Marine Biology Commons^™

Mislabeling Of Commercial Atlantic Cod (Gadus Morhua) Products In Spain, Joshua Helgoe

Theses and Dissertations

The mislabeling of commercial fish products is a pervasive, worldwide problem. Most consumers of seafood are unaware this issue directly affects them and can even have negative impacts on their health. Mislabeling occurs when a product’s label is inconsistent with its content. Although mislabeling can be unintentional, deliberate mislabeling is a more common trend to increase profits and/or bypass fishing regulations - a form of economic fraud. Unfortunately, oversight, enforcement, and research are vastly insufficient in relation to the global scale of the problem. In order to add to the small knowledge base on European mislabeling rates, determine if overfished …

Decadal Salinity Changes In The Oceanic Subtropical Gyres And Connection To Changes In The Global Water Cycle, Bryce Andrew Melzer

Theses and Dissertations

There is evidence that the global water cycle has been undergoing an intensification over several decades as a response to increasing atmospheric temperatures, particularly in regions with skewed evaporation – precipitation (E-P) patterns such as the oceanic subtropical gyres. However, observational data (rain gauges, etc.) can be quite sparse over such areas due to the inaccessibility of open ocean regions. This study utilizes in situ data, reanalysis, and model outputs to infer interannual to decadal scale trends in surface freshwater forcing within remote, evaporation-dominated subtropical regions of the ocean as they pertain to the past and present state of the …

Applicability Of Lidar Technology In Saltmarshes: Landscape-Scale Predictive Models To Local-Scale Biomass Estimation, James Dean Edwards Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The management of saltmarshes requires detailed knowledge of the underlying processes driving their distribution in both time and space to make appropriate management decisions. With most of the world’s population living in the coastal zone and rising sea levels, one of our most important natural resources in the coastal zone faces increasing threat of collapse. This study uses the current state of Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology to model and predict saltmarsh distribution at a landscape-scale and provide evidence that a terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) can be used to estimate saltmarsh biomass for inclusion into existing models.

Land cover …

Supplemental Material For Reich 2016, Deborah Robertson, Hannah G. Reich, Gretchen Goodbody-Gringley

Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Identification Of Compounds Of Allelopathic Extracts From Two Species Of Metapeyssonnelia (Rhodophyta) Growing On The Hydrocoral, Millepora Complanata, In Puerto Rico, Maria I. Reyes-Contreras, Aniuska Kazandjian, David L. Ballantine

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Two Puerto Rican species of the encrusting red alga Metapeyssonnelia are known to overgrow and kill the hydrocoral Millepora complanata. The overgrowth is accompanied by bleaching or tissue lightening regions surrounding the growing margin of the algae on the coral tissue. Lipophilic and hydrophilic extracts from Metapeyssonnelia corallepida and M. milleporoides were obtained and analyzed by GC-MS. The following compounds were identified from M. corallepida: squalene and 5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-(dimethoxymethyl)-furan3-methoxycarbonyl-1,1-diethyl-2-buten-4-olide and from M. milleporoides: 2,4-dit-butyl phenol, 2(3H)-furanone and dihydro-4,4-dimethyl-(CAS), terpenes, furanones and phenol. Aliquots of crude extracts of both Metapeyssonnelia species applied to coral fragments resulted in visible changes …

Phytoplankton Pigment Specific Growth And Losses Due To Microzooplankton Grazing In A Northern Gulf Of Mexico Estuary During Winter/Fall, Amanda M. Mcgehee, Donald G. Redalje

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Microzooplankton dilution grazing experiments were carried out on 6 dates, over a 3 month period at 2 locations in the Bay of St. Louis, MS (BSL) to determine phytoplankton pigment specific growth rates under natural (µ₀) and replete (µ_n) nutrient conditions and microzooplankton grazing. We hypothesized that diatoms would be the largest portion of the phytoplankton composition due to the winter/fall season and that these organisms would have the highest growth/grazing rates. We suspected that river flow from the Jourdan River would adversely affect growth and grazing rates of all phytoplankton classes. Growth rates of 5 …

Endohelminth Parasites Of Some Midwater And Benthopelagic Stomiiform Fishes From The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Michael J. Andres, Mark S. Peterson, Robin M. Overstreet

Gulf and Caribbean Research

: Mesopelagic fishes represent significant ecological links between mesozooplankton and the larger pelagic squids, fishes, and marine mammals. As such, these fishes also play a significant role as intermediate or paratenic hosts for parasites that require a crustacean intermediate host and mature in marine mammals or pelagic fishes. We examined a total of 208 individuals representing 5 species of Sternoptychidae and 88 individuals representing 2 species of Phosichthyidae from 20 locations in the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGOM). Six of the 7 species we examined are mesopelagic and one species was benthopelagic. We found the larval stages of Anisakis brevispiculata …

Isolation And Characterization Of Eight Polymorphic Microsatellites For The Spotted Spiny Lobster, Panulirus Guttatus, Nathan Truelove, Donald C. Behringer, Mark J. Butler Iv, Richard F. Preziosi

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Microsatellite sequences were isolated from enriched genomic libraries of the spotted spiny lobster, Panulirus guttatus using 454 pyrosequencing. Twenty-nine previously developed polymerase chain reaction primer pairs of Panulirus argus microsatellite loci were also tested for cross-species amplification in Panulirus guttatus. In total, eight consistently amplifying, and polymorphic loci were characterized for 57 individuals collected in the Florida Keys and Bermuda. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 8 to 20 and observed heterozygosities ranged from 0.409 to 0.958. Significant deviations from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium were found in one locus from Florida and three loci from Bermuda. Quality control testing indicated …

Quantifying The Success Of Eastern Oyster Pilot Reefs In Brevard County, Florida, Lacie Anderson

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Crassostrea virginica, the eastern oyster, is a native keystone species that inhabits many coastal and estuarine ecosystems along the Atlantic seaboard. Introduction of the eastern oyster into estuarine areas with limited current populations is gaining popularity as a pro-active approach to improve estuarine water quality. In November 2014 and April 2015, a total of five pilot oyster reef treatments were deployed in Brevard County: bagged adult oysters (grown by community members under their docks through oyster gardening) collected in fall 2014 and spring 2015, bagged clean shell, oyster restoration mats, and empty plots (control). Locations of deployment included a …

A Pre-Human Baseline For Stressors Limiting Staghorn Growth: Evidence From Sub-Fossil Skeletons Preserved In Earthquake Scarps, Central Belize, Samantha L. Hargrove

Undergraduate Distinction Papers

Caribbean coral reefs have had an 80% decrease in live coral cover over the last several decades and the effect of white-band disease on Acropora species was a major contributor. The loss of Acropora resulted in a decrease of reef rugosity and habitats for fish and reef invertebrates. This paper examines the record of stressors today and in pre-human staghorn communities to examine possible changes. Acropora cervicornis fragments, estimated to be 250-750 years old, were collected from recently exposed earthquake scarps on patch reefs in the South Water Caye Marine Reserve, Central Belize. Skeletal records of stressors included damsel fish …

Accelerating Tropicalization And The Transformation Of Temperate Seagrass Meadows, Glenn A. Hyndes, Kenneth L. Heck, Jnr, Adriana Verges, Euan S. Harvey, Gary A. Kendrick, Paul Lavery, Kathryn Mcmahon, Robert J. Orth, Alan Pearce, Mathew Vanderklift, Thomas Wernberg, Scott Whiting, Shaun Wilson

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Climate-driven changes are altering production and functioning of biotic assemblages in terrestrial and aquatic environments. In temperate coastal waters, rising sea temperatures, warm water anomalies and poleward shifts in the distribution of tropical herbivores have had a detrimental effect on algal forests. We develop generalized scenarios of this form of tropicalization and its potential effects on the structure and functioning of globally significant and threatened seagrass ecosystems, through poleward shifts in tropical seagrasses and herbivores. Initially, we expect tropical herbivorous fishes to establish in temperate seagrass meadows, followed later by megafauna. Tropical seagrasses are likely to establish later, delayed by …

You Can't Catch A Fish With A Robot, R. Grant Gilmore Jr.

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Abstract

In this essay I will relate the challenges associated with deep sea ocean exploration as well as the advantages and disadvantages of today’s ocean technologies based on experience with most of these systems. After nearly five decades using robotic vehicles (Remotely Operated Vehicles = ROVs and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles = AUVs) and manned submarines for fish research, I thought it would be appropriate to briefly describe a career spent using these technologies as they were developed. Deep sea ichthyologists cannot effectively catch a swimming fish with a robot even 40 years after the development of the first ROV for …

Age, Growth And Natural Mortality Of Blackfin Snapper Lutjanus Buccanella From The Southeastern United States And U. S. Caribbean, Michael L. Burton, Jennifer C. Potts, Daniel R. Carr

Gulf and Caribbean Research

We determined ages of Blackfin Snapper (Lutjanus buccanella Cuvier 1828; n = 622) collected from the southeastern United States coast and U.S. Caribbean from 1979–2015 using sectioned sagittal otoliths. Opaque zones were determined to be annular, forming March – July (peaking in April–June). Blackfin Snapper ranged from 1–27 years and from 180–609 mm total length (TL). Body size relationships for Blackfin Snapper were: TL = 1.09 FL + 0.81 (n = 203, r2 = 0.99); FL = 0.91 TL + 3.38 (n = 203, r2 = 0.99); TL = 1.23 SL + 14.27 (n = 83, r2 = 0.97); FL …

Potential Benefits And Shortcomings Of Marine Protected Areas For Small Seabirds Revealed Using Miniature Tags, Sara M. Maxwell, Melinda G. Conners, Nicholas B. Sisson, Tiffany M. Dawson

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Marine protected areas are considered important tools for protecting marine biodiversity, and animal tracking is a key way to determine if boundaries are effectively placed for protection of key marine species, including seabirds. We tracked chick-rearing brown noddies (Anous stolidus) from the Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida USA in 2016 using 1.8 g Nanofix GPS tags (n = 10), making this the first time this species has ever been tracked. We determined movement parameters, such as flight speed, distance traveled and home range, and how birds used a complex of marine protected areas including the Dry Tortugas …

Should We Sync? Seascape-Level Genetic And Ecological Factors Determine Seagrass Flowering Patterns, Marlene Jahnke, Jordi F. Pagès, Teresa Alcoverro, Paul S. Lavery, Kathryn M. Mcmahon, Gabriele Procaccini

Research Datasets

Spatial and temporal heterogeneity in flowering occur in many plant species with abiotic pollination and may confer fitness advantages through mechanisms such as predator satiation or pollination efficiency. Environmental factors such as light quality or quantity and temperature play an important role in inducing synchronisation on wide geographic scales. On a smaller geographic scale, external factors such as resource availability and herbivory are theorised to trigger flowering, while genetic factors may also play an important role. In this study, we assessed the importance of ecological and genetic factors in shaping seascape-level spatial heterogeneity in flowering of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica. …

Impact Of Mooring Activities On Carbon Stocks In Seagrass Meadows, Oscar Serrano, R. Ruhon, Paul S. Lavery, Gary A. Kendrick, S. Hickey, Pere Masque, Ariane Arias-Ortiz, Andy D.L. Steven, Carlos M. Duarte

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Boating activities are one of the causes that threaten seagrass meadows and the ecosystem services they provide. Mechanical destruction of seagrass habitats may also trigger the erosion of sedimentary organic carbon (C_org) stocks, which may contribute to increasing atmospheric CO₂. This study presents the first estimates of loss of C_org stocks in seagrass meadows due to mooring activities in Rottnest Island, Western Australia. Sediment cores were sampled from seagrass meadows and from bare but previously vegetated sediments underneath moorings. The C_org stores have been compromised by the mooring deployment from 1930s onwards, which involved …

Influence Of Increased Sediment Exposure On Suspension-Feeder Assemblages In A Temperate Seagrass Meadow, Pierre Bouvais

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The impact of increased sediment exposure on coastal marine ecosystems is one of the most important contemporary environmental issues. Sediment exposure is defined as the concentrations of sediment particles suspended in the water column and the amount of sediment depositing on the seabed. In addition to natural events, such as land erosion, rainfall, and tidal currents, anthropogenic activities such as land use, road building, logging, mining, port maintenance and dredging, contribute to the discharge of a great amount of sediment in the water column. As sessile suspension-feeder assemblages play a critical role in marine ecosystems through their active transfers of …

Sea Turtle Response To Climate Change: Analyzing Current And Predicting Future Impacts On Populations, Habitat, And Prey Populations, Eva J. Golden

Honors Theses and Capstones

With the prediction of devastating global climate change effects for the near future, scientists are expanding their research and understanding of some of the most severely affected organisms. Because sea turtles rely on both marine and terrestrial habitats for survival, and because coastal areas are already experiencing great losses due to sea level rising, human development, and pollution, all seven species are already listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. In this literature analysis, I examined the many factors that contribute to a sampling of the current sea turtle population status as well as scrutinized turtle adaptability to the …

River Report. State Of The Lower St. Johns River Basin, Florida: Water Quality, Fisheries, Aquatic Life, Contaminants, 2016, Environmental Protection Board, City Of Jacksonville, University Of North Florida, Jacksonville University, Gerry Pinto, Nisse Goldberg, Radha Pyati, Peter Bacopoulos, Anthony Ouellette, Gretchen Bielmyer-Fraser, An-Phong Le, Ray Oldakowski

State of the River Report

No abstract provided.

Natural Cultch Type Influences Habitat Preference And Predation, But Not Survival, In Reef-Associated Species, Erica A. Levine, Stephen Gosnell J., Emily M. Goetz, Christopher R. Malinowski

Publications and Research

A shared origin with fresh and dredged cultch and availability via mining have made fossil cultch a commonly used reef restoration substrate. However, important differences in shape and size between whole-shell cultch and fossil cultch may impact the complexity of reefs constructed from these materials. To determine if these differences may impact the development of restored reefs, we quantified the interstitial space each cultch type provides and constructed reef mesocosms to measure (1) the immediate effects of exposure to each cultch type on mortality of blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) and pink shrimp (Farfantepenaeus duorarum); (2) the …