Aspects of Phytoplankton Chlorophyll A Carbon-Specific Growth Rates, and the Distributions of Chlorophyll A and Primary Productivity in Relation to Water Column Structure in the Eastern North Atlantic Ocean

This dissertation consists of three chapters, two of which are presented in manuscript form. Chapter One is an introduction and review of the measurement of phytoplankton chlorophyll a carbon-specific growth rates. Chapter Two consists of the manuscript ASPECTS OF CHLOROPHYLL a CARBONSPECIFIC GROWTH RATE IN THE EASTERN NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN. It has been formatted in accordance with the specifications of the oceanographic journal Marine Ecology Progress Series. In Chapter Two, an evaluation of the short-term kinetics of the labeling time of natural phytoplankton populations in different oceanic regions showed that chI a labeling varied in relation to both environmental conditions and latitude. At subtropical stations rapid short-term increases in the activity of chI a were coincident with large (\u3e 38%) increases in total photosynthetically available radiation. The rapid short-term increases resulted in overestimates of the growth rate. Overall though, a strong correlation between chI a carbon-specific growth rates and independently-derived assimilation numbers was evident. This strong correlation, particularly with end-of-day samples suggests that the chI a labeling technique for phytoplankton carbon-specific growth rate determination is applicable in different oceanic regions under broadly varying environmental conditions. Chapter Three consists of the manuscript DISTRIBUTIONS OF CHLOROPHYLL AND PRIMARY PRODUCTIVITY IN RELATION TO WATER COLUMN STRUCTURE IN THE EASTERN NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN. Chapter Three has been formatted in accordance with specifications of the Journal of Global Biogeochemical Cycles. Chapter Three has been submitted under the co-authorship of G. Berberian for review by the Journal of Biogeochemical Cycles. In Chapter Three latitudinal variations in the megascale (103 km) distribution of biological properties were observed in relation to the water column structure between 60°N and 7°N in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean. High chI a concentrations in the northern latitudes were associated with a shoaling of the pycnocline. A secondary region of high chI a at 7°N was associated with a lens of low salinity Amazon River water. Productivity maxima were located south of Iceland, in the vicinity of the Azores Front, and at the Amazon River water feature. The research described in Chapters Two and Three was performed during the Eastern North Atlantic section of the 1988 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Global Change Expedition. Two appendices are included in the dissertation which contain pertinent Global Change Expedition data used in the manuscripts. Appendix One contains data relevant to Chapter Two, while Appendix Two contains data relevant to Chapter Three. A NOAA Data Report (Frazel, Berberian and Hitchcock 1989) containing complete data for the Global Change Cruise is also available. Reference lists are included at the end of Chapters Two and Three, while a master reference list is given at the end of the dissertation. Chapter Three has been formatted in accordance with specifications of the Journal of Global Biogeochemical Cycles. Chapter Three has been submitted under the co-authorship of G. Berberian for review by the Journal of Biogeochemical Cycles. In Chapter Three latitudinal variations in the macroscale (103 km) distribution of biological properties were observed in relation to the water column structure between 60°N and 7°N in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean. High chl a concentrations in the northern latitudes were associated with a shoaling of the pycnocline. A secondary region of high chI a at 7°N was associated with a lens of low salinity Amazon River water. Productivity maxima were located south of Iceland, in the vicinity of the Azores Front, and at the Amazon River water feature. The research described in Chapters Two and Three was performed during the Eastern North Atlantic section of the 1988 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Global Change Expedition. Two appendices are included in the dissertation which contain pertinent Global Change Expedition data used in the manuscripts. Appendix One contains data relevant to Chapter Two, while Appendix Two contains data relevant to Chapter Three. A NOAA Data Report (Frazel, Berberian and Hitchcock 1989) containing complete data for the Global Change Cruise is also available. Reference lists are included at the end of Chapters Two and Three, while a Master Reference List is given at the end of the dissertation

The Influence of Lobster Trap Escape Gaps on Capture and Behavior of the Spiny Lobster, Panulirus argus (Latreille)

Interest in the potential usefulness of lobster trap escape gaps in the Florida spiny lobster fishery prompted an independent examination of their influence on capture and behavior of the spiny lobster, Panulirus argus. A trapping study was conducted off Southeastern Florida during 1984/1985 using control traps, and traps with escape gap openings of 51, 54, and 57 mm. The 51 mm escape gap caught significantly more legal lobsters than any other trap, while the 54 and 57 mm escape gap caught significantly fewer sublegal lobsters. Carapace lengths of lobsters increased as escape gap width increased. The impact of escape gaps on behavior of Panulirus argus was examined through field and laboratory observations. Lobsters with a carapace length of 75 mm or less were observed entering and exiting through a 51 mm escape gap. Legal lobsters (≥76 mm CL) were unable to escape from the trap. Dominance interaction or agonistic behavior were postulated to affect catch rates in escape gap traps. Direct observations indicate they do not appear to be a factor influencing catch rates of lobsters in traps with escape gaps. It is hypothesized that the escape gap acts as an auxiliary opening, enhancing the potential of capturing a sublegal lobster

Northern Coastal Basin surface water improvement and management plan : Northern Coastal Basin SWIM plan

In recognition of the need to place additional emphasis on the restoration, protection, and management of the surface water resources of the state, the Florida Legislature, through the Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Act of 1987, directed the state’s water management districts to “design and implement plans and programs for the improvement and management of surface water” (Section 373.451, Florida Statutes [FS]). The SWIM legislation requires the water management districts to protect the ecological, aesthetic, recreational, and economic value of the state’s surface water bodies, keeping in mind that water quality degradation is frequently caused by point and nonpoint source pollution and that degraded water quality can cause both direct and indirect losses of aquatic habitats. The St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) initiated the Northern Coastal Basin (NCB) project in 1995 in response to general water quality concerns and the closure of historic shellfish harvesting areas. Potential negative impacts from current and anticipated growth on coastal resources, particularly shellfish harvesting, highlighted the need for a dedicated program to address surface water quality and estuary issues. In addition, a number of water bodies in the NCB are listed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (303d list) as not having sufficient water quality to meet their designated uses. The purpose of the NCB SWIM Plan is to set forth a proactive course of action, identifying the projects that address both estuarine water quality and habitat protection, and the effort needed to accomplish them, consistent with the levels and trends of available funding. (99pp.

The Gulf Stream Front, Its Role in Larval Fish Survival and Recruitment in Florida: Hydrographic Station and Plankton Data

The goal of this project was to develop a clearer understanding of the role that the Gulf Stream system plays in larval fish survival and recruitment in Florida waters. The specific objectives of this study were to: Determine whether the biomass of fish larva, other zooplankton, microzooplankton and phytoplankton is higher at the shoreward front of the Gulf Stream than on either side of it. Characterize the assemblages of fish larvae predators and prey both at the front and on either side of it. Determine if the composition, abundance and size frequency distribution of larval and juvenile fishes in the front is different from that in the coastal zone or in the Gulf Stream. Monitor the position of the Gulf Stream by continuous measurements of physical variables at moorings located in the Gulf Stream off Fort Lauderdale and within Port Everglades. This project was a first effort to characterize the coupling between physical and biological processes that may influence the early life histories of fishes in Florida\u27s coastal waters. This report contains the hydrographic and plankton data from the project. It is intended to facilitate data access by the scientific and management communities. Interpretations and detailed analyses of these data are being given in meeting presentations, peer-reviewed journal articles (Stone et al. draft manuscript, Braker et al. draft manuscript, Frazel et al. in preparation) and graduate theses (Stone 1993; Braker 1993)