Oceanography Commons^™

Aquatic Macrophytes As Nature-Based Solutions: Challenges And Opportunities Across Inland And Coastal Waters, Morgan Botrel, Roxane Maranger, Lindsay L. Trottier, Mathieu Cusson, Lars L. Iverson, Fanny Noisette, Christian Nozais, Katrine Turgeon, Andrea Bertolo, Thibaud André-Alphonse, Simon Bélanger, Arthur De Grandpré, Jean-Olivier Goyette, Sabine Hilt, Ladd Johnson, Valérie Langlois, Martin Laporte, Félix Lauzon, Brigitte Légaré, Anne Ola, Marie-Pomme Presne-Poissant, Matthieu Prugne, Caroline Susini, Richard Zimmerman

OES Faculty Publications

Macrophytes are foundation species whose use as nature-based solution (NbS) in aquatic ecosystems can help reduce climate change impacts while mitigating biodiversity loss. The discrepancy in research and application of macrophytes as NbS across inland and marine coastal ecosystems is an opportunity to expand the concept and learn from different approaches. We report on an initiative uniting marine and freshwater scientists that compared knowledge on macrophytes as NbS across realms, identified advances and gaps in their use, and synthesized challenges and opportunities for application. We conducted a bibliometric analysis and an expert participatory exercise around recent review papers. We reveal …

Margalefidinium Polykrikoides Group Iii Va, Usa Strain Growth And Sac-Like Pellicle Cyst Dynamics, Eduardo Pérez Vega

OES Theses and Dissertations

Margalefidinium polykrikoides is a harmful cosmopolitan dinoflagellate that blooms in coastal waters. The effect of temperature and salinity on the growth of M. polykrikoides VA strain was examined using microscopy and growth models. M. polykrikoides Group III VA strain grew better at warmer temperatures and lower salinities than M. polykrikoides Group III NY strain, Group I Korea strain, and Japan strain (unknown group). Modelers need to use the temperature and salinity growth responses from M. polykrikoides Group III VA strain to better simulate and predict M. polykrikoides blooms in the Chesapeake Bay.

Dinoflagellates produce cysts as a strategy to withstand …

A Century Of Sediment Metal Contamination Of Mar Menor, Europe's Largest Saltwater Lagoon, Irene Alorda-Montiel, Valentí Rodellas, Ariane Arias-Ortiz, Albert Palanques, Andrea G. Bravo, Júlia Rodriguez-Puig, Aaron Alorda-Kleinglass, Carlos Green-Ruiz, Marc Diego-Feliu, Pere Masqué, Javier Gilabert, Jordi Garcia-Orellana

OES Faculty Publications

Coastal enclosed ecosystems, such as lagoons, are vulnerable to anthropogenic impacts because they favor the accumulation of contaminants from the surrounding watersheds, particularly in their sediments. Europe's largest saltwater lagoon, the Mar Menor (SE, Iberian Peninsula), is a highly impacted ecosystem and the first in the continent to be granted personhood rights. Based on a high-resolution spatial and temporal dataset, we present the historical reconstruction of metal contamination in this ecosystem during the last century. Our results highlight that sediment metal contamination has been mainly driven by the development of the mining industry in the nearby Sierra Minera de Cartagena-La …

The Δ¹³C Signature Of Dissolved Organic And Inorganic Carbon Reveals Complex Carbon Transformations Within A Salt Marsh, Meagan J. Eagle, Kevin D. Kroeger, John W. Pohlman, Joseph J. Tamborski, Zhaohui Aleck Wang, T. W. Brooks, Jennifer O. Keefe Suttles, Adrian Mann

OES Faculty Publications

Coastal wetlands have high rates of atmospheric CO₂ uptake, which is subsequently respired back to the atmosphere, stored as organic matter within flooded, anoxic soils, or exported to the coastal ocean. Transformation of fixed carbon occurs through a variety of subsurface aerobic and anaerobic microbial processes, and results in a large inventory of dissolved carbon. Carbon source and the roles of aerobic respiration, sulfate reduction, and methane cycling were evaluated within salt marsh peat and the underlying sandy subterranean estuary. There is a large increase in dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC, 7,350 ± 3,900 μmol L^-¹), dissolved organic carbon …

Selective Nutrient Incorporation May Underestimate Heterotrophy Of A Mixotrophic Reef-Building Coral, Connor R. Love, Marleen Stuhr, Michael D. Fox, Veronica Z. Radice, Maoz Fine, Kelton W. Mcmahon, David L. Valentine

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Mixotrophic reef-building corals acquire nutrition via photosynthate translocation from endosymbiotic microalgae and by heterotrophic prey/particle capture. Heterotrophy promotes resistance to, and recovery from, environmental stress, but quantifying coral heterotrophy remains difficult due to complex resource exchanges within the coral holobiont. We interrogated the response of multiple biomarkers to coral heterotrophy using fatty acid profiling and stable isotope analysis of Stylophora pistillata grown along a controlled feeding gradient from pure autotrophy to pure heterotrophy. We found that fatty acids and nitrogen were effectively incorporated into both coral host and symbiont tissues, while carbon, which is the primary target for conventional heterotrophy …

High Temporal Resolution Gene Expression Analysis Of Acute Heat Stress Response In Acropora Cervicornis And Porites Astreoides, Katherine Parker, Nicolas Evensen, Iliana Baums, Daniel Barshis

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Widespread coral bleaching and mortality events are becoming increasingly frequent due to rising ocean temperatures, though certain coral species and populations have displayed higher tolerance to elevated emperatures than others. As such, it is of high research priority to identify thermally tolerant coral populations for research and conservation and assess the biological mechanisms allowing these populations to survive exposure to higher temperatures. This research utilized the Coral Bleaching Automated Stress System (CBASS), a portable experimental aquaria system with precise temperature manipulation, to assess the thermal thresholds and heat stress response of two coral species from Summerland Key, FL, USA. Seven …

Spatiotemporal Patterns In Orbicella Faveolata Wound Regeneration As An Indicator Of Colony Health, Alexander G. Wheeler

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Anthropogenic (e.g. damage from anchors, scuba divers, tissue sampling) and natural disturbances (e.g. predation, storm damage) can result in wounding of live tissue on coral colonies. Wounding has been shown to detract from a common resource pool, increasing disease susceptibility and impairing coral growth and reproductive activity. Regeneration not only varies between species, but also between conspecifics in the same location. A colony’s capacity to regenerate tissue can be an indicator of a colony’s condition and resilience. Understanding the physiological and environmental factors that affect tissue regeneration alongside the ultimate impact of sampling (disease and predation correlations) are needed for …

Assessing The Impacts Of Anthropogenic Activities On Coral Reef Health In Ushongo, Tanzania Using Coral Diversity And Parrotfish Abundance As Indicators, Thao Mai

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Coral reefs, covering two-thirds of our oceans, are vital and diverse ecosystems, earning them the nickname of “rainforests of the sea”. Despite occupying only 1% of the ocean’s floor, they support 25% of all marine species, providing shelter, nursery ground and food, all the while also protecting the coast and providing job opportunities for local communities. Considered keystone species, coral reefs are highly sensitive to disturbances caused by pollution, climate change, but also anthropogenic activities such as coastal development, destructive fishing practices and tourism, endangering their existence and the entire marine ecosystem. Parrotfish, a crucial resident of these ecosystems, often …

Early Report Of A Microcosm Of The Fourth Major Global Bleaching Event: A Comprehensive Survey Of Coral Bleaching At Chumbe Island Coral Park, Zanzibar, Christian Boudreaux

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Coral reefs harbor a wealth of the biodiversity present in the ocean. They provide an array of ecological and economic services that make them crucial to the function of a healthy ocean and prosperous coastal communities. Due to an array of anthropogenic stressors, including an increase in ocean temperatures as a result of climate change, reefs have been devastated worldwide. This is, in large part, due to the process of coral bleaching, the expelling of symbiont algae which the coral needs to produce energy, for an extended period until death. This study surveyed bleaching and death at a deeper and …

Feasibility Study Of Coral Farming In Southwest Madagascar: In-Situ And Ex-Situ Approaches, Raquel Reis

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The southwest coast of Madagascar is home to hundreds of miles of coral reefs that for decades have been susceptible to intense degradation due to anthropogenic influences on marine environments. For reasons involving economic opportunity, conservation strategies, human health safeguarding and advancements to coral research, coral aquaculture in the Toliara region presents an opportunity to restore quality of life and the environment. Other countries in the west Indian ocean have seen great success in coral aquaculture; however, Madagascar, despite having ideal natural circumstances, has not deeply explored coral aquaculture. This review presents an investigation into the feasibility of coral farming, …

A Study Of Anthropogenic Impacts On Echinoderms In The Jambiani Intertidal Area, Zanzibar, Amaury O. Halley

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The coastal region of Jambiani, Unguja, hosts a rich diversity of marine life within its extensive intertidal zones. Despite its ecological significance, this area is increasingly exposed to anthropogenic disturbances due to increased human activities. This study examines the impacts of these disturbances on the biodiversity, zonation, and species abundance of echinoderms in the intertidal habitats of Jambiani. Through a comprehensive field study involving fifteen transects and detailed substrate analysis, the project evaluated the distribution and abundance of echinoderm species and assessed the influence of human activities such as seaweed farming, anchor damage, and beach trampling on these communities. The …

Submarine Groundwater Discharge As A Major Nutrient Source In River-Fed Vs. Tidally Dominated Estuaries, Stephanie J. Wilson, Joseph J. Tamborski, Bongkeun Song, Peter Bernhardt, Margaret R. Mulholland

OES Faculty Publications

The tidal tributaries of the lower Chesapeake Bay experience seasonally recurring harmful algal blooms and the significance of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) as a nutrient vector is largely unknown. Here, we determined seasonal SGD nutrient loads in two tributaries with contrasting hydrodynamic conditions, river-fed (York River) vs. tidally dominated (Lafayette River). Radon surveys were performed in each river to quantify SGD at the embayment-scale during spring and fall 2021. Total SGD was determined from a ²²²Rn mass balance and Monte Carlo simulations. Submarine groundwater discharge rates differed by a factor of two during spring (Lafayette = 11 ± 17 cm …

Interactions Between Sediment Mechanical Structure And Infaunal Community Structure Following Physical Disturbance, William Cyrus Roger Clemo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

Shallow, river-influenced coastal sediments are important for global carbon storage and nutrient cycling and provide a habitat for diverse communities of invertebrates (infauna). Elevated bed shear stress from extreme storms can resuspend, transport, and deposit sediments, disrupting the cohesive structure of muds, and sorting and depositing sand eroded from beaches. These physical disruptions can also resuspend or smother infauna, decreasing abundances and changing community structure. Infaunal activities such as burrowing, tube construction, and feeding can impact sediment structure and stability. However, little is known about how physical disturbance impacts short and long-term sediment habitat suitability and whether disturbance-tolerant infauna influence …

Extent Of The 2023 Coral Bleaching Event In The Nargana Region Of Guna Yala, Panama, Brydon Deanna Hollander

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Coral reefs are diverse marine ecosystems that exist in tropical ecosystems all over the world. They provide a myriad of ecological services that are vital for marine organism biodiversity and human coastal communities. A major threat to coral reefs is a rise in sea surface temperature that causes coral bleaching. The effect of a coral bleaching event in Nargana, Guna Yala will be investigated to examine how the health status of coral reef ecosystems are being impacted. To guide these efforts, the extent of coral bleaching will be measured along with whether sea surface temperature (SST), human concentration, and El …

Representations And Realities: Misali Island's Biodiversity In Hybrid Narratives, Justin Ross Whitney

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are complex organisms that ebb and flow between strict and unyielding conservation doctrines often at the cost of community engagement. Misali Island is different. Conceived and advocated for by community members, this organism has navigated a tumultuous tenure of environmental degradation, periods of high and low funding, and a looming tourism presence. On top of these challenges has been a growing fishing community attempting to share in the bounty of this shockingly biodiverse setting. This study sorts through the grey space of Misali Island by applying a hybrid narrative that interfaces the marine context of the …

The Importance Of Winter Dinoflagellate Blooms In Chesapeake Bay— A Missing Link In Bay Productivity, Nicole C. Millette, Sophie Clayton, Margaret R. Mulholland, Leah Gibala-Smith, Michael Lane

OES Faculty Publications

It is widely assumed that phytoplankton abundance and productivity decline during temperate winters because of low irradiance and temperatures. However, winter phytoplankton blooms commonly occur in temperate estuaries, but they are often undocumented because of reduced water quality monitoring in winter. The small body of in situ work that has been done on winter blooms suggests they can be of enormous consequence to ecosystems. However, because monitoring is often reduced or stopped altogether during winter, it is unclear how widespread these blooms are or how long they can last. We analyzed an over 30-year record of monthly phytoplankton monitoring samples …

Atmospheric Input And Seasonal Inventory Of Dissolved Iron In The Sargasso Sea: Implications For Iron Dynamics In Surface Waters Of The Subtropical Ocean, Peter N. Sedwick, Bettina M. Sohst, K. N. Buck, S. Caprara, R. J. Johnson, D. C. Ohnemus, L. E. Sofen, A. Tagliabue, B. S. Twining, Tara E. Williams

OES Faculty Publications

Constraining the role of dust deposition in regulating the concentration of the essential micronutrient iron in surface ocean waters requires knowledge of the flux of seawater-soluble iron in aerosols and the replacement time of dissolved iron (DFe) in the euphotic zone. Here we estimate these quantities using seasonally resolved DFe data from the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study region and weekly-scale measurements of iron in aerosols and rain from Bermuda during 2019. In response to seasonal changes in vertical mixing, primary production and dust deposition, surface DFe concentrations vary from ∼0.2 nM in early spring to >1 nM in late summer, …

A Global Comparison Of Marine Chlorophyll Variability Observed In Eulerian And Lagrangian Perspectives, Angela M. Kuhn, Matthew Mazloff, Stephanie Dutkiewicz, Oliver Jahn, Sophie Clayton, Tatiana Rynearson, Andrew D. Barton

OES Faculty Publications

The California Current System is a diatom‐dominated region characterized by seasonal coastal upwelling and additional elevated mesoscale activity. Cyclonic mesoscale eddies in the region trap productive coastal waters with their planktonic communities and transport them offshore with limited interaction with surrounding waters, effectively acting as natural mesocosms, where phytoplankton populations undergo ecological succession as eddies age. This study examines diatom community composition within two mesoscale cyclonic eddies that formed in the same region of the California Current System 2 months apart and in the California Current waters surrounding them. The diatom communities were analyzed in the context of shifting environmental …

The Vulnerability And Resilience Of Seagrass Ecosystems To Marine Heatwaves In New Zealand: A Remote Sensing Analysis Of Seascape Metrics Using Planetscope Imagery, Ken Joseph E. Clemente, Mads S. Thomsen, Richard C. Zimmerman

OES Faculty Publications

Seagrasses are foundation species that provide ecosystem functions and services, including increased biodiversity, sediment retention, carbon sequestration, and fish nursery habitat. However, anthropogenic stressors that reduce water quality, impose large-scale climate changes, and amplify weather patterns, such as marine heatwaves, are altering seagrass meadow configurations. Quantifying large-scale trends in seagrass distributions will help evaluate the impacts of climate drivers on their functions and services. Here, we quantified spatiotemporal dynamics in abundances and configurations of intertidal and shallow subtidal seagrass (Zostera muelleri) meadows in 20 New Zealand (NZ) estuaries that span a 5-year period (mid/late 2016–early 2022) just before, …

Integrating Human Dimensions In Decadal-Scale Prediction For Marine Social Ecological Systems: Lighting The Grey Zone, Jess Melbourne-Thomas, Desiree Tommasi, Marion Gehlen, Eugene J. Murphy, Jennifer Beckensteiner, Francisco Bravo, Tyler D. Eddy, Mibu Fischer, Elizabeth Fulton, Mayya Gogina, Eileen Hofmann, Maya Ito, Sara Mynott, Kelly Ortega-Cisneros, Anna N. Osiecka, Mark R. Payne, Romeo Saldívar-Lucio, Kim J.N. Scherrer

CCPO Publications

The dynamics of marine systems at decadal scales are notoriously hard to predict-hence references to this timescale as the "grey zone" for ocean prediction. Nevertheless, decadal-scale prediction is a rapidly developing field with an increasing number of applications to help guide ocean stewardship and sustainable use of marine environments. Such predictions can provide industry and managers with information more suited to support planning and management over strategic timeframes, as compared to seasonal forecasts or long-term (century-scale) predictions. The most significant advances in capability for decadal-scale prediction over recent years have been for ocean physics and biogeochemistry, with some notable advances …

The Coral Bleaching Automated Stress System (Cbass): A Low-Cost, Portable System For Standardized Empirical Assessments Of Coral Thermal Limits, Nicholas R. Evensen, Katherine E. Parker, Thomas A. Oliver, Stephen R. Palumbi, Cheryl A. Logan, James S. Ryan, Courtney N. Klepac, Gabriela Perna, Mark E. Warner, Christian R. Voolstra, Daniel J. Barshis

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Ocean warming is increasingly affecting marine ecosystems across the globe. Reef-building corals are particularly affected by warming, with mass bleaching events increasing in frequency and leading to widespread coral mortality. Yet, some corals can resist or recover from bleaching better than others. Such variability in thermal resilience could be critical to reef persistence; however, the scientific community lacks standardized diagnostic approaches to rapidly and comparatively assess coral thermal vulnerability prior to bleaching events. We present the Coral Bleaching Automated Stress System (CBASS) as a low-cost, open-source, field-portable experimental system for rapid empirical assessment of coral thermal thresholds using standardized temperature …

Microplastic Accumulation In The Digestive Tract Of Young-Of-Year Atlantic Sharpnose Sharks (Rhizoprionodon Terraenovae) In The Grand Strand, Sc, Andrew Curtis Sitlinger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on the presence and accumulation of microplastic fibers in the digestive tract and livers of young-of-year Atlantic Sharpnose Sharks (Rhizopriondon terraenovae) from two sampling locations along the Grand Strand of South Carolina. R. terraenovae is a small, mesopredatory elasmobranch found abundantly along northwestern Atlantic Ocean coastlines. Thirty specimens of R. terraenovae were collected from May through August of 2020. Microplastics were found in all specimens. A total of 672 plastic particles were identified over the course of the study, with an average of 22.4 ± 10.5 (SD) plastics per specimen. The majority of the plastics were classified …

Climate Warming Amplifies The Frequency Of Fish Mass Mortality Events Across North Temperate Lakes, Simon P. Tye, Adam M. Siepielski, Andrew Bray, Andrew L. Rypel, Nicholas B.D. Phelps, Samuel B. Fey

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Recent increases of animal mass mortality events have coincided with substantial changes in global climate. Yet, tractable approaches that predict how climate change will accentuate occurrences of these ecological catastrophes remain nascent. We compiled one of the most comprehensive datasets of lentic fish mortality events, thermal tolerances of affected families, and 1.2 million air and water temperature profiles across 8891 north temperate lakes in North America. Temperature extremes within and across lakes were strongly associated with the three most frequent cause types (infectious agents, summerkills, winterkills). Thermal tolerances mediated the lethality of direct thermal stress, but mortalities of warm- and …

Wetland Soil Development Along Salinity And Hydrogeomorphic Gradients In Active And Inactive Deltaic Basins Of Coastal Louisiana, Amanda Fontenot

LSU Master's Theses

Coastal wetlands provide an abundance of ecosystem services that benefit society, such as essential habitat for commercial species, storm protection, nutrient cycling, and carbon storage. Louisiana faces rapid rates of relative sea level rise (natural subsidence and eustatic sea levels) that threaten wetland survival, which are amplified by a reduction of riverine sediment input. An important determining factor of marsh survival is the formation of wetland platform elevation, known as vertical accretion, which is determined by several processes including sediment deposition & erosion, below ground biomass (BGB) productivity, decomposition of organic matter, shallow & deep subsidence, and soil compaction. Feldspar …

The Relationship Between Substrate Composition, Community Structure And Feeding Preferences Of Parrot Fishes (Scaridae) In Anmardub, Guna Yala Coastal Reefs, Caitlin Amman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Coral reefs are important marine ecosystems, as they support biodiversity and generate buffer zones, yet their abundance is incredibly limited globally. One of the main threats that coral reefs face is excessive macroalgal coverage, which limits sunlight from reaching corals, and thus, limits the energy that can reach them. Parrot fish (Scaridae) are keystone herbivores, as they consume macroalgae growing on corals, which aids in reef survivability. While there is previous research on the abundances, sizes, and feeding habits of Scaridae species in the Caribbean, there is no published research on how community structure and feeding preferences of parrot fishes …

Connecticut Embayment Characteristics 2022, Jamie M.P. Vaudrey, James E. O'Donnell

Department of Marine Sciences

Data on Connecticut embayment characteristics. This Excel file is the centerpiece for capturing embayment characteristics as presented in RESPEC (2022), developed specifically for this project. Some parameters such as watershed size, embayment size, and tidal range were pulled from other sources described in Appendix A of RESPEC (2022), but much of the data and indicators in the Excel file were developed for this project. Each parameter included in the spreadsheet is fully defined in Appendix A of RESPEC (2022). All data available in the spreadsheet are provided by embayment in Appendix C of RESPEC (2022), including the results of bathymetric …

Editorial: Advances In Understanding Lateral Blue Carbon Export From Coastal Ecosystems, Kai Xiao, Nengwang Chen, Zhaohui Aleck Wang, Joseph James Tamborski, Damien Troy Maher, Xuan Yu

OES Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A Subsurface Eddy Associated With A Submarine Canyon Increases Availability And Delivery Of Simulated Antarctic Krill To Penguin Foraging Regions, K. Hudson, M. J. Oliver, J. Kohut, Michael S. Dinniman, John M. Klinck, M. A. Cimino, K. S. Bernard, H. Statscewich, W. Fraser

OES Faculty Publications

The distribution of marine zooplankton depends on both ocean currents and swimming behavior. Many zooplankton perform diel vertical migration (DVM) between the surface and subsurface, which can have different current regimes. If concentration mechanisms, such as fronts or eddies, are present in the subsurface, they may impact zooplankton near-surface distributions when they migrate to near-surface waters. A subsurface, retentive eddy within Palmer Deep Canyon (PDC), a submarine canyon along the West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP), retains diurnal vertically migrating zooplankton in previous model simulations. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the presence of the PDC and its associated subsurface eddy increases …

Temporal Stability Of Seagrass Extent, Leaf Area, And Carbon Storage In St. Joseph Bay, Florida: A Semi-Automated Remote Sensing Analysis, Marie Cindy Lebrasse, Blake A. Schaeffer, Megan M. Coffer, Peter J. Whitman, Richard C. Zimmerman, Victoria J. Hill, Kazi A. Islam, Jiang Li, Christopher L. Osburn

OES Faculty Publications

Seagrasses are globally recognized for their contribution to blue carbon sequestration. However, accurate quantification of their carbon storage capacity remains uncertain due, in part, to an incomplete inventory of global seagrass extent and assessment of its temporal variability. Furthermore, seagrasses are undergoing significant decline globally, which highlights the urgent need to develop change detection techniques applicable to both the scale of loss and the spatial complexity of coastal environments. This study applied a deep learning algorithm to a 30-year time series of Landsat 5 through 8 imagery to quantify seagrass extent, leaf area index (LAI), and belowground organic carbon (BGC) …

Blue Carbon In South Florida's Mangroves: The Role Of Large Roots And Necromass, Zoë I. Shribman

LSU Master's Theses

Blue carbon sequestration and storage in mangroves largely result from belowground biomass allocation in response to flooded anaerobic soil conditions and nutrient availability. Biomass allocation to belowground roots is a major driver of mangrove soil formation and organic matter accumulation leading to blue carbon storage potential. Belowground biomass sampling in mangroves is labor intensive, limiting data availability on biomass stocks, particularly for large roots (>20 mm diameter) and necromass (dead roots). The mangrove nutrient model (NUMAN) uses mostly literature values to parameterize a soil cohort approach to simulate depth distribution of root mass and organic carbon concentration. We evaluated …