PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A DEVELOPMENT SITE, AND THE CONTENT DOES NOT REFLECT THE MOST CURRENT INFORMATION.
Although sediment dynamics exert a fundamental control on the character and distribution of reefs, data on sediment dynamics in mesophotic systems are scarce. In this study, sediment traps and benthic photo-transects were used to document spatial and temporal patterns of suspended-sediment and bed-load dynamics at two geomorphically distinct mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) on the upper … Read more
The coastal waters of the northern portion of the California Current System experience a seasonal decline in oxygen concentrations and hypoxia over the summer upwelling season that results in negative impacts on habitat for many organisms. Using a regional model extending from 43°N to 50°N, with an oxygen component developed in this study, drivers of … Read more
Pseudo-nitzschia blooms often occur in coastal and open ocean environments, sometimes leading to the production of the neurotoxin domoic acid that can cause severe negative impacts to higher trophic levels. Increasing evidence suggests a close relationship between phytoplankton bloom and bacterial assemblages, however, the microbial composition and succession during a bloom process is unknown. Here, … Read more
Coastal hypoxia (dissolved oxygen ? 2 mg/L) is a growing problem worldwide that threatens marine ecosystem services, but little is known about economic effects on fisheries. Here, we provide evidence that hypoxia causes economic impacts on a major fishery. Ecological studies of hypoxia and marine fauna suggest multiple mechanisms through which hypoxia can skew a … Read more
Ulvalean algae (Chlorophyta) are most commonly described from intertidal and shallow subtidal marine environments worldwide, but are less well known from mesophotic environments. Their morphological simplicity and phenotypic plasticity make accurate species determinations difficult, even at the generic level. Here, we describe the mesophotic Ulvales species composition from 13 locations across 2,300 km of the … Read more
Blooms of toxic cyanobacteria in freshwater ecosystems have received considerable attention in recent years, but their occurrence and potential importance at the land-sea interface has not been widely recognized. Here we present the results of a survey of discrete samples conducted in more than fifty brackish water sites along the coastline of southern California. Our … Read more
Shoreline hardening alters the morphology of the intertidal zone and has been shown to impact various measures of shore zone habitat quality. Diet composition and stomach fullness of two predatory fishes, the Bluefish Pomatomus saltatrix and Weakfish Cynoscion regalis, were compared between natural (beach) shorelines and adjacent hardened (riprap) shorelines at three sites in Delaware … Read more
Riprap-reinforced shorelines are becoming more prevalent as a result of increasing coastal development and sea level rise. Altered morphology at the land-water interface, associated with riprap shorelines, has the potential to reduce shore-zone habitat quality for associated nekton species. The shore-zone nekton assemblage within a temperate, mid-Atlantic coast, USA, estuary was examined to identify differences … Read more
Diel sampling was conducted during JuneSeptember 2013, in the shore zone and adjacent nearshore zone of Delaware Bay, Delaware, to identify day and night changes in nekton density, species richness, and the species assemblage. Mean species richness and total nekton density in the shore zone were higher at night. A detailed examination of abundant species … Read more
Mesophotic coral ecosystems are an almost entirely unexplored and undocumented environment that likely contains vast reservoirs of undescribed biodiversity. Twenty-four macroalgae samples, representing four genera, were collected from a Hawaiian mesophotic reef at water depths between 65 and 86 m in the ‘Au’au Channel, Maui, Hawaii. Algal tissues were surveyed for the presence and diversity … Read more