Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Commons^™

Circle Hooks In Commercial, Recreational, And Artisanal Fisheries: Research Status And Needs For Improved Conservation And Management, Joseph E. Serafy, Steven J. Cooke, Guillermo A. Diaz, John E. Graves, Martin Hall, Mahmood S. Shivji, Yonat Swimmer

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

The intent of convening the International Symposium on Circle Hooks in Research, Management, and Conservation was to yield a contemporary, science-based assessment of the management and conservation utility of circle hooks in commercial, recreational, and artisanal fisheries around the globe. The symposium objective was to provide a forum for individuals, organizations, and agencies to share relevant research results and perspectives. Based on the presentations, an examination of the literature, and the collective experience and knowledge of the authors, we provide a brief overview of the current status of circle hook research along with a list of research needs, with a …

Catch Rates With Variable Strength Circle Hooks In The Hawaii-Based Tuna Longline Fishery, Keith A. Bigelow, David W. Kerstetter, Matthew G. Dancho, Jamie A. Marchetti

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

The Hawaii-based deep-set longline fleet targets bigeye tuna [Thunnus obesus (Lowe, 1839)] and infrequently takes false killer whales [FKW , Pseudorca crassidens (Owen, 1846)] as bycatch. From 2004 to 2008 with 20%–26% observer coverage, nine mortalities of and serious injuries to FKW were documented in the deep-set fishery in the Hawaii EE Z, yielding a mean take estimate of 7.3 animals yr⁻¹. Weak hook technology can utilize the size disparity between target and other species to promote the release of larger non-target species. Four vessels tested the catch efficacy and size selectivity of 15/0 “strong” circle hooks …

Deep-Water Benthic Habitat Characterization And Cable Impact Assessment For The South Florida Ocean Measurement Facility (Sfomf), Charles Messing, Brian K. Walker, John K. Reed

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

Assessment Of Natural Resource Condition In And Adjacent To The Dry Tortugas National Park, Christopher F.G. Jeffrey, Sarah D. Hile, Christine M. Addison, Jerald Ault, Carolyn Currin, Don Field, Nicole D. Fogarty, Jiangang Luo, Vanessa Mcdonough, Doug Morrison, Gregory A. Piniak, Varis Ransibrahmanakul, Steve G. Smith, Shay Viehman

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

Southeast Florida Coral Reef Evaluation And Monitoring Project 2011 Year 9 Final Report, David S. Gilliam

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

Incorporating Circle Hooks Into Atlantic Pelagic Fisheries: Case Studies From The Commercial Tuna/Swordfish Longline And Recreational Billfish Fisheries, John E. Graves, Andrij Horodysky, David W. Kerstetter

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

An emerging body of literature has demonstrated the benefits of the use of circle hooks relative to standard J-hooks in commercial and recreational fisheries. In the pelagic longline fishery for tunas (Thunnus spp.) and swordfish (Xiphias gladius Linnaeus, 1758), the use of circle hooks has resulted in greater catch rates of some target species, lower catch rates of some bycatch species, and a higher percentage of many target and bycatch species alive at the time of haulback (gear retrieval). However, a lack of agreement among results of studies conducted in different fisheries and areas, using different baits and …

First Descriptions Of Endoparasite Fauna Of Elasmobranch And Mesopelagic Teleost Bycatch Fishes From The Western North Atlantic Pelagic Longline Fishery, Mae Taylor, Harold E. Laubach, David W. Kerstetter

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Natural mortality is a poorly known aspect of fisheries biology, despite its importance in stock assessments and population analysis. Of potential sources of mortality and morbidity in fishes, the effect of internal parasites is perhaps the least studied even though these organisms are known to inhibit nutrient uptake and stimulate an inflammatory response in fish. Parasite taxa of the pelagic elasmobranchs silky and night sharks and pelagic stingray (Carcharhinus falciformis, C. signatus and Pteroplatytrygon violacea), and the mesopelagic teleosts sailfin lancetfish, oilfish, snake mackerel, escolar and Atlantic pomfret (Alepisaurus ferox, Ruvettus pretiosus, Gempylus serpens …

The Effects Of A New Bridge On Manatee (Trichechus Manatus Latirostris) Use Of The Fpl Discharge Canal At Port Everglades, Florida, Brea Viragh

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) is an endangered species that migrates to warm water refuges such as natural springs or power plant effluents during the winter months to escape cold water. The Florida Power and Light (FPL) discharge canal in Port Everglades, Ft. Lauderdale, FL., is utilized as a refuge by overwintering manatees. Construction of a new bridge over the FPL effluent canal had a potential effect on manatee usage of the canal. Discharge is often 10-15° C warmer in the winter season than the surrounding waters of the Intracoastal Waterway. Previous data, including age class and …

Post-Release Survival And Habitat Utilization Of Juvenile Swordfish In The Florida Straits, Jenny Fenton

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The use of pop-up satellite archival tags (PSATs) eliminates many of the limitations associated with acoustic and conventional tags by using fishery-independent data collection and retrieval. Previous research techniques have provided information on longer-term movements, migrations, and behavior patterns, but there is still a need for additional tagging studies using tags with depth and light data and increased memory that will further define the short-duration activity patterns and habitat utilization of juvenile swordfish in the western North Atlantic. PSATs have been successfully used on other large pelagic fishes, but have yet to be used on juvenile swordfish. This study investigated …

Human Impact On Atolls Leads To Coral Loss And Community Homogenisation: A Modeling Study, Bernhard Riegl, Charles R. C. Sheppard, Samuel J. Purkis

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

We explore impacts on pristine atolls subjected to anthropogenic near-field (human habitation) and far-field (climate and environmental change) pressure. Using literature data of human impacts on reefs, we parameterize forecast models to evaluate trajectories in coral cover under impact scenarios that primarily act via recruitment and increased mortality of larger corals. From surveys across the Chagos, we investigate the regeneration dynamics of coral populations distant from human habitation after natural disturbances. Using a size-based mathematical model based on a time-series of coral community and population data from 1999–2006, we provide hind- and forecast data for coral population dynamics within lagoons …

3d Sonar Measurements In Wakes Of Ships Of Opportunity, Alexander Soloviev, Christopher Maingot, Mike Agor, Lou Nash, Keith Dixon

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

The aim of this work is to test the potential capabilities of 3D sonar technology for studying small-scale processes in the near-surface layer of the ocean, using the centerline wake of ships of opportunity as the object of study. The first tests conducted in Tampa Bay, Florida, with the 3D sonar have demonstrated the ability of this technology to observe the shape of the centerlinewake in great detail starting from centimeter scale, using air bubbles as a proxy. An advantage of the 3Dsonar technology is that it allows quantitative estimates of the ship wake geometry, which presents new opportunities for …

Pyrosequencing Of Bacterial Symbionts Within Axinella Corrugata Sponges: Diversity And Seasonal Variability, James R. White, Jignasa Patel, Andrea Ottesen, Gabriela Arce, Patricia Blackwelder, Jose V. Lopez

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Background: Marine sponge species are of significant interest to many scientific fields including marine ecology, conservation biology, genetics, host-microbe symbiosis and pharmacology. One of the most intriguing aspects of the sponge ‘‘holobiont’’ system is the unique physiology, interaction with microbes from the marine environment and the development of a complex commensal microbial community. However, intraspecific variability and temporal stability of sponge-associated bacterial symbionts remain relatively unknown.

Methodology/Principal Findings: We have characterized the bacterial symbiont community biodiversity of seven different individuals of the Caribbean reef sponge Axinella corrugata, from two different Florida reef locations during variable seasons using …

Open And Closed Seascapes: Where Does Habitat Patchiness Create Populations With High Fractions Of Self-Recruitment?, Malin L. Pinsky, Stephen R. Palumbi, Serge Andrefouet, Samuel J. Purkis

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Which populations are replenished primarily by immigrants (open) and which by local production (closed) remains an important question for management with implications for response to exploitation, protection, and disturbance. However, we lack methods for predicting population openness. Here, we develop a model for openness and show that considering habitat isolation explains the existence of surprisingly closed populations in high-dispersal species, including many marine organisms. Relatively closed populations are expected when patch spacing is more than twice the standard deviation of a species' dispersal kernel. In addition, natural scales of habitat patchiness on coral reefs are sufficient to create both largely …

Red Sea Coral Reef Trajectories Over 2 Decades Suggest Increasing Community Homogenization And Decline In Coral Size, Bernhard Riegl, Andrew W. Bruckner, Gwilym Rowlands, Samuel J. Purkis, Philip Renaud

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Three independent line intercept transect surveys on northern Red Sea reef slopes conducted in 1988/9 and 1997/8 in Egypt and from 2006–9 in Saudi Arabia were used to compare community patterns and coral size. Coral communities showed scale-dependent variability, highest at fine spatial and taxonomic scale (species-specific within and among reef patterns). At coarser scale (generic pattern across regions), patterns were more uniform (regionally consistent generic dominance on differently exposed reef slopes and at different depths). Neither fine- nor coarse-scale patterns aligned along the sampled 1700 km latitudinal gradient. Thus, a latitudinal gradient that had been described earlier from comparable …

A Streamlined Dna Tool For Global Identification Of Heavily Exploited Coastal Shark Species (Genus Rhizoprionodon), D. Pinhal, Mahmood S. Shivji, Pedro G. Nachtigall, Demian D. Chapman, Cesar Martins

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Obtaining accurate species-specific landings data is an essential step toward achieving sustainable shark fisheries. Globally distributed sharpnose sharks (genus Rhizoprionodon) exhibit life-history characteristics (rapid growth, early maturity, annual reproduction) that suggests that they could be fished in a sustainable manner assuming an investment in monitoring, assessment and careful management. However, obtaining species-specific landings data for sharpnose sharks is problematic because they are morphologically very similar to one another. Moreover, sharpnose sharks may also be confused with other small sharks (either small species or juveniles of large species) once they are processed (i.e., the head and fins are removed). Here …

Invasionsoft: A Web-Enabled Tool For Invasive Species Colonization Predictions, Matthew W. Johnston, Samuel J. Purkis

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Predicting and averting the spread of invasive species is a core focus of resource managers in all ecosystems. Patterns of invasion are difficult to forecast, compounded by a lack of user-friendly species distribution model (SDM) tools to help managers focus control efforts. This paper presents a web-based cellular automata hybrid modeling tool developed to study the invasion pattern of lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles) in the western Atlantic and is a natural extension our previous lionfish study. Our goal is to make publically available this hybrid SDM tool and demonstrate both a test case (P. volitans/miles) and a …

Coral Recruitment To Two Vessel Grounding Sites Off Southeast Florida, Usa, Alison L. Moulding, Vladimir N. Kosmynin, David S. Gilliam

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Over the last two decades, more than 10 major vessel groundings have occurred on coral reefs offshore southeast Florida. Lack of any published information on coral settlement, post-settlement survival, and juvenile coral growth in the southeast Florida region inhibits efforts to determine if coral populations will be able to effectively re-establish themselves. The goal of this study was to examine these processes to obtain background data needed to determine the potential for natural recovery. Over a three year period annual coral recruitment, juvenile growth, and mortality rates were measured in 20 permanent quadrats at each of two ship grounding and …

Siting Study For A Hydrokinetic Energy Project Located Offshore Southeastern Florida: Protocols For Survey Methodology For Offshore Marine Hydrokinetic Energy Projects, Charles Vinick, Charles Messing, Brian K. Walker, John K. Reed, Stephanie Rogers

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

Dehlsen Associates, LLC was awarded a grant by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) Golden Field Office for a project titled “Siting Study Framework and Survey Methodology for Marine and Hydrokinetic Energy Project in Offshore Southeast Florida,” corresponding to DOE Grant Award Number DE-EE0002655 resulting from DOE funding Opportunity Announcement Number DE-FOA- 0000069 for Topic Area 2, and it is referred to herein as “the project.”

The purpose of the project was to enhance the certainty of the survey requirements and regulatory review processes for the purpose of reducing the time, efforts, and costs associated with initial siting efforts …

Weak Prezygotic Isolating Mechanisms In Threatened Caribbean Acropora Corals, Nicole D. Fogarty, Steven V. Vollmer, Don R. Levitan

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

The Caribbean corals, Acropora palmata and A. cervicornis, recently have undergone drastic declines primarily as a result of disease. Previous molecular studies have demonstrated that these species form a hybrid (A. prolifera) that varies in abundance throughout the range of the parental distribution. There is variable unidirectional introgression across loci and sites of A. palmata genes flowing into A. cervicornis. Here we examine the efficacy of prezygotic reproductive isolating mechanisms within these corals including spawning times and choice and no-choice fertilization crosses. We show that these species have subtly different mean but overlapping spawning times, suggesting …

Spatial Analyses Of Benthic Habitats To Define Coral Reef Ecosystem Regions And Potential Biogeographic Boundaries Along A Latitudinal Gradient, Brian K. Walker

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Marine organism diversity typically attenuates latitudinally from tropical to colder climate regimes. Since the distribution of many marine species relates to certain habitats and depth regimes, mapping data provide valuable information in the absence of detailed ecological data that can be used to identify and spatially quantify smaller scale (10 s km) coral reef ecosystem regions and potential physical biogeographic barriers. This study focused on the southeast Florida coast due to a recognized, but understudied, tropical to subtropical biogeographic gradient. GIS spatial analyses were conducted on recent, accurate, shallow-water (0–30 m) benthic habitat maps to identify and quantify specific regions …

Dredging And Shipping Impacts On Southeast Florida Coral Reefs, Brian K. Walker, David S. Gilliam, Richard E. Dodge, Joanna Walczak

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

Many coastal regions have experienced extensive population growth during the last century. Commonly, this growth has led to port development and expansion as well as increased vessel activity which can have detrimental effects on coral reef ecosystems. In southeast Florida, three major ports built in the late 1920’s along 112 km of coastline occur in close proximity to a shallow coral reef ecosystem. Recent habitat mapping data were analyzed in GIS to quantify the type and area of coral reef habitats impacted by port and shipping activities. Impact areas were adjusted by impact severity: 100% of dredge and burial areas, …

National Coral Reef Institute 2012, Nova Southeastern University

Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Winter 2012, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.

Gametogenesis And Spawning Of Solenastrea Bournoni And Stephanocoenia Intersepta In Southeast Florida, Usa, Jenna R. Lueg, Alison L. Moulding, Vladimir N. Kosmynin, David S. Gilliam

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

This study constitutes the first report of the gametogenic cycle of the scleractinian corals Solenastrea bournoni and Stephanocoenia intersepta. Tissue samples were collected near Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA between July 2008 and November 2009 and processed for histological examination in an effort to determine reproductive mode and potential spawning times. Both S. bournoni and S. intersepta are gonochoric, broadcast spawning species. Gametogenesis of S. bournoni began in April or May while S. intersepta had a much longer oogenic cycle that began in December with spermatogenesis beginning in July. Though spawning was not observed in situ, spawning was inferred …

Co-Cultures Of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa And Roseobacter Denitrificans Reveal Shifts In Gene Expression Levels Compared To Solo Cultures, Crystal A. Conway, Nwadiuto Esiobu, Jose V. Lopez

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Consistent biosynthesis of desired secondary metabolites (SMs) from pure microbial cultures is often unreliable. In a proof-ofprinciple study to induce SM gene expression and production, we describe mixed “co-culturing” conditions and monitoring of messages via quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). Gene expression of model bacterial strains (Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 and Roseobacter denitrificans Och114) was analyzed in pure solo and mixed cocultures to infer the effects of interspecies interactions on gene expression in vitro, Two P. aeruginosa genes (PhzH coding for portions of the phenazine antibiotic pathway leading to pyocyanin (PCN) and the RhdA gene for thiosulfate: cyanide sulfurtransferase …

Characterizing And Determining The Extent Of Coral Reefs And Associated Resources In Southeast Florida Through The Acquisition Of High-Resolution Bathymetry And Benthic Habitat Mapping, Brian K. Walker, Amanda Costaregni, Ian Rodericks, Greg Lewis, Nick Gadbois

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

Effective marine resource management begins with knowing the distribution of resources within the region. Minimal data, and thus limited knowledge, exists about the reef resources of Martin County. The marine benthic habitats in Martin County need to be mapped to characterize and quantify the distribution of its coral and other benthic communities, therefore, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection – Coral Reef Conservation Program, FL Fish and Wildlife Research Institute and the National Coral Reef Institute at Nova Southeastern University have partnered to expand upon previous mapping efforts to identify and classify the benthic habitats in the southeast Florida region …

Fall 2012, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.

Benthic Habitat Characterization For The South Florida Ocean Measurement Facility (Sfomf), David S. Gilliam, Brian K. Walker

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

This report summarizes the distribution and relative abundance of two stony coral species (Acropora cervicornis and Acropora palmata) currently listed as threatened under the US Endangered Species Act (ESA) (Federal Register/Vol. 71, No. 129/Thursday, July 6, 2006 / Rules and Regulations, http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2006-07-06/pdf/06-6017.pdf) and seven additional stony coral species which have been petitioned for listing as endangered or threatened under the ESA (Agaricia lamarcki, Dendrogyra cylindrus, Dichocoenia stokesii, Montastraea annularis, Montastraea faveolata, Montastraea franksi, and Mycetophyllia ferox) (Federal Register/Vol. 75, No. 27/Wednesday, February 10, 2010/Proposed Rules, http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/pdfs/fr/fr75-6616.pdf). This report also summarizes the abundance and distribution …

Field Ecology Patterns Of High Latitude Coral Communities, Kristi A. Foster

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Some climate models predict that, within the next 30-50 years, sea surface temperatures (SSTs) will frequently exceed the current thermal tolerance of corals (Fitt et al. 2001; Hughes et al. 2003; Hoegh-Guldberg et al. 2007). A potential consequence is that mass coral bleaching may take place (i) during warm El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events which are predicted to occur in some regions more frequently than the current 3-7 year periodicity (Hoegh-Guldberg 1999; Sheppard 2003) or (ii) perhaps as often as annually or biannually if corals and their symbionts are unable to acclimate to the higher SSTs (Donner et al. 2005, …

Green Marine Construction, Sylvain Pioch, Kirk Kilfoyle, Harold Levrel, Richard E. Spieler

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

The oceans incorporate three-quarters of the Earth's surface, and most of humanity lives in coastal regions. For example, more than half of the total U.S. population presently lives in coastal areas, and the coastal population is projected to increase by 7 million between now and 2015. Similar projections can be made for other developed countries many of which depend on the coastal zone as a major source of tourism-related income. The long-term ecological health and sustainability of the marine and coastal environments are obviously at risk. Coastal projects such as beach re-nourishment, housing developments, and pipe-line, harbor and marina construction …