Ontogenetic Shifts In Resource Allocation: Colour Change And Allometric Growth Of Defensive And Reproductive Structures In The Caribbean Spiny Lobster Panulirus Argus,
2013
Old Dominion University
Ontogenetic Shifts In Resource Allocation: Colour Change And Allometric Growth Of Defensive And Reproductive Structures In The Caribbean Spiny Lobster Panulirus Argus, Joshua R. Anderson, Angelo J. Spadaro, J. Antonio Baeza, Donald C. Behringer
Biological Sciences Faculty Publications
Resource allocation theory predicts a disproportionately large allocation of resources to defensive structures during early ontogeny in organisms that are subject to more intense predation at smaller than at larger body sizes. We tested this prediction on the Caribbean spiny lobster Panulirus argus, which exhibits a negative relationship between predation risk and body size with a high natural mortality of smaller individuals. Independent allometric growth analyses demonstrated that numerous defensive structures (e.g. orbital horns, segments supporting the antenna, the tail fan) display negative allometric growth throughout ontogeny. We interpret these findings as lobsters investing disproportionately more resources to defensive …
Phylogeography Of The Christmas Tree Worm Spirobranchus Corniculatus (Annelida, Serpulidae) From The Coral Triangle, Australia, And Fiji,
2013
University of California Los Angeles
Phylogeography Of The Christmas Tree Worm Spirobranchus Corniculatus (Annelida, Serpulidae) From The Coral Triangle, Australia, And Fiji, Abril Iñiguez, Craig J. Starger, Elena Kupriyanova, Demian Willette, Tristan Varman, Joshua A. Drew, Abdul Hamid Toha, Benedict Maralit, Kent E. Carpenter, Paul H. Barber
Biological Sciences Faculty Publications
Christmas Tree Woms is a common name given to a group of large and colourful serpulid polychaetes of the genus Spirobranchus that are obligate symbionts of hermatypic corals commonly found in tropical and subtropical regions world-wide. While current taxonomic species delimitations of these worms are based almost exclusively on the morphology of opercular structures, particularly the number and shape of calcareous opercular horns, high levels of intraspecific variation in this morphological feature have made species boundaries within the genus difficult to resolve. Molecular work to differentiate serpulid worms has long been hampered by the availability of informative markers. Recent work …
Spatial And Size Distribution Of Red Drum Caught And Released In Tampa Bay, Florida, And Factors Associated With Post-Release Hooking Mortality,
2013
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Spatial And Size Distribution Of Red Drum Caught And Released In Tampa Bay, Florida, And Factors Associated With Post-Release Hooking Mortality, Kerry E. Flaherty, Brent L. Winner, Julie L. Vecchio, Theodore S. Switzer
Gulf and Caribbean Research
The recreational fishery for red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) in Florida is unusual in that most red drum targeted are immature and caught within estuarine waters. Current state regulations rely exclusively on bag and size limits, resulting in the release of a large proportion of captured individuals. This study employed hook-and-line sampling conducted monthly in Tampa Bay, Florida and catch-and-release mortality experiments to determine the spatial and size distribution of red drum and the mortality rate of released fish, respectively. Of the 1,405 red drum collected, more than 70% were smaller than the minimum legal size (457 mm standard …
Effects Of Closure Of The Mississippi River Gulf Outlet On Saltwater Intrusion And Bottom Water Hypoxia In Lake Pontchartrain,
2013
University of New Orleans
Effects Of Closure Of The Mississippi River Gulf Outlet On Saltwater Intrusion And Bottom Water Hypoxia In Lake Pontchartrain, Michael A. Poirrier
Gulf and Caribbean Research
The goal of this study was to determine if Mississippi River Gulf Outlet closure by hurricane flood protection projects stopped saltwater intrusion, salinity stratification, and associated low bottom water dissolved oxygen in Lake Pontchartrain.
First Record Of A Nurse Shark, Ginglymostoma Cirratum, Within The Mississippi Sound,
2013
University of Southern Mississippi
First Record Of A Nurse Shark, Ginglymostoma Cirratum, Within The Mississippi Sound, Jill M. Hendon, Eric R. Hoffmayer, William B. Driggers Iii
Gulf and Caribbean Research
Of all the coastal shark species in the northern Gulf of Mexico, the nurse shark, Ginglymostoma cirratum, is one of the few species not documented in the Sound. Unlike most coastal sharks, nurse shark distribution is confined to a relatively specific suite of abiotic characteristics. Hannan et al. (2012) demonstrated that the distribution of nurse sharks in the northern GOM is primarily limited to hard bottom habitats with relatively high temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and water clarity. Herein, we provide support for the findings of Hannan et al. (2012) and report the first documented occurrence of a nurse shark …
Multiscale Analysis Of Factors That Affect The Distribution Of Sharks Throughout The Northern Gulf Of Mexico,
2013
University of South Alabama
Multiscale Analysis Of Factors That Affect The Distribution Of Sharks Throughout The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, J. Marcus Drymon, Laure Carassou, Sean P. Powers, Mark Grace, John Dindo, Brian Dzwonkowski
University Faculty and Staff Publications
Identification of the spatial scale at which marine communities are organized is critical to proper management, yet this is particularly difficult to determine for highly migratory species like sharks. We used shark catch data collected during 2006–09 from fishery- independent bottom-longline surveys, as well as biotic and abiotic explanatory data to identify the factors that affect the distribution of coastal sharks at 2 spatial scales in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Centered principal component analyses (PCAs) were used to visualize the patterns that characterize shark distributions at small (Alabama and Mississippi coast) and large (northern Gulf of Mexico) spatial scales. …
Seabed Classification For Trawlability Determined With A Multibeam Echo Sounder On Snakehead Bank In The Gulf Of Alaska,
2013
University of New Hampshire, Durham
Seabed Classification For Trawlability Determined With A Multibeam Echo Sounder On Snakehead Bank In The Gulf Of Alaska, Thomas C. Weber, Chris Rooper, John L. Butler, Darin Jones, Chris Wilson
Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping
—Rockfishes (Sebastes spp.) tend to aggregate near rocky, cobble, or generally rugged areas that are difficult to survey with bottom trawls, and evidence indicates that assemblages of rockfish species may differ between areas accessible to trawling and those areas that are not. Consequently, it is important to determine grounds that are trawlable or untrawlable so that the areas where trawl survey results should be applied are accurately identified. To this end, we used multibeam echosounder data to generate metrics that describe the seafloor: backscatter strength at normal and oblique incidence angles, the variation of the angle-dependent backscatter strength within 10° …
Novel Liquid Chromatography - Fourier Transform Mass Spectrometry (Ms) And Triple Quadrupole Ms Methods For The Determination Of Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning (Dsp) Toxins.,
2013
Department of Chemistry, Cork Institute of Technology, Cork, Ireland.
Novel Liquid Chromatography - Fourier Transform Mass Spectrometry (Ms) And Triple Quadrupole Ms Methods For The Determination Of Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning (Dsp) Toxins., Bébhine Carey
Theses
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) appear to be on the rise globally, which not only has a negative impact on the shellfish industry but can also cause human and animal intoxications. In order to advance our knowledge of HABs, specific and sensitive analytical methods are required to aid in monitoring shellfish and algal samples for biotoxins, harmful to consumers.
Horseshoe Crab Eggs: A Rare Resource For Predators In Long Island Sound,
2013
Sacred Heart University
Horseshoe Crab Eggs: A Rare Resource For Predators In Long Island Sound, Mark Beekey, Jennifer Mattei, Barbara J. Pierce
Biology Faculty Publications
In Delaware Bay, the spawning of several million horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) coincides with the arrival of migratory shorebirds that feed on their eggs. High horseshoe crab spawning densities and resulting high egg densities drive egg availability and predation rates. At high spawning densities, female horseshoe crabs perturb previously deposited clutches causing eggs to rise to the sediment surface (surface egg densities average 100,000 eggs m− 2). At the surface (0–5 cm), the eggs are quickly depleted by shorebirds and other predators. This interaction between egg density and egg predation has not been explicitly explored on …
Sources And Supply Of Kelp Detritus : Quantifying Mechanisms Of Production,
2013
Edith Cowan University
Sources And Supply Of Kelp Detritus : Quantifying Mechanisms Of Production, Thibaut De Bettignies
Theses: Doctorates and Masters
In temperate waters, rocky reefs dominated by extremely productive kelp beds export considerable primary production. Despite the extensive body of work on kelp detritus as a trophic subsidy, many questions remain about the production of this detritus. The aim of this thesis was to determine the rate and mechanisms of kelp detritus production, for Ecklonia radiata, the dominant kelp species in temperate Australia. Most of the work was conducted in Marmion Lagoon located 20 km North of Perth, south-western Western Australia, a region strongly influenced by oceanic swell and winter storms. The study comprised of four major components: the impact …
Herbivory By Parma Mccullochi (Pomacentridae) : Its Role As An Ecosystem Engineer In Temperate Algal-Dominated Reefs,
2013
Edith Cowan University
Herbivory By Parma Mccullochi (Pomacentridae) : Its Role As An Ecosystem Engineer In Temperate Algal-Dominated Reefs, Frederico Vitelli
Theses: Doctorates and Masters
Pomacentridae is one of the most representative families of herbivorous fishes inhabiting both tropical and temperate reefs, yet the vast majority of studies examining feeding within this family have been undertaken in tropical rather than temperate regions. Despite the high abundances of the pomacentrid Parma mccullochi in temperate waters of Western Australia, and their likely importance in removing algae from reefs in the region, there is a lack of information on their diet and their impact on the reef algal community. This study aims to determine the role of Parma mccullochi as an ecosystem engineer on temperate algal-dominated reefs in …
How Do Shellfisheries Influence Genetic Connectivity In Metapopulations? A Modeling Study Examining The Role Of Lower Size Limits In Oyster Fisheries,
2013
Old Dominion University
How Do Shellfisheries Influence Genetic Connectivity In Metapopulations? A Modeling Study Examining The Role Of Lower Size Limits In Oyster Fisheries, Daphne M. Munroe, Eileen E. Hofmann, Eric N. Powell, John M. Klinck
CCPO Publications
Fisheries can potentially alter evolutionary processes such as genetic connectivity and lead to genotypic changes in stocks. Using an individual-based metapopulation genetics model, we examined the possible influence of oyster (Crassostrea virginica) fisheries on genetic connectivity. We simulated a range of realistic fishing pressures, with and without a minimum size limit (limit = 63.5 mm), over a range of fishing scenarios including single-area and stock-wide fisheries. Movement of a neutral marker gene provided an indicator of gene transfer between populations. Simulations showed that fishing may alter genetic connectivity. Increasing fishing pressure tended to decrease potential for fished populations …
Combined Effects Of Co2 And Light On Large And Small Isolates Of The Unicellular N2-Fixing Cyanobacterium Crocosphaera Watsonii From The Western Tropical Atlantic Ocean,
2013
Old Dominion University
Combined Effects Of Co2 And Light On Large And Small Isolates Of The Unicellular N2-Fixing Cyanobacterium Crocosphaera Watsonii From The Western Tropical Atlantic Ocean, Nathan S. Garcia, Fei-Xue Fu, Cynthia L. Breene, Elizabeth K. Yu, Peter W. Bernhardt, Margaret R. Mulholland, David A. Hutchins
OES Faculty Publications
We examined the combined effects of light and pCO2 on growth, CO2-fixation and N2-fixation rates by strains of the unicellular marine N2-fixing cyanobacterium Crocosphaera watsonii with small (WH0401) and large (WH0402) cells that were isolated from the western tropical Atlantic Ocean. In low-pCO2-acclimated cultures (190ppm) of WH0401, growth, CO2-fixation and N2-fixation rates were significantly lower than those in cultures acclimated to higher (present-day approximate to 385ppm, or future approximate to 750ppm) pCO2 treatments. Growth rates were not significantly different, however, in low-pCO2-acclimated cultures of …
Conus: First Comprehensive Conservation Red List Assessment Of A Marine Gastropod Mollusc Genus,
2013
Old Dominion University
Conus: First Comprehensive Conservation Red List Assessment Of A Marine Gastropod Mollusc Genus, Howard Peters, Bethan C. O'Leary, Julie P. Hawkins, Kent E. Carpenter, Callum M. Roberts
Biological Sciences Faculty Publications
Marine molluscs represent an estimated 23% of all extant marine taxa, but research into their conservation status has so far failed to reflect this importance, with minimal inclusion on the authoritative Red List of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). We assessed the status of all 632 valid species of the tropical marine gastropod mollusc, Conus (cone snails), using Red List standards and procedures to lay the groundwork for future decadal monitoring, one of the first fully comprehensive global assessments of a marine taxon. Three-quarters (75.6%) of species were not currently considered at risk of extinction owing …
Nutrient Limitation Of Bioluminescent Dinoflagellates In Mangrove Lagoon, Salt River Bay, St. Croix, Usvi,
2013
University of South Carolina - Columbia
Nutrient Limitation Of Bioluminescent Dinoflagellates In Mangrove Lagoon, Salt River Bay, St. Croix, Usvi, Michelle Zimberlin
Theses and Dissertations
Bioluminescent bays resulting from dense concentrations of bioluminescent dinoflagellates are rare, with only 14 documented systems worldwide. One of these bays, Mangrove Lagoon, is located in Salt River Bay National Park in St. Croix, USVI. Very little is known about the environmental factors responsible for maintaining the high dinoflagellate densities in this lagoon. In order to assess the dynamics of the dinoflagellates, in situ nutrient addition bioassays were conducted to determine which nutrients regulate the phytoplankton community, which includes the bioluminescent dinoflagellate Pyrodinium bahamense. Bioassays were conducted in two different seasons, (January 2013 and May 2013) to examine seasonal responses …
Release Of Dissolved Organic Carbon From Seagrass Wrack And Its Implications For Trophic Connectivity,
2013
Edith Cowan University
Release Of Dissolved Organic Carbon From Seagrass Wrack And Its Implications For Trophic Connectivity, Paul S. Lavery, Kathryn M. Mcmahon, Julia Weyers, Mary C. Boyce, Carolyn Elizabeth Oldham
Research outputs 2013
The export of old leaves and stems (wrack) from seagrass meadows provides a mechanism for trophic connectivity among coastal ecosystems. As little of this wrack is consumed by mesograzers, leached dissolved organic carbon (DOC) may determine the importance of wrack as a trophic subsidy. However, few studies have examined the effect of seagrass type or age on the release of DOC or its bioavailability. We examined the amount and composition of DOC released from different wrack: Posidonia sinuosa, Amphibolis antarctica and the alga Laurencia sp. We then examined the effect of age on DOC leaching from P. sinuosa wrack. The …
Meta-Analysis Reveals Complex Marine Biological Responses To The Interactive Effects Of Ocean Acidification And Warming,
2013
Edith Cowan University
Meta-Analysis Reveals Complex Marine Biological Responses To The Interactive Effects Of Ocean Acidification And Warming, Ben P. Harvey, Dylan Gwynn-Jones, Philippa J. Moore
Research outputs 2013
Ocean acidification and warming are considered two of the greatest threats to marine biodiversity, yet the combined effect of these stressors on marine organisms remains largely unclear. Using a meta-analytical approach, we assessed the biological responses of marine organisms to the effects of ocean acidification and warming in isolation and combination. As expected biological responses varied across taxonomic groups, life-history stages, and trophic levels, but importantly, combining stressors generally exhibited a stronger biological (either positive or negative) effect. Using a subset of orthogonal studies, we show that four of five of the biological responses measured (calcification, photosynthesis, reproduction, and survival, …
Variability In The Carbon Storage Of Seagrass Habitats And Its Implications For Global Estimates Of Blue Carbon Ecosystem Service,
2013
Edith Cowan University
Variability In The Carbon Storage Of Seagrass Habitats And Its Implications For Global Estimates Of Blue Carbon Ecosystem Service, Paul Lavery, Miguel-Angel Mateo, Oscar Serrano, Mohammad Rozaimi
Research outputs 2013
The recent focus on carbon trading has intensified interest in ‘Blue Carbon’–carbon sequestered by coastal vegetated ecosystems, particularly seagrasses. Most information on seagrass carbon storage is derived from studies of a single species, Posidonia oceanica, from the Mediterranean Sea. We surveyed 17 Australian seagrass habitats to assess the variability in their sedimentary organic carbon (Corg) stocks. The habitats encompassed 10 species, in mono-specific or mixed meadows, depositional to exposed habitats and temperate to tropical habitats. There was an 18-fold difference in the Corg stock (1.09– 20.14 mg Corg cm23 for a temperate Posidonia sinuosa and a temperate, estuarine P. australis …
Impacts From Ditching Salt Marshes In The Mid-Atlantic And Northeastern United States,
2013
Department of Technology and Society
Impacts From Ditching Salt Marshes In The Mid-Atlantic And Northeastern United States, David J. Tonjes
Technology & Society Faculty Publications
Tidal inundation extent and duration, and water drainage and retention by marsh peat – marsh hydrology – determine most physical and ecological characteristics of salt marsh systems. Ditching, installed across nearly all marshes on the US East Coast by 1940 to control mosquitoes, alters marsh hydrology. Two linchpin papers are used here as springboards to review the literature that describes the resulting effects, which clearly include reduced water table height for most marshes and changes in avian populations. Effects on invertebrate populations, including mosquitoes, are generally less, although to a smaller degree than is sometimes reported. Impacts on nekton are …
Bacterial Colonization And Extinction On Marine Aggregates: Stochastic Model Of Species Presence And Abundance,
2013
Old Dominion University
Bacterial Colonization And Extinction On Marine Aggregates: Stochastic Model Of Species Presence And Abundance, Andrew M. Kramer, M. Maille Lyons, Fred C. Dobbs, John M. Drake
OES Faculty Publications
Organic aggregates provide a favorable habitat for aquatic microbes, are efficiently filtered by shellfish, and may play a major role in the dynamics of aquatic pathogens. Quantifying this role requires understanding how pathogen abundance in the water and aggregate size interact to determine the presence and abundance of pathogen cells on individual aggregates. We build upon current understanding of the dynamics of bacteria and bacterial grazers on aggregates to develop a model for the dynamics of a bacterial pathogen species. The model accounts for the importance of stochasticity and the balance between colonization and extinction. Simulation results suggest that while …
