Oceanography Commons^™

The Relationship Of Size Class Distribution To Migratory Behavior In Brown Shrimp (Penaeus Aztecus) In Pamlico Sound, North Carolina, Mario A. Paula

OES Theses and Dissertations

The potential of migratory timing information for dynamic yield estimation in the North Carolina brown shrimp fishery has been shown. The present research investigates the influence of size class distribution on the quantitative characterization of migratory timing in the brown shrimp. Catch and nominal effort data were stratified into count size ranges and the time density model of Mundy (1979) was specified for each stratum. The recruitment patterns of the shrimp into the fishery was also investigated.

The stratification of time densities by size class has shown a definite pattern in the migratory behavior of the brown shrimp. It appears …

Input And Distribution Of Sewage Derived Sedimentary Material Adjacent To Chesapeake-Elizabeth Sewage Outfall, Virginia Beach, Virginia, Robert Carroll Brown

OES Theses and Dissertations

The concentrations of coprostanol and hydrocarbons were measured in the effluent from the Chesapeake-Elizabeth sewage treatment plant and surface sediments from the area surrounding the effluent discharge site. Most of the coprostanol (>84%) and hydrocarbons (>91%) were associated with particulates in the effluent. Some of these particles were incorporated into the sedimentary column within the study area, while some may have escaped from the area.

The study area is found to be a dynamic area where changes in the percentage and distribution of fine-grained sediments occur over periods of months. The movement of fine-grained sediments is an important …

Polychlorinated Biphenyl Levels In The Ocean Scallop (Placopecten Magellanicus) Gmelin From The Philadelphia Sewage Sludge Disposal Site, Guy Jeffrey Hall

OES Theses and Dissertations

Ocean Scallops (Placopecten magellanicus) were sampled from stations in and around the Philadelphia Disposal Site. Each sample was dissected and aliquots of adductor muscle and reproductive tissue were chemically extracted for Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs). A perchlorinated procedure outlined by Diosady et al., 1972, Aromour, 1973 and Crist et al., 1977 was employed to increase detection levels and simplify quantitation of PCBs. PCB levels were reported in dry weight and lipid weight of both adductor muscle and reproductive tissue. Findings indicated residual levels or PCB/lipid weight increased as lipid levels decreased in both tissue types. Levels detected in all adductor muscle …

The Effects Of Dredged Material (Suspended Solid Phase) On The Hatching Success Of Spot Eggs (Leiostomus Xanturus), Meryl A. Masters

OES Theses and Dissertations

A 24-hour static bioassay was performed with the suspended solid phase of bottom sediment from a highly industrialized river utilizing eggs of the spot, Leiostomus xanthurus. Hatching success was measured at four concentrations of elutriates prepared from sediment obtained from the confluence of the eastern and southern branches of the Elizabeth River adjacent to the Norfolk Shipbuilding and Drydock in Norfolk, Virginia. Test results indicated no significant effect on hatching success at any of the four test concentrations.

Environmental Influence On The Migratory Behavior Of The Brown Shrimp In Pamlico Sound North Carolina, Michael Andrew Matylewich

OES Theses and Dissertations

Environmental conditions in the nursery areas during times of development affect the migratory behavior of the brown shrimp (Penaeus aztecus) by influencing growth and natural mortality. A linearized logistic model and a multiple linear model are used to relate environmental factors (week number, water temperature, salinity, air temperature, precipitation, net heating degree days, river discharge) to the cumulative proportion of catch and catch-per-unit-effort, respectively. Multiple regression analysis yielded equations containing the week number, the water temperature and an interaction term as the independent variables. Predictions of total annual yield and total annual catch-per-unit-effort are made using the migratory …

Morphological Variation Of The Foraminifer Elphidium Excavatum (Terquem) On Crumps Bank And Willoughby Bank, Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, Pamela Kay Painter

OES Theses and Dissertations

Six variants of the highly variable foraminiferal species, Elphidium excavatum (Terquem) were recognized in the Crumps Bank and Willoughby Bank areas of the southern Chesapeake Bay. Measurements of the size of the test, the number of chambers, the number of umbilical bosses, and the number and average length of the sutural bridges on the last formed chamber, and opaqueness or translucence of the test were made on 30 specimens from each of 36 stations selected for differences in environmental parameters. The measurements were statistically analyzed by discriminant analysis to test the hypothesis that the variants are distinct morphotypes and to …

Analysis Of Heavy Minerals In Arenaceous Lutites From The Northern Canada Basin, Arctic Ocean, Kim Zauderer

OES Theses and Dissertations

Heavy minerals from arenaceous lutites in three widely spaced cores from the northern Canada Basin were analyzed for the first time to determine the provenance of these sediments. The abundant minerals (sp. gr. == 2.70) in decreasing order for most samples were detrital carbonate, micas, clinoamphibole, clinopyroxene, garnet, epidote, tourmaline, and chlorite. The majority of pyroxene grains were etched. Sedimentary sources dominated and metamorphic and igneous sources were important but secondary. The northern Canada Arctic Archipelago and northern Greenland is proposed as the provenance for the heavy minerals in the arenaceous lutites for at least the past three million years. …

The Temporal And Spatial Distribution Of Hydrocarbons In Atmospheric Deposition From Stations Surrounding Lower Chesapeake Bay, David Benjamin Webber

OES Theses and Dissertations

Hydrocarbon concentrations were determined in bulk, wet, and dry deposition samples from urban and non-urban locations surrounding lower Chesapeake Bay. Mean hydrocarbon concentrations in bulk deposition samples were over three times greater at the urban station indicating a localized source. The major hydrocarbons present were n-alkanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and the unresolved complex mixture (UCM). The PAH and the UCM were an indication of significant anthropogenic inputs while the odd/even distribution of the n-alkanes was an indication of biogenic sources. These findings indicated seasonal trends of highest biogenic hydrocarbon inputs in the spring and summer months and highest anthropogenic …

A Laboratory Study Of Nongenetic Embryonic Adaptation To Salinity And Its Subsequent Effects Upon Larval Development Of The Grass Shrimp Palaemonetes Pugio Holthius, Paul Jay Anninos

OES Theses and Dissertations

Fertilized embryos of the grass shrimp Palamonetes pugio Holthuis (Decapoda; Caridea) were exposed to two levels of salinity [5 ppt (exposed) and 20 ppt (control)] during incubation to determine the extent to which embryonic adaptation influences subsequent larval development. Larval response to embryonic exposure was measured at three salinities (5 ppt, 10 ppt, and 20 ppt) as the fraction of larvae surviving to metamorphosis and the duration (in days) of larval development. The survival rate of larvae hatched from control, or non-adapted, embryos was significantly influenced by rearing salinity. The differences in survival of pre-adapted larvae (exposed group), however, were …

A Comparison Of Recruitment Strategies Among Brachyuran Crustacean Megalopae Of The York River, Lower Chesapeake Bay And Adjacent Shelf Waters, David Franklin Johnson

OES Theses and Dissertations

Twenty-one stations forming a transect of the Pamunkey River, York River, lower Chesapeake Bay and adjacent coastal waters were sampled from July through September 1980. The megalopa stages of 11 brachyuran species were sampled. Vertical and horizontal distributions are described for each species in relation to salinity and water column stratification. The megalopae are assigned to three apparent recruitment strategies: retained estuarine, expelled estuarine and retained coastal megalopae. the megalopa stages of estuarine adults, such as Hexapanopeus angustifrons, Neopanope sayi, Panopeus herbstii and Pinnotheres ostreum, are retained in estuarine epibenthic waters, while Rhithropanopeus harrisii are retained in slightly shallower …

A Capacitance Wavestaff And Measurements Of Wave Height Decay In The Surf Zone, David L. Timpy

OES Theses and Dissertations

A wavestaff system utilizing capacitance was developed to measure wave heights in the surf zone. Data were used to test the assumption that wave height decays linearly across the surf zone. The instrument system consisted of two wavestaffs and housing which contained the needed electronic circuits and a data recorder. Acceptable frequency response for waves of period greater than two seconds could not be obtained if sensor wires were greater than 0.35 mm in diameter. The size used was 0.35 mm.

Water Wave Refraction With Non-Linear Theory, Im Sang Oh

OES Theses and Dissertations

Two different kinds of wave refraction models are formulated in the present study using Stokes' third order wave theory. One type of model is utilized in a parametric study employing several different topographies. Wave trajectories obtained from this model, when obtained by using first and third order wave theory with and without the consideration of energy dissipation, show considerable differences. These differences are examined in more detail for a bottom of constant slope: (1) An approximate 10% difference occurs between the refraction coefficients obtained using the first and the third order wave theory. (2) Considerably different ray trajectories are detected …

A Quantitative Description Of Migratory Behavior Of The Brown Shrimp (Penaeus Aztecus) With Applications In Fisheries Management, Anne Madolyn Babcock

OES Theses and Dissertations

A quantitative description of the migratory behavior of the brown shrimp, Penaeus aztecus, was established using the density approach. A theoretical time density was estimated by the proportion of catch and catch per boat hour NOAA-NMFS fisheries statistics collected in Pamlico Sound, the Neuse River, and Core Sound. A clear quantitative description of brown shrimp migratory timing is found in the time densities. The impact of various physical tactors on the progress of the fishery in time and space can be objectively evaluated by using the time density statistics as dependent variables in modeling efforts. The distributions also enable …

Growth And Recruitment Of Two Penaeids In The Bay Of St. Louis, Mississippi During 1979, Teresa C. Heaton

OES Theses and Dissertations

Juvenile brown (Penaeus aztecus, Ives) and white (Penaeus setiferus, Linnaeus) shrimp were collected from two stations of a nursery area in St. Louis Bay Mississippi, during May to October, 1979. Periods of shrimp recruitment and growth were determined to discern whether the concurrent environmental variables of salinity and temperature had an influence on shrimp abundance and yield. Growth estimates were obtained from length frequency measurements of trawl samples taken over a 24-h period per month from each station. An analysis of variance of length versus the variables of sex, month, station, time of day, salinity and …

Characteristics Of Sediment Transport In Overwash Surges, Paul Richardson Bowen

OES Theses and Dissertations

Sediment samples taken from a washover deposit were used to determine the mode of sediment transport within overwash surges. The determination of sediment transport mode is based on the concept of hydraulic equivalency of different density grains. Hydraulic equivalency may be based on settling velocities or entrainment velocities. Two individual mineral grains of different densities cannot have the same settling and entrainment velocities. If the settling velocities of each grain are similar, then the less dense grain must be physically larger to settle at the same rate as the smaller denser mineral. However, once both of these grains have made …

Numerical Model Simulation Of Offshore Flow During The Winter Season, Maria Cintia Piccolo

OES Theses and Dissertations

Because of the step function variability of heat and moisture flux in coastal zones, adequate descriptive models of mesoscale coastal circulation and weather patterns demand high spatial resolution in the analysis of wind, temperature and moisture patterns. To obtain realistic concepts of offshore flow the sparse offshore data networks need to be supplemented by mesoscale numerical models. The problems associated with the modeling of offshore flow across the east coast of the United States during the winter season have been investigated with a simple two dimensional numerical model of the planetary boundary layer.

The model has two predictive equations for …

The Distribution Of Cesium-137, Copper, Lead And Zinc In Various Sedimentary Environments Of The James River Estuary, Virginia, Colin Stevenson Moy

OES Theses and Dissertations

Ten grab samples and eight cores were obtained within a short stretch of the James River estuary. The distribution of CU, Pb, Zn, Cs-137, organic carbon (TOC) and fine-grained sediments in various depositional environments were examined. Within the past quarter of a century, these measured parameters have been accumulating preferentially in the low energy environment (Burwell Bay). The inventory of Cs-137 in the cores was linearly related to the inventory of heavy metals and TOC. The concentrations of Cs-137 in the surface sediments vary linearly to those of the other parameters suggesting that Cs-137 may be used as a tracer …

Coherence Between Wind And Current Events In A Nearshore, Shallow Water, Wave Dominated Environment, George Milton Hecker

OES Theses and Dissertations

Five days of observation were made of the current at four depths in a water depth of eight meters, and accompanying record of local wind one-half Kilometer from shore at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Coastal Engineering Research Center field facility at Duck, North Carolina beginning five May 1978. The current was measured with a state-of-the-art electromagnetic current meter having a 0.2-second response time and an accuracy of (+/-) 2 centimeters per second. At each depth a ten-minute record was made each hour with a sampling interval of one-eighth second. The frequency components of the record were analyzed and …

The Effects Of Salinity On The Growth And Survival Of The Crayfish, Procambarus Actus Actus (Girard), Emily Deaver

OES Theses and Dissertations

The white river crayfish, Procambarus acutus acutus was tested in low salinity water for growth and survival. Thirty animals were placed in each test pool at O, 4 and 8 ppt and grown for 75 days. Growth was defined as increase in carapace length and wet weight. Crayfish grew at a faster rate and had the lowest mortality at 4 ppt. Water hardness, defined as the total concentration of calcium and magnesium expressed as the calcium carbonate equivalent, ranged from 35 mg/1 to 195 mg/1. Pools of crayfish tested at concentrations of approximately 100 mg/1 total hardness exhibited the best …

The Effects Of Elevated Calcium Chloride And Magnesium Chloride Levels On Larval Growth And Survival Of Macrobrachium Rosenbergii (De Man) (Decapoda Palaemonidae) Reared In The Laboratory, James Thomas Michaels Ii

OES Theses and Dissertations

The effects of elevated CaCl₂ , MgCl₂ , combination CaCl₂ and MgCl₂ concentrations and their associated ionic strengths on larval growth and survival of the freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii were investigated in the laboratory. Larvae were reared in diluted seawater of 15 parts per thousand salinity with elevated calcium concentrations of 330 parts per million and elevated magnesium concentrations of 1275 parts per million. Control larvae were also reared with elevated NaCl concentrations to duplicate the ionic strength increases of the combination CaCl₂ - MgCl₂ test solution which had the highest ionic strength. A …

Filtration Ingestion And Assimilation Rates Of The Mysid Shrimp Neomysis Americana Smith, Fed Three Food Sources, Robert W. Grabb

OES Theses and Dissertations

Laboratory grazing and assimilation experiments were conducted on the mysid shrimp Neomysis americana in an attempt to assess the suitability of three potential food sources. It was hypothesized that the smaller size classes were primarily herbivores, not becoming omnivorous until attaining lengths of approximately 5-6 mm. Four size classes of mysids from the summer generation, juveniles, immature, adult males, and adult ovigerous females were each fed three concentrations of Artemia salina nauplii, the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis, and the diatom Coscinodiscus lineatus. The mean lengths of the size classes utilized, plus or minus one standard deviation, were 2.5 …

Distribution Of The Dinoflagellate Symbiosis In Astragia Danae As Affected By Light Attenuation, Michael Perry Weston

OES Theses and Dissertations

Spatial zonation of symbiotic and aposymbiotic forms of the temperate coral Astrangia danae provides evidence that light attenuation is an important factor in the distribution of this animal. At four locations in the lower Chesapeake Bay and adjacent offshore waters, symbiotic colonies were observed only in well illuminated surface waters, while aposymbiotic colonies were observed in less illuminated deeper waters. A transition zone exists in which both colony types are found. Colonies on substrates forming a plane parallel to the sea-surface receive a greater radiant flux than colonies on vertical substrates. This extends the depth range of symbiotic colonies located …

Surface Circulation And Horizontal Diffusion Processes Of The Lower Chesapeake Bay, Frederick A. Hilder

OES Theses and Dissertations

A Lagrangian method utilizing clusters of four or five buoyed drogues is used to study the surface circulation and horizontal diffusion processes of the lower Chesapeake Bay. The study area encompasses some 160 km² and includes the area north of Thimble Shoal Channel, southwest of Chesapeake Channel and west of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel. Eleven trials utilizing buoyed drogues were conducted in the time frame February to October, 1979. Four trials were interrupted when buoys entered neighboring channels or dispersed too far for tracking, so that a total of sixteen runs were completed on the eleven trial …

Feeding Morphologies And Distribution Patterns Of Marine Cladocera In The Lower Chesapeake Bay, Sandra Layne Gilchrist

OES Theses and Dissertations

Temporal and spatial distributions of marine cladocera in the lower Chesapeake Bay estuary were observed over a year-long sampling period. The distributions of cladoceran species throughout the Bay were studied in relation to temperature and salinity. A survey of the species over the entire Bay is included to establish distribution patterns of the various species during a short time period.

Theoretical mathematical principles were used to predict feeding abilities of the Bay species. Mouthparts are described qualitatively and quantitatively to infer function. A mandibular index developed by Itoh (1970) was revised and employed in evaluating feeding methods interspecifically and interspecifically. …

The Spatial And Temporal Distribution Of Fish Eggs And Larvae In Hempstead Bay Estuary, Joseph Adelard Lessard

OES Theses and Dissertations

The ichthyoplankton of Hempstead Bay estuary was sampled from December 1972 to mid March 1974. Eleven stations were sampled by towing a 0.5 meter diameter plankton net. Eggs were most abundant during June and July with an average concentration calculated to be above 5,500/100m³. Egg densities were the lowest during the fall and winter. Larvae were most frequently taken from March through July with densities varying greatly among the samples. The eggs of Brevoortia tyrannus, Anchoa mitchilli, Tautoga onitis, Tautogolabrus adspersus, and Scophthalmus aguosus and the larvae of Menidia menidia, Ammodvtes hexapterus and Pseudopleuronectes americanus constituted most …

Production Of A Population Of The Stout Razor Clam (Tagelus Plebeius Solander) In A Virginia Estuary, Mark James Grussendorf

OES Theses and Dissertations

The annual net secondary production of the stout razor clam, Tagelous plebeius, was estimated at three sites on an intertidal sand flat at Lynnhaven Inlet, Virginia. Samples were taken at six week intervals for one year. The range of net production (P), mean annual biomass (B), and P/B ratios was 18.3-28.7 g m^-2year^-1, 27.2-53.3 g m^-2, and 0.54-0.67, respectively. The total biomass did not show significant seasonal variation though differences between sites were significant. Production varied temporally but was not significantly different between sites.

Turbulence Spectra In A Well-Mixed Estuary, Jong Yul Chung

OES Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an attempt to determine and describe some of the turbulent process in a well-mixed estuary. The processes are identified by the study of turbulent velocity fluctuations. These velocity records have been analyzed using standard digital methods to obtain spectral density, spectral energy, and cross-spectra of velocity. In order to study the generation and transfer of the turbulent moment and energy, and the intermittent nature of the so-called "Bursting or "ejections and sweeps," the distribution of u, v, w, and the Reynolds stress has been studied.

Spring Phytoplankton Composition And Distribution In Coastal Waters Between Nova Scotia And The Chesapeake Bay, Larry William Neal

OES Theses and Dissertations

This investigation was directed toward satisfying a recognized lack of informat on regarding phytoplankton composition and density in shelf waters between Nova Scotia and the Chesapeake Bay. A sedimentation technique was used in determining the phytoplankton composition of 99 samples collected between 2 March and 3 April 1971. Chlorophyll-a samples collected concurrently were analyzed fluorometrically. Simple correlation analyses were utilized in describing distributional patterns of phytoplankton density and chlorophyll-a concentration with respect to water temperature, salinity, density, depth, distance from shore and latitude. Analysis of variance was employed in assessing regional differences in phytoplankton density and chlorophyll-a.

The phytoplankton flora …

Mercury, Copper, And Zinc In Selected Ichthyofauna Of Lower Chesapeake Bay And Hampton Roads, Virginia, W. Bruce Aitenhead

OES Theses and Dissertations

Anchovys, croaker, spat, summer flounder and hogchokers were collected monthly to seasonally from November 1972 to October 1973 at three locations in the southern Chesapeake Bay region of Virginia.

The concentrations of mercury, copper and zinc were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry in whole fishes. Metal concentration varied with species and location. Anchovys had the highest mean concentrations of mercury and zinc while hog- chokers had the highest mean copper concentration. Mercury levels exceeding O.5 ppm were observed in species from all three loca- tions, but maximum heavy metal concentrations per species were highest in Craney Island fishes.

Temporal variations …

The Response Of An Idealized Continental Shelf To Atmospheric Forcing, Paul Francis Moersdorf

OES Theses and Dissertations

The response of continental shelf water to cooling and wind stress is investigated using a two-dimensional numerical model. The topography of the east coast continental shelf was idealized by connecting a shallow (50 m) rectangular nearshore basin to a deeper (100 m) rectangular offshore basin. Numerous cases were examined using a wide range of values for both the air•sea temperature difference and the Wind speed, although the direction of the wind was always perpendicular to the coast.

The model predicts large excursions of shelf water offshore, and the subsequent surfacing of lower waters. Upwelling velocities of close to five meters …