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Full-Text Articles in Other Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology
Subtropical Estuarine Ecosystems Display Both Long-Term Stability And Change, Garrett L. Miller
Subtropical Estuarine Ecosystems Display Both Long-Term Stability And Change, Garrett L. Miller
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Subtropical estuaries often support abundant and diverse faunal assemblages, but it is unclear how these productive ecosystems are responding to climate change. In the eastern Gulf of Mexico, estuarine faunal assemblages have been sampled for decades as part of a fisheries-independent long-term monitoring program. I assessed trends in submerged aquatic vegetation, water temperature, and the abundance, richness, and structure of faunal assemblages over more than two decades in four estuarine systems using this dataset. I used both univariate and multivariate analyses to quantify and describe the dynamics of these habitat and faunal variables. Further, I separated my analyses for summer …
Exploring The Dynamics Of September Fish Spawning On The West Florida Shelf Through The Dna Barcoding Of Fish Eggs, Keith G. Keel
Exploring The Dynamics Of September Fish Spawning On The West Florida Shelf Through The Dna Barcoding Of Fish Eggs, Keith G. Keel
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Identifying spawning areas for economically and ecologically important fishes is critical for fisheries conservation and ecosystem-based management. Additionally, monitoring the spawning dynamics of fishes is increasingly important as temperatures and oceanic conditions change. I used genetic barcoding to identify fish eggs collected across the West Florida Shelf (WFS) during September of 2013, 2014, and 2019. Fish eggs were collected on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (SEAMAP) ichthyoplankton cruises using a Continuous Underway Fish Egg Sampler (CUFES). Analysis of 4,400 fish eggs from the three years resulted in the identification of 83 unique species …
Zooplankton Biodiversity In The Northeast Gulf Of Mexico And On The West Florida Shelf From 2005 - 2014, Megan Ferguson
Zooplankton Biodiversity In The Northeast Gulf Of Mexico And On The West Florida Shelf From 2005 - 2014, Megan Ferguson
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Zooplankton abundance and biodiversity was measured in the northeast Gulf of Mexico (NEGoM) and on the West Florida Shelf. Bongo net samples were collected between May 2005 to September 2009 through the SEAMAP program, and between July 2010 to August 2014 through the C-IMAGE program. Calanoid copepods were the most abundant zooplankton group in most of the samples collected, but ostracods, larvaceans, and chaetognaths were also abundant. Shannon and Inverse Simpson indices were calculated for all zooplankton samples and generally showed similar trends, but only Shannon indices were used for statistical analyses. In the winter and spring there were significant …
Microplankton Dynamics In The River-Dominated Mississippi Bight, Adam D. Boyette
Microplankton Dynamics In The River-Dominated Mississippi Bight, Adam D. Boyette
Dissertations
The Mississippi Bight (MSB) is a river-dominated continental margin influenced by multiple large river systems, including the Mississippi River, Alabama and Tombigbee rivers via Mobile Bay, and numerous smaller rivers, creeks, and bayous. This is part of a biologically-rich ecosystem that supports the second largest fishery industry by volume in the United States. Despite our understanding of the linkages between primary production with higher trophic levels, there remains limited studies quantifying these trophic interactions in this system. Microplankton (µm) community dynamics and trophic connectivity between primary producers and heterotrophic protists represent a critical nexus influencing overall biological productivity in this …
Use Of Spectrofluorometry To Detect Petroleum Hydrocarbons In The Marine Environment, Mary Iris Abercrombie
Use Of Spectrofluorometry To Detect Petroleum Hydrocarbons In The Marine Environment, Mary Iris Abercrombie
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
The genesis of this research was the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which discharged petroleum and gas into the Gulf of Mexico for 87 days in 2010. High-resolution fluorescence spectroscopy was employed for the detection of petroleum in seawater samples following the oil spill. Fluorescence arises from the chemical structure of π-bonding in C=C bonds, especially those in aromatic structures. Spectrofluorometry was also used to observe and track the formation of petroleum plumes in seawater undergoing controlled physical dispersion in a wave tank, both with and without the addition of chemical dispersant. Further, the changing fluorescence characteristics of a broad range …
Regeneration Of Trace Metals During Phytoplankton Decay: An Experimental Study, Adrienne P. Hollister
Regeneration Of Trace Metals During Phytoplankton Decay: An Experimental Study, Adrienne P. Hollister
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Trace metals act as important nutrients, and sometimes toxins, to phytoplankton and other marine microorganisms. When phytoplankton decay, the elements in their cells are released back into the water column through regeneration (also referred to as remineralization), one of the processes responsible for governing concentrations of dissolved trace metals and macronutrients in depth profiles. In order to experimentally study regeneration, controlled experimental incubations of mixed phytoplankton assemblages from the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) and monocultures of the diatom Pseudo-nitzschia dolorosa and the dinoflagellate Karenia brevis were placed in the dark and monitored as they decayed with naturally present bacteria. Over …
Spatial And Temporal Distributions Of Pelagic Sargassum In The Intra-Americas Sea And Atlantic Ocean, Mengqiu Wang
Spatial And Temporal Distributions Of Pelagic Sargassum In The Intra-Americas Sea And Atlantic Ocean, Mengqiu Wang
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Pelagic Sargassum is one type of marine macroalgae that is known to be abundant in the Gulf of Mexico and Sargasso Sea. It is also known to serve as a critical habitat for many marine animals. In the past few years, large amounts of Sargassum have been reported in the Tropical Atlantic and Caribbean Sea (CS), causing significant environmental and economic problems. The goal of this study is to improve the understanding of Sargassum distributions, quantity, transport pathways, and bloom mechanisms in the CS and Tropic Atlantic through combining a variety of techniques including satellite remote sensing, field and laboratory …
A Novel Multiproxy Approach To Reconstructing Sea Surface Temperature In The Southwestern Gulf Of Mexico, Marissa Anne Vara
A Novel Multiproxy Approach To Reconstructing Sea Surface Temperature In The Southwestern Gulf Of Mexico, Marissa Anne Vara
LSU Master's Theses
Coral Sr/Ca is a widely-used proxy for sea surface temperature (SST); however, discrepancies in the coral Sr/Ca-SST relationship among colonies of the same species makes uncertainty in absolute temperature reconstructions larger than the climate signal yet climate variability studies are possible. Furthermore, the riverine input of terrestrial carbonate weathering products to the coastal waters can disrupt the coral Sr/Ca-SST signal by changing local seawater chemistry. This study evaluates the fidelity and reproducibly of coral SST proxies (Sr/Ca, Li/Ca, Mg/Li, Sr-U, Mg/Ca, and U/Ca) and a riverine-upwelling proxy (Ba/Ca) in four Orbicella faveolata colonies in two reefs offshore from Veracruz, Mexico …
Genetic Identification And Population Characteristics Of Deep-Sea Cephalopod Species In The Gulf Of Mexico And Northwestern Atlantic Ocean, Amanda Sosnowski
Genetic Identification And Population Characteristics Of Deep-Sea Cephalopod Species In The Gulf Of Mexico And Northwestern Atlantic Ocean, Amanda Sosnowski
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Nearly all deep-sea cephalopod life history studies have been completed by examination of specimens collected in the wild. Much of this work is like piecing together a puzzle; knowledge of the life history of many species remains fragmented and hence, taxonomically and phylogenetically confused. Molecular approaches and sequencing technologies are powerful tools for deciphering wild-type cephalopod life history and population dynamics. Use of molecular markers offers additional certainty for identifying specimens damaged during deep-sea collections and can elucidate often cryptic, intra- and interspecific diversity. The research presented in this study assessed broad genetic patterns of biodiversity in deep-sea cephalopods from …
Determining The Viability Of Recent Storms As Modern Analogues For North-Central Gulf Of Mexico Paleotempestology Through Sedimentary Analysis And Storm Surge Reconstruction, Joshua Caleb Bregy
Determining The Viability Of Recent Storms As Modern Analogues For North-Central Gulf Of Mexico Paleotempestology Through Sedimentary Analysis And Storm Surge Reconstruction, Joshua Caleb Bregy
Master's Theses
The northern Gulf of Mexico has been devastated by recent intense storms. Camille (1969) and Katrina (2005) are two notable hurricanes that made landfall in virtually the same location in Mississippi. However, fully understanding the risks and processes associated with hurricane impacts is impeded by a short and fragmented instrumental record. Paleotempestology could potentially use modern analogues from intense storms in this region to extend the hurricane record back to pre-observational time. Existing empirically based models can back-calculate surge heights over coastal systems as a function of transport distance, particle settling velocity, and gravitational acceleration. We collected cores in a …
Spatial And Temporal Extent Of A Subsurface Hydrocarbon Intrusion Following The Deepwater Horizon Blowout, Kathleen Watson
Spatial And Temporal Extent Of A Subsurface Hydrocarbon Intrusion Following The Deepwater Horizon Blowout, Kathleen Watson
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) released an estimated 4.9 million barrels of oil between April 20, 2010 and July 15, 2010. An estimated 36% of the oil formed a neutrally buoyant intrusion, containing both dissolved compounds and oil microdroplets, between 1000 and 1300 m depth. This study used geographic information systems software, and data from water samples that were collected as part of the National Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA), to determine that an area of at least 1,600 km2 was exposed to DWH oil. Toxic BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and …
Occurrence, Toxicity, And Diversity Of Pseudo-Nitzschia In Florida Coastal Waters, Sheila O'Dea
Occurrence, Toxicity, And Diversity Of Pseudo-Nitzschia In Florida Coastal Waters, Sheila O'Dea
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Domoic acid (DA), a potent neurotoxin that has the potential to cause amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP), is produced by members of the marine diatom genus Pseudo-nitzschia. Outbreaks of ASP in humans and of DA poisoning in birds and marine mammals have been reported across the United States and Canada since the late 1980's. Pseudo-nitzschia species can be extremely abundant in Florida waters, with densities often exceeding 106 cells/L, and sometimes exceeding 107 cells/L. Based on preliminary data, it is evident that at least nine species of Pseudo-nitzschia are found in Florida coastal waters. At least six of …