Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Commons^™

Winter 2002, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.

Status Of Coral Reefs In The Us Caribbean And Gulf Of Mexico: Florida, Texas, Puerto Rico, Us Virgin Islands And Navassa, Billy Causey, Joanne Delaney, Ernesto Diaz, Richard E. Dodge, Jorge R. Garcia, Jamie Higgins, Walter Jaap, Cruz A. Matos, George P. Schmahl, Caroline Rogers, Margaret W. Miller, Donna D. Turgeon

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

The following report on the status of US Caribbean coral reef ecosystems has been summarised from more extensive reports submitted to the US Coral Reef Task Force (USCRTF) working group that implemented in 2000 ‘A National Program to Assess, Inventory, and Monitor US Coral Reef Ecosystems’. The more-lengthy reports are also the basis for the biennial-issued document, ‘Status and Trends of US Coral Reef Ecosystems’. Each author is a recognised technical expert with responsibility for monitoring and/or managing aspects of their respective coral reef ecosystems.

Sea Turtle Conservation Program, Broward County, Fl 2002 Report, Curtis M. Burney, Stefanie Ouellette

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

Boater Manatee Awareness System, Edward O. Keith

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

A variety of "see-in-the-dark" technologies have been evaluated with the objective of adapting them to detect Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) aggregations in specific highuse areas, such as warm water refuges in the winter time. Once it is possible to passively detect manatee aggregations in these sites, the construction of boater awareness signs that would indicate how many manatees are in the area, on a real-time basis, is envisioned. The contention is that boaters would be more likely to obey speed restrictions if these restrictions were accompanied by this type of information. The ability to do this also …

Coral Recruitment To Various Artificial Substrata, Miami Beach, Fl, Nicholas C. Straccione

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The City of Miami has placed 12 artificial reefs approximately 100m offshore in two parallel transects. The reason for this deployment was to tum a barren seabed into a productive environment for aquatic organisms. The reefs were placed close to the shoreline to allow easy access for snorkellers, divers, and fisherman. Three different types of reef materials were used in constructing the artificial reefs: boulders composed of limestone, concrete shaped as tetrahedrons, and concrete mixed with tire aggregate shaped as tetrahedrons. This study consisted of two separate assessments: I) a survey from two of each of the different reef types …

A Comparison Of Aeration Methods And Diets For Larval Culture Of The Edible Sea Urchin, Tripneustes Ventricosus (Echinodermata: Echinoidea), Ray Wolcott

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Tripneustes ventricosus (Lamarck 1816), a major near-shore herbivore in the Atlantic and Caribbean, has been harvested for human consumption in the Caribbean for centuries (Lawrence 2001a, b), occasionally at rates that exceed sustainability (Smith & Berkes 1991), and is among the species having economic importance (Lawrence & Bazhin 1998). Tripneustes ventricosus has recently been observed on the forereef controlling macroalgal growth in the absence of Diadema antillarum (Woodley 1999, Aronson & Precht 2000, Haley & Solandt 2001).

Large-scale culturing has the potential to produce T. ventricosus in sufficient numbers to be used for: bioremediation of coral reef degradation, restocking of …

Beach Crawl Width As A Predictive Indicator Of Carapace Length In Loggerhead Sea Turtles (Caretta Caretta)., Dawn M. Miller

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Carapace lengths and widths of nesting loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) were measured at Pompano Beach and Fort Lauderdale, Florida to determine if plastron and/or track crawl widths were predictive of carapace size. Straight and curved carapace measurements were taken.

Plastron and track crawl width were measured at four points on each crawl: 1) emerging at the tide line; 2) mid-way to the nest; 3) mid-way returning to the surf; and 4) at the tide line returning to the surf. All four measurements were significantly different from each other (P < 0.005) along each crawl. Crawl width was the most variable factor in all comparisons.

Maximum straight carapace length correlated with emergent track …

Microbial Ecology Of Ballast Water During A Transoceanic Voyage And The Effects Of Open-Ocean Exchange, Lisa A. Drake, Gregory M. Ruiz, Bella S. Galil, Timothy L. Mullady, Daniela O. Friedmann, Fred C. Dobbs

OES Faculty Publications

The only procedure used frequently to reduce the risk of invasion by ballast-mediated biota is open-ocean exchange of ballast water, a procedure in which vessels release coastal water and replace it with oceanic water. Limited information exists concerning the effects of transport upon the aquatic microbial community throughout transit and following open-ocean exchange, A transoceanic voyage aboard a commercial bulk carrier afforded us the opportunity to sample the microbial community in exchanged and unexchanged ballast-water holds during the journey from Hadera, Israel to Baltimore, USA. Five days following the exchange process, all microbial metrics tested (i.e. bacteria concentration, virus-like particle …

Impact Of Sea Grass Density On Carbonate Dissolution In Bahamian Sediments, David J. Burdige, Richard C. Zimmerman

OES Faculty Publications

Carbonate dissolution has been widely observed in shallow water tropical sediments. However, sediment budgets C have generally not been closed with respect to the amount of acid required to produce the observed carbonate dissolution. Recently it has been suggested that enhanced oxygen transport into sediments through the roots and rhizomes of sea grasses might play a role in resolving this mass balance problem. We conducted studies of sea grass-carbonate sediment interactions around Lee Stocking Island, Exuma Islands, Bahamas to further examine this problem. Our studies showed that alkalinity, total dissolved inorganic carbon (ΣCO₂) and Ca²⁺ increased with …

The Transformation Of Iodate To Iodide In Marine Phytoplankton Cultures, George T. F. Wong, Ajcharaporn U. Piumsomboon, William M. Dunstan

OES Faculty Publications

Six species of phytoplankton, representing 6 major phylogenetic groups (2 oceanic species: a cyanobacteria, Synechococcus sp., and a coccolithophorid, Emiliania huxleyi; and 4 coastal species: a prasinophyte, Tetraselmis sp., the green algae Dunaliella tertiolecta, the diatom Skeletonema costatum and a dinoflagellate Amphidinium carterae) were tested for their ability to reduce iodate to iodide in batch cultures. They all did so to varying degrees. Thus, the reduction of iodate to iodide by phytoplankton may be a general phenomenon in the marine environment. At ambient concentrations of iodate, the rates of depletion of iodate and appearance of …

Phosphorus Dynamics In Cultures And Natural Populations Of Trichodesmium Spp, Margaret R. Mulholland, Sheri Floge, Edward J. Carpenter, Douglas G. Capone

OES Faculty Publications

Trichodesmium spp. fix atmospheric N₂ and so an element other than N limits production by these species in the oligotrophic ocean. Because dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) is in short supply in many marine systems, it has been hypothesized that P is a growth-limiting nutrient for these species in nature. However, Trichodesmium is capable of hydrolyzing dissolved organic P (DOP) compounds and the inorganic products from hydrolysis may provide an additional source of P for growth. We investigated P dynamics and alkaline phosphatase activity in cultures and natural populations of Trichodesmium from the Atlantic Ocean and the north coast of …

Peptide Hydrolysis, Amino Acid Oxidation, And Nitrogen Uptake In Communities Seasonally Dominated By Aureococcus Anophagefferens, Margaret R. Mulholland, Christopher J. Gobler, Cindy Lee

OES Faculty Publications

Elevated levels of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) are among the factors implicated in the initiation of algal blooms. However, the degree to which phytoplankton augment their autotrophic metabolism with heterotrophic uptake of organic carbon that is associated with DON is unknown. We evaluated the relative importance of peptide hydrolysis, amino acid oxidation, and amino acid uptake over a seasonal cycle in an embayment on Long Island, New York, that had high concentrations of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and a bloom of the brown tide pelagophyte, Aureococcus anophagefferens. Amino acids were a significant component (up …

Ocean: An Integrated Curriculum Unit, Institute For The Development Of Gifted Education, Ricks Center For Gifted Children, University Of Denver

Ricks Curriculum Units Series

An integrated curriculum is an instructional approach that connects the disciplines to an underlying theme or topic. Immersing students in an integrated-thematic unit provides the backdrop for experiences to occur across the disciplines. Shaping coursework around integrated themes is especially appropriate for gifted students, however using an integrated-thematic curriculum is appropriate for all learners as it develops students' abilities to make connections, to solve problems by looking at multiple perspectives, and to integrate information from different fields of experience. An integrated-thematic curriculum permits students to be active participants in their own learning as they design their own explorations and take …

Distribution Of The Euryhaline Squid Lolliguncula Brevis In Chesapeake Bay: Effects Of Selected Abiotic Factors, I. K. Bartol, R. Mann, M. Vecchione

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The majority of cephalopods are thought to have limitations arising from physiology and locomotion that exclude them from shallow, highly variable, euryhaline environments. The brief squid Lolliguncula brevis may be a notable exception because it tolerates low salinities, withstands a wide range of environmental conditions, and swims readily in shallow water. Little is known about the distribution of L. brevis in Chesapeake Bay, a diverse and highly variable estuary. Therefore, a survey of L. brevis was conducted in the Virginia portion of Chesapeake Bay from 1993 to 1997 using a 9.1 m otter trawl, and the effects of selected factors …

Identification Of Species Composition In The Hong Kong Shark Fin Trade Using Genetic Techniques And Trader Records, Shelley C. Clarke, Mahmood S. Shivji, Murdoch K. Mcallister

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

Trade in shark fins represents one of the most serious threats to shark populations worldwide. Previous studies have indicated that certain types of fins are more valued than others, but due to the largely unregulated and often covert nature of the trade, information on actual species composition has been anecdotal and unverified. In order to examine the potential impacts of the shark fin trade on the abundance of various shark species, a study of the species composition in the world’s largest shark fin trading center, Hong Kong, was initiated. Several approaches for distinguishing the species identity of dried fins were …

Fall 2001, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.

Ncri 3-D Visualization Of Coral Reef Habitat, Brian K. Walker

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

No abstract provided.

Preface: Proceedings Of The National Coral Reef Institute's International Conference On Scientific Aspects Of Coral Reef Assessment, Monitoring And Restoration, James Darwin Thomas

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

No abstract provided.

Applying Habitat Equivalency Analysis For Coral Reef Damage Assessment And Restoration, J. Walter Milon, Richard E. Dodge (Editor)

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Quantifying economic damages and restoration measures for injuries to coral reefs has been a difficult task. In the U.S., habitat equivalency analysis (HEA) has emerged as a novel tool that combines biological and economic information to identify replacement habitats of an appropriate scale to substitute for the interim losses resulting from coral reef injuries. This article provides a review of the basic principles underlying HEA and a discussion of important considerations in applying HEA. These considerations include: how to describe coral reef functions and related human uses, recovery rates of coral reef organisms at injured sites with natural and active …

Site-Dependent Differences In Artificial Reef Function: Implications For Coral Reef Restoration, Robin L. Sherman, David S. Gilliam, Richard E. Spieler

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

There is an increasing use of artificial structure in coral reef restoration (for references, see Spieler et al., this volume). Often artificial reef structures are chosen for a restoration project simply because they were used elsewhere. However, it is questionable whether the results obtained at one restoration site can be extrapolated to another. In recent years, several studies have examined the effect of artificial reef site selection on formation of associated fish, algae, and/or invertebrate assemblages (Alevizon et al., 1985; Blinova et al., 1994; Bombace et al., 1994; Caley and St. John, 1996; Chang, 1985; Haughton and Aiken, 1989; Hixon …

Artificial Substrate And Coral Reef Restoration: What Do We Need To Know To Know What We Need, Richard E. Spieler, David S. Gilliam, Robin L. Sherman

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

To use artificial substrate effectively in coral reef restoration certain basic knowledge is required: (1) what is the artificial substrate expected to accomplish relative to the goals of the restoration effort and (2) what are the expected interactions of the selected substrate’s composition, texture, orientation, and design with the damaged environment and the biota of interest. Whereas the first point is usually clear, at least in general terms, the second is not. In this review, we examine: the functions of artificial substrate in restoration and some of the physical (i.e., composition; surface texture; color and chemistry; and design in terms …

Mapping And Monitoring Of Coral Communities And Their Spatial Patterns Using A Surface-Based Video Method From A Vessel, Bernhard Riegl, Jan L. Korrubel, Charles Martin

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

No Abstract Provided.

Degradation Of Reef Structure, Coral And Fish Communities In The Red Sea By Ship Groundings And Dynamite Fisheries, Bernhard Riegl

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Reef degradation was investigated on 66 Egyptian Red Sea reefs—60 reefs for dynamite damage (using line transects) and six ship grounding sites (using 1 m sample squares). Ship groundings and dynamite fishing caused similar damage, reduction of the reef to rubble (65% of reefs were dynamited, mostly leeward, 58%). Changes in coral (line transect study) and fish communities (point count study) in impacted sites were documented. On impacted reefs, coral cover decreased, bare substratum and rubble increased, and fish dominance shifted away from Pomacentridae. Oceanographic conditions result in a stable pattern of coral communities (windward Acropora, leeward Porites). …

Biological Survey Report For The Calypso Natural Gas Pipeline: Shore Approach Route North Of Port Everglades Entrance Channel With Landing South Of Port Everglades Entrance Channel, Richard E. Dodge, Susan L. Thornton, David S. Gilliam, Richard Shaul

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

The Calypso Natural Gas Pipeline Project (project) will include a 24-inch pipeline which will extend from the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) off the southeast Florida coastline to a shore approach at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

This report, which was commissioned in May 2001 and completed in July, 2001, documents the results of a detailed biological survey of underwater marine habitats from 5 to 200 feet water depth for the pipeline route. The route, which was established based on the subsea survey that was completed in May 2001 by Williamson & Associates, Inc., includes a shore approach from the …

Responses Of Three Coral Communities To The 1997–98 El Niño–Southern Oscillation: Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, Joshua S. Feingold

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

One deep (13–15 m depth) and two shallow water (1.5 and 7 m) coral communities in the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador were monitored for tissue response (bleaching, paling, morbidity) and secondary responses during and after elevated temperature stress associated with the 1997–98 El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) event. Between March and May 1998, the fungiid coral Diaseris distorta paled and bleached (up to 88.0% of all individuals bleached) at 13–15 m depth. The small branching colonial coral, Psammocora stellata, paled (79.2% of all colonies) with very little bleaching (11.1%), also at 13–15 m depth. However, by May 1998 colonies of this …

Spring/Summer 2001, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.

Marine Biological Monitoring In Broward County, Florida: Year 1 Annual Report, David S. Gilliam, Richard E. Dodge, Richard E. Spieler, Susan L. Thornton, Lance K. B. Jordan

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

Trachelomonas Spp. And Other Euglenophyceae Taxa In A Southeastern Virginia Lake, Harold G. Marshall

Virginia Journal of Science

Trachelomonas species from Lake Kilby, a reservoir lake in southeastern Virginia are described with supportive electron micrographs. The most abundant Trachelomonas species wereT. hispida and T. volvocina. Other members of the Euglenophyceae occurring in this lake are identified.

The Implications Of The Target-Area Hypothesis On The Population Dynamics Of The Spotted Spiny Lobster, Panulirus Guttatus, Denice N. Robertson

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The target-area hypothesis, based on the theory of island biogeography, predicts that larger islands are more effective at intercepting passive immigrants. Most marine invertebrates have meroplanktonic larvae and open population dynamics, so immigration to populations in isolated benthic habitats is primarily by pelagic larval recruits. Thus, recruitment to isolated habitat “islands” may be more continuous and predictable on large islands than on small ones. Consequently, populations on large islands should not only be larger than those on small islands, but should also have more evenly distributed size structures. These differences in size structure among populations in isolated habitats of differing …

An Approach To Parameterization Of The Oceanic Turbulent Boundary Layer In The Western Pacific Warm Pool, Alexander Soloviev, Roger Lukas, Peter Hacker

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Vertical profiles of zonal velocity and the dissipation rate ε of the turbulent kinetic energy obtained during the Tropical Ocean-Global Atmosphere Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment (COARE) are analyzed in the context of planetary boundary layer relationships previously derived from atmospheric measurements. The presence of a barrier layer and the striking effect of increased dimensionless shear and ε at the bottom of the surface mixed layer of the ocean, features often observed in the western Pacific warm pool area, are consistent with the boundary layer laws. The gradient Richardson number Ri is found to be a convenient parameter for scaling the …