Marine and Atmospheric Sciences.

Chair: Chet Rakocinski, University of Southern Mississippi

Vice-chair: Charlotte A. Brunner, University of Southern Mississippi

THURSDAY MORNING

Deer Isle

9:30 Introduction

9:45 AN ANALYSIS OF AVERAGE 8 HR MAXIMUM OZONE CONCENTRATIONS ACROSS MISSISSIPPI

Kentave Green*, Rematta S. Reddy, and Elgenaid Hamadain, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 39217

On days when ozone levels approach unhealthy conditions it is termed Ozone Action Day (OAD). The EPA defines OAD as one in which the concentration exceeds 85 ppb. We defined OAD as one in which the concentration exceeds 64 ppb. Twelve meteorological parameters were analyzed to determine their influence to induce an OAD across Mississippi. Ozone concentrations were collected daily from the MS Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) from fourteen sites. Meteorological parameters including: surface winds, transport winds, mixing height and ventilation were collected and analyzed. Data was retrieved from Jackson, Memphis and New Orleans National Weather Services (NWS) Fire Weather Forecast that cover the state. Statistical analysis using SAS combined with meteorological synoptic patterns of the period was performed to provide clearer insight into the general conditions influencing OAD. The regression models fit the data well (R2 = 70%) No parameter significantly influenced ozone in 2002. But, for 2003 and 2002/2003, transport wind speed was the most significant parameter influencing ozone concentration. This suggests that ozone is being advected to other areas to influence local concentrations. Data suggest that transport winds from the SE at 9 mph would have the greatest influence on ozone concentration during Spetember, but this cannot be inferred without reference to the dominant synoptic feature that prevail across the state. Ventilation and transport wind direction have correlated strongly with ozone concentration to induce an OAD. Average 8hr concentrations for 2002, 2003, and 2002/2003 were approximately 10% below the EPA attainment standard.

10:00 GEOLOCATING MARINE BUOYS IN A FULLY IMMERSIVE 3D BATHYMETRIC ENVIRONMENT

Christopher A. Brown* and Georgios Demetriou, University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Park, Long Beach, MS 39560

We have developed a C++ application with the OpenGL API that can geolocate objects in a fully immersive 3D environment. The program runs on a RAVE II visualization platform driven by a cluster of PCs. The geolocation algorithm utilizes the latitude/longitude position of the buoys. Our current application is located in the Gulf of Mexico and utilizes 5 minute bathymetric data on a beta-plane. The bathymetric data was provided by NAVO, and the Marine buoy location data was courtesy of NDBC.

10:15 ON THE INFLUENCE OF THE PACIFIC/INDIAN OCEAN PRESSURE DIFFERENCE ON THE INDONESIAN SEAS CIRCULATION

Vladimir M. Kamenkovich* and William H. Burnett, University of Southern Mississippi, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529, and Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529

A barotropic, non-linear, high-resolution ocean model operated with seasonally varying transports through four open ports is used to analyze the roles of some important physical factors that control the Indonesian Seas circulation; specifically the Pacific-Indian Ocean pressure difference. Experiments with and without local wind forcing show that the model is able to replicate horizontal circulation patterns identified by previous modeling and observational studies. Dynamical analyses suggest that the geostrophic relation is applicable over a majority of the Indonesian Seas area and that the bottom topography is important in controlling the circulation. A detailed analysis of the integral momentum and energy balances for the Indonesian Seas area suggests that the total transport of the Indonesian Throughflow does not depend exclusively on the Pacific/Indian Ocean pressure difference but on other factors, including local winds, bottom form stress and the pressure forces acting on the internal sides. However, based on the results from a series of numerical experiments, we have found that the seasonal variations of the total transport of the Indonesian Throughflow are in phase with the pressure head variations. This supports the Wyrtki hypothesis on the correlation between the sea surface elevation difference at Davao, Philippines, and Darwin, Australia, and the total transport of the Throughflow.

10:30 AN ERROR MODEL FOR A BAROTROPIC OCEAN MODEL

A. Louise Perkins (1)*, Farnaz Zand (1), and Gregg Jacobs (2), (1) University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, and (2) Naval Research Laboratory, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529

We present a novel Taylor Series based study of the error terms that arise in a Finite Differenced Numerical Ocean Model on a given Numerical Grid. Specifically we formulate a way of studying the Grid Truncation Errors. The Taylor Series approximations used to derive Finite Differenced Numerical Approximations are typically chosen term by term, without a formal review of the impact of each approximation on the remaining terms. When these cross terms are benign, the effect is negligent. However, these cross terms can seriously impact the numerical solution on some numerical grids and not others. Our method allows us to study the grid impact on the errors in a concise way, providing guidance for both creating new models and interpreting the data from existing models.

10:45 GLOBAL AND GULF OF MEXICO CLIMATOLOGICAL TELECONNECTIONS MAY INFLUENCE FISHERIES

Guillermo Sanchez (1)*, Harriet M. Perry (1), and Patricia Biesiot (2), (1) University of Southern Mississippi, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Ocean Springs, MS 39564, and (2) University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406

Data from the National Data Buoy Center were used to calculate monthly averages of sea surface temperature (SST) and sea level pressure (SLP) from 27 buoys located in the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGOM). Statistical analyses showed it was possible to create single data sets of SST and SLP for the study area, which were then used to calculate SST and SLP anomalies for the nGOM. To examine teleconnections between worldwide and regional climatological patterns, global data sets (obtained from the International Research Institute) and the nGOM data sets were subdivided into four sets by season and correlation analyses were performed. The SLP anomaly from the nGOM showed high correlation coefficients in winter with SST and SLP data sets from the Pacific Ocean tropics, in summer with the Eastern Pacific Oscillation, and in spring with the North Atlantic Oscillation. The SST anomaly from the nGOM showed high correlation coefficients in winter with SST and SLP data from the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and in spring with SST in the West Pacific. Highly-correlated SST and SLP global data sets will be correlated with long-term SEA-MAP trawl survey data from the National Marine Fisheries Service to examine the effects of those climatological events on distribution and abundance of selected fish species in the nGOM.

11:00 SUMMERTIME OCCURRENCE OF REEF FISH LARVAE IN THE GULF OF MEXICO

David Hanisko* and Joanne Lyczkowski-Shultz, University of Southern Mississippi, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529, and National Marine Fisheries Service, Pascagoula, MS 39568

Ichthyoplankton samples were collected over natural reefs throughout the United States Gulf of Mexico (USGOM) and from non-reef sites over the Texas-Louisiana (TX-LA) shelf during Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program surveys in the summers of 1992 and 1993 to characterize the occurrence and abundance of reef fish larvae. The larvae of 11 core reef families composed 6% of total abundance from reef sites throughout the USGOM. However, larval reef fish abundance varied greatly among regions of the USGOM. Larvae of the reef families accounted for less than 2% of total abundance in the western USGOM, but accounted for 11% in the eastern USGOM. Over the TX-LA shelf a similar pattern emerged. Larvae of reef families accounted for 0.2%, 0.4%, and 1.2% of total abundance respectively for the inner, middle and outer TX-LA shelf. Distributions across the TX-LA shelf of lutjanid and labrid larvae were quite different in 1992 and 1993. Inter annual differences in shelf hydrography related to freshwater discharge of the Atchafalaya and Mississippi Rivers explained much of the observed variation in the cross-shelf distribution of these larval reef fishes. The distinct differences in the larval occurrence and abundance of these core reef families are linked to large regional differences in the amount of reef habitat, the location of reef habitat, and in the northwestern USGOM inter annual differences in shelf hydrography.

11:15 USE OF LOCAL COASTAL VEGETATION FOR FUTURE RESTORATION OF SALT MARSHES

Heather R. Foster (1)*, Tiffany L. Smith (1)*, Cynthia A. Moncreiff (2), John D. Caldwell (2), and Charles H. Flowers, Jr. (2), (1) Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Jackson County Campus, Gautier, MS 39553, and (2) University of Southern Mississippi, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Ocean Springs, MS 39564

Black needlerush (Juncus roemerianus) and smooth cordgrass (Spartina alteniiflora), the two most common coastal Mississippi salt marsh plant species, are extremely sensitive to anthropogenic disturbances and minor changes in soil elevation, which can lead to marsh loss. Obtaining plants for restoration requires destruction of existing marsh or importation of non local material. Use of propagated native plants allows for restoration without introducing plants that have little to no genetic variation or may not be adapted to the local climate. Seeds for both species were collected and approximately 1,200 J. roemerianus plants and 4,000 S. alterniflora plants were/are in propagation. All plants have been grown from seeds collected fro 50 to 200 individual plants of each species in the vicinity of Ocean Springs, MS. A second round of collection and propagation of J. roemerianus occurred/is occurring in the winter of 2003. Germination and survival rates for both species are relatively high, and we anticipate this growth situation to continue. Overall plant survival and mitigation project success should be improved by using local plant material that is better able to survive local environmental conditions.

11:30 ENTOMOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE OLD FORY BAYOU MITIGATION SITE

Jennifer I. Ford* and George Ramseur, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Jackson County Campus, Gautier, MS 39553, and The Nature Conservancy, Ocean Springs, MS 39564

This project included a basic entomological survey of the Old Fort Bayou Mitigation Site in order to observe various insect life present on the property. This project focused primarily on the aquatic and larval stages of insects, with greater emphasis on the variety of insects present than the relative populations. Specimens were temporarily trapped, photographed, then released; the photographs were used to identify the insects. No entomological survey has been previously attempted on the mitigation site; therefore, the various areas of the mitigation site were analyzed in order to determine which insects were present in specific areas and stages of the ecological restoration.

11:45 Divisional Poster Session

MESOGRAZER CONTROL OF SEAGRASS EPIPHYTIC ALGAE UNDER AMBIENT AND ELEVATED NUTRIENT CONCENTRATIONS

Pete Weddell (1)*, John Mitchell (1)*, Robin McCall (2), and Harriet M. Perry (2), (1) Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Jackson County Campus, Gautier, MS 39553, and (2) University of Southern Mississippi, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Ocean Springs, MS 39564

Urban development along the coastal zone results in the direct or indirect input of nutrients into estuaries and coastal marine waters, with elevated nutrient concentrations contributing to eutrophication of local aquatic systems. Traditional thought held that enhanced growth by seagrass epiphytic algae, under nutrient-rich conditions, led to a decline in seagrass biomass and density due to shading by the algae. Results of more recent studies have initiated a paradigm shirt, suggesting that grazing pressure can effectively counter the effects of nutrient enrichment in seagrass ecosystems. A mesocosm study was conducted to assess the effects of grazing by Palaemonetes sp. and a gastropod on the biomass and chlorophyll a concentration of epiphytes growing on Ruppia maritima under ambient and elevated nutrient levels.

BASELINE DATA MAPS FOR THE GRAND BAY NATIONAL ESTUARINE RESEARCH RESERVE, MISSISSIPPI

Guillermo Sanchez (1)*, Harriet M. Perry (1), and Patricia Biesiot (2), (1) University of Southern Mississippi, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Ocean Springs, MS 39564, and (2) University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406

The Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (GBNERR), part of the National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) System, contains approximately 27 coastal wetland habitats. The NERR system has two major national programs, (1) research and monitoring of estuarine habitats and processes and (2) education and interpretation of estuarine habitats. Several independent researchers have collected baseline geo-referenced data on wetland habitat (GBNERR Environmental Impact Statement), sediment distribution (Mississippi Department of Marine Resources), and location of oyster reefs and seagrass beds (GBNERR Fellowship Program). These data have been incorporated into a single data base and maps have been created using Arcview software. State and federal agencies concerned with coastal resources and wetlands, policy makers, scientists, and the general public will be able to access this data to (1) make informed land use and management decisions, (2) gauge the effects of activities within the GBNERR, (3) support development of research needs, and (4) restore estuarine habitat. These data also provide a tool to monitor future changes in the reserve ecosystem.

PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATIONS OF THE COMPARATIVE OCCURRENCE OF SPONGE DWELLING AMPHIPODS IN TEDANIA IGNIS (PORIFERA, DEMOSPONGIAE, MYXILLIDAE) FROM A TURTLE GRASS BED AND A RED MANGROVE FOREST IN THE FLORIDA KEYS, USA

John M. Foster and Brent P. Thoma*, University of Southern Mississippi, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Ocean Springs, MS 39564

The species diversity, richness and composition of the macrofaunal amphipod communities associated with the Fire Sponge, Tedania ignis (Duchassaing and Michelotti, 1864), were compared from sponges collected on the roots of red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle) from Zane Gray Creek, Long Key, Florida to communities collected in sponges from turtle grass meadows at Anne's Beach, Lower Matecumbe Key, Florida. Initial investigations made during July of 2003 indicate that community variation is largely dependent upon the size and morphology, rather than the habitat of the sponge. Collections were made by hand in order to retain all endo- and epibiotic associates. Salinity, temperature, and depth were recorded at each site. The preliminary investigation has revealed a high diversity of amphipod species and a large population of individuals in each habitat. A more thorough study is warranted. In addition to adding clarity to the primary focus of the study, additional collections will allow examination of seasonal variation within the amphipod assemblages of each habitat, as well as examination microhabitat distribution within the host species.

POPULATION DISTRIBUTION OF THE BENTHIC HARPACTICOID COPEPOD HETEROPSYLLUSNUNNI ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST 

Matthew Dykes* and Judith Williams, University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast, Long Beach, MS 39560

The benthic harpacticoid Heteropsyllus nunni Coull has previously been reported only from the intertidal estuarine areas of Georgetown, SC. This copepod is unique in that during the summer months, it builds and resides within a self-made cyst, undergoing a state of dormancy (diapause). Preliminary field investigations revealed a large population of these copepods along the MS coastline. A long term field study on the population distribution of H. nunni was carried out along the Mississippi Gulf Coast from Biloxi, MS to Long Beach, MS. Samples were collected once a month at dead low tide approximately 6 meters out into the sandy intertidal zone. There were 8 sample sites, located 1.5 miles apart, spanning a 12 mile stretch of beach. Samples were collected using a 2.5 inch (65 mm) diameter plastic corer that was pushed down into the sand capturing the top 10 cm of sandy sediment. Three cores were taken at each site. Samples were preserved with a 10% buffered formalin solution with Rose Bengal added to dye the organisms for ease of sorting and counting. At each station, date, time, water temperature, salinity, air temperature, and specific geographical location (using handheld GIS) was collected. The purpose of this study is to describe for the first time, the density and distribution of H. nunni along the MS coast.

IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL INVESTIGATION OF INSECT (ARTHROPODA; LEPIDOPTERA) NEUROPEPTIDES IN AQUATIC COPEPODS (ARTHROPODA; COPEPODA)

Scott Melton* and Judith Williams, University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast, Long Beach, MS 39560

Copepods and insects are both members of the Phylum Arthropoda and are separated from one another based on morphology of mouthparts, antenna, wings and segmentation. While very different, they share striking similarities in many physiological functions and ecological adaptations. Often copepods are referred to as the "insects of the sea." Copepods and insects both are highly pigmented, use pheromones in mate-seeking behavior and many undergo programmed dormancy (diapause) during which time both arthropods will utilize lipids stored prior to dormancy. Extensive information exists on the neurophysiology of insects, but little exists on the physiology of copepods. In the silkworm Bombyx mori, production of Diapause Hormone (DH), Pheromone Biosynthesis Activating Neuropeptide (PBAN) and three other FXPRLamide peptides are controlled by one gene. PBAN is thought to be ubiquitous throughout the insect Orders. Data from aquatic arthropods such as shrimp, suggest PBAN may be present in them also. Dotblots performed on whole extracts of copepods reveal positive results for alpha-PMP antibody. The alpha-PMP is very similar to the PBAN, having pheromontropic activity. To test the presence of PBAN antibody in neural ganglia of copepods, the large calanoids Aglaodiaptomus stagnalis were embedded in wax, serially sectioned and stained to localize neural tissue. Sequential slides were then stained with the PBAN antibody using an avidin-biotinylated peroxidase kit. Copepod nerual tissue showed positive reaction to the PBAN antibody.

DEVELOPMENTAL CHANGES IN THE SOCIAL INTERACTIONS OF A CAPTIVE-BORN ATLANTIC BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN CALF (TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS)

Jennifer Davis (1)*, Stan Kuczaj (1), and Moby Solangi (2), (1) University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, and (2) Institute for Marine Mammal Studies, Gulfport, MS 39502

Dolphins live in a complex social environment. Social bonds with other dolphins aid in learning, foraging, and survival. Therefore, the development of these social relationships is vital. The initial social bonds are between calves and their mothers. However, young calves begin to venture out on their own at an early age and form relationships with other dolphins, especially other dolphin calves. In this study, we examined the social interactions during the first year of life for an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin housed at MarineLife Oceanarium in Gulfport, Mississippi. Observations involved instantaneous scan sampling over a thirty-minute time period in which samples were taken every 5 minutes. A total of ~200 hours of observations were made for the dolphin calf during its first year of life. The dolphins that were involved in each observed interaction were noted, as were the behaviors in which the animals were engaged. Although the mother was the most common partner in interactions during the early months of this calf's life, interaction with other calves increased steadily during the study period. These results support the notion that the mother-calf relationship is the primary one, and that other relationships are built upon the successful foundation provided by mother-calf interactions.

THE U.S. GULF OF MEXICO MARINE STOCK ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM: PILOT RELEASES OF HATCHERY-REARED RED SNAPPER, LUTJANUS CAMPECHANUS

Angelos Apeitos (1)*, David A. Ziemann (2), Jeffrey M. Lotz (1), Reginald B. Blaylock (1), and Kenneth M. Leber (3), (1) University of Southern Mississippi, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Ocean Springs, MS 39564; (2) Oceanic Institute, Waimanalo, HI 96795; and (3) Mote Marine Laboratory Sarasota, FL 34236

We are using hatchery-reared fish to investigate the feasibility of stock enhancement as a management tool for restoration of overfished species in the Gulf of Mexico, particularly the red snapper Lutjanus campechanus. Larvae obtained from local, wild-caught, hormonally-induced brood stock are reared at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory in Ocean Springs, Mississippi and The Oceanic Institute in Waimanalo, Hawaii. Juveniles are tagged once they reach 90 mm total length. Various tags including dart tags, coded-wire tags (CWT), and visual implant elastomer tags (VIE) have been used. Currently CWT and VIE tags are used. In addition, approximately 5% of the snapper released in 2003 were implanted with acoustic tags. Fish are released onto artificial reefs 20-40 nautical miles offshore. Reef sites, constructed by Mississippi Gulf Fishing Banks, Inc., consist of 50-[m.sup.2] concrete rubble fields with 0.3-1.0 m of vertical relief in 20-30 m of water. Fish have been released using plastic bags, mesh cages, and a PVC discharge hose. Approximately 15,000 red snapper juveniles have been released during the past 3 years and tagged fish are caught in traps or observed by divers during routine assessments of both wild and released, cultured populations. Acoustic receivers close to the release sites monitor movement patterns of the acoustic-tagged snapper.

FRIDAY MORNING

Deer Isle

9:00 HYDROLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF MISSISSIPPI'S COASTAL WATERS--GULF OF MEXICO ESTUARINE INVENTORY AND STUDY

Christine Trigg*, Faye Mallette, and Harriet M. Perry, University of Southern Mississippi, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Ocean Springs, MS 39564

During 1968-69 a large-scale survey was undertaken to catalogue the hydrological and biological characteristics of Mississippi's estuaries [Gulf of Mexico Estuarine Inventory and Study (GMEI)]. During 2000-01, forty-two of the original GMEI stations were re-visited using protocols developed during the earlier study. This allowed for assessment of changes in the environmental health of estuarine waters at a time of increasing industrialization and population growth in south Mississippi. Sites were sampled monthly from April 2000-May 2001 in the Pascagoula, Biloxi, St. Louis Bay, and Pearl River estuaries. Temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen were measured in the field. Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, orthophosphate, and total phosphate concentrations in surface and bottom waters were analyzed at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory. High rainfall significantly lowered salinities in the 2000-01 survey. Nitrate and nitrite concentrations were higher while total phosphate and orthophosphate levels were lower in 2000-01 compared to the earlier study. Results for the 2000-01 study showed salinity, pH, and dissolved oxygen levels increasing and nitrate and nitrite levels decreasing from inshore to offshore. There was a decrease in salinity and increase in dissolved oxygen, orthophosphate, and total phosphate from east to west. Nitrate concentrations were lower in central estuarine waters than at the extremes. Temperature and pH were not significantly different among estuaries. Nitrite and ammonia concentrations were generally low throughout the study area.

9:15 A RAPID ASSESSMENT OF MOBILE BAY, ALABAMA

Harriet M. Perry (1)*, David Yeager (2), Lee Yokel (2), Kirsten Larsen (1), Bradley Randall (1), and Cynthia A. Moncreiff (1), (1) University of Southern Mississippi, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Ocean Springs, MS 39564, and (2) Mobile Bay National Estuary Program, Atlanta, GA 30303

A rapid assessment is a sampling effort of short duration in a targeted, well-defined geographic area. The approach is to collect as many different organisms as possible and return them to a laboratory for identification to the lowest taxonomic level. Rapid assessments are effective, efficient, and timely approaches to establishing baseline faunal and floral inventories and they serve as a mechanism for the identification of non-native and invasive species. Such an assessment was conducted by a multi-institutional, multi-disciplinary team of scientists from Mississippi and Alabama from September 2-6, 2003 in Mobile Bay. Over 60 participants from 15 agencies took part in the sampling effort. Although non-indigenous jellyfish (Phyllorhiza punctata, Drymonema dalmatinum), crabs (Callinectes bocourti, Cardisoma guanhumi), and molluscs (Mytilus edulis and Brachidontes domingensis) have been previously reported from the area and were listed as target species, these organisms were not encountered in the survey. Over a dozen invasive plant species were noted including common water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata), cogon grass (Imperata cylindrica), purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), Eurasian water-milfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum), and giant salvinia (Salvinia molesta). In addition, a change in the distribution of some native plant species was observed. In many areas, Spartina alterniflora was replaced by the invasive species, Phragmites.

9:30 PRELIMINARY FINDINGS OF THE ABUNDANCE OF VIRUSES IN THE BAY OF ST. LOUIS, MISSISSIPPI

Raymond J. Pluhar*, Erin A. Kirk, Megan J. Natter, Egan A. Rowe, Pradnya Sawant, Rebecca Schilling, and Donald G. Redalje, University of Southern Mississippi, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529

Variability in the spatial and temporal distribution of viruses will be examined in the Bay of St. Louis, Mississippi and related to the environmental quality of bay. SYBR Green I epifluorescent microscopy with an anti-fading solution will be used to count the number of viruses in various locations where point and non-point sources of pollution are believed to have a significant effect on environmental quality. Results obtained thus far indicate that the use of this nucleic acid stain will be an effective approach to enumerating viruses in estuarine waters. Samples will be obtained from five to ten stations, previously identified to include possible pollution sources, twice monthly during incoming and outgoing tidal regimes. Nutrients (ammonium, nitrate, nitrite, phosphate, silica), salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity will also be measured at each station and compared with our estimates of viral abundance. The goal of this study is to examine the relationships between measures of environmental quality within the bay and the abundance of viruses at various stations and under a variety of environmental conditions. Initially, we could see differences in viral numbers between samples obtained from a number of stations. However, the differences could not be determined quantitatively due to sample fading problems that have since been accounted for.

9:45 FLUORESCENCE MICROSCOPY METHOD USING SYBR GREEN I FOR QUANTIFYING BACTERIOPLANKTON ABUNDANCES IN THE BAY OF ST. LOUIS, MISSISSIPPI

Egan A. Rowe*, Pradnya Sawant, Megan J. Natter, Raymond J. Pluhar, Erin A. Kirk, and Donald G. Redalje, University of Southern Mississippi, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529

Fluorescence microscopy is the technique used most frequently to enumerate total bacteria in any aquatic environment. This study employs SYBR Green I, a nucleic acid stain, to enumerate bacterial abundances at locations in the Bay of St. Louis, Mississippi. The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (DMR) periodically monitor indicator bacterial species in this system for water quality purposes. However, these agencies rely on the multiple-tube fermentation method that provide values of indicator bacteria in most probable number (MPN) of coliform bacteria in water. This measurement, although very useful in assessing water quality, only represents a component of the total bacterioplankton population. This epifluorescence method provides a more comprehensive enumeration of the bacterial population. Previous lab experiments have shown epifluorescence microscopy experiments using SYBR Green I were considerably more effective than experiments using other standard stains. Results are incomplete; however, this methodology appears capable of effectively determining the abundance of planktonic bacteria within the Bay of St. Louis.

10:00 SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL VARIABILITY OF PHOSPHATE IN BAY OF ST. LOUIS, MISSISSIPPI

Erin A. Kirk*, Megan J. Natter, Raymond J. Pluhar, Egan A. Rowe, Pradnya Sawant, Rebecca Schilling, and Donald G. Redalje, University of Southern Mississippi, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529

A yearlong study, started in April 2003, on environmental quality was conducted in Bay of St. Louis, Mississippi. Samples were taken bimonthly (on both incoming and outgoing tides) from 10 stations in the bay. Stations 2, 3, 6, 7, 8 create a transect line that runs from north to south down the center of the bay. Station 9 is located in the Mississippi Sound adjacent to the mouth of Bay of St. Louis. Stations 1, 4, 5, and 6a represent known nutrient sources in the bay. During the sampling period, data from stations 5 and 6a indicate that phosphate is being added to the Bay of St. Louis through human activities (e.g., sewage treatment outfalls, agriculture, runoff, and the like). However, stations 1 and 4 do not show this expected effect. Preliminary analysis has indicated that there is little difference between phosphate concentrations on incoming and outgoing tides. A seasonal pattern was also observed in the data from every station, although it is more pronounced at some stations compared to others. Low phosphate concentrations were observed during April and August; while high concentrations were found during July and October.

10:15 TEMPORAL VARIABILITY OF PHOTOSYNTHETIC ENDPRODUCT SYNTHESIS IN WEST FLORIDA KARENIA BREVIS BLOOMS

Megan J. Natter*, Steven E. Lohrenz, Merritt D. Tuel, and Donald G. Redalje, University of Southern Mississippi, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529

Patterns of photosynthetic carbon endproducts of the toxic dinoflagellate Karenia brevis were studied throughout three yearly cruises (October 2000, October 2001, September 2002) in waters off the west coast of Florida. This study was performed under the Ecology and Oceanography of Harmful Algal blooms (ECOHAB) Florida program. The incorporation of 14C was separated into photosynthetic endproducts pools (proteins, polysaccharides, and lipids) through a serial solvent separation technique. The endproduct patterns were then used to interpret the physiological state of the population and consequently, environmental conditions/stresses in which the bloom was present. Preliminary results show an increase of protein endproducts with depth and a decrease of polysaccharide with depth. These results are due to an increase in nutrient availability and a decrease in light with depth. Further evaluation of the endproduct patterns of K. brevis algal blooms will clarify harmful algal bloom characteristics and give information as to why K. brevis blooms are persistent in Florida coast waters.

10:30 Break

10:45 RESPONSE OF PHYTOPLANKTON TO NUTRIENT ENRICHMENT IN THE BAY OF ST. LOUIS, MISSISSIPPI

Pradnya Sawant*, Egan A. Rowe, Megan J. Natter, Raymond J. Pluhar, Erin A. Kirk, and Donald G. Redalje, University of Southern Mississippi, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529

Nutrient enrichment experiments were conducted on samples from the Bay of St. Louis to study nutritional status of this ecosystem. Two representative stations were selected for the study. Station 1 represented a point source of nutrient input and Station 7, located in the middle of the bay, represented mixed water from all sources including those of the Mississippi Sound. Initial nutrient and chlorophyll concentrations varied between the two stations. Each time series experiment was conducted for a period of two weeks and included nine treatments. These treatments included one control (no nutrient additions), four treatments each with addition of nitrate, ammonium, phosphate, or silica, one treatment with all nutrients added, and three treatments with all but nitrogen, phosphate, or silica. Weekly measurements of chlorophyll a concentrations and daily in vivo fluorescence were recorded during each experiment. Preliminary results indicate that there were differences between the two stations in the way phytoplankton responded to nutrient addition treatments. For both stations, phytoplankton responses at the end of week one were different from those at the end of week two. The greatest chlorophyll yield occurred in the all nutrient addition treatments followed by the all less silica treatments indicating that diatoms responded less to nutrient additions than did other phytoplankton taxa.

11:00 MACROBENTHIC PROCESS-INDICATORS OF ESTUARINE CONDITION IN THE GRAND BAY NATIONAL ESTUARINE RESEARCH RESERVE

Chet F. Rakocinski* and Glenn A. Zapfe, University of Southern Mississippi, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Ocean Springs, MS 39564

There is a pressing need to develop broadly applicable indicators of macrobenthic processes related to ecosystem function, which potentially could be used to measure effects of nutrient loading and other attendant anthropogenic stresses. Estimates of macrobenthic production, Producation:Biomass ratios (P:B), and parameters of linearized biomass spectra were compared among ten sites within Bayou Cumbest and Bayou Heron of the Grand Bay NERR. The former bayou system presumably receives a higher nutrient load. Transects were established within both bayous in mid-summer, 2002, proceeding seaward from the upper bayou toward adjoining bays. Both longitudinal and cross-system patterns were apparent in the macrobenthic process-indicators. Overall macrobenthic production generally increased from upestuary to downestuary; while P:B values were generally higher at upestuary sites, reflecting the general tendency for downestuary macrobenthic communities to contain larger and longer lived organisms. Moreover, macrobenthic production values were clearly higher within the Bayou Cumbest system than in the Bayou Heron system, which was congruent with the nutrient enrichment hypothesis. Macrobenthic function was characterized as a composite variable based on the three process-indicators; which in-turn was significantly related to several environmental process-variables, including concentrations of pore water ammonia and pore water total phosphorous, as well as surface chlorophyll and bottom dissolved oxygen (DO). This suggests that ecosystem function covaries coherently with macrobenthic process-indicators of estuarine condition.

11:15 HABITAT FRAGMENTATION OF SEAGRASS BEDS IN BELIZE, CENTRAL AMERICA

Ryan Wally and Gary Gaston*, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677

We studied habitat fragmentation of seagrass beds along the Belize (Central America) barrier-reef ecosystem. The seagrass was primarily Thalassia testudinum, an underwater flowering plant that provides critical habitat to many marine species. We specifically wanted to address three questions: (1) Does extent of habitat fragmentation vary with latitude in Belize? (2) Is fragmentation significantly related to physical variables (proximity to channels and reefs)? (3) Is habitat fragmentation exacerbated by hurricanes? We used ERDAS and ARCVIEW software to assess habitat fragmentation, classifying seagrass first by density, then by habitat-fragment diameter. We found seagrass habitats were significantly more fragmented in central than northern Belize, seagrass fragmentation was related significantly to several physical variables, but hurricanes apparently did not result in habitat fragmentation.

11:30 Divisional Business Meeting

FRIDAY AFTERNOON

Deer Isle

1:30 POTENTIAL IMPACT OF PETROLEUM RESIDUES ON THE CORAL REEFS OF BELIZE

Thomas F. Lytle* and Julia S. Lytle, University of Southern Mississippi, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Ocean Springs, MS 39564

Twenty-nine sites from seven regions were sampled throughout coastal Belize for sediments carrying contaminants that could move from sources out of rivers across bays towards the coral reefs. These regions are, the Corozal-Chetumal industrial region, North-South Bay Transect across Chetumal Bay to the coral reefs, Sugar Cane-Refineries sites along the Rio Hondo and New River, Belize City and E-W Bay Transect, Citrus and Bananas regions, with one Inland river control. Contaminant levels of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons were found throughout the Belize coastal region. Very high and troublesome levels of both types of the petroleum-type hydrocarbons were found where sugar plantations predominate and in industrial regions of Belize City and in regions dominated by banana groves. Highest contamination levels were found in the region at the mouth of the Rio Hondo River, not apparently from the sugar refinery region of Belize but from the industrial complex of Chetumal, Mexico. Evidence suggests that hydrocarbons (and trace metals) probably are as much the result of contaminant input from Mexico as from Belize into coastal waters of Belize. To prevent eventual and in some cases further damage to the coral reefs and negative effects on tourist business, it is proposed that Mexico and Belize develop a cooperative agreement to protect this very valuable international natural marine asset of the coral reef of Belize.

1:45 POLYNUCLEAR AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS IN KEEGAN BAYOU, BILOXI, MS, USING COPROSTANOL TO TRACK TRANSPORT

Cheryl Jones*, Julia S. Lytle, and Thomas F. Lytle, University of Southern Mississippi, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Ocean Springs, MS 39564

Deleterious effects to the Mississippi Gulf Coastal ecosystems are brought on by recreational, industrial and residential activities of a growing population. As a result sewage treatment plants are overloaded even before larger facilities are completed. Keegan Bayou is a small inlet in Back Bay Biloxi with little industry other than a wastewater treatment plant located at the terminus of Keegan Bayou. Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are common components of sewage treatment wastes, originating from sources such as household hazardous waste materials, solvents, food, grease and runoff from storm drainage. The impact of the sewage treatment plant on the health of this small bayou has not been assessed. A study was designed to assess the concentration and distribution of coprostanol (a fecal steroid) in sediments from the terminus of the Keegan Bayou to Back Bay Biloxi and to measure hydrocarbon concentrations at those same sites. PAH concentrations will be correlated with coprostanol as an indicator of transport from the sewage source. Hydrocarbon loads are expected to peak near the terminus with gradual decreases in concentrations toward the mouth of Keegan Bayou into Back Bay Biloxi if they are associated with sewage releases.

2:00 EXPERIMENTAL EXPOSURE OF NECROTIZING HEPATOPANCREATITIS (NHP), A BACTERIAL DISEASE AFFECTING PENAEID AQUACULTURE IN THE AMERICAS, TO LITOPENAEUS VANNAMEI (PACIFIC WHITE SHRIMP)

Amanda G. Vincent* and Jeffrey M. Lotz, University of Southern Mississippi, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Ocean Springs, MS 39564

Necrotizing hepatopancreatitis (NHP) affects penaeid shrimp aquaculture, causing mortalities from 20-95% resulting in devastating crop losses. Individual Kona stock Litopenaeus vannamei were isolated in aerated 1.5-gal Sterilite[R] containers and experimentally exposed to NHP via per os and injection. Twenty shrimp were injected with 0.025% w/v aqueous extract of NHP-infected tissue prepared from pooled NHP-infected hepatopancreases. Twenty shrimp were exposed per os to a quarter piece of NHP-infected hepatopancreas. Negative control shrimp, exposed to NHP-negative tissue, were included for both treatments. Shrimp were fed 5% body weight of commercial pellets per day and maintained at 30 ppt salinity/30[degrees]C for 60 d. Day of death post-exposure was recorded and moribund shrimp were processed for NHP diagnosis. Mean survival of per os NHP-infected shrimp was 33.4 d. NHP-negative results were obtained for injection and both negative control groups. Results indicate per os is a successful method for transmitting NHP to susceptible shrimp hosts. Mean survival of L. vannamei infected with the viral diseases WSSV (2.9 d) and TSV (11.7 d) are much shorter than that observed for NHP. The mortality rate, the probability of death due to infection per unit time, is nearly a magnitude higher for WSSV (0.3) and TSV (0.4) compared to NHP (0.05). This research supported in part by the U.S. Department of Agriculture CSREES Grant Number 2002-38808-01381.

2:15 THE CALANOID COPEPOD ACARTIA TONSA IS CAPABLE OF HIGH EGG PRODUCTION UNDER CROWDED CONDITIONS

Jason T. Lemus* and Jeffrey M. Lotz, University of Southern Mississippi, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Ocean Springs, MS 39564

The calanoid copepod Acartia tonsa is a common cosmopolitan neritic broadcast spawner. Abundances of adult A. tonsa tend to be on the order of 1/L and maximum abundances may approach 30 individuals/L. However, these reported densities may not reflect the potential production of A. tonsa. The effect of density on copepod production was tested by measuring the egg production of adult A. tonsa stocked at six densities (50/L-300/L) during two experiments. There was a significant positive linear regression between stocking density and eggs produced per 12 hours, and there was a significant negative linear regression between adult density and eggs production per adult copepod. It was estimated that a population of A. tonsa adults will reach peak egg production when at 475 adults/L. The effect of copepod density to limit copepod production may rarely be witnessed under natural conditions due to food limitation and predation. The potential for this high production of A. tonsa under high density conditions may be a reproductive strategy used in localized patches of superabundant food and few predators to compensate for future predation pressure and food shortages, and may also be a means to stockpile current food surplus with reproduction and subsequent cannibalism on the naupliar stages when the food source diminishes.

2:30 THE EFFECT OF DIET ON FECUNDITY OF ACARTIA TONSA, A CALANOID COPEPOD

Angelos Apeitos*, Jeffrey M. Lotz, John T. Ogle, and Jason T. Lemus, University of Southern Mississippi, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Ocean Springs, MS 39564

Red snapper, Lutjanus campechanus, larviculture at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (GCRL) uses 25 ppt artificial salt water and mixed zooplankton, primarily Acartia tonsa, a calanoid copepod. Presently, A. tonsa is produced by extensive culture of wild stocks. Estuarine water from Davis Bayou containing wild A. tonsa is pumped into 70-[m.sup.3] outdoor tanks in which copepods bloom within 24-48 hours. A controlled intensive mass culture system for copepods is under development to better support red snapper larviculture. Intensive copepod culture requires supplemental feeding, but the optimal diet is unknown. We investigated the optimal diet by evaluating the fecundity of laboratory-reared copepods fed either single or mixed species of algae. For this experiment, mated female A. tonsa were held singly in 10-ml containers to evaluate the effect of 3 algal di ets on fecundity. Diets used were Isochrysis galbana, Chaetoceros sp. and a 1:1 mix of the two algae. Twenty five copepods were fed I. galbana only at a density of 150,000 cells/ml, 25 were fed Chaetoceros sp. only at a density of 150,000 cells/ml, and 25 were fed a mixture of both I. galbana and Chaetoceros sp. at a density of 75,000 cells/ml each and twenty five were fed no algae. Their eggs were collected and counted to estimate fecundity over a 72-hour period. The experiment was performed in duplicate. Fecundity was higher in the mixed diet treatment in both trials, and survival was higher for the same treatment after 72 hours. Fecundity was poor for both single algae diets and the poorest in the unfed treatment. Therefore, for optimum fecundity in intensive culture of A. tonsa, a mixed algal diet should be offered.

2:45 OMEGA-3 FATS IN GULF FISHES PROVIDE IMPORTANT HEALTH BENEFITS

Julia S. Lytle* and Thomas F. Lytle, University of Southern Mississippi, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Ocean Springs, MS 39564

Eating cold water fishes has been touted for their health benefits for years. However, not until our study of Gulf fishes was it recognized that warm water fishes also contain significant levels of omega-3 fatty acids. What is not well known is that omega-3 fats are found only in marine organisms while omega-6 fats are found in land plants and animals. Both omega-3 and omega-6 fats are important essential fatty acid families, and a balance of both families is necessary for good health. Results of clinical studies provide more and more medical reasons why an adequate balance of these fats are critical. This balance is possible only by a consumption of marine fish or fish oils. An adequate balance of these fats can provide protection against immune deficient diseases. The American diet, in general, is deficient in omega-3 fats and there needs to be concerted efforts to encourage the addition of marine seafood to the diet. Results of our study indicated that all Gulf fishes contain a relatively high ratio of omega-3 fats to their total fats, but that Gulf fishes, in general, contain a lower absolute amount of total fats than cold water fishes. Many underutilized Gulf fishes are excellent sources of omega-3 fats and could be utilized rather than discarded because they are not properly marketed. With the present health crisis, it is crucial that this information reach the public by way of school teachers, health practitioners, sports fishermen and food industries. Further, by encouraging the public to eat more Gulf seafood, we hope to aid in the trade deficit of the importation of fish into USA markets.

3:00 BIOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF DEVELOPING EGGS OF THE AMERICAN HORSESHOE CRAB LIMULUS POLYPHEMUS FROM DELAWARE BAY AND THE GULF OF MEXICO

Meagan Williams (1)*, Harriet M. Perry (2), Kenneth J. Curry (1), and Patricia Biesiot (1), (1) University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, and (2) University of Southern Mississippi, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Ocean Springs, MS 39564

The American horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemus is found along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts of North America. Although horseshoe crab eggs are an important resource for migrating shorebirds along the Delaware Bay, nothing is known about the nutritional quality of these eggs during the various developmental stages. In early summer 2003, we collected freshly fertilized horseshoe crab eggs from three locations: off the New Jersey coast in Delaware Bay and off the Mississippi and Florida coasts in the Gulf of Mexico. The eggs were reared in the laboratory and collected at various developmental stages through hatching. We found that biochemical composition of the eggs changed throughout the course of embryonic development. Information gathered from this study provides valuable basic biological data for future protection of Limulus polyphemus and is valuable for ecologists in the study of horseshoe crab biology and reproduction. This study also provides useful data for investigating migratory shorebird foraging activities and could provide an essential component for shorebird management.

3:15 COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SWIMMING BEHAVIOR BY GELATINOUS ZOOPLANKTON IN ALTERED GRAVITY: EFFECT OF CTENOPHORE APICAL COMPLEX ON ORIENTATION

Michael Dodge*, Emilie Laiche, Michelle Melnick, Daniel Pocase, Jennifer Anderson, Brian Ortman, and Patricia Biesiot, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406

We studied swimming behavior of the comb jelly Mnemiopsis mccradyi (Phylum Ctenophora) subjected to the altered gravitational forces generated by NASA's KC-135 aircraft. In a previous study, our research group demonstrated that light appeared to provide a directional cue for this species in the absence of normal gravity. However, we could not rule out a passive response in that study. In the present study, we surgically removed the apical complex, which houses the photoreceptor and the statocyst (a balance organ), from the experimental comb jelly and compared its behavior in altered gravity to that of the control with the apical complex intact. We hypothesized that the control jelly would respond to a directed light source as before, but that the experimental jelly would remain motionless because it would be unable to sense its surroundings. We found that the control comb jelly was able to compensate for the disorienting effects of altered gravity by using its phototactic ability. However, loss of both the photoreceptor and the statocyst caused the experimental comb jelly to become extremely disoriented. Rather than remaining passive, it increased its swimming behavior dramatically but the movements were erratic and unpredictable. Our study demonstrates the critical importance of the apical complex for controlled swimming in comb jellies.

3:30 Closing Comments