scholarly journals Mesoscale, cyclonic eddies as larval fish habitat along the southeast United States shelf: a Lagrangian description of the zooplankton community

2009 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 403-411 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. J. Govoni ◽  
J. A. Hare ◽  
E. D. Davenport ◽  
M. H. Chen ◽  
K. E. Marancik

Abstract Govoni, J. J., Hare, J. A., Davenport, E. D., Chen, M. H., and Marancik, K. E. 2010. Mesoscale, cyclonic eddies as larval fish habitat along the southeast United States shelf: a Lagrangian description of the zooplankton community. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 403–411. The Charleston Gyre region is characterized by continuous series of cyclonic eddies that propagate northeastwards before decaying or coalescing with the Gulf Stream south of Cape Hatteras, NC, USA. Over 5 d, chlorophyll-a concentration, zooplankton displacement volume, and zooplankton composition and abundance changed as the eddy moved to the northeast. Surface chlorophyll-a concentration decreased, and zooplankton displacement remained unchanged as the eddy propagated. Zooplankton taxa known to be important dietary constituents of larval fish increased in concentration as the eddy propagated. The concurrent decrease in chlorophyll-a concentration and static zooplankton displacement volume can be explained by initial stimulation of chlorophyll-a concentration by upwelling and nutrient enrichment near the eddy core and to possible grazing as zooplankton with short generation times and large clutch sizes increased in concentration. The zooplankton community did not change significantly within the 5 d that the eddy was tracked, and there was no indication of succession. Mesoscale eddies of the region are dynamic habitats as eddies propagate northeastwards at varying speeds within monthly periods. The abundance of zooplankton important to the diets of larval fish indicates that the region can provide important pelagic nursery habitat for larval fish off the southeast coast of the United States. A month of feeding and growth is more than half the larval duration of most fish spawned over the continental shelf of the southeastern United States in winter.

2020 ◽  
Vol 650 ◽  
pp. 269-287
Author(s):  
WC Thaxton ◽  
JC Taylor ◽  
RG Asch

As the effects of climate change become more pronounced, variation in the direction and magnitude of shifts in species occurrence in space and time may disrupt interspecific interactions in ecological communities. In this study, we examined how the fall and winter ichthyoplankton community in the Newport River Estuary located inshore of Pamlico Sound in the southeastern United States has responded to environmental variability over the last 27 yr. We relate the timing of estuarine ingress of 10 larval fish species to changes in sea surface temperature (SST), the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, the North Atlantic Oscillation, wind strength and phenology, and tidal height. We also examined whether any species exhibited trends in ingress phenology over the last 3 decades. Species varied in the magnitude of their responses to all of the environmental variables studied, but most shared a common direction of change. SST and northerly wind strength had the largest impact on estuarine ingress phenology, with most species ingressing earlier during warm years and delaying ingress during years with strong northerly winds. As SST warms in the coming decades, the average date of ingress of some species (Atlantic croaker Micropogonias undulatus, summer flounder Paralichthys dentatus, pinfish Lagodon rhomboides) is projected to advance on the order of weeks to months, assuming temperatures do not exceed a threshold at which species can no longer respond through changes in phenology. These shifts in ingress could affect larval survival and growth since environmental conditions in the estuarine and pelagic nursery habitats of fishes also vary seasonally.


Weed Science ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theodore M. Webster ◽  
John Cardina

Florida beggarweed is native to the Western Hemisphere but is naturalized around the world. During the last century, the mechanization of agriculture has transitioned Florida beggarweed from an important forage component to a weed of significance in the coastal plain of the southeast United States. This herbaceous annual is naturalized and found in fields and disturbed areas throughout the southern United States. The characteristics that made Florida beggarweed a good forage crop also make it a formidable weed. This review describes the importance of Florida beggarweed as a weed in the southern United States and the taxonomy of this species and details the distribution throughout the world and within the United States. The ecology of Florida beggarweed and its interactions with crop plants, insects, nematodes, and plant pathogens also are summarized. Finally, management of Florida beggarweed in agricultural systems using cultural practices and herbicides is reviewed.


2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica H. Stone ◽  
Sagy Cohen

Abstract. Recent tropical cyclones, like Hurricane Katrina, have been some of the worst the United States has experienced. Tropical cyclones are expected to intensify, bringing about 20 % more precipitation, in the near future in response to global climate warming. Further, global climate warming may extend the hurricane season. This study focuses on four major river basins (Neches, Pearl, Mobile, and Roanoke) in the Southeast United States that are frequently impacted by tropical cyclones. An analysis of the timing of tropical cyclones that impact these river basins found that most occur during the low discharge season, and thus rarely produce riverine flooding conditions. However, an extension of the current hurricane season of June–November, due to global climate warming, could encroach upon the high discharge seasons in these basins, increasing the susceptibility for riverine hurricane-induced flooding. This analysis shows that an extension of the hurricane season to May–December (just 2 months longer) increased the number of days that would be at risk to flooding were the average tropical cyclone to occur by 37–258 %, depending on the timing of the hurricane season in relation to the high discharge seasons on these rivers. Future research should aim to extend this analysis to all river basins in the United States that are impacted by tropical cyclones in order to provide a bigger picture of which areas are likely to experience the worst increases in flooding risk due to a probable extension of the hurricane season with expected global climate change in the near future.


2020 ◽  
Vol 118 (4) ◽  
pp. 385-402
Author(s):  
Xue Han ◽  
Gregory E Frey ◽  
Changyou Sun

Abstract Abstract Forest-management burns have been widely acknowledged as a useful land-management tool in the United States. Nevertheless, fire is inherently risky and may lead to severe damages or create smoke that affects public health. Past research has not explored the difference in policy and practice between open burns, which meet minimum legal criteria, and certified prescribed burns, which follow a higher standard of care. This study seeks to understand the distinction between legal open burns and certified prescribed burns, and, furthermore, to identify trends by type of burn in the Southeast United States. To that end, we compared statutes, regulations, incentives, and notifications of fire as a forest-management tool among nine states in the US Southeast. We found no steady time trends in number or area of burns among the states for the past decade. A nontrivial proportion of legal open burns, which tend to be smaller burns, are noncertified burns, meaning they meet minimum legal requirements, but not the higher standard required for certified prescribed burns.


1990 ◽  
Vol 68 (5) ◽  
pp. 981-985 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neil A. MacKay ◽  
Stephen R. Carpenter ◽  
Patricia A. Soranno ◽  
Michael J. Vanni

The responses of a zooplankton community to Chaoborus predation were studied in large in situ mesocosms in Peter Lake. Chaoborus flavicans, the native chaoborid, significantly reduced the density of the dominant grazer, Daphnia pulex, in relation to controls that lacked Chaoborus. Chaoborus americanus, a species found only in fishless bogs, reduced Da. pulex densities far more than the chaoborid found in Peter Lake, C. flavicans. Chaoborus americanus also significantly reduced the dominant copepod, Diaptomus oregonensis, in relation to both the control and the C. flavicans treatment. Chlorophyll a concentration did not differ among treatments, indicating that herbivore responses could not be explained by changes in food levels. Our results show that Chaoborus predation can greatly affect a zooplankton community, especially daphnids.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 215013272098442
Author(s):  
Emma Sophia Kay ◽  
David Scott Batey ◽  
Hannah L. Craft ◽  
Lisa C. McCormick ◽  
Greer A. Burkholder ◽  
...  

Introduction/Objectives: Across the United States, and particularly in the South, there is an urgent need to improve health outcomes for people with HIV. In response, the Southeast AIDS Education & Training Center (AETC) conducted a 4-year Practice Transformation (PT) initiative (2015-2018) in 12 mostly primary care clinics across 4 states in the region. Drawing on the leadership of PT facilitators (“coaches”) from AETC partner sites throughout the region and specific clinic staff members (“champions”), clinics worked toward self-selected organizational goals to increase their HIV care capacity and improve HIV health outcomes. Methods: To explore coaches’ and champions’ experiences and perspectives of PT, we conducted 2 focus group sessions, 1 tailored for coaches (n = 5) and another for champions (n = 9). Results: Content analysis of qualitative data revealed 4 major themes around coaches’ and champions’ experiences and perspectives of PT. These themes include Challenges, Facilitators, Successes, and Suggestions for PT Improvement. Conclusion: Primary care and infectious diseases/HIV clinics can help improve HIV Care Continuum outcomes through increasing their capacity to serve the needs of their clients, as facilitated through coaches and clinic champions. Since no single clinic or clinic patient population is alike, it is important work within organizations to address specific needs and leverage unique skillsets. Future PT initiatives can learn from experiences of this PT program to optimize the effectiveness of their programs.


2008 ◽  
Vol 2008 (1) ◽  
pp. 991-994
Author(s):  
Troy L. Baker ◽  
Jim Jeansonne ◽  
Charlie Henry ◽  
John Tarpley

ABSTRACT Providing rapid and humane care for distressed or threatened marine mammals is crucial to the ultimate success of such actions. Recently, in the southeast United States, marine mammals were observed in the vicinity of several oil spills. Proper coordination of marine mammal rescue or recovery actions with the Unified Command (UC) is essential for response personnel safety and increased probability of saving the affected animals. In the event of animal mortalities, effective coordination between the marine mammal resource agencies and the UC helps ensure the preservation of causal evidence. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration'S (NOAA'S) Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R), generally through the NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC), is able to assist the Federal On-Scene Coordinator (FOSC) and UC in addressing the threat of spilled oil on potentially affected marine mammals. Response actions during recent spills included: documenting the animals’ type and location, notification of the marine mammal agencies and teams responsible for their recovery and care, and coordination between the spill response and the marine mammal response. The actions of responders during recent spills involving marine mammals are summarized and relevant issues discussed, including properly characterizing the threat to marine mammals from spilled oil. The recent oil spill responses involving marine mammals in the southeastern U.S. are applicable to future spills throughout the United States and potentially worldwide. These recent incidents underscore the need to fully understand and plan for high profile wildlife issues during oil spill responses.


Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 756
Author(s):  
Robert Mendelsohn

The National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration (NOAA) calculates the surge probability distribution along the coast from their long-term tidal stations. This process is sufficient for predicting the surge from common storms but tends to underestimate large surges. Across 23 long-term tidal stations along the East Coast of the United States, 100-year surges were observed 49 times, although they should have occurred only 23 times. We hypothesize that these 100-year surges are not the tail outcome from common storms but are actually caused by major hurricanes. Matching these 100-year surges with major hurricanes revealed that major hurricanes caused 43 of the 49 surges. We consequently suggest a revised approach to estimating the surge probability distribution. We used tidal data to estimate the probability of common surges but analyzed major hurricane surges separately, using the return rate of major hurricanes and the observed surge from each major hurricane to predict hurricane surges. The revision reveals that expected coastal flooding damage is higher than we thought, especially in the southeast United States.


2015 ◽  
Vol 105 (4) ◽  
pp. 533-541 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen M. Burchhardt ◽  
Marc A. Cubeta

The fungus Monilinia vaccinii-corymbosi causes disease of blueberry (Vaccinium section Cyanococcus) shoots, flowers, and fruit. The objective of our research was to examine the population biology and genetics of M. vaccinii-corymbosi in the United States. A total of 480 samples of M. vaccinii-corymbosi were collected from 18 blueberry fields in 10 states; one field in Georgia, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Washington and nine fields in North Carolina. Analysis with 10 microsatellite markers revealed 247 unique multilocus haplotypes (MLHs), with 244 MLHs detected within 11 fields in the Northeast, Northwest, Midwest, and Southeast and three MLHs detected within seven fields in the Southeast United States. Genetic similarity and low genetic diversity of M. vaccinii-corymbosi isolates from the seven fields in the Southeast United States suggested the presence of an expansive, self-fertile population. Tests for linkage disequilibrium within 10 fields that contained ≥12 MLHs supported random mating in six fields and possible inbreeding and/or self-fertilization in four fields. Analysis of molecular variance, discriminate analysis of principal components, and Bayesian cluster analysis provided evidence for population structure and restricted gene flow among fields. This research represents the first comprehensive investigation of the genetic diversity and structure of field populations of M. vaccinii-corymbosi.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document