeruginosa PAO1, Roseobacter denitrificans OCH114, and Salinispora arenicola CNS-205 were grown in a laboratory setting, and using the Real-Time qPCR method gene expression levels of two different secondary metabolite producing genes from each organism was accessed across three time points. P. aeruginosa …

Diurnal Movements And Site Fidelity Of The Florida Manatee, Trichechus Manatus Latirostris, In Fort Lauderdale, Fl., Kym Walsh

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The diurnal movements of Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) in warmwater refugia are poorly understood and these may prove critical in accurately estimating populations of these animals. Previous studies indicate that manatee populations in such refuges in Tampa Bay, FL, peak mid-day and decline towards evening when the animals leave to forage. This trend suggests that variation in the timing of aerial manatee population surveys may hamper accurate estimation of the true population size. Aerial survey counts are known to underestimate population size, yet the extent of the underestimation may be greater than expected. In this study data …

Fall 2010, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.

2010 Tropical Coral Reefs (Appendix 10), Joana Figueiredo

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

SUMMARY

• Coral reef ecosystems are global biodiversity hotspots that depend on the massive calcium carbonate structures mainly deposited by scleractinian (i.e., “hard”) corals. Scleractinian coral distribution is primarily limited by sea-surface temperature, light, depth, ocean pH, sea water salinity, nutrients and sediment loads. These ecosystems are currently threatened by localized stresses such as overfishing and destructive fishing practices, pollution, terrestrial nutrient and sediment run-off, but are increasing impacted by direct and indirect impacts of rising CO2 concentrations and climate change.
• Coral reefs provide a broad range of ecosystems services with high socio-economic value: tourism, fisheries (food and employment), nutrient cycling, …

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 …

Standardized Catch Rates Of Sandbar Sharks And Dusky Sharks In The Vims Longline Survey: 1975-2009, Jason G. Romine, Kristene T. Parsons, R. Dean Grubbs, John A. Musick, Tracey Sutton

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

The Virginia Institute of Marine Science has conducted a fishery-independent longline survey during summer months since 1974. Data for sandbar sharks and dusky sharks captured in the survey between 1975 and 2009 are presented. Most of the sandbar sharks encountered by the survey were immature, with females composing almost all of the mature sandbar catch. Almost all dusky sharks captured were immature. Most of the catch since the early 1990’s has been composed of 0-4 year age classes. Nominal and standardized catch rates are presented. CPUE for both species decreased from the early 1980’s to minima in 1992. CPUE then …

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

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

Seasonal And Salinity Effects On The Distribution Of Higher Filamentous Marine Fungi At Rookery Bay, Fl., Julia Ossler

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

More than 500 species of higher marine fungi in over 300 genera have been described. Many marine fungi are highly specialized for marine environments relative to their terrestrial counterparts, having appendaged ascospores and conidia to aid in buoyancy, entrapment, and adherence to substrates. They have been reported to inhabit a wide variety of substrates including decaying wood, leaves, calcareous and chitinous substrates, seaweeds, and seagrasses. Most early studies on marine fungi were carried out in temperate regions. Investigations have now shifted to tropical locations in order to better evaluate the abundance and diversity of marine fungi on a global basis. …

Benthic Ecology From Space: Optics And Net Primary Production In Seagrass And Benthic Algae Across The Great Bahama Bank, Heidi M. Dierssen, Richard C. Zimmerman, Lisa A. Drake, David J. Burdige

OES Faculty Publications

Development of repeatable and quantitative tools are necessary for determining the abundance and distribution of different types of benthic habitats, detecting changes to these ecosystems, and determining their role in the global carbon cycle. Here we used ocean color remote sensing techniques to map different major groups of primary producers and estimate net primary productivity (NPP) across Great Bahama Bank (GBB). Field investigations on the northern portion of the GBB in 2004 revealed 3 dominant types of benthic primary producers: seagrass, benthic macroalgae, and microalgae attached to sediment. Laboratory measurements of NPP ranged from barely net autotrophic for grapestone sediment …

Modeling The Vertical Distributions Of Downwelling Plane Irradiance And Diffuse Attenuation Coefficient In Optically Deep Waters, X. J. Pan, Richard C. Zimmerman

OES Faculty Publications

The diffuse attenuation coefficient Kᵈ is critical to understand the vertical distribution of underwater downwelling irradiance (Eᵈ). Theoretically Eᵈ is composed of the direct solar beam and the diffuse sky irradiance. Applying the statistical results from Hydrolight radiative transfer simulations, Kᵈ is expressed into a mathematical equation (named as PZ06) integrated from the contribution of direct solar beam and diffuse sky irradiance with the knowledge of sky and water conditions. The percent root mean square errors (RMSE) for the vertical distribution of Eᵈ(z) under various sky and water conditions between PZ06 and Hydrolight results are typically less than 4%. Field …

The Path To Preservation: Using Proteomics To Decipher The Fate Of Diatom Proteins During Microbial Degradation, Brook L. Nunn, Ying S. Ting, Lars Malmström, Yihsuan S. Tsai, Angela Aquier, David R. Goodlett, H. Rodger Harvey

OES Faculty Publications

We drew upon recent advances in tandem mass spectrometry-based proteomic analyses in order to examine the proteins that remain after a diatom bloom enters the stationary phase, precipitates out of the photic zone, and is subjected to microbial degradation over a 23-d period within a controlled laboratory environment. Proteins were identified from tandem mass spectra searched against three different protein databases in order to track proteins from Thalassiosira pseudonana and any potential bacterial contributions. A rapid loss of diatom protein was observed over the incubation period; 75% of the proteins initially identified were not detected after 72 h of exposure …

Effect Of The Heterotrophic Dinoflagellate Oxyrrhis Marina And The Copepod Acartia Tonsa On Vertical Carbon Flux In And Around Thin Layers Of The Phytoflagellate Isochrysis Galbana, A. B. Bochdansky, S. M. Bollens, G. C. Rollwagen-Bollens, A. H. Gibson

OES Faculty Publications

Dynamics of material and energy flow through food webs differ when resources are allocated in patches in comparison to situations in which the same resources are distributed evenly throughout the water column. Thin layers of plankton are special cases of such resource patches. While previous studies have predominantly focused on the response of organisms to these layers, we investigated how 2 types of grazers in turn affect thin layers. In an experimental study with tightly controlled environmental conditions, we monitored the redistribution of particulate organic (POC), dissolved organic (DOC) and inorganic (DIC) carbon from thin layers of Isochrysis galbana. …

Role Of Macroscopic Particles In Deep-Sea Oxygen Consumption, Alexander B. Bochdansky, Hendrik M. Van Aken, Gerhard J. Herndl

OES Faculty Publications

Macroscopic particles (> 500 µg), including marine snow, large migrating zooplankton, and their fast-sinking fecal pellets, represent primary vehicles of organic carbon flux from the surface to the deep sea. In contrast, freely suspended microscopic particles such as bacteria and protists do not sink, and they contribute the largest portion of metabolism in the upper ocean. In bathy- and abyssopelagic layers of the ocean (2,000-6,000 m), however, microscopic particles may not dominate oxygen consumption. In a section across the tropical Atlantic, we show that macroscopic particle peaks occurred frequently in the deep sea, whereas microscopic particles were barely detectable. In …

Determination Of Total Dissolved Cobalt In Uv-Irradiated Seawater Using Flow Injection With Chemiluminescence Detection, Rachel U. Shelley, Bernhard Zachhuber, Peter N. Sedwick, Paul J. Worsfold, Maeve C. Lohan

OES Faculty Publications

A sensitive flow-injection method with chemiluminescence detection (FI-CL) for the determination of dissolved cobalt in open ocean samples, suitable for shipboard use has been developed. To date, FI methods for dissolved cobalt have been used only in coastal and estuarine waters. Therefore, significant modifications to existing methods were required, including (1) the use of a commercially available iminodiacetate (IDA) resin (Toyopearl AF-chelate 650M) in place of resin immobilized 8-hydroxyquinoline for online preconcentration and matrix removal, (2) the introduction of acidified ammonium acetate (pH 4) as a column-conditioning step before sample loading and rinse steps, and most importantly, (3) UV irradiation …

A Seasonal Study Of Dissolved Cobalt In The Ross Sea, Antarctica: Micronutrient Behavior, Absence Of Scavenging, And Relationships With Zd, Cd, And P., M. A. Saito, T. J. Goepfert, A. E. Noble, E. M. Bertrand, Peter N. Sedwick, Giacomo R. Ditullio

OES Faculty Publications

We report the distribution of cobalt (Co) in the Ross Sea polynya during austral summer 2005-2006 and the following austral spring 2006. The vertical distribution of total dissolved Co (dCo) was similar to soluble reactive phosphate (PO(4)(3-)), with dCo and PO(4)(3-) showing a significant correlation throughout the water column (r(2) = 0.87, 164 samples). A strong seasonal signal for dCo was observed, with most spring samples having concentrations ranging from similar to ~ 45-85 pM, whereas summer dCo values were depleted below these levels by biological activity. Surface transect data from the summer cruise revealed concentrations at the low range …

Winter 2010, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.

State Of The River Report For The Lower St. Johns River Basin, Florida: Water Quality, Fisheries, Aquatic Life, And Contaminants 2010, Environmental Protection Board, City Of Jacksonville, University Of North Florida, Jacksonville University

State of the River Report

No abstract provided.

Analyzing Spatial Patterns In Reefscape Ecology Via Remote Sensing, Benthic Habitat Mapping, And Morphometrics, Shanna K. Dunn

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

A growing number of scientists are investigating applications of landscape ecology principles to marine studies, yet few coral reef scientists have examined spatial patterns across entire reefscapes with a holistic ecosystem-based view. This study was an effort to better understand reefscape ecology by quantitatively assessing spatial structures and habitat arrangements using remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS).

Quantifying recurring patterns in reef systems has implications for improving the efficiency of mapping efforts and lowering costs associated with collecting field data and acquiring satellite imagery. If a representative example of a reef is mapped with high accuracy, the data derived …

Climate Change, Coral Reef Ecosystems, And Management Options For Marine Protected Areas, Brian D. Keller, Daniel F. Gleason, Elizabeth Mcleod, Christa M. Woodley, Satie Airame, Billy D. Causey, Alan M. Friedlander, Rikki Grober-Dunsmore, Johanna E. Johnson, Steven Miller, Robert S. Steneck

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Marine protected areas (MPAs) provide place-based management of marine ecosystems through various degrees and types of protective actions. Habitats such as coral reefs are especially susceptible to degradation resulting from climate change, as evidenced by mass bleaching events over the past two decades. Marine ecosystems are being altered by direct effects of climate change including ocean warming, ocean acidification, rising sea level, changing circulation patterns, increasing severity of storms, and changing freshwater influxes. As impacts of climate change strengthen they may exacerbate effects of existing stressors and require new or modified management approaches; MPA networks are generally accepted as an …

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 …

Extraction And Analysis Of Coral Reef Core Samples From Broward County, Florida., Anastasios Stathakopoulos

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The reefs off Broward County exist as three shore-parallel, sequentially deeper terraces named the "inner", "middle", and "outer" reefs and also a shallower, nearshore ridge complex. These structures span the continental coast of southeast Florida from Palm Beach County to southern Miami-Dade County and were characterized as relict, early Holocene shelf-edge and mid-shelf reefs along with limestone ridges. Presently, the reefs are colonized by a fauna characteristic of West Atlantic/Caribbean reef systems. Scleractinian coral cover is low except for a few dense patches of Acropora cervicornis, while Acropora palmata is absent except for a few individual living colonies.

Coral …

Diet Composition Of Swordfish, Xiphias Gladius, Within The Straits Of Florida, Amy Marie Heemsoth

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

A diet study of swordfish, Xiphias gladius, was conducted in the Straits of Florida from April 2007 to December 2008. The stomachs of 131 swordfish were analyzed. Thirteen species of teleosts, three species of cephalopods, and one species of crustacean were observed in the diet. Cephalopods dominated the swordfish diet by weight (73.38%), number (69.90%), and occurrence (80.91%) and ranked highest in importance in the diet when calculating the index of relative importance (IRI). Teleosts followed by weight (25.16%), number (26.34%), occurrence (68.18%), and IRI (3,510.97). The prey species with the greatest dietary importance was Illex sp followed by …

Trophic Structure Of The Northwest Hawaiian Islands And Resident Monk Seals (Monachus Schaundslandi) During The Twentieth Century, Nina M. Thompson, Amy Hirons, Charles W. Potter, Charles Littnan

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

The Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi) is an endangered species only found within the Hawaiian Archipelago. The majority of the breeding population for this seal is located around six islands in the Northwest Hawaiian Island chain (NWHI). Overall, both juvenile and adult seals have a wide range in δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N from 1912-2006 (δ¹³C: -12.5‰; δ¹⁵N: 12.6‰). Seals in the northern NWHI were enriched in δ¹³C by nearly 2‰ and depleted in δ¹⁵N by nearly 6‰ during the 96 years. Meanwhile, seals within the middle and …

Leucothoidae, Kristine N. White, James Darwin Thomas

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Four genera and 17 species of leucothoids, the majority of these belonging to the genus Leucothoe, are herein reported from the Great Barrier Reef. Fifteen species are new to science and only Anamixis bazimut has been previously reported from the Great Barrier Reef.

Net And Acoustic Examination Of Bathypelagic Nekton On The Mid-Atlantic Ridge, C. I. H. Anderson, J. Horne, Tracey Sutton

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

Spatial distributions of organisms play a key role in facilitating trophic interactions, which influence pelagic ecosystem structure and function. This study combines discrete net trawl sampling with continuous acoustic measurements to investigate the distribution of bathypelagic (1000- 3000 m depth) nekton biomass along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge from Iceland to the Azores. Two, previously unknown, acoustic scattering layers (ASLs) were observed using 18 kHz echosounder data. The first extended approximately 200 m from 2000 m depth and was ubiquitous wherever bottom depth allowed. The second, found within the 1500-2000 m depth stratum, only occurred south of the Sub-Polar Front. Backscatter from …

Preliminary Results On Feeding Ecology Of Stomiiforme Fishes Of The Northern Mid-Atlantic, Vanda Carmo, Odd Aksel Bergstad, Tone Falkenhaug, Gui Menezes, Tracey Sutton

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

Few previous studies have focused specifically on the role of the mid-ocean ridges in the ecology of pelagic fishes. This study targets on a dominant nekton component of the mid- Atlantic mesopelagic ichthyofauna - the Stomiiformes - and their food resources including zooplankton and other nekton. Its main goal is to characterize the diets of several species of these midwater fish towards understanding the trophic pathways of the deep-pelagic nekton of the northern MAR. The study material was provided by the G. O. Sars 2004 Expedition under the International project MAR-ECO. On the lab fish were dissected and diet items …