King Harbor Research Articles

Physical and Biogeochemical Factors Driving Spatially Heterogeneous Phytoplankton Blooms in Nearshore Waters of Santa Monica Bay, USA

Phytoplankton blooms in nearshore waters are difficult to predict using only biogeochemical factors known to control phytoplankton growth, yet the need to understand these events continues to grow with expanding harmful algal bloom (HAB) events. The present study investigated the spatial and temporal dynamics of phytoplankton blooms and their drivers in King Harbor, a harbor in Santa Monica Bay in the Southern California Bight. High-frequency sensor measurements of environmental variables and biomass and discrete sampling of phytoplankton community composition and nutrients over an annual cycle were obtained. Eleven distinct bloom events, nine of which were numerically dominated by dinoflagellates, were identified over the study period. Results from both regression-based and time series analyses show that these blooms were correlated with increased temperature, changes in nutrient concentrations, and decreased tidally driven mixing, revealing an opportunity for bloom initiation close to neap tides. Predictors of chlorophyll biomass and environmental factors that explained differences in microplankton community structure differed between the two basins of King Harbor, despite their close and connected nature. Biomass and HAB taxa abundances in the harbor were significantly correlated with those in Santa Monica Bay with a 1-week lag in the harbor data, suggesting possible onshore transport of organisms into the harbor. The results of this study quantify the significant influence of tidal cycle as a physical process operating locally and at timescales of hours to days and provide evidence for a high degree of spatial heterogeneity in bloom dynamics in nearshore environments.

Expansion of the Non-native Mississippi Silverside,Menidia audens(Pisces, Atherinopsidae), into Fresh and Marine Waters of Coastal Southern California

Abstract Mississippi Silversides, Menidia audens, were first recorded in southern California reservoirs and nearby outflows in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In 1997–2000 they were taken in King Harbor, Redondo Beach, and in 2000 in the Santa Ana River. By 2005–2006 they were found in several other coastal drainages from the San Gabriel River in Orange and Los Angeles counties northward to Arroyo Burro, Santa Barbara County. Initial invasion was via the California Aqueduct in the late 1980s and early 1990s and more recently dispersal has taken place along the southern California coast. The records from King Harbor occurred for a relatively short period, mid-1997-mid-2000 (mostly 1997 and 1998) before they were established in coastal drainages. Their impact on native species is not known but on some occasions Mississippi Silversides have outnumbered native Topsmelt, Atherinops affinis, in small coastal lagoons estuaries. Mississippi Silversides are known to prey on eggs and larvae of other fishes and coul...

Description of Conditions Preceding the 2011 Redondo Beach, California, Fish Kill

Miller, E.F., 2014. Description of conditions preceding the 2011 Redondo Beach, California, fish kill. On 8 March 2011, hypoxic conditions resulted in the loss of ca. 1.5 million Sardinops sagax in King Harbor, Redondo Beach, California. Uncertainty remains regarding the school's entrance into the harbor and the hydrographic conditions leading up to the event. Unusually depressed dissolved oxygen concentrations and acidic pH at 4–7 m depth in the main channel of the harbor were recorded on February 22 during permit-required power plant discharge monitoring. Similarly minimal tidal amplitude occurred on 22 February and 8 March, resulting in minimal seawater exchange within the harbor. Power plant impingement surveys at the nearby generating station began observing S. sagax in January, with an order of magnitude more individuals impinged on 3 February than any prior 24-hour survey and continued impingement occurring at above average levels through February. The data suggested the school entered in late January and might have remained through February at depth. When the 8 March neap tide occurred, hypoxic conditions developed in Basin 1, the most secluded basin, leading to the fish kill.

An oceanographic, meteorological, and biological ‘perfect storm’ yields a massive fish kill

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 468:231-243 (2012) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09927 An oceanographic, meteorological, and biological ‘perfect storm’ yields a massive fish kill Beth A. Stauffer1,3,*, Alyssa G. Gellene1, Astrid Schnetzer1,4, Erica L. Seubert1, Carl Oberg2, Gaurav S. Sukhatme2, David A. Caron1 1Department of Biological Sciences and 2Department of Computer Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA 3Present address: Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University, Biology and Paleo-Environment, Palisades, New York 10964, USA 4Present address: Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA *Email: stauffer@ldeo.columbia.edu ABSTRACT: Mass mortality events are ephemeral phenomena in marine ecosystems resulting from anthropogenically enhanced and natural processes. A fish kill in King Harbor, Redondo Beach, California, USA, in March 2011 killed ~1.54 × 105 kg of fish and garnered international attention as a marine system out of balance. Here, we present data collected prior to, during, and following the event that describe the oceanographic conditions preceding the event, spatial extent of hypoxia (dissolved oxygen < 1.4 ml l−1), and subsequent recovery of the harbor. In situ sensors within the harbor revealed rapid decreases in dissolved oxygen in surface waters from 7 to 9 March 2011, coincident with the mortality event on 8 March. Continuous observations provided evidence that respiration of a large population of fish within the harbor, potentially exacerbated by an incursion of upwelled low-oxygen water, resulted in significant oxygen reduction in the harbor and ultimately caused mortality of the fish population. The hydrodynamically constrained northern basin transitioned to nearly anoxic conditions, while spatially variable hypoxia was observed throughout the harbor and adjacent bay for >10 d following the event. Initial recovery of dissolved oxygen in the harbor was facilitated by storm-mediated mixing. No connection was apparent between increased algal biomass or phycotoxins within the harbor and the mortality event, although the fish showed evidence of prior exposure to the algal neurotoxin domoic acid. Our findings underscore the essential role of ocean observing and rapid response in the study of these events and the role that oceanographic processes play in hypoxia-driven fish mortalities. Alterations in upwelling regimes as a consequence of climate change are likely to further increase the frequency and magnitude of upwelling-driven hypoxia and mortality events. KEY WORDS: Fish kill · Hypoxia · Nearshore embayment · Upwelling · Mixing Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Stauffer BA, Gellene AG, Schnetzer A, Seubert EL, Oberg C, Sukhatme GS, Caron DA (2012) An oceanographic, meteorological, and biological ‘perfect storm’ yields a massive fish kill. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 468:231-243. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09927 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 468. Online publication date: November 14, 2012 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2012 Inter-Research.

Effects of an Acute Hypoxic Event on Microplankton Community Structure in a Coastal Harbor of Southern California

Fish mortality and hypoxic events occur in many coastal and inland systems and may result from natural or anthropogenically mediated processes. The effects of consequent changes in water biogeochemistry have been investigated for communities of benthic invertebrates and pelagic metazoans. The responses of micro-plankton assemblages, however, have remained largely unstudied. The northern basin of King Harbor, a small embayment within Santa Monica Bay, CA, USA, suffered a massive fish kill in March 2011 as a consequence of acute hypoxia. Dissolved oxygen concentrations < 0.1 ml l−1 were measured in the northern basin of the harbor for several days following the mortality event, and a strong spatial gradient of oxygen was observed from the northern basin to waters outside the harbor. The microplankton community within King Harbor differed significantly from a diatom-dominated community present in neighboring Santa Monica Bay. The latter region appeared unaffected by physicochemical changes, induced by the fish kill, that were observed within the harbor. A trophic shift was observed throughout King Harbor from a photoautotrophic-dominated assemblage to one of heterotrophic forms, with relative abundances of bacterivorous ciliates increasing by more than 80 % in the most impacted part of the harbor. Significant changes in community structure were observed together with dramatically reduced photosynthetic yield of the remaining phytoplankton, indicating severe physiological stress during the extreme hypoxia.

Examination of the seasonal dynamics of the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella at Redondo Beach, California, by quantitative PCR.

The presence of neurotoxic species within the genus Alexandrium along the U.S. coastline has raised concern of potential poisoning through the consumption of contaminated seafood. Paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) detected in shellfish provide evidence that these harmful events have increased in frequency and severity along the California coast during the past 25 years, but the timing and location of these occurrences have been highly variable. We conducted a 4-year survey in King Harbor, CA, to investigate the seasonal dynamics of Alexandrium catenella and the presence of a particulate saxitoxin (STX), the parent compound of the PSTs. A quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay was developed for quantifying A. catenella in environmental microbial assemblages. This approach allowed for the detection of abundances as low as 12 cells liter⁻¹, 2 orders of magnitude below threshold abundances that can impact food webs. A. catenella was found repeatedly during the study, particularly in spring, when cells were detected in 38% of the samples (27 to 5,680 cells liter⁻¹). This peak in cell abundances was observed in 2006 and corresponded to a particulate STX concentration of 12 ng liter⁻¹, whereas the maximum STX concentration of 26 ng liter⁻¹ occurred in April 2008. Total cell abundances and toxin levels varied strongly throughout each year, but A. catenella was less abundant during summer, fall, and winter, when only 2 to 11% of the samples yielded positive qPCR results. The qPCR method developed here provides a useful tool for investigating the ecology of A. catenella at subbloom and bloom abundances.

Life History, Ecology, and Long‐term Demographics of Queenfish

AbstractQueenfish Seriphus politus were collected at coastal power plants from San Clemente to Ventura, California. Power functions best described relations between otolith length, width, or weight and either standard length (SL) or total body weight. The length–weight relationship was described by the following equation: weight = 10−5 × SL3.09. Individuals were aged to 12 years by using sagittal otolith sections. Females grew at a significantly faster rate than males. Both sexes reached 50% maturity by 100 mm SL, or shortly after age 1. The total annual instantaneous mortality coefficient was estimated at 0.42. Catalina Harbor (on the windward side of Santa Catalina Island) and Ventura were the most populous sites based on gill‐net catch per unit effort from 1995 to 2006. Juvenile and adult queenfish populations have declined since 1980 in a significant relationship with nearshore plankton biomass. Larval queenfish densities recorded in King Harbor (Redondo Beach) have declined since 1987. Long‐term recruitment estimates indicated peak recruitment prior to 1976, with three subsequent downward baseline shifts.

Life History and Courtship Behavior of Black Perch, Embiotoca jacksoni (Teleostomi: Embiotocidae), from Southern California

The black perch, Embiotoca jacksoni Agassiz, 1853, is a common reef fish associated with nearshore marine habitats of California, with the majority of the population occurring within the Southern California Bight. Black perch were collected throughout southern California from Santa Barbara to Carlsbad, including Santa Catalina Island, to determine their physical characteristics, growth, sex ratio, periodicity of reproduction, and length of gestation. Courtship observations were conducted using scuba along the King Harbor Breakwater in Redondo Beach, California, from January 2004 to December 2005 to verify periodicity of courting and associated reproductive behaviors. Specimens captured ranged from 75 to 220 mm standard length and from 18 to 487 g in total body weight. Seven age-classes were determined by otolith aging, with the growth rate tapering off after age-class one. Seventy percent of the individuals captured were from age-classes one to three. Growth rates did not differ between sexes. Mean monthly gonosomatic indexes for males peaked from July to November, with the highest mean occurring in October. Gestating females were found from December to May, with youngest gestating females being in age-class one. Courtship behaviors were observed within aggregations and in pairs from July to November, with males being the primary aggressors. Courtship postures occurred along the base of the reef, with pairs departing into caves for copulation. This study suggests that the black perch population within the Southern California Bight has different life history characteristics and reproductive timing than those in northern California.

DNA damage and biliary PAH metabolites in flatfish from Southern California bays and harbors, and the Channel Islands

Abstract Southern California bays and harbors have been shown to contain high concentrations of a variety of contaminants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), metals, and pesticides. Conventional monitoring tools do not assess exposure to PAHs in fish, or sublethal effects, which can be more sensitive indicators of stress than traditional methods. This study was conducted to evaluate DNA damage (a sublethal effect) and PAH exposure in flatfish from southern California bays and harbors, and the Channel Islands. California halibut ( Paralichthys californicus ) were collected from eight bays and harbors (Ventura Harbor, Channel Islands Harbor, Marina del Rey, King Harbor, Alamitos Bay, Long Beach Harbor, Newport Bay, San Diego Bay), and a reference site off Camp Pendleton. Pacific sanddab ( Citharichthys sordidus ) were collected near four of the Channel Islands (San Miguel Island, Santa Cruz Island, Anacapa Island, Santa Barbara Island). Metabolites of high molecular weight PAHs in fish bile were characterized using a semi-quantitative technique that measures fluorescent aromatic compounds (FACs) in fish bile. DNA damage in fish blood cells was assessed by measuring the amount of single-strand breaks in stained DNA using the Comet assay. The concentration of FACs in fish from all bays and harbors was elevated, with average concentrations ranging from three to ten times greater than FACs in reference fish. FAC levels were elevated in Pacific sanddabs from a Channel Islands station located between Santa Cruz Island and Anacapa Island. DNA damage varied by a factor of five among California halibut from bays and harbors, with significant damage occurring in fish from Alamitos Bay. There was a significant association between FAC concentrations and DNA damage in California halibut at Marina del Rey and Ventura Harbor, but not at other locations, presumably due to contaminants other than PAHs.

Larval productivity of a mature artificial reef: the ichthyoplankton of King Harbor, California, 1974?1997

Do artificial reefs serve as productive marine fish habitats (sources) or do fish assemblages of such reefs contribute little to the gene pool of succeeding generations (sinks)? Using data from a 24-year study of the breakwater at King Harbor (California, USA), annual densities of reef fish larvae were compared with densities observed elsewhere in the Southern California Bight. Larval production at King Harbor has decreased over the study period, as has the size of the fish assemblage. Both declines may be related to recorded increases in water temperature. Larval densities from similar water depths (0–15 m) throughout the bight vary widely between sites and years. However, the mean percentage represented by reef fish among all larvae at King Harbor was 51% during those 5 years for which bight-wide samples were available (35% for all years) compared to 5% in the bight-wide samples. Utilizing larvae of 12 genera of reef fish species common to the samples, five were significantly more abundant in King Harbor samples. Results indicate that the breakwater represents a mature artificial reef and contributes to the reef fish larval pool of the bight, acting as a source rather than a sink. Copyright 2002 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved .

Fish production of a temperate artificial reef based on the density of embiotocids (Teleostei: Perciformes)

The abundance of two embiotocids (Embiotoca jacksoni and Rhacochilus vacca) was surveyed continually from 1974 to 1998 on the breakwaters comprising King Harbor in Redondo Beach, California, and a nearby natural rocky-reef as a reference. Embiotocids provide an interesting model for reef-fish production because they are viviparous and their entire ontogeny can be observed on the reefs. We deduce that the two reef populations of both species were stable at their carrying capacity. This carrying capacity was greater in King Harbor throughout the study. We also report a linear decline in survival of juveniles of both species over the 25-year period. Overall regional processes were similar on the two reefs, yet temporal differences suggested that they were acting independently. The King Harbor reefs produced greater biomass for both species, which represents one factor explaining the higher density of kelp bass (Paralabrax clathratus), an important predator.Copyright 2002 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Liquefaction Failure and Remediation: King Harbor Redondo Beach, California

Liquefaction failure, including large lateral displacements and associated settlement, severely damaged marina facilities at Redondo Beach King Harbor during the Northridge Earthquake of January 17, 1994. Although minor ground deformation apparently occurred in several areas of the harbor, severe damage was restricted to the central portion of mole B, one of four offshore fills constructed as a part of marina improvements in 1960–61. Local ground conditions and methods used to remediate liquefaction are presented and discussed. Two ground modification techniques were used to mitigate the liquefaction potential of the reconstructed mole b facilities. The major portion of the failure area was treated with vibroreplacement stone columns. Vibratory displacement and installation of the gravel columns not only densified the foundation soils, but also provide additional strength and drainage capacity. Compaction grouting was used to densify foundation soils in the vicinity of existing improvements that were considered sensitive to construction-induced ground vibrations. These ground improvement techniques effectively reduced the liquefaction potential and allowed the marina improvements to be reconstructed on shallow foundations similar to the original design.

Factors affecting fish diversity on a temperate reef: the fish assemblage of Palos Verdes Point, 1974–1981

We conducted underwater fish assemblage surveys, benthic quinaldine sampling, and ichthyoplankton collections over high and low relief reefs at Palos Verdes Point, California from 1974 through 1981. Seventy-three species (adults and larvae) were collected or observed at Palos Verdes. Of the 24 most abundant species, 8 showed significant abundance trends correlated with changes in sea surface temperatures; four increasing, and four decreasing. Two taxa occurred predominantly in the kelp canopy, while seven others were distributed at least 20% of the time between the canopy and the bottom. There was little significant change in the Palos Verdes benthic fish assemblage with development of the kelp bed. Only the kelp bass, Paralabrax clathratus, showed a significant increase in abundance that correlated with the kelp bed formation. Similarly, we did not note an increase in juvenile fish during this period. In general, we suggest that the presence or absence of kelp has little effect on the abundance of most fish species in a high relief environment. Analysis of our data and that of other studies indicate that kelp bed fish assemblages within the Southern California Bight vary in a south-north direction. The Palos Verdes Point kelp bed appears to be more productive than those nearer the limit of the Bight, but was consistently lower in both fish abundance and diversity then the nearby breakwater at King Harbor. This difference has been maintained even though changes in the species structure at King Harbor has altered sufficiently since 1976 for the two formerly distinct assemblages to be significantly concordant.

Behavioural responses of selected marine fishes to chlorinated seawater

Behavioural responses to chlorinated seawater were studied in the laboratory using eight species of fish (topsmelt, Atherinops affinis [Ayres]; pile perch, Rhacochilus vacca [Girard]; señorita, Oxyjulis californica [Günther]; blacksmith, Chromis punctipinnis [Cooper]; northern anchovy, Engraulis mordax [Girard]; opaleye, Girella nigricans [Ayres]; bluebanded goby, Lythrypnus dalli [Gilbert] and mussel blenny, Hypsoblennius jenkinsi Jordan and Evermann) which occur near the Units 7 and 8 discharge of Southern California Edison's Redondo Beach Steam Generating Plant in King Harbor, California, USA. All species except Engraulis demonstrated prolonged avoidance of chlorinated quadrants of the behaviour chamber. The avoidance thresholds were species-specific and species totally avoided estimated total residual oxidant (TRO) concentrations from 0·094 to 0·456 mg/litre. Calculated significant avoidance thresholds averaged 0·066 mg/litre TRO; young Atherinops significantly avoided TRO concentrations as low as 0·028 mg/litre ( p < 0·001). The highest avoidance thresholds were exhibited by sedentary species and were modified by the presence of cover inside the behaviour chamber. The avoidance response protected against mortality in all species except Lythrypnus and Engraulis.

Ecological Significance of Temperature Tolerance and Preference of Some Inshore California Fishes

Abstract Dwarf perch Micrometrus minimus, shiner perch Cymatogaster aggregata, blacksmith Chromis punctipinnis, black perch Embiotoca jacksoni, rainbow seaperch Hypsurus caryi, and calico rockfish Sebastes dalli were collected in a vertical thermal gradient at the breakwater of King Harbor, Redondo Beach, California. Fish were acclimated at the field temperature. Acute preferred temperatures and avoidance temperatures determined in the laboratory were compared with temperatures in the field gradient at which the species were collected or observed by divers. Dwarf and black perch preferred temperatures significantly lower than their field temperatures. Preferred temperatures of the other four species were consistent with temperatures at their positions in the harbor. Although the field distributions of the six species are thermally differentiated, those of two species appear to be determined by factors other than temperature.

PAGURUS REDONDOENSIS, A NEW SPECIES OF HERMIT CRAB FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (ANOMURA: PAGURIDAE)

ABSTRACT Pagurusredondoensis, new species, is the only known member of the provenzanoi group of the genus Pagurus in California. This small hermit crab occurs along the mainland of southern California and Santa Catalina Island. It is particularly common in shallow subtidal areas of King Harbor, Redondo Beach.

Food resource utilization among five species of embiotocids at King Harbor, California, with preliminary estimates of caloric intake

The diets of 5 species of embiotocids (Rhacochilus vacca, Embiotoca jacksoni, Hypsurus caryi ryi, Phanerodon furcatus and Micrometrus minimus) from King Harbor, Redondo Beach, California, USA, are examined by means of a dietary survey, field feeding observations and bomb calorimetry of prey items. Each species is shown to have statistically different diets from all others, with the exception of H. caryi which apparently is a dietary intermediate between E. jacksoni and P. furcatus. Dietary overlap between E. jacksoni and H. caryi appears to have resulted in some competitive exclusion along other niche parameters. Estimated caloric intakes suggest that R. vacca has the highest caloric yield per bite and the lowest feeding rate of the species studied. Possible energetic advantages are found for diet specialization in R. vacca.

The effect of temperature and thermal distribution on glycolysis in two rockfish species (Sebastes)

Studies on the effects of temperature on the activities of Embden-Meyerhof (EM) glycolysis, and the hexose monophosphate shunt (HMP) in fishes have dealt mainly with exotic and/or acclimated fishes. This study reports the effects of short-term reductions in temperature on EM and HMP activity in two closely related species of temperate fishes (Sebastes spp.) and its possible relation to the thermal distribution of the species. Thermal distribution data were collected by SCUBA for S. mystinus and S. serranoides in King Harbor, Redondo Beach, California, USA. Activities of the pathways were determined in liver-tissue studies, using glucose-14C and liquid scintillation techniques following the method of Hochachka (1968) with modifications. The data were analyzed by distribution-free methods. Tissue studies indicated HMP activity in both species at lowered temperature (5°C), but only in S. serranoides at 15°C. Results indicate that S. mystinus is capable of instantaneous temperature compensation, possibly related to its tendency to occupy cold waters.