Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Commons^™

Editorial Overview: Environmental Change Issues: Coral Reefs Sustainability And Its Challenges, Bernhard Riegl, Georgios Tsounis

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

No abstract provided.

Age And Growth Of Three Coastal-Pelagic Tunas (Actinopterygii: Perciformes: Scombridae) In The Florida Straits, Usa: Blackfin Tuna, Thunnus Atlanticus, Little Tunny, Euthynnus Alletteratus, And Skipjack Tuna, Katsuwonus Pelamis, Jessica L. Adams, David W. Kerstetter

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Background. Understanding the life history of a species is essential for fully understanding its role within an ecosystem. However, many of the fish species of high ecological value have not been studied due to their less prominent roles in local recreational and commercial fisheries in comparison to other targeted species. These valuable fishes are also important trophic linkages between small neritic fishes and large, economically valuable apex predators. This study describes for the first time the yearly age and growth patterns of three small tuna species inhabiting South Florida (USA) waters: blackfin tuna, Thunnus atlanticus (Lesson, 1831); little tunny, …

Determining The Extent And Characterizing Coral Reef Habitats Of The Northern Latitudes Of The Florida Reef Tract (Martin County), Brian K. Walker, David S. Gilliam

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Climate change has recently been implicated in poleward shifts of many tropical species including corals; thus attention focused on higher-latitude coral communities is warranted to investigate possible range expansions and ecosystem shifts due to global warming. As the northern extension of the Florida Reef Tract (FRT), the third-largest barrier reef ecosystem in the world, southeast Florida (25–27° N latitude) is a prime region to study such effects. Most of the shallow-water FRT benthic habitats have been mapped, however minimal data and limited knowledge exist about the coral reef communities of its northernmost reaches off Martin County. First benthic habitat mapping …

Tracking Transmission Of Apicomplexan Symbionts In Diverse Caribbean Corals, Nathan L. Kirk, Raphael Ritson-Williams, Mary Alice Coffroth, Margaret W. Miller, Nicole D. Fogarty, Scott R. Santos

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Symbionts in each generation are transmitted to new host individuals either vertically (parent to offspring), horizontally (from exogenous sources), or a combination of both. Scleractinian corals make an excellent study system for understanding patterns of symbiont transmission since they harbor diverse symbionts and possess distinct reproductive modes of either internal brooding or external broadcast spawning that generally correlate with vertical or horizontal transmission, respectively. Here, we focused on the under-recognized, but apparently widespread, coral-associated apicomplexans (Protista: Alveolata) to determine if symbiont transmission depends on host reproductive mode. Specifically, a PCR-based assay was utilized towards identifying whether planula larvae and reproductive …

A Pre-Zygotic Barrier To Hybridization In Two Con-Generic Species Of Scleractinian Corals, Andrew H. Baird, Vivian R. Cumbo, Joana Figueiredo, Saki Harii

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Hybridization is often cited as a potential source of evolutionary novelty in the order Scleractinia. While hybrid embryos can be produced in vitro, it has been difficult to identify adult hybrids in the wild. Here, we tested the potential for hybridization between two closely related species in the family Fungiidae. We mixed approximately 5000 eggs of Ctenactis echinata with sperm from C. crassa. No hybrid embryos were produced. This observation adds to a growing body of evidence for pre-zygotic barriers to hybridization in corals and challenges the claim that hybridization is a major source of evolutionary novelty …

Modeling The Potential Spread Of The Recently Identified Non-Native Panther Grouper (Chromileptes Altivelis) In The Atlantic Using A Cellular Automaton Approach, Matthew W. Johnston, Samuel J. Purkis

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

The Indo-pacific panther grouper (Chromileptes altiveli) is a predatory fish species and popular imported aquarium fish in the United States which has been recently documented residing in western Atlantic waters. To date, the most successful marine invasive species in the Atlantic is the lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles), which, as for the panther grouper, is assumed to have been introduced to the wild through aquarium releases. However, unlike lionfish, the panther grouper is not yet thought to have an established breeding population in the Atlantic. Using a proven modeling technique developed to track the lionfish invasion, presented is the first …

Does Presence Of A Mid-Ocean Ridge Enhance Biomass And Biodiversity?, Imants G. Priede, Odd Aksel Bergstad, Peter I. Miller, M. Vecchione, Andrey Gebruk, Tone Falkenhaug, David S. M. Billett, Jessica Craig, Andrew C. Dale, Mark A. Shields, Gavin H. Tilstone, Tracey Sutton, Andrew J. Gooday, Mark E. Inall, Daniel O. B. Jones, Victor Martinez-Vicente, Gui Menezes, Tomasz Niedzielski, Thorsteinn Sigurdsson, Nina Rothe, Antonina Rogacheva, Claudia H. S. Alt, Timothy Brand, Richard Abell, Andrew S. Brierley, Nicola J. Cousins, Deborah Crockard, A. Rus Hoelzel, Age Hoines, Tom B. Letessier, Jane F. Read, Tracy Shimmield, Martin J. Cox, John K. Galbraith, John D. M. Gordon, Tammy Horton, Francis Neat, Pascal Lorance

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

In contrast to generally sparse biological communities in open-ocean settings, seamounts and ridges are perceived as areas of elevated productivity and biodiversity capable of supporting commercial fisheries. We investigated the origin of this apparent biological enhancement over a segment of the North Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) using sonar, corers, trawls, traps, and a remotely operated vehicle to survey habitat, biomass, and biodiversity. Satellite remote sensing provided information on flow patterns, thermal fronts, and primary production, while sediment traps measured export flux during 2007–2010. The MAR, 3,704,404 km² in area, accounts for 44.7% lower bathyal habitat (800–3500 m depth) in the …

Comparative Visual Function In Predatory Fishes From The Indian River Lagoon, D. Michelle Mccomb, Stephen M. Kajiura, Andrij Horodysky, Tamara M. Frank

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Visual temporal resolution and spectral sensitivity of three coastal teleost species (common snook [Centropomus undecimalis], gray snapper [Lutjanus griseus], and pinfish [Lagodon rhomboides]) were investigated by electroretinogram. Temporal resolution was quantified under photopic and scotopic conditions using response waveform dynamics and maximum critical flicker fusion frequency (CFF_max). Photopic CFF_max was significantly higher than scotopic CFF_max in all species. The snapper had the shortest photoreceptor response latency time (26.7 ms) and the highest CFF_max (47 Hz), suggesting that its eyes are adapted for a brighter photic environment. In contrast, the …

Microhabitat Selection By Marine Mesoconsumers In A Thermally Heterogeneous Habitat: Behavioral Thermoregulation Or Avoiding Predation Risk?, Jeremy Vaudo, Michael Heithaus

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Habitat selection decisions by consumers has the potential to shape ecosystems. Understanding the factors that influence habitat selection is therefore critical to understanding ecosystem function. This is especially true of mesoconsumers because they provide the link between upper and lower tropic levels. We examined the factors influencing microhabitat selection of marine mesoconsumers – juvenile giant shovelnose rays (Glaucostegus typus), reticulate whiprays (Himantura uarnak), and pink whiprays (H. fai) – in a coastal ecosystem with intact predator and prey populations and marked spatial and temporal thermal heterogeneity. Using a combination of belt transects and data …

Coral Population Trajectories, Increased Disturbance And Management Intervention: A Sensitivity Analysis, Bernhard Riegl, M. L. Berumen, Andrew Bruckner

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Coral reefs distant from human population were sampled in the Red Sea and one-third showed degradation by predator outbreaks (crown-of-thorns-starfish = COTS observed in all regions in all years) or bleaching (1998, 2010). Models were built to assess future trajectories. They assumed variable coral types (slow/fast growing), disturbance frequencies (5,10,20 years), mortality (equal or not), and connectivity (un/connected to un/disturbed community). Known disturbances were used to parameterize models. Present and future disturbances were estimated from remote-sensing chlorophyll and temperature data. Simulations and sensitivity analysis suggest community resilience at >20-year disturbance frequency, but degradation at higher frequency. Trajectories move from fast-grower …

Supplemental Feeding For Ecotourism Reverses Diel Activity And Alters Movement Patterns And Spatial Distribution Of The Southern Stingray, Dasyatis Americana, Mark John Corcoran, Bradley M. Wetherbee, Mahmood S. Shivji, Matthew Potenski, Demian D. Chapman, Guy Harvey

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Southern stingrays, Dasyatis americana, have been provided supplemental food in ecotourism operations at Stingray City Sandbar (SCS), Grand Cayman since 1986, with this site becoming one of the world’s most famous and heavily visited marine wildlife interaction venues. Given expansion of marine wildlife interactive tourism worldwide, there are questions about the effects of such activities on the focal species and their ecosystems. We used a combination of acoustic telemetry and tag-recapture efforts to test the hypothesis that human-sourced supplemental feeding has altered stingray activity patterns and habitat use at SCS relative to wild animals at control sites. Secondarily, we …

Synthesizing Larval Competence Dynamics And Reef-Scale Retention Reveals A High Potential For Self-Recruitment In Corals, Joana Figueiredo, Andrew H. Baird, Sean R. Connolly

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Many organisms have a complex life-cycle in which dispersal occurs at the propagule stage. For marine environments, there is growing evidence that high levels of recruitment back to the natal population (self-recruitment) are common in many marine organisms. For fish, swimming behavior is frequently invoked as a key mechanism allowing high self-recruitment. For organisms with weak-swimming larvae, such as many marine invertebrates, the mechanisms behind self-recruitment are less clear. Here, we assessed whether the combination of passive retention of larvae due to re-circulation processes near reefs, and the dynamics of settlement competence, can produce the high levels of self-recruitment previously …

Characterization Of The Heart Transcriptome Of The White Shark (Carcharodon Carcharias), Vincent P. Richards, Haruo Suzuki, Michael J. Stanhope, Mahmood S. Shivji

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Background: The white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) is a globally distributed, apex predator possessing physical, physiological, and behavioral traits that have garnered it significant public attention. In addition to interest in the genetic basis of its form and function, as a representative of the oldest extant jawed vertebrate lineage, white sharks are also of conservation concern due to their small population size and threat from overfishing. Despite this, surprisingly little is known about the biology of white sharks, and genomic resources are unavailable. To address this deficit, we combined Roche-454 and Illumina sequencing technologies to characterize the first …

A New List Of Cuban Crinoids (Echinodermata: Crinoidea), Ruber Rodriguez-Barreras, Charles G. Messing

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

This review is based on the most recent taxonomic classification of extant Cuban Crinoidea. Existing material in natural history collections in Cuba was analyzed in detail and accurately reflects species presence. The crinoid literature was also reviewed. Several previously unpublished observations of species found in waters off Cuba have also been included. This paper provides the most up to date description of the Cuban crinoid fauna. Habitat, distribution, depth range and localities in Cuba are reported for each species. Collection codes for available specimens are included when known. The work describes a total of 33 species (plus two subspecies) in …

Habitat Characterization, Distribution, And Areal Extent Of Deep-Sea Coral Ecosystems Off Florida, Southeastern U.S.A., John K. Reed, Charles G. Messing, Brian K. Walker, Sandra Brooke, Thiago B.S. Correa, Myra Brouwer, Tina Udouj, Stephanie Farrington

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

The deep-sea (200-1000 m) seafloor off the southeastern U.S. has a variety of extensive deep-sea coral ecosystem (DSCE) habitats including: deep-water coral mounds; various hard-bottom habitats off Florida including the Miami Terrace, Pourtales Terrace, and deep-water canyons (Agassiz and Tortugas Valleys); and deep island slopes off western Bahamas and northern Cuba. The dominant structure-forming scleractinian corals are Lophelia pertusa and Enallopsammia profunda; other structure-forming taxa include stylasterid corals, gorgonians, black corals, and sponges. This biota is associated with hard-bottom seafloor of variable high-relief topography which can be remotely identified from bathymetric data. NOAA bathymetric contour maps and digital elevation …

Reconstruction Of Family-Level Phylogenetic Relationships Within Demospongiae (Porifera) Using Nuclear Encoded Housekeeping Genes, Malcolm S. Hill, April L. Hill, Jose V. Lopez, Kevin J. Peterson, Shirley Pomponi, Maria C. Diaz, Robert W. Thacker, Maja Adamska, Nicole Boury-Esnault, Paco Cárdenas, Andia Chaves-Fonnegra, Elizabeth Danka, Bre-Onna De Laine, Dawn Formica, Eduardo Hajdu, Gisele Lobo-Hajdu, Sarah Klontz, Christine C. Morrow, Jignasa Patel, Bernard Picton, Davide Pisani, Deborah Pohlmann, Niamh E. Redmond, John Reed, Stacy Richey, Ana Riesgo, Ewelina Rubin, Zach Russell, Klaus Rützler, Erik A. Sperling, Michael Di Stefano, James E. Tarver, Allen G. Collins

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Background: Demosponges are challenging for phylogenetic systematics because of their plastic and relatively simple morphologies and many deep divergences between major clades. To improve understanding of the phylogenetic relationships within Demospongiae, we sequenced and analyzed seven nuclear housekeeping genes involved in a variety of cellular functions from a diverse group of sponges.

Methodology/Principal Findings: We generated data from each of the four sponge classes (i.e., Calcarea, Demospongiae, Hexactinellida, and Homoscleromorpha), but focused on family-level relationships within demosponges. With data for 21 newly sampled families, our Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian-based approaches recovered previously phylogenetically defined taxa: Keratosa^p, …

Depth-Variable Settlement Patterns And Predation Influence On Newly Settled Reef Fishes (Haemulon Spp., Haemulidae), Lance K. B. Jordan, Kenyon C. Lindeman, Richard E. Spieler

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

During early demersal ontogeny, many marine fishes display complex habitat-use patterns. Grunts of the speciose genus Haemulon are among the most abundant fishes on western North Atlantic coral reefs, with most species settling to shallow habitats (≤12 m). To gain understanding into cross-shelf distributional patterns exhibited by newly settled stages of grunts (<2 cm total length), we examined: 1) depth-specific distributions of congeners at settlement among sites at 8 m, 12 m, and 21 m, and 2) depth-variable predation pressure on newly settled individuals (species pooled). Of the six species identified from collections of newly settled specimens (n = 2125), Haemulon aurolineatum (tomtate), H. flavolineatum(French grunt), and H. striatum (striped grunt) comprised 98% of the total abundance; with the first two species present at all sites. Prevalence of H. aurolineatum and H. flavolineatumdecreased substantially from the 8-m site to the two deeper sites. In contrast, …

Global Trophic Position Comparison Of Two Dominant Mesopelagic Fish Families (Myctophidae, Stomiidae) Using Amino Acid Nitrogen Isotopic Analyses, C. Anela Choy, Peter C. Davison, Jeffrey C. Drazen, Adrian Flynn, Elizabeth J. Gier, Joel C. Hoffman, Jennifer P. Mcclain-Counts, Todd W. Miller, Brian N. Popp, Steve W. Ross, Tracey Sutton

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

The δ15N values of organisms are commonly used across diverse ecosystems to estimate trophic position and infer trophic connectivity. We undertook a novel cross-basin comparison of trophic position in two ecologically well-characterized and different groups of dominant mid-water fish consumers using amino acid nitrogen isotope compositions. We found that trophic positions estimated from the δ15N values of individual amino acids are nearly uniform within both families of these fishes across five global regions despite great variability in bulk tissue δ15N values. Regional differences in the δ15N values of phenylalanine confirmed that bulk tissue δ15N values reflect region-specific water mass biogeochemistry …

Air-Sea Interface In Hurricane Conditions, Alexander Soloviev, A. Fujimura, Silvia Matt

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Improving hurricane prediction models requires better understanding of complex processes taking place at the air-sea interface at high wind speeds. The change of the air-sea interaction regime in hurricane conditions has been linked to the mechanism of direct disruption of the air-sea interface by pressure fluctuations working against the surface tension force. This can be achieved through the Kelvin-Helmholtz type instability. In order to investigate this mechanism, we have conducted a series of 3D numerical experiments using a volume of fluid multiphase model. The experiments were initialized with either a flat interface or short wavelets and wind stress applied at …

Light And Vision In The Deep-Sea Benthos: Ii. Vision In Deep-Sea Crustaceans, Tamara M. Frank, Sönke Johnsen, Thomas W. Cronin

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Using new collecting techniques with the Johnson-Sea-Link submersible, eight species of deep-sea benthic crustaceans were collected with intact visual systems. Their spectral sensitivities and temporal resolutions were determined shipboard using electroretinography. Useable spectral sensitivity data were obtained from seven species, and in the dark-adapted eyes, the spectral sensitivity peaks were in the blue region of the visible spectrum, ranging from 470 to 497 nm. Under blue chromatic adaptation, a secondary sensitivity peak in the UV portion of the spectrum appeared for two species of anomuran crabs:Eumunida picta (λ_max 363 nm) and Gastroptychus spinifer (λ_max 383 nm). Wavelength-specific …

Light And Vision In The Deep-Sea Benthos: I. Bioluminescence At 500-1000 M Depth In The Bahamian Islands, Sönke Johnsen, Tamara M. Frank, Steven H.D. Haddock, Edith A. Widder, Charles G. Messing

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Bioluminescence is common and well studied in mesopelagic species. However, the extent of bioluminescence in benthic sites of similar depths is far less studied, although the relatively large eyes of benthic fish, crustaceans and cephalopods at bathyal depths suggest the presence of significant biogenic light. Using the Johnson-Sea-Link submersible, we collected numerous species of cnidarians, echinoderms, crustaceans, cephalopods and sponges, as well as one annelid from three sites in the northern Bahamas (500–1000 m depth). Using mechanical and chemical stimulation, we tested the collected species for light emission, and photographed and measured the spectra of the emitted light. In addition, …

Development And Characterization Of 11 Novel Microsatellite Loci For The Roundscale Spearfish Tetrapturus Georgii And Their Cross-Species Amplification Among Other Istiophorid Species, Andrea M. Bernard, Kevin A. Feldheim, Mahmood S. Shivji

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Eleven novel polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed and characterized for the recently validated roundscale spearfish Tetrapturus georgii. Characterization of these markers, based on 35 roundscale spearfish from the western North Atlantic, revealed two to 21 alleles per locus with an average expected heterozygosity (HE) of 0·09–0·94, and all loci conformed to Hardy–Weinberg expectations. Cross-amplification of these 11 loci against all other eight known istiophorid species indicates promising prospects for the utility of these markers for istiophorids in general.

Small-Scale Mapping Of Indeterminate Arborescent Acroporid Coral (Acropora Cervicornis) Patches, Brian K. Walker, E. A. Larson, Alison L. Moulding, David S. Gilliam

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Western Atlantic populations of the staghorn coral Acropora cervicornis have drastically declined over the past few decades. Hence, interest in its ecology and spatial extent has increased. Acroporid corals with indeterminate arborescent growth like A.cervicornis primarily reproduce asexually by fragmentation, which can lead to extensive monotypic patches. Since fragmentation is a major component in indeterminate acroporid reproduction, these patches may expand or move over time. Periodic perimeter mapping facilitates comparison of patch areas to determine movement or expansion. A repeatable, low-cost method using a differential GPS carried by a snorkeler was employed to map the perimeter of A.cervicornis …

The Consumption Of Dha During Embryogenesis As An Indicative Of The Need To Supply Dha During Early Larval Development: A Review, Joana Figueiredo, Junda Lin, Justin Anto, Luis Narciso

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

The establishment of an adequate larval diet for crustacean and fish often involves a series of time-consuming and expensive trial and errors. Despite being nutritionally poor, rotifers and Artemia are the most commonly used preys in larviculture. Whether (and to what extent) the prey needs to be enriched with essential fatty acids differs from species to species. We hypothesized that the DHA content of a newly spawned eggs and its consumption through embryogenesis can be a good indicator of the need to enrich the prey with DHA. In order to assess this hypothesis, we performed a search in the scientific …

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 …

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 …

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 …