Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Commons^™

Age And Growth Of Scotia Sea Icefish, Chaenocephalus Aceratus, From The South Shetland Islands, M. La Mesa, J. Ashford, E. Larson, M. Vacchi

OES Faculty Publications

Samples of Chaenocephalus aceratus (Lönnberg) were collected during a trawl survey carried out around the South Shetland Islands in January–February 2002. Fish were caught by commercial bottom trawl fishing down to 500 m depth, using a stratified randomized sampling design. As observed in other recent surveys within the same area, C. aceratus represented one of the predominant species. Overall, 357 specimens ranging from 13 and 67 cm (TL) were selected for the present study. Ages were estimated by counting annuli present in the sagittal otoliths, exposed by grinding and polishing along their sagittal plane. To estimate the precision of age …

Dinitrogen Fixation And Release Of Ammonium And Dissolved Organic Nitrogen By Trichodesmium Ims101, Margaret R. Mulholland, Deborah A. Bronk, Douglas G. Capone

OES Faculty Publications

Two methods used to measure dinitrogen (N₂) fixation (acetylene reduction and ¹⁵N₂ uptake) often result in different N₂ fixation rates. Part of the discrepancy may arise from the observation that Trichodesmium can release a fraction of their recently fixed N₂ as dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and/or ammonium (NH4 ⁺). To resolve outstanding issues regarding N₂ fixation and the production of dissolved combined nitrogen (N) by Trichodesmium, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of N₂ fixation and the production of DON and NH₄⁺ in cultures of Trichodesmium IMS101. We performed …

A Holocene Record Of Changing Arctic Ocean Ice Drift Analogous To The Effects Of The Arctic Oscillation, Dennis A. Darby, Jens F. Bischof

OES Faculty Publications

The Arctic Oscillation (AO) controls the configuration of the Transpolar Drift (TPD). If thicker ice from the Beaufort Gyre were exported, the volume of fresh water/sea ice in the Nordic seas would significantly increase, decreasing the formation of North Atlantic deep water. This would cool large parts of the Northern Hemisphere and affect global climate. Therefore, in order to understand how the global climate system functions, it is imperative to know how the TPD changed over the last millennium or more. The provenance of grains in a sediment core located near the confluence of the TPD and the Beaufort Gyre …

(Under)Mining The Seabed? Between The International Seabed Authority Mining Code And Sustainable Bioprospecting Of Hydrothermal Vent Ecosystems In The Seabed Area: Taking Precaution Seriously, Ikechi Mgbeoji

Articles & Book Chapters

Rapid developments in marine biotechnology and the prospect of sea-bed mining have exposed the inadequacy of legal frameworks to regulation the exploration exploitation, and sharing of the benefits that arise from such marine endeavors. The fact of the matter is that despite the giant strides made in and the huge financial stakes involved in bioprospecting of hydro-thermal vent ecosystems, legal issues raised by profitable biotechnology development through marine scientific research (MSR) are still at an infant and underdeveloped stage. This article evaluates the extent to which the present legal order for the mining of seabed polymetallic nodules with its tangential …

Stable Isotopic And Trace Metal Analyses Of Two Porites Lobata Colonies - Oahu, Hawaii: Implications For Past Seasonal Variation And Sea Surface Temperatures And Anthropogenic Effects On The Reef Environment, Jonathan Macdonald

Geology Theses and Dissertations

Corals from the western and equatorial Pacific Ocean have been extensively studied for the purposes of generating paleoclimate reconstructions spanning the last several hundred years. However, in the central subtropical North Pacific, there are currently few published coral records extending beyond 10 to 20 years. The hermatypic coral species Porites lobata and Porites lutea have proven to be useful indicators of paleoclimate and past sea surface conditions at other locations. Here I have analyzed two Porites lobata coral cores collected from colonies from opposite sides of Oahu, Hawaii to assess their utility for developing multi-decadal length climatic reconstructions in this …

Sources Of Ancient Maize Found In Chacoan Great Houses, Larry Benson

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Between the 9th and 12th centuries A.D., Chaco Canyon, located near the middle of the high-desert San Juan Basin of north-central New Mexico (fig. 1), was the focus of an unprecedented construction effort by pre-Columbian Native Americans. It has been estimated that from 2,000 to 6,000 people occupied Chaco Canyon during its heyday (Windes, 1984; Drager, 1976). One indication of Chaco’s regional importance is a network of roads that linked Chaco Canyon with other great houses and communities spread throughout a region covering at least 60,000 km2 (fig. 2). At the height of its cultural florescence in the 11th century, …

Advection, Krill, And Antarctic Marine Ecosystems, Eileen E. Hofmann, Eugene J. Murphy

CCPO Publications

Advective processes are recognized as being important in structuring and maintaining marine ecosystems. In the Southern Ocean advective effects are perhaps most clearly observed because the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) provides a connection between most parts of the system, including open ocean and continental shelf regions. The ACC also provides a mechanism for large-scale transport of plankton, such as Antarctic krill (Euphousia superba Dana), which is an important component of the Southern Ocean food web. This overview provides a summary of recent observational and modelling results that consider the importance of advection to the Southern Ocean ecosystem and, in particular, …

Method Analysis Of Laboratory Measures Of Stream Sediment And Water Phosphorus Equilibrium, Anna L. Erickson, Stephanie M. Williamson, Brian E. Haggard

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Elevated phosphorus concentrations in aquatic ecosystems of northwest Arkansas prompted an investigation of the effects of sample preparation and extraction methods on laboratory measures of sediment-phosphorus interactions. Two streams of contrasting phosphorus (P) concentrations were selected to determine the effect of using a CaCl2 solution instead of filtered stream water, refrigerated or dried sediments instead of fresh wet sediments, and vortexing the suspensions instead of shaking them. Sediment equilibrium P concentration (EPC0) and P buffering capacity (K) were used to determine differences in extraction methods. EPC0 and K from extractions using fresh sediments and a CaCl2 solution matching the electrical …

Assessment And Restoration Of A Neighborhood Wetland Invaded By Exotic Plant Species, Ryan Neal, Kimberly R. Payne, Lorena Moreno, Graham Duffy, Jonathan Peck, Mary C. Savin

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

The University of Arkansas Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences (CSES) Club adopted a local wetland in the spring of 2002 through the Fayetteville Parks and Recreation Department. This project has allowed students to interact with local community and governmental organizations as well as other academic departments within the university. Students have gained valuable laboratory and field experience through characterizing hydric soils, identifying bird and plant species, and analyzing water quality, soil nutrients, and microbial biomass. Under the main goal of restoring the wetland, the club has outlined both short and long-term objectives including soil and water assessments; removal of two …

Estimation Of Drag Coefficient In James River Estuary Using Tidal Velocity Data From A Vessel-Towed Adcp, Chunyan Li, Arnoldo Valle-Levinson, Larry P. Atkinson, Kuo Chuin Wong, Kamazima M. M. Lwiza

CCPO Publications

[1] A phase-matching method is introduced to calculate the bottom drag coefficient in tidal channels with significant lateral variation of depth. The method is based on the fact that the bottom friction in a tidal channel causes tidal velocity to have a phase difference across the channel. The calculation involves a few steps. First, the observed horizontal velocity components are analyzed to obtain the amplitude and phase of the velocity at the major tidal frequency. The phase of the longitudinal velocity is then fitted to a relationship derived from the linearized momentum balance. The drag coefficient is then calculated. This …

Numerical Study Of The Diapycnal Flow Through A Tidal Front With Passive Tracers, Chingming Dong, Robert Houghton, Hsien-Wang Ou, Dake Chen, Tal Ezer

CCPO Publications

A two-dimensional numerical model is used to study the diapycnal flow through a tidal front with passive tracers. In a basic numerical experiment a passive tracer is released into the bottom water at the offshore edge of a tidal front, and it subsequently moves on-bank with a velocity that decreases with time. This qualitatively agrees with a recent field experiment using a dye tracer on Georges Bank. Additional experiments are performed to investigate the sensitivity of the tracer dispersion to the tidal phase and the location of tracer release within the front. As the release point is moved on-bank across …

Simulations Of The Influence Of The West Caribbean Sea Circulation And Eddies On The Meso-American Barrier Reef System, Tal Ezer, Deeptha V. Thattai, Björn Kjerve

CCPO Publications

The Meso-American Barrier Reef System (MBRS) along the coasts of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras is an ecologically and biologically sensitive region. It provides for example, major spawning aggregation sites for various species of fish; these activities may be influenced by variations of the flow near the reef and the transports between the MBRS and the Caribbean Sea circulation. Caribbean eddies, which may play an important role in flow variability, have been studied in the past by observations and models (Carton and Chao, 1999; Murphy et al., 1999; Andrade and Barton, 2000; Oey et al., 2003), but knowledge of their …

On The Sensitivity Of The West Caribbean Sea Circulation To Tides, Wind, And Mesoscale Ocean Eddies: A Three-Dimensional Ocean Model Study, Deeptha V. Thattai, Tal Ezer, Bjorn Kjerfve

CCPO Publications

A three-dimensional, primitive equation ocean model is used to study the circulation in the West Caribbean Sea (WCS) region, and to test the sensitivity of the coastal flow to various forcing fields such as tides, climatological wind, and Caribbean eddies. The model domain is bordered by latitudes 15 – 22 degrees N and longitudes 76 – 87 degrees W, with the MesoAmerican Barrier Reef System (MBRS, along the coasts of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras) and the southern coast of Cuba as land boundaries. The WCS is open to the Caribbean Sea in the southeast and the Yucatan Channel in …

A Modelling Study Of The Influence Of Environment And Food Supply On Survival Of Crassostrea Gigas Larvae, Eileen E. Hofmann, Eric N. Powell, Eleanor A. Bochenek, John M. Klinck

CCPO Publications

A biochemically based model was developed to simulate the growth, development, and metamorphosis of larvae of the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas). The unique characteristics of the model are that it: (1) defines larvae in terms of their protein, neutral lipid, polar lipid, carbohydrate, and ash content; (2) tracks weight separately from length to follow larval condition; and (3) includes genetic variation in growth efficiency and egg quality to better simulate cohort population dynamics. The model includes parameterizations for filtration, ingestion, and respiration, which determine larval growth rate, and processes controlling larval mortality and metamorphosis. Changes in larval tissue …

Lagrangian Modelling Studies Of Antarctic Krill (Euphausia Superba) Swarm Formation, Eileen E. Hofmann, A. G. Edward Haskell, John M. Klinck, Cathy M. Lascara

CCPO Publications

A two-dimensional Lagrangian particle model was developed to examine the spatial distribution of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba). The time-dependent location of particles, which represent krill individuals, is determined by random diffusion, foraging activity, and movement induced by the presence of neighbours. Foraging activity is based on prescribed food conditions and is such that krill swim slower and turn more frequently in areas of high food concentration. The presence or absence of neighbours either disperses krill, if the local concentrations become too dense, or coalesces krill, if concentrations become too dilute, respectively. Predation on krill is included and affects …

Satellite Evidence Of Hurricane-Induced Phytoplankton Blooms In An Oceanic Desert, S. M. Babin, J. A. Carton, T. D. Dickey, J. D. Wiggert

CCPO Publications

The physical effects of hurricanes include deepening of the mixed layer and decreasing of the sea surface temperature in response to entrainment, curl-induced upwelling, and increased upper ocean cooling. However, the biological effects of hurricanes remain relatively unexplored. In this paper, we examine the passages of 13 hurricanes through the Sargasso Sea region of the North Atlantic during the years 1998 through 2001. Remotely sensed ocean color shows increased concentrations of surface chlorophyll within the cool wakes of the hurricanes, apparently in response to the injection of nutrients and/or biogenic pigments into the oligotrophic surface waters. This increase in post-storm …

Feeding Ecology And Morphometric Analysis Of Paddlefish, Polyodon Spathula, In The Mermentau River, Louisiana, Nicole Adele Smith

LSU Master's Theses

Little is known about the morphometrics and the feeding ecology of paddlefish in Louisiana. I examined the morphometrics and feeding ecology of paddlefish from the Mermentau River, Louisiana from March 2002 to February 2003. Paddlefish were examined morphometrically by taking measurements of eye-fork length (EFL), body cavity length (BCL), girth (G), vent girth (VG), mouth vertical (MTB), mouth horizontal (MSS), and mouth gullet bottom (MGB) to determine which parameters would give a better estimate of weight (W). Regression analysis resulted in a morphometric model of the form: logW = 10.10 + 1.52 (logEFL) + 1.21 (logG) + 0.24 (logVG) (r2 …

Transport And Deposition Of Fluid Mud Event Layers Along The Western Louisiana Inner Shelf, Kristina Anne Rotondo

LSU Master's Theses

The western Louisiana inner shelf along the Chenier Plain coast has experienced fluid mud deposition in response to increased fine sediment supplied by the Atchafalaya River since ~1950’s. The goal of this project is to assess the characteristics comprising the sedimentary strata and stratigraphic architecture that result from mud deposition on the inner shelf. Recent time-series cores collected from the inner shelf along the Chenier plain coast show the region is subject to transient fluid mud deposition, leading to high long-term accumulation rates. Sediment cores were collected in May 2001, March and May 2002 from the inner shelf landward of …

The Fidelity Of Red Snapper (Lutjanus Campechanus) To Petroleum Platforms And Artificial Reefs In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Megan Blythe Peabody

LSU Master's Theses

The habitat value of petroleum platforms for red snapper, Lutjanus campechanus, is poorly understood. However, it is widely recognized by both scientists and fishermen that the presence of platforms in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) has affected the distribution of red snapper by the addition of hard substrate habitat. I evaluated the habitat value of standing and toppled platforms by monitoring the fidelity of red snapper to these structures with acoustic telemetry. In May 2003, 125 red snapper were captured with hook and line at several platforms in a 35-km2 portion of the South Timbalier oil and gas lease …

The Effects Of Nutrient Enrichment On The Decomposition Of Belowground Organic Matter In A Sagittaria Lancifolia - Dominated Oligohaline Marsh, Kristen Raye Laursen

LSU Master's Theses

Wetlands improve water quality through sedimentation and the uptake of excess nutrients. As human population increases in the coastal zone, wetlands receive greater nutrient inputs. These additional nutrients may accelerate microbial activity, leading to faster decomposition rates. This decomposition could exceed belowground organic matter production, resulting in a net reduction in soil organic matter accumulation and vertical marsh accretion. The effects of nutrient enrichment on belowground organic matter decomposition in subtropical marshes have received little attention. As such, this research examined the effects of four levels of nitrogen combined with two levels of phosphorus enrichment on belowground decomposition through the …

Tailwater Recovery Systems For Irrigation: Benefit/Cost Analysis And Water Resource Conservation Technique In Northeast Arkansas, Jennifer L. Bouldin, Nate A. Bickford, H. B. Stroud, G. S. Guha

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Water, one of the earth's most vital resources, is particularly significant in the Arkansas Delta agricultural landscape. While both surface and groundwater are extremely important, 94% of the 26.9 billion L (7.1 billion gal) of water pumped daily from the Alluvial Aquifer is used for agricultural purposes. This common property is subsequently being depleted and sustainable conservation methods are being pursued. State and federal incentive programs encourage the use of a tailwater recovery system in agricultural irrigation. With the use of a complete recovery system, benefits include not only government incentives for wetland habitat, but reduced groundwater use and decreased …

Impact Of Black Shale Weathering On Sediment Quality, G. M. Ogendi, R. E. Hannigan, Jerry L. Farris, D. Smith

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Weathering of black shales leads to elevated metal concentrations in both surface water and stream sediments. In spite of the recent focus on black shales, few data exist on the ecological impacts of this process particularly on aquatic organisms. The key objective of this study was to determine the impact of trace metal concentrations in sediments upon aquatic organisms. To achieve the above objective, stream sediment samples were collected from streams draining black shale and limestone (used as a reference stream) lithologies located in central Arkansas between June 2003 and January 2004. Trace metal concentrations were measured by the dynamic …

Comparison Of Dissolved And Acid-Extractable Metal Concentrations In Groundwater, Eastern Arkansas, Burmshik Kim, Kenneth F. Steele, Todd Fugitt

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Modeled And Observed Empirical Orthogonal Functions Of Currents In The Yucatan Channel, Gulf Of Mexico, Lie-Yauw Oey, Tal Ezer, Wilton Sturges

CCPO Publications

Candela et al. [2003] have reported empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analyses based on 23-month current-meter and acoustic Doppler current profiler measurements in the Yucatan Channel. Those authors noted the difference between EOFs obtained from observations and their z-level models and EOFs calculated by Ezer et al. [2003] from the results of a terrain-following model. Here a new analysis is reported that explains this difference, and that also suggests the importance of shelf-edge meander mode of the core Loop Current in the channel. We show that the terrain-following model gives EOFs with characteristics similar to those observed when data from the …

Groundwater Trends In The Kent-Frankland Sub-Region, Arjen Ryder

Natural resources published reports

The South Coast Regional Initiative Planning Team (SCRIPT) has divided the South Coast region of Western Australia into six sub-regions. Kent-Frankland covers the catchments of the Frankland, Gordon and Kent' Rivers. Approximately two-thirds (450,000 ha) has been cleared for agriculture. This publication describes the groundwater trends, risk of shallow watertables, and technical feasibility of salinity management on agricultural land.

Soil-landscape zones are spatial units based on geology and geomorphology. Since most groundwater processes in WA are controlled by the geologic and regolith properties, these zones can be used for allocating hydrological attributes, such as groundwater characteristics and trends. The hydrological …

Groundwater Trends In The Albany Hinterland Sub-Region, Arjen Ryder

Natural resources published reports

The South Coast Regional Initiative Planning Team (SCRIPT) has divided the South Coast region of Western Australia into six sub-regions The Albany Hinterland is in the western portion (see Figure 1). It is bounded by the Pallinup River in the east. Stirling Ranges to the north and the Kent River catchment boundary in the west. Two-thirds (580.000 ha) of the sub-region has been cleared for agriculture This publication describes the groundwater trends, risk of shallow watertables, and technical feasibility of salinity management within the agricultural land

Soil-landscape zones are spatial units based on geology and geomorphology. Since most groundwater processes …

Vemap Phase 2 Bioclimatic Database. I. Gridded Historical (20th Century) Climate For Modeling Ecosystem Dynamics Across The Conterminous Usa, T. G. F. Kittel, N. A. Rosenbloom, J. A. Royle, C. Daly, W. P. Gibson, H. H. Fisher, P. Thornton, D. N. Yates, C. Kaufman, R. Mckeown, D. Bachelet, D. S. Schimel, Steven W. Running, Vemap2 Participants

Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences Faculty Publications

Analysis and simulation of biospheric responses to historical forcing require surface climate data that capture those aspects of climate that control ecological processes, including key spatial gradients and modes of temporal variability. We developed a multivariate, gridded historical climate dataset for the conterminous USA as a common input database for the Vegetation/Ecosystem Modeling and Analysis Project (VEMAP), a biogeochemical and dynamic vegetation model intercomparison. The dataset covers the period 1895-1993 on a 0.5° latitude/longitude grid. Climate is represented at both monthly and daily timesteps. Variables are: precipitation, mininimum and maximum temperature, total incident solar radiation, daylight-period irradiance, vapor pressure, and …

Phytoplankton Composition Within The Tidal Freshwater-Oligohaline Regions Of The Rappahannock And Pamunkey Rivers In Virginia, Harold G. Marshall, Lubomira Burchardt

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The Rappahannock River is a major river system across north central Virginia prior to entering the Chesapeake Bay. In contrast, the Pamunkey River is smaller in size and joins the Mattoponi River to form the York River, which flows parallel to the Rappahannock before it also flows into Chesapeake Bay. A unique mixing area for both flora and environmental conditions exists in the tidal freshwater-oligohaline region of both rivers. This is a dynamic mixing section where freshwater and estuarine species are subject to the interaction of river flow and daily tidal rhythms. The phytoplankton composition in this region of the …

Winter 2004, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.

Summer 2004, Nova Southeastern University

Currents

No abstract provided.