A Multi-Year Survey of Meiofaunal Abundance From the Northern Gulf of Mexico Continental Shelf and Slope

This 3-yr (2007–09) survey documented meiofauna abundance across the northern Gulf of Mexico on the continental shelf and slope from south Texas to south Florida. Sediment samples were collected from depths ranging from 29 to 509 m (average = 132 m) on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ship Gordon Gunter during the annual fall small pelagics fish-sampling cruise. A total of 259 sediment samples from 99 Shipek® grabs were analyzed. Meiofauna were isolated from the sediment by sieving (63-μm sieve) and concentrating the organisms via Ludox® centrifugation. Each year the two dominant animal groups were nematodes and copepods, followed by polychaetes, nauplii, kinorhynchs, priapulid loricate larvae, tardigrades, and Acari. Spearman correlations indicated that abundances of nematodes, copepods, polychaetes, and nauplii were positively related, and that all meiofauna groups decreased in abundance with increasing longitude (farther west). Abiotic variables such as salinity, temperature, and depth did not correlate with any meiofauna group. Distribution maps of the animals indicated a clear geographic trend that was supported statistically, in that the animal groups were more concentrated in Florida samples rather than the central and western continental shelf

A Multi-Year Survey of Meiofaunal Abundance From the Northern Gulf of Mexico Continental Shelf and Slope

This 3-yr (2007–09) survey documented meiofauna abundance across the northern Gulf of Mexico on the continental shelf and slope from south Texas to south Florida. Sediment samples were collected from depths ranging from 29 to 509 m (average = 132 m) on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admistration ship Gordon Gunter during the annual fall small pelagics fish-sampling cruise. A total of 259 sediment samples from 99 ShipekH grabs were analyzed. Meiofauna were isolated from the sediment by sieving (63-mm sieve) and concentrating the organisms via LudoxH centrifugation. Each year the two dominant animal groups were nematodes and copepods, followed by polychaetes, nauplii, kinorhynchs, priapulid loricate larvae, tardigrades, and Acari. Spearman correlations indicated that abundances of nematodes, copepods, polychaetes, and nauplii were positively related, and that all meiofauna groups decreased in abundance with increasing longitude (farther west). Abiotic variables such as salinity, temperature, and depth did not correlate with any meiofauna group. Distribution maps of the animals indicated a clear geographic trend that was supported statistically, in that the animal groups were more concentrated in Florida samples rather than the central and western continental shelf

Meiofauna and Trace Metals From Sediment Collections in Florida After the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

Sediment from the Florida Gulf continental shelf was collected from 18 sites during October and November 2010 for meiofauna and trace-metals analysis. Collections were obtained using a Shipek® grab on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ship Pisces and spanned from the head of the DeSoto Canyon to off the southern end of the Florida peninsula approximately following the 100–200-m contour. Mean abundance of the dominant meiofaunal groups (nematodes, copepods, and polychaetes) was unchanged when compared with 2007–2009 data. Nematodes and copepods correlated positively with each other, and negatively with latitude and longitude, suggesting that there were higher densities in southern Florida. These results contrast with those from 2007–2009 in that previously nematodes had no correlation with latitude or longitude in Florida. Nickel (Ni) and vanadium (V) concentrations were higher in the western Florida locations and correlated positively with increasing depth. No relationship was found between Ni, V, and meiofauna densities

Bridging the GAP -Geomatics and distance learning

ABSTRACT Geomatics is the measurement science that serves as an important foundation in the development of GIS applications. The Geomatics Program at Troy State University, Troy, Alabama recognizes this and has included GIS courses into its curriculum. The Geomatics Program is available in residence and we are in the process of investigating a model and the issues in making the course available online. The online development of Geomatics courses has various obstacles and is seen within a supporting context of bridging the gap between the survey and GIS professions. In this paper is discussed the issues and solutions intrinsic in the model. One of the main challenges in the model is student access to software such as ArcGIS, and access to survey equipment. This paper outlines these challenges using the undergraduate Geomatics courses

Use of spatial metadata in a LDAP/CORBA architecture

Organizations associated with the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have collected a large volume of spatial data. Descriptions of these data sets, called metadata, are seen as an important component to facilitate their access (Shah & Sheth, 1998). Most organizations have utilized some form of local or international metadata standard. To represent the diversity of the available metadata standards, a generic metadata standard is used to identify the common features from a sample of three metadata standards. The three standards are: Australia New Zealand Land Information Committee (ANZLIC) metadata standard; Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (CSDGM); and Dublin Core (DC) metadata standard. These standards are presented using hierarchical Directory Information Trees (DITs) associated with the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP). LDAP DITs are accessed using the Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) which is an approach of particular interest to the Open GIS Consortium (OGC)

A Multi-Year Survey of Meiofaunal Abundance From the Northern Gulf of Mexico Continental Shelf and Slope

This 3-yr (2007–09) survey documented meiofauna abundance across the northern Gulf of Mexico on the continental shelf and slope from south Texas to south Florida. Sediment samples were collected from depths ranging from 29 to 509 m (average = 132 m) on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ship Gordon Gunter during the annual fall small pelagics fish-sampling cruise. A total of 259 sediment samples from 99 Shipek® grabs were analyzed. Meiofauna were isolated from the sediment by sieving (63-μm sieve) and concentrating the organisms via Ludox® centrifugation. Each year the two dominant animal groups were nematodes and copepods, followed by polychaetes, nauplii, kinorhynchs, priapulid loricate larvae, tardigrades, and Acari. Spearman correlations indicated that abundances of nematodes, copepods, polychaetes, and nauplii were positively related, and that all meiofauna groups decreased in abundance with increasing longitude (farther west). Abiotic variables such as salinity, temperature, and depth did not correlate with any meiofauna group. Distribution maps of the animals indicated a clear geographic trend that was supported statistically, in that the animal groups were more concentrated in Florida samples rather than the central and western continental shelf