Marine Biology Commons^™

Caribbean Leucothoidae (Crustacea: Amphipoda) Of Panama, Kristine N. White

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Leucothoid amphipods were collected from sponge, ascidian, and bivalve mollusk hosts around Bocas del Toro, Panama. New host and locality records are reported for 10 species. Morphological variation is noted in some species originally described from Belize and South Florida. Future molecular research will help to clarify the importance of this variation. A key to the Caribbean species of the Leucothoidae collected around Bocas del Toro, Panama is provided based on morphological characters.

Resource Assessment Framework (Raf) For Finfish Resources In Western Australia, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Occasional Publications

No abstract provided.

Two Distinct, Geographically Overlapping Lineages Of The Corallimorpharian Ricordea Florida (Cnidaria: Hexacorallia: Ricordeidae), H. Torres-Pratts, T. Lado-Insua, Andrew L. Rhyne, L. Rodríguez-Matos, N. V. Schizas

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

We examined the genetic variation of the corallimorpharian Ricordea florida; it is distributed throughout the Caribbean region and is heavily harvested for the marine aquarium trade. Eighty-four distinct individuals of R. florida were sequenced from four geographically distant Caribbean locations (Curaçao, Florida, Guadeloupe, and Puerto Rico). Analysis of the ribosomal nuclear region (ITS1, 5.8S, ITS2) uncovered two geographically partially overlapping genetic lineages in R. florida, probably representing two cryptic species. Lineage 1 was found in Florida and Puerto Rico, and Lineage 2 was found in Florida, Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe, and Curaçao. Because of the multi-allelic nature of the ITS …

Metals In Sediments And Clams From The Indian River Lagoon, Florida: 2006–7 Versus 1992, John H. Trefry, Robert P. Trocine

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

A 1992 survey of metal concentrations in sediments and clams from the Indian River Lagoon, Florida, was repeated during 2006–7. Concentrations of Cr, Ni, Se and V in sediments were at background values during both surveys with no indication of anthropogenic inputs. Average values for Ag, Cd and Zn in sediments, normalized to Al, were unchanged, but contamination was identified at several locations during both surveys. The proportion of sites with elevated values for sediment Cu, Hg and Pb increased between 1992 and 2006–7 from 22 to 65%, 9 to 35%, and 13 to 39%, respectively, with highest values near …

Distribution And Abundance Of Introduced Fishes In Florida's Charlotte Harbor Estuary, Charles F. Idelberger, Christopher J. Stafford, Sarah E. Erickson

Gulf and Caribbean Research

A growing number of non-native fishes have been introduced into Florida waters in recent years, yet little information has been available on their distribution and abundance in southwest Florida. The ichthyofauna of the Charlotte Harbor estuary, Florida, was intensively sampled from 1989 through 2007. We collected eight introduced fish taxa: African jewelfish (Hemichromis letourneuxi), blue tilapia (Oreochromis aureus), brown hoplo (Hoplosternum littorale), grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), Mayan cichlid (Cichlasoma urophthalmus), sailfin catfishes (Pterygoplichthys spp.), spotted tilapia (Tilapia mariae), and walking catfish (Clarias batrachus). These fishes …

Distribution Of The Hermit Crabs Clibanarius Vittatus And Pagurus Maclaughlinae In The Northern Indian River Lagoon, Florida: A Reassessment After 30 Years, Christopher J. Kelly, Richard L. Turner

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The present distribution of two hermit crabs, Clibanarius vittatus and Pagurus maclaughlinae, was assessed for comparison with a study done more than 30 yr ago on decapods of the region. Clibanarius vittatus presently occurs in low or moderate density only at Sebastian Inlet. Retreat of C. vittatus from sites that it formerly occupied is attributed to intolerance of its larvae to low salinities recorded in the lagoon during recent reproductive seasons. Pagurus maclaughlinae remains the most abundant and widespread hermit crab in the lagoon. Its present distribution seems unchanged from the reference study despite prolonged periods, sometimes years, during which …

Distribution And Conservation Status Of Antillean Manatees (Trichechus Manatus Manatus) In Honduras, Daniel González-Socoloske, Cynthia R. Taylor, Olivia R. Rendon Thompson

Faculty Publications

The Antillean manatee, Trichechus manatus manatus, is among the most threatened mammals in Honduras, yet the last published study is from 1980. Since then, the North Coast of Honduras has experienced rapid population growth and land cover change possibly causing habitat loss for manatees. We conducted aerial, boat, and interview surveys between 2005-2007 along the northern and remote eastern coasts of Honduras to assess the current status and distribution of manatees. In addition, we compiled all available data on manatee mortality from museum specimens, unpublished reports, and interviews to determine current threats. We averaged 1.2 manatee sightings per survey hour …

Disease Effects On Lobster Fisheries, Ecology, And Culture: Overview Of Dao Special 6, Donald C. Behringer, Mark J. Butler Iv, Grant D. Stentiford

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Lobsters are prized by commercial and recreational fishermen worldwide, and their populations are therefore buffeted by fishery practices. But lobsters also remain integral members of their benthic communities where predator-prey relationships, competitive interactions, and host-pathogen dynamics push and pull at their population dynamics. Although lobsters have few reported pathogens and parasites relative to other decapod crustaceans, the rise of diseases with consequences for lobster fisheries and aquaculture has spotlighted the importance of disease for lobster biology, population dynamics and ecology. Researchers, managers, and fishers thus increasingly recognize the need to understand lobster pathogens and parasites so they can be managed …

Behavior Constrains The Dispersal Of Long-Lived Spiny Lobster Larvae, Mark J. Butler Iv, Claire B. Paris, Jason S. Goldstein, Hirokazu Matsuda, Robert K. Cowen

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Behavior such as ontogenetic vertical migration (OVM) limits the transport of marine larvae with short pelagic larval durations (PLDs), but its effect on the supposed long-distance dispersal of larvae with long PLDs is unknown. We conducted laboratory tests of ontogenetic change in larval phototaxis and examined size-specific patterns of larval distribution in the plankton to characterize OVM in the Caribbean spiny lobster Panulirus argus during its long (6 mo) PLD. We then used a coupled biophysical model to explore the consequences of OVM and hydrodynamics on larval P. argus dispersal in the Caribbean Sea. Larvae reared in the laboratory were …

Estimation Of Short-Term Tag-Induced Mortality In Horseshoe Crabs Limulus Polyphemus, Jennifer Mattei, Mark Beekey, H. R. Potter, C. S. Bond, Alyssa Woronik, J. A. Roberts, K. A. Smith

Biology Faculty Publications

Horseshoe crabs Limulus Polyphemus range along the East Coast of the United States and over 150,000 of them have been marked with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service disk tags. It has been assumed that the tags do not harm the animals and are similar to common epibionts often found on the shells of the horseshoe crabs. We investigated whether newlv tagged adult female horseshoe crabs would exhibit higher short-term mortality rates than untagged adult females. All crabs were collected from a beach in Connecticut and then were transported to a laboratory for the experiment. Tagging involved drilling a small hole …

Lamprey Watershed Education And Outreach, Lamprey River Watershed Association, Dawn Genes, Lamprey River Watershed Association. Lamprey River Nominating Committee

PREP Reports & Publications

The Lamprey River Nomination Committee sought the assistance of the Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership (PREP) to complete an extensive and detailed information package to nominate the Lamprey River and its major tributaries to the NH Rivers Management and Protection Program. The nomination package was due at DES on June 1, 2010, was reviewed and accepted by the State Rivers Management Committee in September and forwarded to the Commissioner of DES. The nomination is now working through the NH legislature with hearings anticipated during the spring 2011 session. If passed, the bill should be signed by Governor Lynch in July of …

Due Diligence And Demographic Disparities: Effects Of The Planning Of U.S.- Mexico Border Fence On Marginalized Populations, J. Gaines Wilson, Jude A. Benavides, Karen Engle, Denise Gilman, Anthony Reisinger, Jessica Spangler, Joe Lemen

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

In the buildup to the construction the U.S.-Mexico border fence by the United States Department of Homeland Security (USDHS), much attention was drawn to security, drug enforcement, and immigration issues. However, there was little quantitative analysis regarding which populations were most likely to be affected by the proposed fence. Using a geographic information system, we classified census blocks in Cameron County, Texas into one of two categories: either ‘fence’ or ‘gap’. A total of 14 demographic factors were tested for disparities between those living in gap areas and those living in areas exposed to the fence. Twelve of fourteen factors …

A Study To Minimize Or Eliminate Hardbottom And Reef Impacts From Anchoring Activities In Designated Anchorages At The Ports Of Miami And Palm Beach, Brian K. Walker

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

An In Situ, Individual-Based Approach To Quantify Connectivity Of Marine Fish: Ontogenetic Movements And Residency Of Lingcod, Mary Anne Bishop, Brad F. Reynolds, Sean P. Powers

University Faculty and Staff Publications

As modern fishery assessments change in an effort to be more accurate and encompass the range of potential ecosystem interactions, critical information on the ecology of species including life history, intra and inter-specific competitive interactions and habitat requirements must be added to the standard fishery-dependent and independent data sets. One species whose movements and habitat associations greatly affects exploitation patterns is lingcod, Ophiodon elongatus, which support an economically important fishery along the coastal waters of the Pacific Coast of North America. High site fidelity and limited movements within nearshore areas are hypothesized to have resulted in high catchability, a …

Deglacial Abrupt Climate Change In The Atlantic Warm Pool: A Gulf Of Mexico Perspective, Carlie Williams, Benjamin P. Flower, David W. Hastings, Thomas P. Guilderson, Kelly A. Quinn, Ethan A. Goddard

Marine Science Faculty Publications

During the last deglaciation, Greenland ice core and North Atlantic sediment records exhibit multiple abrupt climate events including the Younger Dryas cold episode (12.9-11.7 ka). However, evidence for the presence of the Younger Dryas in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) and the relationship between GOM sea surface temperature (SST) and high-latitude climate change is less clear. We present new Mg/Ca-SST records from two varieties of the planktonic foraminifer Globigerinoides ruber (white and pink) to assess northern GOM SST history from approximately 18.4-10.8 ka. Thirty-five accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) C-14 dates from Orca Basin core MD02-2550 provide excellent age control and …

Watershed Survey And Pilot Lcc Project, Norman Turgeon, Three Ponds Protective Association

PREP Reports & Publications

This describes two projects accomplished in 2010 by the Three Ponds Protective Association (TPPA) and several partners to identify and reduce soil erosion due to storm water runoff into the Milton Three Ponds

Fertilizer And Stormwater Runoff Outreach Program In Newcastle, Nh, David Anderson

PREP Reports & Publications

The New Hampshire Coastal Protection Partnership (NH Coast) implemented a year long pilot public education and outreach program in the Town of New Castle aimed at reducing nitrogen pollution from lawn fertilizers and promoting rain gardens as a solution to storm water runoff and nonpoint source pollution. A total of 77 landowners representing 138 acres of land pledged to either not use lawn fertilizers or use only low phosphorus, slow release nitrogen brands. The program also resulted in the installation of New Castle’s first demonstration rain garden.

Distributions Of Sharks Across A Continental Shelf In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, J. Marcus Drymon, Sean P. Powers, John Dindo, Brian Dzwonkowski, Terry A. Henwood

University Faculty and Staff Publications

Declines in shark populations have sparked researchers and fishery managers to investigate more prudent approaches to the conservation of these fish. As managers strive to improve data collection for stock assessment, fisheries-independent surveys have expanded to include data-deficient areas such as coastal regions. To that end, a catch series from a nearshore survey off Alabama was combined with data from a concurrent offshore survey with identical methodology to examine the depth use of sharks across the continental shelf (2–366 m). The combined data set contained 22 species of sharks collected from 1995 to 2008: 21 species in the offshore data …

Seasonal Aggregations Of The Florida Manatee (Trichechus Manatus Latirostris) In The Port Everglades And Intracoastal Regions Of Fort Lauderdale, Florida., Jaime M. Goldman

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris), a subspecies of the West Indian manatee, is one of the most endangered marine mammals in United States waters. The Florida manatee is the only manatee that ranges into subtropical and temperate regions. During the winter months manatees adopt a “refuging strategy” where they aggregate at warm-water sources immediately following decreases in the ambient water temperature to below 20° C (68° F) in order to avoid cold stress syndrome (CSS). During the winter manatees aggregate in warm water refuges, including natural warm water springs and the effluent discharges of power plants.

The …

Invasion Of Gulf Menhaden In The Alabama River, T. Heath Hayley, R. Kyle Bolton, Carol E. Johnston

Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings

No abstract provided.