Marine Biology Commons^™

Citizen Science Highlights Rare Behaviours By The Spotted Eagle Ray Aetobatus Ocellatus Kuhl 1823, Gonzalo Araujo, Rebecca Bateman-John, Jacinta L. Shackleton, Chris Garraway, Nigel Marsh, Daisy Whicheloe, Jade Rosadoni, Aimee Jan, Kohei Saito, Emily Lester

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

No abstract provided.

Diel Movement Patterns In Nominally Nocturnal Coral Reef Fishes (Haemulidae And Lutjanidae): Intra Vs. Interspecific Variation, William P. Collins, David R. Bellwood, Renato A. Morais, Nathan J. Waltham, Alexandre C. Siqueira

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Movement of animals, habitat connectivity, and nutrient transport are key elements in the ecological functioning of coral reef ecosystems. However, most studies have focused on the diurnal component of these aspects; nocturnal patterns are less known. Our study aims to address this knowledge gap by assessing diel movement patterns in ecologically and commercially important nocturnal coral reef fishes. We evaluate 122-days of acoustic telemetry data from 4 nocturnal species in 2 coral reef fish families (Haemulidae and Lutjanidae) on the Great Barrier Reef. For all species, we found a clear division between daytime resting areas on the reef and a …

Suspended Particulate Organic Matter Supports Mesopredatory Fish Across A Tropical Seascape, Molly Moustaka, Tahlia J. Bassett, Leah Beltran, Michael V.W. Cuttler, Richard D. Evans, Daniel Gorman, Camille M. Grimaldi, Renee K. Gruber, Glenn A. Hyndes, Gary A. Kendrick, Natalie Travaglione, Shaun K. Wilson

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Understanding the sources of primary production supporting marine food webs is important for conserving critical habitats. However, the importance of allochthonous versus autochthonous production is often unclear. We identify the sources of primary production supporting three species of predatory fish (Lutjanus carponotatus, Lutjanus fulviflamma, and Lethrinus punctulatus) in the Dampier Archipelago, Western Australia. The proportions of mangrove, seagrass, macroalgae, and suspended particulate organic matter (SPOM) assimilated by fish of different life-history stages and from different habitats were determined using stable isotopes and Bayesian mixing models. While contributions of sources varied among species and habitats, we found that SPOM was an …

Love Bites? Pre-Copulatory Behaviours Of Whale Sharks (Rhincodon Typus) At Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia, Christine Barry, Emily Lester, Micheal P. Doane, Luciana C. Ferreira, Michele Thums, Adrian C. Gleiss, Mark G. Meekan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Very little is known about the reproductive behaviours of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus). Here, we describe field observations of courtship behaviour by a whale shark at Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia. We witnessed and recorded following and biting behaviours by a sexually mature male of a smaller female. Following and biting are common events during courtship and copulation of other species of elasmobranchs. Our observations are consistent with earlier reports of courting behaviours in whale sharks provided by fishers, the pilot of a light plane and observations of courtship by a sexually mature male towards females held in aquaria.

Two Decades Of Seagrass Monitoring Data Show Drivers Include Enso, Climate Warming And Local Stressors, Chanelle Webster, Kathryn Mcmahon, Claire Ross, Eben Afrifa-Yamoah, Nicole Said, Renae Hovey, Belinda Martin, Simone Strydom

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The drivers contributing to the trajectories of seagrass ecosystems is a key knowledge gap which limits our effectiveness in preventing their decline. Here, we present the key findings from the regional assessment of seagrass condition (shoot density) over time, which was undertaken to inform environmental impact assessment and monitoring as well as mitigation for the Westport program. To assess regional trends and drivers of these trends, data was collated from five regional seagrass monitoring programs, including the Cockburn Sound State Environmental Policy Seagrass Monitoring Program and marine park monitoring programs conducted by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. These …

A Large-Scale Experiment Finds No Consistent Evidence Of Change In Mortality Or Commercial Productivity In Silverlip Pearl Oysters (Pinctada Maxima) Exposed To A Seismic Source Survey, Miles J G Parsons, Diego R. Barneche, Conrad W. Speed, Robert D. Mccauley, Ryan D. Day, Cecile Dang, Rebecca Fisher, Hosna Gholipour-Kanani, Stephen J. Newman

Fisheries Research Articles

High-intensity, impulsive sounds are used to locate oil and gas reserves during seismic exploration of the seafloor. The impacts of this noise pollution on the health and mortality of marine invertebrates are not well known, including the silverlip pearl oyster (Pinctada maxima), which comprises one of the world's last remaining significant wildstock pearl oyster fisheries, in northwestern Australia. We exposed ≈11,000 P. maxima to a four-day experimental seismic survey, plus one vessel-control day. After exposure, survival rates were monitored throughout a full two-year production cycle, and the number and quality of pearls produced at harvest were assessed. Oysters from two …

A Preliminary Study On Floating Flexible Otec Cold Water Pipe, Nai Kuang Liang, Hai Kuan Peng

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) requires a large amount of cold seawater. The traditional rigid pipe, semi-rigidly fixed onto the ship bottom is not easy to install and disassemble, so the Floating Flexible Cold Water Pipe (FFCWP) flexibly connected to the ship is proposed. A small FFCWP was designed, fabricated, and successfully installed and recovered in the sea. The flexible pipe adopts commercially available fire ventilation snake pipe. The pipe wall material strength must be improved in the future. Assuming that the drag coefficient Cd value is 1.5, a numerical calculation is employed to simulate the FFCWP attitude from the …

Machine Learning With Multi-Source Data To Predict And Explain Marine Pilot Occupational Accidents, Gokhan Camliyurt, Youngsoo Park, Daewon Kim, Won Sik Kang, Sangwon Park

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Marine pilot occupational accidents during transfer to/from ships are the primary concern of the International Marine Pilots’ Association (IMPA) and industry professionals. There are multiple transfer methods for marine pilots, with the most common being the pilot boat. To reach the mother ship bridge, the following stages must be safely completed: car transfer, walking on the pier, pier to pilot boat, pilot transfer by boat, cutter to pilot ladder, mother ship freeboard climbing, and ship deck to the bridge. Each stage has its own risk. Previous accident records and expert opinions are commonly used to conduct a risk analysis and …

Evaluation Of Operational Performance Of Wusongkou Cruise Port Through Network Data Envelopment Analysis, Qian-Feng Wang, Guo-Ya Gan, Xin-Liang Ye, Hsuan-Shih Lee

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

As major hubs for cruise berthing and passenger transfers, cruise ports in China were developing rapidly in the years before the COVID-19 pandemic because of an ever-growing regional market. Wusongkou Cruise Port is the most important port for cruise ships in China, and this study evaluated the operational performance of this port during 2011–2020. To this end, two-stage network data envelopment analysis was conducted to evaluate the port’s operation performance; subsequently, the change trajectory of the port’s operational efficiency during 2011–2020 was determined, and the potential reasons for the identified changes are discussed. Finally, suggestions for improving the operational performance …

Tropicalization Fact Sheet, Linda Walters, Carla Perscky

CEELAB Outreach Materials

The goal of this 2-sided fact sheet is to introduce the topic of tropicalization along our coastlines to young audiences and their families. Tropicalization is defined as, "the transformation of ecosystems by tropical organisms that migrate towards the poles in response to warming minimum winter temperatures."

Celestial Bodies, Rebecca L. Rand, Mark Popinchalk

Capstones

Most of us will never come close to touching space. But space touches us every day. On Celestial Bodies, journalist Rebecca Rand and astronomer Mark Popinchalk explore the ways outer space interacts with life on earth.

In Episode 1, hosts Rebecca Rand and Mark Popinchalk explore how, for millions of years, trees have been recording celestial events in space. Within the rings of their trunks, trees store radiation from solar flares, supernovae, and changes in the earth’s magnetic field. The hosts talk to Dr. Ben Pope to learn more about what we can discover by looking at radioactive molecules …

Analyzing The Shark Paleoecology Of Coastal Georgia From The Miocene And Pliocene Epochs, Joshua Lee Clark, Benjamin Angalet

Georgia Journal of Science

The field of shark paleoecology often yields indecisive conclusions based on the limited fossilization of their anatomical structures, with the exception of their teeth. The majority of the Atlantic coast has been studied regarding the presence of certain prehistoric shark species from the Miocene, Pliocene, and Pleistocene epochs. However, information pertaining to the Georgia coast and understanding its potential community structure is relatively understudied. This study was conducted in which thousands of fossil shark specimens and subsequent marine fauna were collected from dredge spoils created by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE): Savannah District. A total of 5,127 fossil …

Catfish Neurocranium 3-D Scan, Pamela Gonzalez, Jarod Johnson, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

No abstract provided.

Oliver Agee Catfish Neurocranium, Charlotte R. Oliver, Kristina Agee, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Neurocranium from 10.7 cm total length, [Catfish], collected by [Kerstetter].

Habitat Utilization Of Marsh And Adjacent Submerged Landscape By Fish And Macroinvertebrates In A Gulf Of Mexico Tidal Oligohaline Environment, Tia Offner

Theses and Dissertations

Estuarine habitats are considered nursery habitats for fishes and invertebrates, but oligohaline environments are critically understudied. Using a seine net and fyke nets, we sampled Back Bay, Mississippi (USA), a low salinity estuary, once a month for a year to explore the temporal use of the marsh and adjacent submerged landscape by nekton species. We also looked at whether there is evidence of habitat preference in the most numerous nekton species. We used a novel habitat usage index (HUI) to compare seine and fyke net catches of our top 10 species, and evaluated catch size in relation to maturation size. …

Evaluating Post-Release Survival And Habitat Utilization Of Undersized Swordfish (Xiphias Gladius) Caught By The U.S Pelagic Longline Fishery In The Western North Atlantic, Zachery Young

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

This study used survivorship pop-up archival tags (sPAT) tags to determine the post-release survival and habitat use from twenty-four undersized swordfish captured in the northwest Atlantic Ocean during normal operation within the commercial U.S pelagic longline industry. From these deployments, sixteen tags were used to determine post-release survival, and eight of the surviving tags were used to analyze short-term habitat utilization. Mortality was estimated to be 43.8% and was not significantly affected by variables such as fish size, latitude caught, or horizontal distance traveled. The relatively high mortality, in combination with the high at-haulback mortality reported in previous studies, does …

Spawning Asynchrony Of The Endangered Acropora Cervicornis: Are Light Pollution And Abnormally Warm Temperatures The Culprits?, Krista Laforest

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

The persistence of reefs relies on mature corals spawning synchronously to maximize fertilization and produce larvae to replenish local populations. Corals synchronize the release of gametes by responding to temperature, sun, and moon light cycles; however, abnormalities in these patterns can disrupt synchrony. This study is the first to describe regional asynchronous spawning of Acropora cervicornis by quantifying gamete development and spawning times among two reefs, an in situ nursery off Fort Lauderdale, and an in situ nursery in the Florida Keys. While A. cervicornis in the Florida Keys synchronously spawned within the predicted window of 2-5 days after the …

Common Snook (Centropomus Undecimalis) Neurocranium, Ryan Robison, Lesley Wallace, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Neurocranium length of 16.5 cm Common Snook (Centropomus undecimalis), collected from Dr. Kerstetter's Lab on 10/23 by Ryan Robison and Lesley Wallace.

Yellow Grouper (Epinephelus Awoara), Tyler Jurain, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

No abstract provided.

Biophysical Factors Affecting Habitat Suitability For Crassostrea Virginica, Jason D. Tilley

Dissertations

Oyster reefs provide a variety of important ecosystem services. However, the mortality rate of eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, the dominant species that produces oyster reefs in the northern Gulf of Mexico, is increasing at an alarming rate due to a variety of abiotic and biological factors. I examined how biophysical factors, including the less-studied fatty acid profiles of the suspended particulate matter on which oysters feed, influenced morphometric condition of C. virginica.

I sampled suspended particulate matter (SPM) and oysters in-situ in the western Mississippi Sound, which historically supported the majority of oyster production in Mississippi waters. Sampling …