Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Commons^™

Evidence Of Limited Recruitment Of Pallid Sturgeon In The Lower Missouri River, Kirk D. Steffensen, Kimberly Chojnacki, Jeffrey A. Kalie, Meredith L. Bartron, Edward J. Heist, Kyle R. Winders, Nathan C. Loecker, Wyatt J. Doyle, Timothy L. Welker

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Pallid Sturgeon Scaphirhynchus albus are endemic to the Missouri and Mississippi river basins and are rare throughout their range. The species was listed as federally endangered with little to no evidence of natural recruitment. Since population augmentation was initiated as a recovery objective in the early 1990s, thousands of hatchery-origin Pallid Sturgeon have been stocked in the lower Missouri River (Gavins Point Dam [river kilometer 1,305.1] to the confluence of the Mississippi River [river kilometer 0.0]). Efforts to discriminate natural reproduction and recruitment of wild-origin Pallid Sturgeon from hatchery-origin fish has been hampered by tag loss in hatchery-origin sturgeon, inconsistent …

Examining The Effects Of Greenland Ice Sheet Melting And Atlantic Meridional Shutdown On The Climate Of Scandinavia And The British Isles, Tyler Lemburg

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Earth’s climate has been rapidly changing over the last hundred years, and its global average temperature is rising. However, climate change is far more complicated than a simple increase in temperature. For example, it is theorized that certain regions of Earth, including Scandinavia and the British Isles, could actually become cooler through ongoing climate change processes. Two of these processes are Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) melting, and slowdown of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). This research examines if climate change, through GrIS melting and AMOC slowdown, could contribute to cooler, instead of warmer, temperatures in Scandinavia and the British …

Dynamic Flood Modeling Essential To Assess The Coastal Impacts Of Climate Change, Patrick L. Barnard, Li H. Erikson, Amy C. Foxgrover, Juliette A.Finzi Hart, Patrick Limber, Andrea C. O’Neill, Maarten Van Ormondt, Sean Vitousek, Nathan Wood, Maya K. Hayden, Jeanne M. Jones

Marine Science

Coastal inundation due to sea level rise (SLR) is projected to displace hundreds of millions of people worldwide over the next century, creating significant economic, humanitarian, and national-security challenges. However, the majority of previous efforts to characterize potential coastal impacts of climate change have focused primarily on long-term SLR with a static tide level, and have not comprehensively accounted for dynamic physical drivers such as tidal non-linearity, storms, short-term climate variability, erosion response and consequent flooding responses. Here we present a dynamic modeling approach that estimates climate-driven changes in flood-hazard exposure by integrating the effects of SLR, tides, waves, storms, …

Fuel Shortages During Hurricanes: Epidemiological Modeling And Optimal Control, Sabique Ul Islam

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Hurricanes are powerful agents of destruction with significant socioeconomic impacts. A persistent problem due to the large-scale evacuations during hurricanes in the southeastern United States is the fuel shortages during the evacuation. Fuel shortages often lead to stranded vehicles and exacerbate the evacuation efforts. Computational models can aid in emergency preparedness and help mitigate the impacts of hurricanes. In this thesis, the hurricane fuel shortages are modeled using the Susceptible-Infected-Recovered (SIR) epidemic model. Crowd-sourced data corresponding to Hurricane Irma and Florence are utilized to parametrize the model. An estimation technique based on Unscented Kalman filter (UKF) is employed to evaluate …

Establishing The Role Of The Mississippi-Alabama Barrier Islands In Mississippi Sound And Bight Circulation Using Observational Data Analysis And A Coastal Model, Laura Hode

Dissertations

The Mississippi-Alabama barrier islands restrict exchange between the Mississippi Sound and Mississippi Bight in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The islands also act as storm breaks for tropical cyclones, so their continued existence sustains marine ecosystems and protects coastal communities. However, the chain has undergone extensive segmentation, erosion, and westward migration in the past two hundred years. The islands are now more susceptible to further erosion (Pendleton et al., 2013; Morton, 2007). Additional reduction in island subaerial land extent would alter circulation in the Mississippi Sound and Bight.

Consequently, this study targeted the two most vulnerable barrier islands in the …

Histological Evidence Of Annual And Lunar Reproductive Rhythms Of Atlantic Sea Urchin, Arbacia Punctulata In The Gulf Of Mexico: Changes In Nutritive Phagocytes In Relation To Gametogenesis, Eleazar Hernandez Ii

Theses and Dissertations

Environmental phenomena such as temperature, photoperiod, tidal cycle, and lunar rhythm act as external cues that stimulate the reproductive activity of marine organisms. In this study, I report the annual and lunar reproductive cycles, and changes in nutritive phagocytes (NPs) in relation to gonadal maturation of Atlantic sea urchin (Arbacia punctulata, a primeval species). Monthly and weekly changes in gonadal development/maturation were observed histologically. In male, the testicular lobules were densely packed with sperm from June to August. In female, on the other hand, mature eggs first appeared in some ovaries in May, numerically increased from June to …

Identifying The N Sources For Black Mangrove (Avicennia Germinans) In A South Texas Mangrove Forest, Ashley Elizabeth Murphy

Theses and Dissertations

Black mangrove (Avicennia germinans) in south Texas provide ecosystem services and benefits to humans including: habitat for wildlife, prevention of coastline erosion, and mitigation of natural disasters. One step to preserve their ecological functions is to identify and protect the source of their nitrogen (N). Nitrogen stable isotopes were sampled for one year beginning August 2018 and used as tracers to identify how mangroves obtain N. Total N in (A. germinans) and associated (Batis maritima) (plants) (2.1%) was more abundant than in cyanobacteria (0.6%) and sediment (0.1%). Plant d15N signatures (5.52‰) were more similar to sediment (5.21‰) than cyanobacteria (1.98‰), …

The Role Of Sediment Resuspension In Estuarine Inorganic Nutrient Cycling, Kirsten Jo Ayres

Theses and Dissertations

Time-scaling of estuarine inorganic nitrogen cycling contains many assumptions due to biogeochemical interactions. Nitrogen, often a limiting factor for primary production, is transformed and utilized by many estuarine organisms. Inorganic nitrogen is especially high in porewater. High nutrient pore water, contained within the interstitial spaces of sediment, has been assumed to influx high concentrations of inorganic nutrients into surface waters during resuspension events. These short-term resuspension events rapidly introducing high concentration of nutrients into the water column. In order to determine the internal time scale of inorganic nitrogen cycling, a box-model nutrient budget, horizontal in situ transects, and vertical nutrient …

Enabling High Quality Oxygen Measurements During Robotic Based Studies Of Ocean Ecological And Biogeochemical Processes, Brianna A. Alanis

Theses and Dissertations

Dissolved oxygen is an essential parameter necessary for understanding marine ecological and biogeochemical processes. New robotic vehicles and autonomous platforms are being applied to an even wider range of ecological and biogeochemical studies. Thus, arises the opportunity for matching the best possible oxygen sensing techniques and methods to these new platforms. In so doing, we can enable both more targeted and higher resolution oxygen measurements than previously possible and potentially use oxygen measurements for a wider range of applications, including in situ incubation experiments and primary productivity measurements. This thesis tested three different oxygen sensors in a trade study for …

A Sinking Feeling: The Fate Of Concrete Pyramids Deployed In Artificial Reefs In The Texas Gulf Of Mexico, Cameron J. Moody

Theses and Dissertations

The deployment of 2,611 concrete pyramids in Texas gulf waters represents a significant undertaking. In collaboration with Texas Parks and Wildlife, bathymetric sidescan data was collected at three reefs hit by Hurricane Harvey from 2017 to 2019. All reefs lost significant pyramid height between 2017 and 2019. The pyramids demonstrated greater subsidence in the year when Harvey occurred and minimal subsidence the following year. Pyramids that moved outside the reefs were due to hurricane forces and shrimp trawl activity. Pyramids that remained inside the reef remained at their deployment location for two reefs. The pyramids remaining in the third reef …

Dna Barcoding Reveals Unexpected Diversity In Octocorallia In The Northwestern Gulf Of Mexico, Chelsea L. Pavliska

Theses and Dissertations

Coral reefs are an integral tier of marine ecosystems. They provide habitat and foraging opportunities for many ecologically and economically important fishes. Protection of coral reef biodiversity and connectivity is imperative to the continued health and sustainability of marine fisheries. Mesophotic reefs, such as those found in the northwest Gulf of Mexico, have unique coral communities because of the limited light penetration at mesophotic depths (30 – 150m). Because there is limited knowledge in regards to the biodiversity of coral reefs of the northwestern Gulf of Mexico (GOM), particularly the South Texas Banks (STBs), thesis work presented here aims to …

A Case Study Of Stratospheric Ozone Transport To The Northern San Francisco Bay Area And Sacramento Valley During Cabots 2016, Jodie Clark, Sen Chiao

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

The California Baseline Ozone Transport Study (CABOTS) was a major air quality study that collected ozone measurements aloft between mid-May and mid-August of 2016. Aircraft measurements, ground-based lidar measurements, and balloon-borne ozonesondes collected precise upper-air ozone measurements across the central and Southern California valley. Utilizing daily ozonesonde data from Bodega Bay, California, and Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications, version 2 (MERRA-2), reanalysis data for 25 July to 14 August 2016, three stratospheric intrusion events are identified over Northern California influencing air masses above Bodega Bay and Sacramento simultaneously. Calculated percent daily changes in afternoon ozonesonde observations indicate increasing …

Measurements And Synthetic Imaging Of Water Surface Gravity Waves Using Optical Techniques, Jennifer Closson

Theses and Dissertations

Remote sensing technologies are useful tools when gathering spatial and temporal information about dynamic coastal regions. A method is proposed using an in-situ space-time imaging technique for evaluating wave periods and wavelengths of surface water waves in shallow urban coastal water environments. Video imagery of shallow water waves was acquired using high definition video cameras. Video imagery records of surface water waves using staff gauges and simultaneously deployed targets were used to determine wave periods, wavelengths and wave amplitudes. Time series analyses is applied to the video derived time series. Wave energy spectrums are extracted and used to simulated synthetic …

The Variability Of High-Frequency Motions And Their Interactions With The Mesoscale On The Mississippi Shelf, Jordan Earls

Master's Theses

In this study, we examine the spatial and temporal variability of high-frequency and low-frequency motions across the Mississippi Shelf and how the high-frequency motions are modulated by low-frequency mesoscale motions. For this purpose, we use Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) measurements collected at nearshore (23 m), mid-shelf (60 m), and shelf break (88 m) stations. High-frequency motions are defined as motions with periods less than 36 hours, whereas mesoscale motions have larger periods. The collected datasets are analyzed through bandpass filtering, least square harmonic analysis, spectral analysis, and empirical orthogonal functions (EOF). We find that along-shelf barotropic mesoscale motions contain …

Defining Boat Wake Impacts On Shoreline Stability Toward Management And Policy Solutions, Donna Marie Bilkovic, Molly M. Mitchell, Jennifer Davis, Julie Herman, Elizabeth Andrews, Angela King, Pamela Mason, Navid Tahvildari, Jana Davis, Rachel L. Dixon

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Coastal economies are often supported by activities that rely on commercial or recreational vessels to move people or goods, such as shipping, transportation, cruising, and fishing. Unintentionally, frequent or intense vessel traffic can contribute to erosion of coastlines; this can be particularly evident in sheltered systems where shoreline erosion should be minimal in the absence of boat waves. We reviewed the state of the science of known effects of boat waves on shoreline stability, examined data on erosion, turbidity, and shoreline armoring patterns for evidence of a response to boat waves in Chesapeake Bay, and reviewed existing management and policy …

Gut Content Analysis Of Benthic Foraging Fish Compared To Invertebrate Infauna Distributions In Dredged Vs. Undredged Habitats, Danielle Louise Juzwick

Theses and Dissertations

The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) has experienced a loss in seagrasses due to organic sediment accumulation and harmful algal blooms. Seagrasses are an essential nursery habitat for many fishes and benthic invertebrates. IRL fish known to utilize benthic habitat and feed on invertebrates include Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulates), juvenile Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus), and Mojarra (Eucinostomus spp.). The most abundant major infaunal taxa of the IRL are crustaceans, polychaetes, and mollusks. Environmental dredging in the IRL’s Turkey Creek is intended to improve water quality, remove harmful sediments and restore benthic habitat. Such dredging may impact benthic invertebrate populations and, indirectly, …

Long-Term Aerosol Trends And Variability Over Central Saudi Arabia Using Optical Characteristics From Solar Village Aeronet Measurements, Mohammed Al Otaibi, Ashraf Farahat, Bassam Tawabini, M. Hafidz Omar, Emad Ramadan, Abdelgadir Abuelgasim, Ramesh Singh

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Natural and anthropogenic aerosols over the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) play a major role in affecting the regional radiation budget. The long-term variability of these aerosols’ physical and optical parameters, including aerosol optical depth (AOD) and Ångström exponent (α), were measured at a location near central KSA using the Solar Village (SV) AERONET (Aerosol Robotic Network) station during the period December 1999–January 2013. The AERONET measurements show an overall increase in AOD on an annual basis. This upward trend is mainly attributed to a prolonged increase in the monthly/seasonal mean AOD during March–June and during August– September. In contrast, …

Water Vapor Near-Uv Absorption: Laboratory Spectrum, Field Evidence, And Atmospheric Impacts, Linsen Pei, Qilong Min, Yuyi Du, Zhechen Wang, Bangsheng Yin, Kai Yang, Patrick Disterhoft, Thomas Pongetti, Lei Zhu

Environmental Health Sciences Faculty Scholarship

Absorption of solar radiation by water vapor in the near-UV region is a poorly-understood but important issue in atmospheric science. To better understand water vapor near-UV absorption, we constructed a cavity ring-down spectrometer with bandwidth of 5 cm^-1 (~0.05 nm) and obtained water vapor absorption cross-sections at 1 nm increments in the 290-350 nm region. Water vapor displays structured absorption over this range with maximum and minimum cross-sections of 8.4×10^-25 and 1.6×10^-25 cm²/molecule. Major water vapor absorption bands were observed at 293-295, 307-313, 319, 321-322, and 325 nm, with cross-section values higher than 4.0×10^{-25 …}

Epa Bus Tour Showcases Hampton Roads Region Is A Living Laboratory For Coastal Resilience, News @ Odu

News Items

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of The 21 August 2017 Total Solar Eclipse On The Phase Of Vlf/Lf Signals, A. Rozhnoi, M. Solovieva, S. Shalimov, Dimitar Ouzounov, P. Gallagher, G. Verth, J. Mccauley, S. Shelyag, V. Fedun

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

An experimental study of the phase and amplitude observations of sub‐ionospheric very low and low frequency (VLF/LF) signals is performed to analyze the response of the lower ionosphere during the 21 August 2017 total solar eclipse in the United States of America. Three different sub‐ionospheric wave paths are investigated. The length of the paths varies from 2,200 to 6,400 km, and the signal frequencies are 21.4, 25.2, and 40.75 kHz. The two paths cross the region of the total eclipse, and the third path is in the region of 40–60% of obscuration. None of the signals reveal any noticeable amplitude …