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Articles 1 - 30 of 39
Full-Text Articles in Oceanography
Benthic Infaunal Responses To Shoreline Restoration, Jessica Lauren Cline
Benthic Infaunal Responses To Shoreline Restoration, Jessica Lauren Cline
Theses and Dissertations
In the age of increasing urban coastal sprawl, natural shorelines are being replaced by hard armoring structures, which result in the loss of valuable ecosystem services. Hybrid living shorelines, areas that include limited and less intensive armoring strategies paired with the integration of plants and other natural materials, present an opportunity to marry the need for more aggressive stabilization with the continued preservation of ecosystem functions and biological communities. This project uses benthic infauna to evaluate the success of a living shoreline installation in Palm Bay, Florida. The deployment features experimental treatments of breakwaters and red mangroves to explore how …
Geomorphic Evolution Of St. Augustine Inlet, St. Johns County, Florida, Kristen Becker
Geomorphic Evolution Of St. Augustine Inlet, St. Johns County, Florida, Kristen Becker
Theses and Dissertations
Tidal inlets interrupt longshore sediment transport, influencing adjacent beach morphology and allowing the exchange of water and sediment between the open oceans and protected back barrier bay. Inlets evolve through a combination of natural processes and are highly dynamic zones where sediment exchanges cause shifting shoreline positions nearby and create new morphological features. Barrier islands/beaches that are close in proximity to inlets evolve and are an important natural feature that dissipates wave energy and protects inland areas. Both natural and anthropogenic processes that affect barrier islands will be investigated during this study, including storm activity, waves, wind, water level, and …
Assessing The Gut Content Of Styela Plicata: A Benthic Filter Feeder In The Indian River Lagoon, Honor Lily Triumph Edmands
Assessing The Gut Content Of Styela Plicata: A Benthic Filter Feeder In The Indian River Lagoon, Honor Lily Triumph Edmands
Theses and Dissertations
The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) has experienced declining water quality due to human activities involving nutrient input, leading to Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs). The Living Docks program affixes oyster mats to dock pilings to promote the settlement and recruitment of benthic filter feeders for water quality improvement. However, questions remain about filtering efficiencies of organisms that make up the mat communities, and whether organisms remove harmful species from the IRL. The pleated sea squirt, Styela plicata, is a common oyster mat resident. The goal of this thesis was to investigate what phytoplankton and bacteria S. plicata consumes, and if …
A Statistical Fetch Model For Water Wave Glint Correction Using Worldview-3 Imagery, Amanda Jade Quintanilla
A Statistical Fetch Model For Water Wave Glint Correction Using Worldview-3 Imagery, Amanda Jade Quintanilla
Theses and Dissertations
Sun glint in satellite imagery of the water surface contaminates the upwelling signal received by a detector. Many models exist that attempt to correct for this wave facet effect and phenomena. In this work a model for sun glint correction is created using the comparison of image transects between two nearly simultaneously collected images of the same area, although with differing sensor geometry. One image utilized in this research is almost entirely glint free while the other is contaminated by water wave facet glint. Although many models for removing sun glint exist based on various techniques, none are completely accurate, …
The Relationship Between Biofouling Adhesion And Frequency Of Mechanical Cleaning To Control The Recruitment To Clear Coatings, Dylan Thomas Eggers
The Relationship Between Biofouling Adhesion And Frequency Of Mechanical Cleaning To Control The Recruitment To Clear Coatings, Dylan Thomas Eggers
Theses and Dissertations
There is a need to control biofouling on sensors and transparent windows in the marine environment. Clear silicone coatings offer a method to reduce the adhesion strength of marine organisms to the surface, however, these also require mechanical cleaning to maintain the surfaces free of fouling. This research evaluated the performance of eighty seven formulations and took the top two candidates to investigate a) the frequencies of wiping required by a brush to maintain two coatings and uncoated glass surfaces free of fouling and b) the effects of clear silicone coatings fouling release properties on required frequencies. The panels were …
Understanding The Role Of The Jet Streams And Gulf Stream Eddies On The Northwest Atlantic Marine Heatwaves, Lydia Rose Duncan Sims
Understanding The Role Of The Jet Streams And Gulf Stream Eddies On The Northwest Atlantic Marine Heatwaves, Lydia Rose Duncan Sims
Theses and Dissertations
The Northwest (NW) Atlantic is one of the fastest warming regions in the global ocean and in the recent decade has experienced several extreme temperature events. These extreme anomalous temperature events are known as Marine Heatwaves (MHWs), which are forced by a variety of physical processes that affect the heat source and sink of the water column. These MHWs have been increasing globally in duration and frequency due to anthropogenic warming, and have increased ecological damage seen in mass mortality events of economically viable species. Within the NW Atlantic, several key processes encourage the formation of MHWs, such as the …
Evaluating The Relationship Between Methane Seeps And Seafloor Geomorphology On The Northern Us Atlantic Margin, Gabriel Hernandez
Evaluating The Relationship Between Methane Seeps And Seafloor Geomorphology On The Northern Us Atlantic Margin, Gabriel Hernandez
Theses and Dissertations
Methane seeps are a transport pathway for carbon from seafloor sediments to the marine environment with important implications for global biogeochemical cycling. Accordingly, there is substantial interest in better understanding the processes that control seep location and predicting the distribution of seeps with existing seafloor datasets. Visual evaluation of methane seeps, in multibeam sonar water column data, suggests a spatial relationship between seeps and specific seafloor morphologic features such as ridge crests. In this thesis, seafloor geomorphology at 1996 seep detection sites on the US Atlantic margin was quantitatively characterized by geomorphologic phonotype, bathymetric position index, slope, rugosity, and aspect …
Understanding Ecological Relationships To Improve Biofouling Management Practices In The Marine Environment, Ann Catherine Wassick
Understanding Ecological Relationships To Improve Biofouling Management Practices In The Marine Environment, Ann Catherine Wassick
Theses and Dissertations
Biofouling, the growth of benthic invertebrates on anthropogenic surfaces, impacts many industries and is a major vector of non-native species worldwide. Understanding the ecological relationships between biofouling organisms and their environment is necessary to assist management practices. This study investigates the biofouling communities at Port Canaveral, Florida, in order to potentially refine biofouling mitigation practices. Recruitment panels were used to document the temporal changes in community composition, biofouling pressure, recruitment, and growth rates. These factors were also used to assess relationships with temperature and salinity. A second component of this work provided documentation on the variation in non-native species abundance …
Modeling Settlement And Filtration Of The Indian River Lagoon Benthic Community, With An Emphasis On Living Dock Restoration Mats, Sandra Lisette Rech
Modeling Settlement And Filtration Of The Indian River Lagoon Benthic Community, With An Emphasis On Living Dock Restoration Mats, Sandra Lisette Rech
Theses and Dissertations
The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) is one of the most biologically diverse estuaries in North America. An increase in population and anthropogenic effects have led to eutrophication, a decline in water quality, and overall degradation. The Living Docks program is a citizen science initiative started at the Florida Institute of Technology for lagoon restoration. In this program, public and private docks are volunteered to become Living Docks, where oyster mats made of plastic mesh and dead, dried oyster shells are attached to dock pilings in an effort to provide a natural substrate for benthic organism growth. The community which develops …
Tropical Cyclone And Ocean-Atmosphere Interactions In The Gulf Of Mexico, Emily Nichole Eley
Tropical Cyclone And Ocean-Atmosphere Interactions In The Gulf Of Mexico, Emily Nichole Eley
Theses and Dissertations
The Gulf of Mexico (GoM) is historically a favorable region for the formation, maintenance and intensification of tropical cyclones that frequently evolve into powerful hurricanes. These natural disasters threaten the basin’s innate habitat and wildlife diversity, and the expansive coastal economies and communities. The dominant ocean circulation feature in the GoM is the Loop Current System (LCS) which includes the Loop Current (LC) and its associated mesoscale eddy field. The LC originates at the Yucatán Channel, loops anticyclonically into the basin, and ends at the Florida Straits; further it produces both anticyclonic and cyclonic eddies. The existence of the LCS …
Sources And Cycling Of Neodymium And Rare Earth Elements In The Arctic Amerasian Basin And Bering Sea, Brian D. Duggan
Sources And Cycling Of Neodymium And Rare Earth Elements In The Arctic Amerasian Basin And Bering Sea, Brian D. Duggan
Theses and Dissertations
The isotopic composition of dissolved neodymium (143Nd/144Nd, expressed as εNd) behaves quasi-conservatively in the ocean and has been used as a palaeoceanographic tracer of ocean circulation. The εNd value of water masses is acquired—and often altered—during interaction with sediments along the margins; however, the processes involved in seawater εNd acquisition remains poorly characterized and quantified. Here we report the results of 349 Nd isotope and 354 rare earth element (REE) concentration measurements from 27 water column profiles across the Bering shelf and through the Arctic Amerasian Basin collected during U.S. Arctic GEOTRACES cruise HLY1502 (GEOTRACES section …
Arctic Ocean And Subarctic Seas Dynamics In A Changing Climate, Sarah B. Hall
Arctic Ocean And Subarctic Seas Dynamics In A Changing Climate, Sarah B. Hall
Theses and Dissertations
Salinity is the primary determinant of the Arctic Ocean’s vertical density stratification in the upper ocean, which has major implications on the ocean’s physical dynamics alongside a period of rapidly declining sea ice. In recent decades, the Arctic’s freshwater content (FWC) has increased as a result of the accumulation of freshwater source inputs. Additional freshwater exported to the North Atlantic may hinder overturning processes that are vital to the regulation of global climate. This dissertation employs in situ measurements, satellite observations, and ocean model simulations to better understand salinity and freshwater changes in the Arctic Ocean during this changing climate. …
Water Quality Correlations With Phytoplankton Community Composition In A Polluted Shallow Subtropical Estuary, Connor Joseph Wong
Water Quality Correlations With Phytoplankton Community Composition In A Polluted Shallow Subtropical Estuary, Connor Joseph Wong
Theses and Dissertations
The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) estuary has experienced eutrophication and degraded water quality due to high nutrient input, urbanization, and anthropogenic stressors. High nutrient input and restricted estuarine hydrology promotes algal blooms. Algal blooms or harmful algal blooms (HABs) are a global concern as they can cause negative ecological and economic impacts. The frequency and range of HABs is expected to be exacerbated by climate change and altered oceanic and estuarine conditions. Research on the formation and frequency of HABs is an ongoing global effort, but algal blooms are often dynamic and patchy making them difficult to study. This study …
Testing The Efficacy Of Uvc Leds For Biofouling Control, Margaret Jeannette Giggie
Testing The Efficacy Of Uvc Leds For Biofouling Control, Margaret Jeannette Giggie
Theses and Dissertations
The use of ultraviolet-C (UVC) light as a biofouling preventative has been successfully demonstrated using mercury-based lamps. However, these lamps have several limitations (such as fragility and use of mercury), and the use of UVC LEDs (light-emitting diodes) has been suggested as an alternative. Several experiments were conducted to assess the efficacy of LED strips (29 W, 270 nm, emittance angle of 130º) for biofouling control, as well as to compare them to a classic lamp (25 W, 254 nm, emits UVC light at 360º). Experiment #1 assessed the biofouling abundance and community composition on test panels exposed to either …
Development And Optimization Of A Denitrification System To Promote Biological Nutrient Removal In A Subtropical Estuary, Abigail Gering
Development And Optimization Of A Denitrification System To Promote Biological Nutrient Removal In A Subtropical Estuary, Abigail Gering
Theses and Dissertations
Eutrophication impacts coastal ecosystems globally and triggers phytoplankton and algal blooms, leading to an increase in oxygen demand in the water column and sediments due to various biogeochemical processes. Naturally, biological nitrification, denitrification and anammox processes help to remove nitrogen predominately by nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria in the sediments. Eutrophic systems have increased nutrient and organic matter loading and are prone to the accumulation of ‘muddy’, fine-grained, organic-rich sediments (locally termed ‘muck’) that may not be able to support high enough populations of these bacteria, and therefore, may not adequately support nitrification/denitrification processes that would otherwise remove nitrogen. To decrease …
Changes In The Abundance And Distribution Of Benthic Mollusks In Polluted Sediments Of A Shallow Subtropical Estuary, Rachael Holtsberg Stark
Changes In The Abundance And Distribution Of Benthic Mollusks In Polluted Sediments Of A Shallow Subtropical Estuary, Rachael Holtsberg Stark
Theses and Dissertations
The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) has been degraded by decades of eutrophication, and has accumulated an abundance of fine-grained, organic-rich sediments (muck). To quantify the impacts of organic sediments and environmental dredging, benthic mollusks were chosen to serve as bioindicators of environmental change, sediment health, and water quality. Data on species richness, biodiversity, and abundances was collected alongside sediment and water quality data before, during and after dredging. Organic sediment content was found to have an inverse logarithmic relationship benthic mollusk biodiversity, species richness, and abundance. Sediments low in percent organic content (0.7% to 6.1%) were located near the adjacent …
A Biological Assessment Of Oyster Restoration Mats Throughout The Indian River Lagoon: Changes In Community Composition And Filtration Capacity Of Living Docks, Morgan Katherine Gilligan
A Biological Assessment Of Oyster Restoration Mats Throughout The Indian River Lagoon: Changes In Community Composition And Filtration Capacity Of Living Docks, Morgan Katherine Gilligan
Theses and Dissertations
Like many estuaries worldwide, the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), has seen a decline in resources and overall water quality due to human activities. There is a growing interest in implementing ecological engineering methods to restore water quality. One such method is the construction and deployment of oyster restoration mats on dock pilings, known as the Living Docks program. This community driven program was founded at Florida Tech with the goal of promoting the growth of filter feeding benthic organisms to improve local water quality. Since 2013, twelve docks have been deployed in the central IRL, spanning from Cape Canaveral (28º …
Studies On How Grooming Can Improve The Performance Of Fouling Control Coatings, Lauren Elizabeth Foy
Studies On How Grooming Can Improve The Performance Of Fouling Control Coatings, Lauren Elizabeth Foy
Theses and Dissertations
Biofouling is the accumulation of unwanted organisms on a submerged surface. This can be a major issue to most marine activities. The most common approach to biofouling prevention on ship hulls is the application of fouling control coatings (FCC), which can be categorized as biocidal and biocide-free. Grooming has been proposed as a proactive method to maintain these coatings and extend their working lives. In 2010, Tribou first defined grooming as the systematic, gentle, and mechanical disruption and removal of fouling on a ship hull. For biocidal coatings, grooming maintains the active biocide contained in the coating, preventing organism attachment. …
Cathodically Protected Steel Mesh As An Environmentally Friendly Material For Oyster Reef Restoration, Afanasy Melnikov
Cathodically Protected Steel Mesh As An Environmentally Friendly Material For Oyster Reef Restoration, Afanasy Melnikov
Theses and Dissertations
Plastic mesh is widely used in oyster reef restoration efforts worldwide, including the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) estuary in Florida. Plastic degrades overtime, releasing microplastics and nanoplastics particles into the environment and causing harm to the marine ecosystem. Thus, there is an ongoing need to find an alternative eco-friendly material. Cathodically protected steel, a possible alternate substrate for such restoration, involves an electrical current running through steel to create an impressed cathodic system. This results in the formation of chalk on the steel, similar to the limestone (calcium carbonate) base of reefs. A benefit of this process is that the …
Sediment Oxygen Demand And Stoichiometry Of Irl Nutrient Fluxes, Iulia Bibire
Sediment Oxygen Demand And Stoichiometry Of Irl Nutrient Fluxes, Iulia Bibire
Theses and Dissertations
Eutrophication of coastal systems has become a prominent global issue with a variety of detrimental effects, one of these being the shift in the composition of phytoplankton communities often promoting harmful algal blooms (HABs) resulting at least partially from changes to the relative abundance of N:P:Si. This study investigated nutrient fluxes from muck, a fine-grained and organic-rich sediment, and from sand to determine the importance of these sediments with regards to regulating N:P ratios in the water column. Overall sediment oxygen demand (SOD) was used as an indicator of aerobic decomposition and was found to decrease from north to south …
Using Disruptive Coloration And Ultraviolet Light To Prevent Barnacle Settlement, Kailey Nicole Richard
Using Disruptive Coloration And Ultraviolet Light To Prevent Barnacle Settlement, Kailey Nicole Richard
Theses and Dissertations
Biofouling or the accumulation of unwanted micro and macro organisms is problematic for the shipping industry. Barnacles are one of the most abundant fouling organisms and their settlement on ship hulls can result in costly damage. Several methods have been developed to prevent the formation of biofouling, including antifouling coatings and mechanical techniques, but the search for more effective and environmentally friendly solutions is still ongoing. This thesis investigated two methods aimed at barnacle prevention: color patterning and the application of ultraviolet light. The first method utilized disruptive coloration, a common mechanism observed in nature by terrestrial organisms (i.e. butterflies) …
Organic Sediment Impacts On Seagrasses And Their Associations With Benthic Fauna, Sean Matthew Crowley
Organic Sediment Impacts On Seagrasses And Their Associations With Benthic Fauna, Sean Matthew Crowley
Theses and Dissertations
Human-population growth and rapid rates of urbanization have led to eutrophic conditions in estuaries throughout the world. Effects often include severe algal blooms, decreased dissolved oxygen levels, and the accumulation of fine-grained organic-rich sediments. One frequent negative consequence of eutrophication is the decline of seagrasses, a vital component of coastal ecosystems. Seagrasses provide shelter from predation, serve as nursery habitat, stabilize sediments, act as a sink for excess carbon, produce oxygen, and are a food source for many herbivores. Seagrasses are also sensitive to environmental changes, such as declining water quality and increased sedimentation rates. This study examines the impacts …
Gut Content Analysis Of Benthic Foraging Fish Compared To Invertebrate Infauna Distributions In Dredged Vs. Undredged Habitats, Danielle Louise Juzwick
Gut Content Analysis Of Benthic Foraging Fish Compared To Invertebrate Infauna Distributions In Dredged Vs. Undredged Habitats, Danielle Louise Juzwick
Theses and Dissertations
The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) has experienced a loss in seagrasses due to organic sediment accumulation and harmful algal blooms. Seagrasses are an essential nursery habitat for many fishes and benthic invertebrates. IRL fish known to utilize benthic habitat and feed on invertebrates include Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulates), juvenile Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus), and Mojarra (Eucinostomus spp.). The most abundant major infaunal taxa of the IRL are crustaceans, polychaetes, and mollusks. Environmental dredging in the IRL’s Turkey Creek is intended to improve water quality, remove harmful sediments and restore benthic habitat. Such dredging may impact benthic invertebrate populations and, indirectly, …
Measurements And Synthetic Imaging Of Water Surface Gravity Waves Using Optical Techniques, Jennifer Closson
Measurements And Synthetic Imaging Of Water Surface Gravity Waves Using Optical Techniques, Jennifer Closson
Theses and Dissertations
Remote sensing technologies are useful tools when gathering spatial and temporal information about dynamic coastal regions. A method is proposed using an in-situ space-time imaging technique for evaluating wave periods and wavelengths of surface water waves in shallow urban coastal water environments. Video imagery of shallow water waves was acquired using high definition video cameras. Video imagery records of surface water waves using staff gauges and simultaneously deployed targets were used to determine wave periods, wavelengths and wave amplitudes. Time series analyses is applied to the video derived time series. Wave energy spectrums are extracted and used to simulated synthetic …
The Effect Of Environmental Muck Dredging On Abundance And Community Richness Of Benthic Amphipods In The Indian River Lagoon, Nayan Mallick
The Effect Of Environmental Muck Dredging On Abundance And Community Richness Of Benthic Amphipods In The Indian River Lagoon, Nayan Mallick
Theses and Dissertations
Anthropogenic eutrophication has polluted and degraded estuarine ecosystems throughout the world. The Indian River Lagoon (IRL), a diverse North American estuary, has accumulated an abundance of Fine-Grained Organic-Rich Sediments (FGORS or “muck”) due to eutrophication. Muck creates stressful, sometimes uninhabitable conditions for benthic flora and fauna, with far-reaching ancillary ecosystem impacts. In an attempt to ameliorate negative ecosystem impacts, muck deposits in Turkey Creek were dredged by Brevard County Natural Resources (Florida). One month after the dredging, mean abundance of amphipods rose to 110±90 individuals m-2 from 0±0 individuals m-2 in the dredged muck sites. Four amphipod species colonized muck …
Ecological Responses To Eutrophication And Restoration In A Shallow Subtropical Estuary, Xiao Ma
Ecological Responses To Eutrophication And Restoration In A Shallow Subtropical Estuary, Xiao Ma
Theses and Dissertations
Like many other estuaries in the world, the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) is experiencing serious environmental health challenges in recent years. Ecosystem challenges include the connected phenomena of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) due to eutrophication and accumulation of fine-grained organic-rich sediments on the benthos. Fine-grained organic-rich sediments, referred to as “muck”, is a source of nutrients and fuels algal blooms in the water column, and excess particles associated with algal blooms sink to bottom and contribute to muck. This dissertation aims to better understand these problems by addressing two main objectives: first, to determine whether key herbivorous mesozooplankton have the …
Lighting A Path To Biofouling Prevention: Investigating The Effect Of Ultraviolet Light On Biofouling, Cierra Rose Braga
Lighting A Path To Biofouling Prevention: Investigating The Effect Of Ultraviolet Light On Biofouling, Cierra Rose Braga
Theses and Dissertations
Ultraviolet light (UV) is considered an environmentally friendly antifouling method because it disrupts biological growth without the release of harmful toxins. The application of UV for the marine shipping industry is a relatively new concept, and there still remains many unknowns before it can be fully implemented. This research investigated several aspects of applying UVC for the control of fouling. A novel method of using embedded UV LEDs within a silicone coating for fouling control proved to be very effective at preventing fouling. The research also investigated the effect of using an external UVC light treatment to control fouling on …
Morphologic Evolution Of A Nearshore Berm: One Year Monitoring At Ft. Myers Beach, Florida, Kristopher Jason Enfinger
Morphologic Evolution Of A Nearshore Berm: One Year Monitoring At Ft. Myers Beach, Florida, Kristopher Jason Enfinger
Theses and Dissertations
Nourishment in the form of a nearhsore berm has become an important alternative method to protecting shorelines and introducing sediment back into the littoral system. In 2009, a nearshore berm was constructed at Ft. Myers Beach, Florida by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers through maintenance dredging of a nearby navigational channel at Matanzas Pass. Constructed in the form of a nearshore bar, the berm was one of the shallowest placements in a low-wave energy setting. The Coastal Research Lab at the University of South Florida (USF-CRL) conducted field monitoring for the first four years after the construction. This project …
Copper Tolerance Of Amphibalanus Amphitrite As Observed In Central Florida, Hannah Grace Brinson
Copper Tolerance Of Amphibalanus Amphitrite As Observed In Central Florida, Hannah Grace Brinson
Theses and Dissertations
Copper tolerance in the invasive barnacle Amphibalanus amphitrite has been observed in Florida by the Center for Corrosion and Biofouling Control since 2012 and by Weiss (1947). To test the theory that this barnacle preferentially settles on copper coated surfaces to avoid settlement competition by other sessile species, a series of two experiments and a literature review of historical copper toxicity tests on larval barnacles was conducted. The barnacle A amphitrite was preferentially used in many previous toxicity studies because it is readily available, has high fecundity, and is more sensitive to some toxicants than other species, including the native …
St. Lucie Shoal Complex: Regional Sediment Resource Or Submerged Storm Breakwater, Leaf Erickson
St. Lucie Shoal Complex: Regional Sediment Resource Or Submerged Storm Breakwater, Leaf Erickson
Theses and Dissertations
Nearshore sand shoals have become the predominant sediment resource for beach nourishment projects on the east coast of Florida. Along this coast, the St. Lucie Shoal Complex (SLSC) is comprised of several shoals designated as sediment resources for beach nourishment, many having depths less than 7 meters, at their crests. This group of shoals represents the largest high-quality beach nourishment sediment resource in southeast Florida. Among these shoals, the St. Lucie shoal is the largest and shallowest at the crest. This project explores the current best practice methodologies to explore impacts of excavating sand resources from shallow-crested shoal systems like …