Marine Biology Commons^™

A Rapid Response Study Of The Hercules Gas Well Blowout, Samantha Joye, Joseph P. Montoya, Steven Murawski, Tamay Özgökmen, Terry L. Wade, Raffaele Montuoro, Brian J. Roberts, David Hollander, Wade H Jeffrey, Jeffrey Chanton

C-IMAGE Publications

On 20 April 2010, the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig lost well control while drilling at the Macondo prospect in the Gulf of Mexico. At the time of the Macondo blowout, the academic scientific community was ill prepared to initiate and rapidly conduct the necessary coordinated interdisciplinary studies of the environments around the discharge area.

Molecular Characterization Of Two Opecoelid Trematodes From Fishes In The Gulf Of Mexico, With A Desceiption Of A New Species Of Helicometra, Michael J. Andres, Candis L. Ray, Eric E. Pulis, Stephen S. Curran, Robin M. Overstreet

Faculty Publications

The plagioporine opecoelids Helicometra fasciata (Rudolphi, 1819) Odhner, 1902, and Macvicaria crassigula (Linton, 1910) Bartoli, Bray, and Gibson, 1989 have been reported from fishes in expansive geographic regions, disjointed from their type localities. New material of M. crassigula was collected from near its type locality as well as specimens resembling Helicometra fasciata sensu lato from three triglids in the Gulf of Mexico. Comparisons of the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequences, comprising the partial 18S rDNA, internal transcribed spacer region (= ITS1, 5.8S, and ITS2), and partial 28S rDNA gene, from M. crassigula and Helicometra fasciata sensu lato in the Gulf of …

A Record Of Anthropogenic Effects On Sedimentation In The Manatee River, Florida, Patrick Schwing, Ashanti Johnson

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Increased sedimentation rates have been attributed to increased anthropogenic activity in watersheds throughout Florida and many parts of the world. The Manatee River, located on the west coast of Florida (USA), like many other coastal watersheds, has experienced depletion in natural resources, increased nutrient loading, and increased pollution. LARs (linear accumulation rates) from watersheds throughout Florida suggest that anthropogenic activity increased bulk sedimentation by as much as 4-fold. The objective of this study was to construct a record of sedimentation and improve upon previous studies by determining individual sedimentary constituent MARs (mass accumulation rates) based on short lived radioisotopes (210Pb …

Scaling Of Olfactory Antennae Of The Terrestrial Hermit Crabs Coenobita Rugosus And Coenobita Perlatus During Ontogeny, Lindsay D. Waldrop, Roxanne M. Bantay, Quang V. Nguyen

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Although many lineages of terrestrial crustaceans have poor olfactory capabilities, crabs in the family Coenobitidae, including the terrestrial hermit crabs in the genus Coenobita, are able to locate food and water using olfactory antennae (antennules) to capture odors from the surrounding air. Terrestrial hermit crabs begin their lives as small marine larvae and must find a suitable place to undergo metamorphosis into a juvenile form, which initiates their transition to land. Juveniles increase in size by more than an order of magnitude to reach adult size. Since odor capture is a process heavily dependent on the size and speed …

Silica Cycling In The Ultra-Oligotrophic Eastern Mediterranean Sea, M. D. Krom, N. Kress, Kent A. Fanning Ph.D.

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Although silica is a key plant nutrient, there have been few studies aimed at understanding the Si cycle in the eastern Mediterranean Sea (EMS). Here we use a combination of new measurements and literature values to explain the silicic acid distribution across the basin and to calculate a silica budget to identify the key controlling processes. The surface water concentration of ∼1 μM, which is unchanging seasonally across the basin, was due to the inflow of western Mediterranean Sea (WMS) water at the Straits of Sicily. It does not change seasonally because there is only a sparse population of diatoms …

Modeling Maine’S Rockweed Harvest, Meagan Hennessey

Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby

Currently, Maine is in a political struggle over the best way to manage the harvesting of Rockweed, or Ascophyllum nodosum. As the dominant macro algae along the state’s rocky intertidal zone it supports over 150 different species, meaning its loss could impact food web stability, protection of endangered species, and support of economically viable harvests. This work takes parameters found in the literature to create a Stella model, which is then manipulated to explore the relative impact of possible management strategies. It is found that a strictly accurate model is not possible to create given the current biological knowledge and …

Geochemical Analysis Of Eolian Fluxes During The Transition From Greenhouse To Icehouse Conditions In Equatorial Pacific., Daniel Nicholas Miller

Theses and Dissertations

To assess the atmospheric conditions during times of differing pole to equator thermal gradients through the middle Eocene to early Oligocene, 42 to 30 Ma, samples from deep-sea sediment cores U1331, U1332, U1333 from IODP Expedition 320/321 in the eastern equatorial Pacific (EEP) have been chemically leached to isolate the operationally defined eolian dust (ODED; <63 μm fraction). The ODED was analyzed for neodymium (Nd) isotopic compositions and rare earth element (REE) concentrations in order to determine the provenance of the ODED fraction and to elucidate the environmental conditions (e.g. predominant wind patterns) during deposition over the interval of study. The variations in the ODED fraction are expected to be controlled by changes in sources delivered via eolian input. However, negative cerium anomalies in the Post Achaean Australian Shale (PAAS) normalized rare earth element profiles of the ODED show a biasing geochemical seawater phase to the ODED signature. It is found that εNd values and cerium anomalies (Ce/Ce*) of ODED are consistent with fossil fish teeth values that record bottom water signatures from the same location and time period until ~36-37 Ma; around the Priabonian/Bartonian boundary marked by increased thermal gradients due to the emplacement of high elevation glaciers on Antarctica (Scher et. al., 2014). Moreover, the more negative cerium anomalies correlate to more radiogenic εNd values. The geochemical seawater signature in the ODED samples is believed to be caused by a change in sedimentary phase regulated by the spatial paleoposition of the sites relative to the biological high productivity zone and/or the depth of the CCD. Subsequently these regulators on the sedimentary phases of the ODED were investigated for biasing the geochemical signatures of the ODED, assumed to be changes in sources thereby provenance. Together, the Nd and REE results from the study temporally indicate that the ODED fraction may be a mixing between two sources, that of a biasing biogenic and/or authigenic source that records seawater conditions, and that of an older, less radiogenic continental source, inferred as Asian loess, as an increased thermal gradient prevails over the course of the study. Further research needs to be performed to make more robust and conclusive linkages between sources, mixing of sources, and atmospheric eolian delivery patterns, highlighting the necessity for a better understanding of atmospheric conditions during important climatic events throughout the history of the Earth.

Seagrasses In The Age Of Sea Turtle Conservation And Shark Overfishing, Michael Heithaus, Teresa Alcoverro, Rohan Arthur, Derek A. Burkholder, Kathryn A. Coates, Marjolijn J. A. Christianen, Nachiket Kelkar, Sarah A. Manuel, Aaron Wirsing, W. Judson Kenworthy, James W. Fourqurean

HCAS Student Articles

Efforts to conserve globally declining herbivorous green sea turtles have resulted in promising growth of some populations. These trends could significantly impact critical ecosystem services provided by seagrass meadows on which turtles feed. Expanding turtle populations could improve seagrass ecosystem health by removing seagrass biomass and preventing of the formation of sediment anoxia. However, overfishing of large sharks, the primary green turtle predators, could facilitate turtle populations growing beyond historical sizes and trigger detrimental ecosystem impacts mirroring those on land when top predators were extirpated. Experimental data from multiple ocean basins suggest that increasing turtle populations can negatively impact seagrasses, …

Jellyfish Throwdown: Invasive Versus Native, Brooke Bemowski, Trisha Huynh, Lindsay J. Sullivan, Wim Kimmerer

STAR Program Research Presentations

The San Francisco Bay Estuary is home to many species of marine and wildlife that create a delicate ecological balance. Invasive jellyfish introduced to the bay though cargo shipping are believed to be competing with the endangered delta smelt for the same food source of copepods. Samples of zooplankton were taken from high and low salinity zones in the San Francisco Bay over three years in months June through February to correlate with the peak of the jellyfish lifecycle. The preserved samples are looked through and jellyfish are removed and recorded. The species of jellyfish is determined using features such …

Salinity And Temperature Distribution Of Jellyfish In The San Francisco Estuary, Trisha Huynh, Brooke Bemowski, Lindsay Sullivan, Wim Kimmerer

STAR Program Research Presentations

Jellyfish are generally characterized by their jelly-like bodies and internal lining (two tissue layers). They found both in the phylum Ctenophora and the phylum Cnidaria. Ctenophores differ from cnidarians primarily due to the rows of “combs”, or cilia, which are used for transportation. Additionally, ctenophores possess sticky cells while cindarians possess stinging cells. Jellyfish depend on zooplankton (small floating aquatic animals) as a food source; as a result, they are potential competitors and predators to plankton-eating fish and may negatively impact fish populations.

As recently as 1950, jellyfish have entered the San Francisco Bay from the Mediterranean Sea (probably …

The Path To The Sea: Leatherback Hatchling Orientation At Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge, Christina Macmillan, Kelly Stewart

STAR Program Research Presentations

Once sea turtle hatchlings emerge from their nest, they must find their way to the ocean by using cues such as a bright horizon and the slope of the beach. While moving toward the water, hatchlings often must navigate past predators and through vegetation, sticks, footprints in the sand, and other dangers such as ghost crab holes. Sometimes hatchlings become confused (or disoriented) and turn in circles to find the right route to the water. Sea turtle hatchlings also may become disoriented as a result of human impacts such as town lights or trash. The purpose of our experiment was …

Salinity Distribution Of Microplankton In The San Francisco Estuary, Carrie Ann Sharitt, Lindsay Sullivan, Wim Kimmerer

STAR Program Research Presentations

Microplankton are a diverse group of planktonic organisms ranging from 0.02 to 0.2 millimeters. Since the group is defined solely by size, it spans numerous taxonomic groups, including both heterotrophs and autotrophs. Microplankton are abundant in all aquatic ecosystems and are important prey for many organisms, including bivalves, crustaceans, and fish. The San Francisco Bay is truly an estuary as saltwater enters the estuary under the Golden Gate Bridge and freshwater flows in from the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers. Thus, there is a gradient of salinity from freshwater (0) in the rivers to saltwater by the Golden Gate Bridge …

Habitat Preference Of The Introduced Green Crab Carcinus Maenas, Brittany Susan Daum, Andy Chang

STAR Program Research Presentations

The aim of this experiment was to determine if Carcinus Maenas (European Green Crab) hhas a habitat preference in Seadrift Lagoon located in Stinson Beach, California. This experiment was accomplished by placing crab traps on the two types of substrate in Seadrift (sand and algae). The traps were pulled up every 24 hours and the size and sex of crabs was recorded. The data was analyzed to see if there was a difference in habitat preference based upon size, sex, and number of crabs. Using a Poisson Regression model, the size and sex of crabs were not significantly different between …

Melanin As An Oto-Protective Pigment In Two Fish Species: Poecilia Latipinna And Cyprinus Carpio , Bethany N. Coffey

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Melanin is the dark pigment found in most organisms that gives color to the skin, hair, feathers, and eyes of vertebrates. While melanin is known to also be present in the stria vascularis of the mammalian cochlea, its function in the inner ear is still unknown. Some previous studies have indicated that melanin may serve to protect the mammalian ear from hearing loss. Minimal previous research on melanin within the inner ears of fishes has been conducted. In this study, the melanin levels in the inner ears of different color morphs of two fish species (Poecilia latipinna and Cyprinus …

Microbial Community Assembly Found With Sponge Orange Band Disease In Xestospongia Muta (Giant Barrel Sponge), Rebecca Mulheron

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The giant barrel sponge, Xestospongia muta is an iconic and essential species of the coral reefs in South Florida. The sponge has primary roles providing ecosystem services and creating unique habitats for diverse microbial communities. On April 27, 2012 an outbreak of Sponge Orange Band Disease (SOB) was detected off the coast of South Florida. The disease begins with sponge bleaching, followed by mesohyl or “mesohyl” necrosis and often total mesohyl disintegration. Sampling from two diseased populations at Boynton Beach and Fort Lauderdale, FL took place on May 11th and May 29th, 2012. Each of the nine diseased sponges from …

Long-Term Stony Coral Transplantation Success Offshore Southeast, Florida, Usa, Theresa Elizabeth Robitaille

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Transplanted coral (Order: Scleractinia) colony condition was surveyed at five injury event sites, two coral nurseries, and one impact minimization location off the coast of Broward County, Florida, USA in 2012. Because stony corals are long-lived and slow growing, generally growing less than one centimeter in diameter per year, determining transplantation success requires long-term (greater than two years) monitoring. Long-term monitoring efforts, however, are rarely completed. This study is unique in that it examined stony coral transplantation success of several projects over a time period of 6-17 years. Control colonies were also surveyed in order to compare naturally growing coral …

Effects Of Dominant Plant Species And Water Depth On Methane Fluxes In A Freshwater Wetland, Marco T. Finocchiaro

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Methane (CH₄) is a highly potent greenhouse gas (GHG) found to contribute to the global problem of atmospheric warming. Wetlands have been documented to possess the ability to impact the earth’s CH₄ cycle yet are in a state of global depletion. CH₄ flux rates in wetlands have been found to vary within wetlands based on variability in environmental factors. There is a lack o f consensus on the effects of water depth as well as dominant plant type on CH₄ flux rates. In this study on Lake Wapalanne, Sussex County, NJ, submerged areas were found …

Application Of A Bioenergetics Framework For Assessing Sub-Lethal Effects Of Pollutants In The Freshwater Mussel Elliptio Complanata, Christopher G. Goodchild

All Theses And Dissertations

Although biomarkers are frequently used to assess sublethal effects of contaminants, a lack of mechanistic linkages to higher-level effects limits the predictive power of biomarkers. Bioenergetics has been proposed as a framework for linking cellular effects to whole-animal effects. We investigated sublethal effects of exposure to wastewater treatment facility effluent in freshwater mussels in situ, thereby capturing ecologically relevant exposure conditions. Our study focused on the energetic biomarker AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), while also considering more traditional biomarkers like heat shock proteins (HSP70), and antioxidant enzymes (i.e., superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione-S-transferase (GST)). We examined biomarkers at mRNA and protein levels. …

Genetic Variations In Two Seahorse Species (Hippocampus Mohnikei And Hippocampus Trimaculatus): Evidence For Middle Pleistocene Population Expansion, Yanhong Zhang, Nancy Kim Pham, Huixian Zhang, Junda Lin, Qiang Lin

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Population genetic of seahorses is confidently influenced by their species-specific ecological requirements and life-history traits. In the present study, partial sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome b (cytb) and control region (CR) were obtained from 50 Hippocampus mohnikei and 92 H. trimaculatus from four zoogeographical zones. A total of 780 base pairs of cytb gene were sequenced to characterize mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) diversity. The mtDNA marker revealed high haplotype diversity, low nucleotide diversity, and a lack of population structure across both populations of H. mohnikei and H. trimaculatus. A neighbour-joining (NJ) tree of cytb gene sequences showed that H. mohnikei haplotypes formed …

Sex Ratio Assessment Of Endangered Kemp’S Ridley Sea Turtle Foraging Populations: Validation Of A Testosterone Elisa For Juvenile Sex Determination, William A. Hilton, Camryn D. Allen

STAR Program Research Presentations

Currently all species of sea turtles are listed as threatened or endangered with extinction under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. In order to effectively construct management approaches we need as much information on various sea turtle populations as possible including demography, genetic origin, and critical habitat. One demographic piece of data that is lacking is the sex ratio of turtle populations in foraging habitats, as this information is integral in determining overall population abundance. Because secondary sex characteristics (i.e. males have longer tails) are not evident until turtles start to reach sexual maturity, the sex of juvenile turtles cannot be …