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Reproduction and recruitment are key processes that replenish marine populations. Here we use the Palau archipelago, in the western Pacific Ocean, as a case study to examine scales of connectivity and to determine whether an oceanographic model, incorporating the complex reef architecture, is a useful predictor of coral recruitment. We tested the hypothesis that the … Read more
We tested the accuracy of an invasive aquatic plant risk assessment system in the United States that we modified from a system originally developed by New Zealands Biosecurity Program. The US system is comprised of 38 questions that address biological, historical, and environmental tolerance traits. Values associated with each response are summed to produce a … Read more
Zooplankton grazing is often a significant loss term for phytoplankton populations, including harmful algae, impacting the development and decline of blooms. However, detecting and quantifying predation on phytoplankton is often challenging, particularly during early bloom stages when phytoplankton cell concentrations are low. In this study, we used polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect ingestion of … Read more
Cyanobacteria blooms caused by species such as Microcystis have become commonplace in many freshwater ecosystems. Although phosphorus (P) typically limits the growth of freshwater phytoplankton populations, little is known regarding the molecular response of Microcystis to variation in P concentrations and sources. For this study, we examined genes involved in P acquisition in Microcystis including … Read more
Blooms of Dinophysis ovum and Mesodinium spp. have been observed in the Gulf of Mexico since 2007 using the Imaging FlowCytobot technology. Bloom dynamics of these two organisms in conjunction with ancillary environmental data for a 5-year period were analyzed to identify the conditions necessary for bloom initiation or presence with the goal of predicting … Read more
The goal of this two-year study was to explore the role of nutrients and climatic conditions in promoting reoccurring Alexandrium fundyense blooms in the Northport-Huntington Bay complex, NY, USA. A bloom in 2007 was short and small (3 weeks, 103 cells L?1 maximal density) compared to 2008 when the A. fundyense bloom, which persisted for … Read more
Brachidinium capitatum F. J. R. Taylor, typically considered a rare oceanic dinoflagellate, and one which has not been cultured, was observed at elevated abundances (up to 65 cells · mL?1) at a coastal station in the western Gulf of Mexico in the fall of 2007. Continuous data from the Imaging FlowCytobot (IFCB) provided cell images … Read more
Effects of terrigenous sedimentation are considered a serious threat to Puerto Rico’s coral reefs. This study assesses: 1) the composition of sediments accumulating at reef sites on the southwestern shelf of Puerto Rico; 2) the spatial extent to which terrigenous materials are reaching these reefs; and 3) the spatial and temporal variability of sediment composition, … Read more
A numerical hydrodynamic simulation of the Texas-Louisiana continental shelf circulation is compared with hydrographic and moored observations of temperature, salinity, and current velocity. The spatial and temporal structure of the model error suggests that the model is able to reproduce the observed broad-scale features and seasonal patterns faithfully. However, there are energetic features that have … Read more
Domoic acid is an algal-derived seafood toxin that functions as a glutamate agonist and exerts excitotoxicity via overstimulation of glutamate receptors (AMPA, NMDA) in the central nervous system (CNS). At high (symptomatic) doses, domoic acid is well-known to cause seizures, brain lesions and memory loss; however, a significant knowledge gap exists regarding the health impacts … Read more