The ocean surgeon, Acanthurus bahianus, is a coral reef fish inhabiting the tropical and subtropical waters of the western Atlantic, including southeastern Florida. This study was a 23-month analysis of the reproductive cycle correlated with the annual build up and depletion of fat reserves in the fish. In addition, an age and growth analysis of this species was conducted. A total of 507 fish were analyzed for length, weight, gonad weight and fat body weight. 478 were aged by microscopic examination of the transverse section of the sagittae otolith. The von Bertalannfy growth equation was used to determine length at age. The calculated maximum age for A. bahianus at this site was 17.86 (the oldest fish collected was an 18 year old male). The male and female gonadosomatic index increased from October to reach their highest levels in February and regressed to the lowest levels in June. The fat bodies held an inverse relationship with the gonadal growth. The fat body somatic index was the highest in August and September preceeding the gonadal recrudescence and reached the lowest levels in March. There was a correlation between fat bodies and mean sea surface temperatures at the study site but it is not clear if this is a casual relationship. This study is the first to report an in depth analysis of the fat and reproductive tissue cycles of A. bahianus and adds to knowledge of age and growth of this species.

The colonial zoanthid Palythoa caribaeorum (Cnidaria, Zoanthidea) (Duchassaing and Michelotti 1861) is a major benthic component of most Caribbean reefs and is an extremely aggressive spatial competitor (Suchanek and Green 1981). This study looks at annual visits to 16 permanent monitoring sites over 3 reef designations (Inshore Ridge Complex, Middle Reef, and Outer Reef) in Broward County, Florida from 2002-2006. The data obtained in this study fills an informational void regarding the role of zoanthids in the southeast Florida reef benthic community. The study was conducted in two parts. Part One used digital imagery analysis to quantify the spatial cover of the Palythoa population present across the study area. The highest percent live cover sites were located in the Inshore Ridge Complex, suggesting that the more dense Palythoa populations are close to shore. Part Two used digital analysis data to determine if it was possible to create a size class transition matrix model that could accurately model the population distribution of such a dynamic organism. To test the accuracy of the model, the predicted population distribution of the model and the actual observed distribution from the digital image analysis were analyzed. A Chi-square test determined that the model successfully predicted size class distribution frequency of all treatments (All Sites, High Cover Sites, Low Cover Sites, and the 3 reef tracts) for all years (2002-2006) with the exception of 3 (Low Cover, Middle Reef, and Outer Reef) of the 6 treatments in 2005. Southeast Florida experienced extremely severe hurricane seasons in 2004 and 2005, and the data suggests that the population distribution at the 3 lower cover (farther from shore) sites were disturbed. Sensitivity and elasticity analyses were run on appropriate results to examine which size class transitions contribute most to population stability. Although it possesses the ability to outgrow stony corals (and almost all other sessile invertebrates), the current study suggests that the Palythoa population in southeast Florida is generally maintaining size rather than over-growing the reef community. With the knowledge gained from this study, we know that it is possible to accurately model the population dynamics present in the southeast Florida Palythoa population.

About two thirds of the world’s population lives within 60 km of a coastline, however many members of the public do not recognize the importance of the nearby coral reef ecosystems. Although reef degradation is currently occurring at alarming rates, there is hope for the future of coral reef health. It is proven that humans have a large effect on the current health of coral reefs. This thesis aims to determine how marine scientists and educators can best influence the general public to affect behaviors to improve reef health. To do this involves taking analyzing the many effects of human attitudes and behaviors on reefs. First, we study major approaches used by contemporary marine scientists to educate the broader public about marine ecology and reef degradation issues in particular. We will identify those initiatives and methods which show the most promise for altering human behaviors which threaten reef health. Secondly, we aim to define “populations of educational interest” by examining census data and other literature, which lead educators to determine important audiences that need to be educated. Thirdly, we will determine which behaviors and attitudes will have the largest effects on reef health. Based on current research, a digraph (directed graph) was created to model the influences that different attitudes have on different measures of reef health. The digraph model was then translated into a mathematical model which simulates a pulse process to show the effect of changes in this model. Three scenarios were developed. Influencing the general public to decrease their emission of greenhouse gasses would have positive effects on fish density, coral cover, reef framework and diversity. Human population itself was an important factor affecting reef health, and with changes in attitudes, if population decreases, reef health could be improved. Also, increasing education to influence the effect that boaters and divers have on physical damage would positively impact all reef health indicators. Information gained from the model, as well as the information gained from determining the “populations of interest” and furthering current educational outreach has the potential to allow educators better framing of future reef programs as well as alter aspects of current programs in order to obtain maximum results in behavior and attitude change, resulting in positive effects on reef health for the future.

Benthic communities in the estuarine portion of the James River are controlled mainly by salinity. Pollution effects are localized and difficult to assess because of the rigorous physical environment. Mesohaline and oligohaline communities were very similar to those in other east coast estuaries. except for the dominance of Rangia cuneata in the oligohaline zone. Communities of the tidal freshwater zone are most affected by pollution. In the areas of Richmond and Hopewell, where the major portion of the pollution load enters the river, communities are most severely depressed. Separate multivariate analyses of species distributional patterns, and pollution and physical parameters produced similar results dividing the river into mesohaline, oligohaline, and upper and lower tidal freshwater zones. Further analysis of only the tidal freshwater portion, to eliminate the effect of salinity, indicated that the distribution of benthic communities reflected the location and concentration of pollution sources along the river. The communities were dominated·by the introduced Asiatic clam, Corbicula manilensis, tubificids of the genus Limnodrilus and the chironomid larva Coelotanypus scapularis. The fauna of the freshwater zones was very eurytopic and adapted to the silty habitats that characterize the tidal freshwater James River and had great resemblance to the fauna of eutrophic lakes. The classical concept that a sharp increase in the number species occurs from the oligohaline to freshwater zones was found to be misleading. The increase does not occur until nontidal freshwater areas of greater habitat diversity are reached. Various aspects of the ecology of the poorly known tidal freshwater habitat are also discussed. This dissertation is from the Joint Program Degree from the College of William & Mary and University of Virginia and awarded by the University of Virginia.

Sea urchins are an ecologically important species that can drastically alter marine communities due to their consumption and destruction of macroalgal beds (e.g. kelp forests). These beds form highly productive ecosystems that provide shelter and nursery habitat for many benthic and pelagic species. When their populations explode, due to a lack of predators and/or various environmental conditions, sea urchins can overgraze and decimate macroalgal beds. This creates areas called sea urchin barrens, which is a problem seen around the world. Sea urchin aquaculture is a method to remove these over-populated sea urchins from the environment, feed them either a prepared or macroalgal diet for approximately 12-weeks to produce a marketable roe product in a process termed roe or gonad enhancement. Two feeding trials were conducted on two species of sea urchins that are native to the waters off Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada: the green (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis) and red (Mesocentrotus franciscanus) sea urchin. There were nine treatments per feeding trial, where three diets (two prepared diets; V10.1.9 and V10.1.10, and one natural bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) diet and three different temperatures (8, 12, and 16oC; which are temperatures commonly found in the waters around Vancouver Island) were examined to assess the feasibility of a sea urchin gonad enhancement operation with these species and diets. Overall, green sea urchins fed V10.1.9 at 8 and 12°C produced the highest gonad yields (mean ± SE: 29.4 ± 1.1% and 29.4 ± 1.5%, respectively) while V10.1.9 at 12°C also had the highest gonad yield increase per week (mean ± SE: 2.2 ± 0.2%) and the lowest FCR-G (mean ± SE: 1.0E-2 ± 9.0E-4 feed g gonad increase g-1). Green sea urchins fed V10.1.10 at 12°C, however, produced the most preferred gonad taste, gonad yields still above market minimum (mean ± SE: 25.6 ± 1.5%), and the third lowest FCR (mean ± SE: 1.5E-2 ± 1.9E-3 feed g gonad increase g-1), while urchins fed V10.1.10 at 16°C had the best colour (mean degree of colour difference ± SE: 6.0 ± 0.9). Therefore, it can be suggested that optimal conditions moving forward for green sea urchins would be feeding V10.1.10 at 12°C. For red sea urchins, those fed V10.1.10 produced the highest gonad yields at 12°C (mean ± SE: 12.7 ± 1.5%) and the best colour at 16°C (mean degree of colour difference ± SE: 30.3 ± 3.1), while red sea urchins fed V10.1.9 at 16°C produced the second highest gonad yields (mean ± SE: 11.0 ± 0.4%), the lowest FCR-G (1.9E-3 ± 2.8E-4 feed g gonad increase g-1), the most preferred gonad taste, and a low degree of colour difference (mean ± SE: 32.3 ± 2.1). Therefore, it can be suggested that optimal conditions moving forward for red sea urchins would be feeding V10.1.9 at 16°C. / Graduate

An effort is here made to assemble all of our knowledge of all adult trematodes which have been found in the fishes of the Pacific Marine Station Area. This includes publications, unpublished material such as graduate theses, and specimens herein described for the first time. It is hoped that this endeavor will facilitate further investigation in trematodology and that this paper will be an aid in identification of trematodes subsequently discovered.

This paper is concerned with the description of two new ostracod species, and the discussion of their affinities with other species in the subfamily Cytherinae. In this discussion reference is made to the morphological features of several genera. At this point it must be made clear that although the original type descriptions were used, the author has never seen the type specimens. Thus, all discussion is based on these original descriptions as well as on available supplementary material.

In the present study, aspects of the ecological life history of Batillaria zonalis (Brugiere) has been investigated for a period of two years. Trends in population dynamics and aspects of its biology in two salt marsh localities are described. Results of studies of the feeding biology of the sympatric population of Batillaria and Cerithidea californica (an “ecological equivalent” of Batillaria (Macdonald, 1969) and their interaction with diatoms are reported with reference to food-resource partitioning. The results are discussed within the context of problems of testing hypotheses about diversity and stability in salt marsh communities. Although these basic theoretical questions cannot be answered in this study, the Batillaria-Cerithidea-diatom component of salt marsh committees is believed to have characteristics facilitating testing of specific hypotheses about community dynamics.

The morphology of the proboscis--particularly the epiproboscis, the feeding behavior, the function(s) of the epiproboscis, and the functional morphology of the epiproboscis, were studied in Mitra idea Melville and fi. catalinae Dall (Gastropoda: Neogastropoda; Mitridae. In M. idae, the epiproboscis is an extensible muscular J-shaped rod which curves under the odontophore, and lies parallel to the longitudinal axis of the proboscis. A muscular external sheath encloses that portion of the epiproboscis which lies within the proboscis haemacoel; an invaginated muscular-epithelial internal sheath covers the ventral part of the epiproboscis. The dorsal part of the epiproboscis consists principally of longitudinal muscle; the ventral part of the epiproboscis consists principally of circular muscle surrounding a core of longitudinal muscle. Specialized postural muscles are present along the surface of, and within the circular muscle of, the ventral part of the epiproboscis. The epiproboscis of M. idae was observed to perform four functions: (1) prey location during attachment of the proboscis to the prey; (2) retrieval of prey viscera; (3) leverage and physical support of the odontophore; and (4) assistance in maintaining a hold on the prey as the proboscis attempts to retract. The anterior displacement of blood along the surface of the epiproboscis serves to protract the organ. The external and internal sheaths displace and contain this blood. The musculature of the epiproboscis provides postural control and assists in retraction of the epiproboscis. The epiproboscis of M. catal inae was observed to act as a buccal pump to withdraw small volumes of the prey's body fluid, and small numbers of eggs from gravid adults. The anterior displacement of blood within the epiproboscis serves to protract the organ. The external and internal sheaths displace this blood and maintain the cross-sectional form of the epiproboscis, respectively. The musculature of the epiproboscis retracts it. The epiproboscis of M. catalinae is part of a functional unit which includes a pair of peristomial lips and the esophagus. A model was proposed to account for the coordinated actions of each part of this functional unit. These are the first observations of the function and functional morphology of the mitrid epiproboscis. In M. idae and M. catalinae, the salivary gland ducts connect to the. epiproboscis., and open to the outside of the anterior tip of the epiproboscis as a common lumen. The significance of the presence of the ducts within the epiproboscis remains unclear, but there is no evidence that the ducts carry a toxic or venomous substance. The behavioral events leading up the prey are similar in both species. of the act and means of attachment of to attachment of the proboscis to Differences exist in the details the proboscis to the prey. The proboscis morphology of M. idae is representative of other members of the subfamily Mitrinae. The probsocis morphology of M.· catalinae is very different from M. idae with respect to: (l) the peristomial rim; (2) the epiproboscis;-(3) the odontophore; ( 4) the radula; and (5) the esophagus. M. catalinae should probably be placed within the subfamily Cylindromitrinae. M. idae and M. catalinae feed on supinculids, as do other species of mitrids studied. The observed function of the epiproboscides of these two species, and the essentially homogenous diet of mitrids in general, suggest that the epiproboscis is an adaptation for feeding on softbodied reclusive prey which occupy some form of protective confinement. A model of the evolution of the epiproboscis is proposed, beginning with a structure analogous to the subradular organ of other gastropods, and ending with the -M. -idae epiproboscis type.

Response surface techniques were used to investigate the tolerances of the planktonic larvae of three spionid polychaetes to a variety of temperature and salinity combinations. Two of the spionids were morphologically very similar members of the genus Boccar.dia., B. proboscidea and B. columbiana which occupy nearly identical geographic ranges. The other was Polydora giardi a common coinhabitant with B. columbiana. In addition a third independent parameter, food concentration, was added to the study of B. columbiana and P. giardi. The larvae of the two Boccardia species were extremely euryhaline, in marked contrast to those of Polydora giardi which were confined to an extremely narrow salinity range. They were distinctly sepArated by their temperature tolerances, however; B. proboscidea exhibiting maximum growth and survival at the upper temperature extremes of the design , while B. columbiana preferred a moderate to low temperature regime. The larvae of P. giardi are extremely eurythermal and are only slightly affected by temperature variations. It is suggested that the reproductive schedule of the three spionids can be explained, at least in part, in terms of the information generated by the response surfaces. The long duration of the reproductive season of P. giardi is a reflection of the larvae's eurythermal nature. The inability of the larvae of P. giardi to cope with osmotic stress and the lack of an abundance of food items in the plankton during the winter months are probably of greater consequence in dictating the cessation of the reproductive season, than the minimum water temperatures that occur at t.his time. The Boccardia larvae are in contrast less subject to the above considerations but are very dependent on the ambient water temperature to promote larval survival and growth.