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(1 - 9 of 9)
- Title
- Can Differences in Microhabitats Influence Disease Prevalence of Perkinsus marinus in Oysters?.
- Creator
- Lara, Pedro U., Laramore, Susan E., Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
- Abstract/Description
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Habitat refuges are important ecological spatial components that can alter the survivability of organisms by providing relief from ecological pressure, such as predation, disease prevalence, and environmental stressors. If a habitat is considered to be a disease refuge this means that something unique occurred that reduced disease prevalence and intensity. Two different types of oyster habitats (mangroves and reefs) and micro habitats (low and high prop roots and reefs) were studied to...
Show moreHabitat refuges are important ecological spatial components that can alter the survivability of organisms by providing relief from ecological pressure, such as predation, disease prevalence, and environmental stressors. If a habitat is considered to be a disease refuge this means that something unique occurred that reduced disease prevalence and intensity. Two different types of oyster habitats (mangroves and reefs) and micro habitats (low and high prop roots and reefs) were studied to determine whether differences in the internal environmental of oysters varied between habitats. Analysis of internal oyster surface and body temperatures along with oyster body salinity showed that differences in microhabitats affected body temperature and salinity. Oysters in both mangrove habitats exhibited lower body salinity and lower temperature than those on oyster reefs. We also analyzed disease prevalence and intensity of Perkinsas marinas among the different habitats and micro habitats by collecting oysters that were >1 year old. Results indicated variability of disease prevalence and intensity among the different habitats, with lowered disease prevalence and intensity seen on mangrove prop roots. These results indicate that mangrove prop roots may provide a habitat refuge for oysters from the parasite Perkinsas marinas.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00002677
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Confirmation of Bouamia spp. in Bivalves in the Indian River Lagoon Using Fluorescent in situ Hybridization.
- Creator
- Cheng, Susan, Laramore, Susan E., Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
- Abstract/Description
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Various bivalve species were sampled at three sites in the Indian River Lagoon in Fort Pierce, Florida to determine whether the change in the seasonal prevalence of Bonamia spp. in the Indian River Lagoon as determined by PCR could be confirmed histologically using standard hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). Parasite location was noted in tissue samples and determinations were made as to whether the infection was external (gills, mantle) or...
Show moreVarious bivalve species were sampled at three sites in the Indian River Lagoon in Fort Pierce, Florida to determine whether the change in the seasonal prevalence of Bonamia spp. in the Indian River Lagoon as determined by PCR could be confirmed histologically using standard hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). Parasite location was noted in tissue samples and determinations were made as to whether the infection was external (gills, mantle) or internal (connective tissue). Bonamia spp. was found to be more prevalent in the fall at all three study sites. Fluorescent in situ hybridization confirmed the majority ofPCR-positive samples. A large percentage of Bonamia spp. infections at North Causeway Park and Wabasso Causeway Bridge were external infections. In addition, a large percentage of Bonamia spp. infections at Wildcat Cove and Wabasso Causeway Bridge were in the gills and mantle. This indicates that most of the bivalves sampled are filtering the parasite from their surrounding environment but are not being negatively affected and those that are infected are not heavily infected. Bonamia spp. has not been reported to negatively impact bivalve populations in Florida, however the impacts of this parasite on various oyster and mussel species in Florida has not been thoroughly examined. This project may determine what steps need to be taken to prevent the losses in oyster and associated bivalve populations in the Indian River Lagoon.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00002671
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Detection and Prevalence of Boluunia spp. through PCR in bivalve populations from three sites in the Indian River Lagoon in Florida.
- Creator
- Chu, Erika, Laramore, Susan E., Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
- Abstract/Description
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Bivalves are important aquatic species that are an integral part of food web dynamics and nutrient cycling. As filter feeding organisms, bivalves impact on aquatic habitats, includes their ability clean up the surrounding water which allows under water plants to receive sunlight, increase oxygen and provide additional habitat to that provided by created oyster reefs. Oyster diseases such as Bonamiosis caused by the parasite Bonamia spp. may decimate bivalve populations, causing a potential...
Show moreBivalves are important aquatic species that are an integral part of food web dynamics and nutrient cycling. As filter feeding organisms, bivalves impact on aquatic habitats, includes their ability clean up the surrounding water which allows under water plants to receive sunlight, increase oxygen and provide additional habitat to that provided by created oyster reefs. Oyster diseases such as Bonamiosis caused by the parasite Bonamia spp. may decimate bivalve populations, causing a potential threat to the habitat of other aquatic organisms. The objective of this study was to identify the seasonal prevalence of Bonamia spp. in bivalve populations and correlate that to its environmental preference (i.e. salinity, temperature.). The results of this study show that Bonamia spp. is not only present in multiple sites and multiple bivalve species in the Indian River Lagoon, FL but is more prevalent in the fall compared to the other seasons as is seen with other oyster parasites, such as Perkinsus spp. This points for the need for additional studies to determine if Bonamia spp are having an impact on the bivalve populations in Florida and whether this parasites is causing an impact to the surrounding environment.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00002672
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Distribution of Microalgae Supplemental Feed in a Land-Based Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture System.
- Creator
- Brooker, Joseph, Wills, Paul S., Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Scarpa, John
- Abstract/Description
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With the current decline in world fisheries it is necessary to develop more sustainable methods of marine resource production. An Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) system is one such method. In an IMT A system the waste nutrients of fed species are used to culture other species, thus increasing the efficiency of feed use. A land-based IMTA (LB-IMTA) system was utilized in the cunent study in which one of the waste nutrient utilizing species was oysters. Oysters in this system were...
Show moreWith the current decline in world fisheries it is necessary to develop more sustainable methods of marine resource production. An Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) system is one such method. In an IMT A system the waste nutrients of fed species are used to culture other species, thus increasing the efficiency of feed use. A land-based IMTA (LB-IMTA) system was utilized in the cunent study in which one of the waste nutrient utilizing species was oysters. Oysters in this system were determined to be not getting an adequate amount of waste nutrient feed necessary for normal growth. Therefore, oysters would need supplemental microalgae to grow normally, however the addition ofmicroalgae to the LB-IMTA might have detrimental effects, e.g., spreading throughout the system and changing the balance of nutrient flow or blooming throughout the system. Therefore, a study was designed to determine the fate of microalgae added to an LB-IMTA under a worst case scenario. With no oysters in the LB-IMTA system (total volume 61,740 L), 30 L ofmicroalgae (average density= 6.3x106 cells/mL) were added into the oyster tanks. Microalgae cells were tracked over time by sampling at distinct sites throughout the LB-IMTA system. Microalgae concentrations (i.e., #/mL) in the samples were determined with the aid of a Flocam®. Three microalgae species were individually tested: Dunaliella tertiolecta, Chaetoceros gracilis, and Isochrysis galbana Caribbean strain. Overall, the data indicated that all three micro algae species spread to almost all parts of the system after only 15 minutes, but nearly all of the microalgae was gone after 3 hrs; avg. = 8 cells/mL, which was 0.26% of the average theoretical homogenous concentration (3061 cells/mL). The primary removal of microalgae was most likely by the bead filters, which remove fine particles. The filtration components of the HBOI LB-IMTA were able to remove the excess microalgae and should limit any potentially detrimental effects caused by an overabundance of microalgae.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00002670
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Five-Year Manatee Census and Behavioral Analysis in the Harbor Branch Channel.
- Creator
- Robinson, Claire, Mazzoil, Marilyn S., Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
- Abstract/Description
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In 2009, Link Summer Intern, Lauren Nys, started a program surveying manatees in the Harbor Branch channel. Five years later, the program has accrued an abundance of data with the daily help of numerous volunteers. This project compiles and analyzes the data to answer questions about the abundance and behaviors of the resident population of manatees in the Harbor Branch channel. The manatees were found to have a general yearly abundance trend having high numbers in the winter and preferring...
Show moreIn 2009, Link Summer Intern, Lauren Nys, started a program surveying manatees in the Harbor Branch channel. Five years later, the program has accrued an abundance of data with the daily help of numerous volunteers. This project compiles and analyzes the data to answer questions about the abundance and behaviors of the resident population of manatees in the Harbor Branch channel. The manatees were found to have a general yearly abundance trend having high numbers in the winter and preferring to aggregate in the West Basin. There is no obvious effect of the 2010 cold stun, however, further research involving photo-identification analysis needs to be completed. The main behaviors exhibited in the challllel involve resting, staying warm, and mating, signifying that the channel is an important habitat for manatees. This project will continue as part of the researcher's undergraduate thesis.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00002680
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Investigating Algal Symbionts in Corals From St. Lucie Reef, Florida.
- Creator
- Polinski, Jennifer, Voss, Joshua, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
- Abstract/Description
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Algal symbionts, commonly called zooxanthellae, living in within coral tissues provide energy to hermatypic corals through photosynthesis. Zooxanthellae density, as well as photosynthetic pigment concentration, can be used as an indicator of coral health. This study compared zooxanthellae densities and concentrations of chlorophyll a and c between four sites and two species of coral, Montastraea cavemosa and Diploria clivosa, found at the St. Lucie Reef to establish baseline levels for...
Show moreAlgal symbionts, commonly called zooxanthellae, living in within coral tissues provide energy to hermatypic corals through photosynthesis. Zooxanthellae density, as well as photosynthetic pigment concentration, can be used as an indicator of coral health. This study compared zooxanthellae densities and concentrations of chlorophyll a and c between four sites and two species of coral, Montastraea cavemosa and Diploria clivosa, found at the St. Lucie Reef to establish baseline levels for comparison to future levels. No significant differences were found among sites despite increasing depth farther from the inlet, suggesting reduced light penetration closer to the inlet. Significant differences were found for zooxanthellae densities and chlorophyll concentrations per zooxanthellae cell between coral species. However, there was no significant difference for chlorophyll concentrations per unit area of coral tissue between species. This suggests that all site locations experience similar conditions despite differences in depth. It also suggests potentially different types of zooxanthellae, which is being addressed by ongoing research.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00002679
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Investigating Coral Bacterial Communities in the Flower Garden Banks.
- Creator
- Alker, Amanda, Voss, Joshua, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
- Abstract/Description
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Mesophotic reefs have historically been understudied, leading to a dearth of information on the corals that compose these reefs. Recent advancements in technology have enabled researchers to have greater access to reefs at mesophotic depths, generating a greater interest in the microbial communities in both mesophotic and shallow reefs, in order to determine the relative bacterial community differences. Samples of coral mucus from Montastraea cavernosa were collected from Flower Garden Banks...
Show moreMesophotic reefs have historically been understudied, leading to a dearth of information on the corals that compose these reefs. Recent advancements in technology have enabled researchers to have greater access to reefs at mesophotic depths, generating a greater interest in the microbial communities in both mesophotic and shallow reefs, in order to determine the relative bacterial community differences. Samples of coral mucus from Montastraea cavernosa were collected from Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) in the summer of2010 and 2011. Bacterial community DNA was extracted from the coral mucus and amplified using LH-PCR. Length Heterogeneity PCR is a technique used to amplify the hypervariable Vl and V2 region of the 16s rRNA gene in order to detennine relative base pair length and abundance of microbial connnunities. During the PCR product verification, contamination became apparent in the gel. Through contamination troubleshooting, the source was determined; however, not soon enough to continue with analyzing the samples. This project will be continued in the future in order to add to the mesophotic bacterial community database. The DNA extraction protocol frequently utilized in the laboratory will be modified to increase DNA yields, PCR conditions will be optimized, and the samples will be fully analyzed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00002668
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- The Lander Project.
- Creator
- Spina, Alex, Dalgleish, Fraser R., Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Dalgleish, Anni, Ouyang, Bing
- Abstract/Description
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The Lander is an underwater research platfonn that is capable of carrying a variety of scientific instruments. The largest instrumental package that can be attached consists of a continuous wave laser transmitter, a pulse modulated laser transmitter, an Altimeter, an AC-9 optical sensor, a conductivity temperature and depth sensor, an LISST optical sensor, a GPS beacon and an acoustic modem. The continuous wave laser transmitter housing consists of a variable power single mode low noise OEM...
Show moreThe Lander is an underwater research platfonn that is capable of carrying a variety of scientific instruments. The largest instrumental package that can be attached consists of a continuous wave laser transmitter, a pulse modulated laser transmitter, an Altimeter, an AC-9 optical sensor, a conductivity temperature and depth sensor, an LISST optical sensor, a GPS beacon and an acoustic modem. The continuous wave laser transmitter housing consists of a variable power single mode low noise OEM laser and a galvanometer scanner and is mounted on a pan and tilt unit. The rest of the instruments are attached to the frame of the Lander using various fixtures. There is also an acoustic release attached to the back of the frame which is to be used for retrieval purposes.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00002681
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- To Seed or Not to Seed, That Is the Question: Seagmss Distribution and Abundance Within the IRL.
- Creator
- Kessler, Andrew, Hanisak, M. Dennis, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
- Abstract/Description
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Seagrasses are fully submersed, marine angiosperms that provide crucial ecological functions. Yet, seagrass communities in the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), Florida, and elsewhere have been in decline as a result of point and non-point source pollution The major factor in seagrass decline in the IRL can be associated with the degradation of water quality, which has been influenced by human urbanization. Monitoring projects, restoration, and inquiries into the resilience of these declining...
Show moreSeagrasses are fully submersed, marine angiosperms that provide crucial ecological functions. Yet, seagrass communities in the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), Florida, and elsewhere have been in decline as a result of point and non-point source pollution The major factor in seagrass decline in the IRL can be associated with the degradation of water quality, which has been influenced by human urbanization. Monitoring projects, restoration, and inquiries into the resilience of these declining seagrass communities have been initiated due to the detrimental effects of human-caused and environmental sources. Therefore, a small-scale monitoring project was conducted throughout the central IRL, using traditional transect method'i in order to observe trends based on spatial gradients, water depth, seagrass bed length, sparseness, and abundance, and any factor that might be affecting the growth and distribution of these seagrasses. A second component of the study incorporates obsen,ations on seagrass reproduction and recovery potential from environmental stressors via seed development and germination. In terms of percent coverage, shoot counts, canopy height, and overall transect length, the Southern sites had higher averages for almost every species of seagrass and for totals of all species compared to the Northern sites. Throughout the ten sites that were monitored, a seed bank was identified as being present. However, the abundance of seeds found was smaller than that found according to many other studies dealing with seed banks. Further inquiries into both aspects of the study would allow for a better understanding of the distribution, abundance, and relationships between seagrass beds, seed bank characteristics, and the surrounding environment.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00002676
- Format
- Document (PDF)
