Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Commons^™

A Comparison Of Diets And Water Agitation Methods For Larval Culture Of The Edible Sea Urchin, Tripneustes Ventricosus (Echinodermata: Echinoidea), Ray Wolcott, Charles G. Messing

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Tripneustes ventricosus (Lamarck, 1816) has been harvested for human consumption in the Caribbean for centuries, where harvest rates occasionally exceed sustainability. Historically a backreef and grass-bed urchin, the species has recently been observed on the forereef where it appears to control macroalgal growth in the absence of Diadema antillarum (Philippi, 1845) (Woodley and Gayle, 1999). Large-scale culturing has the potential to produce T. ventricosus in sufficient numbers for remediation of degraded coral reefs, restocking of nearshore habitats, and development of an aquaculture industry for one or more Caribbean islands. We report the first successful culturing of T. ventricosus from fertilization …

Summer 2005, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.

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

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

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

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

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

Coral Recruitment Patterns In The Florida Keys, Alison L. Moulding

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

This study examines scleractinian zooxanthellate coral recruitment patterns in the Florida Keys to determine if differences in density or community composition exist between regions. From July to September 2002, nine patch reefs, three in each of the upper, middle and lower Keys, were surveyed for coral recruits (colonies <5 cm in diameter) using randomly placed quadrats and transects. Coral recruits were enumerated, measured, and identified to genus. Fourteen genera of corals were observed across all sites and ranged from five to 13 per site. Densities ranged from 6.29 ± 1.92 (mean ± SE) to 39.08 ± 4.53 recruits m-2, and there were significant site and regional differences in recruit densities. The density of recruits in the upper Keys was significantly lower than in the middle and lower Keys. In addition, the upper Keys were less diverse and had a different recruit size-frequency distribution. The majority of recruits were non-massive scleractinian species that contribute relatively little to overall reef-building processes, a finding that is similar to previous studies. Fewer recruits of massive species were found in the upper Keys compared to the middle and lower Keys. The recruitment patterns of the reefs in the upper Keys could potentially hinder their ability to recover from stress and disturbances.

Spring 2005, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.

The William S. Richardson Library, Nova Southeastern University

Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

The National Coral Reef Institute, Nova Southeastern University

Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Fish Colonization Of A Newly Deployed Vessel-Reef Off Southeast Florida: Preliminary Results, Paul T. Arena, Lance K. B. Jordan, Patrick Quinn, Arlo H. Hemphill, David R. Bryan, Brian Buskirk, Richard E. Spieler

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

Fish colonization on the Ebenezer II, a 25.5m merchant marine vessel, was studied from May 2002 - July 2003. The ship was scuttled in May 2002 off Broward County, Florida at a depth of 21m and was censused 10 times during the study period using a modified Bohnsack and Bannerot visual census method. Adjacent natural reefs and the Mcallister, a nearby, 30m tugboat deployed in June 1998, were censused during the same period.

Distinct changes in the fish assemblage on the Ebenezer II were observed throughout the sample period. A pioneer assemblage was observed during the first three months, characterized …

Winter 2005, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.

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

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

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

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

Highly Streamlined Pcr-Based Genetic Identification Of Carcharhinid Sharks (Family Carcharhinidae) For Use In Wildlife Forensics, Trade Monitoring, And Delineation Of Species Distributions, Marcy Henning

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

An increase in worldwide industrialized shark fisheries resulting from the growing demand for shark products, especially shark fins in Asian markets, as well as high levels of bycatch mortality associated with multi-species fisheries have raised suspicions of substantial declines in global shark populations. Due to varying responses by individual species to fishing pressure, it has become necessary to manage sharks on a species-specific basis, which requires the collection of more accurate catch and trade data. The accumulation of such data is hindered, however, by difficulties in identifying species from only landed carcasses, body parts, or fins. This is especially true …

Coral Reef Ecosystem Restoration Off Southeast Florida, David S. Gilliam, Walter Jaap, Richard E. Dodge, Elizabeth Glynn Fahy, Jamie A. Monty, Brian K. Walker, Lauren F. Shuman, B. D. Ettinger, Daniel P. Fahy, Shaun M. Gill, Richard Shaul

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

Significant coral reef community development along the eastern shelf of the United States continues northward of the Florida Keys through Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and Martin Counties, Florida (to Latitude 27° N). These Southeast Florida high-latitude coral communities have approximately 30 species of stony corals, stony coral coverage of 2-3%, and a diverse assemblage of reef gorgonians, sponges, and fishes.

This system lays within 3 km of the coast offshore a highly urbanized area comprising a population of over 5 million people (the population of Broward County alone exceeds 1.7 million). These reefs are important economic assets: a 2001 economic …

Techniques For Restoring Gorgonians To Coral Reef Injury Areas, Lauren F. Shuman, David S. Gilliam, Richard E. Dodge, B. D. Ettinger, Daniel P. Fahy, Elizabeth Glynn Fahy, Shaun M. Gill, Jamie A. Monty, Brian K. Walker

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

Great attention and energy has been spent investigating reattachment techniques for dislodged and fragmented scleractinian corals; however there has been a lack of controlled experimentation on how to restore dislodged gorgonians following a disturbance event, such as a ship grounding. Unfortunately, reef damage events occur frequently off southeast Florida. As an example, since 1998 at least five freighters have grounded on the reefs near Ft. Lauderdale, Broward County. These freighters dislodged many scleractinian and gorgonian corals and often destroyed thousands of square feet of reef habitat. After these events, restoration efforts concentrated on stabilizing loose debris and rubble, and reattaching …

Fall 2004, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.

Evidence Of Shark Predation And Scavenging On Fishes Equipped With Pop-Up Satellite Archival Tags, David W. Kerstetter, J. Polovina, John E. Graves

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

No abstract provided.

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

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

Spring 2004, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.

Cultivation Of Wrack Collected Seagrasses, Irene Arpayoglou

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

New Species Of Eustomias (Teleostei: Stomiidae) From The Western North Atlantic, With A Review Of The Subgenus Neostomias, Tracey Sutton, Karsten E. Hartel

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

A new species of the deep-sea dragonfish genus Eustomias is described from 14 specimens from the western North Atlantic. This species belongs to the subgenus Neostomias, which is defined principally by the presence of a single pectoral ray, plus one small rudimentary ray. It is unique among members of the subgenus in having a combination of characters that includes a short mental barbel, multiple proximal bulbs on the barbel main stem, and a unique terminal bulb morphology. Analysis of similar species warrants resurrection of Eustomias monodactylus, previously placed in synonymy with Eustomias filifer. A revised key to …

Trophic Ecology Of The Deep-Sea Fish Malacosteus Niger (Pisces: Stomiidae): An Enigmatic Feeding Ecology To Facilitate A Unique Visual System?, Tracey Sutton

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

The ‘dragonfishes’ and their relatives (family Stomiidae) are among the top predators of the mesopelagic zone of the open ocean. Based on feeding morphology (e.g., large gape, long fangs, and no gill-rakers or ethmoid membrane), the meso/bathypelagic fish Malacosteus niger would also be expected to be a large-item predator, as are the other members of its family. However, analysis of specimens from different ocean basins revealed that the most common prey items are calanoid copepods, despite an apparent inability to handle such small prey. Malacosteus niger is considered advanced within the Stomiidae, so this feeding mode represents a secondary reversion …

Predicting Biodiversity Patterns In Deep Water Coral Ecosystems: Lessons From Phylogenetic Studies Of Shallow Water Coral Reef Crustacea, James Darwin Thomas

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

Comprehensive studies of coral reef biodiversity suggest that diversity patterns may be more congruent with geotectonic events than with the reigning paradigms of dispersal, center of origin, and vicariance. Geotectonic processes slowly accumulate taxa in areas exemplified by the presence of composite or lineage-based evolutionary diversity. This process-pattern model can suggest additional areas where similar patterns are likely to occur. Information on types and levels of diversity should be a primary concern in emerging conservation efforts for deepwater coral ecosystems. Current marine conservation efforts in shallow reef systems rely primarily on identifying “hotspots” that reflect measures of species richness and …

Interactions Between Zooplankton And Karenia Brevis In The Gulf Of Mexico., Kristen M. Lester, Gabriel A. Vargo, John J. Walsh, Cynthia A. Heil, Mary B. Neely, Danylle N. Spence, Susan Murasko, Tracey Sutton, Scott E. Burghart, Andrew Remsen, T. L. Hopkins, Richard N. Bohrer

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

Blooms of the toxic dinoflagellate K. brevis are common in the Gulf of Mexico, yet no in situ studies of the interactions between zooplankton and K. brevis in the Gulf of Mexico have been conducted. Zooplankton numerical abundance, biomass and taxonomic composition of nonbloom and K. brevis bloom stations within the ECOHAB study area were compared. At nonbloom stations, the most important determinant species were Parvolcalanus crassirostris, Oithona colcarva and Paracalanus quasimodo at the 5-m isobath and P. quasimodo, O. colcarva and Oikopleura dioka at the 25-m isobath. There was considerable overlap between the 5 and 25-m isobaths, with …

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

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

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

The Guy Harvey Research Institute Using Science To Conserve Our Ocean's Fishes, Nova Southeastern University

Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Biozonation On Deep-Water Carbonate Mounds And Associated Hardgrounds Along The Western Margin Of Little Bahama Bank, With Notes On The Caicos Platform Island Slope, Charles G. Messing

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

Carbonate mounds found in a broad band from about 325 to 700 m along the western margin of Little Bahama Bank exhibit consistent faunal zonations characterized by assemblages of attached, suspension-feeding macroinvertebrates dominated by sponges, octocorals, crinoids and stylasterid and scleractinian corals. Biozonation on hard substrates appears chiefly dependent on depth (and associated parameters, e.g., temperature) and current flow. Mounds in 325-435 m with up to 30 m vertical relief reveal dense assemblages on gentler up current slopes and flanks, and an almost complete lack of macrofauna on steep downcurrent slopes. Macrofauna include stalked crinoids on upcurrent slopes and crest, …

Spatial And Temporal Recruitment Patterns Of Juvenile Grunts (Haemulon Spp.) In South Florida, L. K. B. Jordan, David S. Gilliam, Robin L. Sherman, Paul T. Arena, Fleur M. Harttung, Robert M. Baron, Richard E. Spieler

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

Grunts (Haemulidae) are important fisheries species and represent a major component of reef fish communities in the Greater Caribbean region. To date, little is known about their recruitment pattems. Data from more than 2,000 visual fish counts from multiple natural and artificial reef studies in Broward County, Florida, over a seven-year period, were examined to identify both spatial and temporal trends in recruitment of juvenile (i.e., < 5cm TL) grunts of the genus Haemulon. In general, data from these studies indicate that juvenile Haemulon spp. recruitment increases in the spring and peaks in the early summer months (i.e., June and July). Data from natural reef surveys revealed a predominantly nearshore preference for recruitment in water depths less than 8 m. However, on artificial reefs, recruitment commoniy occurred at 20 m depths. The biotic and abiotic factors determining the settlement of grunts are not clear and will be examined in future studies.

Presence Of Juvenile Blackfin Snapper, Lutjanus Buccanella, And Snowy Grouper, Epinephelus Niveatus, On Shallow-Water Artificial Reefs, Paul T. Arena, Patrick Quinn, Lance K. B. Jordan, Robin L. Sherman, Fleur M. Harttung, Richard E. Spieler

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

The inshore environment of Broward County, Florida consists of three reef tracts, each separated by sand substrate, running parallel to the coastline in sequentially deeper water. A wide variety of artificial reef designs have been deployed in Broward County, many lying in sand flats between the reeftracts. From 1995 through 2002, over 1,100 visual fish censuses (predominantly point-counts) were completed on the three natural reeftracts in water depths from 3 m to 30 m and over 1,100 censuses were done on artificial reefs at depths of 7 m to 23 m. Curiously, the juvenile stages of two deeper-water species of …

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

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

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