The South Atlantic has a relevant role on the AMOC variability as it includes two main conduits of its upper-ocean return flow: the NBUC and the IWBC that carry, mainly, the SACW and the AAIW and are originated from the bifurcation of the SEC. One of the hypotheses of this work is that analyzing the bifurcation variability it is possible to get an index of the AMOC changes. Another hypothesis is that in a global warming scenario, changes in the hydrological cycle would drive modifications in the water masses that are part of the AMOC, and thus, contribute to its variability. Four global model results were used, with different forcing and spatial resolution. Results show that changes in the bifurcation are linked to modications in the currents both caused by variations in the wind stress curl. Good correlations were found between the SEC bifurcation at the surface and the AMOC. The NBUC seems to be the link between them. Shallowing of the SACW core is related to an increase of the salinity on neutral surfaces. The AAIW is occupying less space in the water column due to an increasing of the salinity in the neutral surfaces at 11°S, while the opposite happens at 27°S / The South Atlantic has a relevant role on the AMOC variability as it includes two main conduits of its upper-ocean return flow: the NBUC and the IWBC that carry, mainly, the SACW and the AAIW and are originated from the bifurcation of the SEC. One of the hypotheses of this work is that analyzing the bifurcation variability it is possible to get an index of the AMOC changes. Another hypothesis is that in a global warming scenario, changes in the hydrological cycle would drive modifications in the water masses that are part of the AMOC, and thus, contribute to its variability. Four global model results were used, with different forcing and spatial resolution. Results show that changes in the bifurcation are linked to modications in the currents both caused by variations in the wind stress curl. Good correlations were found between the SEC bifurcation at the surface and the AMOC. The NBUC seems to be the link between them. Shallowing of the SACW core is related to an increase of the salinity on neutral surfaces. The AAIW is occupying less space in the water column due to an increasing of the salinity in the neutral surfaces at 11°S, while the opposite happens at 27°S

Assessing the spatial and temporal distributions of marine turtles in an open system poses both observational and analytical challenges due to their migratory nature and use of large current systems. Concentrations of animals can shift because turtles undergo large-scale migrations and habitat shifts seasonally as well as a function of lifestage. Surface counts of marine turtles in waters off Florida’s east coast were made in and adjacent to the Florida Current using standard aerial surveys. While it is understood that marine turtles use waters off the eastern coast of Florida, here we document the magnitude of the shift in turtle presence each season throughout a two year study and identify habitat characteristics where turtles occur most frequently. Our assessment of marine turtles in the waters off southeast Florida provide valuable metrics describing the in-water biology of sea turtles in this area to inform future management strategies of these endangered species. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2014. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Esta tese visa estudar o impacto da temperatura superfí-cie do mar (TSM) do Atlântico Sul na circulação atmos-férica regional, com ênfase na América do Sul. Os efeitos do Atlântico Sul na atmosfera são examinados através de dois conjuntos de simulações numéricas (ensemble), com o modelo atmosférico do NCAR (CCM3), forçados com a TSM observacional sobre dois domínios: o oceano global e o Atlântico Sul Subtropical, entre 20ºS e 60ºS. Uma metodologia de tratamento do ensemble é aplicada com o intuito de diminuir a variabilidade interna da atmosfera e ressaltar a resposta devido à forçante local de TSM. A comparação entre os experimentos numéricos através das análises de EOF e SVD mostrou que o Atlântico Sul exerce influência sobre a intensidade e posição geográfica da Zona de Convergência do Atlântico Sul (ZCAS) durante os meses de verão austral, associado a uma circulação ciclônica junto à costa sudeste brasileira, que advecta ar relativamente quente e úmido para a banda de precipitação oceânica. Este trabalho também mostra a importância conjunta da TSM do Atlântico Sul e Pacífico equatorial na modulação da intensidade e posição da ITCZ durante os meses de outono e inverno. Os resultados confirmam ainda o El Niño Oscilação Sul como um fator de impacto remoto na intensidade de chuvas na região sul do Brasil durante o inverno. / This work aims to study the impact of South Atlantic sea surface temperature (SST) on regional atmosfheric circulation. In order to achieve this purpose we used the atmospheric global circulation model Community Climate Model (CCM 3) from National Center for Atmosfheric Research (NCAR). the effects of South Atlantic on atmosphere are examined through two sets of numerical simulations (ensemble) generated with different SST configurations. The integrations were forced by SST from observational data over two domains: global ocean and South Atlantic from 20ºS to 60ºS. Looking for the reduction of the internal variability of the atmosphere and for increase of the response from the local SST forcing, a forcing, a special treatment was applied to the ensembles. The statistical methodology used in this study includes simple analysis such as climatology, variance and correlation as well as Empirical Orthogonal Functions and Singular Value Decomposition. the comparasion between the numerical experiments showed that the South Atlantic influences the interannual variability of precipitation over South America, especially with respect to the intensity and geographic position od South Atlantic Convergenge Zone (SACZ) during the austral summer season. The anomalous SST of the Subtropical South Atlantic induces the heat exchange between ocean and atmosphere, which togeter with a cyclonic circulation near the southern Brazilian coast, advects relatively moist and warm air to the oceanic part of SACZ. The increase of convection over this band inhibits the solar radiation in the surface, preventing the continuous increase of SST (negative feedback). This work also shows the importance of SST from the South Atlantic and Equatorial Pacific in modulating the intensity and position of ITCZ during the autumn and winter monhths. This study also confirms the El Niño - Southern Oscillation (ENSO) as a remote impact factor controling the intensity of rain over southern Brazil mainly during winter.

Esta tese visa estudar o impacto da temperatura superfí-cie do mar (TSM) do Atlântico Sul na circulação atmos-férica regional, com ênfase na América do Sul. Os efeitos do Atlântico Sul na atmosfera são examinados através de dois conjuntos de simulações numéricas (ensemble), com o modelo atmosférico do NCAR (CCM3), forçados com a TSM observacional sobre dois domínios: o oceano global e o Atlântico Sul Subtropical, entre 20ºS e 60ºS. Uma metodologia de tratamento do ensemble é aplicada com o intuito de diminuir a variabilidade interna da atmosfera e ressaltar a resposta devido à forçante local de TSM. A comparação entre os experimentos numéricos através das análises de EOF e SVD mostrou que o Atlântico Sul exerce influência sobre a intensidade e posição geográfica da Zona de Convergência do Atlântico Sul (ZCAS) durante os meses de verão austral, associado a uma circulação ciclônica junto à costa sudeste brasileira, que advecta ar relativamente quente e úmido para a banda de precipitação oceânica. Este trabalho também mostra a importância conjunta da TSM do Atlântico Sul e Pacífico equatorial na modulação da intensidade e posição da ITCZ durante os meses de outono e inverno. Os resultados confirmam ainda o El Niño Oscilação Sul como um fator de impacto remoto na intensidade de chuvas na região sul do Brasil durante o inverno. / This work aims to study the impact of South Atlantic sea surface temperature (SST) on regional atmosfheric circulation. In order to achieve this purpose we used the atmospheric global circulation model Community Climate Model (CCM 3) from National Center for Atmosfheric Research (NCAR). the effects of South Atlantic on atmosphere are examined through two sets of numerical simulations (ensemble) generated with different SST configurations. The integrations were forced by SST from observational data over two domains: global ocean and South Atlantic from 20ºS to 60ºS. Looking for the reduction of the internal variability of the atmosphere and for increase of the response from the local SST forcing, a forcing, a special treatment was applied to the ensembles. The statistical methodology used in this study includes simple analysis such as climatology, variance and correlation as well as Empirical Orthogonal Functions and Singular Value Decomposition. the comparasion between the numerical experiments showed that the South Atlantic influences the interannual variability of precipitation over South America, especially with respect to the intensity and geographic position od South Atlantic Convergenge Zone (SACZ) during the austral summer season. The anomalous SST of the Subtropical South Atlantic induces the heat exchange between ocean and atmosphere, which togeter with a cyclonic circulation near the southern Brazilian coast, advects relatively moist and warm air to the oceanic part of SACZ. The increase of convection over this band inhibits the solar radiation in the surface, preventing the continuous increase of SST (negative feedback). This work also shows the importance of SST from the South Atlantic and Equatorial Pacific in modulating the intensity and position of ITCZ during the autumn and winter monhths. This study also confirms the El Niño - Southern Oscillation (ENSO) as a remote impact factor controling the intensity of rain over southern Brazil mainly during winter.

Thesis (doctoral)--Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 2005. / Thesis documentation sheet inserted. Appendix includes six papers and manuscripts co-authored with others. Also issued electronically via World Wide Web in PDF format; online version lacks appendix of papers.

Thesis (M.A. in National Security Affairs)--Naval Postgraduate School, June 2003. / Thesis advisor(s): Donald Abenheim, Daniel J. Moran. Includes bibliographical references (p. 83-92). Also available online.

No description available.

Lateral instability exerts considerable influence on the sedimentology, planform, and hydraulic characteristics of gravel-bed rivers. Because Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) tolerate a narrow range of depths, velocities and substrate sizes, the quality and quantity of habitat available to salmon should vary with level of river instability. In the Riviere Nouvelle, a Gaspe river destabilized by deforestation and past channelization projects, the effect of lateral instability on habitat was variable. Fines content in riffle substrates did not show a significant relationship to local bank erosion rates, even where the rate was as high as 10 myr$ sp{-1}$ and the proportion of fines entering the channel was much higher than that found in riffles substrates (an excess of fines in potential spawning riffles reduces spawning success among salmonids). For juveniles, availability of hydraulically suitable habitat was largest where lateral instability resulted in aggradation of the river bed and development of a braided pattern. Hydraulic habitat availability was lowest where erosion patterns led to high planform curvature levels and to scouring of bed materials. In general, because of the relatively high power of the Riviere Nouvelle, structures or processes leading to diminishment of depths or velocities (e.g. aggradation) resulted in an increase in the amount of juvenile habitat available.

Previous correlations have been established between the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and both the tropical north Atlantic sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) and precipitation anomalies in the southeastern and mid-Atlantic states. Both bivariate and partial correlations are used over a five and six-month lag to assess the relevance the tropical Atlantic SSTs have in eastern United States precipitation patterns. Significant correlations between Pacific SSTs and precipitation were found during winter months which agree with previous literature. The relationship with the Atlantic SSTs was less robust, as some significant values were established over three seasons, excluding winter. Only the spring season showed a partial explanation of the Atlantic SST's role in the precipitation's response to Pacific SSTs. These relationships did not occur during the times when significant correlations were made between Pacific SSTs and precipitation. / Department of Geography

Sexual maturation during commercial culture of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.) represents a significant production bottleneck restricting the profitability of the industry. Such problems in other species have traditionally been addressed by artificial manipulation of photoperiod cycles, however little research exists in this field in cod. This thesis therefore investigates the interactions between artificial photoperiod manipulation, sexual maturation and somatic growth in this species. In the first experiment, populations of Atlantic cod (hatched, spring 1999) were maintained on either a simulated natural photoperiod (SNP) or continuous illumination (LL) from approximately 15 months post hatch (MPH) (July 2000) in an enclosed tank system. Growth performance was recorded monthly along with observations of reproductive activity over the subsequent 2 years (up to July 2002). At both 2 and 3 years of age the entire population raised under SNP matured and spawned, during which time mean weight reduced by 13% and 24% respectively. No spawning individuals were recorded at 2 years of age in the LL population and only 18% were observed to spawn at 3. However, observations of both changes in gonadal morphology (observed via ultrasound scanning) and a suppression in growth rate at 2 years of age in the LL population alluded to a maturation “dummy run” regulated by an endogenous clock. Despite this phenomenon, the LL treatment realised a 39% and 43% improvement in wet weight following 1 and 2 years of exposure to LL respectively. When the diel cycle of plasma melatonin was compared between the treatments in February 2001 (23MPH) the SNP population displayed an A-profile diel rhythm ranging between 20 and 50 pg/ml while the LL treatment did not display any rhythm. In the second experiment of this work, two populations of cod (hatched, spring 2001) were reared in commercial open cage systems, one of which experienced continuous additional artificial illumination between July 2002 (15MPH) and October 2003 (30MPH) provided by four, 400W submerged lighting units. Growth and maturation were assessed in both populations throughout. In March 2003 (24MPH) it was apparent that spawning individuals were present in both the SNP and LL populations though a significantly lower number of spawning individuals in the LL treatment suggested that the peak in spawning activity was delayed by about 1 to 2 months. With both populations apparently maturing at 2 years of age, there was no significant difference in weight between the populations at the end of the trial. In comparison to experiments I and IV of this work, these results would suggest that in comparison to salmonids for example, Atlantic cod appear to have a heightened sensitivity to light allowing individuals to differentiate the ambient photoperiod signal from the application of continuous artificial light. In the third experiment, 6 populations of approximately 20 tagged individuals (hatched spring 1999) were maintained, from December 2000 to July 2002, under either SNP, LL or one of four, out of season “square wave” photoperiod regimes (repeating cycles with a 12 month period, consisting of a 6 month window of LL followed by six months of short day lengths [SD, 7L:17D] which had been staggered to start over a six month period). Each individual was monitored monthly for maturation status. Out of season “square wave” photoperiods were demonstrated to successfully entrain maturation and hence significantly alter the spawning profiles in these populations. Application of LL from December 2000 failed to inhibit maturation in the spring of 2001 and, in fact, advanced the spawning season by 1 month while those that experienced SD from the same date showed significant extension of the subsequent spawning season. Interestingly, the males maintained on LL throughout the experiment matured both in the spring of 2001 and one year later in the spring of 2002 while females under the same treatment only matured and spawned in 2001. In the fourth experiment, a total of 830 tagged individuals were raised either under SNP or one of 7 photoperiod treatments, consisting of 5 groups transferred from SNP to LL at 3 monthly intervals between 6 and 18 MPH where they remained and a further two groups maintained on LL from 6 to 15MPH and 6 to 21 MPH respectively before being returned to SNP. Both the gonadic and somatic axes were monitored at the physiological and endocrinological level at three monthly intervals from 6 to 27 MPH. The results demonstrated that it is the falling autumnal photoperiod signal after the summer solstice, more specifically after October, that is responsible for recruiting individuals to enter the sexual maturation cycle. Furthermore, in all treatments where this signal was masked i.e. those which experienced LL starting at or prior to 15MPH, except for some restricted spermatogenic activity in the males testis observed at 27MPH, there was no significant reproductive activity and growth was improved by up to 60% at 27 MPH. While providing evidence for direct photic stimulation of somatic growth, the growth results were also correlated with the measurement of plasma IGF-I and demonstrated its potential as a tool to assess growth rates in the species. Plasma melatonin measured at 15MPH, as in experiment I, was suppressed in all populations which were under LL photoperiods. By identifying the photoperiod “window of opportunity” which recruits individuals into the sexual maturation cycle, this work was able to conclude that the application of LL from the summer solstice prior to maturation is the most efficient photoperiod strategy to be adopted by the aquaculture industry to realise maximum growth potential from their cultured stocks.