PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A DEVELOPMENT SITE, AND THE CONTENT DOES NOT REFLECT THE MOST CURRENT INFORMATION.

Data Type: Sponsored Research

Symbiodinium diversity in the coral host Agaricia lamarcki (Cnidaria: Scleractinia) between shallow and mesophotic reefs in the Northern Caribbean (20-70 m)

This study investigated differences in Symbiodinium diversity in the scleractinian coral species Agaricia lamarcki between shallow (20–25 m) and mesophotic (50–70 m) depths in the Northern Caribbean. Corals were sampled in each of four shallow sites (20–25 m; n = 18) and three mesophotic sites (50–70 m; n = 18) from Mona Island (Puerto Rico) … Read more

A quantitative genetic approach to assess the evolutionary potential of a coastal marine fish to ocean acidification

Assessing the potential of marine organisms to adapt genetically to increasing oceanic CO2 levels requires proxies such as heritability of fitness-related traits under ocean acidification (OA). We applied a quantitative genetic method to derive the first heritability estimate of survival under elevated CO2 conditions in a metazoan. Specifically, we reared offspring, selected from a wild … Read more

Seasonal Cross-Shelf Flow Structure, Upwelling Relaxation, and the Alongshelf Pressure Gradient in the Northern California Current System

Moored observations are used to investigate the seasonal change in vertical structure of the cross-shelf circulation at a midshelf location in the northern California Current System. A streamwise–normal coordinate system is employed to eliminate meander- and eddy-induced biases in the cross-shelf flow that are unaccounted for with an alternative, commonly applied approach. The resulting flow … Read more

An unprecedented coastwide toxic algal bloom linked to anomalous ocean conditions

A coastwide bloom of the toxigenic diatom Pseudo-nitzschia in spring 2015 resulted in the largest recorded outbreak of the neurotoxin, domoic acid, along the North American west coast. Elevated toxins were measured in numerous stranded marine mammals and resulted in geographically extensive and prolonged closures of razor clam, rock crab, and Dungeness crab fisheries. We … Read more

Microsatellite analysis to estimate realized dispersal distance in Phragmites australis

An understanding of the mean and maximum dispersal distances of target species and subsequent scaling of management efforts to dispersal distance can be key in slowing, containing, or eradicating invasive species. However, dispersal distance is often difficult to measure. Patterns of genetic relatedness can be interpreted to understand realized genetic dispersal distances, which can then … Read more

Climatic regulation of the neurotoxin domoic acid

Domoic acid is a potent neurotoxin produced by certain marine microalgae that can accumulate in the foodweb, posing a health threat to human seafood consumers and wildlife in coastal regions worldwide. Evidence of climatic regulation of domoic acid in shellfish over the past 20 y in the Northern California Current regime is shown. The timing … Read more

Factors regulating excystment of Alexandrium in Puget Sound, WA, USA

Factors regulating excystment of a toxic dinoflagellate in the genus Alexandrium were investigated in cysts from Puget Sound, Washington State, USA. Experiments were carried out in the laboratory using cysts collected from benthic seedbeds to determine if excystment is controlled by internal or environmental factors. The results suggest that the timing of germination is not … Read more