Changes in global climate will likely increase climate variability. In turn, changes in climate variability have begun to alter the frequency, intensity, and timing of climate disturbances. Continued changes in the climate disturbance regime experienced by natural systems will undoubtedly affect ecological processes at every hierarchical scale. Thus, in order to predict the dynamics of ecological systems in the future, we must develop a more mechanistic understanding of how and in what ways climate disturbance affects natural systems. In South Florida, two climate disturbances recently affected the region, a severe cold spell in 2010, and a drought in 2011. Importantly, these disturbances affected an ecosystem of long-term, comprehensive, and persistent ecological study in the Shark River estuary in the Everglades National Park. The aims of my dissertation were to (1) assess the relative severity of these two climate disturbances, (2) identify effects of these disturbances on community structuring, (3) compare community change from the 2010 cold spell with community change from another extreme cold spell that affected sub-tropical China in 2008, (4) assess the effects of the drought on predator prey interactions in the Shark River and (5) apply a spatial approach to predicting population resistance to these events. My results show that the 2010 cold spell was the most severe cold event to affect the Shark River in the last 80 years, while the drought was the worst drought to occur in the last 10 years. The cold spell drove community change that was predictable based on the traits of component species, whereas community change was less predictable using trait-based approaches. When comparing community change from the extreme 2010 event in Florida with the event in China, I identified three consistencies related to community change from extreme cold events that occurred across both events that will help build generalized understanding of community resistance to increasingly extreme climate events in the future. From the trophic study, I found that the drought reduced prey for estuarine piscivores. Not only was prey biomass reduced, the drought drove a compositional shift in prey communities from fish to invertebrates, which are lower in calories. Last, I found that animal movement may create temporally dynamic resistance scenarios that should be accounted for when developing predictive models.

Les estuaires et les zones côtières constituent des territoires à fort enjeux stratégiques économiquement et pour l'environnement. Ils assurent de nombreuses fonctions biologiques et écologiques dont celle de nourricerie et de frayère pour les poissons. Ces écosystèmes sont pourtant soumis à de multiples facteurs de stress, à la fois naturels et anthropogéniques, qui peuvent représenter une menace potentielle envers les organismes aquatiques, en particulier pour les espèces commerciales de poissons. Dans ce contexte, les effets de facteurs de stress environnementaux tels que la contamination chimique et les efflorescences algales nuisibles (HABs) ont été étudiés par des approches in situ et expérimentale (microcosme et mésocosme) sur deux espèces de poissons : le flet (Platichthys flesus) et le bar (Dicentrarchus labrax). Durant cette thèse, nous avons utilisé différents indicateurs pour déterminer les réponses des poissons aux stress environnementaux. Parmi ces outils, nous avons utilisés des indices de croissance et condition, des biomarqueurs moléculaires et des paramètres immunologiques. / Estuaries and coastal areas are essential fish habitat as nursery and spawning but characterized by the presence of multiple interacting stressors, both natural and anthropogenic, which can represent potential threat toward aquatic organisms, especially for commercial fish species. In this context, the impacts of environmental stressors such as chemical contamination and Harmful algal blooms (HABs) have been studied by in situ and experimentally (microcosm and mesocosm) approaches on two fish species : European flounder (Platichthys flesus) and European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax). During this thesis, we used various indicators to determine fish responses to environmental stressors. Among these tools, we used the growth and conditions indices, molecular biomarkers and immunological parameters. In situ approach has been realized in two different systems anthropogenically influenced : one is heavily impacted system (Seine estuary) and the others are less impacted and/or considered as "clean" systems (Canche, Authie and Somme estuaries). As juvenile flounders concentrate in estuaries, we have chosen this species as a biological indicator to evaluate the quality of these estuarine habitats. This in situ study emphasized the negative impact of contaminants on the nursery function of estuaries. The Seine estuary exhibited the highest metals and PAHs contents in sediment compared to other estuaries and metal concentration in juvenile flounder of this estuary were also significantly higher than ones collected in the less polluted estuaries. In the same way, fish growth and condition indices were significantly lower in individuals from this estuary in spite of the sufficient food availability. To control environmental parameters such as hydrological parameters and food availability, a microcosm experiment was carried out on sea bass juveniles exposed to fresh sediment from five sites with different chemical concentrations using multi-biomarker approaches. After 21 days exposure, no metal accumulation in fish gills and any significant differences on the physiological performances and immune system responses of fish juveniles could be observed. On the other hand, responses of molecular biomarkers, particularly, EROD, GST and CAT activities increase with the chemical contamination gradient after 7days of exposure in sediment. This microcosm study confirmed the sensibility and relativity of short term molecular biomarkers responses to the chemical contamination. These two studies highlighted the complexity of the fish responses to environmental stressor due to the many variable environmental factors in situ and due to the selection of fish species (pelagic or benthic) and the exposure duration in controlled laboratory assays. Beside the impact of pollution on fish, Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are widespread along the eastern English Channel and may alter ecological functions of coastal zones and thus affecting nursery ground and fish populations. Nevertheless, the effects of two recurrent harmful algal blooms : a) Phaegocystis globosa and its degraded form transparent exopolymeric particles (TEP) with foam accumulation and b) Pseudo-nitzschia pseudodelicatissima (exponential versus senescent phase) was investigated on the growth and condition of sea bass juveniles. Both mesocosm experiments exhibited any negative impact on juvenile sea bass physiological performance, hence, survival and recruitment success. In conclusion, the results of this thesis contributed to improve the fish responses with multi-biomarker approaches to monitor and assess the health of fish communities and fish habitat quality, as well as the general ecological status of coastal zones and estuaries against the various environmental stressors.

Predators are key components of aquatic ecosystems and innovative approaches to understanding their spatial distribution are imperative for research, effective management, and conservation. Discontinuities, created by abrupt changes between two unlike entities, are irregularly-distributed, intermediate-scale features that can have a disproportionate effect on organismal distribution within the seascape. Here I use the discontinuity concept to relate the distribution of a predator, striped bass (Morone saxatilis), to physical features within Plum Island Estuary (PIE), MA. I mapped the distribution of 50 acoustically-tagged striped bass during four monthly surveys at 40 sites to evaluate if heterogeneity in physical features concentrated predators. All striped bass survived tagging, were coastal migrants, displayed seasonal residency within PIE, and moved freely throughout the estuary. However, these highly mobile predators were not evenly distributed. Specifically, striped bass were clustered in the middle region of PIE in response to sandbar area, intermediate bottom unevenness, channel networks, and, to a lesser extent, confluences and drop-offs. The highest predator counts occurred at sites with the greatest additive habitat complexity. I measured 23 geomorphic metrics at 40 sites within the seascape to characterize the spatial patterns of confluences, drop-offs, bathymetry and land features. Then, I mapped integrated measurements of multimetric physical features to reveal distinct spatial trends in physical complexity of the estuary. By expanding the discontinuity concept and combining irregularly-distributed, intermediate-scale physical features with smaller-scale, traditional fish habitat methodologies, I revealed consistent and ecologically-meaningful patterns within a north temperate estuarine seascape.

No description available.

A high-resolution astronomic tidal model has been developed that includes detailed inshore regions of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and associated estuaries along the South Atlantic Bight. The unique nature of the model’s development ensures that the tidal hydrodynamic interaction between the shelf and estuaries is fully described. Harmonic analysis of the model output results in a database of tidal information that extends from a semi-circular arc (radius ~750 km) enclosing the South Atlantic Bight from the North Carolina coast to the Florida Keys, onto the continental shelf and into the full estuarine system. The need for tidal boundary conditions (elevation and velocity) for driving inland waterway models has motivated the development of a software application to extract results from the tidal database which is the basis of this thesis. In this tidal toolbox, the astronomic tidal constituents can be resynthesized for any open water point in the domain over any interval of time in the past, present, or future. The application extracts model results interpolated to a user’s exact geographical points of interest, desired time interval, and tidal constituents. Comparison plots of the model results versus historical data are published on the website at 89 tidal gauging stations. All of the aforementioned features work within a zoom-able geospatial interface for enhanced user interaction. In order to make tidal elevation and velocity data available, a web service serves the data to users over the internet. The tidal database of 497,847 nodes and 927,165 elements has been preprocessed and indexed to enable timely access from a typical modern web server. The iii preprocessing and web services required are detailed in this thesis, as well as the reproducibility of the Tidal Toolbox for new domains.

Using an instrumented water quality network in Morro Bay Estuary, California from 2007 to 2010 (15 min sampling frequency), this study addressed the two objectives of constructing a nitrate budget and assessing the influence of sampling frequency on water quality parameters. These two objectives led to the submission of an original report of research (Appendix A) and a note (Appendix B) to peer-reviewed journals. The first objective was to characterize the high spatial and temporal variation in physical parameters and nitrate concentrations and to construct a nitrate budget quantifying sources and sinks of nitrate from the ocean, streams, and groundwater, as well as biological processes in the Estuary. Morro Bay Estuary was found to be a non-eutrophic system and a mean net exporter of nitrate, 327.15 t yr-1. Fifty-four percent of the nitrate export was attributed to nitrate sources and internal biological processing. Nitrate loading from streams contributed 37 % to the export of nitrate (124.01 t yr-1), while groundwater nitrate loading supplied a conservative estimate of 46 % of the exported nitrate (153.92 t yr-1), with a neap tide enhancement of the discharge. Denitrification, Zostera marina, and benthic macroalgae assimilation of nitrate were the dominant internal biological processes for removal and retention, but were only 35% of the total nitrate budget. The second objective was to investigate the impact of sampling frequency and sampling location on understanding dynamics in water quality by degrading a year time series of seven parameters from three water quality monitoring stations to sampling frequencies ranging from 15 minutes to 28 days. In Morro Bay Estuary, the semi-diurnal tidal cycle was the maximum component frequency driving the variability of temperature, turbidity, and dissolved oxygen concentrations. For these parameters, asymptotes were reached and sampling frequencies greater than six hours did not explain the additional variation in the parameters sampled. Whereas, salinity, turbidity, and nitrate concentrations lacked an asymptote, and decreased sampling frequencies led to increased estimated error. Sampling water quality parameters every 28 days can lead to mean annual difference of 30 – 140 % from 15 minute sample annual mean. We recommend sampling frequencies should be selected to oversample the tidal signal to at least hourly frequencies to capture diel cycles and episodic events that contribute significantly to understanding the variability in the estuarine physical and biological dynamics.

No description available.

Estuaries are irreplaceable natural resources that must be managed carefully for the mutual benefit of all who enjoy and depend on them. The estuarine environment is a very dynamic and complex environment, which poses threats and challenges to estuary managers and estuary users. As estuarine management is a very knowledge-intensive task, researchers in the Eastern Cape Estuaries Management Programme (ECEMP), estuary managers and estuary users have recently turned their attention to knowledge management as one of the important means of ensuring continued success and effective management of estuaries. However, knowledge management as an emerging field has been slow in formulating universally accepted methodologies for auditing, capturing, creating, acquiring, sharing and utilising knowledge. Existing methodologies do not adequately address, in particular, the knowledge audit requirements of non-traditional or non-constrained and non-formalised organisations. The purpose of this study was to develop a context-specific model for auditing knowledge in the Eastern Cape estuaries, with special reference to the Tyolomnqa Estuary. The study intended to identify the knowledge community, analyse existing knowledge and knowledge needs and gaps in the Tyolomnqa Estuary area. In order to achieve the objectives, the descriptive research design, employing the case study approach was used in the study. Focus groups and unstructured interviews were used to collect data. A literature review, concentrating on values and issues surrounding the management of estuaries and key issues in knowledge management and knowledge auditing, was carried out. The collected data was analysed according to themes such as knowledge sources, knowledge identification and knowledge needs and gaps. The study found that the communities of the Tyolomnqa Estuary lack knowledge concerning the management of estuaries. The study also established that the community has little knowledge on who to contact for expert advice in addressing estuarine issues. Furthermore, the study found that the community needed knowledge on how to address estuarine management issues and how that knowledge could be accessed. Based on the findings and the literature review, the study proposes a context-specific knowledge audit model for non-traditional organisations. The model is meant to assist non-traditional organisations to evaluate their knowledge health or status, and to develop a much better understanding of the know-how and how it can be used to effectively sustain their services. The model can be used to successfully implement knowledge management strategies in non-traditional organisations. The model needs to be tested for verification and validation purposes. / Thesis (M.I.S.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2003.

CAPES; CNPq / O Rio Ribeira de Iguape é o maior responsável pelo aporte de água doce e sedimentos em suspensão ao Complexo Estuarino-Lagunar de Iguape-Cananéia (CELIC), que abriga uma população de cerca de 200 botos-cinza. A bacia deste rio foi fortemente afetada por atividades mineradoras, que contaminaram os sedimentos ao longo de seu curso e em parte do estuário. Este estudo avaliou a variação espacial e temporal dos parâmetros físicos e químicos do ambiente, a biodisponibilidade do Fe‚ Zn‚ Mn‚ Co‚ Cu‚ Cr‚ Cd, Pb e Ni nos sedimentos e a acumulação destes elementos no fígado de 21 golfinhos da espécie Sotalia guianensis. A água e os sedimentos foram amostrados em 8 pontos ao longo do sistema em três diferentes coletas entre os anos de 2013 e 2014 e as amostras de tecidos foram obtidas através do monitoramento de praias entre 2009 a 2012. Algumas condições abióticas encontradas entre as porções norte e sul do sistema diferiram em grande grau, com maior destaque à salinidade, resistividade, OD, pH e ao aporte de nutrientes e metais. O Pb, Zn, Cu, Mg e Fe apresentaram altos valores nos sedimentos próximos a Iguape, sendo considerados como fortemente biodisponíveis. Ainda, a razão SEM/SVA dos íons metálicos Pb, Cd, Ni, Cu e Zn apontou maior toxicidade dos sedimentos desta região. Houve correlações positivas entre estes elementos indicando que provavelmente tenham as mesmas fontes, sendo provenientes do arraste realizado pelo Rio Ribeira de Iguape. No fígado dos golfinhos, as concentrações deram-se na seguinte ordem de grandeza: Fe>Zn>Cu>Mn>Cr>Pb>Ni>Co>Cd. O Fe e o Zn apresentaram as maiores variações entre os metais e o Pb teve a maior variação e média descritas para a espécie (1,94 μg g-1). Não foram observadas correlações no acúmulo dos metais entre os sexos e o comprimento corporal dos animais. No entanto, animais infantes apresentaram maiores concentrações de metais essenciais, estando estes valores ligados ao período de rápido crescimento pós-natal. Considerando-se o histórico local e os valores observados para a biodisponibilidade dos metais, o estudo ressalta a utilização do boto-cinza como sentinela sendo esta avaliação uma importante abordagem para o monitoramento ambiental uma vez que permite a medição direta da biodisponibilidade dos poluentes. A alta média observada para o chumbo nos botos pode refletir a contaminação ambiental local causada por atividades mineradoras e indicar uma possível transferência trófica, uma vez que a dieta é uma das principais vias da exposição ao elemento. / The Ribeira de Iguape river is the most responsible for the input of freshwater and sediments in suspension to the Estuarine-Lagoon Complex of Iguape-Cananéia (CELIC), which has a population of about 200 Guiana dolphins. The basin of this river was strongly affected by mining activities, which contaminating the sediments along its course and in part of the estuary. This study evaluated the spatial and temporal variation of physical and chemical parameters of the environment, the bioavailability of Fe, Zn, Mn, Co, Cu, Cr, Cd, Pb and Ni in the sediments and the accumulation of these elements in the liver of 21 dolphins of the species Sotalia guianensis. The water and sediment were sampled in 8 points throughout the system in three different samples between the years 2013 and 2014 and the tissue samples were obtained by monitoring of the beaches between 2009 and 2012. The trophic conditions found between the portions differ in great degree, most notably salinity, resistivity,DO, pH and the supply of nutrients and metals. The metals Pb, Zn, Cu, Mg and Fe showed high values in sediments near Iguape, being considered as strong bioavailable. The SEM/SVA reason for the metalic ions Pb, Cd, Ni, Cu and Zn showed greater toxicity of the sediments in this region. There were positive correlations between these elements indicating that they probably have the same sources, from the drag made by the Ribeira river. In the liver of the dolphins, the concentrations were given in the following order of magnitude: Fe>Zn>Cu>Mn>Cr> Pb>Ni>Co>Cd. The metals Fe and Zn showed higher values between metals and the Pb had the highest mean and variance ever described for the species (1.94 μg g-1). There were no correlations in the accumulation of metals between the sexes and the body length of the animals. However, infants showed higher concentrations of essential metals, and these values are related to the periode of rapid postnatal growth. Considering the local history and the bioavailability values observed for the metals, this study emphasizes the use of the Guiana dolphin as sentinel, this being an important approach for environmental monitoring once it allows direct measurement of the bioavailability of metals. The high mean of lead observed in the dolphings may reflect the local environmental contamination caused by mining activities and indicate a possible trophic transfer, since the diet is a major route of exposure to the element.

CAPES; CNPq / O Rio Ribeira de Iguape é o maior responsável pelo aporte de água doce e sedimentos em suspensão ao Complexo Estuarino-Lagunar de Iguape-Cananéia (CELIC), que abriga uma população de cerca de 200 botos-cinza. A bacia deste rio foi fortemente afetada por atividades mineradoras, que contaminaram os sedimentos ao longo de seu curso e em parte do estuário. Este estudo avaliou a variação espacial e temporal dos parâmetros físicos e químicos do ambiente, a biodisponibilidade do Fe‚ Zn‚ Mn‚ Co‚ Cu‚ Cr‚ Cd, Pb e Ni nos sedimentos e a acumulação destes elementos no fígado de 21 golfinhos da espécie Sotalia guianensis. A água e os sedimentos foram amostrados em 8 pontos ao longo do sistema em três diferentes coletas entre os anos de 2013 e 2014 e as amostras de tecidos foram obtidas através do monitoramento de praias entre 2009 a 2012. Algumas condições abióticas encontradas entre as porções norte e sul do sistema diferiram em grande grau, com maior destaque à salinidade, resistividade, OD, pH e ao aporte de nutrientes e metais. O Pb, Zn, Cu, Mg e Fe apresentaram altos valores nos sedimentos próximos a Iguape, sendo considerados como fortemente biodisponíveis. Ainda, a razão SEM/SVA dos íons metálicos Pb, Cd, Ni, Cu e Zn apontou maior toxicidade dos sedimentos desta região. Houve correlações positivas entre estes elementos indicando que provavelmente tenham as mesmas fontes, sendo provenientes do arraste realizado pelo Rio Ribeira de Iguape. No fígado dos golfinhos, as concentrações deram-se na seguinte ordem de grandeza: Fe>Zn>Cu>Mn>Cr>Pb>Ni>Co>Cd. O Fe e o Zn apresentaram as maiores variações entre os metais e o Pb teve a maior variação e média descritas para a espécie (1,94 μg g-1). Não foram observadas correlações no acúmulo dos metais entre os sexos e o comprimento corporal dos animais. No entanto, animais infantes apresentaram maiores concentrações de metais essenciais, estando estes valores ligados ao período de rápido crescimento pós-natal. Considerando-se o histórico local e os valores observados para a biodisponibilidade dos metais, o estudo ressalta a utilização do boto-cinza como sentinela sendo esta avaliação uma importante abordagem para o monitoramento ambiental uma vez que permite a medição direta da biodisponibilidade dos poluentes. A alta média observada para o chumbo nos botos pode refletir a contaminação ambiental local causada por atividades mineradoras e indicar uma possível transferência trófica, uma vez que a dieta é uma das principais vias da exposição ao elemento. / The Ribeira de Iguape river is the most responsible for the input of freshwater and sediments in suspension to the Estuarine-Lagoon Complex of Iguape-Cananéia (CELIC), which has a population of about 200 Guiana dolphins. The basin of this river was strongly affected by mining activities, which contaminating the sediments along its course and in part of the estuary. This study evaluated the spatial and temporal variation of physical and chemical parameters of the environment, the bioavailability of Fe, Zn, Mn, Co, Cu, Cr, Cd, Pb and Ni in the sediments and the accumulation of these elements in the liver of 21 dolphins of the species Sotalia guianensis. The water and sediment were sampled in 8 points throughout the system in three different samples between the years 2013 and 2014 and the tissue samples were obtained by monitoring of the beaches between 2009 and 2012. The trophic conditions found between the portions differ in great degree, most notably salinity, resistivity,DO, pH and the supply of nutrients and metals. The metals Pb, Zn, Cu, Mg and Fe showed high values in sediments near Iguape, being considered as strong bioavailable. The SEM/SVA reason for the metalic ions Pb, Cd, Ni, Cu and Zn showed greater toxicity of the sediments in this region. There were positive correlations between these elements indicating that they probably have the same sources, from the drag made by the Ribeira river. In the liver of the dolphins, the concentrations were given in the following order of magnitude: Fe>Zn>Cu>Mn>Cr> Pb>Ni>Co>Cd. The metals Fe and Zn showed higher values between metals and the Pb had the highest mean and variance ever described for the species (1.94 μg g-1). There were no correlations in the accumulation of metals between the sexes and the body length of the animals. However, infants showed higher concentrations of essential metals, and these values are related to the periode of rapid postnatal growth. Considering the local history and the bioavailability values observed for the metals, this study emphasizes the use of the Guiana dolphin as sentinel, this being an important approach for environmental monitoring once it allows direct measurement of the bioavailability of metals. The high mean of lead observed in the dolphings may reflect the local environmental contamination caused by mining activities and indicate a possible trophic transfer, since the diet is a major route of exposure to the element.