Species Specific Microcalcification In Reef Building Caribbean Corals In Ocean Acidification Conditions,
2015
Nova Southeastern University
Species Specific Microcalcification In Reef Building Caribbean Corals In Ocean Acidification Conditions, Ashley M. Dungan
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
Coral reefs are one of the most economically important ecosystems on the planet. Despite their great contribution to the world economy, anthropogenic influence via carbon dioxide emissions is leading to unprecedented changes with concerns about subsequent negative impacts on reefs. Surface ocean pH has dropped 0.1 units in the past century; in spite of this rapid shift in oceanic chemistry, it is unclear if individual species or life stages of Caribbean stony corals will be more sensitive to ocean acidification (OA). Examined is the relationship between CO2-induced seawater acidification, net calcification, photosynthesis, and respiration in three model Caribbean …
Individual-Level Variation And Higher-Level Interpretations Of Space Use In Wide-Ranging Species: An Albatross Case Study Of Sampling Effects,
2015
Dalhousie University
Individual-Level Variation And Higher-Level Interpretations Of Space Use In Wide-Ranging Species: An Albatross Case Study Of Sampling Effects, Sarah Gutowsky, Marty Leonard, Melinda Conners, Scott A. Shaffer, Ian Jonsen
Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences
Marine ecologists and managers need to know the spatial extent of at-sea areas most frequented by the groups of wildlife they study or manage. Defining group-specific ranges and distributions (i.e., space use at the level of species, population, age-class, etc.) can help to identify the source or severity of common or distinct threats among different at-risk groups. In biologging studies, this is accomplished by estimating the space use of a group based on a sample of tracked individuals. A major assumption of these studies is consistency in individual movements among members of a group. The implications of scaling up individual-level …
Bacterial Community Dynamics In Marine Sponge Cinachyrella Kuekenthali Under Irradiance And Antibiotics,
2015
Nova Southeastern University
Bacterial Community Dynamics In Marine Sponge Cinachyrella Kuekenthali Under Irradiance And Antibiotics, Nidhi Vijayan
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
The Marine sponge Cinachyrella sp used in this study are commonly found in offshore South Florida and Caribbean waters and appeared to be resilient in closed system aquaculture. Marine sponges host diverse bacterial symbionts that are distinct compared to bacteria found in ambient seawater, however the roles of a large fraction of the bacterial community in marine sponges are unknown. Comparison of symbiotic to aposymbiotic (bacteria-free) sponges could provide information about interactions (metabolic and physiologic) between the bacteria and sponge. In this study, a single Cinachyrella kuekenthali individual was subsectioned into explants (N=240) in order to provide identical bacterial communities …
Passive Acoustic Monitoring Of Beaked Whale Densities In The Gulf Of Mexico,
2015
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Passive Acoustic Monitoring Of Beaked Whale Densities In The Gulf Of Mexico, John A. Hildebrand, Simone Baumann-Pickering, Kaitlin E. Frasier, Jennifer S. Trickey, Karlina P. Merkens, Sean M. Wiggins, Mark A. Mcdonald, Lance P. Garrison, Danielle Harris, Tiago A. Marques, Len Thomas
C-IMAGE Publications
Beaked whales are deep diving elusive animals, difficult to census with conventional visual surveys. Methods are presented for the density estimation of beaked whales, using passive acoustic monitoring data collected at sites in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) from the period during and following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (2010-2013). Beaked whale species detected include: Gervais' (Mesoplodon europaeus), Cuvier's (Ziphius cavirostris), Blainville's (Mesoplodon densirostris) and an unknown species of Mesoplodon sp. (designated as Beaked Whale Gulf - BWG). For Gervais' and Cuvier's beaked whales, we estimated weekly animal density using two methods, one based on the number of echolocation clicks, …
Reproductive Parameters Of Two Coastal Pelagic Fishes Off Southeast Florida: Blackfin Tuna, Thunnus Atlanticus, And Little Tunny, Euthynnus Alletteratus,
2015
Nova Southeastern University
Reproductive Parameters Of Two Coastal Pelagic Fishes Off Southeast Florida: Blackfin Tuna, Thunnus Atlanticus, And Little Tunny, Euthynnus Alletteratus, Sonia Ahrabi-Nejad, David Kerstetter, Nancy J. Brown-Peterson, Patricia Blackwelder, Dorothy-Ellen A. Renegar
Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches, Lectures
No abstract provided.
Seismic Surveys And Marine Turtles: An Underestimated Global Threat?,
2015
University of Exeter
Seismic Surveys And Marine Turtles: An Underestimated Global Threat?, Sarah E. Nelms, Wendy Dow Piniak, Caroline R. Weir, Brendan J. Godley
Environmental Studies Faculty Publications
Seismic surveys are widely used in marine geophysical oil and gas exploration, employing airguns to produce sound-waves capable of penetrating the sea floor. In recent years, concerns have been raised over the biological impacts of this activity, particularly for marine mammals. While exploration occurs in the waters of at least fifty countries where marine turtles are present, the degree of threat posed by seismic surveys is almost entirely unknown. To investigate this issue, a mixed-methods approach involving a systematic review, policy comparison and stakeholder analysis was employed and recommendations for future research were identified. This study found that turtles have …
Research, Monitoring, Assessment And Development Plan 2015 – 2020,
2015
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australia
Research, Monitoring, Assessment And Development Plan 2015 – 2020, Department Of Fisheries
Fisheries Occasional Publications
No abstract provided.
Genomic And Transcriptomic Evidence For Scavenging Of Diverse Organic Compounds By Widespread Deep-Sea Archaea,
2015
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Genomic And Transcriptomic Evidence For Scavenging Of Diverse Organic Compounds By Widespread Deep-Sea Archaea, Meng Li, Brett J. Baker, Karthik Anantharaman, Sunit Jain, John A. Breier, Gregory J. Dick
School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications
Microbial activity is one of the most important processes to mediate the flux of organic carbon from the ocean surface to the seafloor. However, little is known about the microorganisms that underpin this key step of the global carbon cycle in the deep oceans. Here we present genomic and transcriptomic evidence that five ubiquitous archaeal groups actively use proteins, carbohydrates, fatty acids and lipids as sources of carbon and energy at depths ranging from 800 to 4,950 m in hydrothermal vent plumes and pelagic background seawater across three different ocean basins. Genome-enabled metabolic reconstructions and gene expression patterns show that …
Fine-Grained Bacterial Compositional Analsysis Of The Port Everglades Inlet (Broward County, Fl) Microbiome Using High Throughput Dna Sequencing,
2015
Nova Southeastern University
Fine-Grained Bacterial Compositional Analsysis Of The Port Everglades Inlet (Broward County, Fl) Microbiome Using High Throughput Dna Sequencing, Lauren M. O'Connell
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
Port Everglades Inlet is one of the busiest ports in the country and is a point source of pollution to surrounding beaches and offshore corals from heavy boat traffic and urban runoff. Understanding fluctuations of bacterioplankton communities in major port inlets is important due to their impacts on surrounding marine environments. To understand annual microbial fluctuations, the 16s rRNA V4 hypervariable region was sequenced using Illumina high-throughput DNA sequencing technology. Surface samples were taken weekly for one year to generate baseline fluctuations in the microbial community. Total reads of 1.4 million were generated with a final count of 16,384 Operational …
Biodiversity And Ecological Dynamics Of Sciophilous Benthic Communities On Artificial Plates: Emphasis On Reef Sponges,
2015
Nova Southeastern University
Biodiversity And Ecological Dynamics Of Sciophilous Benthic Communities On Artificial Plates: Emphasis On Reef Sponges, Caidra Elizabeth Hassanzada
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
Low light intensity habitats harbor unique sciophilous benthic communities and are a source of novel and unique sponge fauna. However, the community structure of these habitats is poorly studied to date. Thus, this study attempts to understand the composition and structure of sciophilous sponge populations in southeast Florida. Fifty limestone plates were placed on a shallow reef in Fort Lauderdale for two years (2010-2012). To identify the sponge community and their patterns over time, all plates were photographed at the end of each year. Then, samples were taken from each of the live sponge specimens observed on the plates and …
Wintering North Pacific Black-Legged Kittiwakes Balance Spatial Flexibility And Consistency,
2015
University of California, Santa Cruz
Wintering North Pacific Black-Legged Kittiwakes Balance Spatial Flexibility And Consistency, Rachael Orben, Rosana Paredes, Daniel Roby, David Irons, Scott A. Shaffer
Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences
Background Marine environments are inherently dynamic, yet marine predators are often long-lived and employ strategies where consistency, individual specialization, routine migrations, and spatial memory are key components to their foraging and life-history strategies. Intrinsic determinates of animal movements are linked to physiological and life-history traits (e.g. sex, colony, experience), while extrinsic influences occur as the result of an animal’s interactions with either other animals or the environment (e.g. prey availability, weather, competition). Knowledge of the factors affecting animal movements is critical to understand energetic bottlenecks and population dynamics. Here, we attempt to understand the interaction of some of these factors …
Shellfish Tissue Monitoring In Piscataqua Region Estuaries 2014,
2015
New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services
Shellfish Tissue Monitoring In Piscataqua Region Estuaries 2014, Matthew A. Wood
PREP Reports & Publications
Originally conducted by the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment from 1993 to 2011, the Gulfwatch Program examined trends in the water quality of the Gulf of Maine by monitoring toxic contaminant concentrations in the tissues of shellfish. Starting in 2012 the Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership (PREP) continued this program in the Piscataqua Region. Each year, PREP collects blue mussels at three sites: Dover Point, NH (NHDP), Clark Cove on Seavey Island, ME (MECC), and Hampton-Seabrook Harbor (NHHS). The mussel tissue is analyzed to determine the concentrations of toxic contaminantss including heavy metals, chlorinated pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), …
Learning From Lionfish: Modeling Marine Invaded Systems,
2015
Nova Southeastern University
Learning From Lionfish: Modeling Marine Invaded Systems, Matthew Johnston
Mathematics Colloquium Series
Simulating marine invaded systems requires broad consideration of physical oceanographic processes, such as ocean circulation patterns and temperature, and biological traits of the invader, such as their reproductive strategy and tolerances to their environment. Through this understanding of baseline biological and oceanographic function, models can be developed in order to forecast the incursion patterns of marine invasive species - helpful both to predict their spread as well as forewarn of impacts. To facilitate this understanding, computer simulation is useful in order to quickly and efficiently assimilate large biological and oceanographic datasets into digestible products. Data derived from such simulations are …
Temporal Variation In Optical Properties Of Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter (Cdom) In Southern California Coastal Waters With Nearshore Kelp And Seagrass,
2015
Chapman University
Temporal Variation In Optical Properties Of Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter (Cdom) In Southern California Coastal Waters With Nearshore Kelp And Seagrass, Catherine D. Clark, Warren J. De Bruyn, Paige Aiona
Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research
Optical properties of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) were measured in surf zone waters in diurnal field studies at a Southern California beach with nearshore kelp and seagrass beds and intertidal plant wrack. Absorption coefficients (aCDOM(300 nm)) ranged from 0.35 m21 to 3.7 m21 with short-term variability<1 h, increases at ebb and flood tides and higher values (6 m21) during an offshore storm event. Spectral slopes (S) ranged from 0.0028 nm21 to 0.017 nm21, with higher values after the storm; S was generally inversely correlated with aCDOM(300 nm). 3-D excitation–emission matrix spectra (EEMs) for samples with lower S values had humic-type peaks associated with terrestrial material (A, C), marine microbial material (M) and protein peaks, characteristic of freshly produced organic material. Samples with high S values had no or reduced protein peaks, consistent with aged material. Fluorescent indexes (f450/f500 >2.5, BIX>1.1) were consistent with microbial aquatic sources. Leachates of senescent kelp and seagrass had protein and humic-type EEM peaks. After solar simulator irradiation (4 h), protein peaks rapidly photochemically degraded, humic-type peak C increased in intensity and peak M disappeared. Optical characteristics of kelp leachates were most similar to field samples, …
Size And Abundance Of Pismo Clams In The Intertidal And Subtidal,
2015
Cal Poly, SLO
Size And Abundance Of Pismo Clams In The Intertidal And Subtidal, Jenny Greene
Symposium
Pismo clams, Tivela stultorum, were observed at Rincon Beach, CA to find patterns of abundance and size distribution along a depth gradient from the intertidal, where recreational clammers have access on foot, to the subtidal, where clammers only have access with more specialized snorkeling or SCUBA equipment. Size and abundance patterns were compared between the intertidal and subtidal regions. A heuristic model was created to predict the effects of predation and wave action on clam density. Clam abundance was significantly greater in the intertidal than the subtidal and displayed a Gaussian distribution across the entire distance sampled. While Pismo clam …
Telonicher Marine Laboratory,
2015
Humboldt State University
Telonicher Marine Laboratory, Hsu Telonicher Marine Laboratory
Newsletters
No abstract provided.
Viewing The Status Of Virginia’S Environment Through The Lens Of Freshwater Fishes,
2015
U.S. Geological Survey, Virginia Tech
Viewing The Status Of Virginia’S Environment Through The Lens Of Freshwater Fishes, Paul L. Angermeier, Michael J. Pinder
Virginia Journal of Science
We summarize a range of topics related to the status of Virginia’s freshwater fishes, their reflection of environmental quality, and their contribution to human wellbeing. Since 1994 the list of extant Virginia fishes has lengthened from 210 species to 227 species, mostly due to taxonomic reorganizations. Virginia’s list of Species of Greatest Conservation Need currently contains 96 fish species, predominated by darters (32 species) and minnows (28 species). Increasing trends in species rarity and threats to fishes suggest that Virginia’s aquatic environment is becoming less hospitable for fishes. Prevailing anthropogenic threats to fishes include agriculture, urban development, mineral extraction, forestry, …
Foraging Behavior Links Climate Variability And Reproduction In North Pacific Albatrosses,
2015
Southwest Fisheries Science Center
Foraging Behavior Links Climate Variability And Reproduction In North Pacific Albatrosses, Lesley Thorne, Elliott Hazen, Steven Bograd, David Foley, Melinda Conners, Michelle Kappes, Hyemi Kim, Daniel Costa, Yann Tremblay, Scott A. Shaffer
Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences
Background: Climate-driven environmental change in the North Pacific has been well documented, with marked effects on the habitat and foraging behavior of marine predators. However, the mechanistic linkages connecting climate-driven changes in behavior to predator populations are not well understood. We evaluated the effects of climate-driven environmental variability on the reproductive success and foraging behavior of Laysan and Black-footed albatrosses breeding in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands during both brooding and incubating periods. We assessed foraging trip metrics and reproductive success using data collected from 2002–2012 and 1981–2012, respectively, relative to variability in the location of the Transition Zone Chlorophyll Front …
Lingcod (Ophiodon Elongatus) Habitat Associations: Implications For Conservation And Management,
2015
California State University, Monterey Bay
Lingcod (Ophiodon Elongatus) Habitat Associations: Implications For Conservation And Management, Megan Bassett
SNS Master's Theses
Understanding the spatial distribution of marine species and the temporal and spatial scales of the processes that drive those distributions continues to be limited, but is increasingly more critical with the implementation of marine spatial planning. Lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus) are a common demersal fish found from southern Alaska to Baja California, and are exploited both commercially and recreationally across the entirety of their range. Due to stock declines, Lingcod are managed using a variety of fisheries management tools, including spatial management. This study represents a unique in situ investigation of demersal habitat utilization by Lingcod at the southern portion of …
Flexibility Of Crab Chemosensory Hairs Enables Flicking Antennules To Sniff,
2015
Chapman University
Flexibility Of Crab Chemosensory Hairs Enables Flicking Antennules To Sniff, Lindsay D. Waldrop, Matthew A. Reidenbach, M. A. R. Koehl
Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research
The first step in smelling is capture of odorant molecules from the surrounding fluid. We used lateral flagella of olfactory antennules of crabs Callinectes sapidus to study the physical process of odor capture by antennae bearing dense tufts of hair-like chemosensory sensilla (aesthetascs). Fluid flow around and through aesthetasc arrays on dynamically scaled models of lateral flagella of C. sapidus was measured by particle image velocimetry to determine how antennules sample the surrounding water when they flick. Models enabled separate evaluation of the effects of flicking speed, aesthetasc spacing, and antennule orientation. We found that crab antennules, like those of …
