Port Of Miami Research Articles

Sediment source and dose influence the larval performance of the threatened coral Orbicella faveolata.

The effects of turbidity and sedimentation stress on early life stages of corals are poorly understood, particularly in Atlantic species. Dredging operations, beach nourishment, and other coastal construction activities can increase sedimentation and turbidity in nearby coral reef habitats and have the potential to negatively affect coral larval development and metamorphosis, reducing sexual reproduction success. In this study, we investigated the performance of larvae of the threatened Caribbean coral species Orbicella faveolata exposed to suspended sediments collected from a reef site in southeast Florida recently impacted by dredging (Port of Miami), and compared it to the performance of larvae exposed to sediments collected from the offshore, natal reef of the parent colonies. In a laboratory experiment, we tested whether low and high doses of each of these sediment types affected the survival, settlement, and respiration of coral larvae compared to a no-sediment control treatment. In addition, we analyzed the sediments used in the experiments with 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to assess differences in the microbial communities present in the Port versus Reef sediments, and their potential impact on coral performance. Overall, only O. faveolata larvae exposed to the high-dose Port sediment treatment had significantly lower survival rates compared to the control treatment, suggesting an initial tolerance to elevated suspended sediments. However, significantly lower settlement rates were observed in both Port treatments (low- and high-dose) compared to the control treatment one week after exposure, suggesting strong latent effects. Sediments collected near the Port also contained different microbial communities than Reef sediments, and higher relative abundances of the bacteria Desulfobacterales, which has been associated with coral disease. We hypothesize that differences in microbial communities between the two sediments may be a contributing factor in explaining the observed differences in larval performance. Together, these results suggest that the settlement success and survival of O. faveolata larvae are more readily compromised by encountering port inlet sediments compared to reef sediments, with potentially important consequences for the recruitment success of this species in affected areas.

Coral persistence despite marginal conditions in the Port of Miami

Coral cover has declined worldwide due to anthropogenic stressors that manifest on both global and local scales. Coral communities that exist in extreme conditions can provide information on how these stressors influence ecosystem structure, with implications for their persistence under future conditions. The Port of Miami is located within an urbanized environment, with active coastal development, as well as commercial shipping and recreational boating activity. Monitoring of sites throughout the Port since 2018 has revealed periodic extremes in temperature, seawater pH, and salinity, far in excess of what have been measured in most coral reef environments. Despite conditions that would kill many reef species, we have documented diverse coral communities growing on artificial substrates at these sites—reflecting remarkable tolerance to environmental stressors. Furthermore, many of the more prevalent species within these communities are now conspicuously absent or in low abundance on nearby reefs, owing to their susceptibility and exposure to stony coral tissue loss disease. Natural reef frameworks, however, are largely absent at the urban sites and while diverse fish communities are documented, it is unlikely that these communities provide the same goods and services as natural reef habitats. Regardless, the existence of these communities indicates unlikely persistence and highlights the potential for coexistence of threatened species in anthropogenic environments, provided that suitable stewardship strategies are in place.

Viral-Like Particles Are Associated With Endosymbiont Pathology in Florida Corals Affected by Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease

Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) was first documented in 2014 near the Port of Miami, Florida, and has since spread north and south along Florida’s Coral Reef, killing large numbers of more than 20 species of coral and leading to the functional extinction of at least one species, Dendrogyra cylindrus. SCTLD is assumed to be caused by bacteria based on presence of different molecular assemblages of bacteria in lesioned compared to apparently healthy tissues, its apparent spread among colonies, and cessation of spread of lesions in individual colonies treated with antibiotics. However, light microscopic examination of tissues of corals affected with SCTLD has not shown bacteria associated with tissue death. Rather, microscopy shows dead and dying coral cells and symbiotic dinoflagellates (endosymbionts) indicating a breakdown of host cell and endosymbiont symbiosis. It is unclear whether host cells die first leading to death of endosymbionts or vice versa. Based on microscopy, hypotheses as to possible causes of SCTLD include infectious agents not visible at the light microscopy level or toxicosis, perhaps originating from endosymbionts. To clarify this, we examined corals affected with SCTLD and apparently healthy corals using transmission electron microscopy. Endosymbionts in SCTLD-affected and apparently healthy corals consistently had varying degrees of pathology associated with elongated particles compatible in morphology with filamentous positive single-stranded RNA viruses of plants termed anisometric viral-like particles (AVLP). There was apparent progression from early to late replication of AVLP in the cytoplasm of endosymbionts adjacent to or at times within chloroplasts, with morphologic changes in chloroplasts consistent with those seen in plant cells infected by viruses. Coral host cell pathology appeared limited to massive proliferation and lysis of mucus cells. Based on these findings, we hypothesize that SCTLD is a viral disease of endosymbionts leading to coral host death. Efforts to confirm the presence of a virus associated with SCTLD through other means would be appropriate. These include showing the presence of a virus through molecular assays such as deep sequencing, attempts to grow this virus in the laboratory through culture of endosymbionts, localization of virus in tissue sections using immunohistochemistry or in situ hybridization, and experimental infection of known-virus-negative corals to replicate disease at the gross and microscopic level.

Molecular Mechanisms of Coral Persistence Within Highly Urbanized Locations in the Port of Miami, Florida

Healthy coral communities can be found on artificial structures (concrete walls and riprap) within the Port of Miami (PoM), Florida. These communities feature an unusually high abundance of brain corals, which have almost entirely vanished from nearby offshore reefs. These corals appear to be thriving in very low-quality waters influenced by dense ship and boat traffic, dredging, and numerous residential and industrial developments. The PoM basin is part of Biscayne Bay, an estuarine environment that experiences frequent freshwater input, high nutrient loading, hypoxia, and acidification. To investigate if there is a molecular basis behind the ability of these corals to persist within these highly “urbanized” waters, we compared whole transcriptome expression profiles from 25 PoM Pseudodiploria strigosa colonies against six conspecifics from a nearby offshore reef. We found that the urban corals exhibited higher expression of (1) transcripts encoding pattern-recognition receptors which may allow these corals to better sense and detect food particles and pathogenic invaders; (2) digestive and degradation-associated enzymes, which may suggest an elevated capacity for heterotrophy and pathogen digestion; and (3) transcripts related to innate immunity, defense, and cellular detoxification, which may collectively protect against pathogenic organisms and water pollution impacts. Large ribosomal subunit rRNA gene mapping revealed that P. strigosa colonies from the PoM sites predominantly hosted heat-tolerant endosymbionts from the genus Durusdinium while offshore conspecifics’ communities were dominated by symbionts in the genus Breviolum. These findings reveal transcriptomic plasticity and molecular mechanisms contributing to the persistence of these corals within a highly urbanized habitat.

The Skin of our Teeth, by Ellen Geer Will

The Skin of our Teeth, by Ellen Geer Will

A tropical eastern Pacific invasive brittle star species (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) reaches southeastern Florida.

The invasive brittle star Ophiothela mirabilis (family Ophiotrichidae), a tropical Indo-Pacific endemic species, first reported in Atlantic waters off southern Brazil in 2000, has extended its range northward to the Caribbean Sea, to the Lesser Antilles in 2011, and was first reported in south Florida in January 2019. Its occurrence in southeast Florida extends along nearly 70km of coastline, from near the Port of Miami, Miami-Dade County, northward to Deerfield Beach, Broward County. It occurs abundantly as an epizoite on octocorals, attaining population densities of 25 individuals and more per 10-cm long octocoral stem. The surface texture of octocoral hosts (rough, smooth) did not affect the densities of the ophiuroid epizoites, and there were significantly greater abundances on octocorals during two winter sampling periods than in the summer. Beige and orange-coloured morphs are sometimes present on the same octocoral stem. Gut content analysis supported a suspension feeding mode, revealing essentially identical ingested items in both colour morphs with a preponderance of amorphous detritus and filamentous algae. Molecular genetic evidence (COI & 16s) has established the identity of O. mirabilis and its relationship to invasive Brazilian populations. The orange and beige morphs form two distinct, but closely related lineages that may represent two separate introductions. The orange morph shares haplotypes with Brazilian and Caribbean specimens suggesting a further range expansion of the 'original' invasion. The beige morph, however, shares haplotypes with specimens from the Mexican Pacific and Peru and potentially represents a secondary introduction. Traits promoting dispersal and establishment of this species in new habitats are manifold: vagility and ability to cling tightly to diverse host taxa (e.g. sponges, cnidarians, bryozoans, and echinoderms), frequent asexual reproduction (fissiparity), suspension feeding, including a wide range of dietary items, possession of integument-covered ossicles and arm spines offering protection from predators, and an effective competitive edge over associated microbiota for substrate space.

Florida Inlets and Intertidal Biofouling Communities

AbstractThis study reports on the identity and coverage of rocky intertidal species in the major inlets of Florida’s Atlantic coast. From north to south, these inlets are Fort George, St. Augustine, Ponce De Leon, Port Canaveral, Sebastian, Fort Pierce, Jupiter, Lake Worth, Boca Raton, Port Everglades, Baker’s Haulover, and Port of Miami. Dominant coverage in the southerly inlets included star corals (Siderastrea radians,62% Port of Miami), ribbed barnacles (Tetraclita stalactifera, 18% Port Everglades), and zoanthid corals (Palythoasp., 40% Baker’s Haulover). In the north, the community shifted and species absent in the south became common (e.g., eastern oystersCrassostrea virginica, 9% Fort George, 15% St. Augustine; the macroalgaEnteromorpha lactuca, 10% Fort George, 17% Sebastian Inlet). The invasive bryozoanBugula neritinawas always present north of the Port of Miami and was a major community component north of Port Everglades (e.g., 27% Fort Pierce Inlet and 22% Ponce de Leon Inlet). Correlations between intertidal populations and environmental indicators included the oysterC. virginicawith various sea surface temperature (SST) parameters (e.g., inverse correlations with max SST,R2= 0.81,p= .038). Likewise, the coralline algaPneophyllum fragilewas correlated with various SST parameters (e.g., min SST,R2= 0.51,p= .020). Bare rock andB. neritinaboth showed inverse correlations with the human population of inlet drainage basins (R2= 0.28,p= .040 andR2= 0.33,p= .026, respectively), the latter relationship an unexpected pattern for a notorious invader. These data show latitudinal patterns and provide baselines for future comparisons in the wake of projected climate change.

Progress for PortMiami

A twin-bore tunnel recently completed under the waters of Biscayne Bay linking Watson Island with the Port of Miami is decreasing travel times to the city’s busy port while reducing congestion and improving safety in the downtown core. Decades in the planning, the massive tunnel and roadway reconstruction project might never have moved forward without an ambitious public-private partnership.

The ghost of fouling communities past: the effect of original community on subsequent recruitment

Biofouling on ships has been linked to the spread of invasive species, which has been identified as one of the current primary threats to the environment. Previous research on antifouling coatings suggested that the quantity of fouling, as well as community composition, on biocidal coatings was modified by prior fouling settlement. The experiment reported in this paper was designed to determine how preconditioning affected the rate and composition of subsequent fouling on transplanted silicone coatings. A series of 10 × 20 cm panels coated with Intersleek 700 or DC3140 were placed at three locations in Florida (Ponce Inlet, Sebastian Inlet, and Port of Miami), which were characterized by distinct fouling communities. Panels were immersed for four months, cleaned, and reciprocally transplanted among the three sites. Fouling community composition and coverage were characterized at bimonthly intervals both before and after transplantation. The original fouling community affected the subsequent fouling composition and recolonization by tunicates, sea anemones, barnacles, sponges, hydroids, and arborescent bryozoans. The community-level effects were short-term, lasting 2–4 months, but specific responses lasted up to 14 months post-transplant.

Will the Big Machine Arrive?

Abstract David Palmer is advising on a huge construction project in the Port of Miami. He is an engineer but he needs statistics even to judge whether a huge and vital piece of kit will arrive on time.

Planning for Impacts of Climate Change at U.S. Ports

U.S. ports need to better understand climate change and how it may affect them. In the coming decades, ports are likely to experience higher sea levels and storm surges, as well as other direct and indirect impacts, due to climate change. Most ports do not appear to be thinking about, let alone actively preparing to address, the effects of climate change. Ports do not have specific information about either the types of impacts that they can expect on their facilities or the probabilities of different types of impacts occurring. Although climate change science is making considerable advances, projections of impacts at levels smaller than the regional scale are not available. In addition, ports’ typical planning processes are ill equipped to respond to the high levels of uncertainty associated with the impacts of climate change, the timescales of climate change, and the geographical scale of climate change. The data that ports typically use for planning purposes do not incorporate climate change forecasts. Some ports also believe that climate change does not pose an immediate threat to their facilities. However, several ports are beginning to think about how to prepare for climate change. These include the Port of Miami (Miami, Florida), the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the Massachusetts Port Authority, the Port of Seattle (Seattle, Washington), the Port of Corpus Christi (Corpus Christi, Texas), and the Georgia Ports Authority. To help these and other ports assess their risk, more and better data are needed, as well as better planning tools and methods.

Gladiolus Rust Caused by Uromyces transversalis Makes First Nearctic Appearance in Florida.

The most serious rust pathogen of gladiolus (Gladiolus × hortulanus), Uromyces transversalis, has been listed as an exotic pathogen of concern for the United States for more than 80 years (4). Native to South Africa, the pathogen was reported in the Western Hemisphere for the first time in Brazil (2) and Argentina (1). Reports of gladiolus rust in several central Mexican states from 2004 to 2005 (3; http://www.pestalert.org/espanol/oprDetail.cfm?oprID=138 ) and interceptions at Mexican border stations and in Brazilian imports in 2005 at the port of Miami, FL collectively raised the alert level in the United States to high. In April 2006, the Hawaii Department of Agriculture notified the USDA of rust-infected gladiolus in a cut-flower shipment that was traced back to a 1,400-acre (565 ha) farm in Manatee County, FL. Inspection at the farm yielded samples that were quickly confirmed as U. transversalis by FDACS-DPI and USDA plant pathologists. The disease was identified in eight residential gardens near the commercial find and in another 700-acre (285 ha) farm in remote Hendry County, 100 miles to the southeast. In May 2006, gladiolus rust was detected in residential and commercial gladiolus in San Diego County, CA (see companion publication). On the advice of a USDA-assembled panel of experts, strict rust management guidelines and fallow host-free periods were implemented with the ultimate goal of eradication. Subsequent summer, fall, and now winter surveys in the infested commercial and residential areas have uncovered diminishing amounts of rust, with last traces detected on 9 September 2006. Commercial planting resumed at both farms in late summer, and crops remained rust free under weekly inspection until 15 February 2007 in Manatee County and 29 March 2007 in Hendry County. To insure a rust-free product, cut flowers are carefully inspected and foliage stripped at the packinghouse. Eradication will be attempted once more with a fallow host-free period before the 2007 season. U. transversalis is an autoecious rust that mainly infects Gladiolus spp., but has been known to infect other members of the Iridaceae: Anomatheca, Crocosmia, Melasphaerula, Tritonia, and Watsonia. Amphigenous uredinia form in transverse lines across gladiolus foliage and also on flower spikes under heavy disease pressure. The isolate present in Florida fits the literature description of U. transversalis in every respect (uredinia 0.5 to 1.5 mm in diameter, subglobose to ellipsoid verruculose yellow-amber urediniospores, 15 to 28 × 14 to 20 μm with wall 1.5 to 2.5 μm thick; telia also amphigenous, 0.5 to 1.3 μm in diameter, dark brown-black, subglobose to pyriform smooth amber teliospores, 20 to 30 × 15 to 20 μm with wall 1.5 to 2.0 μm thick, 4 to 6 μm thick at apex, pale brown to hyaline pedicel 30 to 40 μm long, yellow-brown paraphyses in pustule) ( http://nt.ars-grin.gov/fungaldatabases/new_allView.cfm?whichone=all&thisName=Uro myces%20transversalis&organismtype=Fungus ). Urediniospores initiated typical foliar lesions on transplanted gladiolus samples kept in the FDACS-DPI quarantine greenhouse during the diagnostic process.

Development of Fatigue Monitoring System for a Hydraulic Excavator

The booms of two barge-mounted hydraulic excavators experienced substantial fatigue cracking during normal operation. Fatigue cracking of the smaller excavator, a Liebherr 994 known as the Hercules, occurred at a slower rate than the larger excavator, a Liebherr 996 known as the Antone. However, one crack on the Hercules boom went undetected so long that it grew to a critical length and the boom fractured. Because of the Hercules failure, the prior occurrence of several cracks on the Antone, and the anticipated difficult dredging in the coralline material at the Port of Miami, in Miami, Florida, the owner of the excavators sought assistance in mitigating the risk of damage to the Antone. To control the risk of fatigue cracking, the investigators decided to repair any existing cracks so the structure complied with ANSI/AWS requirements for a cyclically loaded structure; install strain gauges on the structure and perform static and dynamic load tests to determine the strain characteristics of the structure;...

Truck Trip Generation Models for Seaports with Container and Trailer Operation

Freight movement throughout the United States continues to evolve as a significant challenge to the transportation industry. Seaport operations dominated by container and trailer movements will require operational and infrastructure changes to maintain the growth of international cargo operations. Transportation planning models can be used to determine the needs of port and street network modifications. Described is the research and initial development process of models for predicting the levels of cargo truck traffic moving inbound and outbound at the Port of Miami. The models were restricted to container and trailer truck configurations that transport virtually all of the Port of Miami’s freight. Consequently, this associated truck traffic moves through the nearby street network within downtown Miami. The purpose of the trip generation models is to predict volumes of large inbound and outbound trucks for specified time frames. The concern is to know how many large cargo vehicles are traveling on the only road leading to the port. Primary factors affecting truck volume were found to be the amount and direction of cargo vessel freight and the particular weekday of operation. Time series models for predicting seasonal variations in freight movements were developed as part of the study. These models are useful for long-term forecasts of the input variables used in the trip generation models. Truck trip generation models will provide transportation planners and public agencies with valuable information when making transportation management decisions and infrastructure modifications. This information also is necessary for prioritizing funds for roadway upgrade projects.

Irradiation, Stage of Maturity at Harvest, and Storage Temperature during Ripening Affect Papaya Fruit Quality

Solo-type papaya (Carica papaya L.) fruit at the mature green (MG) or one-quarter yellow (QY) stage of maturity were imported through the Port of Miami, Fla., and either irradiated (0.675 kGy) or not irradiated. Fruit condition and quality attributes were determined after ripening to the edible ripe stage at 25 °C before and after storage for 7 days at 10, 12, or 15 °C. The incidence and severity of peel scald was increased by irradiation regardless of storage and ripening regime; however, the degree of severity was dependent on fruit maturity at irradiation. Irradiated QY fruit tended to have the most serious incidence and severity of scald. Mature green fruit ripened at 25 °C without storage had the lowest incidence of fruit with hard areas in the pulp (“lumpy” fruit). The QY fruit generally were second only to irradiated MG fruit stored at 10 °C in incidence of lumpiness. Anthracnose sp. decay and stem-end-rots affected 53% of all fruit. The least decay occurred on fruit ripened at 25 °C without storage, regardless of fruit maturity, and the most decay occurred on QY fruit with or without irradiation. Fruit ripened at 25 °C without storage had more palatable pulp (5.5 N) at the edible ripe stage than did fruit held in storage and then ripened. The effect of fruit maturity or irradiation dose on fruit firmness, however, was dependent on the storage temperature. Mature green fruit ripened at 25 °C lost less weight than did those stored at cold temperatures prior to ripening. We recommend that importers obtain fruit with only a slight break in ground color, and distribute them as rapidly as possible, while maintaining transit/storage temperatures at or above 15 °C with or without exposure to irradiation.

5623292 Temperature controller for ink jet printing

The marketing of port forelands will become increasingly more important in an era of load center development resulting from container technologies. In this paper, we have provided a mechanism for identifying overseas port marketing areas where trade development and port promotion should be exercised. The Port of Miami's trade relationships were the foci of this study. Location quotients served to highlight the competitive aspect of port facilities.

Analysis of Caribbean Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) Trapping Data, Dade County, Florida, 1987-1991

Records of Caribbean fruit flies, Anastrepha suspensa (Loew), captured in McPhail traps were analyzed from 48 trapping locations in Dade County (Port of Miami and Homestead) from 1987-1991. Greatest numbers were trapped over all locations in May, June, and July 1987 and 1989-1991, and in November 1988. Thirteen species of Caribbean fruit fly host trees were represented among the 48 trap locations. Numbers of flies trapped weekly in all traps or just those in conspecific host trees were not linearly correlated with weekly mean temperatures or weekly precipitation. Weekly trap catches were not correlated among conspecific host tree sites or between the Port of Miami and Homestead areas.

The economic impact of tourism at the port of Miami

The total disaggregated economic impact that cruise industry tourism has on Dade County is examined in economic terms using a regional input-output model developmen by the Regional Science Research Institute. The analysis indicates that cruise industry tourism at the Port of Miami had a total economic impact on Dade County of $546 million in 1982. The total direct, indirect and induced number of jobs generated by the cruise industry and cruise passengers is 21,627. Wages totalling $271 million were paid in 1982 in Dade County as a result of the total impact of the cruise industry. Finally, the model revealed that cruise industry tourism contributed $264 million to the county's Gross Regional Product in 1982