Notes on the Northern Gulf of Mexico Occurrence of Sagitta friderici Ritter-Zahony (Chaetognatha)

The neritic chaetognath Sagitta friderici Ritter-Zahony, 1911 was identified in plankton samples from the northern Gulf of Mexico in June 1974. Specimens analyzed from two groups of adults ranged from 6 to 13.7 mm long. Meristic values did not appear to be a function of body length except for individuals in the 12.4 to 13.7 mm range that had larger numbers of hooks and teeth. Adults of Sagitta friderici and the closely related S. tenuis Conant, 1896 were compared and found to be distinguishable chiefly by (1) the number of ova per unit length of the ovary, and (2) the arrangement of ova within the ovary. The TC values were highly variable and overlapping, thus casting doubt on the taxonomic importance of that characteristic. Sagitta friderici was abundant in inshore continental shelf waters where the salinity and temperature ranged from 24.9 to 33.9 ppt and 23.0 to 30.3°C, respectively. The failure to determine ecological boundaries between S. friderici and S. tenuis revealed a need for more intensive sampling in coastal regions of the Gulf of Mexico

An Illustrated Key to the Chaetognatha of the Northern Gulf of Mexico with Notes on their Distribution

A key is provided to facilitate the identification of 24 species in nine genera of Chaetognatha occurring in the northem Gulf of Mexico. Included are the deep-water species, Eukrohnia proboscidea, E. calliops, Mesosagitta sibogae, and Sagitta megalophthalma, all recent additions to the known fauna of the region. Meristic data, brief descriptions, ecological notes, Gulf of Mexico records, and illustrations are also presented

Observations on Chaetognath Distributions in the Northeastern Gulf of Mexico During the Summer of 1974

The chaetognath population was studied from zooplankton samples collected at twelve stations in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico in June 1974. Quantitative analysis of six stations revealed a large inshore population composed largely of juveniles and neritic species in the upper strata, and a progressively smaller and more evenly dispersed assemblage composed largely of oceanic, stenohaline species at stations further offshore. The high percentage of juveniles in surface samples evidenced an early-summer spawning peak for the population as a whole. Overlying low salinity water throughout the study area was characterized by the presence of two neritic species, Sagitta tenuis and S. friderici, in surface samples, while an underlying high salinity intrusion over the continental shelf was denoted by the submerged occurrence of stenohaline species. Fourteen species were grouped into three ecological categories denoting degrees of tolerance to environmental change: (1) neritic - Sagitta friderici, S. tenuis, S. helenae, S. hispida, (2) mixed water - S. enflata, S. minima, S. serratodentata, Pterosagitta draco, Krohnitta pacifica, and (3) oceanic - S. hexaptera, S. bipunctata, K. subtilis, S. decipiens, S. lyra

Do Perceptions of Businesses Differ Between Higher and Lower Counts of Social Media Post Engagements?

Social media is a popular marketing tool that directly connects businesses and consumers. This is a relatively new phenomenon, which requires more understanding on the part of marketers. Understanding how consumers respond to social media posts made by the business is vitally important to the continued success of businesses utilizing social media as part of their marketing efforts. Using social metrics such as “likes” and “shares”, businesses can both measure and influence consumer attitudes and behaviors. This study features an experiment that manipulates the effects of high versus low counts of Facebook likes/shares on Facebook timeline posts. This research extends previous studies by utilizing multiple posts as opposed to a single social media post. The study also compares consumer perceptions and intentions in terms of a small/local business and a larger/national business. Multiple independent sample t-tests address the proposed hypotheses. The results show that once a successful level of post engagements have been reached, there is no significant change on perception of the business as engagements continue to increase to higher counts. However, this does not apply to intention to visit the business, as this construct featured a significant difference when introduced to low/high counts of like/shares

First Recorded Observance of the Dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum (Pavillard) Schiller 1933 in Mississippi Sound and Adjacent Waters

The present paper documents the occurrence of the dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum in Mississippi Sound and adjacent coastal waters. Outbreaks of discolored water are attributed to blooms of P. minimum in February 1977 and in January and February 1981. Data are presented on the seasonality of the organism in St. Louis Bay. Observations on water appearance and a descriptive analysis of the cells are presented for the 1981 blooms

Aricidea (Allia) bryani, a New Species of Polychaete (Polychaeta: Paraonidae) from the Northern Gulf of Mexico

Aricidea bryani, a new species of polychaete (Polychaeta: Paraonidae) belonging to the subgenus Allia Strelzov 1973, is described from shallow subtidal sediments along the northern shore of Mississippi Sound, an estuary of the northern Gulf of Mexico. The new species is distinguished from other members of the subgenus by the presence of tuberculate neuropodial lobes in the anterior 15-20 setigers, a cirriform median antenna that extends posteriorly to setiger three, and by modified neuropodial setae that are abruptly tapered at mid-length, but lack terminal aristae

Gate recess engineering of pseudomorphic In0.30GaAs/GaAs HEMTs

The authors report how the performance of 0.12 μm GaAs pHEMTs is improved by controlling both the gate recess width, using selective dry etching, and the gate position in the source drain gap, using electron beam lithography. pHEMTs with a transconductance of 600 mS/mm, off state breakdown voltages >2 V, fτ of 120 GHz, f max of 180 GHz and MAG of 13.5 dB at 60 GHz are reported

In the Wake of a Merger: Consumer Reactions to Service Failures

Customers are often overlooked during the merger process in both reality and the marketing literature. This research features an experiment with 431 U.S. consumers that assesses the impact of a service failure following a merger on a variety of consumer behaviors. Key results indicate that consumers are more likely to switch service providers if they experience a failure of any magnitude (major/minor) following a merger than if they experience the same failure in the absence of a merger. This finding emphasizes that firms involved in service mergers have to be extremely diligent about preventing customer defection and implement focused marketing strategies sooner rather than later. Several managerial implications are provided based on the results of the study

Notes on Some Chaetognaths from Pine Cay, Turks and Caicos Islands (British West Indies)

Seven species of planktonic Chaetognatha - Ferosagitta hispida, Flaccisagitta enflata, F. hexaptera, Krohnitta pacifica, Sagitta bipunctata, Serratosagitta serratodentata, and Pterosagitta draco - were present in plankton samples collected in waters north of Pine Cay, Turks and Caicos Islands, British West Indies. In addition, the epibenthic species Spadella cephaloptera, Paraspadella nana, and P. schizoptera were present, the latter two species associated mainly with shallow clumps of the coralline alga, Neogoniolithon sp., and with sponge-algal communities. One specimen of S. cephaloptera was collected at 35 m from a sand bottom north of the fringing reef adjacent to Pine Cay. Meristic data for F. hispida and for the three epibenthic species are provided

Notes on Some Chaetognaths from Pine Cay, Turks and Caicos Islands (British West Indies)

Seven species of planktonic Chaetognatha - Ferosagitta hispida, Flaccisagitta enflata, F. hexaptera, Krohnitta pacifica, Sagitta bipunctata, Serratosagitta serratodentata, and Pterosagitta draco - were present in plankton samples collected in waters north of Pine Cay, Turks and Caicos Islands, British West Indies. In addition, the epibenthic species Spadella cephaloptera, Paraspadella nana, and P. schizoptera were present, the latter two species associated mainly with shallow clumps of the coralline alga, Neogoniolithon sp., and with sponge-algal communities. One specimen of S. cephaloptera was collected at 35 m from a sand bottom north of the fringing reef adjacent to Pine Cay. Meristic data for F. hispida and for the three epibenthic species are provided