West Coast Of Florida Research Articles

Sediment roughness estimation with ROV mounted lasers

A simple method of measuring underwater sediment surface roughness was tested over a sandy sediment off the west coast of Florida, as part of the Sediment Acoustics Experiment (SAX99). The process was integrated into an acoustic data acquisition system, and allowed roughness measurements of the seafloor without interference with the acoustic data acquisition process. The method employed lasers mounted on a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). Each laser was a red He–Ne class IIIa with output power less than 5 mW. A cylindrical lens was used to spread the laser beam into fan, which was directed downward to produce a stripe on the sediment. Viewing from an oblique angle, the profile of the sediment directly under the stripe is obtained. The information was recorded on videotape, digitized, and processed to obtain roughness statistics. [Work supported by ONR, Ocean Acoustics.]

Analysis of sound waves in a sandy sediment by focused array

The objective was to determine the underlying physical processes in the penetration of sound into sandy ocean sediments, particularly at shallow grazing angles. Signals were collected from a buried acoustic receiving array in a sandy sediment off the west coast of Florida, as part of the Sediment Acoustics Experiment (SAX99). The array was insonified by a wideband sound source carried on a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). The discrimination between refraction and scattering processes was of particular interest. To this end, an array-processing method was used that employed focusing to distinguish between refracted signals from a distant source and scattered signals from scatterers in the near field of the array. Sound waves entering the sediment at steep angles were clearly refracted. In the case of shallow grazing angles, the results were much more complicated. [Work supported by ONR, Ocean Acoustics.]

REDUCING NONPOINT SOURCE POLLUTANT LOADS TO TAMPA BAY USING CHEMICAL TREATMENT

REDUCING NONPOINT SOURCE POLLUTANT LOADS TO TAMPA BAY USING CHEMICAL TREATMENTTampa Bay, located adjacent to the City of Tampa on the west coast of Florida, is an estuary of national significance included in the National Estuary Program. One of the primary goals of the Southwest Florida Water Management District's (SWFWMD) SWIM Program is to work cooperatively with local governments to construct retrofit projects to reduce pollutant loads from nonpoint sources to Tampa Bay....Author(s)Jeffrey L. HerrHarvey H. HarperSourceProceedings of the Water Environment FederationSubjectSession 9 - Surface Water Quality and Ecology Symposium I: Wet Weather - Stormwater IssuesDocument typeConference PaperPublisherWater Environment FederationPrint publication date Jan, 2000ISSN1938-6478SICI1938-6478(20000101)2000:14L.633;1-DOI10.2175/193864700784607479Volume / Issue2000 / 14Content sourceWEFTECFirst / last page(s)633 - 653Copyright2000Word count696

DIEL PHASING OF THE CELL‐CYCLE IN THE FLORIDA RED TIDE DINOFLAGELLATE, GYMNODINIUM BREVE

The diel cycle is a key regulator of the cell‐cycle in many dinoflagellates, but the mechanisms by which the diel cycle entrains the cell‐cycle remain poorly understood. In this study, we describe diel phasing of the cell‐cycle in the Florida red tide dinoflagellate Gymnodinium breve Davis, determine the diel cue which serves to entrain the cell‐cycle, and provide evidence for the presence of cyclin‐dependent kinase (CDK), a cell‐cycle regulator which may be responsive to this cue. Four laboratory isolates from the West Coast of Florida were compared. When grown on a 16:8 h LD cycle, all isolates displayed phased cell division, with the S‐phase beginning 6–8 h into the light phase, and mitosis following 12–14 h later, as determined by flow cytometry. A naturally occurring bloom of G. breve, studied over one diel cycle, displayed diel cell‐cycle phasing similar to that in the laboratory cultures, with the S‐phase beginning during daylight and the peak of mitosis occurring approximately 4 h after sunset. In the laboratory cultures, the dark/light “dawn” transition was found to provide the diel cue which serves to entrain the G. breve cell‐cycle, whereas the light/ dark “dusk” transition did not appear to be involved. Evidence for the presence of CDK in G. breve was obtained using two approaches: (1) identification of a 34‐kDa protein, immunoreactive to an antibody against a conserved amino acid sequence (α‐PSTAIR) unique to the CDK protein family and (2) inhibition of the cell‐cycle by olomoucine, a selective CDK inhibitor. Together, these results provide the basis from which one can begin addressing mechanisms by which the diel cycle regulates the cell‐cycle in G. breve.

Sea-Level Rise and Coastal Forest Retreat on the West Coast of Florida, USA

Sea-Level Rise and Coastal Forest Retreat on the West Coast of Florida, USA

SEA-LEVEL RISE AND COASTAL FOREST RETREAT ON THE WEST COAST OF FLORIDA, USA

We investigated patterns, rates, and mechanisms of forest replacement by salt marsh in relation to sea-level rise on the west coast of Florida, USA. The geomorphology of this region typifies that of low-lying, limestone coastlines considered highly susceptible to sea-level rise (e.g., much of the eastern Gulf of Mexico, the Yucatan Peninsula, and low-lying limestone islands throughout the world). This coast is microtidal, shallowly sloping, and has a rate of relative sea-level rise similar to that of eustatic rise. To determine patterns of forest change in relation to sea-level rise, we examined patterns of tree species zonation, tree recruitment, and tree mortality in relation to site elevation and tidal-flooding frequency. To reconstruct histories of forest change in relation to sea-level rise, we estimated age distributions of Sabal palmetto, the most widely distributed tree species at our site, relating age structures of stands to reconstructed histories of tidal flooding in the stands. Finally, to assess the relative roles of flooding stress (hypoxia), salt exposure, and competition from encroaching salt-marsh vegetation in the decline of forest stands, we examined patterns of soil redox potential, groundwater salinity, and density of halophytic vegetation among stands in different stages of decline. Zonation among tree species was related to tidal-flooding frequency. For most trees, seedlings were absent from the most frequently flooded stands in which the species occurred. Reconstructed flooding histories of stands and age estimates for S. palmetto suggest that many decades elapse between cessation of regeneration and local elimination of a tree species. Even during the relatively short duration of the study (4 yr), however, composition of some stands changed in the direction predicted from species zonation and sea-level rise. Forest understory replacement by halophytic vegetation appeared to follow, rather than cause, failure of tree regeneration. Tidal flooding rarely produced severe reducing conditions in soil, but groundwater salinity was correlated with tidal-flooding frequency. Forest retreat in this system, therefore, involves the development of relict (non-regenerating) stands of different tree species at different flooding frequencies. Exposure to salt appears to be the major cause of tree regeneration failure, with flooding stress and interference from marsh vegetation playing minor or negligible roles. These interactions differ somewhat from those on deltaic coasts or coasts with high freshwater outflows, where flooding stress may play a larger role in regeneration failure, and from sandy coasts, where erosion may play a larger role in forest retreat. Regardless of the cause of tree regeneration failure, the development of relict stands may be a general forest response to sea-level rise.

Population Genetic Analysis Corroborates Dispersal of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici from Florida to Europe

ABSTRACT Fusarium oxysporum isolates from tomato plants displaying crown and root rot symptoms were collected in central and southern Florida and analyzed using vegetative compatibility grouping (VCG) and nuclear restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) data. VCG 0094 of F. oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici, previously known only from northwestern Europe, was predominant among 387 isolates assessed. In addition, two newly described VCGs (0098 and 0099) were detected at low frequencies. Floridian VCG 0094 isolates displayed a continuum of compatibilities, which is in contrast to the three distinct subgroups previously identified among European VCG 0094 isolates. RFLP haplotypes were constructed using one repetitive and three low-copy probes. Population subdivision of VCG 0094 from various Floridian counties and from northwestern Europe (Belgium, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom) was evaluated by analysis of molecular variance. A "natural" population structure was revealed, differentiating populations from the east and west coasts of Florida. In addition, isolates from Europe were statistically indistinguishable from the Palm Beach County, FL, population. Furthermore, gene diversity among Palm Beach County VCG 0094 isolates was more than five times greater than among European isolates. Results from both VCG and RFLP analyses strongly support the inference that the European VCG 0094 constitutes a founder population that resulted from intercontinental migration of a few isolates from Palm Beach County, FL.

West Florida shelf response to upwelling favorable wind forcing: Kinematics

The barotropic responses of the west Florida continental shelf to idealized upwelling favorable alongshore and offshore wind stresses are studied using the three‐dimensional, time‐dependent, primitive equation Princeton Ocean Model (POM). When forced with uniform winds, the shelf circulation evolves quickly to a quasi steady state. A southeastward alongshore wind lowers sea level along the coast and drives a southeastward coastal jet with a relatively weak northwestward return flow farther offshore. A southwestward offshore wind lowers sea level along the west Florida coast and raises sea level along the Panhandle coast. Two independent circulation gyres are set up in association with these regionally different sea level distributions: an anticyclonic gyre off the west Florida coast consisting of a southeastward coastal jet and a broad return flow over the middle shelf and a cyclonic gyre off the Panhandle coast consisting of a strong northwestward coastal jet and an adjacent narrow southeastward undercurrent. These gyres are separated by the Big Bend region. In both cases (alongshore and offshore wind forcing) the circulations are fully three‐dimensional, with opposing surface and bottom boundary layer flows accounting for the across‐shelf transports. The shapes of the coastline and the isobaths are important determinants of the shelf‐wide responses. Several locally maximum upwelling regions are identified for geometrical reasons. These include the Panhandle coast south of Apalachicola Bay, the west Florida coast south of Tampa Bay, along the Florida Keys, and at the shelf break where topographic Rossby waves are evident.

High affinity binding of red tide neurotoxins to marine mammal brain

During a period of several weeks in the spring of 1996, over 200 manatees ( Trichechus manatus latirostris) were found dead or dying in coastal waters or on beaches of the Florida west coast. Concurrent with this event, high densities of Gymnodinium breve, the dinoflagellate which produces the potent neurotoxin called brevetoxin, were observed in the same coastal areas. Our study demonstrates that brevetoxin binds to isolated nerve preparations from manatee brain with similar affinity as that reported for a number of terrestrial mammals. Analysis of receptor binding of tritiated brevetoxin to manatee brain, illustrates saturable specific binding, competition of specific binding by a non-radioactive toxin of the same structure, and temperature dependence of binding. Complementary studies with the red tide neurotoxin, saxitoxin, which is responsible for the intoxication syndrome paralytic shellfish poisoning, show high affinity and specific binding of this toxin to isolated nerve preparations from several marine mammals, including manatee, gray whale ( Eschrichtius robustus), humpback whale ( Megaptera novaeangliae), and sea lion ( Zalophus californianus). These results demonstrate the specific binding of brevetoxin and saxitoxin to excitable brain tissue of marine mammals and support the hypothesis that the exposure of manatees to brevetoxin in the spring of 1996 was a factor in their stranding and death.

Mangrove structure, litter and macroalgal productivity in a northern‐most forest of Florida

Rhizophora mangle L. dominated 10 overwash islands within Tampa Bay forming the northernmost mangrove forests on the west coast of Florida. The mean number of trees and basal area were 5040 trees ha-1 and 20.5 m2 ha-1, respectively. Basal areas ranged from 1.1 (Avicennia germinans (L.) Stern), to 2.6 m2 ha-1 (Laguncularia racemosa Gaertner), to 16.8 (R. mangle). Cockroach Bay mangroves are small (5.8–7.0 m tall) versus coastal forests of south Florida and the Caribbean. Total litter production for a 12 month period was maximal in September for fringing (7.4 g d wt m-2 d-1) and interior (8.7 g d wt m-2 d-1) areas with the two zones not being significantly different. Average litter fall (3.1 g d wt m-2 d-1) was similar to more tropical Caribbean mangals. Leaves accounted for 68 of the litter and reproductive material for 6, being similar to tropical riverine and overwash marine angiosperm communities on the Mexican coast. Although mangrove forests in Tampa Bay are small in stature and experience cold damage and occasional frosts, their litter fall is similar in biomass to that of more tropical mangals. However, their reproductive output is low based on litter fall versus more tropical mangals suggesting that the northern extension is less than optimum. Macroalgal diversity was low (10 species) as compared to Caribbean mangals. Macroalgal turf (0.8 g C m-2 d-1) and epiphyte communities of A.germinans pneumatophores (2.7 g C m-2 d-1) have productivity levels that are equal to or greater than those of Caribbean mangals.

Resonant Interaction between an Atmospheric Gravity Wave and Shallow Water Wave along Florida's West Coast

On 25 March 1995, a large solitary wave, seemingly from nowhere, washed ashore along the normally tranquil Gulf Coast of Florida from Tampa Bay to south of Naples. On this Saturday morning, many beachgoers and coastal residents saw either a large wave, a surge, or a seiche. The wave was typically described as 3 m or greater, breaking between 0.5 and 3 km offshore, and taking 120–180 s to arrive at the shore. Just prior to the wave's arrival at the beach, witnesses reported a rapid runout of water, then a huge 15–25-m runup of water onto the beach corresponding to a 2–3-m vertical run-up height. Some people reported several smaller waves. This was likely due to local effects. This wave was generated and amplified by a large-amplitude atmospheric gravity wave transiting southeastward over the eastern Gulf of Mexico. The atmospheric gravity wave and the water wave moved over a channel of water depth sufficient to maintain the waves in phase allowing resonation of the shallow water wave. Surface winds appeared to have a negligible affect, increasing only slightly (3–5 m s−1) along the path of the atmospheric gravity wave and opposing propagation of the water wave.

Randomly amplified polymorphism detection (RAPD) reveals high genetic diversity in Thalassia testudinum banks ex König (Turtlegrass)

Populations of Thalassia testudinum (Banks ex König) at the northern and southern limits of the west coast of Florida were compared with a Jamaican population using randomly amplified polymorphism detection (RAPD). With the exception of those from Apalachicola Bay, virtually all samples were distinct genetic individuals. Those putative clone mates that were identified often had other genets dispersed between them. Several distinct differences were observed between the northern and southern populations. The southern populations have higher percentages of the total possible number of bands present, of polymorphic bands, and of bands exclusive to a population, as well as a greater number of RAPD phenotypes and a greater mean number of differences between phenotypes. The biological phenomena that may explain these patterns include increased reproductive success, decreased inbreeding or increased population size in the southern populations. A fourth possibility is unidirectional gene flow from north to south. An analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) was done indicating that approximately 81% of the variation is within beds, suggesting a homogeneous species. Yet the populations were clearly distinguishable from one another at microgeographic ranges. The level of genetic variation observed is characteristic of species with the same life history traits as Thalassia testudinum and was not predicted based on field observations of the species. This study, in conjunction with other molecular seagrass studies done to date, challenges our understanding of seagrass growth, reproduction, and propagation. There does not appear to be any pattern of reproductive traits, such as dioecy, monoecy, vivipary, or seed banking, that can reliably predict levels of genetic variation in a given seagrass species.

Seasonal photosynthetic and respiratory responses of the red alga Bostrychia tenella (Ceramiales, Rhodophyta) from a salt marsh and mangal

Seasonal photosynthetic and respiratory responses of the red alga Bostrychia tenella (Lamouroux) J. Agardh to temperature, salinity, and desiccation were compared using native and reciprocal transplants of mangrove and salt marsh populations on the west coast of Florida. In over 70% of cases. plants showed higher photosynthetic and respiratory rates when exposed to 30°C compared with 20°C, both in 30‰ and in 15‰ salinity. There was no pattern in responses to temperature and salinity with regard to season or whether the plants were native or transplants. Furthermore, respiration did not show a pattern for native and transplanted populations from both coastal wetland communities. Photosynthetic and respiratory responses were mostly similar after 3- or 6-h periods of daily desiccation, when compared with responses of plants that were not desiccated. All plants. regardless of the period of desiccation, showed net photosynthesis. The broad tolerances of native and transplanted B. tenella indicate that the species is adapted to a range of salinity. temperature. and desiccation regardless of season or original wetland community.

Catholic Parish Life on Florida's West Coast, 1860–1968. By Michael J. McNally. St. Petersburg, Fla.: Catholic Media Ministries, 1996. xix + 503 pp. $18.95.

Catholic Parish Life on Florida's West Coast, 1860–1968. By Michael J. McNally. St. Petersburg, Fla.: Catholic Media Ministries, 1996. xix + 503 pp. $18.95.

Recruitment of bay scallops Argopecten irradians in Floridan Gulf of Mexico waters:scales of coherence

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 170:143-157 (1998) - doi:10.3354/meps170143 Recruitment of bay scallops Argopecten irradians in Floridan Gulf of Mexico waters: scales of coherence William S. Arnold*, Dan C. Marelli, Catherine P. Bray**, Melissa M. Harrison Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Marine Research Institute, 100 Eighth Avenue Southeast, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701-5095, USA *E-mail: arnold_b@epic7.dep.state.fl.us **Present address: Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Apalachicola Shellfish Laboratory, 260 Seventh Street, Apalachicola, Florida 32320, USA ABSTRACT: Conventional wisdom suggests that pelagically borne marine invertebrate larvae are dispersed considerable distances from their source population, but recent research provides evidence that at least in some instances larvae may be retained within the local environment. From June 1995 through June 1996, we monitored adult abundance and juvenile recruitment in 4 geographically separated bay scallop Argopecten irradians populations occurring along the Gulf of Mexico coast of Florida, USA. Populations at our Anclote and Homosassa study sites had low adult abundances (generally <5 scallops per 600 m2 survey transect) during 1995 and 1996, whereas populations at our Steinhatchee and St. Joseph Bay study sites had considerably higher adult abundances (generally >25 scallops per 600 m2 survey transect) during those years. Similarly, recruitment to artificial spat collectors was a rare event at Anclote and Homosassa, where we typically collected fewer than 0.1 scallops per collector per day. In contrast, recruits were common at Steinhatchee and St. Joseph Bay, where daily recruitment rates exceeded those observed at Anclote and Homosassa by 1.5 to 2 orders of magnitude. Whereas differences in adult abundance and juvenile recruitment were pronounced among sites, differences among stations within each site were minor and generally not significant. Based upon these observations and knowledge of the distribution and abundance of bay scallops in Floridan Gulf of Mexico waters, our results suggest that during 1995-96, dispersal of bay scallop larvae was widespread within each study site but that transport of larvae away from the adult habitat was uncommon and ultimately unsuccessful. We discuss oceanographic features that may support local retention of bay scallop larvae along the west coast of Florida, and we suggest that periodic interruptions of those oceanographic processes may explain the previously reported genetic homogeneity among bay scallop populations in Florida. KEY WORDS: Dispersal · Recruitment · Argopecten irradians · Self-seeding Full text in pdf format PreviousNextExport citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 170. Publication date: September 03, 1998 Print ISSN:0171-8630; Online ISSN:1616-1599 Copyright © 1998 Inter-Research.

Knowledge and Attitudes of Registered Nurses Toward Perinatal Substance Abuse

To explore the knowledge and attitudes of registered nurses employed in perinatal nursing and to determine the relationships between selected demographic variables and registered nurses' knowledge and attitudes toward perinatal substance abuse. Descriptive, using a convenience sample. Perinatal units at 10 hospitals on the west coast of Florida. 392 registered nurses employed on perinatal units. Identification of knowledge and attitudes of registered nurses toward perinatal substance abuse, using the 34-item adapted Attitudes About Drug Abuse in Pregnancy (AADAP) questionnaire. Knowledge scores for the sample ranged from 6 to 18 (M = 12.14) out of a possible score of 20. Attitude scores ranged from 16 to 56 (M = 35.81) out of a possible range of 14 to 70. Scores at the lower end of the scale indicate punitive, negative attitudes. Significant relationships were found among several demographic variables and knowledge and attitude scores for the total sample. Registered nurses demonstrated limited knowledge about substance exposure, addiction, and its effects. They also held attitudes that were more punitive and negative than positive or supportive toward women who abused substances during the perinatal period.

The Changed South, 1947-1997

This paper traces change in the South in recent decades that has resulted from industrialization, the Sunbelt attraction, urbanization, and development of the service economy. The "Boombelt" along 1-85 in the Piedmont region attracted much of the industrial expansion, particularly in North and South Carolina, and Georgia. The largest metropolitan areas in the region now account for the largest share of manufacturing output. City-building has also been propelled by the expansion of white-collar service industries, including headquarters locations which are disproportionately concentrated in Virginia, Florida, and Georgia. The role of Atlanta at the top of the urban hierarchy in the region and the tremendous rate of growth of urban corridors on the southeast and west coasts of Florida stand out. Along with dramatic socio-economic change, the South also experienced significant political realignment, agricultural restructuring, and ethnicity shifts in the past fifty years making the region more like the rest of the nation. The South has become a major global player in economic growth but rural areas still lag behind.

Catholic Parish Life on Florida's West Coast, 1860-1968.

Catholic Parish Life on Florida's West Coast, 1860-1968.

Gymnodinium breve red tide blooms: Initiation, transport, and consequences of surface circulation

From its source waters in the Gulf of Mexico the red tide dinoflagellate, Gymnodinium breve is moved throughout its oceanic range by major currents and eddy systems. The continental shelf off the west coast of Florida experiences frequent G. breve blooms (in 21 of the last 22 years) where the spatially explicit phases of G. breve blooms are closely coupled to physical processes. Bloom initiation occurs offshore and in association with shoreward movements of the Loop Current or spinoff eddies. A midshelf front maintained by seasonal wind reversals along the Florida west coast may serve as a growth and accumulation region for G. breve blooms and contribute to the reinoculation of nearshore waters. Local eddy circulation in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico and in the Dry Tortugas affects the retention and coastal distribution of blooms while the Florida Current and Gulf Stream transport cells out of the Gulf of Mexico and into the U.S. South Atlantic Bight. The causes of bloom dissipation are not well known but mixing or disruption of the water mass supporting G. breve cells, especially in combination with declining water temperatures, are important factors.

The economic valuation of saltwater marsh supporting marine recreational fishing in the southeastern United States

This paper is concerned with placing an economic value on the contribution of wetlands in supporting recreational fishing in the southeastern United States. A production function first links the recreational catch to angler fishing effort and wetlands. The parameters of the recreational fisheries production function are estimated using cross-sectional data by states. To simplify the mathematics, the estimated elasticities are substituted into a Cobb-Douglas production function. For simplicity, a linear demand curve for recreational fishing is postulated which shifts when there is an increase or decrease in the catch (success rate). Therefore, incremental changes in wetlands will via the production function provide incremental changes in the catch which will in turn shift the recreational demand curve, thereby increasing or decreasing consumer surplus. Using a discount rate of 8.125%, the perpetual flow of consumer surplus per incremental acre of wetlands has an estimated asset value of $6,471 and $981 on the East and West Coast of Florida respectively in 1984 dollars. If commercial fisheries and other economically useful functions of wetlands are added to recreational fisheries, it may be more efficient for the State of Florida to acquire more coastal land for preservation from development.