Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Commons^™

Ecological Connectivity Of Kimberley Marine Communities. Synthesis Report Of Project 1.1.3 Prepared For The Kimberley Marine Research Program, Zoe Richards, Oliver Berry, Jim Underwood, Kathryn Mcmahon, Mike Travers, Glenn Moore, Udhi Hernawan, Joseph Dibattista, Richard Evans, James Gilmour

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The overarching objective of KMRP Project 1.1.3 (Ecological Connectivity of Kimberley Marine Communities) was to provide the first estimates of ecological connectivity across multiple spatial scales for a suite of model/priority marine organisms in the Kimberley. More specifically, this project aimed to provide species-specific estimates of realised connectivity at a reef-scale ( < 1 > km), inter-reef scale (1-100 km) and inter-region scale (100 + km) through genetic analyses of seven key animals and plants with contrasting dispersive life histories that are representative of common taxa.

An Ensemble Study Of The Sea Level Rise Impact On Storm Surge And Inundation In The Coastal Bangladesh, Mansur Ali Jisan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The hydrodynamic model Delft3D is used to study the impact of Sea Level Rise (SLR) on storm surge and inundation in the coastal region of Bangladesh. To study the present-day inundation scenario, track of two known tropical cyclones (TC) were used: Aila (Category 1; 2009) and Sidr (Category 5; 2007). Model results were validated with the available observations. Future inundation scenarios were generated by using the strength of TC Sidr, TC Aila and an ensemble of historical TC tracks but incorporating the effect of SLR. Since future change in storm surge inundation under SLR impact is a probabilistic incident, that’s …

Back-Flow Prevention Strategies For Stormwater Lines, Ron Evins

September 29, 2016: Adaptive Structures and Innovative Solutions

No abstract provided.

Emily Steinhilber Column: Virginia's Leadership In Flood Resilience, Emily E. Steinhilber

News Items

No abstract provided.

Bioremoval Of Phenol From Aqueous Solutions Using Native Caribbean Seaweed, Abel E. Navarro, Anibal Hernandez-Vega, Md Emran Masud, Loretta M. Roberson, Liz M. Diaz-Vázquez

Publications and Research

Among several Puerto Rican algae, Sargassum sp. (SG) and Chaetomorpha (CM) showed the highest phenol adsorption capacity from aqueous solutions and were used in optimized adsorption batch experiments at room temperature. The effects of pH, adsorbent dose, phenol concentration, salinity and presence of interfering substances were evaluated. Initial solution pH exhibited a strong effect, mainly on the phenol aqueous chemistry; showing the maximum adsorption at pH 10. Sorption isotherm results were modelled according to the Langmuir, Tempkin and Freundlich equations. Isotherm modelling indicated a maximum adsorption capacity (qmax) of 82.10 and 17.7 mg of phenol per gram of SG and …

Quantifying Gravity Wave Momentum Fluxes With Mesosphere Temperature Mappers And Correlative Instrumentation, David C. Fritts, Pierre-Dominique Pautet, Katrina Bossert, Michael J. Taylor, Bifford P. Williams, Hiroyuki Iimura, Tao Yuan, Nicholas J. Mitchell, Gunter Stober

Publications

An Advanced Mesosphere Temperature Mapper and other instruments at the Arctic Lidar Observatory for Middle Atmosphere Research in Norway (69.3°N) and at Logan and Bear Lake Observatory in Utah (42°N) are used to demonstrate a new method for quantifying gravity wave (GW) pseudo-momentum fluxes accompanying spatially and temporally localized GW packets. The method improves on previous airglow techniques by employing direct characterization of the GW temperature perturbations averaged over the OH airglow layer and correlative wind and temperature measurements to define the intrinsic GW properties with high confidence. These methods are applied to two events, each of which involves superpositions …

Effect Of Small-Scale Continental Shelf Bathymetry On Storm Surge Generation, Sunni A. Siqueira

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Idealized bathymetries were subjected to idealized cyclones in order to measure the storm surge response to a range of bathymetry features, under various storm conditions. Ten bathymetries were considered, including eight shoals, one pit, and a featureless reference domain. Six storms (two different sizes/intensities and three different landfall directions) were used as meteorological forcing. The bathymetry features influenced local surge response during pre- and post-peak surge conditions. However, peak surge and surge at the coast were not meaningfully affected by the presence of the bathymetry features considered. The effect of three bathymetry feature parameters on surge response was analyzed (i.e. …

Flight Of The Freshwater Fish, Michael H. Wilson

Capstones

Michael H. Wilson

Capstone Abstract

December 27, 2016

Flight of the Freshwater Fish

The Hudson River provides for millions of people as a path for commercial and private transportation, a source of food and energy, and perhaps most importantly for many living in the tri-state area as a destination for recreation and relaxation. The most overlooked feature of the river is how the wildlife shows clear signs of a changing climate and rapid environmental response to the impacts of global warming on the river.

Entire populations of fish species in the lower Hudson have been forced to leave the river …

Ionospheric Signatures Of Gravity Waves Produced By The 2004 Sumatra And 2011 Tohoku Tsunamis: A Modeling Study, Michael P. Hickey, Yonghui Yu, Wenqing Wang

Publications

Ionospheric fluctuations inferred from observations of total electron content have previously been attributed to tsunamis and have confirmed the strong coupling between Earth’s ocean and ionosphere via atmospheric gravity waves (AGWs). To further advance our understanding of this wave coupling process we employ a linear full-wave model and a nonlinear time-dependent model to examine the ionospheric response to the AGW perturbations induced by the 2004 Sumatra and the 2011 Tohoku tsunamis. In the 2004 case, our modeling analyses reveal that one component of the propagating AGWs becomes dynamically unstable in the E-region ionosphere at a range exceeding 2000 km in …

Effects Of Temperature On Activity Of Aquatic Hyphomycetes: A Microcosm Study, Kyra Harrington‌‌

Honors Theses

Predicted increases in temperature under climate change scenarios are expected to affect not only atmospheric and water temperatures, but also the rate of heterotrophic activity and carbon dynamics and retention in ecosystems. The magnitude of the increase in metabolic activity of living organisms with increased temperature can be predicted by the Metabolic Theory of Ecology, however, multiple factors can cause deviations from simple predictions. The goal of this study is to assess the temperature sensitivity of aquatic hyphomycetes and fungi-mediated leaf litter decomposition by following responses to temperature of fungal biomass accrual, respiration and decomposition rates in laboratory microcosms simulating …

Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite- R Series (Goes-R) 2016, Paige N. Dixon

Student Works

This is a report on the first NOAA GOES-R satellite, launched on November 19th, 2016. This report will cover some of the details of the GOES-R project, as well as discuss the collaborations that made the project possible. This document will also detail some of the new satellite’s capabilities including geostationary lightning detection, and space weather monitoring, and will focus on real-world application of such technology. Additionally, this report will list some of the current and projected GOES-R products, and the potential benefits if testing proves successful.

Groundwater-Flow Model Of The Northern High Plains Aquifer In Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, And Wyoming, Steven M. Peterson, Amanda T. Flynn, Jonathan (Jp) Traylor

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

The High Plains aquifer is a nationally important water resource underlying about 175,000 square miles in parts of eight states: Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. Droughts across much of the Northern High Plains from 2001 to 2007 have combined with recent (2004) legislative mandates to elevate concerns regarding future availability of groundwater and the need for additional information to support science-based water-resource management. To address these needs, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) began the High Plains Groundwater Availability Study to provide a tool for water-resource managers and other stakeholders to assess the status …

An Evaluation Of The Seagrass Habitat In North Biscayne Bay, Florida, In Relation To A Changing Environment And Urbanization In The Port Of Miami Harbor Basin 2005-2011, Sara M. Jarossy

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Seagrass habitats in South Florida are exceptionally valuable. They play an important ecological role in the coastal environment by stabilizing sediment, providing habitat for other species and supporting a whole food web. The availability of light and nutrients in aquatic ecosystems are the driving factors behind seagrass distribution. Water quality has been known to influence the abundance, distribution and composition of seagrass beds. South Florida has extensive diverse coastal communities. Throughout its human development dramatic changes have occurred in its natural ecosystems. In South Florida, many examples of seagrass habitat loss are documented, with a variety of contributing factors. The …

A Review Of Present And Alternative Lionfish Controls In The Western Atlantic, Adam Rittermann

HCNSO Student Capstones

Lionfish (Pterois volitans and Pterois miles) are the first recorded invasive piscivore in the Caribbean and have become a threat to native species. As generalist consumers, lionfish have a broad diet and reduce prey and competitor abundance and juvenile recruitment. To confront this problem, this paper serves to review all of the current and alternative future controls available to manage lionfish populations in the Western Atlantic and determine where focus is lacking. Derby and cull efforts are the only management efforts in place and are not effective in their current state as these local events have short-term benefits, …

Using Gis To Predict Cetacean Strandings Related To Harmful Algal Blooms, Jessica L. Boyd

HCNSO Student Capstones

Exposure to harmful algal bloom (HAB) toxins, such as Karenia brevis, has been linked to cetacean strandings and mortalities. Biological and environmental data from a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) Unusual Mortality Event (UME) in 2004 are compared to those from pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus) mass stranding events in 2013-2014 in western Florida. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) maps have been created by overlaying stranding locations and select K. brevis presence data in order to identify common spatial and temporal trends. Preliminary results indicate that elevated K. brevis levels (>10,000 cells/L) in Sarasota Bay during January-February and November may …

Population Demographics And Sexual Reproduction Potential Of The Pillar Coral, Dendrogyra Cylindrus, On The Florida Reef Tract, Lystina Kabay

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The pillar coral, Dendrogyra cylindrus, has been commonly described as widely distributed, but rare throughout its geographical range in the Caribbean. Having recently been listed as Threatened under the US Endangered Species Act, an understanding of population status is needed to promote species conservation and population recovery. Previous to this study the status of the pillar coral population in the state waters of Florida, U.S.A, was relatively unknown primarily due to few colonies being recorded and no comprehensive summary of population abundance, distribution or health being completed. Along with various environmental and anthropogenic factors affecting the pillar coral population …

Sea Surface Temperature Rises Shift Migration Patterns Due To Ecosystem Changes, Alexia Skrbic, Hesham El-Askary

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

The continuing climate change is negatively impacting ecosystems, specifically oceans which are declining and food webs are being altered by the increase of greenhouse gases. The increase of the carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases is increasing sea surface temperature of the world’s oceans. Certain organisms lower on the food chain like phytoplankton and zooplankton are directly affected by the warming which alters how they process nutrients and their productivity. The limited amount of these primary producers in the oceans and specifically the location they inhabit directly affects all the organisms above them on the food chain. Several marine animals …

Coral Recovery On Phase-Shifted Reefs Depend Upon The Type Of Macroalgae Present, Justin N. Voss

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The Florida Keys experienced some of the most drastic transitions from coral to macroalgae dominated states, known as phase-or regime-shifts, of any reefs in the Caribbean. Macroalgae on coral reefs lower coral recruitment by deterring coral settlement either directly through competition or indirectly by changing the chemical environment near the benthos. With evidence of species-specific interactions to coral-macroalgae competition, the type of macroalgae on a phase-shifted coral reef might be more important than just identifying a reef transition. To answer this question, I tested the effect of Laurencia intricata (a macroalgae related to the settlement inducing crustose coralline algae) and …

Effects Of 17 Β-Estradiol And Progesterone On Acropora Cervicornis And Porites Astreoides Growth And Reproduction, Joshua L. Stocker

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Reef-building coral populations throughout the world are being threatened by numerous stressors and continue to decline. As potent endocrine-disrupting compounds, exogenous sex steroid contamination has been a largely overlooked stressor to corals. Previous research indicates these compounds are prevalent in marine environments, fluctuate annually along with reproductive cycles, can bioaccumulate, and have had variable effects on growth and reproduction in several cnidarian species. This project had three primary objectives: (1) establish environmental estradiol and progesterone concentrations in Broward County and lower Florida Keys reef environments, (2) conduct 17 β-estradiol and progesterone larval assays on P. astreoides larvae to determine the …

The Vertical And Horizontal Distribution Of Deep-Sea Crustaceans Of The Order Euphausiacea (Malacostraca: Eucarida) From The Northern Gulf Of Mexico With Notes On Reproductive Seasonality., Charles Douglas Fine

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The vertical and horizontal distributions of Euphausiacea in the northern Gulf of Mexico, including the location of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, were analyzed from 340 trawl samples collected between April-June, 2011. This study is the first comprehensive survey of euphausiid distributions from depths deeper than 1000 m in the Gulf of Mexico and included stratified sampling from five discrete depth ranges (0-200 m, 200-600 m, 600-1000 m, 1000-1200 m, and 1200-1500 m). In addition, this study encompasses the region heavily impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Data presented here could potentially be used in ecosystem models investigating trophic …