Other Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Commons^™

Satellite-Based Mapping Of Seagrass Habitats And Coastal Wetlands In The Us Gulf Of Mexico And Florida: A Remote Sensing Approach For Environmental Conservation And Management, Luis Lizcano-Sandoval

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Coastal wetlands and seagrass meadows provide multiple services to nature and human society, but their spatial and temporal changes are often not well characterized. They are habitats that are threatened by natural and human causes such as changes in water quality, urban development, pollution, and climate change, among others. Coastal ecosystems rely on water quality and sea level variability for survival, and changes in those variables and their potential effects are of concern to many coastal communities. Satellite remote sensing is a powerful tool that has been used for mapping ecosystem distribution on land and in the ocean. Satellite sensors …

Zooplankton Abundance, Composition, And Diversity And Associated Environmental Factors Across The Gulf Of Mexico And Along The Northwestern Coast Of Cuba, Shaniqua J. Gladney

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

My research focused on characterizing the zooplankton community of two regions in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) along two transects, one across the middle of the GOM from Tuxpan, Mexico, to St. Petersburg, FL, and one along the northwestern coast of Cuba. Zooplankton bongo samples and associated environmental and physical processes were examined. These data were collected during two Center for Integrated Modeling and Analysis of Gulf Ecosystems (C-IMAGE) expeditions aboard the R/V Weatherbird II, during September 2015 (GOM) and May 2017 (Cuba). A Zooscan imaging system was used to identify and enumerate zooplankton taxa. Then zooplankton abundance, composition, and …

Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction And Well-Being Among Seafarers: An Investigation Of Interaction Effects Through The Lens Of Self-Determination Theory, Nong Vuong Phi, Kung Don Ye, Feng Ming Tsai, Hsiao Chao Hsieh, Shiou-Yu Chen

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Enhancing employee well-being is a primary goal for enterprise sustainable development. Although seafarers represent a major human resource in the maritime industry, the distinctive demands of their profession often compel them to compromise on certain elements in fulfilling their basic psychological needs, thereby contributing to mental health challenges. Recently, COVID-19 and its associated border control measures have prolonged the voyages of seafarers, drawing public attention to the topic of seafarer well-being. In this study, self-determination theory was used to explore the effects of autonomy, competence, and relatedness as fundamental psychological needs on seafarer well-being. After the independent effects of these …

Detection Of Seismic Microwave Radiation Anomalies In Snow-Covered Mountainous Terrain: Insights From Two Recent Earthquakes In The Pamir–Tien Shan Region, Feng Jing, Meng Jiang, Ramesh P. Singh

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

When earthquakes occur in high-mountain areas during the winter season, the epicentral region is often covered by a snow layer, which can be either thin or thick. The presence of snow and/or ice layers affects the detection of thermal anomalies associated with seismic signals. Taking into account the penetration capabilities of microwaves, microwave brightness temperature data were analyzed by using the index of microwave radiation anomaly to study the response of the epicentral region associated with two recent strong earthquakes in Central Asia, which occurred in snow-covered mountainous areas. Increased microwave radiation was observed within one week prior to the …

An Optimal Schedule Recovery Model For Transportation Carriers Under Uncertain Typhoon Disruption Periods, Yi-Chun Chen, Shangyao Yan

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Due to the unsettled weather conditions caused by typhoons, it is not possible to forecast the time when a typhoon will arrive or depart accurately. The uncertainty regarding the duration of typhoon disruptions makes it challenging for transportation carriers to efficiently adjust their schedules. In this study, to deal with the problem of airline fleet rerouting, flight rescheduling, and passenger reassignment for uncertain disruption periods caused by a typhoon, we utilize network flow techniques with the concept of probability to construct a stochastic model for minimizing the total operating costs. A heuristic algorithm based on the divide-and-conquer technique is adopted …

Prediction Of Mooring System Characteristics Of The Floating Barge Using Deep Neural Networks, Janghoon Seo, Dong-Woo Park

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The present study establishes deep learning models to predict the tensions and inclinations of mooring lines of a floating barge and verifies applicability of these models. Hydrodynamic and mooring analyses are conducted on the dataset used for the deep learning models. Three types of neural network models include a deep neural network (DNN) with input data representing the six degrees of freedom motions of a floating barge, convolutional neural network (CNN) with input images of the floating barge and mooring lines on a horizontal plane, and hybrid neural network (HNN) that consolidates the characteristics of DNN and CNN models. The …

Integrated Environmental Vulnerability Assessment And Adaptation Strategies For Coastal Areas Under Sustainable Development, Lien-Kwei Chien, Yu-Chi Li, Chia-Feng Hsu

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

This research focuses on the holistic management and environmental vulnerability of coastal areas in Taiwan within the framework of sustainable development. With economic and social growth gravitating towards coastal regions, the strain on the natural environment is increasing. Therefore, discovering a balance between economic progress and environmental conservation is paramount. To decipher the vulnerability of Taiwan's coastal zones, this study first defines ‘Integrated Environmental Vulnerability of Coastal Areas.’Key vulnerability factors were identified across environmental, social, and economic dimensions. Seven core determinants were determined using the Fuzzy Delphi method: biodiversity, coastal erosion, water pollution, population density, population aging, land utilization, and …

Evalution Of The Ability To Infer Tilt Angle And Size Distributions Of Fish Using A Broadband Scientific Echosounder Based On Simulation, Jing Liu

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The biological information, such as species, size, and tilt angle, is crucial for converting the echo data into biomass information in acoustic surveys. Typically, the information can be obtained through trawl net sampling or underwater camera observations. However, both methods have some limitations. To overcome these limitations, scientists have utilized inversion methods with multi-frequency and broadband echosounders to derive biological information about fish, plankton, and krill. However, evaluating the reliability and accuracy of these inversion methods has been challenging due to the difficulty in obtaining accurate biological information. In this study, a numerical simulation method was used to generate fish …

A Marine Knowledge System For Ocean Affairs: Integrating Data, Evaluating Usage, And Enabling Sustainable Marine Management, Yu-Jen Pan

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

This study presents the evolution and assessment of the Marine Knowledge Education System (MKES), designed to improve user acceptance among students in professional marine science courses in Taiwan. The MKES leverages real-world maritime cases from the General Coast Guard Administration and is built upon existing technologies like cloud services, social networks, and data analysis tools. The technology acceptance model (TAM) provides the theoretical underpinning for the assessment of user confidence. Data was collected from 190 participants through purposive sampling. Path analysis confirmed all hypothesized relationships within the TAM with statistical significance (p < 0.001). Additionally, paired-sample t-tests revealed a significant increase in student acceptance of the MKES after integrating it into the marine science curriculum. These findings underscore the capacity of the MKES as a digital learning tool to enrich course pedagogy and improve student learning outcomes, thereby offering valuable support in advancing the education of professional marine managers.

Corrigendum To “Evaluation Of Operational Performance Of Wusongkou Cruise Port Through Network Data Envelopment Analysis”

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of The Potential For Enhancing The Efficiency Of A Floating Photovoltaic (Fpv) System, How-Ping Wu, Ching-Yi Tseng, Chuan-Chung Jen, Yuan-Ching Chiang, Sih-Li Chen

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

This study examined the power generation capabilities of FPV systems and the advantages of employing active cooling on floating solar panels. Floating solar panels exhibit improved efficiency due to operating at lower temperatures facilitated by the cooling effect of water evaporation. Additionally, the high availability of water renders the application of the active cooling technique economically viable. This study developed a comprehensive simulation of a floating solar system, integrating a mathematical model to validate experimental findings and a temperature model derived from an energy equation specific to floating solar panels. This model calculates the heat transfer among the three different …

Balloon Borne Gps-Enabled Radiosondes That Enable Simultaneous Multi-Point Atmospheric Sensing With A Single Ground Station, Peter A. Ribbens

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Radiosondes are balloon borne atmospheric instruments that are a critical tool for understanding dynamics in the lower layers of the atmosphere. The low-cost radiosondes developed in the Space and Atmospheric Instrumentation Lab have been further developed to improve the system's use as a science-quality atmospheric instrument that is unique in its ability to simultaneously track multiple sondes with a single ground station. Sensors to measure temperature and pressure were added to improve measurements of the atmospheric state. A printed circuit board shield and 3D-printed shell were designed to make mass manufacturing possible. A thermistor-based temperature sensor was developed and tested …

Linkages Of The 2022 Unprecedented Global Heatwave Events To Triple-Dip La Niña, Sachi Perera, Joshua B. Fisher, Mohamed Allali, Hesham El-Askary

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Heatwaves are influenced significantly by El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which alters temperature and precipitation patterns throughout the world. Since 2020, we have witnessed a "triple dip" La Niña conditions persisting for three consecutive years resulting in severe weather and climate driven events globally. In this study, we identified the dominant frequency of Niño 3.4 Sea Surface Temperature (SST) signals and correlated them with regions experiencing unprecedented heat waves in 2022, namely, the Indian Ocean, the North Atlantic around England and Spain, and the Mediterranean Sea. The signal's power spectrum and its three highest power components are determined based on the …

Quantification And Diversity Of A Ubiquitous Ssdna Phage Group (Gokushovirinae) In The Red Sea Through The Polony Technique, Natalie A. Sawaya

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With average concentrations of 107 virus-like particles per milliliter of seawater, viruses comprise the second largest biomass in the ocean, where they are a driving force of microbial evolution and constitute important roles in Earth’s biogeochemical cycles. Bacteriophage (phage), viruses that infect bacteria, are of particular importance in the marine ecosystem as they impact the efficiency of the microbial loop, which recycles carbon in surface waters, counteracting vertical export through the biological pump. Although double-stranded DNA phage have been researched extensively, single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) phage remain understudied, mostly due to methodological limitations.

The incorporation of rolling circle amplification (RCA) into …

Subtropical Estuarine Ecosystems Display Both Long-Term Stability And Change, Garrett L. Miller

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Subtropical estuaries often support abundant and diverse faunal assemblages, but it is unclear how these productive ecosystems are responding to climate change. In the eastern Gulf of Mexico, estuarine faunal assemblages have been sampled for decades as part of a fisheries-independent long-term monitoring program. I assessed trends in submerged aquatic vegetation, water temperature, and the abundance, richness, and structure of faunal assemblages over more than two decades in four estuarine systems using this dataset. I used both univariate and multivariate analyses to quantify and describe the dynamics of these habitat and faunal variables. Further, I separated my analyses for summer …

Predicting Ph At In-Situ Temperature For Aquatic Environments, Sarah E. Bartoloni

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

pH is typically measured at a constant temperature and, as needed, converted to in-situ temperature using a system of thermodynamic equations. Using this equilibrium approach, adjustment of pH to in situ conditions requires two measured CO2 system parameters (pH, total alkalinity, dissolved inorganic carbon, or CO2 fugacity). Currently, when pH is the only measured CO2 system parameter, linear models are used to adjust the pH to in-situ temperature. Although many studies have attempted to optimize CO2 equilibrium constants (K1 and K2) for the CO2 system over a range of conditions, very little prior work has experimentally examined which CO2 system …

Exploring The Dynamics Of September Fish Spawning On The West Florida Shelf Through The Dna Barcoding Of Fish Eggs, Keith G. Keel

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Identifying spawning areas for economically and ecologically important fishes is critical for fisheries conservation and ecosystem-based management. Additionally, monitoring the spawning dynamics of fishes is increasingly important as temperatures and oceanic conditions change. I used genetic barcoding to identify fish eggs collected across the West Florida Shelf (WFS) during September of 2013, 2014, and 2019. Fish eggs were collected on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (SEAMAP) ichthyoplankton cruises using a Continuous Underway Fish Egg Sampler (CUFES). Analysis of 4,400 fish eggs from the three years resulted in the identification of 83 unique species …

Abundance, Distribution, And Diversity Of The Paralarval Cephalopod Community In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Shannon Leah Riley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The abundance, distribution, and diversity of cephalopod paralarvae from the upper water column (0-130 meters) in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) was studied using samples collected during six ichthyoplankton surveys between 2009 and 2012. A total of 2240 cephalopod paralarvae belonging to 21 families were examined. Octopodidae, Enoploteuthidae, and Ommastrephidae were the most abundant taxa collected in the time series. Five taxa had significantly different abundances between some sampling periods, while no significant differences in abundance occurred between any GOM regions (northwest GOM shelf, north-central GOM shelf, West Florida Shelf, GOM slope, and GOM basin). The majority of taxa …

Bay Water Level Influences On Inundation And Morphological Changes Of A Semi-Connected Barrier Island During A Hurricane, Sydney D. Goodman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

This research aims to identify flooding and erosion changes along a semi-connected barrier island system due to varying bay water levels during storm conditions. The numerical model XBeach is used to simulate Hurricane Michael conditions and the resulting inundation and morphological change near Tyndall Air Force Base (Tyndall AFB). The installation is located 12 miles southeast of Panama City Beach along the panhandle of Florida and is vulnerable to flooding due to its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico (GoM), Saint Andrew Sound and Saint Andrew Bay. A land bridge connects the barrier island to the mainland of Tyndall AFB …

Iron Isotope Transformations In Saanich Inlet, Claire Onak

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Iron (Fe) is required for many biogeochemical processes, with Fe bioavailability and chemistry being controlled by redox reactions that transform Fe between oxidation states and dissolved and particulate phases. In oxic seawater, Fe is present in the Fe(III) oxidation state, mainly as Fe oxyhydroxides. Under anoxic marine conditions, such as margin sediments under oxygen minimum zones or restricted basins with anoxic bottom water, Fe(III) is reduced to Fe(II), which is highly soluble and can be present at high concentrations ([Fe]). Fe isotope ratios (δ56Fe relative to IRMM-14) can be used to characterize Fe redox transformations, constrain Fe sources of Fe …