scholarly journals The Marine Benthic Algal Flora of Puerto Rico, I. Ochrophyta: Phaeophyceae, Pelagophyceae, and Xanthophyceae

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David L. Ballantine ◽  
James N. Norris ◽  
Hector Ruiz
Keyword(s):  
Puerto Rico ◽  
Algal Flora ◽  
Benthic Species ◽  
Marine Communities ◽  
Marine Habitats ◽  
Species Type ◽  
Reproductive Anatomy ◽  
One New Species ◽  
Locality Information

This treatment is a taxonomic study of the benthic species of Ochrophyta known from Puerto Rico, Caribbean Sea. In all, 3 classes, 10 orders, 16 families, 33 genera, and 77 species occur in the benthic marine communities in Puerto Rico. Of these, three species of <i>Sargassum </i>are found only as unattached and free-floating. A brief summary of phycological studies in Puerto Rico and ecological descriptions of the most common marine habitats are presented. Along with date, place, and author(s) of valid publication for all genera and species, type locality information and descriptive accounts of vegetative morphological and reproductive anatomy are provided. Distribution of each species is given, and where relevant, comments on their habitat and their taxonomic and nomenclatural status are discussed. A key to the genera and keys to species within genera are included. Either an in situ or other illustration accompanies most species. Two new geographical distribution records for Puerto Rico and a description of one new species, <i>Lobophora brooksii</i> D. L. Ballant. et J. N. Norris, are included. <br>

scholarly journals Reproductive Anatomy of Chondrichthyans: Notes on Specimen Handling and Sperm Extraction. II. Sharks and Chimaeras

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 2191
Author(s):  
Pablo García-Salinas ◽  
Victor Gallego ◽  
Juan F. Asturiano
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Insemination ◽  
Captive Breeding ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Specimen Handling ◽  
Viable Sperm ◽  
Abdominal Massage ◽  
Reproductive Anatomy ◽  
Conservation Projects ◽  
Breeding Techniques

The chondrichthyan fishes, which comprise sharks, rays, and chimaeras, are one of the most threatened groups of vertebrates on the planet. Given this situation, an additional strategy for the protection of these species could be the ex situ conservation projects developed in public aquaria and research centers. Nevertheless, to increase sustainability and to develop properly in situ reintroduction strategies, captive breeding techniques, such as sperm extraction and artificial insemination, should be developed. These techniques are commonly used in other threatened species and could be also used in chondrichthyans. However, the different reproductive morphologies found in this group can complicate both processes. Therefore, a comparison of the reproductive anatomy of eight distinct chondrichthyans, with an emphasis on those important differences when performing sperm extraction or artificial insemination, is carried out herein. Sharks and chimaeras belonging to the Scyliorhinidae, Carcharhinidae, Centrophoridae, Etmopteridae, Hexanchidae, and Chimaeridae families were obtained from commercial fisheries, public aquaria, and stranding events. In addition, the process of obtaining viable sperm samples through cannulation, abdominal massage, and oviducal gland extraction is described in detail for both living and dead animals.

scholarly journals Ecological effects of ocean acidification and habitat complexity on reef-associated macroinvertebrate communities

2014 ◽  
Vol 281 (1775) ◽  
pp. 20132479 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. E. Fabricius ◽  
G. De'ath ◽  
S. Noonan ◽  
S. Uthicke
Keyword(s):  
Ocean Acidification ◽  
Habitat Complexity ◽  
Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Coral Cover ◽  
Ecological Effects ◽  
Macroinvertebrate Communities ◽  
Dead Coral ◽  
Marine Communities

The ecological effects of ocean acidification (OA) from rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) on benthic marine communities are largely unknown. We investigated in situ the consequences of long-term exposure to high CO 2 on coral-reef-associated macroinvertebrate communities around three shallow volcanic CO 2 seeps in Papua New Guinea. The densities of many groups and the number of taxa (classes and phyla) of macroinvertebrates were significantly reduced at elevated CO 2 (425–1100 µatm) compared with control sites. However, sensitivities of some groups, including decapod crustaceans, ascidians and several echinoderms, contrasted with predictions of their physiological CO 2 tolerances derived from laboratory experiments. High CO 2 reduced the availability of structurally complex corals that are essential refugia for many reef-associated macroinvertebrates. This loss of habitat complexity was also associated with losses in many macroinvertebrate groups, especially predation-prone mobile taxa, including crustaceans and crinoids. The transition from living to dead coral as substratum and habitat further altered macroinvertebrate communities, with far more taxa losing than gaining in numbers. Our study shows that indirect ecological effects of OA (reduced habitat complexity) will complement its direct physiological effects and together with the loss of coral cover through climate change will severely affect macroinvertebrate communities in coral reefs.

New and little-known marine species of Pinaciophora, Rabdiaster and Thomseniophora gen. nov. (Rotosphaerida: Pompholyxophryidae)

2012 ◽  
Vol 93 (5) ◽  
pp. 1211-1229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth H. Nicholls
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Ocean ◽  
New Genus ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Single Type ◽  
Haida Gwaii ◽  
Western Atlantic ◽  
Queen Charlotte Islands ◽  
Marine Habitats ◽  
Near Shore ◽  
One New Species

Near-shore benthic sediment samples collected at low tide from the western Atlantic Ocean (Sable Island, Nova Scotia, Canada) and the eastern Pacific Ocean (Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands), British Columbia, Canada) were searched for little-known species of the rhizarian (Cercozoa) genera Pinaciophora, Rabdiaster and other related rotosphaerids. Several representatives with complete investitures of silica-scales (the structure of which is taxonomically diagnostic) were studied by transmission and scanning electron microscopy. The validity of the genus Pinaciophora (sensu Penard, 1904) as defined by a single type of plate-scale only, was strengthened by the discovery of Pinaciophora rubicunda and of another previously undescribed entity, both of which lacked spine-scales. Several earlier reports of loose scales from marine habitats, and erroneously identified as the freshwater P. fluviatilis, might be assigned to P. marina sp. nov. The new genus Thomseniophora was erected to include all ‘Pinaciophora' previously known to produce spine-scales and seven new taxa were described. Six other little-known species of Thomseniophora, Pinaciophora and Rabdiaster were described from the Canadian west coast (Pacific Ocean) including one new species of Pinaciophora. The addition of Thomseniophora brings the number of genera assigned to the Rotosphaerida to six: Pinaciophora, Thomseniophora, Rabdiaster, Rabdiophrys and Pompholyxophrys. The presence of several apparently closely related taxa in the same collection (same location and sampling date) strengthens the conclusion that relatively small differences in the morphology of their siliceous scales were more likely caused by genetic differences than by environmental influences.

scholarly journals Explaining the ocean's richest biodiversity hotspot and global patterns of fish diversity

2018 ◽  
Vol 285 (1888) ◽  
pp. 20181314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Christina Miller ◽  
Kenji T. Hayashi ◽  
Dongyuan Song ◽  
John J. Wiens
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Fish Diversity ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Diversification Rates ◽  
Marine Habitats ◽  
History Of ◽  
Richness Patterns ◽  
Colonization Time ◽  
Almost All

For most marine organisms, species richness peaks in the Central Indo-Pacific region and declines longitudinally, a striking pattern that remains poorly understood. Here, we used phylogenetic approaches to address the causes of richness patterns among global marine regions, comparing the relative importance of colonization time, number of colonization events, and diversification rates (speciation minus extinction). We estimated regional richness using distributional data for almost all percomorph fishes (17 435 species total, including approximately 72% of all marine fishes and approximately 33% of all freshwater fishes). The high diversity of the Central Indo-Pacific was explained by its colonization by many lineages 5.3–34 million years ago. These relatively old colonizations allowed more time for richness to build up through in situ diversification compared to other warm-marine regions. Surprisingly, diversification rates were decoupled from marine richness patterns, with clades in low-richness cold-marine habitats having the highest rates. Unlike marine richness, freshwater diversity was largely derived from a few ancient colonizations, coupled with high diversification rates. Our results are congruent with the geological history of the marine tropics, and thus may apply to many other organisms. Beyond marine biogeography, we add to the growing number of cases where colonization and time-for-speciation explain large-scale richness patterns instead of diversification rates.

scholarly journals Comparison of Satellite-Based Sea Surface Temperature to In Situ Observations Surrounding Coral Reefs in La Parguera, Puerto Rico

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 453
Author(s):  
Andrea M. Gomez ◽  
Kyle C. McDonald ◽  
Karsten Shein ◽  
Stephanie DeVries ◽  
Roy A. Armstrong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Puerto Rico ◽  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Surface Temperature ◽  
Sea Surface Temperature ◽  
Thermal Stresses ◽  
In Situ Measurements ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Strong Positive Correlation ◽  
La Parguera

Coral reefs are among the most biologically diverse ecosystems on Earth. In the last few decades, a combination of stressors has produced significant declines in reef expanse, with declining reef health attributed largely to thermal stresses. We investigated the correspondence between time-series satellite remote sensing-based sea surface temperature (SST) datasets and ocean temperature monitored in situ at depth in coral reefs near La Parguera, Puerto Rico. In situ temperature data were collected for Cayo Enrique and Cayo Mario, San Cristobal, and Margarita Reef. The three satellite-based SST datasets evaluated were NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch (CoralTemp), the UK Meteorological Office’s Operational SST and Sea Ice Analysis (OSTIA), and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (G1SST). All three satellite-based SST datasets assessed displayed a strong positive correlation (>0.91) with the in situ temperature measurements. However, all SST datasets underestimated the temperature, compared with the in situ measurements. A linear regression model using the SST datasets as the predictor for the in situ measurements produced an overall offset of ~1 °C for all three SST datasets. These results support the use of all three SST datasets, after offset correction, to represent the temperature regime at the depth of the corals in La Parguera, Puerto Rico.

Determination of predevelopment denudation rates of an agricultural watershed (Cayaguás River, Puerto Rico) using in-situ-produced 10Be in river-borne quartz

1998 ◽  
Vol 160 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 723-728 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik Thorson Brown ◽  
Robert F. Stallard ◽  
Matthew C. Larsen ◽  
Didier L. Bourlès ◽  
Grant M. Raisbeck ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Puerto Rico ◽  
Agricultural Watershed ◽  
Denudation Rates

scholarly journals Diversity and mineral substrate preference in endolithic microbial communities from marine intertidal outcrops (Isla de Mona, Puerto Rico)

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Estelle Couradeau ◽  
Daniel Roush ◽  
Brandon Scott Guida ◽  
Ferran Garcia-Pichel
Keyword(s):  
Puerto Rico ◽  
Microbial Communities ◽  
Intertidal Zone ◽  
Substrate Preference ◽  
Marine Habitats ◽  
Genetic Sampling ◽  
Phylogenetic Level ◽  
Isla De Mona ◽  
Close Relatives ◽  
High Diversity

Abstract. Endolithic microbial communities are prominent features of intertidal marine habitats, where they colonize a variety of substrates, contributing to their erosion. Almost two centuries worth of naturalistic studies focused on a few true-boring (euendolithic) phototrophs, but substrate preference has received little attention. The Isla de Mona (Puerto Rico) intertidal zone offers a unique setting to investigate substrate specificity of endolithic communities since various phosphate rock, limestone, and dolostone outcrops occur there. High-throughput 16S rDNA genetic sampling, enhanced by targeted cultivation, revealed that, while euendolithic cyanobacteria were dominant, the communities were invariably of high diversity, well beyond that reported in traditional studies, and implying an unexpected metabolic complexity, potentially contributed by secondary colonizers. While the overall community composition did not show differences traceable to the nature of the mineral substrate, we detected specialization among particular euendolithic cyanobacterial clades towards the type of substrate they excavate, but only at the OTU phylogenetic level, implying that close relatives have specialized recurrently into particular substrates. The cationic mineral component was determinant in this preference, calling for the existence in nature of alternatives to the boring mechanism described in culture that is based exclusively on transcellular calcium transport.

scholarly journals BATHYMETRY EXTRACTION FROM SPOT 7 SATELLITE IMAGERY USING RANDOM FOREST METHODS

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 23
Author(s):  
Kuncoro Teguh Setiawan ◽  
Nana Suwargana ◽  
Devica Natalia Br. Ginting ◽  
Masita Dwi Mandini Manessa ◽  
Nanin Anggraini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Random Forest ◽  
Satellite Imagery ◽  
Coefficient Of Determination ◽  
Shallow Waters ◽  
Benthic Habitat ◽  
Benthic Habitats ◽  
Depth Data ◽  
Marine Habitats ◽  
Random Forest Method

The scope of this research is the application of the random forest method to SPOT 7 data to produce bathymetry information for shallow waters in Indonesia. The study aimed to analyze the effect of base objects in shallow marine habitats on estimating bathymetry from SPOT 7 satellite imagery. SPOT 7 satellite imagery of the shallow sea waters of Gili Matra, West Nusa Tenggara Province was used in this research. The estimation of bathymetry was carried out using two in-situ depth-data modifications, in the form of a random forest algorithm used both without and with benthic habitats (coral reefs, seagrass, macroalgae, and substrates). For bathymetry estimation from SPOT 7 data, the first modification (without benthic habitats) resulted in a 90.2% coefficient of determination (R2) and 1.57 RMSE, while the second modification (with benthic habitats) resulted in an 85.3% coefficient of determination (R2) and 2.48 RMSE. This research showed that the first modification achieved slightly better results than the second modification; thus, the benthic habitat did not significantly influence bathymetry estimation from SPOT 7 imagery.

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