Marine Biology Commons^™

Setting The Sound Up For Success, Hillary Kenyon

Wrack Lines

Deploying remotely-set disease-resistant oyster seed in biodegradable netting on a natural bed in Connecticut. The eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, is a keystone species in Connecticut's coastal environment.

Assessment Of Genetic Connectivity And Potential Management Plans For The Coral Reef Ecosystems Of Guna Yala, Panama, Molly Mcentee

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Genetic connectivity between three populations of the common reef sea urchin, Echinometra lucunter located in fringing reefs off the islands of Ukuptupu, Wichupwala and Porvenir in western Guna Yala was analyzed to give insight into population distribution and the most effective conservation management plans for the area. The reefs of Guna Yala are facing many threats on a global or regional scale including global warming, ocean acidification, sea level rise, disease and severe storms. On a local level, increasing stress is being placed on these reef ecosystems from human activity including coral mining, overfishing, and pollution. In order to prevent …

Ken Beatrice: A Volunteer For All Seasons, Peg Vanpatten

Wrack Lines

"It was really interesting, and as I read, I wondered how I could personally get involved in efforts to conserve the Sound," Ken said. One of the listings in the box titled "What Can I Do to Help?" was the NOAA volunteer Phytoplankton Monitoring Network.

Light And Vision In The Deep-Sea Benthos: Ii. Vision In Deep-Sea Crustaceans, Tamara M. Frank, Sönke Johnsen, Thomas W. Cronin

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Using new collecting techniques with the Johnson-Sea-Link submersible, eight species of deep-sea benthic crustaceans were collected with intact visual systems. Their spectral sensitivities and temporal resolutions were determined shipboard using electroretinography. Useable spectral sensitivity data were obtained from seven species, and in the dark-adapted eyes, the spectral sensitivity peaks were in the blue region of the visible spectrum, ranging from 470 to 497 nm. Under blue chromatic adaptation, a secondary sensitivity peak in the UV portion of the spectrum appeared for two species of anomuran crabs:Eumunida picta (λ_max 363 nm) and Gastroptychus spinifer (λ_max 383 nm). Wavelength-specific …

Light And Vision In The Deep-Sea Benthos: I. Bioluminescence At 500-1000 M Depth In The Bahamian Islands, Sönke Johnsen, Tamara M. Frank, Steven H.D. Haddock, Edith A. Widder, Charles G. Messing

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Bioluminescence is common and well studied in mesopelagic species. However, the extent of bioluminescence in benthic sites of similar depths is far less studied, although the relatively large eyes of benthic fish, crustaceans and cephalopods at bathyal depths suggest the presence of significant biogenic light. Using the Johnson-Sea-Link submersible, we collected numerous species of cnidarians, echinoderms, crustaceans, cephalopods and sponges, as well as one annelid from three sites in the northern Bahamas (500–1000 m depth). Using mechanical and chemical stimulation, we tested the collected species for light emission, and photographed and measured the spectra of the emitted light. In addition, …

Development And Characterization Of 11 Novel Microsatellite Loci For The Roundscale Spearfish Tetrapturus Georgii And Their Cross-Species Amplification Among Other Istiophorid Species, Andrea M. Bernard, Kevin A. Feldheim, Mahmood S. Shivji

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Eleven novel polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed and characterized for the recently validated roundscale spearfish Tetrapturus georgii. Characterization of these markers, based on 35 roundscale spearfish from the western North Atlantic, revealed two to 21 alleles per locus with an average expected heterozygosity (HE) of 0·09–0·94, and all loci conformed to Hardy–Weinberg expectations. Cross-amplification of these 11 loci against all other eight known istiophorid species indicates promising prospects for the utility of these markers for istiophorids in general.

Life History Of Stranded Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) In Virginia, Margaret Cook Lynott

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Little is known about the life history and overall ecology of bottlenose dolphins that strand in Virginia. In this study, I examined archived life history samples and stranding data from bottlenose dolphins found in Virginia waters to (1) develop growth curves based on ages from sectioned teeth, (2) document characteristics of male and female reproductive organs, and (3) define the relationship between age/length and presence of neonatal characteristics during the first year of life. The Gompertz growth model provided the best fit of growth data for stranded T. truncatus in Virginia. Length at birth and asymptotic length for males were …

Rising Tides: A Guide To Sea Level Rise And The Coastal Organisms It Will Affect, Linda Walters, Sydney Katz

CEELAB Children's Books

A lot has been written about how humans will be impacted by sea level rise, but there are many species of animals and plants that will also be affected. Lottie the Loggerhead Sea Turtle, Marshall and Marsha Marshgrass, and Ollie the Eastern Oyster are here to tell their stories. You’ll learn all about their life-cycles, the important roles they play in their environment, and what the future may hold for them. So pick up this book, and get to know your coastline!

Nutrient Depletion As A Proxy For Microbial Growth In Deepwater Horizon Subsurface Oil/Gas Plumes, Alan M. Shiller, Dongjoo Joung

Faculty Publications

The Deepwater Horizon accident resulted in a substantial uncontrolled hydrocarbon release to the northern Gulf of Mexico, much of which was entrained in deep submerged plumes. While bio-degradation of the hydrocarbons has been inferred from microbial biomass and genetics, the amount of conversion of oil and gas carbon to biomass remains uncertain having only been estimated in modeling studies. Here we examine correlated depletions of nitrate, phosphate and oxygen in the submerged plumes and conclude that a substantial portion of hydrocarbons in these plumes was converted to biomass (0.8-2 x 10(10) mol C). This contrasts with nutrient-limited surface waters where …

Modeling Photosynthesis Of Spartina Alterniflora (Smooth Cordgrass) Impacted By The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Using Bayesian Inference, Wei Wu, Patrick D. Biber, Mark S. Peterson, Chongfeng Gong

Faculty Publications

To study the impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on photosynthesis of coastal salt marsh plants in Mississippi, we developed a hierarchical Bayesian (HB) model based on field measurements collected from July 2010 to November 2011. We sampled three locations in Davis Bayou, Mississippi (30.375 degrees N, 88.790 degrees W) representative of a range of oil spill impacts. Measured photosynthesis was negative (respiration only) at the heavily oiled location in July 2010 only, and rates started to increase by August 2010. Photosynthesis at the medium oiling location was lower than at the control location in July 2010 and it …

Spatial And Oceanographic Factors Affecting Black-Legged Kittiwake And Thick-Billed Murre Distributions In The Southeastern Bering Sea, Brian Hoover

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The distribution patterns of Thick-billed Murres (Uria lomvia) and Black-legged Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) in the southeastern Bering Sea were documented at sea during vessel-based surveys in July-August of 2008 and 2009. The relationships of murre and kittiwake densities with environmental variables were investigated using binomial generalized additive models (GAMs) to model the presence or absence of birds, and Gamma-error distribution GAMs to model the positive densities of birds. Environmental variables included oceanographic factors (Chlorophyll, Chlorophyll anomalies, Daily SST, Monthly SST), spatial factors (Distance to nearest colony, Distance to 300m shelf break, Depth), and a temporal factor (Year). Nocturnal surveys were …

Eelgrass Distribution In The Great Bay Estuary For 2011, Frederick T. Short

PREP Reports & Publications

Eelgrass in the Great Bay Estuary declined in both distribution and biomass between 2010 and 2011. In 2011, eelgrass was once again mainly present in the Great Bay itself with limited distribution in Portsmouth Harbor and Little Bay. Eelgrass distribution in Great Bay itself decreased between 2010 and 2011 and experienced an alarming 26% loss of biomass in a single year. In Great Bay itself there has been a loss of 35% of eelgrass distribution since 1996. In 2011, despite recent consecutive excellent growing years in terms of weather, we saw a reverse of the trend of slight increases in …

Eelgrass Distribution In The Great Bay Estuary For 2010, Frederick T. Short

PREP Reports & Publications

The following is a revision of the 2010 eelgrass status report submitted to the Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership by Dr. Fred Short, correcting an error in eelgrass percent cover classification discovered by PREP staff during their QA/QC process. Eelgrass in the Great Bay Estuary in 2010 was once again mainly present in the Great Bay itself with limited distribution in Portsmouth Harbor. In 2010, Portsmouth Harbor experienced a 9% loss of eelgrass distribution since 2009, for a loss of 47% of the Harbor’s eelgrass distribution since 1996, an alarming trend. For the third year in a row in the Piscataqua …

Sequencing And Analysis Of The Gastrula Transcriptome Of The Brittle Star Ophiocoma Wendtii, Roy Vaughn, Nancy Garnhart, James R. Garey, W. Kelley Thomas, Brian T. Livingston

Hubbard Center for Genome Studies (HCGS)

Background

The gastrula stage represents the point in development at which the three primary germ layers diverge. At this point the gene regulatory networks that specify the germ layers are established and the genes that define the differentiated states of the tissues have begun to be activated. These networks have been well-characterized in sea urchins, but not in other echinoderms. Embryos of the brittle star Ophiocoma wendtii share a number of developmental features with sea urchin embryos, including the ingression of mesenchyme cells that give rise to an embryonic skeleton. Notable differences are that no micromeres are formed during cleavage …

Small-Scale Mapping Of Indeterminate Arborescent Acroporid Coral (Acropora Cervicornis) Patches, Brian K. Walker, E. A. Larson, Alison L. Moulding, David S. Gilliam

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Western Atlantic populations of the staghorn coral Acropora cervicornis have drastically declined over the past few decades. Hence, interest in its ecology and spatial extent has increased. Acroporid corals with indeterminate arborescent growth like A.cervicornis primarily reproduce asexually by fragmentation, which can lead to extensive monotypic patches. Since fragmentation is a major component in indeterminate acroporid reproduction, these patches may expand or move over time. Periodic perimeter mapping facilitates comparison of patch areas to determine movement or expansion. A repeatable, low-cost method using a differential GPS carried by a snorkeler was employed to map the perimeter of A.cervicornis …

A New Us Polar Research Vessel For The Twenty-First Century, Robert B. Dunbar, Jon Alberts, Carin Ashjian, Vernon Asper, Dale Chayes, Eugene Domack, Hugh Ducklow, Bruce Huber, Lawrence Lawver, Daniel Oliver, Doug Russell, Craig R. Smith, Maria Vernet

Faculty Publications

Scientific and political interests at the poles are significant and rapidly increasing, driven in part by the effects of climate change and emerging geopolitical realities. The polar regions provide important services to global ecosystems and humankind, ranging from food and energy to freshwater and biodiversity. Yet the poles are experiencing changes at rates that far outpace the rest of the planet. Coastal Arctic communities are impacted by climate change through coastal erosion, sea level rise, ice loss, and altered marine food webs, threatening the future of their subsistence lifestyle. Climate change has dramatically increased the melt rate of ice sheets …

Prioritizing Key Resilience Indicators To Support Coral Reef Management In A Changing Climate, Tim R. Mcclanahan, Simon D. Donner, Jeffrey Allen Maynard, M. Aaron Macneil, Nicholas Anthony James Graham, Joseph M. Maina, Andrew C. Baker, Jahson Berhane Alemu I, Maria Beger, Robert Van Woesik

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Managing coral reefs for resilience to climate change is a popular concept but has been difficult to implement because the empirical scientific evidence has either not been evaluated or is sometimes unsupportive of theory, which leads to uncertainty when considering methods and identifying priority reefs. We asked experts and reviewed the scientific literature for guidance on the multiple physical and biological factors that affect the ability of coral reefs to resist and recover from climate disturbance. Eleven key factors to inform decisions based on scaling scientific evidence and the achievability of quantifying the factors were identified. Factors important to resistance …

Ocean Governance: The New Zealand Dimension Full Report, Michael Vincent Mcginnis

Working Papers

The primary goal of this report is to provide interested members of the public and policymakers with a general overview and a description of the types of principles, planning tools, and policy instruments that can be used to strengthen and improve marine governance in New Zealand. As extractive uses (hydrocarbons and minerals, in particular) ramp up and others are explored and brought on line in the marine areas of New Zealand, the need will increase for a more integrative, ecosystem-based approach to marine governance.

This study is based on the following types of analysis:

• a review of the literature …

The Role Of Individual Behavior Type In Mediating Indirect Interactions, Blaine D. Griffen, Benjamin J. Toscano, John Gatto

Faculty Publications

Trait-mediated indirect interactions (TMII) play an important role in structuring natural communities, and numerous studies have experimentally demonstrated their presence in a variety of systems. However, these studies have largely examined the presence or absence of traits that are responsible for these interactions, without considering natural variation between individuals in the extent to which these traits are manifested. We used a well-documented TMII to investigate the importance of individual behavior type for determining the strength of the TMII. The toadfish Opsanus tau has an indirect positive influence on bivalve survival because the mud crab Panopeus herbstii, a consumer of bivalves, …

A Genetic Survey Of English Sole Populations In The Salish Sea, Elizabeth S. Gutierrez, Gary A. Winans, Jon Baker, Amanda Cope

STAR Program Research Presentations

This summer I interned at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, WA and participated in NOAA’s Salish Sea Project. The Salish Sea Project’s goal is to identify genetically distinctive groups of species in the Salish Sea that may have unique evolutionary and/or adaptive backgrounds. These findings will allow NOAA to promote and monitor the natural production of species in the Salish Sea, to select representative populations for experimental work regarding pollution, ocean acidification and climate change, to contribute to managing the ecosystem for intra- and inter-species diversity, and to help make informed decisions about adaptive management and marine protected …