Tamiahua Lagoon Research Articles

Mineralogy, Geochemistry, and Stable Isotopes (C, O, S) of Hot Spring Waters and Associated Travertines near Tamiahua Lagoon, Veracruz, Gulf of Mexico (Mexico)

Laminated travertine forms in and around an active hot spring on the west coast of Tamiahua Lagoon, north of the state of Veracruz, Mexico. Fluid chemistry is characterized by discharging slightly acidic pH hot water and gas at a constant flow rate. Moreover, finely interbedded mineralogical products from discharging waters at 70 °C host scattered hydrocarbons. The mineralogy and geochemistry of the travertine formations were characterized to determine their origin. Rock samples were collected and further studied by transmitted light petrography, X-ray diffraction, and EDS-coupled scanning electron microprobe. Identified mineralogy from outcrop samples includes aragonite, gypsum, anhydrite, and elemental sulfur as essential minerals, with calcite, celestine, barite, jarosite, opal, and fluorite as accessory minerals. Isotopic analyses for C and O were determined in carbonates, S isotope ratios on both elemental sulfur and sulfates, whereas measurements for trace elements and lanthanides were performed on carbonates. A suit of brines and condensates from gas samples was collected for H and O isotopic analyses and concentration determinations of the main ions and major and trace elements. Isotopic values of δ13C and δ18O of aragonite are in the range of +1.75‰ to +2.37‰ and −1.70‰ to −0.78‰, respectively. The δ34S isotopic values of native sulfur and sulfates ranged from −4.0‰ to +1.2‰. The isotopic values of δ2H (−5.50‰) and δ18O (+7.77‰) of hot water samples collected in terraces where aragonite precipitates suggest a mixture between meteoric water and the Gulf of Mexico oil-field related waters. It was concluded that the aragonitic formations near Tamiahua Lagoon are hypogenic and were generated by CO2 and H2S emanations of deep origin and by oxidation-reduction reactions that can be linked to surficial bacterial activity.

Design of the supply for the fishing cooperative society of Tamiahua, Veracruz

This is article is oriented to the design of a supply chain that is essential for a better distribution of products, mainly in the fishing sector, giving better customer service. The main objective of the fishing cooperatives is to supply fish food products obtained from the Tamiahua lagoon (Area Number 2) to the local wineries and nearby communities in a timely manner. A study of the current conditions was carried out, implemented tools of the Ishikawa diagram and processes to determine the supply chain. According to the techniques used, it was determined that attention must be paid to this sector due to the decrease in production compared to previous years, as well as the decrease in some species that have been presented to date. In addittion, the design of the supply chain was determined in order to guarantee the distribution of the product in the fishing sector. The cooperative must take into account the supply chain because it has to ensure the sale and distribution of the fish.

Reproductive biology of the bopyrid isopod Robinione overstreeti, a branchial parasite of the ghost shrimp Callichirus islagrande (Decapoda: Callichiridae) in the Gulf of Mexico

ABSTRACT Robinione overstreeti is a bopyrid isopod endemic to the Gulf of Mexico that inhabits the branchial chamber of the ghost shrimp Callichirus islagrande. Information on this host–parasite association is scant. This study describes population and reproductive features of R. overstreeti and its host. A total of 90 (9.97%) out of 903 individuals of C. islagrande collected from Tamiahua lagoon, Veracruz, Mexico, between April 2012 and October 2013, were parasitized by R. overstreeti. Parasite prevalence in male and female ghost shrimps was similar. However, no parasitized ovigerous females of C. islagrande were recorded, suggesting that R. overstreeti is a parasitic castrator. Host and parasite body sizes were positively correlated suggesting early host infestation by parasites and simultaneous growth of the host and parasite. Parasitic isopods frequently inhabited the same branchial chamber (n = 77) of ghost shrimps as adult male-female pairs. Females were occasionally found with supernumerary juveniles and cryptoniscus larvae in the same host individual, and rarely solitarily. Furthermore, the body size of paired adult male and female parasites was tightly correlated suggesting long-term ‘social’ monogamy in R. overstreeti. Fecundity in R. overstreeti varied between 1668 and 9884 embryos female−1 and increased with female body size.

Unravelling the complex habitat use of the white mullet, Mugil curema, in several coastal environments from Neotropical Pacific and Atlantic waters

Abstract The white mullet, Mugil curema, is a widely distributed euryhaline species, the migratory behaviour of which is poorly understood. The objective of this work was to study the large‐scale habitat use of this species for the first time. Several environments were considered, such as euryhaline and hypersaline lagoons, the sea, and a river, distributed in the Central Pacific (Mexico) and Atlantic (Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea‐Venezuela, and north‐eastern Brazil). Otolith core‐to‐edge Sr/Ca ratios of 163 fish, determined by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, were used to study the salinity‐habitat migration history of the fish. Fish from Mexico (Tamiahua Lagoon, n = 4; Alvarado Lagoon, n = 2), Venezuela (n = 1), and Brazil (n = 12) (11.1% of the total) showed high Sr/Ca values at early life stages and were classified as marine estuarine opportunists. Two specimens (from Alvarado Lagoon and Balsas River, Mexico) showed Sr/Ca values consistently below the high salinity guide value (salinity < 33.5). For the rest of the fish (87.1%), the Sr/Ca ratio suggested a displacement from the estuary towards the sea or hypersaline environments, and so these fish were classified as estuarine migrants. A change‐point analysis identified six individuals with a single stable otolith Sr/Ca signature through ontogeny (three from Brazil, one from Venezuela, and two from Tamiahua Lagoon, Mexico), suggesting limited displacement between environments with different salinities. The rest of the individuals showed between two and 10 changes in stable Sr/Ca signatures (mean = 4.07 ± 1.85). The highest number of changes in Sr/Ca ratio (4.87 ± 1.1) was found in fish from Laguna Madre (Mexico) and the lowest was found in fish from Brazil (3.27 ± 1.70) (H = 19.8, p = 0.002). Otolith Sr/Ca time series suggest that the migratory estuarine pattern is the most common throughout the study area. This work highlights that the sustainable use of M. curema depends on the conservation of estuaries and the corridors between them and other environments such as lagoons, rivers, mangroves and the sea.

Spatial modeling to detect potential incidence zones of harmful algae blooms in Veracruz, Mexico

Harmful algae blooms (HABs) are proliferations of microscopic algae associated with rapid production of biomass and/or toxic substances. This production's accumulation may cause massive death of marine life and affect human health with devastating economic repercussions. Monitoring HABs usually involves precise but costly field sampling and laboratory analyses. Satellite images and some of its derived products such as the Fluorescence Line Height (FLH) have become cost-effective tools that have been proved useful for identification and monitor HABs at the Florida coast. In this study we used a spatially explicit modeling approach to identify potential incidence zones of HABs at Veracruz, Mexico. We relied on two sets of data: The first set consists of reports of HABs-related events published in both scientific journals and journalistic notes for the 2004 to 2015 period. The second set is comprised of FLH monthly products derived from the MODIS-Aqua satellite imagery for the same period. We conducted a retrospective analysis of monthly FLH values to analyze the spatial and temporal extent of potential HABs and compared them with published reports. It was noted that HABs events registered in literature for that period were identified with our spatial analysis, but most of the events identified as potential HABs with our analysis were not registered in literature. We conducted a “Hot- spots” analysis and identified four well-defined incidence zones for the entire coast of Veracruz state: the Port of Veracruz, Alvarado, Coatzacoalcos, and the Tamiahua Lagoon. Of the four zones, only the Port of Veracruz has been reported as an incidence zone for HABs events, while the other three have very few or no reports of HABs related events. We found this technique is accurate for HABs detection, as the analysis is based upon the local knowledge of harmful algae species.

Early development of twoCapitellaspecies (Annelida: Capitellidae) from the Gulf of Mexico

AbstractEarly development of the polychaetesCapitellasp. TF from Tampa, Florida andCapitellasp. TV from Tamiahua Lagoon, Veracruz was studied under laboratory conditions. Our observations indicate that hermaphrodites occur inCapitellasp. TF, but not inCapitellasp. TV. Length and volume of larvae and early juveniles were measured daily. Both species appear to have lecithotrophic development. Sizes and duration of the developmental stages varied widely, as in most known species ofCapitella. Characteristic features ofCapitellasp. TF include very small hermaphrodites with a distinct dorsal pigmentation pattern and characteristically shaped brood tubes with a centrally thickened region. Embryos forced to abandon the brood did not survive more than 3 days, and handling the brood produced alterations in timing. Ciliated metatrochophores fromCapitellasp. TV survived inside the brood without the female for at least 14 days and some larvae hatched and died during settling. Some of these larvae were abnormal, with two rounded protuberances in the two ends. Mortality was high. Fungi and protozoans appeared in the dishes and probably partially induced the production of thicker mucus in the brood tubes, delay in metamorphosis, juvenile mortality, worm length and failure in coupling. Size and duration of the developmental stages were distinctly different from the other putative lecithotrophic species of the complex. These differences and other characteristics of each species discard the possibility that they belong to a previously described species. Our results are applicable to future ecological, morphological and molecular studies of each species, habitat and phylogenetics.

Changes in body size spectra of benthic caridean shrimps (Decapoda: Caridea) and snails (Gastropoda) as response to seasonal variability

Ecologists have been largely interested in the description and understanding of the power scaling relationships between body size and abundance of organisms. Many studies have focused on estimating the exponents of these functions across taxonomic groups and spatial scales, to draw inferences about the processes underlying this pattern. The exponents of these functions usually approximate -3/4 at geographical scales, but they deviate from this value when smaller spatial extensions are considered. This has led to propose that body size-abundance relationships at small spatial scales may reflect the impact of environmental changes. This study tests this hypothesis by examining body size spectra of benthic shrimps (Decapoda: Caridea) and snails (Gastropoda) in the Tamiahua lagoon, a brackish body water located in the Eastern coast of Mexico. We mea- sured water quality parameters (dissolved oxygen, salinity, pH, water temperature, sediment organic matter and chemical oxygen demand) and sampled benthic macrofauna during three different climatic conditions of the year (cold, dry and rainy season). Given the small size of most individuals in the benthic macrofaunal samples, we used body volume, instead of weight, to estimate their body size. Body size-abundance relationships of both taxonomic groups were described by tabulating data from each season into base-2 logarithmic body size bins. In both taxonomic groups, observed frequencies per body size class in each season were standardized to yield densities (i.e., individuals/m(3)). Nonlinear regression analyses were separately performed for each taxonomic group at each season to assess whether body size spectra followed power scaling functions. Additionally, for each taxonomic group, multiple regression analyses were used to determine whether these relationships varied among seasons. Our results indicated that, while body size-abundance relationships in both taxonomic groups followed power functions, the parameters defining the shape of these relationships varied among seasons. These variations in the parameters of the body size-abundance relationships seems to be related to changes in the abundance of individuals within the different body size classes, which seems to follow the seasonal changes that occur in the environmental conditions of the lagoon. Thus, we propose that these body size-abundance relation- ships are influenced by the frequency and intensity of environmental changes affecting this ecosystem.

Effect of temperature and salinity on the reproductive cycle of males and females of Crassostrea virginica (Bivalvia: Ostreidae)

The American oyster, Crassostrea virginica, is one of the most important economic coastal fishery activities in Mexico. As for other bivalve molluscs, its sustainability is based on healthy populations, and additional information on current reproductive cycles, will reinforce local management strategies. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of temperature and salinity on the gonadal development stages in both sexes and in two size groups (40-60 mm and ≥ 61 mm) of C. virginica from Tamiahua Lagoon, Gulf of Mexico. Monthly surveys of 90 organisms were undertaken, for a yearly total of 1 080 oysters sampled from the lagoon in 2011. Both field and laboratory work used standard procedures. Our results showed that reproduction was continuous in both sexes, but some peaks of the reproductive cycle were observed along the year. Peaks registered from January to July were for gametogenesis; those of June and September were for mature individuals; and in January, February, and from September to December, for spawning/spent oysters. Maturity of females of both range sizes was positively correlated with temperature, but not for males. For spawning, spent individuals, males of sizes ≥ 61 mm were positively correlated with salinity, whereas smaller males (40-60 mm) and females of both sizes, did not show any correlation. In this study, we observed that temperature and salinity had a different effect in the reproduction of the American oyster of different sizes and sexes of Tamiahua lagoon.

Temporal and spatial fluctuations of sea surface temperature and chlorophyll a levels due to atmospheric forcing in a tropical coastal lagoon

The temporal and spatial fluctuations of sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll a (Chla) levels due to atmospheric forcing in Mexico’s third largest tropical coastal lagoon (Tamiahua Lagoon), located in the western Gulf of Mexico, was examined from July 2002 to May 2012. The main hypothesis of this study is that SST and Chla levels are modulated by the exchange of heat fluxes from the atmosphere and by rainfall (river runoff). The atmosphere supplies heat (555.05 ± 42.31 W m–2) to Tamiahua Lagoon, which implies that the temperature of the lagoon over the period analyzed (~27 ºC) was higher than normal in the coastal zone. Precipitation regulates Chla levels during the rainy season because the cross-correlation values were high (r > 0.61) and the phase lag of the rainy season with the Chla time series was typically 0 to –1 month. El Niño/Southern Oscillation phases affected the rainfall patterns and, thus, Chla concentrations in the lagoon. As expected, the lagoon showed eutrophic conditions throughout the year (Chla concentrations >5 mg m–3), with maximum values in the summer, when warm and wet conditions prevail. The annual scale is responsible for most of the variability in the two data sets. Seasonally, both oceanographic data sets showed three different water types, which, in both cases, were more variable at the southern and northern inlets and more homogenous in the central part of the lagoon.

Estructura de la comunidad ictioplanctónica en la laguna de Tamiahua, Veracruz, México

Tamiahua Lagoon is the third largest lagoon in Mexico. In the last decade their 2 inlets have been dredged and their jetties re-built to maintain constant communication with the sea, allowing the free flow of species. Zooplankton samplings were performed in 22 stations during the months of February, May, August and November of 2011, with a standard net of 500 microns. Simultaneously, salinity and surface temperature were measured. Forty species belonging to 37 genera and 19 families of fish were determined. Lutjanus campechanus, Chasmodes bosquianus, Ctenogobius shufeldti, Microgobius thalassinus and Citharichthys arctifrons are new records for this lagoon. The dominant species were Anchoa mitchilli, Lagodon rhomboides, Membras martinica, Lupinoblennius nicholsi, Ctenogobius boleosoma and Brevoortia gunteri. In February the species richness (26) was the highest one due to the entry of marine species, while diversity was low (2.13) due to the abundance of L. rhomboides, A. mitchilli and B. gunteri, of the group iv in the dendrogram of association of larvae. The larval composition from the Tamiahua lagoon presented a similarity of 61% when compared to previous years, before the dredging of the Tampachichi inlet.

Registros adicionales del género Uca (Brachyura: Ocypodidae) en la laguna de Tamiahua, Veracruz, México

This study presents a taxonomic revision of the fiddler crabs of the genus Uca (Decapoda: Brachyura: Ocypodidae) captured in Ídolo Island in Tamiahua Lagoon, Veracruz, Mexico; during 9 samplings carried out between October 2008 and December 2009. The analysis of 1 071 crabs collected from 5 stations and preserved in alcohol 70°, allowed the identification of 5 species to be identified: Uca panacea, U. rapax, U. spinicarpa, U. virens and U. vocator.

Variación del ciclo gonádico del ostión americano, Crassostrea virginica (Ostreoida: Ostreidae) en función de su talla en la laguna de Tamiahua, Veracruz, México

The American oyster, Crassostrea virginica is one of the most important fishery resources of the Gulf of Mexico, where it has been classified as “resource exploited at maximum”. Since 1994state authorities set a minimum extraction shell length of 70 mm (adult size); this was based on population studies alone. We compare the gonadal cycle of subadults oysters with adult organisms. From January to December 2011, 90 oysters were collected monthly in Tamiahua Lagoon, Veracruz and classified as subadults (50-69mm; 75% of sample) and adults (≥70mm).Histological gonad sections were classified in four categories: rest, gametogenesis, maturation and release of gametes. In subadults, the rest stage had two peaks (January 22% and June 13%), and gametogenesis between January and July (22-74%). Maturation was observed in July, August and September (40, 64 and 41% respectively) and release in October (66%) and November (45%). Correspondingly, adults were resting in January and June (17 and 13%), and January-July gametogenesis (56-88%), matured in August and September (64 and 42%) and released gametes in September and October (54 and 70%). The gametogenic cycle was similar in subadults and adults: the species breeds from sizes equal or smaller than 50 mm and this should be considered by authorities. Rev. Biol. Trop. 62 (Suppl. 3): 201-206. Epub 2014 September 01.

Seasonal variability in food consumption, body composition and allometric relationships in the brown shrimp Farfantepenaeus aztecus (Ives, 1891) (Decapoda, Penaeidae) from Tamiahua Lagoon, Veracruz

The effect of salinity and temperature regimes, typical of most contrasting periods of the annual cycle (warm and cold) at Tamiahua lagoon, Veracruz, Mexico, on food consumption, body composition and allometric relationships of juveniles of the brown shrimp Farfantepenaeus aztecus (Ives, 1891) were examined. The following morphometric and tissue composition parameters were measured: total length (TL), cephalothorax length (CL), wet weight (WW), dry weight (DW), % body water content, organic matter (OM), total minerals (TM) and energy content (EC). The digestive tract of shrimps collected from both warm and cold periods was analysed determining its composition, quantity, and caloric content of the ingested food. Allometric relationships were calculated among: DW-WW, WW-TL and CL-TL. OM and TM content were correlated with the shrimp’s body weight. During the cold and warm seasons, salinity fluctuated between 24 and 36 psu and 12-36 psu, and average temperatures between 25 and 30°C, respectively. WW-TL and CL-TL relationships were statistically different among shrimps from both seasons. Body water content varied significantly, altering the DW-WW relationship, being higher in the warm season. No significant seasonal variation was detected in the shrimp’s OM, TM and EC. A shift in shrimp feeding habits was distinguished in the two seasons examined. Carnivorous habits prevail in winter whilst herbivory is more frequently observed during the warm season. However, the food energy remained relatively stable in both seasons, indicating that shrimp consume available resources in the lagoon in order to compensate for the absence of other food components and thus to maintain a constant energy flow independent of the season.

Diversity of migratory environmental history of the mullets Mugil cephalus and M. curema in Mexican coastal waters as indicated by otolith Sr:Ca ratios

To understand their migratory environmental history and habitat use in Mexican waters, 31 striped mullet Mugil cephalus and 40 white mullet M. curema (family Mugilidae) were collected from three habitats (Tamiahua Lagoon, and Cazones and Tecolutla estuaries, Veracruz) in the western Gulf of Mexico. Sr:Ca ratios in otoliths of mullets were measured from the primordium to the otolith edge with an electron probe microanalyzer. Mullets were aged by counting the otolith annuli. The patterns in mullet otolith Sr:Ca ratio differed among habitats and between species, indicating that habitat use and migratory behavior differed between species. Variability in otolith Sr:Ca ratios was consistent with that of the environment inhabited by the mullets. They showed a more diverse euryhaline preference than the simple catadromous behavior expected. The Sr:Ca ratios in the core region of the otolith indicated that mullets can spawn in both offshore waters and nearshore brackish waters, or that spawning may occur in offshore waters and that onshore currents/winds carry the fertilized eggs into onshore waters where salinities are lower. Peak Sr:Ca ratios corresponded to otolith annulus deposition, which validated the difference in timing of seaward spawning migration between striped mullet (winter) and white mullet (spring).

Galathowenia kirkegaardi SP. nov. (Polychaeta: Oweniidae) from the Gulf of Mexico

Galathowenia kirkegaardi a new oweniid polychaete species is described from soft bottoms of the Tamiahua Lagoon, in the Gulf of Mexico. It is characterized by the presence of lateral eyes, a constriction in the intersection of thorax and abdomen, and two well-developed pygidial lobes. The new species is compared with a small group of species in the genus characterized by the presence of eyes.

Distribution and abundance of Syngnathus louisianae and Syngnathus scovelli (Syngnathidae) in Tamiahua lagoon, Gulf of Mexico

A total of 190 pipefishes of the species Syngnathus louisianae and Syngnathus scovelli were collected in Tamiahua Lagoon, Veracruz (Mexico), between 1994 and 1995. Seasonal variations in abundance (0.0009–0.0045 ind/m2), biomass (0.0005–0.0090 g/m2) and average weight (0.31–1.98 g/ind) of both species are related to the population structure throughout the life histories and the seasonal environmental changes in the system. The biomass of S. louisianae peaked during the rainy season (0.0045 ind/m2, 0.0090 g/m2) and that of S. scovelli during the nortes season (0.0035 ind/m2, 0.0011 g/m2). Juveniles (35–120 mm TL) and adults (85–250 mm TL) of both species are found in seagrass habitats with salinities of 18.5–21.4‰. Both species have separate refuge, growth and feeding areas, which allows a better partitioning of space and food resources within the ecosystem. This can modify the spatial and temporal distribution and abundance patterns according to the life cycle.

Sedimento en el contenido estomacal de Mugil cephalus y Mugil curema (Mugiliformes: Mugilidae) en laguna de Tamiahua, México

The granulometric composition and the most important inorganic componente of sediments in the stomach of two mullet species (Mugil cephalus and Mugil curema) were sampled m Tamiahua lagoon, Veracruz, Mexico. M. cephalus is characterized by the presence of fine sand to medium silt, with diameters of 125 to 15 m with preference for fine sand of 63 m. M. curema presented an interval of fine sand from 125 m to coarser silt of 32 m of thickness with preference for the latter. Presence of fine particles probably is related with diatom abundance in the stomach of both species: diatoms are the main nutritional source. The granulometric differences of the two species suggest competitive exclusion.

Age determination of the grey mullet Mugil cephafus L. and the white mullet Mugif curema V. (Pisces: Mugilidae) in Tamiahua Lagoon, Veracruz

In this study, by means of the sagittu otolith analysis, five and six age groups and the relation age-length of Mugil cephalus and M. curemu, respectively, in Tamiahua Lagoon, Veracruz (Mexico), are established. The anatomy of the scales and sugitta of both species is described. The fast growing bands on the edges show that their formation was higher from March to August for M. cephulus, and from July to November for M. curemu. The development of those bands was related to the spawning migration in both species. The constants of the growth equation of von Bertalanffy were calculated for the species and their sexes, using the scales and the otoliths. Differences in growth between sexes were detected; generally, the females reach a bigger size than the males at the same age in both mulle species. The scales and the otoliths may be used indistinctly in the age determination of both sexes of the species; nevertheless, the otolith showed a better tit to the growth equation.

Records of Loxothylacus texanus (Cirripedia: Rhizocephala) Parasitizing the Blue Crab Callinectes sapidus in Tamiahua Lagoon, Mexico

ABSTRACT The rhizocephalan barnacle Loxothylacus texanus parasitizes the blue crab Callinectes sapidus in the Gulf of Mexico. In Tamiahua Lagoon, Mexico, although 4 species of Callinectes co-occur, only C. sapidus is parasitized. Parasite prevalence, number of parasite externae per host, host size, and host sex ratio were recorded during 5 sampling trips from November 1984 to October 1985. Overall parasite prevalence in Tamiahua Lagoon (13.3%) can be considered high, compared to values reported for other areas along the northern Gulf of Mexico, and contrary to what previous studies had suggested.

RECORDS OF LOXOTHYLACUS TEXANUS (CIRRIPEDIA: RHIZOCEPHALA) PARASITIZING THE BLUE CRAB CALLINECTES SAPIDUS IN TAMIAHUA LAGOON, MEXICO

The rhizocephalan barnacle Loxothylacus texanus parasitizes the blue crab Callinectes sapidus in the Gulf of Mexico. In Tamiahua Lagoon, Mexico, although 4 species of Callinectes co-occur, only C. sapidus is parasitized. Parasite prevalence, number of parasite externae per host, host size, and host sex ratio were recorded during 5 sampling trips from November 1984 to October 1985. Overall parasite prevalence in Tamiahua Lagoon (13.3%) can be considered high, compared to values reported for other areas along the northern Gulf of Mexico, and contrary to what previous studies had suggested.