Peer-Reviewed Publication Archives - Page 2 of 5 - NCCOS - National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science

The competing impacts of climate change and nutrient reductions on dissolved oxygen in Chesapeake Bay

The Chesapeake Bay region is projected to experience changes in temperature, sea level, and precipitation as a result of climate change. This research uses an estuarine-watershed hydrodynamic–biogeochemical modeling system along with projected mid-21st-century changes in temperature, freshwater flow, and sea level rise to explore the impact climate change may have on future Chesapeake Bay dissolved-oxygen … Read more

Identifying Suitable Locations for Mesophotic Hard Corals Offshore of Maui, Hawai’i

Mesophotic hard corals (MHC) are increasingly threatened by a growing number of anthropogenic stressors, including impacts from fishing, land-based sources of pollution, and ocean acidification. However, little is known about their geographic distributions (particularly around the Pacific islands) because it is logistically challenging and expensive to gather data in the 30 to 150 meter depth … Read more

Intersex in male invasive Atlantic lionfish, Pterois spp

Intersex in gonochoristic species is a reproductive abnormality in which an individual produces gametes of the type normally associated with the opposite sex. To investigate the prevalence of intersex in male lionfish Pterois spp., 884 individuals were collected from the Bahamas and North Carolina between 2004 and 2008. Histological sections of testes were scored for … Read more

Climate change and larval transport in the ocean: fractional effects from physical and physiological factors

Changes in larval import, export, and self‐seeding will affect the resilience of coral reef ecosystems. Climate change will alter the ocean currents that transport larvae and also increase sea surface temperatures (SST), hastening development, and shortening larval durations. Here, we use transport simulations to estimate future larval connectivity due to: (1) physical transport of larvae … Read more

Potential larval sources, destinations, and self-seeding in the Mariana Archipelago documented using ocean drifters

Identifying transport pathways and sources of reef larvae is an essential component of ecosystem science. Ocean drifters tracked by satellite around the Mariana Archipelago were used to evaluate the possible pathways of transport among islands for passive larvae of reef organisms present in the surface layer. Reef taxa vary in their minimum and maximum larval … Read more

Is Guam a regional source, destination, or stepping-stone for larvae of three fisheries species?

The pelagic larval duration (PLD) period of fish can influence dispersal, recruitment, and population connectivity, thereby potentially informing best strategies for fisheries management. Computer models were used to simulate the dispersal of larvae of three species, representing a range of PLDs, from the Pacific island of Guam and neighboring islands for a 9‐year period (2004–2012) … Read more

Ranging patterns, spatial overlap, and association with dolphin morbillivirus exposure in common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) along the Georgia, U.S.A. coast

During 2013–2015, an outbreak of dolphin morbillivirus (DMV) occurred in the western North Atlantic, which resulted in the stranding of over 1,600 common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). There are currently five coastal and 10 bay, sound, and estuary dolphin stocks along the U.S. Atlantic coast, yet there is very limited understanding of which stocks were … Read more

The emergence of Dinophysis acuminata blooms and DSP toxins in shellfish in New York waters

The dynamics of Dinophysis acuminata and its associated diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP) toxins, okadaic acid (OA) and dinophysistoxin-1 (DTX1) as well as pectenotoxins (PTXs), were investigated within plankton and shellfish in Northport Bay, NY, USA, over a four year period (2008–2011). Over the course of the study, Dinophysis bloom densities ranged from ~104 to 106 … Read more

Nitrogenous Nutrients Promote the Growth and Toxicity of Dinophysis acuminata during Estuarine Bloom Events

Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP) is a globally significant human health syndrome most commonly caused by dinoflagellates within the genus Dinophysis. While blooms of harmful algae have frequently been linked to excessive nutrient loading, Dinophysis is a mixotrophic alga whose growth is typically associated with prey availability. Consequently, field studies of Dinophysis and nutrients have been … Read more

Evaluation of Rapid, Early Warning Approaches to Track Shellfish Toxins Associated with Dinophysis and Alexandrium Blooms

Marine biotoxin-contaminated seafood has caused thousands of poisonings worldwide this century. Given these threats, there is an increasing need for improved technologies that can be easily integrated into coastal monitoring programs. This study evaluates approaches for monitoring toxins associated with recurrent toxin-producing Alexandrium and Dinophysis blooms on Long Island, NY, USA, which cause paralytic and … Read more