76 FR 24837 - Regulated Navigation Area; Columbus Day Weekend, Biscayne Bay, Miami, FL

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-03

... establishing an RNA, as described in paragraph 34(g) of the Instruction. We seek any comments or information... regulated navigation area (RNA) on Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida. The RNA would be enforced annually on the... Rickenbacker Causeway Bridge. All vessels within the RNA would be: Required to transit the regulated navigation...

77 FR 75550 - Special Local Regulations; 2013 Orange Bowl Paddle Championship, Biscayne Bay, Miami, FL

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-21

... special local regulation on the waters of Biscayne Bay and the Miami River in Miami, FL during the 2013 Orange Bowl Paddle Championship. The event will take place on January 13, 2013 between the hours of 9 a.m... designated representative. DATES: This rule will be enforced from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on January 13, 2013...

The Effect of Coastal Development on Storm Surge Flooding in Biscayne Bay, Florida, USA (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, K.; Liu, H.; Li, Y.

2013-12-01

Barrier islands and associated bays along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts are a favorite place for both living and visiting. Many of them are vulnerable to storm surge flooding because of low elevations and constantly being subjected to the impacts of storms. The population increase and urban development along the barrier coast have altered the shoreline configuration, resulting in a dramatic change in the coastal flooding pattern in some areas. Here we present such a case based on numerical simulations of storm surge flooding caused by the1926 hurricane in the densely populated area surrounding Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida. The construction of harbor and navigation channels, and the development of real estate and the roads connecting islands along Biscayne Bay have changed the geometry of Biscayne Bay since 1910s. Storm surge simulations show that the Port of Miami and Dodge Island constructed by human after 1950 play an important role in changing storm surge inundation pattern along Biscayne Bay. Dodge Island enhances storm surge and increases inundation in the area south of the island, especially at the mouth of Miami River (Downtown of Miami), and reduces storm surge flooding in the area north of the island, especially in Miami Beach. If the Hurricane Miami of 1926 happened today, the flooding area would be reduced by 55% and 20% in the Miami Beach and North Miami areas, respectively. Consequently, it would prevent 400 million of property and 10 thousand people from surge flooding according to 2010 U.S census and 2007 property tax data. Meanwhile, storm water would penetrate further inland south of Dodge Island and increase the flooding area by 25% in the Miami River and Downtown Miami areas. As a result, 200 million of property and five thousand people would be impacted by storm surge.

Utilizing NASA Earth Observations to Assess Impacts of Hurricanes Andrew and Irma on Mangrove Forests in Biscayne Bay National Park, FL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, A.; Weber, S.; Remillard, C.; Escobar Pardo, M. L.; Hashemi Tonekaboni, N.; Cameron, C.; Linton, S.; Rickless, D.; Rivero, R.; Madden, M.

2017-12-01

Extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, pose major threats to coastal communities around the globe. However, mangrove forests along coastlines act as barriers and subdue the impacts associated with these catastrophic events. The Biscayne Bay National Park mangrove forest located near the city of Miami Beach was recently affected by the category four hurricane Irma in September of 2017. This study analyzed the impact of Hurricane Irma on Biscayne Bay National Park mangroves. Several remote sensing datasets including Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI), Sentinel 2-Multi Spectral Imager (MSI), PlanetScope, and aerial imagery were utilized to assess pre-and post-hurricane conditions. The high-resolution aerial imagery and PlanetScope data were used to map damaged areas within the national park. Additionally, Landsat 8 OLI and Sentinel-2 MSI data were utilized to estimate changes in biophysical parameters, including gross primary productivity (GPP), before and after Hurricane Irma. This project also examined damages associated with Hurricane Andrew (1992) using historical Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM) data. These results were compared to GPP estimates following Hurricane Irma and suggested that Hurricane Andrew's impact was greater than that of Irma in Biscayne Bay National Park. The results of this study will help to enhance the mangrove health monitoring and shoreline management programs led by officials at the City of Miami Beach Public Works Department.

The History of Land-Use Change in the South Florida Ecosystem: Paleoecologic Data as a Guide for Restoration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wingard, G. L.; Cronin, T. M.; Dwyer, G. S.; Holmes, C. W.; Ishman, S. E.

2003-12-01

The south Florida ecosystem has undergone profound changes during the last century as a result of urbanization, agricultural development, and the construction of a massive water control system - the Central and Southern Florida (C&SF) Project. Created in 1948, the C&SF Project was designed for flood protection and to provide water for people and agricultural development. The extensive network of canals, levees, and water-control structures cover over 18,000 square miles and have completely altered the natural sheet flow of water across the land. Water was, and is, the principal driving force of this unique subtropical ecosystem, a significant portion of which is public land, including Everglades National Park, Biscayne National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Dry Tortugas National Park, and six National Wildlife Refuge Complexes. The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) has been designed in an effort to restore more natural water delivery to the ecosystem. This plan will cost over 8 billion dollars and take more than 30 years to complete. To successfully implement the CERP, land managers and restoration planners need answers to questions such as what are our restoration targets? What conditions are we restoring the system to? What portion of the changes seen in the 20th century can be attributed to land-use changes and what portion to natural change? What are the impacts on living resources? Paleoecologic and biochemical research is providing the answers to these questions. Analyses of cores from Florida Bay and Biscayne Bay have highlighted the following important findings. (1) Although land-use changes have played a role in determining salinity for Florida Bay as a whole, salinity is more strongly correlated to rainfall than any other single factor. (2) Anthropogenic activity influences the magnitude of salinity variations seen in recent times in Florida Bay, and they probably act on a local basis to influence salinity patterns near areas of canal outflow. (3) Declines in species diversity and increases in dominance of salinity-tolerant species have occurred since the 1980s in several benthic invertebrate groups in different regions of Florida Bay. (4) Increases in abundance and/or density of sub-aquatic vegetation appear to have occurred in the last 50 years, compared to the first half of the 20th century. 5) In central Biscayne Bay salinities have become increasingly marine and increasingly stable over the last century. (6) Southern Biscayne Bay has experienced relatively large swings in salinity over multi-decadal and centennial timescales, but marine influence at the site has increased over the last century. (7) Sub-aquatic vegetation in Biscayne Bay has undergone bay-wide patterns of change over the last 200-500 years but a decline in Thalassia appears to have occurred in central Biscayne Bay around the middle of the 20th century. These findings are providing land management agencies with the information they need to plan and prioritize restoration effectively.

Spatial patterning of water quality in Biscayne Bay, Florida as a function of land use and water management.

PubMed

Caccia, Valentina G; Boyer, Joseph N

2005-11-01

An objective classification analysis was performed on a water quality data set from 25 sites collected monthly during 1994-2003. The water quality parameters measured included: TN, TON, DIN, NH4+, NO3-, NO2-, TP, SRP, TN:TP ratio, TOC, DO, CHL A, turbidity, salinity and temperature. Based on this spatial analysis, Biscayne Bay was divided into five zones having similar water quality characteristics. A robust nutrient gradient, driven mostly by dissolved inorganic nitrogen, from alongshore to offshore in the main Bay, was a large determinant in the spatial clustering. Two of these zones (Alongshore and Inshore) were heavily influenced by freshwater input from four canals which drain the South Dade agricultural area, Black Point Landfill, and sewage treatment plant. The North Bay zone, with high turbidity, phytoplankton biomass, total phosphorus, and low DO, was affected by runoff from five canals, the Munisport Landfill, and the urban landscape. The South Bay zone, an embayment surrounded by mangrove wetlands with little urban development, was high in dissolved organic constituents but low in inorganic nutrients. The Main Bay was the area most influenced by water exchange with the Atlantic Ocean and showed the lowest nutrient concentrations. The water quality in Biscayne Bay is therefore highly dependent of the land use and influence from the watershed.

Ecosystem history of South Florida; Biscayne Bay sediment core descriptions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ishman, S.E.

1997-01-01

The 'Ecosystem History of Biscayne Bay and the southeast Coast' project of the U.S. Geological Survey is part of a multi-disciplinary effort that includes Florida Bay and the Everglades to provide paleoecologic reconstructions for the south Florida region. Reconstructions of past salinity, nutrients, substrate, and water quality are needed to determine ecosystem variability due to both natural and human-induced causes. Our understanding of the relations between the south Florida ecosystem and introduced forces will allow managers to make informed decisions regarding the south Florida ecosystem restoration and monitoring. The record of past ecosystem conditions can be found in shallow sediment cores. This U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report describes six shallow sediment cores collected from Biscayne Bay. The cores described herein are being processed for a variety of analytical procedures, and this provides the descriptive framework for future analyses of the included cores. This report is preliminary and has not been reviewed for conformity with U.S. Geological Survey editorial standards or with the North American Stratigraphic Code. Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Faunal and vegetation monitoring in response to harbor dredging in the Port of Miami

USGS Publications Warehouse

Daniels, Andre; Stevenson, Rachael; Smith, Erin; Robblee, Michael

2018-04-11

Seagrasses are highly productive ecosystems. A before-after-control-impact (BACI) design was used to examine effects of dredging on seagrasses and the animals that inhabit them. The control site North Biscayne Bay and the affected site Port of Miami had seagrass densities decrease during both the before, Fish and Invertebrate Assessment Network 2006-2011, and after, Faunal Monitoring in Response to Harbor Dredging 2014-2016, studies. Turbidity levels increased at North Biscayne Bay and Port of Miami basins during the Faunal Monitoring in Response to Harbor Dredging study, especially in 2016. Animal populations decreased significantly in North Biscayne Bay and Port of Miami in the Faunal Monitoring in Response to Harbor Dredging study compared to the Fish and Invertebrate Assessment Network study. Predictive modeling shows that numbers of animal populations will likely continue to decrease if the negative trends in seagrass densities continue unabated. There could be effects on several fisheries vital to the south Florida economy. Additional research could determine if animal populations and seagrass densities have rebounded or continued to decrease.

Distribution of heavy metals and foraminiferal assemblages in sediments of Biscayne Bay, Florida, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carnahan, E.A.; Hoare, A.M.; Hallock, P.; Lidz, B.H.; Reich, C.D.

2008-01-01

Heavy-metal pollution is an issue of concern in estuaries influenced by agriculture, urban, and harbor activities. Foraminiferal assemblages have been shown to be effective indicators of pollution. Sediment samples (n = 110) from Biscayne Bay were analyzed for heavy metals, foraminiferal assemblages, and grain-size distribution. Highest Cu, Zn, Cr, Hg, Pb, and Ni concentrations were found closest to Miami and near the mouths of several canals along the western margin of the bay. Few samples exceeded limits of possible biological effects as defined by previous studies. Ammonia and Cribroelphidium, two known stress-tolerant genera, correlated positively with Cu, Zn, Hg, and Ni (r ??? 0.43). Symbiont-bearing foraminifers, Archaias, Laevipeneroplis, and Androsina, correlated negatively with Cu, Zn, Hg, and Ni (r ??? -0.26).

Ecosystem history of southern and central Biscayne Bay: summary report on sediment core analyses - year two

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wingard, G. Lynn; Cronin, Thomas M.; Holmes, Charles W.; Willard, Debra A.; Dwyer, Gary S.; Ishman, Scott E.; Orem, William; Williams, Christopher P.; Albietz, Jessica; Bernhardt, Christopher E.; Budet, Carlos A.; Landacre, Bryan; Lerch, Terry; Marot, Marci; Ortiz, Ruth E.

2004-01-01

The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) lists restoration of the timing, quantity, and quality of the natural flow of freshwater as one its primary goals. Before restoration can occur, however, the baseline conditions of the environment prior to significant human alteration must be established and the range of variation within the natural system must be determined. In addition, the response of the system to human alterations during the 20th century should be evaluated. Resource managers can use this information to establish targets and performance measures for restoration and to predict the system's response to changes invoked by restoration. The objectives of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Ecosystem History of Biscayne Bay research project are to examine historical changes in the Biscayne Bay ecosystem at selected sites on a decadal-centennial scale and to correlate these changes with natural events and anthropogenic alterations in the South Florida region. Specific emphasis is being placed on historical changes to (1) amount, timing, and sources of freshwater influx and the resulting effects on salinity and water quality; (2) shoreline and sub-aquatic vegetation; and (3) the relationship between sea-level change, onshore vegetation, and salinity.

Results of time-domain electromagnetic soundings in Everglades National Park, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fitterman, D.V.; Deszcz-Pan, Maria; Stoddard, C.E.

1999-01-01

This report describes the collection, processing, and interpretation of time-domain electromagnetic soundings from Everglades National Park. The results are used to locate the extent of seawater intrusion in the Biscayne aquifer and to map the base of the Biscayne aquifer in regions where well coverage is sparse. The data show no evidence of fresh, ground-water flows at depth into Florida Bay.

Multiple technologies applied to characterization of the porosity and permeability of the Biscayne aquifer, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cunningham, K.J.; Sukop, M.C.

2011-01-01

Research is needed to determine how seepage-control actions planned by the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) will affect recharge, groundwater flow, and discharge within the dual-porosity karstic Biscayne aquifer where it extends eastward from the Everglades to Biscayne Bay. A key issue is whether the plan can be accomplished without causing urban flooding in adjacent populated areas and diminishing coastal freshwater flow needed in the restoration of the ecologic systems. Predictive simulation of groundwater flow is a prudent approach to understanding hydrologic change and potential ecologic impacts. A fundamental problem to simulation of karst groundwater flow is how best to represent aquifer heterogeneity. Currently, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) researchers and academic partners are applying multiple innovative technologies to characterize the spatial distribution of porosity and permeability within the Biscayne aquifer.

Descriptions and preliminary report on sediment cores from the southwest coastal area, Everglades National Park, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wingard, G. Lynn; Cronin, Thomas M.; Holmes, Charles W.; Willard, Debra A.; Budet, Carlos A.; Ortiz, Ruth E.

2005-01-01

Sediment cores were collected from five locations in the southwest coastal area of Everglades National Park, Florida, in May 2004 for the purpose of determining the ecosystem history of the area and the impacts of changes in flow through the Shark River Slough. An understanding of natural cycles of change prior to significant human disturbance allows land managers to set realistic performance measures and targets for salinity and other water quality and quantity quality measures. Preliminary examination of the cores indicates significant changes have taken place over the last 1000-2000 years. The cores collected from the inner bays - the most landward bays - are distinctly different from other estuarine sediment cores examined in Florida Bay and Biscayne Bay. Peats in the inner-bay cores from Big Lostmans Bay, Broad River Bay, and Tarpon Bay were deposited at least 1000 years before present (BP) based on radiocarbon analyses. The peats are overlain by poorly sorted organic muds and sands containing species indicative of deposition in a freshwater to very low salinity environment. The Alligator Bay core, the most northern inner-bay core, is almost entirely sand; no detailed faunal analyses or radiometric dating has been completed on this core. The Roberts River core, taken from the mouth of the River where it empties into Whitewater Bay, is lithologically and faunally similar to previously examined cores from Biscayne and Florida Bays; however, the basal unit was deposited ~2000 years before the present based on radiocarbon analyses. A definite trend of increasing salinity over time is seen in the Roberts River core, from sediments representing a terrestrially dominated freshwater environment at the bottom of the core to those representing an estuarine environment with a strong freshwater influence at the top. The changes seen at Roberts River could represent a combination of factors including rising sea-level and changes in freshwater supply, but the timing and extent of the changes needs to be determined. The preliminary information on the cores collected in 2004 will be combined with data from cores collected in July 2005. The 2005 cores were collected along transects moving from the inner bays out towards the coast. These transects, combining information from the 2004 and 2005 cores, will allow us to examine long term trends in freshwater supply, sea-level rise, and potentially the impact of storms on the coastal ecosystem.

Impact of Late Holocene climate variability and anthropogenic activities on Biscayne Bay (Florida, U.S.A.): evidence from diatoms

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wachnicka, Anna; Gaiser, Evelyn; Wingard, Lynn; Briceño, Henry; Harlem, Peter

2013-01-01

Shallow marine ecosystems are experiencing significant environmental alterations as a result of changing climate and increasing human activities along coasts. Intensive urbanization of the southeast Florida coast and intensification of climate change over the last few centuries changed the character of coastal ecosystems in the semi-enclosed Biscayne Bay, Florida. In order to develop management policies for the Bay, it is vital to obtain reliable scientific evidence of past ecological conditions. The long-term records of subfossil diatoms obtained from No Name Bank and Featherbed Bank in the Central Biscayne Bay, and from the Card Sound Bank in the neighboring Card Sound, were used to study the magnitude of the environmental change caused by climate variability and water management over the last ~ 600 yr. Analyses of these records revealed that the major shifts in the diatom assemblage structures at No Name Bank occurred in 1956, at Featherbed Bank in 1966, and at Card Sound Bank in 1957. Smaller magnitude shifts were also recorded at Featherbed Bank in 1893, 1942, 1974 and 1983. Most of these changes coincided with severe drought periods that developed during the cold phases of El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), or when AMO was in warm phase and PDO was in the cold phase. Only the 1983 change coincided with an unusually wet period that developed during the warm phases of ENSO and PDO. Quantitative reconstructions of salinity using the weighted averaging partial least squares (WA-PLS) diatom-based salinity model revealed a gradual increase in salinity at the three coring locations over the last ~ 600 yr, which was primarily caused by continuously rising sea level and in the last several decades also by the reduction of the amount of freshwater inflow from the mainland. Concentration of sediment total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP) and total organic carbon (TOC) increased in the second half of the 20th century, which coincided with the construction of canals, landfills, marinas and water treatment plants along the western margin of Biscayne Bay. Increased magnitude and rate of the diatom assemblage restructuring in the mid- and late-1900s, suggest that large environmental changes are occurring more rapidly now than in the past.

The American Crocodile in Biscayne Bay, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cherkiss, Michael S.; Romañach, Stephanie S.; Mazzotti, Frank J.

2011-01-01

Intensive crocodile monitoring programs conducted during the late 1970s and early 1980s in southern Florida resulted in an optimistic outlook for recovery of the protected species population. However, some areas with suitable crocodile habitat were not investigated, such as Biscayne Bay and the mainland shorelines of Barnes and Card Sounds. The objective of our study was to determine status and habitat use of crocodiles in the aforementioned areas. Spotlight and nesting surveys were conducted from September 1996 to December 2005. The results revealed annual increases in the number of crocodiles. Crocodiles preferred protected habitats such as canals and ponds. Fewer crocodiles were observed in higher salinity water. The distribution and abundance of crocodilians in estuaries is directly dependent on timing, amount, and location of freshwater delivery, providing an opportunity to integrate habitat enhancement with ongoing ecosystem restoration and management activities.

U.S. Geological Survey Science Support Strategy for Biscayne National Park and Surrounding Areas in Southeastern Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wolfert-Lohmann, Melinda A.; Langevin, Christian D.; Jones, Sonya A.; Reich, Chris D.; Wingard, Georgina L.; Kuffner, Ilsa B.; Cunningham, Kevin J.

2008-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey conducts a wide range of research in and around the Biscayne National Park region of southern Florida. This research encompasses the biologic, ecologic, meteorologic, geologic, and hydrologic components of the system, including water-quality analyses, ground-water modeling, hydrogeologic-data collection, ecologic-habitat evaluations, wetlands characterizations, biogeochemistry of ecosystems, and paleo-ecologic analyses. Relevant information is provided herein for researchers and managers interested in the Biscayne Bay area and about current U.S. Geological Survey efforts that address important resource protection and management issues. Specifically, managers and scientists are provided with information on current and recently completed U.S. Geological Survey projects and a sample listing of potential U.S. Geological Survey research projects addressing relevant issues that face the study area.

Biscayne National Park

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

On February 25, 2016, the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on the Landsat 8 satellite acquired this natural-color image of Biscayne National Park. The park encompasses the northernmost Florida Keys, starting from Miami to just north of Key Largo. The keys run like a spine through the center of the park, with Biscayne Bay to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. The water-covered areas span more than 660 square kilometers (250 square miles) of the park, making it the largest marine park in the U.S. National Park System. Biscayne protects the longest stretch of mangrove forest on the U.S. East Coast, and one of the most extensive stretches of coral reef in the world. Read more: go.nasa.gov/1SWs1a3 Credit: NASA/Landsat8 NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

78 FR 4070 - Drawbridge Operation Regulations; Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and Biscayne Bay, Miami, FL

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-18

... Venetian Causeway Bridge (West), mile 1088.6, across the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway; and the Venetian... (West), mile 1088.6. The vertical clearance of the Venetian Causeway Bridge (West), across the Atlantic...

77 FR 4247 - Drawbridge Operation Regulations; Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and Biscayne Bay, Miami, FL

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-27

... bridges in Miami, Florida: The Venetian Causeway Bridge (West), mile 1088.6, across the Atlantic... for each bridge are set forth below. 1. Venetian Causeway Bridge (West), mile 1088.6. The vertical...

76 FR 73996 - Special Local Regulations; Orange Bowl International Youth Regatta, Biscayne Bay, Miami, FL

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-30

..., a series of sailboat races. The Orange Bowl International Youth Regatta is scheduled to take place... take place at four separate race courses. Over 600 sailboats are expected to participate in the regatta...

Nitrogen Isotopic Study of Benthic Macroalgae and Seawater in Biscayne Bay, Florida

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drayer, C. L.; Lamb, K. A.; Swart, P. K.; Altabet, M. A.; Anderson, W. T.; Bellmund, S.

2006-12-01

Biscayne Bay, Florida is a complex coastal environment with many possible natural and anthropogenic sources of nitrogen. Such sources include precipitation, N fixation, nutrient regeneration/recycling, landfill soil leaching, groundwater and agricultural runoff, septic tank leakage, and treated waste water effluent. In order to understand the relative importance of these various inputs, benthic macroalgae, seagrasses, and seawater samples were collected from Biscayne Bay transecting from canals through nearshore bay to offshore reef sites Macroalgae was identified by species, decarbonated, and analyzed for δ15N and δ13C. The mean δ15N and δ13C for the algal tissue were +5.4 (±0.3‰) and -15.1 (±0.1‰), respectively. Measured nearshore algal samples differed greatly from offshore samples and had a high δ15N value of +12.0 (±0.1‰) and a mean of +8.6 (±3.0‰), in comparison to offshore samples that averaged +4.7 (±2.5‰). Despite the variation in δ15N, the δ13C values for both nearshore and offshore samples fell within the accepted parameters for algal communities. Seawater was analyzed for δ15N in DIN (dissolved inorganic nitrogen) and DON (dissolved organic nitrogen) through the cadmium reduction method (Mcllvin and Altabet, 2005). The mean δ15N for the DIN was +4.5 (±3.9‰) and the DON was +5.8 (±3.3‰). Canal DON δ15N values contained the heaviest measured values at ~+18‰, while nearshore and offshore DON values were lighter, 4.9 (±1.6‰). DIN values were more spatially variable with canal and nearshore sites ranging from ~+10‰ through ~-4.5‰. This study will continue over the next two years to examine possible temporal C and N isotope variations and will expand to include a larger geographic region focusing on areas with high nutrient levels and harmful algae blooms (HABs).

Sedimentary and Vegetative Impacts of Hurricane Irma to Coastal Wetland Ecosystems across Southwest Florida

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moyer, R. P.; Khan, N.; Radabaugh, K.; Engelhart, S. E.; Smoak, J. M.; Horton, B.; Rosenheim, B. E.; Kemp, A.; Chappel, A. R.; Schafer, C.; Jacobs, J. A.; Dontis, E. E.; Lynch, J.; Joyse, K.; Walker, J. S.; Halavik, B. T.; Bownik, M.

2017-12-01

Since 2014, our collaborative group has been working in coastal marshes and mangroves across Southwest Florida, including Tampa Bay, Charlotte Harbor, Ten Thousand Islands, Biscayne Bay, and the lower Florida Keys. All existing field sites were located within 50 km of Hurricane Irma's eye path, with a few sites in the Lower Florida Keys and Naples/Ten Thousand Islands region suffering direct eyewall hits. As a result, we have been conducting storm-impact and damage assessments at these locations with the primary goal of understanding how major hurricanes contribute to and/or modify the sedimentary record of mangroves and salt marshes. We have also assessed changes to the vegetative structure of the mangrove forests at each site. Preliminary findings indicate a reduction in mangrove canopy cover from 70-90% pre-storm, to 30-50% post-Irma, and a reduction in tree height of approximately 1.2 m. Sedimentary deposits consisting of fine carbonate mud up to 12 cm thick were imported into the mangroves of the lower Florida Keys, Biscayne Bay, and the Ten Thousand Islands. Import of siliciclastic mud up to 5 cm thick was observed in Charlotte Harbor. In addition to fine mud, all sites had imported tidal wrack consisting of a mixed seagrass and mangrove leaf litter, with some deposits as thick as 6 cm. In areas with newly opened canopy, a microbial layer was coating the surface of the imported wrack layer. Overwash and shoreline erosion were also documented at two sites in the lower Keys and Biscayne Bay, and will be monitored for change and recovery over the next few years. Because active research was being conducted, a wealth of pre-storm data exists, thus these locations are uniquely positioned to quantify hurricane impacts to the sedimentary record and standing biomass across a wide geographic area. Due to changes in intensity along the storm path, direct comparisons of damage metrics can be made to environmental setting, wind speed, storm surge, and distance to eyewall.

POPULATION DYNAMICS OF A COMMERCIAL SPONGE IN BISCAYNE BAY, FLORIDA. (R827453)

EPA Science Inventory

The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

Predicting spatial and temporal distribution of Indo-Pacific lionfish (Pterois volitans) in Biscayne Bay through habitat suitability modeling

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bernal, Nicholas A.; DeAngelis, Donald L.; Schofield, Pamela J.; Sullivan Sealey, Kathleen

2014-01-01

Invasive species may exhibit higher levels of growth and reproduction when environmental conditions are most suitable, and thus their effects on native fauna may be intensified. Understanding potential impacts of these species, especially in the nascent stages of a biological invasion, requires critical information concerning spatial and temporal distributions of habitat suitability. Using empirically supported environmental variables (e.g., temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, rugosity, and benthic substrate), our models predicted habitat suitability for the invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans) in Biscayne Bay, Florida. The use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as a platform for the modeling process allowed us to quantify correlations between temporal (seasonal) fluctuations in the above variables and the spatial distribution of five discrete habitat quality classes, whose ranges are supported by statistical deviations from the apparent best conditions described in prior studies. Analysis of the resulting models revealed little fluctuation in spatial extent of the five habitat classes on a monthly basis. Class 5, which represented the area with environmental variables closest to the best conditions for lionfish, occupied approximately one-third of Biscayne Bay, with subsequent habitats declining in area. A key finding from this study was that habitat suitability increased eastward from the coastline, where higher quality habitats were adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean and displayed marine levels of ambient water quality. Corroboration of the models with sightings from the USGS-NAS database appeared to support our findings by nesting 79 % of values within habitat class 5; however, field testing (i.e., lionfish surveys) is necessary to confirm the relationship between habitat classes and lionfish distribution.

ASSESSING THE ECOLOGICAL CONDITION OF SOUTHEAST U. S. ESTUARIES

EPA Science Inventory

As a means to assess ecological condition, 151 stations located in southeastern estuaries from Cape Henry, Virginia to Biscayne Bay, Florida were sampled by state agencies during the summer of 2000 using a probabilistic design. The design used 8 size classes of estuaries ranging ...

Endosulfan wet deposition in Southern Florida

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Vegetable and other crops are produced on about 25000 ha. in southern Florida in an area adjacent to Everglades and Biscayne Bay National Parks (NP). High pest pressures require high pesticide use rates. We recently reported that one mechanism for transport of the insecticide endosulfan from treated...

77 FR 60302 - Special Local Regulations; Red Bull Flugtag Miami, Biscayne Bay; Miami, FL

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-03

... of 30 participants launching self-propelled flying machines from a 30ft ramp to the water below. 150... machines from a 30ft ramp to the water below. 150 spectator vessels are expected to attend the event. The...

Application of remote sensing for prediction and detection of thermal pollution, phase 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Veziroglu, T. N.; Lee, S. S.

1975-01-01

The development of a predictive mathematical model for thermal pollution in connection with remote sensing measurements was continued. A rigid-lid model has been developed and its application to far-field study has been completed. The velocity and temperature fields have been computed for different atmospheric conditions and for different boundary currents produced by tidal effects. In connection with the theoretical work, six experimental studies of the two sites in question (Biscayne Bay site and Hutchinson Island site) have been carried out. The temperature fields obtained during the tests at the Biscayne Bay site have been compared with the predictions of the rigid-lid model and these results are encouraging. The rigid-lid model is also being applied to near-field study. Preliminary results for a simple case have been obtained and execution of more realistic cases has been initiated. The development of a free-surface model also been initiated. The governing equations have been formulated and the computer programs have been written.

Environmental management of a highly impacted, urbanized tropical estuary: rehabilitation and restoration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thorhaug, A.

1980-03-01

The principles of the dynamics and interrelationships within the dominant subtropical and tropical Caribbean seagrass community have been studied previously before, during, and after impact. From these and scores of observations of damage and recovery patterns in Thalassia ecosystems, a sense of management recovery strategy has emerged. Artificial restoring of Thalassia testudinum seeds into areas cut off from stock (fruit, seeds) appeared feasible on a large scale after the Turkey Point (Biscayne Bay, Miami, Florida) restoration and test sampling throughout North Biscayne Bay. Two large-scale seeding attempts were made; after 11 months they compared favorably with Turkey Point specimens with regard to growth parameters, despite the turbidity and other persistent pollution. Thus, the possible areas in which Thalassia seed restoration can be used has increased to include estuaries of multiple impact still in various stages of recovery after physical and sewage pollution. This technique should be especially useful to “developing” nations where important nearshore fisheries nurseries based on Thalassia ecosystems have been heavily damaged and now lie barren. Man's impact on the estuary where seed restoration was attempted includes the following activities: 50% of the bay bottom directly dredged or filled (leaving much unconsolidated sediment); 50 million gallons of domestic waste dumped directly into a low flushing part of the bay for 20 years; seven major causeways transecting the bay, restricting circulation and flushing; two artificial inlets made into navigational channels; freshwater sheet flow drastically changed due to channelization by flood-control canals; urban runoff from a million people entering the bay. Most of the impacts have now abated; however, their long-term effects remain.

LATITUDINAL GRADIENTS IN BENTHIC COMMUNITY COMPOSITION IN WESTERN ATLANTIC ESTUARIES

EPA Science Inventory

The community structure of benthic macroinvertebrates from estuaries along the Atlantic coast of North America from Cape Cod, MA, to Biscayne Bay, FL, were compared. Benthic data were collected over a 5 year period (1990 to 1995) by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Envi...

THE INFLUENCE OF FRESHWATER RUNOFF ON BIOMASS, MORPHOMETRICS, AND PRODUCTION OF THALASSIA TESTUDINUM. (R827453)

EPA Science Inventory

Efforts to restore more natural freshwater flows in South Florida will impact Biscayne Bay. In order to evaluate possible effects of decreased freshwater discharge on the seagrass Thalassia testudinum, we determined the biomass, density, morphometrics (width, length, nu...

CORAL COMMUNITIES OF BISCAYNE BAY, FLORIDA AND ADJACENT OFFSHORE AREAS: DIVERSITY, ABUNDANCE, DISTRIBUTION, AND ENVIRONMENTAL CORRELATES. (R827453)

EPA Science Inventory

The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

A paleoecologic reconstruction of the history of Featherbed Bank, Biscayne National Park, Biscayne Bay, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stone, Jeffery R.; Cronin, T. M.; Brewster-Wingard, G. L.; Ishman, S.E.; Wardlaw, B.R.; Holmes, C.W.

2000-01-01

Using multiple-proxy biological indicators, a paleoecological history of the past 550 years of Featherbed Bank, Biscayne Bay, has been reconstructed from a short (2.26 m) sediment core. Paleoecological changes in ostracode, mollusc, and foraminifer assemblages show that core SEI297-FB-1 can be divided into three distinctly different zones, which together provide evidence for distinct changes in historical environmental conditions at Featherbed Bank. Assemblages from fossil biotic communities within zone 1, representing approximately 1440 to 1550 AD, are characterized by open-marine biota with relatively limited numbers of epiphytic biota. Molluscan faunal indicators suggest the sediment was capable of supporting infaunal organisms and that faunal richness was relatively limited during this time period. A change in the biotic community occurred around 1550 AD and continued until the late 1800's distinguishing zone 2. Fossil biotic indicators from zone 2 show a strong dominance of epiphytic organisms within all of the biotic communities examined. Foraminifers, molluscs, and ostracodes capable of subsisting in salinities slightly lower than normal marine begin to flourish in this time period, and there is a marked decline in infaunal molluscs. Zone 2 assemblages are replaced around 1900 AD by increased numbers of organisms that typify open-marine conditions and a return to decreased epiphytic assemblages, similar to zone 1. Zone 3 assemblages, however, show some strong dissimilarities from zone 1, including limited infaunal molluscs, increased abundances of the ostracode Malzella floridana, and a significant increase in molluscan faunal richness.

Application of a Density-Dependent Numerical Model (MODHMS) to Assess Salinity Intrusion in the Biscayne Aquifer, North Miami-Dade County, Florida

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guha, H.; Panday, S.

2005-05-01

Miami-Dade County is located at the Southeastern part of the State of Florida adjoining the Atlantic coast. The sole drinking water source is the Biscayne Aquifer, which is an unconfined freshwater aquifer, composed of marine limestone with intermediate sand lenses. The aquifer is highly conductive with hydraulic conductivity values ranging from 1,000 ft/day to over 100,000 ft/day in some areas. Saltwater intrusion from the coast is an immediate threat to the freshwater resources of the County. Therefore, a multilayer density-dependent transient groundwater model was developed to evaluate the saltwater intrusion characteristics of the system. The model was developed using MODHMS, a finite difference, fully coupled groundwater and surface water flow and transport model. The buoyancy term is included in the equation for unconfined flow and the flow and transport equations are coupled using an iterative scheme. The transport equation was solved using an adaptive implicit total variation diminishing (TVD) scheme and anisotropy of dispersivity was included for longitudinal, transverse, vertical transverse, and vertical longitudinal directions. The model eastern boundaries extended approximately 3.5 miles into the Atlantic Ocean while the western boundary extended approximately 27 miles inland from the coast. The northern and southern boundaries extend 6 miles into Broward County and up to the C-100 canal in Miami-Dade County respectively. Close to 2 million active nodes were simulated, with horizontal discretization of 500 feet. A total of nine different statistical analyses were conducted with observed and simulated hydraulic heads. The analysis indicates that the model simulated hydraulic heads matched closely with the observed heads across the model domain. In general, the model reasonably simulated the inland extent of saltwater intrusion within the aquifer, and matched relatively well with limited observed chloride data from monitoring wells along the coast. Saltwater intrusion in the Biscayne aquifer is the result of a combination of natural variations in recharge, evapotranspiration, ground-water withdrawals from the aquifer, and relative canal stages in comparison to tidal stages in the Biscayne Bay. Pre- and post wellfield pumpage scenarios were conducted to determine the effect of wellfield pumpage on saltwater intrusion. The model is being used for future water supply management scenarios and for evaluating the best placement of saltwater intrusion monitoring wells along the coast.

33 CFR 165.779 - Regulated Navigation Area; Columbus Day Weekend, Biscayne Bay, Miami, FL.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Rickenbacker Causeway Bridge and Coon Point, Elliot Key contained within an imaginary line connecting the...″ N, 80°12′06″ W; thence west to Point 6 in position 25°30′00″ N, 80°13′17″ W; thence northwest to...

33 CFR 165.779 - Regulated Navigation Area; Columbus Day Weekend, Biscayne Bay, Miami, FL.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Rickenbacker Causeway Bridge and Coon Point, Elliot Key contained within an imaginary line connecting the...″ N, 80°12′06″ W; thence west to Point 6 in position 25°30′00″ N, 80°13′17″ W; thence northwest to...

77 FR 21446 - Safety Zone; Volvo Ocean Racing Youth Regatta, Biscayne Bay, Miami, FL

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-10

... telephone at (305) 535-4472, or a designated representative via VHF radio on channel 16, to request... emphasizes the importance of quantifying both costs and benefits, of reducing costs, of harmonizing rules... Government and Indian Tribes, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities between the Federal...

77 FR 75553 - Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, Biscayne Bay, and Miami River...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-21

... allow for race participants to traverse the bridges during the ING Marathon. This deviation will result in the bridges remaining in the closed position during the ING Marathon. Tugs and tugs with tows are..., Docket Operations, telephone (202) 366-9826. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The ING Marathon Director has...

76 FR 24840 - Safety Zone; 2011 Rohto Ironman 70.3 Miami, Biscayne Bay, Miami, FL

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-03

... Lieutenant Paul A. Steiner, Sector Miami Prevention Department, Coast Guard; telephone 305-535-8724, e-mail Paul.A.Steiner@uscg.mil . If you have questions on viewing or submitting material to the docket, call... Lieutenant Paul A. Steiner, Sector Miami Prevention Department, Coast Guard; telephone 305-535-8724, e-mail...

77 FR 43554 - Regulated Navigation Area; Columbus Day Weekend, Biscayne Bay, Miami, FL

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-25

... document so that we can contact you if we have questions regarding your submission. To submit your comment... Meeting We do not now plan to hold a public meeting. But you may submit a request for one, using one of... do not individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the human environment. This proposed...

76 FR 71379 - Florida Power & Light Company, Turkey Point, Units 3 and 4; Draft Environmental Assessment and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-17

... recirculating loop that serves as the ultimate heat sink for PTN Units 3 and 4. The CCS is operated under an...) permit from the FDEP (NPDES permit number FL0001562) for water discharges to an onsite closed-loop..., the CCS water is hyper-saline (twice the salinity of Biscayne Bay) with seasonal variations ranging...

76 FR 53824 - Safety Zone; 2011 Rohto Ironman 70.3 Miami, Biscayne Bay, Miami, FL

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-30

... public during the 1.2 mile swim portion of this competition. Persons and vessels are prohibited from... protect race participants, participant vessels, and the general public during the 1.2 mile swim portion of... Rohto Ironman 70.3 Miami. This event includes a 1.2 mile swim, which will take place on the waters of...

Revising the `Henry Problem' of density-driven groundwater flow: A review of historic Biscayne aquifer data.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weyer, K. U.

2016-12-01

Coastal groundwater flow investigations at the Cutler site of the Biscayne Bay south of Miami, Florida, gave rise to the dominating concept of density-driven flow of sea water into coastal aquifers indicated as a saltwater wedge. Within that wedge convection type return flow of seawater and a dispersion zone were concluded by Cooper et al. (1964, USGS Water Supply Paper 1613-C) to be the cause of the Biscayne aquifer `sea water wedge'. This conclusion was merely based on the chloride distribution within the aquifer and on an analytical model concept assuming convection flow within a confined aquifer without taking non-chemical field data into consideration. This concept was later labelled the `Henry Problem', which any numerical variable density flow program has to be able to simulate to be considered acceptable. Revisiting the above summarizing publication with its record of piezometric field data (heads) showed that the so-called sea water wedge was actually caused by discharging deep saline groundwater driven by gravitational flow and not by denser sea water. Density driven flow of seawater into the aquifer was not found reflected in the head measurements for low and high tide conditions which had been taken contemporaneously with the chloride measurements. These head measurements had not been included in the flow interpretation. The very same head measurements indicated a clear dividing line between shallow local fresh groundwater flow and saline deep groundwater flow without the existence of a dispersion zone or a convection cell. The Biscayne situation emphasizes the need for any chemical interpretation of flow pattern to be backed up by head data as energy indicators of flow fields. At the Biscayne site density driven flow of seawater did and does not exist. Instead this site and the Florida coast line in general are the end points of local fresh and regional saline groundwater flow systems driven by gravity forces and not by density differences.

78 FR 54585 - Safety Zone; Escape to Miami Triathlon, Biscayne Bay, Miami, FL

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-05

.... Regulatory History and Information The Coast Guard is issuing this temporary final rule without prior notice... zones: 33 U.S.C. 1231; 46 U.S.C. Chapter 701, 3306, 3703; 50 U.S.C. 191, 195; 33 CFR 1.05-1, 6.04-1, 6....1. The purpose of the rule is to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters of the United...

Slime Analysis of Painted Steel Panels Immersed in Biscayne Bay, Miami Beach, Florida.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-03-30

site ploratory tests on materials under consideration for water. Since the sample panels are curved to fit the heat exchangers was undertaken to... tested in this program were standard and experimental Navy materials and a selection of proprietary coatings supplied by coinrcial manufacturers. Navy...of marine microbial slime fouling filims. Application Is described to fouling of metal heat exchanger pipe in the Ocean Thermal Enrgy Conversion

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brook, I.M.

Five Thalassia communities with high blade density (greater than 3,000 blades/m/sup 2/) were sampled by suction dredge in April 1973. Four sites were in south Biscayne Bay, and one was at Murray Key in the Everglades National Park on the southwest coast of Florida. Macrofaunal abundance ranged from 292 to 10,728 individuals/m/sup 2/. It is postulated that a high standing crop of seagrass may not be the primary determining factor in faunal abundance.

The `Henry Problem' of `density-driven' groundwater flow versus Tothian `groundwater flow systems' with variable density: A review of the influential Biscayne aquifer data.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weyer, K. U.

2017-12-01

Coastal groundwater flow investigations at the Biscayne Bay, south of Miami, Florida, gave rise to the concept of density-driven flow of seawater into coastal aquifers creating a saltwater wedge. Within that wedge, convection-driven return flow of seawater and a dispersion zone were assumed by Cooper et al. (1964) to be the cause of the Biscayne aquifer `sea water wedge'. This conclusion was based on the chloride distribution within the aquifer and on an analytical model concept assuming convection flow within a confined aquifer without taking non-chemical field data into consideration. This concept was later labelled the `Henry Problem', which any numerical variable density flow program must be able to simulate to be considered acceptable. Both, `density-driven flow' and Tothian `groundwater flow systems' (with or without variable density conditions) are driven by gravitation. The difference between the two are the boundary conditions. 'Density-driven flow' occurs under hydrostatic boundary conditions while Tothian `groundwater flow systems' occur under hydrodynamic boundary conditions. Revisiting the Cooper et al. (1964) publication with its record of piezometric field data (heads) showed that the so-called sea water wedge has been caused by discharging deep saline groundwater driven by gravitational flow and not by denser sea water. Density driven flow of seawater into the aquifer was not found reflected in the head measurements for low and high tide conditions which had been taken contemporaneously with the chloride measurements. These head measurements had not been included in the flow interpretation. The very same head measurements indicated a clear dividing line between shallow local fresh groundwater flow and saline deep groundwater flow without the existence of a dispersion zone or a convection cell. The Biscayne situation emphasizes the need for any chemical interpretation of flow pattern to be supported by head data as energy indicators of flow fields. At the Biscayne site density-driven flow of seawater did and does not exist. Instead this site and the Florida coast line in general are the end points of local fresh and regional saline groundwater flow systems driven by gravity forces and not by density differences.

Evaluation of Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment Products on South Florida Nested Simulations with the Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-01

Ocean Model 7:285-322 Halliwell GR Jr, Weisberg RH, Mayer DA (2003) A synthetic float analysis of upper-limb meridional overturning circulation ...encompasses a variety of coastal regions (the broad Southwest Florida shelf, the narrow Atlantic Keys shelf, the shallow Florida Bay, and Biscayne...products. The results indicate that the successful hindcasting of circulation patterns in a coastal area that is characterized by complex topography and

Application of remote sensing for prediction and detection of thermal pollution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Veziroglu, T. N.; Lee, S. S.

1974-01-01

The first phase is described of a three year project for the development of a mathematical model for predicting thermal pollution by use of remote sensing measurements. A rigid-lid model was developed, and results were obtained for different wind conditions at Biscayne Bay in South Florida. The design of the measurement system was completed, and instruments needed for the first stage of experiment were acquired, tested, and calibrated. A preliminary research flight was conducted.

Remote sensing applied to numerical modelling. [water resources pollution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sengupta, S.; Lee, S. S.; Veziroglu, T. N.; Bland, R.

1975-01-01

Progress and remaining difficulties in the construction of predictive mathematical models of large bodies of water as ecosystems are reviewed. Surface temperature is at present the only variable than can be measured accurately and reliably by remote sensing techniques, but satellite infrared data are of sufficient resolution for macro-scale modeling of oceans and large lakes, and airborne radiometers are useful in meso-scale analysis (of lakes, bays, and thermal plumes). Finite-element and finite-difference techniques applied to the solution of relevant coupled time-dependent nonlinear partial differential equations are compared, and the specific problem of the Biscayne Bay and environs ecosystem is tackled in a finite-differences treatment using the rigid-lid model and a rigid-line grid system.

Methodology for estimating nutrient loads discharged from the east coast canals to Biscayne Bay, Miami-Dade County, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lietz, Arthur C.

1999-01-01

Biscayne Bay is an oligotrophic, subtropical estuary located along the southeastern coast of Florida that provides habitat for a variety of plant and animal life. Concern has arisen with regard to the ecological health of Biscayne Bay because of the presence of nutrient-laden discharges from the east coast canals that drain into the bay. This concern, as well as planned diversion of discharges for ecosystem restoration from the urban and agricultural corridors of Miami-Dade County to Everglades National Park, served as the impetus for a study conducted during the 1996 and 1997 water years to estimate nutrient loads discharged from the east coast canals into Biscayne Bay. Analytical results indicated that the highest concentration of any individual nutrient sampled for in the study was 4.38 mg/L (milligrams per liter) for nitrate at one site, and the lowest concentrations determined were below the detection limits for orthophosphate at six sites and nitrite at four sites. Median concentrations for all the sites were 0.75 mg/L for total organic nitrogen, 0.10 mg/L for ammonia, 0.02 mg/L for nitrite, 0.18 mg/L for nitrate, 0.20 mg/L for nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen, 0.02 mg/L for total phosphorus, and 0.005 mg/L for orthophosphate. The maximum total phosphorus concentration of 0.31 mg/L was the only nutrient concentration to exceed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1986) water-quality criteria. High concentrations of total phosphorus usually reflect contamination as a result of human activities. Five sites exceeded the fresh-water quality standard of 0.5 mg/L for ammonia concentration as determined by the Miami-Dade County Department of Environmental Resources Management. Median total organic nitrogen concentrations were higher in urban and forested/wetland areas than in agricultural areas; median concentrations of nitrite, nitrate, and nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen were higher in agricultural areas than in urban and forested/wetland areas; and ammonia, total phosphorus, and orthophosphate concentrations were higher in urban areas than in agricultural and forested/wetland areas. These results coincide with expected differences in nutrient concentrations based on knowledge of point and nonpoint source influences and nutrient cycling. The Wilcoxon signed ranks test (WSRT) was used to compare differences between point (grab) samples and depth-integrated samples for total nitrogen and total phosphorus concentrations at 12 east coast canal sites. Statistically significant differences (alpha level of 0.025) in total phosphorus concentrations between point (grab) samples collected 1.0 meter deep and depth-integrated samples were detected at three sites. One site also showed statistically significant differences in total phosphorus concentrations between point (grab) samples collected 0.5 meter deep and depth-integrated samples. There were no statistically significant differences in total nitrogen and total phosphorus concentrations between point (grab) samples collected 0.5 meter deep and 1.0 meter deep for all the sites. Results of the line of organic correlation, a fitting procedure used to compare point (grab) and depth-integrated samples where statistically significant differences exist as defined by the WSRT, indicated that point (grab) samples underestimate total phosphorus concentrations when compared to depth-integrated samples. This underestimation probably can be attributed to the reduced suspended-sediment concentrations near the surface during periods of flow as compared to those near the streambed. Predictive models were developed to estimate total nitrogen and total phosphorus loads by means of an ordinary least-squares regression technique. Instantaneous discharge was used as the independent variable, and total phosphorus load or total nitrogen load represented the dependent variable. A software program called Estimator was used to develop the regression models and to compute total nitrogen and total phosphorus loads

Electrical resistivity and porosity structure of the upper Biscayne Aquifer in Miami-Dade County, Florida

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whitman, Dean; Yeboah-Forson, Albert

2015-12-01

Square array electrical soundings were made at 13 sites in the Biscayne Aquifer distributed between 1 and 20 km from the shoreline. These soundings were modeled to investigate how resistivity varies spatially and with depth in the upper 15 m of the aquifer. Porosity was estimated from the modeled formation resistivity and observed pore fluid resistivity with Archie's Law. The models were used to interpolate resistivity and porosity surfaces at -2, -5, -8, and -15 m elevations. Modeled resistivity in the unsaturated zone is generally higher than 300 Ω m with the resistivity at sites with thick unsaturated zones greater than 1000 Ω m. Resistivity in the saturated zone ranges from 30 to 320 Ω m. At many sites in the western portions of the study area, resistivity is constant or increases with depth whereas sites in the center of the Atlantic Coastal Ridge exhibit a distinct low resistivity zone (ρ < 45 Ω m) at elevations ranging between -5 and -10 m. At one site near the shore of Biscayne Bay, the resistivity is less than 10 Ω m at -5 m elevation reflecting the presence of salt water in the aquifer. The estimated porosity ranges between 14% and 71% with modal values near 25%. The porosity structure varies both with depth and spatially. Western sites exhibit a high porosity zone at shallow depths best expressed in a NE-SW trending zone of 40-50% porosity situated near the western margin of the Atlantic Coastal Ridge. This zone roughly corresponds in depth with the Q5 chronostratigraphic unit of the Miami Fm. which constitutes the upper flow unit of the Biscayne Aquifer. The highest porosity (>50%) is seen at elevations below -5 m at sites in the center of the Atlantic Coastal Ridge and likely corresponds to solution features. The general NE-SW trend of the resistivity and porosity structure suggests a causal connection with the Pleistocene paleogeography and sedimentary environments.

Cyanobacterial blooms and biomagnification of the neurotoxin BMAA in South Florida coastal waters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brand, L.; Mash, D.

2008-12-01

Blooms of cyanobacteria have developed in Florida Bay, Biscayne Bay and other coastal waters of South Florida. It has recently been shown that virtually all cyanobacteria produce the potent neurotoxin, beta-N- methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA). Studies in Guam indicate that BMAA can biomagnify up the food chain from cyanobacteria to human food and humans. Recent studies in Guam and on human brains in North America suggest an association between BMAA and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). A variety of organisms from South Florida coastal waters are being analyzed for BMAA content to determine if BMAA is biomagnifying in these food chains and if it is a potential human health hazard. Some have extremely high concentrations of BMAA.

78 FR 16296 - Record of Decision for the Coral Reef Restoration Plan, Biscayne National Park, FL

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-14

...] Record of Decision for the Coral Reef Restoration Plan, Biscayne National Park, FL AGENCY: National Park... Record of Decision (ROD) for the Coral Reef Restoration Plan (Plan) for Biscayne National Park, Florida... Biscayne National Park, causing injuries to submerged resources. The goal of coral reef restoration actions...

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thorhaug, A.

The effect of two fossil fuel and two nuclear plants on a near-shore seagrass community was studied in South Biscayne Bay, Dade County, Florida, over the past four years. The focus of the study was to delineate the effects that a series of various pollutants have had on the dominant system of seagrass Thalassia testudinum and its related community. Data are included from studies on the effects of heavy metals, waste heat, and dredging activities, with emphasis on thermal pollution. In order to separate the perturbation of the specific pollutant from the natural fluctuations of the system, efforts were mademore » to understand the dynamic processes in adjacent untouched areas.« less

Summary of hydrologic data collected during 1975 in Dade County, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hull, John E.; Beaven, T.R.

1977-01-01

During the 1975 calendar year rainfall in Dade County, Fla., was 14.89 inches below the long-term average (57.17 in.). Ground-water levels ranged from 0.1 foot above to 1.1 feet below average. The highest and lowest ground-water levels for the year were both 1 foot below their long-term averages. In the Hialeah-Miami Springs area, ground-water levels in wells near the centers of the heaviest pumping ranged from 9.8 to 11.2 feet below mean sea level and in the Southwest well field area, ground-water levels near the centers of pumping ranged from 3.5 feet above to 3.4 feet below mean sea level. The combined average daily discharge from eight major streams and canals that flow into Biscayne Bay was 1,014 cubic feet per second (cfs), 124 cfs above the combined average daily flow for the 1974 water year. The combined average daily flow through the Tamiami Canal outlets was 568 cfs, 202 cfs below that of the 1974 water year. The position of the salt front in 1975 in the coastal part of the Biscayne aquifer was about the same as in 1974 except at Miami International Airport and Homestead Air Force Base where the salt front had encroached farther inland. (Woodard-USGS)

Helicopter electromagnetic survey of the Model Land Area, Southeastern Miami-Dade County, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fitterman, David V.; Deszcz-Pan, Maria; Prinos, Scott T.

2012-01-01

This report describes a helicopter electromagnetic survey flown over the Model Land Area in southeastern Miami-Dade County, Florida, to map saltwater intrusion in the Biscayne aquifer. The survey, which is located south and east of Florida City, Florida, covers an area of 115 square kilometers with a flight-line spacing of 400 meters. A five-frequency, horizontal, coplanar bird with frequencies ranging from 400 to 100,000 Hertz was used. The data were interpreted using differential resistivity analysis and inversion to produce cross sections and resistivity depth-slice maps. The depth of investigation is as deep as 100 meters in freshwater-saturated portions of the Biscayne aquifer and the depth diminishes to about 50 meters in areas that are intruded by saltwater. The results compare favorably with ground-based, time-domain electromagnetic soundings and induction logs from observation wells in the area. The base of a high-resistivity, freshwater-saturated zone mapped in the northern 2 kilometers of the survey area corresponds quite well with the base of the surficial aquifer that has been determined by drilling. In general, saltwater in the survey area extends 9 to 12 kilometers inland from the coast; however, there is a long nose of saltwater centered along the Card Sound Road Canal that extends 15 kilometers inland. The cause of this preferential intrusion is likely due to uncontrolled surface flow along the canal and subsequent leakage of saltwater into the aquifer. Saltwater also extends farther inland in the area between U.S. Highway 1 and Card Sound Road than it does to the west of this area. Until 1944, a railroad grade occupied the current location of U.S. Highway 1. Borrow ditches associated with the railroad grade connected to Barnes Sound and allowed saltwater to flow during droughts and storm surges to within a few kilometers of Florida City. Relicts of this saltwater that settled to the bottom of the Biscayne aquifer can be seen in the helicopter electromagnetic data. The area to the west of U.S. Highway 1 is more resistive in the upper 10 meters than the area to the east of the road; this reflects the influence of surface-water flows that are blocked by U.S. Highway 1. Between Card Sound Road and U.S. Highway 1, resistivities are slightly lower compared to adjacent areas. In the southern portion of the survey area, the surficial aquifer underlying the Biscayne aquifer is more resistive; this indicates that it contains fresher water than that found at the base of the Biscayne aquifer.

33 CFR 100.701 - Special Local Regulations; Marine Events in the Seventh Coast Guard District

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... the Dinner Key Channel to Biscayne National Park Marker “B” to Cutter Channel Mark “2” to Biscayne National Park Marker “C” to West Featherbead Bank Channel Marker “3” to West Featherbed Bank Channel Marker “5” to Elliot Key Biscayne National Park Anchorage, Miami, Florida no closer than 500 feet from each...

33 CFR 100.701 - Special Local Regulations; Marine Events in the Seventh Coast Guard District

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... the Dinner Key Channel to Biscayne National Park Marker “B” to Cutter Channel Mark “2” to Biscayne National Park Marker “C” to West Featherbead Bank Channel Marker “3” to West Featherbed Bank Channel Marker “5” to Elliot Key Biscayne National Park Anchorage, Miami, Florida no closer than 500 feet from each...

33 CFR 100.701 - Special Local Regulations; Marine Events in the Seventh Coast Guard District

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... the Dinner Key Channel to Biscayne National Park Marker “B” to Cutter Channel Mark “2” to Biscayne National Park Marker “C” to West Featherbead Bank Channel Marker “3” to West Featherbed Bank Channel Marker “5” to Elliot Key Biscayne National Park Anchorage, Miami, Florida no closer than 500 feet from each...

Detection and identification of benthic communities and shoreline features in Biscayne Bay

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kolipinski, M. C.; Higer, A. L.

1970-01-01

Progress made in the development of a technique for identifying and delinating benthic and shoreline communities using multispectral imagery is described. Images were collected with a multispectral scanner system mounted in a C-47 aircraft. Concurrent with the overflight, ecological ground- and sea-truth information was collected at 19 sites in the bay and on the shore. Preliminary processing of the scanner imagery with a CDC 1604 digital computer provided the optimum channels for discernment among different underwater and coastal objects. Automatic mapping of the benthic plants by multiband imagery and the mapping of isotherms and hydrodynamic parameters by digital model can become an effective predictive ecological tool when coupled together. Using the two systems, it appears possible to predict conditions that could adversely affect the benthic communities. With the advent of the ERTS satellites and space platforms, imagery data could be obtained which, when used in conjunction with water-level and meteorological data, would provide for continuous ecological monitoring.

BACTERIOPLANKTON DYNAMICS IN NORTHERN SAN FRANCISCO BAY: ROLE OF PARTICLE ASSOCIATION AND SEASONAL FRESHWATER FLOW

EPA Science Inventory

Bacterioplankton abundance and metabolic characteristics were observed in northern San Francisco Bay, California, during spring and summer 1996 at three sites: Central Bay, Suisun Bay, and the Sacramento River. These sites spanned a salinity gradient from marine to freshwater, an...

Proceedings of the SERDP Coral Reef Monitoring and Assessment Workshop

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-12-01

the U.S. that have coral reefs within their jurisdictions. Biscayne National Park, the Dry Tortugas , and U.S. Virgin Island parks at St. John and...Signs Monitoring Networks Dry Tortugas NP Buck Island Reef NM Virgin Islands National Park Biscayne NP South Florida/Caribbean Network Florida/Caribbean...Buck Island, Dry Tortugas and Biscayne • Extensive sites – 4 10m permanent transects per site – 18 sites in DRTO Virgin Islands NP % l i v e c o r

Major-ion and selected trace-metal chemistry of the Biscayne Aquifer, Southeast Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Radell, M.J.; Katz, B.G.

1991-01-01

The major-ion and selected trace-metal chemistry of the Biscayne aquifer was characterized as part of the Florida Ground-Water Quality Monitoring Network Program, a multiagency cooperative effort concerned with delineating baseline water quality for major aquifer systems in the State. The Biscayne aquifer is unconfined and serves as the sole source of drinking water for more than 3 million people in southeast Florida. The Biscayne aquifer consists of highly permeable interbedded limestone and sandstone of Pleistocene and Pliocene age underlying most of Dade and Broward Counties and parts of Palm Beach and Monroe Counties. The high permeability is largely caused by extensive carbonate dissolution. Water sampled from 189 wells tapping the Biscayne aquifer was predominantly a calcium bicarbonate type with some mixed types occurring in coastal areas and near major canals. Major - ion is areally uniform throughout the aquifer. According to nonparametric statistical tests of major ions and dissolved solids, the concentrations of calcium, sodium, bicarbonate, and dissolved solids increased significantly with well depth ( 0.05 significance level ), probably a result of less circulation at depth. Potassium and nitrate concentrations decreased significantly with depth. Although the source of recharge to the aquifer varies seasonally, there was no statistical difference in the concentration of major ions in pared water samples from 27 shallow wells collected during wet and dry seasons. Median concentrations for barium, chromium, copper, lead, and manganese were below maximum or secondary maximum contaminant levels set by the US Environmental Protection Agency. The median iron concentration only slightly exceeded the secondary maximum contaminant level. The concentration of barium was significantly related (0.05 significance level) to calcium and bicarbonate concentration. No distinct areal pattern or vertical distribution of the selected trace metals was evident in water from the Biscayne aquifer. Sources for trace metals found in water from the Biscayne aquifer may include local contamination, well-construction techniques, canal - aquifer interactions, and natural occurrence in area soils and rock.

Chesapeake Bay plume dynamics from LANDSAT

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Munday, J. C., Jr.; Fedosh, M. S.

1981-01-01

LANDSAT images with enhancement and density slicing show that the Chesapeake Bay plume usually frequents the Virginia coast south of the Bay mouth. Southwestern (compared to northern) winds spread the plume easterly over a large area. Ebb tide images (compared to flood tide images) show a more dispersed plume. Flooding waters produce high turbidity levels over the shallow northern portion of the Bay mouth.

Seismic-Reflection Technology Defines Potential Vertical Bypass in Hydrogeologic Confinement within Tertiary Carbonates of the Southeastern Florida Platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cunningham, K. J.; Walker, C.; Westcott, R. L.

2011-12-01

Continuous improvements in shallow-focused, high-resolution, marine seismic-reflection technology has provided the opportunity to evaluate geologic structures that breach confining units of the Floridan aquifer system within the southeastern Florida Platform. The Floridan aquifer system is comprised mostly of Tertiary platform carbonates. In southeastern Florida, hydrogeologic confinement is important to sustainable use of the Floridan aquifer system, where the saline lower part is used for injection of wastewater and the brackish upper part is an alternative source of drinking water. Between 2007 and 2011, approximately 275 km of 24- and 48-channel seismic-reflection profiles were acquired in canals of peninsular southeastern Florida, Biscayne Bay, present-day Florida shelf margin, and the deeply submerged Miami Terrace. Vertical to steeply dipping offsets in seismic reflections indicate faults, which range from Eocene to possible early Pliocene age. Most faults are associated with karst collapse structures; however, a few tectonic faults of early Miocene to early Pliocene age are present. The faults may serve as a pathway for vertical groundwater flow across relatively low-permeability carbonate strata that separate zones of regionally extensive high-permeability in the Floridan aquifer system. The faults may collectively produce a regional confinement bypass system. In early 2011, twenty seismic-reflection profiles were acquired near the Key Biscayne submarine sinkhole located on the seafloor of the Miami Terrace. Here the water depth is about 365 m. A steeply dipping (eastward) zone of mostly deteriorated quality of seismic-reflection data underlies the sinkhole. Correlation of coherent seismic reflections within and adjacent to the disturbed zone indicates a series of faults occur within the zone. It is hypothesized that upward movement of groundwater within the zone contributed to development of a hypogenic karst system and the resultant overlying sinkhole. Study of this modern seafloor sinkhole may provide clues to the genesis of the more deeply buried Tertiary karst collapse structures. Three-dimensional geomodeling of the seismic-reflection data from the Key Biscayne sinkhole further aids visualization of the seismic stratigraphy and structural system that underlies the sinkhole.

DISTRIBUTION AND COMPOSITION OF DISSOLVED AND PARTICULATE ORGANIC CARBON IN NORTHERN SAN FRANCISCO BAY DURING LOW FRESHWATER FLOW CONDITIONS

EPA Science Inventory

The distribution of organic matter was studied in northern San Francisco Bay monthly through spring and summer 1996 along the salinity gradient from the Sacramento River to Central Bay. Dissolved constituents included monosaccharides (MONO), total carbohydrates (TCHO), dissolved ...

75 FR 21650 - Coral Reef Restoration Plan, Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, Biscayne National...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-26

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR National Park Service Coral Reef Restoration Plan, Draft Programmatic... Coral Reef Restoration Plan, Biscayne National Park. SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental... availability of a Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Coral Reef Restoration Plan...

View of garage interior from northern bay looking south. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

View of garage interior from northern bay looking south. - Presidio of San Francisco, Officers' Vehicles Garage, 1055 General Kennedy Avenue, Letterman Hospital Complex, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA

Characterizing Microbial Water Quality of Extreme Tide Floodwaters Discharged from an Urbanized Subtropical Beach: Case Study of Miami Beach with Implications for Sea Level Rise and Public Health

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gidley, M. L.

2016-02-01

With the advent of rising sea levels and increasing incidents of extreme tidal flooding events and stormwater flooding events, there is increasing probability of mobilization of land-based sources of pollution (LBSP) from highly urbanized beach environments and potential transport of these contaminants to coastal waters where they may have negative impacts on ecosystems and public health. A case in point is the situation facing the City of Miami Beach, where urban tidal flooding has become routine for extreme tidal events such as King Tide. To deal with the increasing problem of tidal flooding and other potential sources of coastal inundation, the City of Miami Beach has installed a system of floodwater/stormwater pumping stations to collect and discharge such floodwaters. This system appears to control the extent and duration of coastal inundation, however, the floodwater is discharged directly into Biscayne Bay without any treatment , which may potentially carry a variety of pollutants acquired during inundation of this urbanized coast. We report a case study examining the microbial water quality of floodwaters discharged by this pumping system back into Biscayne Bay following the inundation by King Tide floodwaters from September 2014 and 2015. The presence and abundance of both general and host-specific fecal indicating bacteria (FIB), including enterococci and human-host Bacteriodales were measured by traditional culture methods and by molecular microbial source tracking (MST) qPCR methods. While the results from different locations did vary substantially, several discharge samples demonstrated high elevations of fecal indicator bacteria and high levels of human fecal marker by MST. This study suggests that while such flood control measures may improve resiliency of urbanized coastal communities to tidal flooding and/or stormwater, the water quality of such floodwater discharges need to be monitored and potentially treated to mediate the transport of LBSP contaminants to the coastal zone, thus better protecting both ecosystem and public health in an era of sea level rise and more frequent inundation events.

Organic Carbon Burial Rates in Mangrove Soils Along Florida's Coast from Tampa Bay to Biscayne National Park

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smoak, J. M.; Breithaupt, J. L.; Moyer, R. P.; Sanders, C. J.; Proctor, M. R.; Jacobs, J. A.; Chappel, A. R.; Comparetto, K. R.

2016-12-01

Mangrove forests provide a range of valuable ecosystem services including sequestering organic carbon (OC) in their soils at rates much greater on a per area basis than those found in other types of forests. This restricts a large quantity of OC to a relatively small area along tropical and sub-tropical coastal margins, where dramatic climate-driven impacts are expected. Hence this small yet highly-vulnerable area will have a disproportionally large impact on global carbon cycling. One of the fundamental climate-related questions in mangrove systems is whether their soils will continue to function as a globally significant OC sink or become a source as previously buried OC is oxidized and returned to the atmosphere. While changes to precipitation, temperature, cyclone activity, etc. may influence this sink capacity, it is accelerating sea-level rise (SLR) that is of greatest immediate concern because if mangrove peat formation fails to keep pace then all ecosystem services, including carbon burial, will collapse. Mangroves that receive minimal terrigenous sediments (such as those in South Florida) are largely dependent on the rate of OC accumulation as a key contributor to accretion. To investigate these processes, we measured OC burial and accretion rates over the last 100 years (via 210Pb dating) from sites in Tampa Bay, Charlotte Harbor, Ten Thousand Islands, Everglades National Park, Biscayne National Park, and the Lower Florida Keys. The mean 100-year burial rate over all sites is 119 ± 33 (SD) g m-2 yr-1 which is lower than the global mean. Mean accretion rates were found to match (within error) the relatively modest average SLR over the last 100 years, but rates may not have kept pace with the substantially higher SLR in the last decade. This investigation contributes to establishing regional-scale Blue Carbon budgets, and examines how OC burial in mangroves has changed over the last 100 years. This improved understanding of past mangrove OC burial response coupled with future projections of climate change allows for better projections of future carbon cycling and budgets in coastal systems.

76 FR 24050 - Coral Reef Restoration Plan, Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, Biscayne National...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-29

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR National Park Service [2310-0003-422] Coral Reef Restoration Plan... for the Coral Reef Restoration Plan, Biscayne National Park. SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National... availability of a Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the Coral Reef Restoration Plan (Plan...

76 FR 57762 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed New Collection-Social Science Assessment and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-16

... of Marine Recreational Uses and Visitor Attitudes at Dry Tortugas National Park and Biscayne National... Recreational Uses and Visitor Attitudes at Dry Tortugas National Park and Biscayne National Park. Type of... attitudes, perceptions and beliefs concerning marine resources and provide a geospatial assessment of...

77 FR 49862 - Santa Cruz and Monterey Bay Railway Company-Assignment of Lease Exemption-Union Pacific Railroad...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-17

... Monterey Bay Railway Company--Assignment of Lease Exemption--Union Pacific Railroad Company and Sierra Northern Railway Santa Cruz and Monterey Bay Railway Company (SCMB), a noncarrier, has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1150.31 to acquire by assignment from Sierra Northern Railway its lease...

Everglades National Park Including Biscayne National Park. Activity Book.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruehrwein, Dick

Intended to help elementary school children learn about the resources of the Everglades and Biscayne National Parks, this activity book includes information, puzzles, games, and quizzes. The booklet deals with concepts related to: (1) the seasons; (2) fire ecology; (3) water; (4) fish; (5) mammals; (6) mosquitos; (7) birds; (8) venomous snakes;…

Analysis of water quality and circulation of four recreational Miami beaches through the use of Lagrangian Coherent Structures.

PubMed

Fiorentino, L A; Olascoaga, M J; Reniers, A

2014-06-15

Four popular, recreational beaches in Miami, FL are Hobie Beach, Virginia Key Beach, Crandon Park Beach, and Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park. While all of the beaches are within a few miles of each other in Biscayne Bay, they have greatly differing water qualities, as determined by the testing for fecal indicator bacteria performed by the Florida Department of Health. Using the geodesic theory of transport barriers, we identify Lagrangian Coherent Structures (LCSs) in each area. We show how these material curves, which shape circulation and mixing patterns, can be used to explain the incongruous states of the water at beaches that should be comparable. The LCSs are computed using a hydrodynamic model and verified through field experimentation at each beach. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Thermal Pollution Mathematical Model. Volume 4: Verification of Three-Dimensional Rigid-Lid Model at Lake Keowee. [envrionment impact of thermal discharges from power plants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, S. S.; Sengupta, S.; Nwadike, E. V.; Sinha, S. K.

1980-01-01

The rigid lid model was developed to predict three dimensional temperature and velocity distributions in lakes. This model was verified at various sites (Lake Belews, Biscayne Bay, etc.) and th verification at Lake Keowee was the last of these series of verification runs. The verification at Lake Keowee included the following: (1) selecting the domain of interest, grid systems, and comparing the preliminary results with archival data; (2) obtaining actual ground truth and infrared scanner data both for summer and winter; and (3) using the model to predict the measured data for the above periods and comparing the predicted results with the actual data. The model results compared well with measured data. Thus, the model can be used as an effective predictive tool for future sites.

The movement, heterogeneity, and rate of exploitation of walleyes in northern Green Bay, Lake Michigan, as determined by tagging

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crowe, Walter R.; Karvelis, Ernest G.; Joeris, Leonard S.

1963-01-01

The Michigan waters of northern Green Bay are an important center for commercial and sport fishing. This 400-square-mile area has supported a commercial fishery for many years but the development of the intensive sport fishery is more recent, mostly since World War II. The commercial fishery is based on several species, whereas anglers are particularly interested in the walleye, Stizostedion v. vitreum. Broad objectives of tagging studies initiated in September 1957 were to obtain information on the heterogeneity, movement, and exploitation of the walleye population of northern Green Bay. The statistical data on the commercial fishery are very sound but other information on the Green Bay walleye has been sketchy.

Shallow water sea slugs (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia) from the northwestern coast of the Sea of Japan, north of Peter the Great Bay, Russia

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

The coast of northern Primorye region, north of Peter the Great Bay has been sparsely studied in regards to its molluscan fauna, with just a few works reviewing the distribution of local mollusks. This work presents a survey of the shallow water heterobranch sea slugs currently occurring around Kievka Bay to Oprichnik Bay, Russia. Thirty-nine species of sea slugs were found in this study and the new species Cadlina olgae sp. nov., described herein. Most (24) of the species occurring in the area have widespread ranges in the northern Pacific Ocean. The eight species are endemic for the Sea of Japan and adjacent part of the Sea of Okhotsk. Seven other occur also in northern Atlantic and Arctic waters. Thirteen found species are not known from Peter the Great Bay but known from adjacent northern Pacific waters. The finding of a previously undescribed species emphasizes the need of further surveys, particularly in subtidal and deeper waters, in order to improve the knowledge on this neglected fauna in Primorye. PMID:27957399

Geologic and hydrogeologic frameworks of the Biscayne aquifer in central Miami-Dade County, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wacker, Michael A.; Cunningham, Kevin J.; Williams, John H.

2014-01-01

Evaluations of the lithostratigraphy, lithofacies, paleontology, ichnology, depositional environments, and cyclostratigraphy from 11 test coreholes were linked to geophysical interpretations, and to results of hydraulic slug tests of six test coreholes at the Snapper Creek Well Field (SCWF), to construct geologic and hydrogeologic frameworks for the study area in central Miami-Dade County, Florida. The resulting geologic and hydrogeologic frameworks are consistent with those recently described for the Biscayne aquifer in the nearby Lake Belt area in Miami-Dade County and link the Lake Belt area frameworks with those developed for the SCWF study area. The hydrogeologic framework is characterized by a triple-porosity pore system of (1) matrix porosity (mainly mesoporous interparticle porosity, moldic porosity, and mesoporous to megaporous separate vugs), which under dynamic conditions, produces limited flow; (2) megaporous, touching-vug porosity that commonly forms stratiform groundwater passageways; and (3) conduit porosity, including bedding-plane vugs, decimeter-scale diameter vertical solution pipes, and meter-scale cavernous vugs. The various pore types and associated permeabilities generally have a predictable vertical spatial distribution related to the cyclostratigraphy. The Biscayne aquifer within the study area can be described as two major flow units separated by a single middle semiconfining unit. The upper Biscayne aquifer flow unit is present mainly within the Miami Limestone at the top of the aquifer and has the greatest hydraulic conductivity values, with a mean of 8,200 feet per day. The middle semiconfining unit, mainly within the upper Fort Thompson Formation, comprises continuous to discontinuous zones with (1) matrix porosity; (2) leaky, low permeability layers that may have up to centimeter-scale vuggy porosity with higher vertical permeability than horizontal permeability; and (3) stratiform flow zones composed of fossil moldic porosity, burrow related vugs, or irregular vugs. Flow zones with a mean hydraulic conductivity of 2,600 feet per day are present within the middle semiconfining unit, but none of the flow zones are continuous across the study area. The lower Biscayne aquifer flow unit comprises a group of flow zones in the lower part of the aquifer. These flow zones are present in the lower part of the Fort Thompson Formation and in some cases within the limestone or sandstone or both in the uppermost part of the Pinecrest Sand Member of the Tamiami Formation. The mean hydraulic conductivity of major flow zones within the lower Biscayne aquifer flow unit is 5,900 feet per day, and the mean value for minor flow zones is 2,900 feet per day. A semiconfining unit is present beneath the Biscayne aquifer. The boundary between the two hydrologic units is at the top or near the top of the Pinecrest Sand Member of the Tamiami Formation. The lower semiconfining unit has a hydraulic conductivity of less than 350 feet per day. The most productive zones of groundwater flow within the two Biscayne aquifer flow units have a characteristic pore system dominated by stratiform megaporosity related to selective dissolution of an Ophiomorpha-dominated ichnofabric. In the upper flow unit, decimeter-scale vertical solution pipes that are common in some areas of the SCWF study area contribute to high vertical permeability compared to that in areas without the pipes. Cross-hole flowmeter data collected from the SCWF test coreholes show that the distribution of vuggy porosity, matrix porosity, and permeability within the Biscayne aquifer of the SCWF is highly heterogeneous and anisotropic. Groundwater withdrawals from production well fields in southeastern Florida may be inducing recharge of the Biscayne aquifer from canals near the well fields that are used for water-management functions, such as flood control and well-field pumping. The SCWF was chosen as a location within Miami-Dade County to study the potential for such recharge to the Biscayne aquifer from the C–2 (Snapper Creek) canal that roughly divides the well field in half. Geologic, hydrogeologic, and hydraulic information on the aquifer collected during construction of monitoring wells within the SCWF could be used to evaluate the groundwater flow budget at the well-field scale.

Bay of Bengal Surface and Thermocline and the Arabian Sea

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-30

oceanographic processes that exchange low salinity surface and upper thermocline water of the Bay of Bengal with the salty Arabian Sea and tropical Indian Ocean ...two northern embayments of the Indian Ocean . OBJECTIVES Two northern Indian Ocean embayments, the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, are so close...e.g. where do the eddies come from? 2. Investigating advective pathways, and the role of isopycnal mixing, exchanging upper ocean water between the

Application of remote sensing to thermal pollution analysis. [satellite sea surface temperature measurement assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hiser, H. W.; Lee, S. S.; Veziroglu, T. N.; Sengupta, S.

1975-01-01

A comprehensive numerical model development program for near-field thermal plume discharge and far field general circulation in coastal regions is being carried on at the University of Miami Clean Energy Research Institute. The objective of the program is to develop a generalized, three-dimensional, predictive model for thermal pollution studies. Two regions of specific application of the model are the power plants sites at the Biscayne Bay and Hutchinson Island area along the Florida coastline. Remote sensing from aircraft as well as satellites are used in parallel with in situ measurements to provide information needed for the development and verification of the mathematical model. This paper describes the efforts that have been made to identify problems and limitations of the presently available satellite data and to develop methods for enhancing and enlarging thermal infrared displays for mesoscale sea surface temperature measurements.

Ecological study of the effects of power plants on benthic macroplant microcosms in subtropical and tropical estuaries. Annual progress report, 1977-1978

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thorhaug, A.; Schroeder, P.

1978-01-01

The major efforts have been to examine the effects of energy-related problems on nearshore environments in the subtropics and tropics of the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico regions of the United States and the Caribbean. Two fossil fuel and two nuclear plants were examined as the their effects on a nearshore seagrass community at Turkey Point in south Biscayne Bay, Dade County, Florida. The effects of heat toxicity, trace (heavy) metals and high salinities, the community processes and dynamics of nearshore subtropical and tropical seagrass ecosystems, and primary productivity and physiology of the dominant food chain organisms in these ecosystemsmore » have been studied in detail in both field and laboratory studies. A model for future prediction of pollutants emanating from energy-related resources and their effect on seagrass ecosystems has been included.« less

Use of Multibeam-Bathymetry and Seismic-Reflection Data to Investigate the Origin of Seafloor Depressions Along the Southeastern Carbonate Florida Platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cunningham, K. J.; Kluesner, J.; Westcott, R. L.; Ebuna, D. R.; Walker, C.

2016-12-01

Numerous large, semicircular, deep submarine depressions on the seafloor of the Miami Terrace (a bathymetric bench that interrupts the Atlantic continental slope on the southeastern carbonate Florida Platform) have been described as submarine sinkholes resulting from freshwater discharge at the seafloor and dissolution of carbonate rock. Multibeam-bathymetry and marine, high-resolution, multichannel 2D and 3D seismic-reflection data acquired over two of these depressions at water depths of about 250 m ("Miami sinkhole") and 336 m ("Key Biscayne sinkhole") indicate the depressions are pockmarks. Seafloor pockmarks are concave, crater-like depressions that form through the outburst or venting of fluid (gas, liquid) at the sea floor and are important seabed features that provide information about fluid flow on continental margins. Both the "Miami sinkhole" and "Key Biscayne sinkhole" (about 25 and 48m deep, respectively) have a seismic-chimney structure beneath them that indicates an origin related to seafloor fluid expulsion, as supported by multi-attribute analysis of the "Key Biscayne sinkhole". Further, there is no widening of the depressions with depth, as in the Fort Worth Basin, where downward widening of seismic, sub-circular, karst-collapse structures is common. However, hypogenic karst dissolution is not ruled out as part of the evolution of the two depressions. Indeed, a hypogenic karst pipe plausibly extends downward from the bottom of "Key Biscayne sinkhole", providing a passageway for focused upward flow of fluids to the seafloor. In "Key Biscayne sinkhole", the proposed karst pipe occurs above the underlying seismic chimney that contains flat bright spots (a hydrocarbon indicator) in the seismic data plausibly showing fluids are currently trapped beneath the pockmark within a tightly folded popup structure. The Miami Terrace depressions have seismic-reflection features similar to modern pockmarks imaged on the Maldives carbonate platform. The seismic-reflection data also show that ancient satellite expulsions formed buried pockmarks, slumps, and paleo-collapse structures in the carbonate sediments near the "Key Biscayne sinkhole". Additional processing of the 3D seismic data will aid in elucidation of the origin of these seafloor depressions.

Seagrasses in northern Gulf of Mexico: An ecosystem in trouble

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2000-01-01

The USGS National Wetlands Research Center has documented that Seagrasses in the northern Gulf of Mexico constitute an ecosystem in trouble. From studies in St. Andrews Bay, Period Bay, the Chandeleur Islands, and the Gulf Islands National Seashore, scientists have discovered that declining seagrass acreage ranges from 12% to 66% in bays and estuaries of the Gulf of Mexico. Not only are seagrasses disappearing, but they are also changing in species composition, densities, and patchiness.

SIMILARITY OF PARTICLE-ASSOCIATED AND FREE-LIVING BACTERIAL COMMUNITIES IN NORTHERN SAN FRANCISCO BAY, CALIFORNIA

EPA Science Inventory

We used denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of 16S rDNA PCR amplicons to analyze the composition of Bacteria communities in samples collected during the summer, low flow season from northern San Francisco Bay, California. There were clear compositional differences in ...

Effective use of surface-water management to control saltwater intrusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hughes, J. D.; White, J.

2012-12-01

The Biscayne aquifer in southeast Florida is susceptible to saltwater intrusion and inundation from rising sea-level as a result of high groundwater withdrawal rates and low topographic relief. Groundwater levels in the Biscayne aquifer are managed by an extensive canal system that is designed to control flooding, supply recharge to municipal well fields, and control saltwater intrusion. We present results from an integrated surface-water/groundwater model of a portion of the Biscayne aquifer to evaluate the ability of the existing managed surface-water control network to control saltwater intrusion. Surface-water stage and flow are simulated using a hydrodynamic model that solves the diffusive-wave approximation of the depth-integrated shallow surface-water equations. Variable-density groundwater flow and fluid density are solved using the Oberbeck--Boussinesq approximation of the three-dimensional variable-density groundwater flow equation and a sharp interface approximation, respectively. The surface-water and variable-density groundwater domains are implicitly coupled during each Picard iteration. The Biscayne aquifer is discretized into a multi-layer model having a 500-m square horizontal grid spacing. All primary and secondary surface-water features in the active model domain are discretized into segments using the 500-m square horizontal grid. A 15-year period of time is simulated and the model includes 66 operable surface-water control structures, 127 municipal production wells, and spatially-distributed daily internal and external hydrologic stresses. Numerical results indicate that the existing surface-water system can be effectively used in many locations to control saltwater intrusion in the Biscayne aquifer resulting from increases in groundwater withdrawals or sea-level rise expected to occur over the next 25 years. In other locations, numerical results indicate surface-water control structures and/or operations may need to be modified to control saltwater intrusion.

High temporal resolution modeling of the impact of rain, tides, and sea level rise on water table flooding in the Arch Creek basin, Miami-Dade County Florida USA.

PubMed

Sukop, Michael C; Rogers, Martina; Guannel, Greg; Infanti, Johnna M; Hagemann, Katherine

2018-03-01

Modeling of groundwater levels in a portion of the low-lying coastal Arch Creek basin in northern Miami-Dade County in Southeast Florida USA, which is subject to repetitive flooding, reveals that rain-induced short-term water table rises can be viewed as a primary driver of flooding events under current conditions. Areas below 0.9m North American Vertical Datum (NAVD) elevation are particularly vulnerable and areas below 1.5m NAVD are vulnerable to exceptionally large rainfall events. Long-term water table rise is evident in the groundwater data, and the rate appears to be consistent with local rates of sea level rise. Linear extrapolation of long-term observed groundwater levels to 2060 suggest roughly a doubling of the number of days when groundwater levels exceed 0.9m NAVD and a threefold increase in the number of days when levels exceed 1.5m NAVD. Projected sea level rise of 0.61m by 2060 together with increased rainfall lead to a model prediction of frequent groundwater-related flooding in areas<0.9m NAVD. However, current simulations do not consider the range of rainfall events that have led to water table elevations>1.5m NAVD and widespread flooding of the area in the past. Tidal fluctuations in the water table are predicted to be more pronounced within 600m of a tidally influenced water control structure that is hydrodynamically connected to Biscayne Bay. The inland influence of tidal fluctuations appears to increase with increased sea level, but the principal driver of high groundwater levels under the 2060 scenario conditions remains groundwater recharge due to rainfall events. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

BIOMARKER RESPONSES IN MACOMA NASUTA (BIVALVIA) EXPOSED TO SEDIMENTS FROM NORTHERN SAN FRANCISCO BAY. (R826940)

EPA Science Inventory

Abstract

Our study investigates biomarker responses and survival of Macoma nasuta exposed to sediments collected from six locations in northern San Francisco Bay. Biomarkers analyzed were stress proteins (hsp70) in gill, mantle and digestive gland, lysosomal mem...

DISTRIBUTION AND COMPOSITION OF DISSOLVED AND PARTICULATE ORGANIC CARBON IN NORTHERN SAN FRANCISCO BAY DURING LOW FRESHWATER FLOW CONDITIONS

EPA Science Inventory

The distribution of dissolved and particulate organic matter was studied in northern San Francisco Bay on seven dates during declining flow conditions from April to October 1996. Measurements were made at 3 to 11 stations (usually 8) along the salinity gradient from the Sacrament...

[Mercury concentration of fish in Tokyo Bay and the surrounding sea area].

PubMed

Zhang, R; Kashima, Y; Matsui, M; Okabe, T; Doi, R

2001-07-01

Total mercury in the muscles of three fish species was analyzed in fish caught in Tokyo Bay and the surrounding sea areas, Sagami Bay and Choshi. Tokyo Bay is a semi-closed sea area surrounded by Tokyo, Kanagawa and Chiba prefectures. Sagami Bay and Choshi are open to the Pacific Ocean. A total of 412 fish consisting of northern whiting (Sillago japonica), flatfish (Limanda yokohamae) and sardine (Sardinops melanosticta) were caught in these areas over a 6 months period from November 1998 to April 1999. Total mercury concentration ranged from 0.008-0.092 microgram/g (wet wt.) in northern whiting, 0.006-0.065 microgram/g in flatfish and 0.001-0.045 microgram/g in sardine. All concentrations were below the restriction limit of fish mercury in Japan, 0.4 microgram/g of total mercury concentration. A significant correlation was found between mercury concentrations and body length or body weight in northern whiting and flatfish, irrespective of the sea area. A correlation was also found between mercury concentration in fish and their feeding habits: among the 3 species caught in the same area, crustacean feeding northern whiting had the highest, polychaete feeding flatfish moderate, and plankton feeding sardine had the lowest mercury concentration. In a comparison of mercury concentration in the same species caught in different sea areas, a higher concentration was noted in fish caught in the semi-closed sea area of Tokyo Bay, than in fish caught in the open sea areas of Sagami Bay and Choshi. This difference was most marked in fish caught at the bottom of Tokyo Bay and we considered that the mercury concentration of seawater and sediment in these areas was the cause of mercury accumulation in fish. These findings suggest that improved water quality control and environmental monitoring is necessary in semi-closed sea areas such as Tokyo Bay.

Harmful Algal Blooms in the Mississippi Sound and Mobile Bay: Using MODIS Aqua and In Situ Data for HABs in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-10-01

Blooms in the Mississippi Sound & Mobile Bay: Using MODIS Aqua & In Situ Data for HABs in the Northern Gulf of Mexico 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT...shores. Phytoplankton populations and in situ water quality were monitored at 3 to 6 week intervals at 17 locations in Mobile Bay & the Mississippi...Sound beginning in July, 2005 & continuing thru June, 2006 along w/ concurrent MODIS Aqua weekly composite or same-day imagery. In situ or satellite

Integration of electrical resistivity imaging and ground penetrating radar to investigate solution features in the Biscayne Aquifer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeboah-Forson, Albert; Comas, Xavier; Whitman, Dean

2014-07-01

The limestone composing the Biscayne Aquifer in southeast Florida is characterized by cavities and solution features that are difficult to detect and quantify accurately because of their heterogeneous spatial distribution. Such heterogeneities have been shown by previous studies to exert a strong influence in the direction of groundwater flow. In this study we use an integrated array of geophysical methods to detect the lateral extent and distribution of solution features as indicative of anisotropy in the Biscayne Aquifer. Geophysical methods included azimuthal resistivity measurements, electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) and ground penetrating radar (GPR) and were constrained with direct borehole information from nearby wells. The geophysical measurements suggest the presence of a zone of low electrical resistivity (from ERI) and low electromagnetic wave velocity (from GPR) below the water table at depths of 4-9 m that corresponds to the depth of solution conduits seen in digital borehole images. Azimuthal electrical measurements at the site reported coefficients of electrical anisotropy as high as 1.36 suggesting the presence of an area of high porosity (most likely comprising different types of porosity) oriented in the E-W direction. This study shows how integrated geophysical methods can help detect the presence of areas of enhanced porosity which may influence the direction of groundwater flow in a complex anisotropic and heterogeneous karst system like the Biscayne Aquifer.

Spatiotemporal patterns of phytoplankton composition and abundance in the Maryland Coastal Bays: The influence of freshwater discharge and anthropogenic activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oseji, Ozuem F.; Chigbu, Paulinus; Oghenekaro, Efeturi; Waguespack, Yan; Chen, Nianhong

2018-07-01

The spatial and temporal variations in phytoplankton abundance and community structure in the northern and southern parts of the Maryland Coastal Bays (MCBs) that differ in anthropogenic activities and hydrological characteristics were studied in 2012 and 2013 using photosynthetic pigments as biomarkers. Phytoplankton pigment biomass and diversity were generally higher in the northern bays that receive high nutrient input from St. Martin River, than in the southern bays where nutrient levels were comparatively low. Sites close to the mouths of tributaries in northern and southern bays had higher nutrient levels, which favored the development of dinoflagellates, and nano- and picophytoplankton, than sites closer to the inlets. The microplankton dominated the phytoplankton community in spring (>90%) and decreased in relative abundance into fall (<60%) whereas nanoplankton peaked in summer or fall. Picoplankton relative abundance increased from late spring (<10%, March 2012 & 2013) to summer (40%, July 2012 and August 2013) and was correlated positively with NH4+ and negatively with salinity. The observed spatial and seasonal patterns of phytoplankton relative abundance and diversity are likely due to changes in nutrient concentrations and ratios, driven by variations in freshwater discharge, and selective grazing of phytoplankton. Water quality management in the MCBs should continue to focus on reducing nutrient inputs into the bays.

33 CFR 110.78 - Sturgeon Bay, Sturgeon Bay, Wis.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... channel edge; thence 222°, 500 feet; thence 300°, 1,200 feet; thence 042°, 500 feet to the point of... extended; thence south 530 feet to a point 100 feet from the northern edge of the channel; thence southeasterly 2,350 feet along a line parallel to the northern edge of the channel to a point on the east line...

Bahía de Banderas, Mexico: Morphology, Magnetic Anomalies and Shallow Structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mortera Gutiérrez, Carlos A.; Bandy, William L.; Ponce Núñez, Francisco; Pérez Calderón, Daniel A.

2016-10-01

The Bahía de Banderas lies within a tectonically complex area at the northern end of the Middle America Trench. The structure, morphology, subsurface geology and tectonic history of the bay are essential for unraveling the complex tectonic processes occurring in this area. With this focus, marine geophysical data (multi-beam bathymetry, high resolution seismic reflection and total field magnetic data) were collected within the bay and adjacent areas during four campaigns aboard the B.O. EL PUMA conducted in 2006 and 2009. These data image the detailed morphology of, and sedimentation patterns within, the Banderas Canyon (a prominent submarine canyon situated on the south side of the bay) as well as the shallow subsurface structure of the northern part of the bay and the submarine Marietas Ridge, which bounds the bay to the west. We find that the Marietas Ridge is presently a transtensional feature; the course of the Banderas Canyon is controlled by extensive turbidite fan sedimentation in its eastern extremity and by structural lineaments to the west; the canyon floor is filled by sediments and exhibits almost no evidence for recent tectonic movements; the southern canyon wall is quite steep and a few sediments are deposited as submarine fans at the base of the southern wall; and extensive turbidite fans form the lower part of the northern canyon wall, producing a gently sloping lower northern wall. We find no evidence for a regional east-west striking lineament between the bay and the Middle America Trench, which casts doubts on the previous assertion that the Banderas Canyon is unequivocally related to the presence of a regional half-graben. Finally, a N71°E oriented normal fault offsets the seafloor reflector by 15 m within the central part of the bay, suggesting that the bay is currently being subjected to NNW-SSE extension.

Publications - PIR 2015-5-8 | Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical

Science.gov Websites

lower sandstone member of the Upper Jurassic Naknek Formation, northern Chinitna Bay, Alaska, in Wartes member of the Upper Jurassic Naknek Formation, northern Chinitna Bay, Alaska Authors: Wartes, M.A Surveys Skip to content State of Alaska myAlaska My Government Resident Business in Alaska

Local wind forcing of the Monterey Bay area inner shelf

USGS Publications Warehouse

Drake, P.T.; McManus, M.A.; Storlazzi, C.D.

2005-01-01

Wind forcing and the seasonal cycles of temperature and currents were investigated on the inner shelf of the Monterey Bay area of the California coast for 460 days, from June 2001 to September 2002. Temperature measurements spanned an approximate 100 km stretch of coastline from a bluff just north of Monterey Bay south to Point Sur. Inner shelf currents were measured at two sites near the bay's northern shore. Seasonal temperature variations were consistent with previous observations from the central California shelf. During the spring, summer and fall, a seasonal mean alongshore current was observed flowing northwestward in the northern bay, in direct opposition to a southeastward wind stress. A barotropic alongshore pressure gradient, potentially driving the northwestward flow, was needed to balance the alongshore momentum equation. With the exception of the winter season, vertical profiles of mean cross-shore currents were consistent with two-dimensional upwelling and existing observations from upwelling regions with poleward subsurface flow. At periods of 15-60 days, temperature fluctuations were coherent both throughout the domain and with the regional wind field. Remote wind forcing was minimal. During the spring upwelling season, alongshore currents and temperatures in the northern bay were most coherent with winds measured at a nearby land meteorological station. This wind site showed relatively low correlations to offshore buoy wind stations, indicating localized wind effects are important to the circulation along this stretch of Monterey Bay's inner shelf. ?? 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Marine magnetic survey and onshore gravity and magnetic survey, San Pablo Bay, northern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ponce, David A.; Denton, Kevin M.; Watt, Janet T.

2016-09-12

IntroductionFrom November 2011 to August 2015, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected more than 1,000 line-kilometers (length of lines surveyed in kilometers) of marine magnetic data on San Pablo Bay, 98 onshore gravity stations, and over 27 line-kilometers of ground magnetic data in northern California. Combined magnetic and gravity investigations were undertaken to study subsurface geologic structures as an aid in understanding the geologic framework and earthquake hazard potential in the San Francisco Bay Area. Furthermore, marine magnetic data illuminate local subsurface geologic features in the shallow crust beneath San Pablo Bay where geologic exposure is absent.Magnetic and gravity methods, which reflect contrasting physical properties of the subsurface, are ideal for studying San Pablo Bay. Exposed rock units surrounding San Pablo Bay consist mainly of Jurassic Coast Range ophiolite, Great Valley sequence, Franciscan Complex rocks, Miocene sedimentary rocks, and unconsolidated alluvium (Graymer and others, 2006). The contrasting magnetic and density properties of these rocks enable us to map their subsurface extent.

Pink shrimp as an indicator for restoration of everglades ecosystems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Browder, Joan A.; Robblee, M.B.

2009-01-01

The pink shrimp, Farfantepenaeus duorarum, familiar to most Floridians as either food or bait shrimp, is ubiquitous in South Florida coastal and offshore waters and is proposed as an indicator for assessing restoration of South Florida's southern estuaries: Florida Bay, Biscayne Bay, and the mangrove estuaries of the lower southwest coast. Relationships between pink shrimp and salinity have been determined in both field and laboratory studies. Salinity is directly relevant to restoration because the salinity regimes of South Florida estuaries, critical nursery habitat for the pink shrimp, will be altered by changes in the quantity, timing, and distribution of freshwater inflow planned as part of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Project (CERP). Here we suggest performance measures based on pink shrimp density (number per square meter) in the estuaries and propose a restoration assessment and scoring scheme using these performance measures that can readily be communicated to managers, policy makers, and the interested public. The pink shrimp is an appropriate restoration indicator because of its ecological as well as its economic importance and also because scientific interest in pink shrimp in South Florida has produced a wealth of information about the species and relatively long time series of data on both juveniles in estuarine nursery habitats and adults on the fishing grounds. We suggest research needs for improving the pink shrimp performance measure.

Assessing the impacts of salinity and nutrient stress to Ruppia maritima and Zostera marina.

EPA Science Inventory

Healthy seagrass beds were once found throughout the shallow areas of Narragansett Bay, R.I. but have disappeared due to infilling, pollution and disease. In Greenwich Bay, a highly developed embayment within Narragansett Bay, Ruppia maritima has colonized an area on the northern...

Bay of Bengal Exhibits Warming Trend During the Younger Dryas: Implications of AMOC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panmei, Champoungam; Divakar Naidu, Pothuri; Mohtadi, Mahyar

2017-12-01

A sharp decline in temperature during the Younger Dryas (YD) preceding the current warmer Holocene is well documented in climate archives from the Northern Hemisphere high latitudes. Although the magnitude of YD cooling varied spatially, the response of YD cooling was well documented in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans but not in the Indian Ocean. Here we investigate whether the modern remote forcing of tropical Indian Ocean sea surface temperature (SST) by Northern Hemisphere climate changes holds true for events such as the YD. Our SST reconstruction from the western Bay of Bengal exhibits an overall warming of ˜1.8°C during the YD. We further compared our data with other existing Mg/Ca-based SST records from the Northern Indian Ocean and found no significant negative SST anomalies in both the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal compared to pre- and post-YD, suggesting that no apparent cooling occurred during the YD in the Northern Indian Ocean. In contrast, most part of the YD exhibits positive SST anomalies in the Northern Indian Ocean that coincide with the slowdown of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation during this period.

Time scales of circulation and mixing processes of San Francisco Bay waters

USGS Publications Warehouse

Walters, R.A.; Cheng, R.T.; Conomos, T.J.

1985-01-01

Conceptual models for tidal period and low-frequency variations in sea level, currents, and mixing processes in the northern and southern reaches of San Francisco Bay describe the contrasting characteristics and dissimilar processes and rates in these embayments: The northern reach is a partially mixed estuary whereas the southern reach (South Bay) is a tidally oscillating lagoon with density-driven exchanges with the northern reach. The mixed semidiurnal tides are mixtures of progressive and standing waves. The relatively simple oscillations in South Bay are nearly standing waves, with energy propagating down the channels and dispersing into the broad shoal areas. The tides of the northern reach have the general properties of a progressive wave but are altered at the constriction of the embayments and gradually change in an upstream direction to a mixture of progressive and standing waves. The spring and neap variations of the tides are pronounced and cause fortnightly varying tidal currents that affect mixing and salinity stratification in the water column. Wind stress on the water surface, freshwater inflow, and tidal currents interacting with the complex bay configuration are the major local forcing mechanisms creating low-frequency variations in sea level and currents. These local forcing mechanisms drive the residual flows which, with tidal diffusion, control the water-replacement rates in the estuary. In the northern reach, the longitudinal density gradient drives an estuarine circulation in the channels, and the spatial variation in tidal amplitude creates a tidally-driven residual circulation. In contrast, South Bay exhibits a balance between wind-driven circulation and tidally-driven residual circulation for most of the year. During winter, however, there can be sufficient density variations to drive multilayer (2 to 3) flows in the channel of South Bay. Mixing models (that include both diffusive and dispersive processes) are based on time scales associated with salt variations at the boundaries and those associated with the local forcing mechanisms, while the spatial scales of variations are dependent upon the configuration of the embayments. In the northern reach, where the estuarine circulation is strong, the salt flux is carried by the mean advection of the mean salt field. Where large salinity gradients are present, the tidal correlation part of the salt flux is of the same order as the advective part. Our knowledge of mixing and exchange rates in South Bay is poor. As this embayment is nearly isohaline, the salt flux is dominated entirely by the mean advection of the mean salt field. During and after peaks in river discharge, water mixing becomes more dynamic, with a strong density-driven current creating a net exchange of both water mass and salt. These exchanges are stronger during neap tides. Residence times of the water masses vary seasonally and differ between reaches. In the northern reach, residence times are on the order of days for high winter river discharge and of months for summer periods. The residence times for South Bay are fairly long (on the order of several months) during summer, and typically shorter (less than a month) during winter when density-driven exchanges occur. ?? 1985 Dr W. Junk Publishers.

Floodtide pulses after low tides in shallow subembayments adjacent to deep channels

USGS Publications Warehouse

Warner, J.C.; Schoellhamer, D.H.; Ruhl, C.A.; Burau, J.R.

2004-01-01

In shallow waters surface gravity waves (tides) propagate with a speed proportional to the square root of water depth (c=g(h+η)). As the ratio of free surface displacement to mean depth (η/h) approaches unity the wave will travel noticeably faster at high tide than at low tide, creating asymmetries in the tidal form. This physical process is explained analytically by the increased significance of friction and the nonlinear terms in the continuity and momentum equations. In a tidal system comprising a shallow bay adjacent to a deeper channel, tidal asymmetries will be more prevalent in the shallow bay. Thus strong barotropic gradients can be generated between the two, producing rapid accelerations of currents into the bay (relative to other bay tidal processes) and create a maximum peak in the flood tide that we describe as a floodtide pulse. These floodtide pulses can promote a landward flux of suspended-sediment into the bay. In Grizzly Bay (part of northern San Francisco Bay, USA), field observations verify the occurrence of floodtide pulses during the lowest low tides of the year. No pulses were observed in neighboring Honker Bay, which has an average depth ~30 cm greater than Grizzly Bay. Numerical simulations of northern San Francisco Bay using realistic bathymetry demonstrated that floodtide pulses occurred in Grizzly Bay but not in Honker Bay, consistent with the observations. Both observations and numerical simulations show that floodtide pulses promote a landward flux of sediment into Grizzly Bay. Numerical simulations of an idealized bay-channel system quantify the importance of mean depth and friction in creating these floodtide pulses. 

Influence of hydrologic processes on reproduction of the introduced bivalve Potamocorbula amurensis in northern San Francisco Bay, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parchaso, F.; Thompson, J.K.

2002-01-01

Monthly censusing of reproductive condition of the Asian clam Potamocorbula amurensis at four sites in northern San Francisco Bay over a 9-yr period revealed year-to-year differences in local reproductive activity that are associated with patterns of hydrologic variability. Between 1989 and 1992, Northern California experienced a drought, whereas the period between 1993 and 1998 was marked by a mix of wet and dry years. We took advantage of the extreme year-to-year differences to examine reproductive responses to river inflow patterns. Populations of P. amurensis at the upstream sites in Suisun Bay and Carquinez Strait were more reproductively active during wet years than dry years. Conversely, at the downstream site in San Pablo Bay, the population was more reproductively active during dry years than wet years. We suggest that the different reproductive patterns observed reflect the clam's response to different sources of food. During wet years, organic matter from the rivers augments food supplies in Suisun Bay. During dry years, when inflow into the San Francisco Bay Estuary from the rivers is reduced, water transported from the adjacent ocean into the estuary as far as San Pablo Bay provides a supplemental food supply for the local production. The populations take advantage of these spatially distinct food supplies by initiating and maintaining local reproductive activity. We conclude that the ability of P. amurensis to consume and use various types of food to regulate its reproductive activity is part of the reason for its success as an invasive species.

Use of Linear Prediction Uncertainty Analysis to Guide Conditioning of Models Simulating Surface-Water/Groundwater Interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hughes, J. D.; White, J.; Doherty, J.

2011-12-01

Linear prediction uncertainty analysis in a Bayesian framework was applied to guide the conditioning of an integrated surface water/groundwater model that will be used to predict the effects of groundwater withdrawals on surface-water and groundwater flows. Linear prediction uncertainty analysis is an effective approach for identifying (1) raw and processed data most effective for model conditioning prior to inversion, (2) specific observations and periods of time critically sensitive to specific predictions, and (3) additional observation data that would reduce model uncertainty relative to specific predictions. We present results for a two-dimensional groundwater model of a 2,186 km2 area of the Biscayne aquifer in south Florida implicitly coupled to a surface-water routing model of the actively managed canal system. The model domain includes 5 municipal well fields withdrawing more than 1 Mm3/day and 17 operable surface-water control structures that control freshwater releases from the Everglades and freshwater discharges to Biscayne Bay. More than 10 years of daily observation data from 35 groundwater wells and 24 surface water gages are available to condition model parameters. A dense parameterization was used to fully characterize the contribution of the inversion null space to predictive uncertainty and included bias-correction parameters. This approach allows better resolution of the boundary between the inversion null space and solution space. Bias-correction parameters (e.g., rainfall, potential evapotranspiration, and structure flow multipliers) absorb information that is present in structural noise that may otherwise contaminate the estimation of more physically-based model parameters. This allows greater precision in predictions that are entirely solution-space dependent, and reduces the propensity for bias in predictions that are not. Results show that application of this analysis is an effective means of identifying those surface-water and groundwater data, both raw and processed, that minimize predictive uncertainty, while simultaneously identifying the maximum solution-space dimensionality of the inverse problem supported by the data.

Pathogen and chemical transport in the karst limestone of the Biscayne aquifer: 1. Revised conceptualization of groundwater flow

USGS Publications Warehouse

Renken, Robert A.; Cunningham, Kevin J.; Shapiro, Allen M.; Harvey, Ronald W.; Zygnerski, Michael R.; Metge, David W.; Wacker, Michael A.

2008-01-01

The Biscayne aquifer is a highly transmissive karst limestone that serves as the sole source of drinking water to over two million residents in south Florida. The aquifer is characterized by eogenetic karst, where the most transmissive void space can be an interconnected, touching‐vug, biogenically influenced porosity of biogenic origin. Public supply wells in the aquifer are in close proximity to lakes established by surface mining. The mining of the limestone has occurred to the same depths as the production wells, which has raised concerns about pathogen and chemical transport from these surface water bodies. Hydraulic and forced gradient tracer tests were conducted to augment geologic and geophysical studies and to develop a hydrogeologic conceptual model of groundwater flow and chemical transport in the Biscayne aquifer. Geologic and geophysical data indicate multiple, areally extensive subhorizontal preferential flow zones of vuggy limestone separated by rock with a matrix pore system. The hydraulic response from an aquifer test suggests that the Biscayne aquifer behaves as a dual‐porosity medium; however, the results of the tracer test showed rapid transport similar to other types of karst. The tracer test and concurrent temperature logging revealed that only one of the touching‐vug flow zones dominates transport near the production wells. On the basis of the rising limb of the breakthrough curve, the dispersivity is estimated to be less than 3% of the tracer travel distance, which suggests that the fastest flow paths in the formation are likely to yield limited dilution of chemical constituents.

Evaluation of the effects of sea-level change and coastal canal management on saltwater intrusion in the Biscayne aquifer of south Florida, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hughes, J. D.; Sifuentes, D. F.; White, J.

2015-12-01

Sea-level increases are expected to have an effect on the position of the freshwater-saltwater interface in the Biscayne aquifer in south Florida as a result of the low topographic relief of the area and high rates of groundwater withdrawal from the aquifer. To study the effects that future sea-level increases will have on saltwater intrusion in the Biscayne aquifer in Broward County, Florida, a three-dimensional, variable-density, groundwater-flow and transport model was developed. The model was calibrated to observed groundwater heads and chloride concentrations for a 62-year period that includes historic increases in sea level, development of a surface-water management system to control flooding, and increases in groundwater withdrawals as the area transitioned from agricultural to urban land uses. Sensitivity analyses indicate that downward leakage of saltwater from coastal canals and creeks was the primary source of saltwater to the Biscayne aquifer during the last 62-years in areas where the surface-water system is not actively managed and is tidally influenced. In areas removed from the coastal canals and creeks or under active surface-water management, historic groundwater withdrawals were the primary cause of saltwater intrusion into the aquifer. Simulation of future conditions suggests that possible increases in sea level will result in additional saltwater intrusion. Model scenarios suggest that additional saltwater intrusion will be greatest in areas where coastal canals and creeks were historically the primary source of seawater. Future saltwater intrusion in those areas, however, may be reduced by relocation of salinity-control structures.

33 CFR 165.1104 - Security Zone: San Diego Bay, CA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Security Zone: San Diego Bay, CA... Navigation Areas and Limited Access Areas Eleventh Coast Guard District § 165.1104 Security Zone: San Diego Bay, CA. (a) Location. The following area is a security zone: on the waters along the northern...

33 CFR 165.1104 - Security Zone: San Diego Bay, CA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Security Zone: San Diego Bay, CA... Navigation Areas and Limited Access Areas Eleventh Coast Guard District § 165.1104 Security Zone: San Diego Bay, CA. (a) Location. The following area is a security zone: on the waters along the northern...

33 CFR 165.1104 - Security Zone: San Diego Bay, CA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Security Zone: San Diego Bay, CA... Navigation Areas and Limited Access Areas Eleventh Coast Guard District § 165.1104 Security Zone: San Diego Bay, CA. (a) Location. The following area is a security zone: on the waters along the northern...

33 CFR 165.1104 - Security Zone: San Diego Bay, CA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Security Zone: San Diego Bay, CA... Navigation Areas and Limited Access Areas Eleventh Coast Guard District § 165.1104 Security Zone: San Diego Bay, CA. (a) Location. The following area is a security zone: on the waters along the northern...

33 CFR 165.1104 - Security Zone: San Diego Bay, CA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Security Zone: San Diego Bay, CA... Navigation Areas and Limited Access Areas Eleventh Coast Guard District § 165.1104 Security Zone: San Diego Bay, CA. (a) Location. The following area is a security zone: on the waters along the northern...

Trace elements and heavy metals in the Grand Bay National Estuarine Reserve in the northern Gulf of Mexico

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve has the highest biotic diversity of habitats and offer a reserve of food resources and commercially significant species. Rapid human civilization has led to accumulation of heavy metals and trace elements in estuaries. The Grand Bay National Estuarin...

A meridional dipole in premonsoon Bay of Bengal tropical cyclone activity induced by ENSO: TROPICAL CYCLONES, MONSOON AND ENSO

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Balaguru, Karthik; Leung, L. Ruby; Lu, Jian

2016-06-27

Analysis of Bay of Bengal tropical cyclone (TC) track data for the month of May during 1980-2013 reveals a meridional dipole in TC intensification: TC intensification rates increased in the northern Bay and decreased in the southern Bay. The dipole was driven by an increase in low-level vorticity and atmospheric humidity in the northern Bay, making the environment more favorable for TC intensification, and enhanced vertical wind shear in the southern Bay, tending to reduce TC development. These environmental changes were associated with a strengthening of the monsoon circulation for the month of May, driven by a La Nin˜a-like shiftmore » in tropical Pacific SSTs andassociated tropical wave dynamics. Analysis of a suite of climate models fromthe CMIP5 archive for the 150-year historical period shows that most models correctly reproduce the link between ENSO and Bay of Bengal TC activity through the monsoon at interannual timescales. Under the RCP 8.5 scenario the same CMIP5 models produce an El Nin˜o like warming trend in the equatorial Pacific, tending to weaken the monsoon circulation. These results suggest« less

California Black Rail (Laterallus jamaicensis coturniculus) Distribution and Abundance in Relation to Habitat and Landscape Features in the San Francisco Bay Estuary

Treesearch

Hildie Spautz; Nadav Nur; Diana Stralberg

2005-01-01

The majority of California Black Rails (Laterallus jamaicensis coturniculus; >90 percent) are found in the tidal salt marshes of the northern San Francisco Bay region, primarily in San Pablo and Suisun Bays (Manolis 1978, Evens et al. 1991). Smaller populations occur in San Francisco Bay, the Outer Coast of Marin County, freshwater marshes in the foothills of...

Draft Detailed Project Report and Draft Environmental Assessment. Neah Bay Navigation Improvements, Neah Bay, Washington

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-11-01

navigation improvements for Neah Bay, Clallam Bay, and Port Angeles was begun under the Puget Sound and Adjacent Waters, General Investigations authority. The...Regonnaissance Report and Plan of Study. Puget Sound and Adjacent Waters. Washington. Northern Olympic Peninsula Shallow-Draft Naviaation Study, August 1983...operators from having to make long trips from the fishing grounds near Neah Bay to ports farther east in the Strait of Juan de Fuca or in Puget Sound . 9 9

Rail embankment stabilization needs on the Hudson Bay Railway.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-03-24

Since its construction in 1929, the Hudson Bay Railway (HBR) located in northern Manitoba, Canada, has been witnessing track deterioration through differential settlements. These differential settlements, termed sinkholes, have been linked to t...

Living on the edge: latitudinal variations in the reproductive biology of two coastal species of sharks.

PubMed

Taylor, S M; Harry, A V; Bennett, M B

2016-11-01

Differences in the reproductive biology of both the Australian weasel shark Hemigaleus australiensis and the Australian sharpnose shark Rhizoprionodon taylori were apparent between individuals from the southern-most extent of their range in eastern Australia (Moreton Bay) and those from northern Australia. For H. australiensis from Moreton Bay the total length (L T ) at which 50% of individuals were mature (L T50 ) was 759 mm for females and 756 mm for males, values that were respectively 17-26% larger than reported for the species in northern Australia. The relatively low percentage (63%) of pregnant mature females and presence of small, similar-sized, embryos in utero in both May and November suggested a semi-synchronous, annual reproductive cycle in Moreton Bay, whereas a synchronous, biannual reproductive cycle occurred in northern Australia. It is likely that H. australiensis has a resting phase between gestation cycles at the southern-most extent of its range. For R. taylori from Moreton Bay the L T50 s were 588 and 579 mm for females and males, respectively, values 2-3% larger than for individuals from the mid-Queensland coast and 31-35% larger than for individuals from northern Australia. The length at which 50% of the females were maternal (611 mm L T ) in Moreton Bay was greater than the L T50 , indicating that not all sharks mate immediately after maturing. Rhizoprionodon taylori in the south had an annual reproductive cycle incorporating a 7-8 month embryonic diapause, with pups probably born in February. A mean fecundity of 7·5 was almost double that reported from northern Australia. Regional variations in the reproductive characteristics of H. australiensis and R. taylori may influence their resilience to fishing and other anthropogenic pressures. The substantial differences reported here highlight the importance of region-specific life-history parameters to successful management and conservation. © 2016 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

33 CFR 334.860 - San Diego Bay, Calif., Naval Amphibious Base; restricted area.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false San Diego Bay, Calif., Naval..., DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DANGER ZONE AND RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.860 San Diego... Middle San Diego Bay in an area extending from the northern and eastern boundary of the Naval Amphibious...

33 CFR 334.860 - San Diego Bay, Calif., Naval Amphibious Base; restricted area.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false San Diego Bay, Calif., Naval..., DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DANGER ZONE AND RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.860 San Diego... Middle San Diego Bay in an area extending from the northern and eastern boundary of the Naval Amphibious...

33 CFR 334.860 - San Diego Bay, Calif.; Naval Amphibious Base; restricted area.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false San Diego Bay, Calif.; Naval..., DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DANGER ZONE AND RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.860 San Diego... Middle San Diego Bay in an area extending from the northern and eastern boundary of the Naval Amphibious...

Environmental Considerations for Municipal Waste Combustors

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-07-01

phone as above) 700 H Samet Sacramento, CA 95814 NORTHERN SONOMA COUNTY Air Pollution Control SAN BENITO COUNTY (See Monterey Bay Northern Sonoma County Air...Control Northern Sonoma County Air Pollution Control District San Bernardino County Air Pollution Control District Board of Directors 15428 Civic Drive 575

Intense Convective Activity Over Northern Bay of Bengal during Late Southwest Monsoon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mathew, S.; Venkatesan, R.; Natesan, U.; G, L.

2016-02-01

Warming of the northern Bay of Bengal during late southwest monsoon was very much influenced by the intensity of freshening by river discharges. The inter-annual variability of freshening and associated warming was analyzed for 2011 to 2015, with the help of in-situ data obtained from the moored buoys deployed at specific locations in northern Bay of Bengal. The shoaling of mixed layer depth associated with the advection of freshwaters has favored intense warming and supported convective activity thereby. The year 2011 recorded highest freshening with salinity touched as low as 21.3 p.s.u.; with the heavy river discharges, resulted from intense rainfall over catchment areas of rivers that discharged into the bay, due to positive Indian Ocean Dipole and La-Nina affect. It has resulted in intense warming of the surface temperature by 2°C, which persisted for nearly three weeks. The year 2014 was least fresh, with no signature of freshening and associated warming. The latent heat flux term computed from the moored buoy using the COARE 3.5 algorithm showed increased loss of latent heat flux during the late monsoon associated with the warming. It directly supported increased convective activity and delayed the withdrawal of monsoon activity from Indian sub-continent. Two depressions with intense convective activity formed over bay during September of 2011 which delayed the withdrawal of monsoon by three weeks.

Characterization of aquifer heterogeneity using Cyclostratigraphy and geophysical methods in the upper part of the Karstic Biscayne Aquifer, Southeastern Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cunningham, Kevin J.; Carlson, Janine L.; Wingard, G. Lynn; Robinson, Edward; Wacker, Michael A.

2004-01-01

This report identifies and characterizes candidate ground-water flow zones in the upper part of the shallow, eogenetic karst limestone of the Biscayne aquifer in the Lake Belt area of north-central Miami-Dade County using cyclostratigraphy, ground-penetrating radar (GPR), borehole geophysical logs, and continuously drilled cores. About 60 miles of GPR profiles were used to calculate depths to shallow geologic contacts and hydrogeologic units, image karst features, and produce qualitative views of the porosity distribution. Descriptions of the lithology, rock fabrics, and cyclostratigraphy, and interpretation of depositional environments of 50 test coreholes were linked to the geophysical interpretations to provide an accurate hydrogeologic framework. Molluscan and benthic foraminiferal paleontologic constraints guided interpretation of depositional environments represented by rockfabric facies. Digital borehole images were used to characterize and quantify large-scale vuggy porosity. Preliminary heat-pulse flowmeter data were coupled with the digital borehole image data to identify candidate ground-water flow zones. Combined results show that the porosity and permeability of the karst limestone of the Biscayne aquifer have a highly heterogeneous and anisotropic distribution that is mostly related to secondary porosity overprinting vertical stacking of rock-fabric facies within high-frequency cycles (HFCs). This distribution of porosity produces a dual-porosity system consisting of diffuse-carbonate and conduit flow zones. The nonuniform ground-water flow in the upper part of the Biscayne aquifer is mostly localized through secondary permeability, the result of solution-enlarged carbonate grains, depositional textures, bedding planes, cracks, root molds, and paleokarst surfaces. Many of the resulting pore types are classified as touching vugs. GPR, borehole geophysical logs, and whole-core analyses show that there is an empirical relation between formation porosity, permeability, formation electrical conductivity, and GPR reflection amplitudes? as porosity and permeability increase, formation electrical conductivity increases and reflection amplitude decreases. This relation was observed throughout the entire vertical and lateral section of the upper part of the Biscayne aquifer in the study area. Further, upward-shallowing brackish- or freshwatercapped cycles of the upper part of the Fort Thompson Formation show low-amplitude reflections near their base that correspond to relatively higher porosity and permeability. This distribution is related to a systematic vertical stacking of rock-fabric facies within the cycle. Inferred flow characteristics of the porosity distribution within the upper part of the Biscayne aquifer were used to identify four ground-water flow classes, with each characterized by a discrete pore system that affects vertical and horizontal groundwater flow: (1) a low-permeability peat, muck, and marl ground-water flow class; (2) a horizontal conduit ground-water flow class; (3) a leaky, low-permeability ground-water flow class; and (4) a diffuse-carbonate ground-water flow class. At the top of the Biscayne aquifer, peat, muck, and marl can combine to form a relatively low-permeability layer of Holocene sediment that water moves through slowly. Most horizontal conduit flow is inferred to occur along touching vugs in portions of the following rock-fabric facies: (1) touchingvug pelecypod floatstone and rudstone, (2) sandy touching-vug pelecypod floatstone and rudstone, (3) vuggy wackestone and packstone, (4) laminated peloid grainstone and packstone, (5) peloid grainstone and packstone, and (6) peloid wackestone and packstone. Gastropod floatstone and rudstone, mudstone and wackestone, and pedogenic limestone rock-fabric facies are the main hosts for leaky, low-permeability units. This study provides evidence that the limestone that spans the base of the Miami Limestone and top of the Fort Thompson

NMR imaging of fluid exchange between macropores and matrix in eogenetic karst

USGS Publications Warehouse

Florea, L.J.; Cunningham, K.J.; Altobelli, S.

2009-01-01

Sequential time-step images acquired using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) show the displacement of deuterated water (D2O) by fresh water within two limestone samples characterized by a porous and permeable limestone matrix of peloids and ooids. These samples were selected because they have a macropore system representative of some parts of the eogenetic karst limestone of the Biscayne Aquifer in southeastern Florida. The macroporosity, created by the trace fossil Ophiomorpha, is principally well connected and of centimeter scale. These macropores occur in broadly continuous stratiform zones that create preferential flow layers within the hydrogeologic units of the Biscayne. This arrangement of porosity is important because in coastal areas, it could produce a preferential pathway for salt water intrusion. Two experiments were conducted in which samples saturated with D2O were placed in acrylic chambers filled with fresh water and examined with NMR. Results reveal a substantial flux of fresh water into the matrix porosity with a simultaneous loss of D 2O. Specifically, we measured rates upward of 0.001 mL/h/g of sample in static conditions, and perhaps as great as 0.07 mL/h/g of sample when fresh water continuously flows past a sample at velocities less than those found within stressed areas of the Biscayne. These experiments illustrate how fresh water and D2O, with different chemical properties, migrate within one type of matrix porosity found in the Biscayne. Furthermore, these experiments are a comparative exercise in the displacement of sea water by fresh water in the matrix of a coastal, karst aquifer since D2O has a greater density than fresh water. ?? 2008 National Ground Water Association.

Assessing polar bear (Ursus maritimus) population structure in the Hudson Bay region using SNPs.

PubMed

Viengkone, Michelle; Derocher, Andrew Edward; Richardson, Evan Shaun; Malenfant, René Michael; Miller, Joshua Moses; Obbard, Martyn E; Dyck, Markus G; Lunn, Nick J; Sahanatien, Vicki; Davis, Corey S

2016-12-01

Defining subpopulations using genetics has traditionally used data from microsatellite markers to investigate population structure; however, single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have emerged as a tool for detection of fine-scale structure. In Hudson Bay, Canada, three polar bear ( Ursus maritimus ) subpopulations (Foxe Basin (FB), Southern Hudson Bay (SH), and Western Hudson Bay (WH)) have been delineated based on mark-recapture studies, radiotelemetry and satellite telemetry, return of marked animals in the subsistence harvest, and population genetics using microsatellites. We used SNPs to detect fine-scale population structure in polar bears from the Hudson Bay region and compared our results to the current designations using 414 individuals genotyped at 2,603 SNPs. Analyses based on discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC) and STRUCTURE support the presence of four genetic clusters: (i) Western-including individuals sampled in WH, SH (excluding Akimiski Island in James Bay), and southern FB (south of Southampton Island); (ii) Northern-individuals sampled in northern FB (Baffin Island) and Davis Strait (DS) (Labrador coast); (iii) Southeast-individuals from SH (Akimiski Island in James Bay); and (iv) Northeast-individuals from DS (Baffin Island). Population structure differed from microsatellite studies and current management designations demonstrating the value of using SNPs for fine-scale population delineation in polar bears.

Microstructure of agglomerated suspended sediments in northern chesapeake bay estuary.

PubMed

Zabawa, C F

1978-10-06

Suspended sediments in the turbidity maximum of Chesapeake Bay include composite particles which contain platy mineral grains, arranged both in pellets (attributable to fecal pelletization) and in networks of angular configuration (attributable to electrochemical flocculation and coagulation).

21. DETAIL OF STRUCTURAL BAY ON NORTH ELEVATION OF BUILDING ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

21. DETAIL OF STRUCTURAL BAY ON NORTH ELEVATION OF BUILDING 216 (AMMUNITION MAINTENANCE SHOP) IN ASSEMBLY AREA. - Loring Air Force Base, Weapons Storage Area, Northeastern corner of base at northern end of Maine Road, Limestone, Aroostook County, ME

Red Oak Research and Demonstration Area in Phelps Township, North Bay, Ontario-2004 to 2005

Treesearch

Dave Deugo; Andrée Morneault; Dianne Othmer; Megan Smith; Al Stinson; Murray Woods; Ian Kovacs; Ian Aho; Bill Parker; Rob Baker; Marinus Verwey; Guylaine Thauvette; Don Willis; Jeff Dech

2006-01-01

In July 2004, a large stand of red oak (Quercus rubra) was harvested in Phelps Township, North Bay District, North Bay, Ontario using the uniform shelterwood system. Most of the stand was harvested to retain 40 percent crown closure, while a very small portion was harvested to retain 70 percent crown closure. During tree marking, an active Northern...

15 CFR 922.130 - Boundary.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... MARINE SANCTUARY PROGRAM REGULATIONS Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary § 922.130 Boundary. The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (Sanctuary) consists of two separate areas. (a) The first area... northern terminus of the Sanctuary boundary is located along the southern boundary of the Gulf of the...

78 FR 42041 - Marine Mammals; File No. 17115

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-15

.... Up to 5,000 sea lions, 3,000 northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris), and 60 harbor seals... Nicolas Island; and 3,000 in Monterey Bay); Northern elephant seals (2,000 on San Nicolas; and 100 in...

Comparisons between data assimilated HYCOM output and in situ Argo measurements in the Bay of Bengal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, E. A.; Riser, S.

2014-12-01

This study evaluates the performance of data assimilated Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) output for the Bay of Bengal from September 2008 through July 2013. We find that while HYCOM assimilates Argo data, the model still suffers from significant temperature and salinity biases in this region. These biases are most severe in the northern Bay of Bengal, where the model tends to be too saline near the surface and too fresh at depth. The maximum magnitude of these biases is approximately 0.6 PSS. We also find that the model's salinity biases have a distinct seasonal cycle. The most problematic periods are the months following the summer monsoon (Oct-Jan). HYCOM's near surface temperature estimates compare more favorably with Argo, but significant errors exist at deeper levels. We argue that optimal interpolation will tend to induce positive salinity biases in the northern regions of the Bay. Further, we speculate that these biases are introduced when the model relaxes to climatology and assimilates real-time data.

Distribution of moon jellyfish Aurelia aurita in relation to summer hypoxia in Hiroshima Bay, Seto Inland Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shoji, Jun; Kudoh, Takaya; Takatsuji, Hideyuki; Kawaguchi, Osamu; Kasai, Akihide

2010-02-01

Biological and physical surveys were conducted in order to investigate the relationship between environmental conditions and the distribution of moon jellyfish Aurelia aurita in Hiroshima Bay, western Seto Inland Sea, Japan. Moon jellyfish and ichthyoplankton were collected at 13 stations in Hiroshima Bay during monthly surveys from July to September in 2006 and 2007. Surface temperature in 2006 was significantly lower during the August and September cruises and surface salinity was lower during all cruises than in 2007. Moon jellyfish was the most dominant gelatinous plankton collected, accounting for 89.7% in wet weight. Mean moon jellyfish abundance in 2006 was higher than that in 2007 from July through September, with significant inter-year differences for July and September. Variability in precipitation and nutritional input from the Ohta River, northernmost part of Hiroshima Bay, were suggested as possible factors affecting the inter-annual variability in moon jellyfish abundance in the coastal areas of northern Hiroshima Bay. Moon jellyfish were more abundant in the coastal areas of northern Hiroshima Bay, where the dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration was lower, while low in the central part of the bay. Japanese anchovy Engraulis japonicus eggs were most dominant (58.1% in number) among the ichthyoplankton and were abundant in the central area of Hiroshima Bay. Explanatory analysis was conducted to detect possible effects of environmental conditions on the abundance of moon jellyfish and Japanese anchovy eggs during the summer months in Hiroshima Bay. Of the environmental conditions tested (temperature, salinity and DO of surface and bottom layers at each sampling station), bottom DO had the most significant effect on the moon jellyfish abundance: there was a negative correlation between the bottom DO and the moon jellyfish abundance in Hiroshima Bay during summer.

Geographic distribution and environmental control of vertebral count in Ammodytes spp. along the northern Pacific coast of Japan.

PubMed

Aoyama, J; Yoshinaga, T; Tanaka, C; Ishii, K

2017-03-01

To examine species composition and population structures in sand lance (Ammodytidae) along the northern Pacific coast of Japan, genetic analysis were carried out for specimens collected in 2014 from Otsuchi Bay, Iwate, Ishinomaki Bay, Miyagi, off Soma, Fukushima and Ise-Mikawa Bays, Aichi. The samples consisted of Ammodytes japonicus and Ammodytes heian, of which the latter is a recently described species. Neither species exhibited significant genetic differences among localities. Only A. japonicus was found in the most southern locality at Aichi, but it decreased northward to <90% in Miyagi and Fukushima and the two species occurred almost evenly in Iwate suggesting a latitudinal cline in their species composition along the northern Pacific coast of Japan, off Tohoku. The vertebral counts differed between A. japonicus and A. heian with modes of 65 and 63, respectively, but this characteristic did not differ significantly within a locality (Iwate). This suggests that the vertebral counts of Ammodytes spp. in Japanese waters are probably strongly determined by the environment than by a species-specific genetic trait. © 2016 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

The James Bay Project: Reaction or Action?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mackwood, Gae

1991-01-01

Discusses the plan to restructure northern Quebec's landscape through the James Bay hydroelectric project. Suggests that the project offers opportunities to study development versus preservation, federal versus provincial powers, and the conflict between business and Native communities. Explores the need to teach students to care about social…

Coastal Marine Terraces Define Late Quaternary Fault Activity and Deformation Within Northern East Bay Hills, San Francisco Bay Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelson, K. I.

2004-12-01

Detailed mapping of uplifted marine platforms bordering the Carquinez Strait between Benicia and Pinole, California, provides data on the pattern and rate of late Quaternary deformation across the northern East Bay Hills. Field mapping, interpretation of early 20th-century topographic data, analysis of aerial photography, and compilation of onshore borehole data show the presence of remnants of three platforms, with back-edge elevations of about 4 m, 12 m, and 18 m. Based on U-series dates (Helley et al., 1993) and comparison of platform elevations to published sea-level curves, the 12-m-high and 18-m-high platforms correlate with substage 5e (ca. 120 ka) and stage 9 (ca. 330 ka) sea-level high stands, respectively. West of the Southhampton fault, longitudinal profiles of platform back-edges suggest that the East Bay Hills between Pinole and Vallejo have undergone block uplift at a rate of 0.05 +/- 0.01 m/ka without substantial tilting or warping. With uncertainty of <3 m, the 120 ka and 330 ka platforms are at the same elevations across the NW-striking Franklin fault. This west-vergent reverse fault previously was interpreted to have had late Pleistocene activity and to accommodate crustal shortening in the East Bay Hills. Our data indicate an absence of vertical displacement across the Franklin fault within at least the past 120ka and perhaps 330ka. In contrast, the stage 5e and 9 have up-on-the-east vertical displacement and gentle westward tilting across the N-striking Southhampton fault, with a late Pleistocene vertical slip rate of >0.02 m/ka. The northerly strike and prominent geomorphic expression of this potentially active fault differs from the Franklin fault. Our mapping of the Southhampton fault suggests that it accommodates dextral shear in the East Bay Hills, and is one of several left-stepping, en echelon N-striking faults (collectively, the "Contra Costa shear zone", CCSZ) in the East Bay Hills. Faults within this zone coincide with geomorphic features suggestive of late Quaternary dextral strike slip and appear to truncate or displace NW-striking reverse faults (e.g., Franklin fault) that do not displace the late Quaternary marine platform sequence. These data support an interpretation that the CCSZ accommodates regional dextral shear, and possibly represents the northern extension of the Calaveras fault. Overall, the marine terraces provide excellent strain gauges from which to evaluate the pattern and rate of late Quaternary deformation throughout the northern East Bay Hills.

Altimeter detection of elevation changes over coastal plains of northern Alaska and Hudson Bay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hwang, C.; Cheng, Y. S.; Han, J.; Chen, J. Y.

2017-12-01

This presentation shows how satellite radar altimeters are used to detect elevation changes over flat, coastal regions in northern Alaska and Hudson Bay, in connection with permafrost thawing and glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA). We use a data selection criterion to identity usable waveforms over lands, which are then retracked by the subwaveform retracker to improve the ranging accuracy. The altimeter datasets are from the Envisat (2003-2010), Cryosat-2 (2010-2016), TOPEX/Poseidon (T/P), Jason-1 (J1) and Jason-2 (J2, 1992-2016) missions. The result indicates a rapid decline of elevations over the sloping, thaw lake-covered area of northern Alaska, with rates up to -20 cm/year. The rapid decline is probably due to a favorite condition for fast draining of meltwater. The lake levels of Teshekpuk Lake underwent a decline at a mean rate of - 5 cm/year until 2010 (from Envisat), and then rose steadily at about the same rate (from Cryosat-2). Around the coastal plains of Hudson Bay, we constructed long-term elevation time series from T/P, J1 and J2, and short-term ones from Cryosat-2. In the flat region southwest of Hudson Bay, most altimeter-derived rates are close to those from the GIA model ICE-6G. Near two GPS stations west and east of Hudson Bay, the Jason-2-derived rates range from 1.0 to 1.5 cm/year, close to the rates from GPS. Other convincing results of elevation changes from altimetry will be presented.

Northern view of inside diameter welding station of the saw ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

Northern view of inside diameter welding station of the saw line in bay9 of the main pipe mill building. - U.S. Steel National Tube Works, Main Pipe Mill Building, Along Monongahela River, McKeesport, Allegheny County, PA

Management of the Northern Chesapeake Bay American Shad Fishery

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Foerster, J.W.; Reagan, S.P.

1977-11-01

The Shad fisheries of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland have been declining since an 1897 peak of 7860 x 10/sup 3/ kg. No periods of stability have been recorded. Data are presented to trace the decline not only as a function of specific areas within the Northern Chesapeake Bay but also in terms of environmental problems including reduction of spawning grounds and predation by dams and recruitment overfishing. The problem is related to improving the commercial fishing yield. An estimation of a maximum effort of 200,000 man-hours is suggested if a stable yield is to be approached. Methods for obtainingmore » this goal include alternating of closed fishing areas, adoption of rest days, enforcement of fisheries regulations and reduction of the number of meters of gill net used per fisherman.« less

Behind the energetics of the asiatic clam, Potamocorbula amurensis, in San Francisco Bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thompson, Janet K.; Parchaso, Francis

2001-01-01

The Asian clam (Potamocorbula amurensis) has played a key role in the food web of northern San Francisco Bay since its invasion in the fall of 1986. It has been associated with a dramatic decline in primary production, loss of a zooplankton species and a native mysid shrimp, the probable decline in striped bass, and has introduced alternative pathways for contaminant cycling in the bay food web.

Underwater Gravity Survey of Northern Monterey Bay.

DTIC Science & Technology

stations were occupied just above the swash zone. A complete Bouguer anomaly map was drawn and tied in with the previous land surveys and with one...covering the southern half of the bay. The isolines of the complete Bouguer anomaly indicate the relative vertical position of the basement complex Santa

San Francisco and Bay Area, CA, USA

NASA Image and Video Library

1991-05-06

STS039-151-181A (28 April-6 May 1991) --- Large format (five-inch) frame of the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Area of northern California. Stratus clouds at 35,000 feet and cumulus clouds at about 15,000 feet are seen over the Pacific Coast, obscuring the Golden Gate Bridge.

Holocene Core Logs and Site Statistics for Modern Patch-Reef Cores: Biscayne National Park, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reich, Christopher D.; Hickey, T. Don; DeLong, Kristine L.; Poore, Richard Z.; Brock, John C.

2009-01-01

The bedrock in Biscayne National Park (BNP), a 1,730-square kilometer (km2) region off southeast Florida, consists of Pleistocene (1.8 million years ago (Ma) to 10,000 years ago (ka)) and Holocene (10 ka to present) carbonate rocks (Enos and Perkins, 1977; Halley and others, 1997; Multer and others, 2002). Most of the surficial limestone in BNP, including the islands of the Florida Keys, was formed at ~125 ka during the highstand of marine oxygen-isotope substage 5e, when sea level was approximately 6 meters (m) higher than today (Chappell and Shackleton, 1986; Multer and others, 2002; Lidz and others, 2003; Siddall and others, 2003; Balsillie and Donoghue, 2004). During the substage-5e regression, the entire Florida Platform became exposed. Subaerial exposure lasted for approximately 115,000 years (kyr), which resulted in erosion and enhancement of karst-like features (Lidz and others, 2006). As the Holocene transgression began to flood the Florida shelf ~7 to 6 ka, the bedrock depression under Biscayne Bay began to flood, and Holocene coral and reef debris laid the foundation for the present reef system (Enos and Perkins, 1977; Lighty and others, 1982; Toscano and Macintyre, 2003; Lidz and others, 2006). More than 3,000 patch reefs exist within the BNP boundary. Most contain hermatypic corals of various species such as those belonging to Montastrea, Diploria, Siderastrea, Porites, Acropora, and Agaricia. Patch reefs within BNP have two morphologies: pinnacle and flat top. Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL) data collected along the offshore BNP coral reef tract show that these two morphologies are clearly defined both in the high-resolution bathymetry maps produced by the Lidar data and by statistical analyses of the Lidar dataset (Brock and others, 2008). Brock and others (2008) also show that the pinnacle patch reefs are deeper than the more shallow, broad, and flat patch reefs. The control for these two patch-reef morphologies is unclear; however, their shapes may be due to a slightly lowered sea level or a stillstand in the middle-Holocene around 4 ka that caused erosion of the shallower reefs and allowed the deeper reefs to remain unaffected. Lidz and others (2006) have suggested a stillstand around 4 ka that carved a 2.5-kilometer (km)-wide nearshore rock ledge into the seaward side of every island in the Florida Keys. The objectives of this study were to sample living corals to understand the more recent (<200 years) changes in climate and environmental conditions of the area and to investigate the Holocene (in this case, <8,000 years in the Florida Keys) depositional history at progressively deeper patch-reef sites. This report provides statistics for the cores and core sites and a basic lithologic description of these Holocene cores.

Endosulfan in the atmosphere of South Florida: Transport to Everglades and Biscayne National Parks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hapeman, Cathleen J.; McConnell, Laura L.; Potter, Thomas L.; Harman-Fetcho, Jennifer; Schmidt, Walter F.; Rice, Clifford P.; Schaffer, Bruce A.; Curry, Richard

2013-02-01

Nutrient inputs from urban encroachment and agricultural activities have been implicated in contributing to the environmental health decline and loss of organism diversity of South Florida ecosystems. Intensive agricultural pesticide use may also challenge these ecosystems. One possible mechanism is pesticide release to the atmosphere after application. The process is enhanced in this region due to the calcareous soils, frequent rainfall, and high humidity and temperatures. This study examined the atmospheric fate of the widely-used insecticide endosulfan. Air samples were collected over a five-year period (2001-2006) at a site within the agricultural community of Homestead, Florida and at sites located in nearby Biscayne and Everglades National Parks (NPs). Mean gas phase air concentrations of α-endosulfan were 17 ± 19 ng m-3 at Homestead, 2.3 ± 3.6 ng m-3 at Everglades NP, and 0.52 ± 0.69 ng m-3 at Biscayne NP. Endosulfan emissions from agricultural areas around Homestead appeared to influence air concentration observations at the NP sites. During an intensive sampling campaign, the highest total endosulfan concentrations at the NP sites were observed on days when air parcels were predicted to move from Homestead towards the sampling locations. The α-endosulfan fraction (α/(α + β)) was used to examine the contribution of pesticide drift versus volatilization to the overall residue level. The formulated product has an α fraction of approximately 0.7, whereas volatilization is predicted to have an α fraction of ≥0.9. The median α- fraction observed during periods of high agricultural activity at Homestead and Everglades NP was 0.84 and 0.88, respectively, and during periods of low agricultural activity the median at Homestead was 0.86, indicating contributions from drift. The median α fraction at Everglades NP was 1.0 during periods of low agricultural activity, while Biscayne NP was 1.0 year round indicating air concentrations are primarily influenced by regional volatilization.

The food of the lake trout (Cristivomer namaycush namaycush) and of the lawyer (Lota maculosa) of Lake Michigan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van Oosten, John; Deason, Hilary J.

1938-01-01

This paper reports on a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the contents of 4,979 lake trout stomachs (593 examined in 1930 and 1,253 collected in 1931 from southern Lake Michigan, 1,446 from northern Lake Michigan and 1,687 from Green Bay in 1932), and of a total of 1,528 lawyer stomachs (172 examined in 1930 and 734 collected in 1931 from southern Lake Michigan, 612 from northern Lake Michigan and 10 from Green Bay in 1932). The food of the trout consisted of 98 per cent by volume of fish of which Cottidae and Coregonidae were the principal constituents. Cottidae were dominant in southern Lake Michigan (72 per cent by volume), Coregonidae in northern Lake Michigan (51 per cent) but the lake shiner, Notropis atherinides, was most important in Green Bay in the spring of the year (64 per cent). The lawyer food consisted of 74 per cent by volume of fish and 26 per cent invertebrates. Dominant items were Cottidae (76 per cent by volume) in southern Lake Michigan, Coregonidae (51 per cent) and Pontoporeia (37 per cent) in northern Lake Michigan, and Percopsis (34 per cent) and Mysis (26 per cent) in Green Bay. Data are also presented on the frequency of occurrence (number of stomachs) of the food items and its variation with the sizes of the trout and lawyers, depths of water, seasons, and localities; on the number of individual fish of each species destroyed by the trout and lawyers; and on the calculated volume of the food fishes preceding digestion. The lake trout and lawyer are competitors for the same food, are both predators of the commercially important Coregonidae, and the lawyer through its consumption of invertebrates is a food competitor of the Coregonidae.

Physical and chemical properties of San Francisco Bay, California, 1980

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ota, Allan Y.; Schemel, L.E.; Hager, S.W.

1989-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey conducted hydrologic investigations in both the deep water channels and the shallow-water regions of the San Francisco Bay estuarine system during 1980. Cruises were conducted regularly, usually at two-week intervals. Physical and chemical properties presented in this report include temperature , salinity, suspended particulate matter, turbidity, extinction coefficient, partial pressure of CO2, partial pressure of oxygen , dissolved organic carbon, particulate organic carbon, discrete chlorophyll a, fluorescence of photosynthetic pigments, dissolved silica, dissolved phosphate, nitrate plus nitrite, nitrite, ammonium, dissolved inorganic nitrogen, dissolved nitrogen, dissolved phosphorus, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus. Analytical methods are described. The body of data contained in this report characterizes hydrologic conditions in San Francisco Bay during a year with an average rate of freshwater inflow to the estuary. Concentrations of dissolved silica (discrete-sample) ranged from 3.8 to 310 micro-M in the northern reach of the bay, whereas the range in the southern reach was limited to 63 to 150 micro-M. Concentrations of phosphate (discrete-sample) ranged from 1.3 to 4.4 micro-M in the northern reach, which was narrow in comparison with that of 2.2 to 19.0 micro-M in the southern reach. Concentrations of nitrate plus nitrite (discrete-sample) ranged from near zero to 53 micro-M in the northern reach, and from 2.3 to 64 micro-M in the southern reach. Concentrations of nitrite (discrete-sample) were low in both reaches, exhibiting a range from nearly zero to approximately 2.3 micro-M. Concentrations of ammonium (discrete-sample) ranged from near zero to 14.2 micro-M in the northern reach, and from near zero to 8.3 micro-M in the southern reach. (USGS)

Exposure of northern leopard frogs in the Green Bay ecosystem to polychlorinated biphenyls, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, and polychlorinated dibenzofurans is measured by direct chemistry but not hepatic ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activity

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Huang, Y.W.; Karasov, W.H.; Patnode, K.A.

1999-10-01

The authors measured concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in northern leopard frogs collected from the Green Bay ecosystem and explored the catalytic activity of hepatic cytochrome P450-associated monooxygenase (P450 enzyme) as a biomarker for exposure to aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonists. The two hypotheses tested were PCH concentrations in northern leopard frogs would be positively correlated with sediment polychlorinated hydrocarbon (PCH) levels in wetland habitats along a contamination gradient and hepatic ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity of northern leopard frogs, which is presumably mediated by aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), would be positively correlated with PCHmore » concentrations in frog carcasses from different collection sites. In 1994 and 1995, frogs from seven sites along the lower Fox River and Green Bay, USA, were assayed for hepatic EROD activities and whole carcass concentrations of PCBs, PCDDs, and PCDFs. Tissue total PCB concentrations ranging from 3 to 154 ng/g were significantly correlated with sediment PCB levels. Only one PCDD and two PCDFs at concentrations of 6 to 8 pg/g were found in the frogs collected with frog body weight and was similar among sites except for Peter's Marsh. No significant correlation was found between EROD activity and carcass PCB concentration. This result was consistent with the fact that the frogs collected from the Green Bay ecosystem had relatively low PCB concentrations compared with what was required for induction in the laboratory.« less

Insights into the crustal structure of the transition between Nares Strait and Baffin Bay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Altenbernd, Tabea; Jokat, Wilfried; Heyde, Ingo; Damm, Volkmar

2016-11-01

The crustal structure and continental margin between southern Nares Strait and northern Baffin Bay were studied based on seismic refraction and gravity data acquired in 2010. We present the resulting P wave velocity, density and geological models of the crustal structure of a profile, which extends from the Greenlandic margin of the Nares Strait into the deep basin of central northern Baffin Bay. For the first time, the crustal structure of the continent-ocean transition of the very northern part of Baffin Bay could be imaged. We divide the profile into three parts: continental, thin oceanic, and transitional crust. On top of the three-layered continental crust, a low-velocity zone characterizes the lowermost layer of the three-layered Thule Supergroup underneath Steensby Basin. The 4.3-6.3 km thick oceanic crust in the southern part of the profile can be divided into a northern and southern section, more or less separated by a fracture zone. The oceanic crust adjacent to the continent-ocean transition is composed of 3 layers and characterized by oceanic layer 3 velocities of 6.7-7.3 km/s. Toward the south only two oceanic crustal layers are necessary to model the travel time curves. Here, the lower oceanic crust has lower seismic velocities (6.4-6.8 km/s) than in the north. Rather low velocities of 7.7 km/s characterize the upper mantle underneath the oceanic crust, which we interpret as an indication for the presence of upper mantle serpentinization. In the continent-ocean transition zone, the velocities are lower than in the adjacent continental and oceanic crustal units. There are no signs for massive magmatism or the existence of a transform margin in our study area.

Wind-driven Circulation and Freshwater Fluxes off Sri Lanka: 4D-Sampling with Autonomous Gliders

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-30

riverine freshwater input, precipitation and atmospheric forcing act to govern Bay of Bengal upper ocean variability, water mass formation and...fraction of the water moving through the section is going south, carrying freshwater out of the Bay of Bengal. Currents near the coast have the same...transport of freshwater from the Northern Bay of Bengal, as well of the import of salty Arabian Sea Water , are being investigated are using all the

Sediment Pore Water Ammonium and Phosphate Concentrations in Choctawhatchee Bay as?Determined by the Diffusive Equilibration in Thin Films (DET) Technique

EPA Science Inventory

Choctawhatchee Bay (CB) is a large estuarine ecosystem in northwest Florida that provides quality of life and economic benefits to local residents. The CB watershed is largely forested, but with significant agriculture in its northern part and intense residential and commercial ...

Geophysical framework of the northern San Francisco Bay region, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Langenheim, Victoria; Graymer, Russell W.; Jachens, Robert C.; McLaughlin, Robert J.; Wagner, D.L.; Sweetkind, Donald

2010-01-01

We use geophysical data to examine the structural framework of the northern San Francisco Bay region, an area that hosts the northward continuation of the East Bay fault system. Although this fault system has accommodated ∼175 km of right-lateral offset since 12 Ma, how this offset is partitioned north of the bay is controversial and important for understanding where and how strain is accommodated along this stretch of the broader San Andreas transform margin. Using gravity and magnetic data, we map these faults, many of which influenced basin formation and volcanism. Continuity of magnetic anomalies in certain areas, such as Napa and Sonoma Valleys, the region north of Napa Valley, and the region south of the Santa Rosa Plain, preclude significant (>10 km) offset. Much of the slip is partitioned around Sonoma and Napa Valleys and onto the Carneros, Rodgers Creek, and Green Valley faults. The absence of correlative magnetic anomalies across the Hayward–Rodgers Creek–Maacama fault system suggests that this system reactivated older basement structures, which appear to influence seismicity patterns in the region.

Selenium and stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen in the benthic clam Corbula amurensis from Northern San Francisco Bay, California: May 1995-February 2010

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kleckner, Amy E.; Stewart, A. Robin; Luoma, Samuel N.

2010-01-01

The clam-based food webs of San Francisco Bay, California efficiently bioaccumlate selenium and thus provide pathways for exposure to predators important to the estuary. This study documents changes in monthly selenium concentrations for the clam Corbula amurensis, a keystone species of the estuary, at five locations in northern San Francisco Bay from 1995 through 2010. Samples were collected from designated U.S. Geological Survey stations and prepared and analyzed by U.S. Geological Survey methods. Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen in soft tissues of clams also were measured as an indicator of sources of selenium for the clams. These monitoring data indicate that clam selenium concentrations ranged from a low of 2 to a high of 22 micrograms per gram dry weight with strong spatial and seasonal variation over the period of study.

Home range and habitat use of juvenile green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the northern Gulf of Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lamont, Margaret M.; Fujisaki, Ikuko; Stephens, Brail S.; Hackett, Caitlin

2015-01-01

Conclusions: Green turtles in St. Joseph Bay have relatively small home ranges and many contain multiple activity centers. The frequent use of channels by turtles suggests bathymetry plays a major role in habitat selection of juvenile green turtles, particularly as temperatures drop in winter. The quality and density of seagrass habitat in St. Joseph Bay and its proximity to deep channels appears to provide ideal conditions for juvenile greens. The results of this study help define characteristics of foraging habitat utilized by juvenile greens in the northern Gulf of Mexico that managers can use in creating protected areas such as aquatic preserves.

Unexpected spatial impact of treatment plant discharges induced by episodic hydrodynamic events: Modelling Lagrangian transport of fine particles by Northern Current intrusions in the bays of Marseille (France).

PubMed

Millet, Bertrand; Pinazo, Christel; Banaru, Daniela; Pagès, Rémi; Guiart, Pierre; Pairaud, Ivane

2018-01-01

Our study highlights the Lagrangian transport of solid particles discharged at the Marseille Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), located at Cortiou on the southern coastline. We focused on episodic situations characterized by a coastal circulation pattern induced by intrusion events of the Northern Current (NC) on the continental shelf, associated with SE wind regimes. We computed, using MARS3D-RHOMA and ICHTHYOP models, the particle trajectories from a patch of 5.104 passive and conservative fine particles released at the WWTP outlet, during 2 chosen representative periods of intrusion of the NC in June 2008 and in October 2011, associated with S-SE and E-SE winds, respectively. Unexpected results highlighted that the amount of particles reaching the vulnerable shorelines of both northern and southern bays accounted for 21.2% and 46.3% of the WWTP initial patch, in June 2008 and October 2011, respectively. Finally, a conceptual diagram is proposed to highlight the mechanisms of dispersion within the bays of Marseille of the fine particles released at the WWTP outlet that have long been underestimated.

Unexpected spatial impact of treatment plant discharges induced by episodic hydrodynamic events: Modelling Lagrangian transport of fine particles by Northern Current intrusions in the bays of Marseille (France)

PubMed Central

Pinazo, Christel; Banaru, Daniela; Pagès, Rémi; Guiart, Pierre; Pairaud, Ivane

2018-01-01

Our study highlights the Lagrangian transport of solid particles discharged at the Marseille Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), located at Cortiou on the southern coastline. We focused on episodic situations characterized by a coastal circulation pattern induced by intrusion events of the Northern Current (NC) on the continental shelf, associated with SE wind regimes. We computed, using MARS3D-RHOMA and ICHTHYOP models, the particle trajectories from a patch of 5.104 passive and conservative fine particles released at the WWTP outlet, during 2 chosen representative periods of intrusion of the NC in June 2008 and in October 2011, associated with S-SE and E-SE winds, respectively. Unexpected results highlighted that the amount of particles reaching the vulnerable shorelines of both northern and southern bays accounted for 21.2% and 46.3% of the WWTP initial patch, in June 2008 and October 2011, respectively. Finally, a conceptual diagram is proposed to highlight the mechanisms of dispersion within the bays of Marseille of the fine particles released at the WWTP outlet that have long been underestimated. PMID:29694362

Ozone in the marine boundary layer of Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea during post winter period - continental influence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nair, Prabha R.; George, Susan K.; David, Liji Mary; Parameswaran, Krishnaswamy

Ozone plays a key role in controlling the oxidation capacity of the troposphere and hence the lifetime of a variety of trace gases in the atmosphere. In pristine marine boundary layer (MBL), entire chemistry is initiated by the photolysis of ozone and the subsequent formation of OH radical from water vapour. Also in such environment, photochemical destruction is considered as a major sink in global ozone budget. Even though large number of studies on near surface ozone has been carried out over land such studies are very few over oceanic environments. This paper presents the observational results on the spatial variations of near-surface ozone over Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea as revealed by the cruise-based measurements (cruise No. SK223) conducted as part of Integrated Campaign for Aerosol gases and Radiation Budget (ICARB) under the Geosphere Biosphere Programme of Indian Space Research Organisation (IGBP). Online measurements of ozone have been carried out by using a UV Photometric Analyser (model 49C of Thermo Electron Corporation, USA). Ozone mixing ratio was observed to be significantly high over northern Bay of Bengal (20-28 ppb) compared to southern Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea. Minimum levels of ozone ( 5 ppb) have been measured in the central Bay of Bengal region. Over Arabian Sea latitudinal variation was not prominently observed. The over all latitudinal gradient is estimated to be 1.2 ppb/o latitude over Bay of Bengal with longitudinal gradient showing variation depending on the latitude sector. It was maximum (of 1.2ppb/o longitude) over the mid Bay of Bengal region ( 15o N). Longitudinal variation was not significant over northern and southern regions. A close examination of surface airflow patterns and the air mass back trajectories revealed increase in ozone level associated with continental outflow from the northern and central parts of the subcontinent. The diurnal pattern also showed variations depending on the proximity to inhabited land mass and also with meteorological parameters.

Seagrass status and trends in the northern Gulf of Mexico: 1940-2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Handley, L.; Altsman, D.; DeMay, R.

2007-01-01

Over the past century, seagrass habitats from the bays of Texas to the gulf shores of Florida have decreased. Seagrass beds, which are highly dependent on water quality and clarity for survival, are home to a multitude of aquatic plants and animals and a source of economic activity through commercial and recreational fishing and ecotourism. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Gulf of Mexico Program (GMP) and its partners have made a commitment to restore, enhance, and protect this important ecosystem. As seagrass habitats decrease, the need for information on the causes and effects of seagrass loss, current mapping information, and education on the importance of seagrassess becomes greater. This report is the initial effort of the GMP’s research and restoration plan for seagrasses. The purpose of this report is to provide scientists, managers, and citizens with valuable baseline information on the status and trends of seagrasses in coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Within the northern Gulf of Mexico region, 14 individual estuarine systems where seagrasses occur, as well as statewide summaries for Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, are examined in this study. Each estuarine system is detailed in vignettes that address current and historical extent and quality of seagrasses, seagrass mapping and monitoring, causes of status change, restoration and enhancement activities, background information for the entire study area as well as the subareas for study, and the methodology employed to analyze and document the historical trends and current status of seagrasses. The systems, moving from west to east, include the Laguna Madre, Texas Coastal Bend region, and Galveston Bay in Texas; the Chandeleur Islands in Louisiana; the Mississippi Sound; and Perdido Bay, Pensacola/Escambia Bay, Choctawhatchee Bay, St. Andrew Bay, Florida’s Big Bend region, Tampa Bay/St. Joseph Sound, Sarasota Bay, Greater Charlotte Harbor, and Florida Bay in Florida. (Mobile Bay is dealt with only in the statewide summary for Alabama.)

Electrical resistivity characterization of anisotropy in the Biscayne Aquifer.

PubMed

Yeboah-Forson, Albert; Whitman, Dean

2014-01-01

Electrical anisotropy occurs when electric current flow varies with azimuth. In porous media, this may correspond to anisotropy in the hydraulic conductivity resulting from sedimentary fabric, fractures, or dissolution. In this study, a 28-electrode resistivity imaging system was used to investigate electrical anisotropy at 13 sites in the Biscayne Aquifer of SE Florida using the rotated square array method. The measured coefficient of electrical anisotropy generally ranged from 1.01 to 1.12 with values as high as 1.36 found at one site. The observed electrical anisotropy was used to estimate hydraulic anisotropy (ratio of maximum to minimum hydraulic conductivity) which ranged from 1.18 to 2.83. The largest values generally were located on the Atlantic Coastal Ridge while the lowest values were in low elevation areas on the margin of the Everglades to the west. The higher values of anisotropy found on the ridge may be due to increased dissolution rates of the oolitic facies of the Miami formation limestone compared with the bryozoan facies to the west. The predominate trend of minimum resistivity and maximum hydraulic conductivity was E-W/SE-NW beneath the ridge and E-W/SW-NE farther west. The anisotropy directions are similar to the predevelopment groundwater flow direction as indicated in published studies. This suggests that the observed anisotropy is related to the paleo-groundwater flow in the Biscayne Aquifer. © 2013, National Ground Water Association.

Evidence for the existence of Persian Gulf Water and Red Sea Water in the Bay of Bengal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jain, Vineet; Shankar, D.; Vinayachandran, P. N.; Kankonkar, A.; Chatterjee, Abhisek; Amol, P.; Almeida, A. M.; Michael, G. S.; Mukherjee, A.; Chatterjee, Meenakshi; Fernandes, R.; Luis, R.; Kamble, Amol; Hegde, A. K.; Chatterjee, Siddhartha; Das, Umasankar; Neema, C. P.

2017-05-01

The high-salinity water masses that originate in the North Indian Ocean are Arabian Sea High-Salinity Water (ASHSW), Persian Gulf Water (PGW), and Red Sea Water (RSW). Among them, only ASHSW has been shown to exist in the Bay of Bengal. We use CTD data from recent cruises to show that PGW and RSW also exist in the bay. The presence of RSW is marked by a deviation of the salinity vertical profile from a fitted curve at depths ranging from 500 to 1000 m; this deviation, though small (of the order of 0.005 psu and therefore comparable to the CTD accuracy of 0.003 psu), is an order of magnitude larger than the 0.0003 psu fluctuations associated with the background turbulence or instrument noise in this depth regime, allowing us to infer the existence of RSW throughout the bay. PGW is marked by the presence of a salinity maximum at 200-450 m; in the southwestern bay, PGW can be distinguished from the salinity maximum due to ASHSW because of the intervening Arabian Sea Salinity Minimum. This salinity minimum and the maximum associated with ASHSW disappear east and north of the south-central bay (85°E, 8°N) owing to mixing between the fresher surface waters that are native to the bay (Bay of Bengal Water or BBW) with the high-salinity ASHSW. Hence, ASHSW is not seen as a distinct water mass in the northern and eastern bay and the maximum salinity over most of the bay is associated with PGW. The surface water over most of the bay is therefore a mixture of ASHSW and the low-salinity BBW. As a corollary, we can also infer that the weak oxygen peak seen within the oxygen-minimum zone in the bay at a depth of 250-400 m is associated with PGW. The hydrographic data also show that these three high-salinity water masses are advected into the bay by the Summer Monsoon Current, which is seen to be a deep current extending to 1000 m. These deep currents extend into the northern bay as well, providing a mechanism for spreading ASHSW, PGW, and RSW throughout the bay.

Long-term morphologic evolution of the Hangzhou Bay, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wen, W.; Zhijun, D.; Hualiang, X.

2013-12-01

Estuaries are the most productive ecosystems of coastal zones in the world, which are significant to mankind as places of navigation, recreation and commerce as well as extensive and diverse habitats for wildlife. However, most estuary environments in the world had occurred greatly changes in recent decades. These estuaries have suffered from impacts of forcing factors including wave climate, mean sea level change and storm surge, especial to the intensive human activities such as training wall construction, channel dredging, sand mining and dam constructions. Thus, there have been increasing concerns about estuary environment changes under effects of different factors. Riverine loads into the Changjiang Estuary have declined dramatically with the construction of Three Gorges Dam (TGD) in 2003. The morphological evolution of the Hangzhou bay that located the southern proximity of the Yangtze estuary starts to attract increasing attentions due to most material of the Hangzhou bay received from Yangtze estuary. In this paper, historical bathymetric charts were digitized and analyzed within a GIS to provide quantitative estimate of changes in volumes in different regions below 0 m elevation. The results show that Hangzhou bay has experienced a major loss in estuarine volume of about 15% with annual mean sediment deposition rate of 80 million m3/a during the last 75 years. However, there is a large-scale spatial adjustment in Hangzhou bay: Bathymetric changes of the Hangzhou bay can be rapidly shifted within the range of 8-10 classes. Volume of the Jinshanzui upstream of the Hangzhou bay has obviously decreased in the last 75 years, especially during 2003-2008. However, Volume of the southern Hangzhou bay has experienced slowly decrease with minor deposition. The northern Hangzhou bay had largely volume changes with rapidly decrease during 1931-1981, and drastically increase since 2003. Further analysis of the bathymetric data relating to possible factors indicates that hydrodynamic characteristics of the Hangzhou bay and tidal reclamation could have influenced these changes in Hangzhou bay, even though there is sharply decline in suspended sediment discharge (SSD) into the Yangtze estuary. However, SSD from Yangtze estuary was the most significant factor contributing to changes of drastically increase in volume of the northern Hangzhou bay.

Hydrogeology of the surficial aquifer system, Dade County, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fish, J.E.; Stewart, M.T.

1991-01-01

An investigation of the surficial aquifer system in Dade County, begun in 1983, is part of a regional study of the aquifer system in southeastern Florida. Test drilling for lithologic samples, flow measurements during drilling, aquifer testing, and analyses of earlier data permitted delineation of the hydraulic conductivity distribution (on hydrogeologic sections), the aquifers in the system, the generalized transmissivity distribution, and interpretation of the ground-water flow system. The surficial aquifer system, in which an unconfined ground-water flow system exists, is composed of the sediments from land surface downward to the top of a regionally extensive zone of sediments of low permeability called the intermediate confining unit. The aquifer system units, which vary in composition from clay-size sediments to cavernous limestone, are hydro stratigraphically divided into the Biscayne aquifer at the top; an intervening semiconfining unit that consists principally of clayey sand; a predominantly gray limestone aquifer in the Tamiami Formation in western and west-central Dade County; and sand or clayey sand near the base of the surficial aquifer system. The base of the surficial aquifer system ranges from a depth of about 175 to 210 feet below land surface in westernmost Dade County to greater than 270 feet in northeastern Dade County. Test drilling and aquifer-test data indicate a complex hydraulic conductivity distribution. Hydraulic conductivities of the very highly permeable zone of the Biscayne aquifer commonly exceed 10,000 feet per day; in the gray limestone aquifer, they range from 210 to 780 feet per day. Transmissivities of the surficial aquifer system vary locally but have a recognizable areal trend. Estimated values generally are about 300,000 feet squared per day or greater in nearly all of central and eastern Dade County. Transmissivity is lower to the west, decreasing to less than 75,000 feet squared per day in western Dade County. High transmissivity usually is associated with thick sections of the Fort Thompson Formation within the Biscayne aquifer. The gray limestone aquifer of the Tamiami Formation has transmissivities that range from 5,800 to 39,000 feet squared per day in western Dade County. The transition from high transmissivity to relatively low transmissivity is often only a few miles wide and coincides with the decrease in thickness of the very highly permeable Fort Thompson Formation, which marks the western boundary of the Biscayne aquifer. More effective drainage as a result of extensive canal systems and large-scale pumping from municipal well fields has greatly altered the predevelopment flow system in eastern Dade County by: (1) eliminating or greatly reducing a seasonal and coastal ground-water ridge; (2) reducing deep circulation; (3) reducing or eliminating seasonal westward movement of ground water; (4) causing accelerated stormwater runoff and short ground-water flow paths; and (5) generally lowering the water table and inducing saltwater intrusion. Under predevelopment conditions in western Dade County, water entered the gray limestone aquifer by lateral movement from Broward and Collier Counties, and by downward seepage from The Everglades and the Biscayne aquifer, and moved southward and southeastward into Dade County to coastal discharge areas. Circulation in the Biscayne aquifer inland also was primarily to the south and southeast. In eastern Dade County, the seasonal ground-water ridge that formed under predevelopment conditions supported both easterly and westerly ground-water flow away from the ridge axis. This seasonal flow created a zone of lower dissolved solids.

Identification of largemouth bass virus in the introduced Northern Snakehead inhabiting the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

PubMed

Iwanowicz, L; Densmore, C; Hahn, C; McAllister, P; Odenkirk, J

2013-09-01

The Northern Snakehead Channa argus is an introduced species that now inhabits the Chesapeake Bay. During a preliminary survey for introduced pathogens possibly harbored by these fish in Virginia waters, a filterable agent was isolated from five specimens that produced cytopathic effects in BF-2 cells. Based on PCR amplification and partial sequencing of the major capsid protein (MCP), DNA polymerase (DNApol), and DNA methyltransferase (Mtase) genes, the isolates were identified as Largemouth Bass virus (LMBV). Nucleotide sequences of the MCP (492 bp) and DNApol (419 pb) genes were 100% identical to those of LMBV. The nucleotide sequence of the Mtase (206 bp) gene was 99.5% identical to that of LMBV, and the single nucleotide substitution did not lead to a predicted amino acid coding change. This is the first report of LMBV from the Northern Snakehead, and provides evidence that noncentrarchid fishes may be susceptible to this virus.

Identification of largemouth bass virus in the introduced Northern snakehead inhabiting the Cheasapeake Bay watershed

USGS Publications Warehouse

Iwanowicz, Luke R.; Densmore, Christine L.; Hahn, Cassidy M.; McAllister, Phillip; Odenkirk, John

2013-01-01

The Northern Snakehead Channa argus is an introduced species that now inhabits the Chesapeake Bay. During a preliminary survey for introduced pathogens possibly harbored by these fish in Virginia waters, a filterable agent was isolated from five specimens that produced cytopathic effects in BF-2 cells. Based on PCR amplification and partial sequencing of the major capsid protein (MCP), DNA polymerase (DNApol), and DNA methyltransferase (Mtase) genes, the isolates were identified as Largemouth Bass virus (LMBV). Nucleotide sequences of the MCP (492 bp) and DNApol (419 pb) genes were 100% identical to those of LMBV. The nucleotide sequence of the Mtase (206 bp) gene was 99.5% identical to that of LMBV, and the single nucleotide substitution did not lead to a predicted amino acid coding change. This is the first report of LMBV from the Northern Snakehead, and provides evidence that noncentrarchid fishes may be susceptible to this virus.

Preliminary hydrodynamic analysis of landslide-generated waves in Tidal Inlet, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Geist, Eric L.; Jakob, Matthias; Wieczoreck, Gerald F.; Dartnell, Peter

2003-01-01

A landslide block perched on the northern wall of Tidal Inlet, Glacier Bay National Park (Figure 1), has the potential to generate large waves in Tidal Inlet and the western arm of Glacier Bay if it were to fail catastrophically. Landslide-generated waves are a particular concern for cruise ships transiting through Glacier Bay on a daily basis during the summer months. The objective of this study is to estimate the range of wave amplitudes and periods in the western arm of Glacier Bay from a catastrophic landslide in Tidal Inlet. This study draws upon preliminary findings of a field survey by Wieczorek et al. (2003), and evaluates the effects of variations in landslide source parameters on the wave characteristics.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

O`Clair, C.E.; Short, J.W.; Rice, S.D.

To determine the distribution of oil in subtidal sediments after the Exxon Valdez oil spill we sampled sediments at six depths (0, 3, 6, 20, 40 and 100 m) at 53 locations in Prince William Sound and the northern Gulf of Alaska from 1989 to 1991. Results are based on 1278 sediment samples analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. In 1989, the oil concentration was greatest in the Sound at 0 m. Outside the Sound, Exxon Valdez oil occurred at Chugach Bay, Hallo Bay, Katmai Bay, and Windy Bay in 1989. Hydrocarbons often matched Exxon Valdez oil less closely, oil wasmore » more patchily distributed, and the oil concentration decreased in sediments after 1989.« less

Organic carbon sources and sinks in San Francisco Bay: variability induced by river flow

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jassby, Alan D.; Powell, T.M.; Cloern, James E.

1993-01-01

Sources and sinks of organic carbon for San Francisco Bay (California, USA) were estimated for 1980. Sources for the southern reach were dominated by phytoplankton and benthic microalgal production. River loading of organic matter was an additional important factor in the northern reach. Tidal marsh export and point sources played a secondary role. Autochthonous production in San Francisco Bay appears to be less than the mean for temperate-zone estuaries, primarily because turbidity limits microalgal production and the development of seagrass beds. Exchange between the Bay and Pacific Ocean plays an unknown but potentially important role in the organic carbon balance. Interannual variability in the organic carbon supply was assessed for Suisun Bay, a northern reach subembayment that provides habitat for important fish species (delta smelt Hypomesus transpacificus and larval striped bass Morone saxatilus). The total supply fluctuated by an order of magnitude; depending on the year, either autochthonous sources (phytoplankton production) or allochthonous sources (riverine loading) could be dominant. The primary cause of the year-to-year change was variability of freshwater inflows from the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, and its magnitude was much larger than long-term changes arising from marsh destruction and point source decreases. Although interannual variability of the total organic carbon supply could not be assessed for the southern reach, year-to-year changes in phytoplankton production were much smaller than in Suisun Bay, reflecting a relative lack of river influence.

Herpetofaunal Inventories of the National Parks of South Florida and the Caribbean: Volume IV. Biscayne National Park

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rice, Kenneth G.; Waddle, J. Hardin; Crockett, Marquette E.; Bugbee, Christopher D.; Jeffery, Brian M.; Percival, H. Franklin

2007-01-01

Amphibian declines and extinctions have been documented around the world, often in protected natural areas. Concern for this alarming trend has prompted the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Park Service to document all species of amphibians that occur within U.S. National Parks and to search for any signs that amphibians may be declining. This study, an inventory of amphibian species in Biscayne National Park, was conducted during 2002 and 2003. The goals of the project were to create a georeferenced inventory of amphibian species, use new analytical techniques to estimate proportion of sites occupied by each species, look for evidence of known stressors or problems that may lead to amphibian population decline (invasive species, disease, die-offs, and so forth), and to establish a baseline and methodology that could be used for future monitoring efforts. Four sampling methods were used to accomplish these goals. Visual encounter surveys and anuran vocalization surveys were conducted at a total of 236 visits to 37 sites in all habitats throughout Biscayne National Park to estimate the proportion of sites or proportion of area occupied (PAO) by each amphibian species in each habitat. More than 100 individuals of 7 amphibian species were detected during standard sampling, and 24 individuals of 6 species of amphibians and 37 individuals of 12 species of reptiles were encountered during opportunistic collections and nighttime road surveys used to augment the visual encounter methods for more rare or cryptic species opportunistically. The software PRESENCE was used to provide PAO estimates for each of the anuran species based on the visual encounter surveys and anuran vocalization data. Amphibian species (six native and three non-native) were documented in Biscayne National Park during this project. The proportion of area occupied estimates obtained for the six most common amphibians will serve as a comparative baseline for future monitoring efforts. There were fourteen non-marine reptile species detected during this study. The proportion of area occupied for reptile species was not estimated because there were too few encounters during this study. The methods used in this study are adequate to produce reliable estimates of the proportion of sites occupied by most anuran species. Therefore, future sampling at regular intervals could be a cost-effective way of following amphibian occupancy trends. This study identified some threats to amphibians in Biscayne National Park, especially introduced species including the Cuban treefrog (Osteopilus septentrionalis), the marine or cane toad (Bufo marinus), and the greenhouse frog (Eleutherodactylus planirostris planirostris) that were collectively detected nearly three times as often as native species.

A mixed carbonate/clastic example in a restricted bay in a temperate carbonate shelf (Cala Fornells, northern Minorca Spain)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fornos, J.J.; Forteza, V.; Jaume, C.

1990-05-01

Cala Fornells is a restricted bay located in the northern section of the island Minorca. Cala Fornells has a surface area of 4 km{sup 2} and a maximum depth of 25 m at the mouth, which connects with the northern Minorca platform. Due to ephemeral streams with very fine textural inflow, the sedimentary facies present in the floor of the bay are primarily controlled by the bioclastic carbonate ecosystem production and the terrigenous input. The distribution of the facies is related to three major factors: (1) bathymetry, which controls the ecosystem distribution (Cymodocea nodosa-Caulerpa prolifera, Posidonia oceanica, and maeerl communities,more » from shallowest to deepest); (2) hydrodynamic conditions due to northern winds (locally called Tramuntana), which control the grain size distribution; and (3) local ephemeral streams, which control the terrigenous input. In the coarser fractions of the sediment (gravel and sand), the main component in the deepest zones are skeletal fragments of red algae. The shallowest zones contain fragments of the green alga Halimeda tuna, which may represent up to 50% of the total bioclastic fraction. The terrigenous components are mostly shales and only locally do they find a sand fragment of limestone and quartz grains. The organic matter content is very high (over 6% in the finest fractions), whereas in the more hydrodynamic and deeper facies (25 m) where the bioclastic fractions are predominant, the organic carbon content is below 0.5%.« less

Earthquake Activity in the North Greenland Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larsen, Tine B.; Dahl-Jensen, Trine; Voss, Peter H.

2017-04-01

Many local and regional earthquakes are recorded on a daily basis in northern Greenland. The majority of the earthquakes originate at the Arctic plate boundary between the Eurasian and the North American plates. Particularly active regions away from the plate boundary are found in NE Greenland and in northern Baffin Bay. The seismograph coverage in the region is sparse with the main seismograph stations located at the military outpost, Stations Nord (NOR), the weather station outpost Danmarkshavn (DAG), Thule Airbase (TULEG), and the former ice core drilling camp (NEEM) in the middle of the Greenland ice sheet. Furthermore, data is available from Alert (ALE), Resolute (RES), and other seismographs in northern Canada as well as from a temporary deployment of BroadBand seismographs along the north coast of Greenland from 2004 to 2007. The recorded earthquakes range in magnitude from less than 2 to a 4.8 event, the largest in NE Greenland, and a 5.7 event, the largest recorded in northern Baffin Bay. The larger events are recorded widely in the region allowing for focal mechanisms to be calculated. Only a few existing focal mechanisms for the region can be found in the ISC bulletin. Two in NE Greenland representing primarily normal faulting and one in Baffin Bay resulting from reverse faulting. New calculations of focal mechanisms for the region will be presented as well as improved hypocenters resulting from analysis involving temporary stations and regional stations that are not included in routine processing.

Analysis of water-quality trends at two discharge stations; one within Big Cypress National Preserve and one near Biscayne Bay; southern Florida, 1966-94

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lietz, A.C.

2000-01-01

An analysis of water-quality trends was made at two U.S. Geological Survey daily discharge stations in southern Florida. The ESTREND computer program was the principal tool used for the determination of water-quality trends at the Miami Canal station west of Biscayne Bay in Miami and the Tamiami Canal station along U.S. Highway 41 in the Big Cypress National Preserve in Collier County. Variability in water quality caused by both seasonality and streamflow was compensated for by applying the nonparametric Seasonal Kendall trend test to unadjusted concentrations or flow-adjusted concentrations (residuals) determined from linear regression analysis. Concentrations of selected major inorganic constituents and physical characteristics; pH and dissolved oxygen; suspended sediment; nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon species; trace metals; and bacteriological and biological characteristics were determined at the Miami and Tamiami Canal stations. Median and maximum concentrations of selected constituents were compared to the Florida Class III freshwater standards for recreation, propagation, and maintenance of a healthy, well-balanced population of fish and wildlife. The median concentrations of the water-quality constituents and characteristics generally were higher at the Miami Canal station than at the Tamiami Canal station. The maximum value for specific conductance at the Miami Canal station exceeded the State standard. The median and maximum concentrations for ammonia at the Miami and Tamiami Canal stations exceeded the State standard, whereas median dissolved-oxygen concentrations at both stations were below the State standard. Trend results were indicative of either improvement or deterioration in water quality with time. Improvement in water quality at the Miami Canal station was reflected by downward trends in suspended sediment (1987-94), turbidity, (1970-78), total ammonia (1971-94), total phosphorus (1987-94), barium (1978-94), iron (1969-94), and fecal coliform (1976-94). Deterioration in water quality at the same station was indicated by upward trends in specific conductance (1966-94), dissolved solids (1966-94, 1976-94, and 1987-94), chloride (1966-94), potassium (1966-94), magnesium (1966-94), sodium (1966-94), sulfate (1966-94), silica (1966-94), suspended sediment (1974-94), total organic carbon (1970-81), and fecal streptococcus (1987-94). The downward trend in pH (1966-94) was indicative of deterioration in water quality at the Miami Canal station. Improvement in water quality at the Tamiami Canal station was reflected by downward trends in fluoride (1967-93), total ammonia (1970-92), total nitrite plus nitrate (1975-85), and barium (1978-93). Deterioration in water quality at the same station was statistically significant by upward trends in specific conductance (1967-93), dissolved solids (1967-93), chloride (1967-93), sodium (1967-93), potassium (1967-93), magnesium (1967-93), strontium (1967-93), and suspended sediment (1976-93). The downward trend in dissolved oxygen (1970-93) was indicative of deterioration in water quality.

Prominence of ichnologically influenced macroporosity in the karst Biscayne aquifer: Stratiform "super-K" zones

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cunningham, K.J.; Sukop, M.C.; Huang, H.; Alvarez, P.F.; Curran, H.A.; Renken, R.A.; Dixon, J.F.

2009-01-01

A combination of cyclostratigraphic, ichnologic, and borehole geophysical analyses of continuous core holes; tracer-test analyses; and lattice Boltzmann flow simulations was used to quantify biogenic macroporosity and permeability of the Biscayne aquifer, southeastern Florida. Biogenic macroporosity largely manifests as: (1) ichnogenic macroporosity primarily related to postdepositional burrowing activity by callianassid shrimp and fossilization of components of their complex burrow systems (Ophiomorpha); and (2) biomoldic macroporosity originating from dissolution of fossil hard parts, principally mollusk shells. Ophiomorpha-dominated ichno-fabric provides the greatest contribution to hydrologic characteristics in the Biscayne aquifer in a 345 km2 study area. Stratiform tabular-shaped units of thalassinidean-associated macroporosity are commonly confined to the lower part of upward-shallowing high-frequency cycles, throughout aggradational cycles, and, in one case, they stack vertically within the lower part of a high-frequency cycle set. Broad continuity of many of the macroporous units concentrates groundwater flow in extremely permeable passage-ways, thus making the aquifer vulnerable to long-distance transport of contaminants. Ichnogenic macroporosity represents an alternative pathway for concentrated groundwater flow that differs considerably from standard karst flow-system paradigms, which describe groundwater movement through fractures and cavernous dissolution features. Permeabilities were calculated using lattice Boltzmann methods (LBMs) applied to computer renderings assembled from X-ray computed tomography scans of various biogenic macroporous limestone samples. The highest simulated LBM permeabilities were about five orders of magnitude greater than standard laboratory measurements using air-permeability methods, which are limited in their application to extremely permeable macroporous rock samples. Based on their close conformance to analytical solutions for pipe flow, LBMs offer a new means of obtaining accurate permeability values for such materials. We suggest that the stratiform ichnogenic groundwater flow zones have permeabilities even more extreme (???2-5 orders of magnitude higher) than the Jurassic "super-K" zones of the giant Ghawar oil field. The flow zones of the Pleistocene Biscayne aquifer provide examples of ichnogenic macroporosity for comparative analysis of origin and evolution in other carbonate aquifers, as well as petroleum reservoirs. ?? 2008 Geological Society of America.

Increasing mist net captures of migrant Northern Saw-whet Owls (Aegolius acadicus) with an audiolure

Treesearch

Thomas C. Erdman; David F. Brinker

1997-01-01

In 1986, an "audiolure" was developed and tested at the Little Suamico Ornithological Station near Green Bay, Wisconsin. The audiolure consisted of broadcast amplified "solicitation" calls of Northern Saw-whet Owls (Aegolius acadicus) normally associated with courtship activities. From 1971 through 1985, using passive mist netting...

Emergy evaluation of benthic ecosystems influenced by upwelling in northern Chile: Contributions of the ecosystems to the regional economy

EPA Science Inventory

Emergy evaluations of three benthic ecosystem networks found in Mejillones, Antofagasta and Tongoy Bays, located on the coast of northern Chile, were carried out with the intent of documenting the contributions of these coastal ecosystems to the economy. The productivity of these...

Dynamics of photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) and estimates in coastal northern California

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The seasonal trends and diurnal patterns of Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) were investigated in the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California from March through August in 2007 and 2008. During these periods, the daily values of PAR flux density (PFD), energy loading with PAR (PARE), a...

Peat landforms along the Albany River, northern Ontario. An ecological study of peat landforms in Canada and Alaska

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glaser, P. H.

1985-01-01

During the summer of 1985 a field investigation was started in the Hudson Bay lowland region of northern Ontario, which represents the largest expanse of peatland in North America and is an important sink in the global carbon cycle. A key area in the lowlands is situated along the Albany River near the confluence of the Chepay River. Here the striking vegetation-landforms are transitional between those found on the bed of Glacial Lake Agassiz in northern Minnesota and southern Manitoba and the more northern peatlands in the Hudson Bay lowland region. In peatland studies elsewhere the landform patterns have been used not only to classify different peatland types but also as an indicator of potential developmetnal trends. The study area is generally defined by that covered by the TM scene E-40062-15532 taken on Sept. 16, 1982. The purpose of the field work is to acquire sufficent information to interpret the TM imagery and test various hypotheses on peatland development on the gasis of the pattern transitions.

Holocene evolution of Apalachicola Bay, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Osterman, Lisa E.; Twichell, David C.

2011-01-01

A program of geophysical mapping and vibracoring was conducted in 2007 to better understand the geologic evolution of Apalachicola Bay and its response to sea-level rise. A detailed geologic history could help better understand how this bay may respond to both short-term (for example, storm surge) and long-term sea-level rise. The results of this study were published (Osterman and others, 2009) as part of a special issue of Geo-Marine Letters that documents early results from the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM) Ecosystem Change and Hazard Susceptibility Project.

Spatial distribution of pelagic fish larvae in the northern main basin of Lake Huron

USGS Publications Warehouse

Roseman, Edward F.; O'Brien, Timothy P.

2013-01-01

Larval fish occurrence in inshore and offshore zones in the northern main basin of Lake Huron was assessed during 2007 as part of a larger ecological examination of Lake Huron foodwebs and habitats. Day and night collections using neuston and conical nets at inshore (1.5–15 m depths) and offshore (37 and 91 m depths) locations at De Tour and Hammond Bay to assess the abundance, phenology, and spatial distribution of pelagic ichthyoplankton during spring and early summer were made. In general, densities of larval fishes were higher at De Tour than Hammond Bay during daytime neuston net collections, with the exception of Longnose Sucker, which were only collected at Hammond Bay. Lake Whitefish, Burbot, and Rainbow Smelt dominated inshore catches in early spring with Cisco, Deepwater Sculpin, Emerald Shiner, Bloater, Slimy Sculpin, Ninespine Stickleback, and Yellow Perch larvae also collected.Nighttime nearshore and offshore sampling revealed that Rainbow Smelt and Burbot larvae were present in relatively high abundances compared to inshore densities. Concentrations of larvae of deepwater demersal fishes such as Lake Whitefish and Deepwater Sculpin suggest that inshore zones in northern Lake Huron are important nursery habitats emphasizing a critical production and recruitment linkage between inshore and deepwater zones.

Contribution of Shellfish Consumption to Lower Mercury Health Risk for Residents in Northern Jiaozhou Bay, China.

PubMed

Zhang, Lei; Zhang, Lei

2015-01-01

Fish and marine mammal consumption are an important pathway for human exposure to mercury. The low mercury content in shellfish poses a low mercury health risk to people who consume shellfish. The objectives of this study are to detect mercury concentrations in different species of shellfish and to calculate the mercury health risk from shellfish consumption among traditional residents near northern Jiaozhou Bay. A total of 356 shellfish samples, which comprised 7 species from 5 different places in northern Jiaozhou Bay, were collected from April to June in 2012. The average mercury content in the collected shellfish ranged from 0.024 mg·kg(-1) to 0.452 mg·kg(-1). A total of 44 shellfish samples (12.36%) had mercury levels exceeding the national pollution-free aquatic products limit (0.3 mg·kg(-1)). Generally, the viscus had the highest mercury content among all parts of the shellfish. A positive correlation between mercury content and total weight/edible part weight was found in most species of the collected shellfish. The results showed that shellfish consumption resulted in the lower risk of mercury exposure to residents based on the calculation of daily intake (DI) and target hazard quotient (THQ).

Fine-scale genetic population structure in a mobile marine mammal: inshore bottlenose dolphins in Moreton Bay, Australia.

PubMed

Ansmann, Ina C; Parra, Guido J; Lanyon, Janet M; Seddon, Jennifer M

2012-09-01

Highly mobile marine species in areas with no obvious geographic barriers are expected to show low levels of genetic differentiation. However, small-scale variation in habitat may lead to resource polymorphisms and drive local differentiation by adaptive divergence. Using nuclear microsatellite genotyping at 20 loci, and mitochondrial control region sequencing, we investigated fine-scale population structuring of inshore bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) inhabiting a range of habitats in and around Moreton Bay, Australia. Bayesian structure analysis identified two genetic clusters within Moreton Bay, with evidence of admixture between them (F(ST) = 0.05, P = 0.001). There was only weak isolation by distance but one cluster of dolphins was more likely to be found in shallow southern areas and the other in the deeper waters of the central northern bay. In further analysis removing admixed individuals, southern dolphins appeared genetically restricted with lower levels of variation (AR = 3.252, π = 0.003) and high mean relatedness (r = 0.239) between individuals. In contrast, northern dolphins were more diverse (AR = 4.850, π = 0.009) and were mixing with a group of dolphins outside the bay (microsatellite-based STRUCTURE analysis), which appears to have historically been distinct from the bay dolphins (mtDNA Φ(ST) = 0.272, P < 0.001). This study demonstrates the ability of genetic techniques to expose fine-scale patterns of population structure and explore their origins and mechanisms. A complex variety of inter-related factors including local habitat variation, differential resource use, social behaviour and learning, and anthropogenic disturbances are likely to have played a role in driving fine-scale population structure among bottlenose dolphins in Moreton Bay. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Movement patterns of Brook Trout in a restored coastal stream system in southern Massachusetts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Snook, Erin L.; Letcher, Benjamin H.; Dubreuil, Todd L.; Zydlewski, Joseph D.; O'Donnell, Matthew J.; Whiteley, Andrew R.; Hurley, Stephen T.; Danylchuk, Andy J.

2016-01-01

Coastal Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) populations are found from northern Canada to New England. The extent of anadromy generally decreases with latitude, but the ecology and movements of more southern populations are poorly understood. We conducted a 33-month acoustic telemetry study of Brook Trout in Red Brook, MA, and adjacent Buttermilk Bay (marine system) using 16 fixed acoustic receivers and surgically implanting acoustic transmitters in 84 individuals. Tagged Brook Trout used the stream, estuary (50% of individuals) and bay (10% of individuals). Movements into full sea water were brief when occurring. GAMM models revealed that transitions between habitat areas occurred most often in spring and fall. Environmental data suggest that use of the saline environment is limited by summer temperatures in the bay. Movements may also be related to moon phase. Compared to more northern coastal populations of Brook Trout, the Red Brook population appears to be less anadromous overall, yet the estuarine segment of the system may have considerable ecological importance as a food resource.

On the dynamics of the Sri Lanka Dome in the Bay of Bengal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burns, Jessica M.; Subrahmanyam, Bulusu; Murty, V. S. N.

2017-09-01

East of Sri Lanka, in the northern Indian Ocean, a cold dome, known as the Sri Lanka Dome (SLD), develops during southwest monsoon season (June-September). The SLD first forms around May, matures in July, and decays around September, in association with the strong cyclonic wind stress curl. In this study, the structure and dynamics of SLD in response to the climatic events such as the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) are examined. Our results reveal that these climatic events modulated the subsurface temperature variability in the thermocline at ˜100 m depth, whose signature was also evident in the satellite-derived sea surface height (SSH) anomaly in the SLD region. We find that the mechanisms for the formation of SLD are consistent with previous research, and there is year-to-year variability in the SLD dynamics. This study also reveals that the atmospheric parameters including vertical wind shear and midtropospheric relative humidity are high over the SLD region and adjacent southern Bay of Bengal and show an upward (increasing) trend over the decades. This has impacted the atmospheric parameters over the northern Bay of Bengal over the decades and as a consequence the total number of monsoon depressions (June-September) decreased over the decades from 1980 to 2015, as reported by the India Meteorological Department, New Delhi. Thus, the new insight emerged from this study is the variability in the cyclogenesis and the occurrence of total number of monsoon depressions over northern Bay of Bengal over the decades is much related to the SLD dynamics.

Population declines lead to replicate patterns of internal range structure at the tips of the distribution of the California red-legged frog (Rana draytonii)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Richmond, Jonathan Q.; Backlin, Adam R.; Tatarian, Patricia J.; Solvesky, Ben G.; Fisher, Robert N.

2014-01-01

Demographic declines and increased isolation of peripheral populations of the threatened California red-legged frog (Rana draytonii) have led to the formation of internal range boundaries at opposite ends of the species’ distribution. While the population genetics of the southern internal boundary has been studied in some detail, similar information is lacking for the northern part of the range. In this study, we used microsatellite and mtDNA data to examine the genetic structuring and diversity of some of the last remaining R. draytonii populations in the northern Sierra Nevada, which collectively form the northern external range boundary. We compared these data to coastal populations in the San Francisco Bay Area, where the species is notably more abundant and still exists throughout much of its historic range. We show that ‘external’ Sierra Nevada populations have lower genetic diversity and are more differentiated from one another than their ‘internal’ Bay Area counterparts. This same pattern was mirrored across the distribution in California, where Sierra Nevada and Bay Area populations had lower allelic variability compared to those previously studied in coastal southern California. This genetic signature of northward range expansion was mirrored in the phylogeography of mtDNA haplotypes; northern Sierra Nevada haplotypes showed greater similarity to haplotypes from the south Coast Ranges than to the more geographically proximate populations in the Bay Area. These data cast new light on the geographic origins of Sierra Nevada R. draytonii populations and highlight the importance of distinguishing the genetic effects of contemporary demographic declines from underlying signatures of historic range expansion when addressing the most immediate threats to population persistence. Because there is no evidence of contemporary gene flow between any of the Sierra Nevada R. draytonii populations, we suggest that management activities should focus on maintaining and creating additional ponds to support breeding within typical dispersal distances of occupied habitat.

Multiple Landslide-Hazard Scenarios Modeled for the Oakland-Berkeley Area, Northern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pike, Richard J.; Graymer, Russell W.

2008-01-01

With the exception of Los Angeles, perhaps no urban area in the United States is more at risk from landsliding, triggered by either precipitation or earthquake, than the San Francisco Bay region of northern California. By January each year, seasonal winter storms usually bring moisture levels of San Francisco Bay region hillsides to the point of saturation, after which additional heavy rainfall may induce landslides of various types and levels of severity. In addition, movement at any time along one of several active faults in the area may generate an earthquake large enough to trigger landslides. The danger to life and property rises each year as local populations continue to expand and more hillsides are graded for development of residential housing and its supporting infrastructure. The chapters in the text consist of: *Introduction by Russell W. Graymer *Chapter 1 Rainfall Thresholds for Landslide Activity, San Francisco Bay Region, Northern California by Raymond C. Wilson *Chapter 2 Susceptibility to Deep-Seated Landsliding Modeled for the Oakland-Berkeley Area, Northern California by Richard J. Pike and Steven Sobieszczyk *Chapter 3 Susceptibility to Shallow Landsliding Modeled for the Oakland-Berkeley Area, Northern California by Kevin M. Schmidt and Steven Sobieszczyk *Chapter 4 Landslide Hazard Modeled for the Cities of Oakland, Piedmont, and Berkeley, Northern California, from a M=7.1 Scenario Earthquake on the Hayward Fault Zone by Scott B. Miles and David K. Keefer *Chapter 5 Synthesis of Landslide-Hazard Scenarios Modeled for the Oakland-Berkeley Area, Northern California by Richard J. Pike The plates consist of: *Plate 1 Susceptibility to Deep-Seated Landsliding Modeled for the Oakland-Berkeley Area, Northern California by Richard J. Pike, Russell W. Graymer, Sebastian Roberts, Naomi B. Kalman, and Steven Sobieszczyk *Plate 2 Susceptibility to Shallow Landsliding Modeled for the Oakland-Berkeley Area, Northern California by Kevin M. Schmidt and Steven Sobieszczyk *Plate 3 Susceptibility to Shallow Landsliding Modeled for the Cities of Oakland and Piedmont Northern California by Kevin M. Schmidt and Steven Sobieszczyk *Plate 4 Seismic Landslide Hazard Modeled for the Cities of Oakland, Piedmont, and Berkeley, Northern California by Scott B. Miles and David K. Keefer III The relative hazard for each of several landslide scenarios is presented as a geospatial database. This publication includes ARC/INFO (Environmental Systems Research Institute, http://www.esri.com) version 8.1.2 grids and associated tables and four text files of FGDC-compliant metadata for each grid.

77 FR 69797 - Small Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Pile Driving in Port Townsend...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-21

... located inside Port Townsend Bay in northern Puget Sound (see Figure 1- 9 in the WSF IHA application..., and 2 cylinder shaft casings). Because elevated sound levels from pile driving have the potential to... hydraulic lift span at the Port Townsend ferry terminal in northern Puget Sound, Washington. Transfer spans...

Characterization of the porosity distribution in the upper part of the karst Biscayne aquifer using common offset ground penetrating radar, Everglades National Park, Florida

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mount, Gregory J.; Comas, Xavier; Cunningham, Kevin J.

2014-07-01

The karst Biscayne aquifer is characterized by a heterogeneous spatial arrangement of porosity and hydraulic conductivity, making conceptualization difficult. The Biscayne aquifer is the primary source of drinking water for millions of people in south Florida; thus, information concerning the distribution of karst features that concentrate the groundwater flow and affect contaminant transport is critical. The principal purpose of the study was to investigate the ability of two-dimensional ground penetrating radar (GPR) to rapidly characterize porosity variability in the karst Biscayne aquifer in south Florida. An 800-m-long GPR transect of a previously investigated area at the Long Pine Key Nature Trail in Everglades National Park, collected in fast acquisition common offset mode, shows hundreds of diffraction hyperbolae. The distribution of diffraction hyperbolae was used to estimate electromagnetic (EM) wave velocity at each diffraction location and to assess both horizontal and vertical changes in velocity within the transect. A petrophysical model (complex refractive index model or CRIM) was used to estimate total bulk porosity. A set of common midpoint surveys at selected locations distributed along the common-offset transect also were collected for comparison with the common offsets and were used to constrain one-dimensional (1-D) distributions of porosity with depth. Porosity values for the saturated Miami Limestone ranged between 25% and 41% for common offset GPR surveys, and between 23% and 39% for common midpoint GPR surveys. Laboratory measurements of porosity in five whole-core samples from the saturated part of the aquifer in the study area ranged between 7.1% and 41.8%. GPR estimates of porosity were found to be valid only under saturated conditions; other limitations are related to the vertical resolution of the GPR signal and the volume of the material considered by the measurement methodology. Overall, good correspondence between GPR estimates and the direct porosity values from the whole-core samples confirms the ability of GPR common offset surveys to provide rapid characterization of porosity variability in the Biscayne aquifer. The common offset survey method has several advantages: (1) improved time efficiency in comparison to other GPR acquisition modes such as common midpoints; and (2) enhanced lateral continuity of porosity estimates, particularly when compared to porosity measurements on 1-D samples such as rock cores. The results also support the presence of areas of low EM wave velocity or high porosity under saturated conditions, causing velocity pull-down areas and apparent sag features in the reflection record. This study shows that GPR can be a useful tool for improving understanding of the petrophysical properties of highly heterogeneous systems such as karst aquifers, and thus may assist with the development of more accurate groundwater flow models, such as those used for restoration efforts in the Everglades.

Characterization of the porosity distribution in the upper part of the karst Biscayne aquifer using common offset ground penetrating radar, Everglades National Park, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mountain, Gregory S.; Cunningham, Kevin J.; Comas, Xavier

2014-01-01

The karst Biscayne aquifer is characterized by a heterogeneous spatial arrangement of porosity and hydraulic conductivity, making conceptualization difficult. The Biscayne aquifer is the primary source of drinking water for millions of people in south Florida; thus, information concerning the distribution of karst features that concentrate the groundwater flow and affect contaminant transport is critical. The principal purpose of the study was to investigate the ability of two-dimensional ground penetrating radar (GPR) to rapidly characterize porosity variability in the karst Biscayne aquifer in south Florida. An 800-m-long GPR transect of a previously investigated area at the Long Pine Key Nature Trail in Everglades National Park, collected in fast acquisition common offset mode, shows hundreds of diffraction hyperbolae. The distribution of diffraction hyperbolae was used to estimate electromagnetic (EM) wave velocity at each diffraction location and to assess both horizontal and vertical changes in velocity within the transect. A petrophysical model (complex refractive index model or CRIM) was used to estimate total bulk porosity. A set of common midpoint surveys at selected locations distributed along the common-offset transect also were collected for comparison with the common offsets and were used to constrain one-dimensional (1-D) distributions of porosity with depth. Porosity values for the saturated Miami Limestone ranged between 25% and 41% for common offset GPR surveys, and between 23% and 39% for common midpoint GPR surveys. Laboratory measurements of porosity in five whole-core samples from the saturated part of the aquifer in the study area ranged between 7.1% and 41.8%. GPR estimates of porosity were found to be valid only under saturated conditions; other limitations are related to the vertical resolution of the GPR signal and the volume of the material considered by the measurement methodology. Overall, good correspondence between GPR estimates and the direct porosity values from the whole-core samples confirms the ability of GPR common offset surveys to provide rapid characterization of porosity variability in the Biscayne aquifer.The common offset survey method has several advantages: (1) improved time efficiency in comparison to other GPR acquisition modes such as common midpoints; and (2) enhanced lateral continuity of porosity estimates, particularly when compared to porosity measurements on 1-D samples such as rock cores. The results also support the presence of areas of low EM wave velocity or high porosity under saturated conditions, causing velocity pull-down areas and apparent sag features in the reflection record. This study shows that GPR can be a useful tool for improving understanding of the petrophysical properties of highly heterogeneous systems such as karst aquifers, and thus may assist with the development of more accurate groundwater flow models, such as those used for restoration efforts in the Everglades.

Modelling river discharge and precipitation from estuarine salinity in the northern Chesapeake Bay: Application to Holocene palaeoclimate

USGS Publications Warehouse

Saenger, C.; Cronin, T.; Thunell, R.; Vann, C.

2006-01-01

Long-term chronologies of precipitation can provide a baseline against which twentieth-century trends in rainfall can be evaluated in terms of natural variability and anthropogenic influence. However, there are relatively few methods to quantitatively reconstruct palaeoprecipitation and river discharge compared with proxies of other climatic factors, such as temperature. We developed autoregressive and least squares statistical models relating Chesapeake Bay salinity to river discharge and regional precipitation records. Salinity in northern and central parts of the modern Chesapeake Bay is influenced largely by seasonal, interannual and decadal variations in Susquehanna River discharge, which in turn are controlled by regional precipitation patterns. A power regressive discharge model and linear precipitation model exhibit well-defined decadal variations in peak discharge and precipitation. The utility of the models was tested by estimating Holocene palaeoprecipitation and Susquehanna River palaeodischarge, as indicated by isotopically derived palaeosalinity reconstructions from Chesapeake Bay sediment cores. Model results indicate that the early-mid Holocene (7055-5900 yr BP) was drier than the late Holocene (1500 yr BP - present), the 'Mediaeval Warm Period' (MWP) (1200-600 yr BP) was drier than the 'Little Ice Age' (LIA) (500-100 yr BP), and the twentieth century experienced extremes in precipitation possibly associated with changes in ocean-atmosphere teleconnections. ?? 2006 Edward Arnold (Publishers) Ltd.

Principal facts for gravity data along the Hayward fault and vicinity, San Francisco Bay area, northern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ponce, David A.

2001-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) established over 940 gravity stations along the Hayward fault and vicinity. The Hayward fault, regarded as one of the most hazardous faults in northern California (Working Group on California Earthquake Probabilities, 1999), extends for about 90 km from Fremont in the southeast to San Pablo Bay in the northwest. The Hayward fault is predominantly a right-lateral strike-slip fault that forms the western boundary of the East Bay Hills. These data and associated physical property measurement were collected as part of on-going studies to help determine the earthquake hazard potential of major faults within the San Francisco Bay region. Gravity data were collected between latitude 37°30' and 38°15' N and longitude 121°45' and 122°30' W. Gravity stations were located on the following 7.5 minute quadrangles: Newark, Niles, San Leandro, Hayward, Dublin, Oakland West, Oakland East, Las Trampas Ridge, Diablo, Richmond, Briones Valley, Walnut Creek, and Clayton. All data were ultimately tied to primary gravity base station Menlo Park A, located on the campus of the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park, Calif. (latitude 37°27.34' N, longitude 122°10.18' W, observed gravity value 979944.27 mGal).

Monitoring the Northern San Francisco Bay Water Quality with Landsat-8. Nicholas B. Tufillaroa , and Curtiss O. Davisa. aOregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA, nbt@coas.oregonstate.edu

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, C. O.; Tufillaro, N.

2016-02-01

Landsat-8's high spatial resolution ( 30 nm nominal), improved signal-to-noise (12bit digitizer) and expanded band set open up new applications for coastal and in-land waters. We use a recent ocean color processor for Landsat-8 created by Vanhellemont and Ruddick (RSE, 2015)to examine changes in the Northern San Francisco Bay, in particular looking for possiblechanges due to the on-going California drought. For instance, a temporary drought barrier to prevent salt water intrusion was placed during May of 2015 at West False River in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Using the new Landsat-8 ocean color products, we illustrate how to monitor changes in macro algae and plants (Sago pondweed (native), Curly pondweed (non-native)) in regions directly effected,such as the Franks Track region. Product maps using panchromatic enhancement ( 15 m resolution) andscene based atmospheric correction allow a detailed synoptic look every 16 days during theSpring, Summer, and Fall of 2015. This work is part of a larger NASA funded project aimed atimproving the modeling and predictive capabilities of the biogeochemical state for the San Francisco Bay(Davis, PI: Impacts of Population Growth on the San Francisco Bay and Delta Ecosystem, 2014-2017).

78 FR 69127 - Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement/General Management Plan, Biscayne National Park...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-18

..., the NPS undertook an evaluative process to consider a number of management actions that could be... decision-making. Both alternatives would employ a collaborative research and monitoring program (10-year...

LEACHATE MIGRATION FROM A SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITY NEAR BISCAYNE NATIONAL PARK, SOUTH FLORIDA.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Waller, Bradley G.; Labowski, James L.

1987-01-01

Leachate from the Dade County Solid Waste Disposal Facility (SWDF) is migrating to the east (seaward) and to the south from the currently active disposal cell. Water levels and ground-water flow directions are strongly influenced by water-management practices. The SWDF is constructed over the salt-intruded part of the highly transmissive Biscayne aquifer and because of this, chloride ion concentrations and specific conductance levels could not be used as indicators of leachate concentrations. Leachate was detected in multi-depth wells located 75 meters to the south and 20 meters to the east of the active cell. Concentrations of water-quality indicators had mean concentrations generally 2 to 10 times higher than baseline conditions. Primary controls over leachate movement in the SWDF are water-management practices in the Black Creek and Gould Canals, configuration and integrity of the liner beneath the active cell, and low hydraulic gradients in the landfill area.

Interaction of lateral baroclinic forcing and turbulence in an estuary

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lacy, J.R.; Stacey, M.T.; Burau, J.R.; Monismith, Stephen G.

2003-01-01

Observations of density and velocity in a channel in northern San Francisco Bay show that the onset of vertical density stratification during flood tides is controlled by the balance between the cross-channel baroclinic pressure gradient and vertical mixing due to turbulence. Profiles of velocity, salinity, temperature, and suspended sediment concentration were measured in transects across Suisun Cutoff, in northern San Francisco Bay, on two days over the 12.5-hour tidal cycle. During flood tides an axial density front developed between fresher water flowing from the shallows of Grizzly Bay into the northern side of Suisun Cutoff and saltier water flowing up the channel. North of the front, transverse currents were driven by the lateral salinity gradient, with a top-to-bottom velocity difference greater than 30 cm/s. South of the front, the secondary circulation was weak, and along-channel velocities were greater than to the north. The gradient Richardson number shows that stratification was stable north of the front, while the water column was turbulently mixed south of the front. Time-series measurements of velocity and salinity demonstrate that the front develops during each tidal cycle. In estuaries, longitudinal dynamics predict less stratification during flood than ebb tides. These data show that stratification can develop during flood tides due to a lateral baroclinic pressure gradient in estuaries with complex bathymetry.

Integrated study of high resolution geophysical and geological information of Osaka Bay, Southwest Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inoue, Naoto; Kitada, Naoko; Itoh, Yasuto; Takemura, Keiji; Nakagawa, Koichi

The stratigraphic framework of Quaternary sediments in the Osaka Basin, Southwest Japan was revealed by high resolution geophysical and geological surveys acquired after the 1995 Kobe Earthquake. Osaka Bay is located in the central part of the Osaka Basin and is underlaid with Pre-Neogene basement rocks covered by an unconsolidated sequence of Plio-Pleistocene marine, fluvial and lacustrine sediments. Fifteen laterally continuous marine clays (from Ma-1 to Ma13, in ascending order) have been identified throughout the Osaka Basin that have been correlated with the marine eustatic record. Deep borehole and high resolution seismic data were acquired in Kobe (northern part of the basin) and Kansai International Airport (southern part of the basin). Sequence stratigraphy defined by seismic reflectors was used to reveal the stratigraphic differences between the two areas. By identifying reflectors as marine clay layers throughout the basin, we were able to divide the study area into three parts (northern, middle and southern parts) and to estimate the sedimentation rate in each location. The sedimentation rate increases from the northern and southern margins of the basin towards central Osaka Bay in the middle of the basin. In the southern parts, the sharp decline of sedimentation rate between Ma2 and Ma4 and thinning or complete lack of the reflectors corresponding to Ma5 and Ma6 layers result from tilting in this region.

Statistical power to detect change in a mangrove shoreline fish community adjacent to a nuclear power plant.

PubMed

Dolan, T E; Lynch, P D; Karazsia, J L; Serafy, J E

2016-03-01

An expansion is underway of a nuclear power plant on the shoreline of Biscayne Bay, Florida, USA. While the precise effects of its construction and operation are unknown, impacts on surrounding marine habitats and biota are considered by experts to be likely. The objective of the present study was to determine the adequacy of an ongoing monitoring survey of fish communities associated with mangrove habitats directly adjacent to the power plant to detect fish community changes, should they occur, at three spatial scales. Using seasonally resolved data recorded during 532 fish surveys over an 8-year period, power analyses were performed for four mangrove fish metrics (fish diversity, fish density, and the occurrence of two ecologically important fish species: gray snapper (Lutjanus griseus) and goldspotted killifish (Floridichthys carpio). Results indicated that the monitoring program at current sampling intensity allows for detection of <33% changes in fish density and diversity metrics in both the wet and the dry season in the two larger study areas. Sampling effort was found to be insufficient in either season to detect changes at this level (<33%) in species-specific occurrence metrics for the two fish species examined. The option of supplementing ongoing, biological monitoring programs for improved, focused change detection deserves consideration from both ecological and cost-benefit perspectives.

Lattice Boltzmann methods applied to large-scale three-dimensional virtual cores constructed from digital optical borehole images of the karst carbonate Biscayne aquifer in southeastern Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Michael Sukop,; Cunningham, Kevin J.

2014-01-01

Digital optical borehole images at approximately 2 mm vertical resolution and borehole caliper data were used to create three-dimensional renderings of the distribution of (1) matrix porosity and (2) vuggy megaporosity for the karst carbonate Biscayne aquifer in southeastern Florida. The renderings based on the borehole data were used as input into Lattice Boltzmann methods to obtain intrinsic permeability estimates for this extremely transmissive aquifer, where traditional aquifer test methods may fail due to very small drawdowns and non-Darcian flow that can reduce apparent hydraulic conductivity. Variogram analysis of the borehole data suggests a nearly isotropic rock structure at lag lengths up to the nominal borehole diameter. A strong correlation between the diameter of the borehole and the presence of vuggy megaporosity in the data set led to a bias in the variogram where the computed horizontal spatial autocorrelation is strong at lag distances greater than the nominal borehole size. Lattice Boltzmann simulation of flow across a 0.4 × 0.4 × 17 m (2.72 m3 volume) parallel-walled column of rendered matrix and vuggy megaporosity indicates a high hydraulic conductivity of 53 m s−1. This value is similar to previous Lattice Boltzmann calculations of hydraulic conductivity in smaller limestone samples of the Biscayne aquifer. The development of simulation methods that reproduce dual-porosity systems with higher resolution and fidelity and that consider flow through horizontally longer renderings could provide improved estimates of the hydraulic conductivity and help to address questions about the importance of scale.

Lattice Boltzmann methods applied to large-scale three-dimensional virtual cores constructed from digital optical borehole images of the karst carbonate Biscayne aquifer in southeastern Florida

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sukop, Michael C.; Cunningham, Kevin J.

2014-11-01

Digital optical borehole images at approximately 2 mm vertical resolution and borehole caliper data were used to create three-dimensional renderings of the distribution of (1) matrix porosity and (2) vuggy megaporosity for the karst carbonate Biscayne aquifer in southeastern Florida. The renderings based on the borehole data were used as input into Lattice Boltzmann methods to obtain intrinsic permeability estimates for this extremely transmissive aquifer, where traditional aquifer test methods may fail due to very small drawdowns and non-Darcian flow that can reduce apparent hydraulic conductivity. Variogram analysis of the borehole data suggests a nearly isotropic rock structure at lag lengths up to the nominal borehole diameter. A strong correlation between the diameter of the borehole and the presence of vuggy megaporosity in the data set led to a bias in the variogram where the computed horizontal spatial autocorrelation is strong at lag distances greater than the nominal borehole size. Lattice Boltzmann simulation of flow across a 0.4 × 0.4 × 17 m (2.72 m3 volume) parallel-walled column of rendered matrix and vuggy megaporosity indicates a high hydraulic conductivity of 53 m s-1. This value is similar to previous Lattice Boltzmann calculations of hydraulic conductivity in smaller limestone samples of the Biscayne aquifer. The development of simulation methods that reproduce dual-porosity systems with higher resolution and fidelity and that consider flow through horizontally longer renderings could provide improved estimates of the hydraulic conductivity and help to address questions about the importance of scale.

Sources of nitrogen and phosphorous to northern San Francisco Bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hager, Stephen W.; Schemel, Laurence E.

1992-01-01

We studied nutrient sources to the Sacramento River and Suisun Bay (northern San Francisco Bay) and the influence which these sources have on the distributions of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) in the river and bay. We found that agricultural return flow drains and a municipal wastewater treatment plant were the largest sources of nutrients to the river during low river flow. The Sutter and Colusa agricultural drains contributed about 70% of the transport of DIN and DRP by the river above Sacramento (about 20% of the total transport by the river) between August 8 and September 26, 1985. Further downstream, the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant discharged DIN and DRP at rates that were roughly 70% of total DIN and DRP transport by the river at that time. Concentrations at Rio Vista on the tidal river below the Sacramento plant and at the head of the estuary were related to the reciprocals of the river flows, indicating the importance of dilution of the Sacramento waste by river flows. During very dry years, elevated DIN and DRP concentrations were observed in Suisun Bay. We used a steady-state, one-dimensional, single-compartment box model of the bay, incorporating terms for advection, exchange, and waste input, to calculate a residual rate for all processes not included in the model. We found that the residual for DIN was related to concentrations of chlorophylla (Chla). The residual for DRP was also related to Chla at high concentrations of Chla, but showed significant losses of DRP at low Chla concentrations. These losses were typically equivalent to about 80% of the wastewater input rate.

Iodine chemistry in the water column of the Chesapeake Bay: Evidence for organic iodine forms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luther, George W.; Ferdelman, Timothy; Culberson, Charles H.; Kostka, Joel; Wu, Jingfeng

1991-03-01

During the summer of 1987, we collected and analysed Chesapeake Bay water samples for the inorganic iodine species: iodide (by cathodic-stripping squarewave voltammetry) and iodate (by differential pulse polarography); and total iodine (by hypochlorite oxidation of the seawater sample to iodate). The difference between the sum of the inorganic iodine species and the total iodine was significant for about one-third of the samples collected from the Bay. Thus, in these samples, a third (or more) 'new' form(s) of iodine was present. These samples were primarily from oxygen-saturated surface waters of high biological activity (primary productivity and bacterial processes). This 'new' form can make up as much as 70% of the total iodine. Waters containing low oxygen concentrations showed less of this 'new' form of iodine whereas anoxic and sulphidic bottom waters contained only iodide. This 'new' form of iodine is organic in nature and probably non-volatile. It may reside in the peptide and humic fractions. Only reduced iodine (iodide and organic iodine) was detected in waters from the northern section of the Bay, whereas only iodide and iodate were detected in the southern section of the Bay. In only two samples were iodide, iodate and the 'new' form of iodine found to coexist. Iodide and organic iodine are probably cycled in the surface waters of the northern section of the Bay via a combination of biogeochemical and photochemical processes which produce the reactive intermediates, molecular iodine and hypoiodous acid. These react quickly with reduced inorganic and organic compounds to maintain the reduced forms of iodine in the water column. Only total iodine is conservative throughout the estuary. The inorganic iodine forms can be used as geochemical tracers.

36 CFR 1275.64 - Reproduction of tape recordings of Presidential conversations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... located in Washington, DC; Camp David, MD; Key Biscayne, FL; or San Clemente, CA; and (3) Were recorded... which have been identified as private or personal and which have been transferred to the Nixon estate in...

36 CFR 1275.64 - Reproduction of tape recordings of Presidential conversations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... located in Washington, DC; Camp David, MD; Key Biscayne, FL; or San Clemente, CA; and (3) Were recorded... which have been identified as private or personal and which have been transferred to the Nixon estate in...

Microzooplankton biomass distribution in Terra Nova Bay, Ross Sea (Antarctica)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fonda Umani, S.; Monti, M.; Nuccio, C.

1998-11-01

This work describes the spatial and vertical distribution of microzooplankton (20-200 μm) abundance and biomass of the upper layers (0-100 m), collected during the first oceanographic Italian expedition in Antarctica (1987/1988) in Terra Nova Bay (Ross Sea). Biomass was estimated by using biovolume calculations and literature conversion factors. Sampling was carried out at three depths, surface, 50 and 100 m. The dominant taxa were made up of tintinnid ciliates, ciliates other than tintinnids, larvae of micrometazoa and heterotrophic dinoflagellates. The abundance of the total microplankton fraction had its absolute maximum in the center of Terra Nova Bay at the surface with 31 042 ind. dm -3. The areal and vertical distribution of heterotrophic microplankton biomass differs from that of abundance. On the basis of hydrological conditions, phytoplankton composition and biomass and microzooplankton biomass and structure it is possible to identify three groups of stations: 1—northern coastal stations (intermediate chlorophyll maxima, microphytoplankton prevalence, low microzooplankton biomass); 2—central stations (high surface chlorophyll, nanoplankton prevalence, high abundance of microzooplankton); 3—northern stations (deeper pycnocline, nanoplankton prevalence, high microzooplankton biomass at intermediate depths).

Fine scale habitat use by age-1 stocked muskellunge and wild northern pike in an upper St. Lawrence River bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Farrell, John M.; Kapuscinski, Kevin L.; Underwood, Harold

2014-01-01

Radio telemetry of stocked muskellunge (n = 6) and wild northern pike (n = 6) was used to track late summer and fall movements from a common release point in a known shared nursery bay to test the hypothesis that age-1 northern pike and stocked muskellunge segregate and have different habitat affinities. Water depth, temperature, substrate and aquatic vegetation variables were estimated for each muskellunge (n = 103) and northern pike (n = 131) position and nested ANOVA comparisons by species indicated differences in habitat use. Muskellunge exhibited a greater displacement from the release point and used habitat in shallower water depths (mean = 0.85 m, SE = 0.10) than northern pike (mean = 1.45 m, SE = 0.08). Both principal components analysis (PCA) and principal components ordination (PCO) were used to interpret underlying gradients relative to fish positions in two-dimensional space. Our analysis indicated that a separation of age-1 northern pike and muskellunge occurred 7 d post-release. This first principal component explained 48% of the variation in habitat use. Northern pike locations were associated with deeper habitats that generally had softer silt substrates and dense submersed vegetation. Muskellunge locations post-acclimation showed greater association with shallower habitats containing firmer sandy and clay substrates and emergent vegetation. The observed differences in habitat use suggest that fine-scale ecological separation occurred between these stocked muskellunge and wild northern pike, but small sample sizes and potential for individual variation limit extension of these conclusions. Further research is needed to determine if these patterns exist between larger samples of fishes over a greater range of habitats.

Single-beam bathymetry data collected in 2015 from Grand Bay, Alabama-Mississippi

USGS Publications Warehouse

DeWitt, Nancy T.; Stalk, Chelsea A.; Smith, Christopher G.; Locker, Stanley D.; Fredericks, Jake J.; McCloskey, Terrence A.; Wheaton, Cathryn J.

2017-12-01

As part of the Sea-level and Storm Impacts on Estuarine Environments and Shorelines (SSIEES) project, scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center conducted a single-beam bathymetry survey within the estuarine, open-bay, and tidal creek environments of Grand Bay, Alabama-Mississippi, from May to June 2015. The goal of the SSIEES project is to assess the physical controls of sediment and material exchange between wetlands and estuarine environments along the northern Gulf of Mexico, specifically Grand Bay, Alabama-Mississippi; Vermilion Bay, Louisiana; and, along the east coast, within Chincoteague Bay, Virginia-Maryland. The data described in this report provide baseline bathymetric information for future research investigating wetland-marsh evolution, sediment transport, erosion, recent and long-term geomorphic change, and can also support the modeling of changes in response to restoration and storm impacts. The survey area encompasses more than 40 square kilometers of Grand Bay’s waters.

Influence of orographically steered winds on Mutsu Bay surface currents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamaguchi, Satoshi; Kawamura, Hiroshi

2005-09-01

Effects of spatially dependent sea surface wind field on currents in Mutsu Bay, which is located at the northern end of Japanese Honshu Island, are investigated using winds derived from synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images and a numerical model. A characteristic wind pattern over the bay was evidenced from analysis of 118 SAR images and coincided with in situ observations. Wind is topographically steered with easterly winds entering the bay through the terrestrial gap and stronger wind blowing over the central water toward its mouth. Nearshore winds are weaker due to terrestrial blockages. Using the Princeton Ocean Model, we investigated currents forced by the observed spatially dependent wind field. The predicted current pattern agrees well with available observations. For a uniform wind field of equal magnitude and average direction, the circulation pattern departs from observations demonstrating that vorticity input due to spatially dependent wind stress is essential in generation of the wind-driven current in Mutsu Bay.

Earliest record of the invasive Foraminifera Trochammina hadai in San Francisco Bay, California, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

McGann, Mary

2014-01-01

In 1995, Trochammina hadai, a benthic Foraminifera prevalent in Japanese estuaries, was found in San Francisco Bay, California, USA. Subsequent field investigations determined that the species was also present in nearly all of the major ports and estuaries along the western United States. Because of its widespread colonization, it is of interest to determine when T. hadai first appeared as an invasive in the coastal regions of the North Pacific. In San Francisco Bay, the species was not found in 404 surface samples collected between 1930 and 1981. In 1983, however, a grab sediment sample from one of four sites in the southern portion of the bay contained T. hadai. This site was the most northern of the four and contained 12 specimens of the invasive, comprising 1.5% of the assemblage. This is the earliest appearance on record of T. hadai in San Francisco Bay.

Burried MIS 5 abrasion platforms in the Bay of Koper (Gulf of Trieste, Northern Adriatic) confirm long-term subsidence of the Northern Adriatic region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trobec, Ana; Šmuc, Andrej; Poglajen, Sašo; Vrabec, Marko

2016-04-01

The youngest seafloor sediments of the Gulf of Trieste (Northern Adriatic) are represented by an up to several 100 meters thick succession of Pliocene to Quaternary continental and shallow-marine deposits recording numerous transgressive-regressive cycles. These sediments are separated from older lithologies (mainly Eocene flysch) by an erosional unconformity. Previous geophysical campaigns conducted in the Italian part of the Gulf of Trieste revealed a complex undulating morphology of the unconformity characterised by numerous morphological steps in the flysch appearing between 40 and 200 m below sea level. From correlation with onshore well data from the Friuli and Veneto area it is assumed that the highest system of these unconformities located at approximately 40 mbsl represents a marine abrasion platform formed during the MIS 5 period sea-level highstand. We present the first observations of these abrasion platforms in the Bay of Koper in the southern (Slovenian) part of the Gulf of Trieste. A series of perpendicular sub-bottom sonar profiles with a spacing of 250-500 meters was acquired in the Bay of Koper between 2009 and 2012 with the Innomar parametric sediment echo sounder SES-2000. Along the northern coast of the bay several acoustic facies were resolved, including the top erosional unconformity surface of the flysch. On this surface we located platforms at 35 ms (platform A), 40 ms (platform B) and 50 ms (platform C) of two-way-travel time. The top of abrasion platform B coincides with the top of a sediment progradational wedge which overlies abrasion platform C. No progradational wedge is developed at the top of platform A. Due to signal attenuation and multiples sub-bottom profiles could not be interpreted below 53 ms TWT time. We used a sound velocity of 1650 m/s for the time to depth conversion, which places the platforms at the depth of 28, 33 and 41 mbsl, respectively. Assuming that the abrasion platforms are a remnant of the MIS 5 highstand, this implies an average subsidence rate of the area between 0.28 and 0.38 mm/year, which agrees with previously published data for the Gulf of Trieste. This new dataset demonstrates that the Bay of Koper was connected to the Adriatic Sea approximately 125.000 ky ago during the MIS 5 sea-level highstand. Together with marine abrasion platforms and well data previously documented in the northeastern part of the Gulf of Trieste and well data from the northwestern part of the gulf our data corroborates the long-term subsidence of the Northern Adriatic region.

Prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus among James Bay Cree women in northern Quebec

PubMed Central

Rodrigues, S; Robinson, E; Gray-Donald, K

1999-01-01

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus has been reported to vary widely in aboriginal populations. Most of the data have come from the United States. To help determine the extent of gestational diabetes in Canada's aboriginal population, the authors assessed the prevalence in a population of Cree women in northern Quebec. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted using the National Diabetes Data Group (NDDG) criteria. Information was obtained from patient charts on pregnancies between January 1995 and December 1996 among women residing in 9 Cree communities in the eastern James Bay region of northern Quebec. Women who were not Cree, had pre-existing diabetes, had spontaneous abortion or were receiving glucocorticoid treatment were excluded. RESULTS: Data on 654 pregnancies that met the inclusion criteria were available. Results of the screening oral glucose challenge test were available for 579 of the pregnancies; the remaining 75 were excluded. The mean gestational age at screening was 28.3 (standard deviation 2.6) weeks. The prevalence of gestational diabetes was 12.8% (74/579) (95% confidence interval [CI] 10.1%-15.5%). The prevalence in the inland communities was twice as high as that in the coastal communities (18.0% v. 9.3%, p = 0.002). Women with gestational diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance tended to be older, have had more pregnancies, weigh more before pregnancy and have heavier babies than those with a normal glycemic status. INTERPRETATION: The prevalence of gestational diabetes among James Bay Cree women in northern Quebec is twice as high as that among women in the general North American population and the second highest reported in an aboriginal group worldwide. PMID:10333830

Dissolved oxygen content as an index of water quality in San Vicente Bay, Chile (36 degrees 45'S).

PubMed

Rudolph, Anny; Ahumada, Ramón; Pérez, Claudio

2002-08-01

The present report describes some effects of industrial and municipal effluents on the waters of San Vicente Bay. Analyses of the main substances contained in the fishing industry effluent suggest rating criteria based on the oxygen saturation of the water as an assessment of organic pollution. Six cruises were carried out throughout the Bay, from June to December 1996. Water samples were analyzed for dissolved oxygen, oil and grease content, and sediment samples for organic matter content. Water parameters (salinity, temperature) were used to characterize the Bay's hydrography, and to calculate values for oxygen saturation. The measurements demonstrated a local broad range of oxygen deficit, with a maximum of 45% in the winter to 95% in the spring. In November more than 65% of the Bay's area showed oxygen deficits greater than 40%. Organic matter was unusually high in sediments along the northern sector of the Bay. The results suggest that the oxygen depletion was a representative parameter for establishing a relative scale of water quality in this Bay.

Payload bay, Northern Persian Gulf Region

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

The southern part of Iraq (30.0N, 48.0E) at the Hawr al Hammar lakes and marshlands where the mouths of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers enter the northern Persian Gulf and serve as a border between Iraq and Iran seen at the left. The neighboring oil rich countries of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia are at the headwaters of the Gulf and extend into the background.

36 CFR § 1275.64 - Reproduction of tape recordings of Presidential conversations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... located in Washington, DC; Camp David, MD; Key Biscayne, FL; or San Clemente, CA; and (3) Were recorded... which have been identified as private or personal and which have been transferred to the Nixon estate in...

Riverine organic matter composition and fluxes to Hudson Bay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuzyk, Z. Z. A.; Macdonald, R. W.; Goni, M. A.; Godin, P.; Stern, G. A.

2016-12-01

With warming in northern regions, many changes including permafrost degradation, vegetation alteration, and wildfire incidence will impact the carbon cycle. Organic carbon (OC) carried by river runoff to northern oceans has the potential to provide integrated evidence of these impacts. Here, concentrations of dissolved (DOC) and particulate (POC) OC are used to estimate terrestrial OC transport in 17 major rivers draining varied vegetative and permafrost conditions into Hudson Bay and compositional data (lignin and 14C) to infer OC sources. Hudson Bay lies just south of the Arctic Circle in Canada and is surrounded by a large drainage basin (3.9 × 106 km2) dominated by permafrost. Analysis of POC and DOC in the 17 rivers indicates that DOC dominates the total OC load. The southern rivers dominate. The Nelson and Churchill Rivers to the southwest are particularly important suppliers of OC partly because of large drainage basins but also perhaps because of impacts by hydroelectric development, as suggested by a 14C age of DOC in the Churchill River of 2800 years. Higher DOC and POC concentrations in the southern rivers, which have substantive areas only partially covered by permafrost, compared to northern rivers draining areas with complete permafrost cover, implies that warming - and hence permafrost thawing - will lead to progressively higher DOC and POC loads for these rivers. Lignin composition in the organic matter (S/V and C/V ratios) reveals mixed sources of OC consistent with the dominant vegetation in the river basins. This vegetation is organized by latitude with southern regions below the tree line enriched by woody gymnosperm sources (boreal forest) and northern regions enriched with organic matter from non-woody angiosperms (flowering shrubs, tundra). Acid/Aldehyde composition together with Δ14C data for selected DOC samples suggest that most of the lignin has undergone oxidative degradation, particularly the DOC component. However, high Δ14C ages did not co-occur with high [Ad/Al] ratios, suggesting that riverine DOC preserved (frozen) for extensive periods is now being released. Although permafrost thaw within the Hudson Bay drainage has already commenced, this meridional river study provides a benchmark against which to evaluate future change.

The Formation of Laurentia: Evidence from Shear Wave Splitting and Seismic Tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liddell, M. V.; Bastow, I. D.; Rawlinson, N.; Darbyshire, F. A.; Gilligan, A.

2017-12-01

The northern Hudson Bay region of Canada comprises several Archean cratonic nuclei, assembled by Paleoproterozoic orogenies including the 1.8 Ga Trans-Hudson Orogen (THO) and Rinkian-Nagssugtoqidian Orogen (NO). Questions remain about how similar in scale and nature these orogens were compared to modern orogens like the Himalayas. Also in question is whether the thick Laurentian cratonic root below Hudson Bay is stratified, with a seismically-fast Archean core underlain by a lower, younger, thermal layer. We investigate these problems via shear-wave splitting and teleseismic tomography using up to 25 years of data from 65 broadband seismic stations across northern Hudson Bay. The results of the complementary studies comprise the most comprehensive study to date of mantle seismic velocity and anisotropy in northern Laurentia. Splitting parameter patterns are used to interpret multiple layers, lithospheric boundaries, dipping anisotropy, and deformation zone limits for the THO and NO. Source-side waveguide effects from Japan and the Aleutian trench are observed despite the tomographic data being exclusively relative arrival time. Mitigating steps to ensure data quality are explained and enforced. In the Hudson Strait, anisotropic fast directions (φ) generally parallel the THO, which appears in tomographic images as a strong low velocity feature relative to the neighbouring Archean cratons. Several islands in northern Hudson Bay show short length-scale changes in φ coincident with strong velocity contrasts. These are interpreted as distinct lithospheric blocks with unique deformational histories, and point to a complex, rather than simple 2-plate, collisional history for the THO. Strong evidence is presented for multiple anisotropic layers beneath Archean zones, consistent with the episodic development model of cratonic keels (e.g., Yuan & Romanowicz 2010). We show via both tomographic inversion models and SKS splitting patterns that southern Baffin Island was underthrust by the Superior plate; slow wavespeed material underlies this region, and modelling of SKS splitting patterns indicates a dipping anisotropic layer. This aligns our most up-to-date geophysical results with recent geological evidence (Weller et al., 2017) that the THO developed with modern plate-tectonic style interactions.

Interannual variability in dissolved inorganic nutrients in northern San Francisco Bay estuary

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peterson, D.H.; Smith, R.E.; Hager, S.W.; Harmon, D.D.; Herndon, R.E.; Schemel, L.E.

1985-01-01

Nearly two decades of seasonal dissolved inorganic nutrient-salinity distributions in northern San Francisco Bay estuary (1960-1980) illustrate interannual variations in effects of river flow (a nutrient source) and phytoplankton productivity (a nutrient sink). During winter, nutrient sources dominate the nutrient-salinity distribution patterns (nutrients are at or exceed conservative mixing concentrations). During summer, however, the sources and sinks are in close competition. In summers of wet years, the effects of increased river flow often dominate the nutrient distributions (nutrients are at or less than conservative mixing concentrations), whereas in summers of dry years, phytoplankton productivity dominates (the very dry years 1976-1977 were an exception for reasons not yet clearly known). Such source/sink effects also vary with chemical species. During summer the control of phytoplankton on nutrient distributions is apparently strongest for ammonium, less so for nitrate and silica, and is the least for phosphate. Furthermore, the strength of the silica sink (diatom productivity) is at a maximum at intermediate river flows. This relation, which is in agreement with other studies based on phytoplankton abundance and enumeration, is significant to the extent that diatoms are an important food source for herbivores. The balance or lack of balance between nutrient sources and sinks varies from one estuary to another just as it can from one year to another within the same estuary. At one extreme, in some estuaries river flow dominates the estuarine dissolved inorganic nutrient distributions throughout most of the year. At the other extreme, phytoplankton productivity dominates. In northern San Francisco Bay, for example, the phytoplankton nutrient sink is not as strong as in less turbid estuaries. In this estuary, however, river effects, which produce or are associated with near-conservative nutrient distributions, are strong even at flows less than mean-annual flow. Thus, northern San Francisco Bay appears to be an estuary in between the two extremes and is shifted closer to one extreme or the other depending on interannual variations in river flow. ?? 1985 Dr W. Junk Publishers.

Application of individual foraminifera Mg/Ca and δ18O analyses for paleoceanographic reconstructions in the Bay of Bengal and other active depositional environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fritz-Endres, T.; Dekens, P.; Fehrenbacher, J. S.; Spero, H. J.; Stine, A.

2017-12-01

Paleoceanographic research traditionally focuses on regions where sediment deposition is minimally affected by transport. However, sediment fans near tectonically active regions provide an opportunity to link oceanographic climate to terrestrial processes. Sediment cores recovered during IODP Expedition 354 in the Bay of Bengal include hemipelagic sections that record the history of tectonic uplift and the development of the Indian Monsoon through the last 10 Ma. Although these cores provide a unique opportunity to link marine and terrestrial climate, the complex depositional environment requires that the source of foraminifera is carefully considered before using these proxies to reconstruct oceanographic conditions. Foraminifera in Bengal Fan sediments may have been transported via turbidity currents from the northern Bay of Bengal, where the seasonal variability of SST and SSS is larger compared to the southern Bay of Bengal. We measured single Globigerinoides sacculifer Mg/Ca and δ18O from mudline samples of IODP Site U1454 (8.4°N, 85.5°E, 3721 m water depth) near the modern active channel and Site U1449 (8.4°N, 88.7°E, 3653 m water depth) far from channel activity. We compare these sites to single G. sacculifer from the core-top sample of Site 342KL (20.6°N, 90.1°E, 1256 m water depth) located on the continental shelf. Each foraminifera lives 2-4 weeks and the distribution of 60 to 80 data points reflects the seasonal range of SST and SSS at the location where the foraminifera calcified. Measurements in foraminifera from Site U1449 (away from active channel) are statistically different from the site in the northern Bay of Bengal and more consistent with local conditions. Conversely, foraminifera from the site near the active channel reflect a combined signal of local conditions recorded from the site far from channel activity and those recorded from the continental shelf. This suggests a portion of foraminifera from the active channel site have been transported from the northern Bay of Bengal. Our data show that foraminifera can be used to reconstruct SST and δ18O in this complex depositional environment, but caution must be taken when the down-core lithology indicates turbidites and possible sediment transport

Using Remotely Sensed Data and Hydrologic Models to Evaluate the Effects of Climate Change on Shallow Aquatic Ecosystems in the Mobile Bay, AL Estuary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Estes, M. G.; Al-Hamdan, M. Z.; Thom, R.; Judd, C.; Ellis, J.; Woodruff, D.; Quattrochi, D.; Rose, K.; Swann, R.

2012-12-01

Coastal systems in the northern Gulf of Mexico, including the Mobile Bay, AL estuary, are subject to increasing pressure from a variety of activities including climate change. Climate changes have a direct effect on the discharge of rivers that drain into Mobile Bay and adjacent coastal water bodies. The outflows change water quality (temperature, salinity, and sediment concentrations) in the shallow aquatic areas and affect ecosystem functioning. Mobile Bay is a vital ecosystem that provides habitat for many species of fauna and flora. Historically, submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) and seagrasses were found in this area of the northern Gulf of Mexico; however the extent of vegetation has significantly decreased over the last 60 years. The objectives of this research are to determine: how climate changes affect runoff and water quality in the estuary and how these changes will affect habitat suitability for SAV and seagrasses. Our approach is to use watershed and hydrodynamic modeling to evaluate the impact of climate change on shallow water aquatic ecosystems in Mobile Bay and adjacent coastal areas. Remotely sensed Landsat data were used for current land cover land use (LCLU) model input and the data provided by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of the future changes in temperature, precipitation, and sea level rise were used to create the climate scenarios for the 2025 and 2050 model simulations. Project results are being shared with Gulf coast stakeholders through the Gulf of Mexico Data Atlas to benefit coastal policy and climate change adaptation strategies.

Using Remotely Sensed Data and Hydrologic Models to Evaluate the Effects of Climate Change on Shallow Aquatic Ecosystems in the Mobile Bay, AL Estuary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Estes, M. G.; Al-Hamdan, M. Z.; Thom, R.; Judd, C.; Woodruff, D.; Ellis, J. T.; Quattrochi, D.; Swann, R.

2012-01-01

Coastal systems in the northern Gulf of Mexico, including the Mobile Bay, AL estuary, are subject to increasing pressure from a variety of activities including climate change. Climate changes have a direct effect on the discharge of rivers that drain into Mobile Bay and adjacent coastal water bodies. The outflows change water quality (temperature, salinity, and sediment concentrations) in the shallow aquatic areas and affect ecosystem functioning. Mobile Bay is a vital ecosystem that provides habitat for many species of fauna and flora. Historically, submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) and seagrasses were found in this area of the northern Gulf of Mexico; however the extent of vegetation has significantly decreased over the last 60 years. The objectives of this research are to determine: how climate changes affect runoff and water quality in the estuary and how these changes will affect habitat suitability for SAV and seagrasses. Our approach is to use watershed and hydrodynamic modeling to evaluate the impact of climate change on shallow water aquatic ecosystems in Mobile Bay and adjacent coastal areas. Remotely sensed Landsat data were used for current land cover land use (LCLU) model input and the data provided by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of the future changes in temperature, precipitation, and sea level rise were used to create the climate scenarios for the 2025 and 2050 model simulations. Project results are being shared with Gulf coast stakeholders through the Gulf of Mexico Data Atlas to benefit coastal policy and climate change adaptation strategies.

Chesapeake Bay Low Freshwater Inflow Study. Biota Assessment. Phase I. Appendices.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-08-01

Most are restricted to more saline environments by competition, and not by effects of reduced salintiy. Many of these species are found from lo...detrital food webs and nutrient cycles in higher salinity areas e Importance to erosion control * Potential vulnerability to low flow effects -. 4 S - 4 B...After setting, salinity per se has little effect on Rangia. Other Sensitivities: In Chesapeake Bay, R. cuneata is near the northern limit of its range

Improving Job Site Skills Project. Preliminary Report. Local 343 United Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners of America & Construction Labour Relations Association of Manitoba. Northern Industrial Job Site Visit Report. Environmental Improvement Project, Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting, Flin Flon, Manitoba.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKeag, Janis; Todd, Laurie

The Environmental Improvement Project at Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting in Flin Flon, Manitoba, presented a unique opportunity for field observation and assessment. Field observation of the approximately 70 carpenters employed with various companies provided information on the types of communication used and the circumstances in which the…

Distribution and abundance of larval fish in the nearshore waters of western Lake Huron

USGS Publications Warehouse

O'Gorman, Robert

1983-01-01

Ichthyoplankton was collected at 17 nearshore (bottom depth ≥5 m but ≤10 m) sites in western Lake Huron during 1973–75 with a 0.5-m net of 351-micron mesh towed at 99 m/min. Larvae of rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) dominated late spring and early summer catches and larvae of alewives (Alosa pseudoharengus) the midsummer catches. Larval yellow perch (Perca flavescens) were caught in early summer but were rarely the dominant species. The time of spawning and hatching, and thus occurrence of larvae, differed between areas but was less variable for alewives than for yellow perch. The appearance of larvae in Saginaw Bay was followed successively by their appearance in southern, central, and northern Lake Huron. Rainbow smelt were most abundant in northern Lake Huron and yellow perch and alewives in inner Saginaw Bay. Densities of either rainbow smelt or alewives occasionally exceeded 1/m3, whereas those of yellow perch never exceeded 0.1/m3. Abundance of alewives was usually highest 1 to 3 m beneath the surface and that of rainbow smelt 2 to at least 6 m beneath the surface. Important nursery areas of rainbow smelt were in bays and off irregular coastlines and those of yellow perch were in bays. All nearshore waters seemed equally important as nursery areas of alewives.

Seasonal and Inter-annual Variability in Modeled Larval Dispersal and Population Connectivity of Blue Crabs (Callinectes sapidus) in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gyory, J.; Jones, B.; Ko, D. S.; Taylor, C.

2016-02-01

Larval dispersal trajectories and their resulting population connectivity patterns are known to be key drivers of population dynamics for many marine organisms. However, few studies to date have examined the temporal variability in population connectivity. Here, we model the larval dispersal and population connectivity of blue crabs in the northern Gulf of Mexico from 2003-2012 and use network analyses to understand how they vary over seasonal and inter-annual scales. We found that in all years, the Mississippi River Delta is a barrier to dispersal. Few larvae cross it and settle successfully. In some years (2004, 2007, 2008, and 2009), 1-2 locations (Adams Bay and Chandeleur Sound) had high (> 0.3) betweenness centrality. These locations are likely to be important for maintaining population connectivity in the region, since more than 30% of larval pathways are predicted to pass through them. Connectivity matrices suggest that some estuaries have consistently high larval retention rates. These include West Cote Blanche Bay, Chandeleur Sound, and, in some years, Pensacola Bay and Atchafalaya Bay. Within the spawning season, we observe a decline in average vertex degree and average source strength in every year. This suggests that seasonal declines in the strength of along-shore currents produce consistent reductions in population connectivity through the spawning season.

Environmental and ammonoid faunal changes related to Albian Bay of Biscay opening: Insights from the northern margin of the Basque-Cantabrian Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agirrezabala, Luis M.; López-Horgue, Mikel A.

2017-12-01

The opening and ocean floor spreading of the Bay of Biscay began in the earliest Albian. The integrative study of the Albian sedimentary record and its ammonoid fauna (around 250 specimens) from the northern margin of the Basque-Cantabrian Basin indicates that environmental changes, occurred as a consequence of the Bay of Biscay opening, triggered significant ammonoid bioevents. Main bioevents are diversity changes in the ammonoid associations, occurrence of large forms (diameter up to 0.45 m) and the incursion of elements from other basins. Time-correlation of faulting pulses with ammonoid bioevents indicates that transtensive tectonics was ultimately the major control on the marine environmental conditions such as depth, sea bottom physiography, seaways, sedimentary systems and sea-water chemistry. The pulsating faulting during the Albian led to the increment of the subsidence rate, the deepening and widening of the margin and the progressive increase in the oceanic circulation between the margin and the nascent Bay of Biscay and North Atlantic. In addition, Albian synsedimentary faults constituted conduits for ascending magmas and hydrocarbon-rich hydrothermal fluids, which expelled to the seafloor, causing changes in the sediments, the sea-water chemistry (fertilization) and biota. The integration of sedimentological and palaeontological data has given the basis for a conceptual model of the ammonoid habitats.

Climate signals in Late Holocene sediments from Maxwell Bay and English Strait (South Shetland Islands, Antarctica)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hass, H. Christian; Schröder, Simon; Kuhn, Gerhard

2017-04-01

Climate fluctuations of the past two millennia such as the Little Ice Age and the Medieval Warm Period are reported mainly from the Northern Hemisphere. Evidence from Antarctica is comparably sparse and reveals regional and temporal differences, which are particularly evident at the western and eastern sides of the Antarctic Peninsula. High-resolution coastal-marine sediment cores from the northernmost tip of the West Antarctic Peninsula reveal periods dominated by finer sediments between periods that lack the finer sediment component. In Maxwell Bay this fine sediment (grain size mode around 16 µm) has been traced back to sediment related to the occurrence of glacial meltwater. It was found in sheltered places and meltwater creeks of Potter Cove, a small tributary fjord to Maxwell Bay. In the sediment core this sediment occurs predominantly between 600 and 1250 AD (Medieval Warm Period) whereas it is only sparsely affecting the record between 1450 and 1900 AD (Little Ice Age). The temporal pattern is very similar to global-temperature reconstructions and even resembles temperature reconstructions from the Northern Hemisphere. To avoid local effects that may occur in Maxwell Bay more sediment cores were taken from bays and straits further south of King George Island during Cruise PS97 of RV "Polarstern" in 2016. A core from English Strait reveals completely different sedimentary conditions with no detectable meltwater signal (16 µm). However, the mean grain size record resembles that of the cores from Maxwell Bay. The lack of a clear-cut meltwater sediment class as it occurs further north is likely the result of a much smaller hinterland (Greenwich and Robert islands) when compared to Maxwell Bay between Nelson Island and the much bigger King George Island where glaciers and ice sheets discharge large quantities of very turbid meltwater directly into the bay. It is concluded that during the warmer climate periods a large amount of meltwater was released along the NW Antarctic Peninsula. The related plume sediments were distributed downstream to overprint coastal sediments even though the amount was likely not sufficient to produce a discrete sediment class.

THE EPIZOOTIOLOGY OF CORAL DISEASES IN SOUTH FLORIDA

EPA Science Inventory

The condition of South Florida reefs was assessed to determine the prevalence of coral diseases. Ten surveys were conducted from 1997 until 2004 in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Biscayne National Park, New Grounds, Dry Tortugas National Park, and Tortugas Ecologica...

Benthic flux of nutrients and trace metals in the northern component of San Francisco Bay, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kuwabara, James S.; Topping, Brent R.; Parcheso, Francis; Engelstad, Anita C.; Greene, Valerie E.

2009-01-01

Two sets of sampling trips were coordinated in late summer 2008 (weeks of July 8 and August 6) to sample the interstitial and overlying bottom waters at 10 shallow locations (9 sites <3 meters in depth) within the northern component of the San Francisco Bay/Delta (herein referred to as North Bay). The work was performed to better understand sources of biologically reactive solutes (namely, dissolved macronutrients and trace metals) that may affect the base of the food web in this part of the estuary. A nonmetallic pore-water profiler was used to obtain the first centimeter-scale estimates of the vertical solute-concentration gradients for diffusive-flux determinations. This study, performed in collaboration with scientists from San Francisco State University?s Romberg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies, provides information to assist in developing and refining management strategies for the Bay/Delta system and supports efforts to monitor changes in food-web structure associated with regional habitat modifications directed by the California Bay-Delta Authority. On July 7, 2008, and August 5, 2008, pore-water profilers were successfully deployed at six North Bay sites per trip to measure the concentration gradient of dissolved macronutrients and trace metals near the sediment-water interface. Only two of the sites (433 and SSB009 within Honker Bay) were sampled in both series of profiler deployments. At each sampling site, profilers were deployed in triplicate, while discrete samples and dataloggers were used to collect ancillary data from both the water column and benthos to help interpret diffusive-flux measurements. Benthic flux of dissolved (0.2-micron filtered) inorganic phosphate (that is, soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP)) ranged from negligible levels (-0.003?0.005 millimole per square meter per day (mmole m-2d-1) at Site 4.1 outside Honker Bay) to 0.060?0.006 mmole m-2d-1 near the northern coast of Brown?s Island. Except for the elevated flux at Browns Island, the benthic flux of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) was consistently: (1) lower than previously reported for South Bay sites, (2) an order of magnitude lower than oligotrophic Coeur d?Alene Lake, (3) two orders of magnitude lower than determined for eutrophic Upper Klamath Lake, and (4) an order of magnitude or more lower than the estimated summer riverine inputs for SRP (900 to 1,300 kilograms of phosphorous per day (kg-P d-1)). In contrast to fluxes reported for the South Bay, nitrate fluxes were consistently negative (that is, drawn from the water column into the sediment), except for one site with statistically insignificant nitrate fluxes (Site 409 within Suisun Bay). The most negative nitrate flux (-7.3?0.1 mmole m-2d-1) was observed within Grizzly Bay (Site 416). Observed nitrate fluxes bracketed the estimated summer fluvial flux of nitrate (3,500 to 5,000 kg-N d-1). With the exception of the two Grizzly Bay sites (416 and 417), the consistently positive benthic flux of ammonia generally counteracted the negative flux of nitrate to yield a net balance of dissolved inorganic nitrogen. Ammonia benthic fluxes extrapolated for Suisun Bay ranged from 320 kg-N d-1 (Site SSB009 near the entrance to Honker Bay) to 1,900 kg-N d-1 (Montezuma Island). These values represent a significant ammonia source to the water column relative to summer riverine inputs (approximately 400 to 600 kg-N d-1). Dissolved silica also displayed a consistently positive benthic flux, except for Site 409 within Suisun Bay, which showed insignificant fluxes (also insignificant for nitrate and SRP). As with the nitrate fluxes, Grizzly Bay and Browns Island sites yielded the highest dissolved silica fluxes (1.3?1.2 to 2.5?0.6 mmole m-2d-1, respectively). These initial diffusive-flux estimates are greater than those measured in the South Bay using core-incubation experiments, which include bioturbation and bioirrigation effects, but they are nevertheless probably one to t

High resolution seismic imaging of faults beneath Limón Bay, northern Panama Canal, Republic of Panama

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pratt, Thomas L.; Holmes, Mark; Schweig, Eugene S.; Gomberg, Joan S.; Cowan, Hugh A.

2003-01-01

High-resolution seismic reflection profiles from Limo??n Bay, Republic of Panama, were acquired as part of a seismic hazard investigation of the northern Panama Canal region. The seismic profiles image gently west and northwest dipping strata of upper Miocene Gatu??n Formation, unconformably overlain by a thin (<20 m) sequence of Holocene muds. Numerous faults, which have northeast trends where they can be correlated between seismic profiles, break the upper Miocene strata. Some of the faults have normal displacement, but on many faults, the amount and type of displacement cannot be determined. The age of displacement is constrained to be Late Miocene or younger, and regional geologic considerations suggest Pliocene movement. The faults may be part of a more extensive set of north- to northeast-trending faults and fractures in the canal region of central Panama. Low topography and the faults in the canal area may be the result of the modern regional stress field, bending of the Isthmus of Panama, shearing in eastern Panama, or minor deformation of the Panama Block above the Caribbean subduction zone. For seismic hazard analysis of the northern canal area, these faults led us to include a source zone of shallow faults proximal to northern canal facilities. ?? 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mapping saltwater intrusion in the Biscayne Aquifer, Miami-Dade County, Florida using transient electromagnetic sounding

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fitterman, David V.

2014-01-01

Saltwater intrusion in southern Florida poses a potential threat to the public drinking-water supply that is typically monitored using water samples and electromagnetic induction logs collected from a network of wells. Transient electromagnetic (TEM) soundings are a complementary addition to the monitoring program because of their ease of use, low cost, and ability to fill in data gaps between wells. TEM soundings have been used to map saltwater intrusion in the Biscayne aquifer over a large part of south Florida including eastern Miami-Dade County and the Everglades. These two areas are very different with one being urban and the other undeveloped. Each poses different conditions that affect data collection and data quality. In the developed areas, finding sites large enough to make soundings is difficult. The presence of underground pipes further restricts useable locations. Electromagnetic noise, which reduces data quality, is also an issue. In the Everglades, access to field sites is difficult and working in water-covered terrain is challenging. Nonetheless, TEM soundings are an effective tool for mapping saltwater intrusion. Direct estimates of water quality can be obtained from the inverted TEM data using a formation factor determined for the Biscayne aquifer. This formation factor is remarkably constant over Miami-Dade County owing to the uniformity of the aquifer and the absence of clay. Thirty-six TEM soundings were collected in the Model Land area of southeast Miami-Dade County to aid in calibration of a helicopter electromagnetic (HEM) survey. The soundings and HEM survey revealed an area of saltwater intrusion aligned with canals and drainage ditches along U.S. Highway 1 and the Card Sound Road. These canals and ditches likely reduced freshwater levels through unregulated drainage and provided pathways for seawater to flow at least 12.4 km inland.

Near Surface Geophysical Investigations of Potential Direct Recharge Zones in the Biscayne Aquifer within Everglades National Park, Florida.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mount, G.; Comas, X.

2017-12-01

The karstic Miami Limestone of the Biscayne aquifer is characterized as having water flow that is controlled by the presence of dissolution enhanced porosity and mega-porous features. The dissolution features and other high porosity areas create horizontal preferential flow paths and high rates of ground water velocity, which may not be accurately conceptualized in groundwater flow models. In addition, recent research suggests the presence of numerous vertical dissolution features across Everglades National Park at Long Pine Key Trail, that may act as areas of direct recharge to the aquifer. These vertical features have been identified through ground penetrating radar (GPR) surveys as areas of velocity pull-down which have been modeled to have porosity values higher than the surrounding Miami Limestone. As climate change may induce larger and longer temporal variability between wet and dry times in the Everglades, a more comprehensive understanding of preferential flow pathways from the surface to the aquifer would be a great benefit to modelers and planners. This research utilizes near surface geophysical techniques, such as GPR, to identify these vertical dissolution features and then estimate the spatial variability of porosity using petrophysical models. GPR transects that were collected for several kilometers along the Long Pine Key Trail, show numerous pull down areas that correspond to dissolution enhanced porosity zones within the Miami Limestone. Additional 3D GPR surveys have attempted to delineate the boundaries of these features to elucidate their geometry for future modelling studies. We demonstrate the ability of near surface geophysics and petrophysical models to identify dissolution enhanced porosity in shallow karstic limestones to better understand areas that may act as zones of direct recharge into the Biscayne Aquifer.

Atmospheric transport of endosulfan to Everglades and Biscayne National Parks

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Urban encroachment and agricultural activities have been implicated in contributing to the environmental health decline and loss of organism diversity of South Florida ecosystems. Intensive agricultural pesticide use on vegetable and horticultural crops in the region may have a negative effect on s...

Biscayne aquifer, southeast Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Klein, Howard; Hull, John E.

1978-01-01

Peak daily pumpage from the highly permeable, unconfined Biscayne aquifer for public water-supply systems in southeast Florida in 1975 was about 500 million gallons. Another 165 million gallons was withdrawn daily for irrigation. Recharge to the aquifer is primarily by local rainfall. Discharge is by evapotranspiration, canal drainage, coastal seepage, and pumping. Pollutants can enter the aquifer by direct infiltration from land surface or controlled canals, septic-tank and other drainfields, drainage wells, and solid-waste dumps. Most of the pollutants are concentrated in the upper 20 to 30 feet of the aquifer; public supply wells generally range in depth from about 75 to 150 feet. Dilution, dispersion, and adsorption tend to reduce the concentrations. Seasonal heavy rainfall and canal discharge accelerate ground-water circulation, thereby tending to dilute and flush upper zones of the aquifer. The ultimate fate of pollutants in the aquifer is the ocean, although some may be adsorbed by the aquifer materials en route to the ocean, and some are diverted to pumping wells. (Woodard-USGS)

Earthquakes and faults in the San Francisco Bay area (1970-2003)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sleeter, Benjamin M.; Calzia, James P.; Walter, Stephen R.; Wong, Florence L.; Saucedo, George J.

2004-01-01

The map depicts both active and inactive faults and earthquakes magnitude 1.5 to 7.0 in the greater San Francisco Bay area. Twenty-two earthquakes magnitude 5.0 and greater are indicated on the map and listed chronologically in an accompanying table. The data are compiled from records from 1970-2003. The bathymetry was generated from a digital version of NOAA maps and hydrogeographic data for San Francisco Bay. Elevation data are from the USGS National Elevation Database. Landsat satellite image is from seven Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus scenes. Fault data are reproduced with permission from the California Geological Survey. The earthquake data are from the Northern California Earthquake Catalog.

Late Pleistocene drainage systems beneath Delaware Bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Knebel, H.J.; Circe, R.C.

1988-01-01

Analyses of an extensive grid of seismic-reflection profiles, along with previously published sedimentary data and geologic information from surrounding coastal areas, outline the ancestral drainage systems of the Delaware River beneath lower Delaware Bay. Major paleovalleys within these systems have southeast trends, relief of 10-35 m, widths of 1-8 km, and axial depths of 31-57 m below present sea level. The oldest drainage system was carved into Miocene sands, probably during the late Illinoian lowstand of sea level. It followed a course under the northern half of the bay, continued beneath the Cape May peninsula, and extended onto the present continental shelf. This system was buried by a transgressive sequence of fluvial, estuarine, and shallow-marine sediments during Sangamonian time. At the height of the Sangamonian sea-level transgression, littoral and nearshore processes built the Cape May peninsula southward over the northern drainage system and formed a contiguous submarine sedimentary ridge that extended partway across the present entrance to the bay. When sea level fell during late Wisconsinan time, a second drainage system was eroded beneath the southern half of the bay in response to the southerly shift of the bay mouth. This system, which continued across the shelf, was cut into Coastal Plain deposits of Miocene and younger age and included not only the trunk valley of the Delaware River but a large tributary valley formed by the convergence of secondary streams that drained the Delaware coastal area. During the Holocene rise of sea level, the southern drainage system was covered by a transgressive sequence of fluvial, estuarine, and paralic deposits that accumulated due to the passage of the estuarine circulation cell and to the landward and upward migration of coastal sedimentary environments. Some Holocene deposits have been scoured subsequently by strong tidal currents. The southward migration of the ancestral drainage systems beneath Delaware Bay is analogous to that found under nearby Chesapeake Bay. In both areas, shifts in the bay mouths and river courses have preserved the morphologies and sedimentary fill of former drainage systems and provided a clear record of major sea-level fluctuations. Data from this study demonstrate that important information concerning ancient estuarine environments can be derived from the locations and characteristics of former fluvial systems. ?? 1988.

Seasonal and spatial variations of water quality and trophic status in Daya Bay, South China Sea.

PubMed

Wu, Mei-Lin; Wang, You-Shao; Wang, Yu-Tu; Sun, Fu-Lin; Sun, Cui-Ci; Cheng, Hao; Dong, Jun-De

2016-11-15

Coastal water quality and trophic status are subject to intensive environmental stress induced by human activities and climate change. Quarterly cruises were conducted to identify environmental characteristics in Daya Bay in 2013. Water quality is spatially and temporally dynamic in the bay. Cluster analysis (CA) groups 12 monitoring stations into two clusters. Cluster I consists of stations (S1, S2, S4-S7, S9, and S12) located in the central, eastern, and southern parts of the bay, representing less polluted regions. Cluster II includes stations (S3, S8, S10, and S11) located in the western and northern parts of the bay, indicating the highly polluted regions receiving a high amount of wastewater and freshwater discharge. Principal component analysis (PCA) identified that water quality experience seasonal change (summer, winter, and spring-autumn seasons) because of two monsoons in the study area. Eutrophication in the bay is graded as high by Assessment of Estuarine Trophic Status (ASSETS). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mixed Layer Heat and Fresh Water Balance in North Bay of Bengal (18N, 90E) Using a Seaglider and Mooring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thangaprakash, V. P.; Girishkumar, M. S.; S, S.; Chaudhuri, D.; Sureshkumar, N.; Ravichandran, M.; Sengupta, D.; Weller, R. A.

2016-02-01

The Bay of Bengal (BoB) receives the large quantity of freshwater by excess precipitation over evaporation and runoff. This large freshwater flux into the BoB leads to strong haline stratification in the near surface layer, which have significant impact on the evolution of near thermo-haline structure and air-sea interactions process in those areas. However, lack of systematic measurements of observations, the factors that are modulating near mixed layer salinity and temperature in these freshwater pool in the northern BoB is not yet understood clearly. Under OMM - ASIRI (Ocean mixing and monsoon - Air sea interaction regional initiatives in the Northern Indian Ocean) programme, 3 month repeated hydrographic survey using seaglider in a butterfly (or bowtie) track centered around a mooring in the North Bay of Bengal (18N, 89E) equipped with near surface ASIMET sensors and subsurface temperature and salinity measurements, which provides unprecedental data source to quantify the relative contribution of different process on the evolution of near surface thermo-haline field through mixed layer heat and salt budget. The results of the analysis will be presented.

Spatial variation of phytoplankton community structure in Daya Bay, China.

PubMed

Jiang, Zhao-Yu; Wang, You-Shao; Cheng, Hao; Zhang, Jian-Dong; Fei, Jiao

2015-10-01

Daya Bay is one of the largest and most important gulfs in the southern coast of China, in the northern part of the South China Sea. The phylogenetic diversity and spatial distribution of phytoplankton from the Daya Bay surface water and the relationship with the in situ water environment were investigated by the clone library of the large subunit of ribulose-1, 5-bisphosphate carboxylase (rbcL) gene. The dominant species of phytoplankton were diatoms and eustigmatophytes, which accounted for 81.9 % of all the clones of the rbcL genes. Prymnesiophytes were widely spread and wide varieties lived in Daya Bay, whereas the quantity was limited. The community structure of phytoplankton was shaped by pH and salinity and the concentration of silicate, phosphorus and nitrite. The phytoplankton biomass was significantly positively affected by phosphorus and nitrite but negatively by salinity and pH. Therefore, the phytoplankton distribution and biomass from Daya Bay were doubly affected by anthropic activities and natural factors.

The Battle of Attu and the Aleutian Island Campaign

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-05-22

minutes. The Americans, however, had quickly relocated to high ground above Holtz Bay. Colonel Hartl called for a barrage of naval gunfire from the...destroyer Phelps followed by close air support from the aircraft carrier Nassau. Hartl pushed Northern Force uphill through heavy gunfire attacking the...Northern Force was able to drive the enemy back. Hartl sent a message to General Brown stating, “Have captured last high ground before West Arm of

A review of circulation and mixing studies of San Francisco Bay, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, Lawrence H.

1987-01-01

A description of the major characteristics and remaining unknowns of circulation and mixing in San Francisco Bay has been constructed from a review of published studies. From a broad perspective San Francisco Bay is an ocean-river mixing zone with a seaward flow equal to the sum of the river inflows less evaporation. Understanding of circulation and mixing within the bay requires quantification of freshwater inflows and ocean-bay exchanges, characterization of source-water variations, and separation of the within-bay components of circulation and mixing processes. Description of net circulation and mixing over a few days to a few months illustrates best the interactions of major components. Quantification of tidal circulation and mixing is also necessary because net circulation and mixing contain a large tide-induced component, and because tidal variations are dominant in measurements of stage, currents, and salinity. The discharge of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta into Suisun Bay is approximately 90 percent of the freshwater inflow to San Francisco Bay. Annual delta discharge is characterized by a winter season of high runoff and a summer season of low runoff. For the period 1956 to 1985 the mean of monthly discharges exceeded 1,000 cubic meters per second (35,000 cubic feet per second) for the months of December through April, whereas for July through October, it was less than 400 cubic meters per second (14,000 cubic feet per second). The months of November, May, and June commonly were transition months between these seasons. Large year-to-year deviations from this annual pattern have occurred frequently. Much less is known about the ocean-bay exchange process. Net exchanges depend on net seaward flow in the bay, tidal amplitude, and longshore coastal currents, but exchanges have not yet been measured successfully. Source-water variations are ignored by limiting discussion of mixing to salinity. The bay is composed of a northern reach, which is strongly influenced by delta discharge, and South Bay, a tributary estuary which responds to conditions in Central Bay. In the northern reach net circulation is characterized by the river-induced seaward, flow and a resulting gravitational circulation in the channels, and by a tide- and wind-induced net horizontal circulation. A surface layer of relatively fresh water in Central Bay generated by high delta discharges can induce gravitational circulation in South Bay. During low delta discharges South Bay has nearly the same salinity as Central Bay and is characterized by tide- and wind-induced net horizontal circulation. Several factors control the patterns of circulation and mixing in San Francisco Bay. Viewing circulation and mixing over different time-periods and at different geographic scales causes the influences of different factors to be emphasized. The exchange between the bay and coastal ocean and freshwater inflows determine the year-to-year behavior of San Francisco Bay as a freshwater-saltwater mixing zone. Within the bay, exchanges between the embayments control variations over a season. Circulation and mixing patterns within the embayments and the magnitude of river-induced seaward flow influence the between-bay exchanges. The within-bay patterns are in turn determined by tides, winds, and freshwater inflows. Because freshwater inflow is the only factor that can be managed, a major study focus is estimation of inflow-related effects. Most questions relate to the patterns of freshwater inflow necessary to protect valuable resources whose welfare is dependent on conditions in the bay. Among the important questions being addressed are: --What quantity of freshwater inflow is necessary to prevent salt intrusion into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and what salinity distributions in the bay would result from various inflow patterns? --What quantity of freshwater inflow is sufficient to flush pollutants through the bay? Knowledge of circul

First evidence of established populations of the taiga tick Ixodes persulcatus (Acari: Ixodidae) in Sweden.

PubMed

Jaenson, Thomas G T; Värv, Kairi; Fröjdman, Isabella; Jääskeläinen, Anu; Rundgren, Kaj; Versteirt, Veerle; Estrada-Peña, Agustín; Medlock, Jolyon M; Golovljova, Irina

2016-07-01

The tick species Ixodes ricinus and I. persulcatus are of exceptional medical importance in the western and eastern parts, respectively, of the Palaearctic region. In Russia and Finland the range of I. persulcatus has recently increased. In Finland the first records of I. persulcatus are from 2004. The apparent expansion of its range in Finland prompted us to investigate if I. persulcatus also occurs in Sweden. Dog owners and hunters in the coastal areas of northern Sweden provided information about localities where ticks could be present. In May-August 2015 we used the cloth-dragging method in 36 localities potentially harbouring ticks in the Bothnian Bay area, province Norrbotten (NB) of northern Sweden. Further to the south in the provinces Västerbotten (VB) and Uppland (UP) eight localities were similarly investigated. Ixodes persulcatus was detected in 9 of 36 field localities in the Bothnian Bay area. Nymphs, adult males and adult females (n = 46 ticks) of I. persulcatus were present mainly in Alnus incana - Sorbus aucuparia - Picea abies - Pinus sylvestris vegetation communities on islands in the Bothnian Bay. Some of these I. persulcatus populations seem to be the most northerly populations so far recorded of this species. Dog owners asserted that their dogs became tick-infested on these islands for the first time 7-8 years ago. Moose (Alces alces), hares (Lepus timidus), domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) and ground-feeding birds are the most likely carriers dispersing I. persulcatus in this area. All ticks (n = 124) from the more southern provinces of VB and UP were identified as I. ricinus. The geographical range of the taiga tick has recently expanded into northern Sweden. Increased information about prophylactic, anti-tick measures should be directed to people living in or visiting the coastal areas and islands of the Baltic Bay.

Evaluation of long-term gas hydrate production testing locations on the Alaska North Slope

USGS Publications Warehouse

Collett, Timothy S.; Boswell, Ray; Lee, Myung W.; Anderson, Brian J.; Rose, Kelly K.; Lewis, Kristen A.

2012-01-01

The results of short-duration formation tests in northern Alaska and Canada have further documented the energy-resource potential of gas hydrates and have justified the need for long-term gas-hydrate-production testing. Additional data acquisition and long-term production testing could improve the understanding of the response of naturally occurring gas hydrate to depressurization-induced or thermal-, chemical-, or mechanical-stimulated dissociation of gas hydrate into producible gas. The Eileen gashydrate accumulation located in the Greater Prudhoe Bay area in northern Alaska has become a focal point for gas-hydrate geologic and production studies. BP Exploration (Alaska) Incorporated and ConocoPhillips have each established research partnerships with the US Department of Energy to assess the production potential of gas hydrates in northern Alaska. A critical goal of these efforts is to identify the most suitable site for production testing. A total of seven potential locations in the Prudhoe Bay, Kuparuk River, and Milne Point production units were identified and assessed relative to their suitability as a long-term gas-hydrate-production test sites. The test-site-assessment criteria included the analysis of the geologic risk associated with encountering reservoirs for gas-hydrate testing. The site-selection process also dealt with the assessment of the operational/logistical risk associated with each of the potential test sites. From this review, a site in the Prudhoe Bay production unit was determined to be the best location for extended gas-hydrate-production testing. The work presented in this report identifies the key features of the potential test site in the Greater Prudhoe Bay area and provides new information on the nature of gas-hydrate occurrence and the potential impact of production testing on existing infrastructure at the most favorable sites. These data were obtained from well-log analysis, geological correlation and mapping, and numerical simulation.

Evaluation of long-term gas hydrate production testing locations on the Alaska north slope

USGS Publications Warehouse

Collett, T.S.; Boswell, R.; Lee, M.W.; Anderson, B.J.; Rose, K.; Lewis, K.A.

2011-01-01

The results of short duration formation tests in northern Alaska and Canada have further documented the energy resource potential of gas hydrates and justified the need for long-term gas hydrate production testing. Additional data acquisition and long-term production testing could improve the understanding of the response of naturally-occurring gas hydrate to depressurization-induced or thermal-, chemical-, and/or mechanical-stimulated dissociation of gas hydrate into producible gas. The Eileen gas hydrate accumulation located in the Greater Prudhoe Bay area in northern Alaska has become a focal point for gas hydrate geologic and production studies. BP Exploration (Alaska) Incorporated and ConocoPhillips have each established research partnerships with U.S. Department of Energy to assess the production potential of gas hydrates in northern Alaska. A critical goal of these efforts is to identify the most suitable site for production testing. A total of seven potential locations in the Prudhoe Bay, Kuparuk, and Milne Point production units were identified and assessed relative to their suitability as a long-term gas hydrate production test site. The test site assessment criteria included the analysis of the geologic risk associated with encountering reservoirs for gas hydrate testing. The site selection process also dealt with the assessment of the operational/logistical risk associated with each of the potential test sites. From this review, a site in the Prudhoe Bay production unit was determined to be the best location for extended gas hydrate production testing. The work presented in this report identifies the key features of the potential test site in the Greater Prudhoe Bay area, and provides new information on the nature of gas hydrate occurrence and potential impact of production testing on existing infrastructure at the most favorable sites. These data were obtained from well log analysis, geological correlation and mapping, and numerical simulation. Copyright 2011, Offshore Technology Conference.

Seagrass distribution and abundance in Eastern Gulf of Mexico coastal waters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iverson, Richard L.; Bittaker, Henry F.

1986-05-01

The marine angiosperms Thalassia testudinum, Syringodium filiforme, and Halodule wrightii form two of the largest reported seagrass beds along the northwest and southern coasts of Florida where they cover about 3000 square km in the Big Bend area and about 5500 square km in Florida Bay, respectively. Most of the leaf biomass in the Big Bend area and outer Florida Bay was composed of Thalassia testudinum and Syringodium filiforme which were distributed throughout the beds but which were more abundant in shallow depths. A short-leaved form of Halodule wrightii grew in monotypic stands in shallow water near the inner edges of the beds, while Halophila decipiens and a longer-leaved variety of H. wrightii grew scattered throughout the beds, in monotypic stands near the outer edges of the beds, and in deeper water outside the beds. Halophila engelmanni was observed scattered at various depths throughout the seagrass beds and in monospecific patches in deep water outside the northern bed. Ruppia maritima grew primarily in brackish water around river mouths. The cross-shelf limits of the two major seagrass beds are controlled nearshore by increased water turbidity and lower salinity around river mouths and off-shore by light penetration to depths which receive 10% or more of sea surface photosynthetically active radiation. Seagrasses form large beds only along low energy reaches of the coast. The Florida Bay seagrass bed contained about twice the short-shoot density of both Thalassia testudinum and Syringodium filiforme, for data averaged over all depths, and about four times the average short-shoot density of both species in shallow water compared with the Big Bend seagrass bed. The differences in average seagrass abundance between Florida Bay and the Big Bend area may be a consequence of the effects of greater seasonal solar radiation and water temperature fluctuations experienced by plants in the northern bed, which lies at the northern distribution limit for American Tropical seagrasses.

Evaluation of long-term gas hydrate production testing locations on the Alaska North Slope

USGS Publications Warehouse

Collett, Timothy; Boswell, Ray; Lee, Myung W.; Anderson, Brian J.; Rose, Kelly K.; Lewis, Kristen A.

2011-01-01

The results of short duration formation tests in northern Alaska and Canada have further documented the energy resource potential of gas hydrates and justified the need for long-term gas hydrate production testing. Additional data acquisition and long-term production testing could improve the understanding of the response of naturally-occurring gas hydrate to depressurization-induced or thermal-, chemical-, and/or mechanical-stimulated dissociation of gas hydrate into producible gas. The Eileen gas hydrate accumulation located in the Greater Prudhoe Bay area in northern Alaska has become a focal point for gas hydrate geologic and production studies. BP Exploration (Alaska) Incorporated and ConocoPhillips have each established research partnerships with U.S. Department of Energy to assess the production potential of gas hydrates in northern Alaska. A critical goal of these efforts is to identify the most suitable site for production testing. A total of seven potential locations in the Prudhoe Bay, Kuparuk, and Milne Point production units were identified and assessed relative to their suitability as a long-term gas hydrate production test site. The test site assessment criteria included the analysis of the geologic risk associated with encountering reservoirs for gas hydrate testing. The site selection process also dealt with the assessment of the operational/logistical risk associated with each of the potential test sites. From this review, a site in the Prudhoe Bay production unit was determined to be the best location for extended gas hydrate production testing. The work presented in this report identifies the key features of the potential test site in the Greater Prudhoe Bay area, and provides new information on the nature of gas hydrate occurrence and potential impact of production testing on existing infrastructure at the most favorable sites. These data were obtained from well log analysis, geological correlation and mapping, and numerical simulation.

Endosulfan in the atmosphere of South Florida: Transport to Everglades and Biscayne National Parks

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Nutrient inputs from urban encroachment and agricultural activities have been implicated in contributing to the environmental health decline and loss of organism diversity of South Florida ecosystems. However, the frequent prophylactic application of pesticides is being examined as another possible...

Nearshore concentration of pink shrimp (Farfantepenaeus duorarum) postlarvae in northern Florida bay in relation to nocturnal flood tide

USGS Publications Warehouse

Criales, Maria M.; Robblee, M.B.; Browder, Joan A.; Cardenas, H.; Jackson, Thomas L.

2010-01-01

We address the question of whether the low abundance of juvenile pink shrimp Farfantepenaeus duorarum (Burkenroad, 1939) in northern-central Florida Bay results from (i) limiting environmental conditions, (ii) a reduced postlarval transport, or (iii) both. To explore this question, postlarvae were collected during the new moon in both summer and fall of 2004 and 2005 at six stations located on a transect from the bay's western margin to its interior. The highest concentrations of postlarvae occurred at two mid-transect stations located in shallow channels with moderate tidal amplitudes (15-20 cm) and dense seagrass beds. At the two interiormost stations postlarval concentrations decreased together with a reduction of the tidal amplitude (= 1 cm). Estimates of the cumulative flood-tide displacement with the semidiurnal M2 constituent indicated that the tide moves a maximum of 15 km in four nights, a distance that corresponds to the location of the highest concentrations of postlarvae. The size of postlarvae also reached a maximum at the location of the highest concentrations of postlarvae. Results suggest that postlarvae move into the bay's interior by a cumulative flood tidal process, advancing onshore during successive nights as far as they can go with the tide. Analyses indicate that, in addition to the tidal amplitude, cross-shelf wind stress and salinity also affect the concentrations of postlarvae. Peaks of postlarvae occurred at times of low salinity and strong southeasterly winds. While tidal transport appears to be insufficient for postlarvae to reach Florida Bay's interior, salinity and winds may also contribute to the observed distribution patterns of early pink shrimp recruits. ?? 2010 Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science of the University of Miami.

Simulation model of Skeletonema costatum population dynamics in northern San Francisco Bay, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cloern, J.E.; Cheng, R.T.

1981-01-01

A pseudo-two-dimensional model is developed to simulate population dynamics of one dominant phytoplankton species (Skeletonema costatum) in northern San Francisco Bay. The model is formulated around a conceptualization of this estuary as two distinct but coupled subsystems-a deep (10-20 m) central channel and lateral areas with shallow (<2 m) water and slow circulation. Algal growth rates are governed by solar irradiation, temperature and salinity, while population losses are assumed to result from grazing bycalanoid copepods. Consequences of estuarine gravitational circulation are approximated simply by reducing convective-dispersive transport in that section of the channel (null zone) where residual bottom currents are near zero, and lateral mixing is treated as a bulkexchange process between the channel and the shoals. Model output is consistent with the hypothesis that, because planktonic algae are light-limited, shallow areas are the sites of active population growth. Seasonal variation in the location of the null zone (a response to variable river discharge) is responsible for maintaining the spring bloom of neritic diatoms in the seaward reaches of the estuary (San Pablo Bay) and the summer bloom upstream (Suisun Bay). Model output suggests that these spring and summer blooms result from the same general process-establishment of populations over the shoals, where growth rates are rapid, coupled with reduced particulate transport due to estuarine gravitational circulation. It also suggests, however, that the relative importance of physical and biological processes to phytoplankton dynamics is different in San Pablo and Suisun Bays. Finally, the model has helped us determine those processes having sufficient importance to merit further refinement in the next generation of models, and it has given new direction to field studies. ?? 1981 Academic Press Inc. (London) Ltd.

33 CFR 165.1191 - Safety zones: Northern California annual fireworks events.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... established for the events listed in Table 1 of this section. Further information on exact dates, times, and...,000 feet off Incline Village, Nevada in Crystal Bay. Regulated Area That area of navigable waters...

33 CFR 165.1191 - Safety zones: Northern California annual fireworks events.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... established for the events listed in Table 1 of this section. Further information on exact dates, times, and...,000 feet off Incline Village, Nevada in Crystal Bay. Regulated Area That area of navigable waters...

Trace elements and heavy metals in the Grand Bay National Estuarine Reserve in the northern Gulf of Mexico

PubMed Central

McComb, Jacqueline Q.; Han, Fengxiang X.; Rogers, Christian; Thomas, Catherine; Arslan, Zikri; Ardeshir, Adeli; Tchounwou, Paul B.

2015-01-01

The objectives of this study are to investigate distribution of trace elements and heavy metals in the salt marsh and wetland soil and biogeochemical processes in the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve of the northern Gulf of Mexico. The results show that Hg, Cd and to some extent, As and Pb have been significantly accumulated in soils. The strongest correlations were found between concentrations of Ni and total organic matter contents. The correlations decreased in the order: Ni > Cr > Sr > Co > Zn, Cd > Cu > Cs. Strong correlations were also observed between total P and concentrations of Ni, Co, Cr, Sr, Zn, Cu, and Cd. This may be related to the P spilling accident in 2005 in the Bangs Lake site. Lead isotopic ratios in soils matched well those of North American coals, indicating the contribution of Pb through atmospheric fallout from coal power plants. PMID:26238403

Shallow geology, seafloor texture, and physiographic zones of the Inner Continental Shelf from Nahant to northern Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pendleton, Elizabeth A.; Baldwin, Wayne E.; Barnhardt, Walter A.; Ackerman, Seth D.; Foster, David S.; Andrews, Brian D.; Schwab, William C.

2013-01-01

The Massachusetts inner continental shelf between Nahant and northern Cape Cod Bay has been profoundly affected by the occupation and retreat of glacial ice sheets and relative sea-level change during the Quaternary. Marine geologic mapping of this area is a component of a statewide cooperative effort involving the U.S. Geological Survey and the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management. Interpretation of high-resolution geophysical data (interferometric and multibeam swath bathymetry, lidar, backscatter, and seismic reflection), sediment samples, and bottom photographs was used to produce a series of maps that describe the distribution and texture of seafloor sediments, shallow geologic framework, and physiographic zones of this inner-shelf region. These data and interpretations are intended to aid efforts to inventory and manage coastal and marine resources, and provide baseline information for research focused on coastal evolution and environmental change.

Spatial-temporal distribution of phytoplankton pigments in relation to nutrient status in Jiaozhou Bay, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, Peng; Yu, Zhigang; Deng, Chunmei; Liu, Shuxia; Zhen, Yu

2010-10-01

We conducted studies of phytoplankton and hydrological variables in a semi-enclosed bay in northern China to understand the spatial-temporal variability and relationship between these variables. Samples were collected during seven cruises in Jiaozhou Bay from November 2003 to October 2004, and were analyzed for temperature, nutrients and phytoplankton pigments. Pigments from eight possible phytoplankton classes (Diatoms, Dinoflagellates, Chlorophyceae, Prasinophyceae, Chrysophyceae, Haptophyceae, Cryptophyceae and Caynophyceae) were detected in surface water by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Phytoplankton pigment and nutrient concentrations in Jiaozhou Bay were spatially and temporally variable, and most of them were highest in the northern and eastern parts of the sampling regions in spring (May) and summer (August), close to areas of shellfish culturing, river estuaries, dense population and high industrialization, reflecting human activities. Chlorophyll a was recorded in all samples, with an annual mean concentration of 1.892 μg L -1, and fucoxanthin was the most abundant accessory pigment, with a mean concentration of 0.791 μg L -1. The highest concentrations of chlorophyll a (15.299 μg L -1) and fucoxanthin (9.417 μg L -1) were observed in May 2004 at the station close to the Qingdao Xiaogang Ferry, indicating a spring bloom of Diatoms in this area. Although chlorophyll a and other biomarker pigments showed significant correlations, none of them showed strong correlations with temperature and nutrients, suggesting an apparent de-coupling between the pigments and these hydrological variables. The nutrient composition and phytoplankton community composition of Jiaozhou Bay have changed significantly in the past several decades, reflecting the increasing nutrient concentrations and decline of phytoplankton cell abundance. The unchanged total chlorophyll a levels indicated that smaller species have filled the niche vacated by the larger species in Jiaozhou Bay, as revealed by our biomarker pigment analysis.

Highly contaminated areas as sources of pollution for adjoining ecosystems: The case of Augusta Bay (Central Mediterranean).

PubMed

Di Leonardo, R; Mazzola, A; Tramati, C D; Vaccaro, A; Vizzini, S

2014-12-15

An assessment of trace element and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination based on surface sediments collected in summer 2012 was carried out in Priolo Bay adjoining one of the most polluted areas of the Mediterranean Sea, the industrial Augusta harbour (Italy, Central Mediterranean). Inorganic and organic contaminants were generally not remarkable. Occasional elevated concentrations of Hg, Cd, Ni and PAHs exceeding sediment quality guidelines were detected in the northern sector of Priolo Bay, close to Augusta harbour, possibly as a result of water drainage of industrialised and urbanised areas and/or potential direct export of contaminated material from Augusta harbour, whose influence on the adjoining Priolo Bay ecosystem cannot be ruled out. By domino effect, Priolo sediments may therefore become a potential source of pollutants and may represent a threat to the biota. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Structure and flow-induced variability of the subtidal salinity field in northern San Francisco Bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Monismith, Stephen G.; Kimmerer, W.; Burau, J.R.; Stacey, M.T.

2002-01-01

The structure of the salinity field in northern San Francisco Bay and how it is affected by freshwater flow are discussed. Two datasets are examined: the first is 23 years of daily salinity data taken by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation along the axis of northern San Francisco Bay: the second is a set of salinity transects taken by the U.S. Geological Survey between 1988 and 1993. Central to this paper is a measure of salinity intrusion. X2: the distance from the Golden Gate Bridge to where the bottom salinity is 2 psu. Using X2 to scale distance, the authors find that for most flow conditions, the mean salinity distribution of the estuary is nearly self-similar with a salinity gradient in the center 70% of the region between the Golden Gate and X2 that is proportional to X2-1. Analysis of covariability of Q and X2 showed a characteristics timescale of adjustment of the salinity field of approximately 2 weeks. The steady-state response deduced from the X2 time series implies that X2 is proportional to riverflow to the 1/7 power. This relation, which differs from the standard 1/3 power dependence that is derived theoretically assuming constant exchange coefficients, shows that the upstream salt flux associated with gravitational circulation is more sensitive to the longitudinal salinity gradient than theory supposes. This is attributed to the strengthening of stratification caused by the stronger longitudinal salinity gradient that accompanies larger river flows.

Aerosol pollution over Northern India and Bangladesh

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

The skies over Northern India are filled with a thick soup of aerosol particles all along the southern edge of the Himalayan Mountains, and streaming southward over Bangladesh and the Bay of Bengal. Notice that the air over the Tibetan Plateau to the north of the Himalayas is very clear, whereas the view of the land surface south of the mountains is obstructed by the brownish haze. Most of this air pollution comes from human activities. The aerosol over this region is notoriously rich in sulfates, nitrates, organic and black carbon, and fly ash. These particles not only represent a health hazard to those people living in the region, but scientists have also recently found that they can have a significant impact on the region's hydrological cycle and climate (click to read the relevant NASA press release). This true-color image was acquired on December 4, 2001, by the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), flying aboard NASA's Terra satellite. It is interesting to compare the image above with this earlier MODIS image over the region, acquired on October 23, 2001. Notice the difference in the clarity of the air over the region in the earlier image. Under the thick plume of aerosol, the Brahmaputra (upper right) and Ganges Rivers are still visible. The many mouths of the Ganges have turned the northern waters of the Bay of Bengal a murky brown as they empty their sediment-laden waters into the bay. Toward the upper lefthand corner of the image, there appears to be a fresh swath of snow on the ground just south of the Himalayas.

Observed and modeled tsunami current velocities in Humboldt Bay and Crescent City Harbor, northern California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Admire, A. R.; Dengler, L.; Crawford, G. B.; uslu, B. U.; Montoya, J.

2012-12-01

A pilot project was initiated in 2009 in Humboldt Bay, about 370 kilometers (km) north of San Francisco, California, to measure the currents produced by tsunamis. Northern California is susceptible to both near- and far-field tsunamis and has a historic record of damaging events. Crescent City Harbor, located approximately 100 km north of Humboldt Bay, suffered US 20 million in damages from strong currents produced by the 2006 Kuril Islands tsunami and an additional US 20 million from the 2011 Japan tsunami. In order to better evaluate these currents in northern California, we deployed a Nortek Aquadopp 600kHz 2D Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) with a one-minute sampling interval in Humboldt Bay, near the existing National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Ocean Service (NOS) tide gauge station. The instrument recorded the tsunamis produced by the Mw 8.8 Chile earthquake on February 27, 2010 and the Mw 9.0 Japan earthquake on March 11, 2011. Currents from the 2010 tsunami persisted in Humboldt Bay for at least 30 hours with peak amplitudes of about 0.3 meters per second (m/s). The 2011 tsunami signal lasted for over 86 hours with peak amplitude of 0.95 m/s. Strongest currents corresponded to the maximum change in water level as recorded on the NOAA NOS tide gauge, and occurred 90 minutes after the initial wave arrival. No damage was observed in Humboldt Bay for either event. In Crescent City, currents for the first three and a half hours of the 2011 Japan tsunami were estimated using security camera video footage from the Harbor Master building across from the entrance to the small boat basin, approximately 70 meters away from the NOAA NOS tide gauge station. The largest amplitude tide gauge water-level oscillations and most of the damage occurred within this time window. The currents reached a velocity of approximately 4.5 m/s and six cycles exceeded 3 m/s during this period. Measured current velocities both in Humboldt Bay and in Crescent City were compared to calculated velocities from the Method of Splitting Tsunamis (MOST) numerical model. For Humboldt Bay, the 2010 model tsunami frequencies matched the actual values for the first two hours after the initial arrival however the amplitudes were underestimated by approximately 65%. MOST replicated the first four hours of the 2011 tsunami signal in Humboldt Bay quite well although the peak flood currents were underestimated by about 50%. MOST predicted attenuation of the signal after four hours but the actual signal persisted at a nearly constant level for more than 48 hours. In Crescent City, the model prediction of the 2011 frequency agreed quite well with the observed signal for the first two and a half hours after the initial arrival with a 50% underestimation of the peak amplitude. The results from this project demonstrate that ADCPs can effectively record tsunami currents for small to moderate events and can be used to calibrate and validate models (i.e. MOST) in order to better predict hazardous tsunami conditions and improve planned responses to protect lives and property, especially within harbors. An ADCP will be installed in Crescent City Harbor and four additional ADCPs are being deployed in Humboldt Bay during the fall of 2012.

75 FR 432 - Notice of Extension of Concession Contracts

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-05

... Service, 1201 Eye Street, NW., 11th Floor, Washington, DC, 20005, Telephone 202/513-7156. SUMMARY... Park, Inc..... Biscayne National Park. BLRI004-88 Virginia Peaks of Otter Blue Ridge Parkway. EVER004... Services Program, National Park Service, 1201 Eye Street, NW., 11th Floor, Washington, DC 20005, Telephone...

76 FR 51394 - DRAFT General Management Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Biscayne National Park, FL

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-18

... days, starting from the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes this Notice of Availability... make submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives of or officials of organizations or businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety...

Examining the fate and transport of alpha- and beta-endosulfan in the atmosphere of South Florida

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Agricultural activity in the South Florida region occurs in close proximity to both important natural areas like Biscayne and Everglades National Parks. One possible transport mechanism for pesticides into these sensitive ecosystems is release to the atmosphere after application. The process is en...

The structure and composition of Holocene coral reefs in the Middle Florida Keys

USGS Publications Warehouse

Toth, Lauren T.; Stathakopoulos, Anastasios; Kuffner, Ilsa B.

2016-07-21

The Florida Keys reef tract (FKRT) is the largest coral-reef ecosystem in the continental United States. The modern FKRT extends for 362 kilometers along the coast of South Florida from Dry Tortugas National Park in the southwest, through the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS), to Fowey Rocks reef in Biscayne National Park in the northeast. Most reefs along the FKRT are sheltered by the exposed islands of the Florida Keys; however, large channels are located between the islands of the Middle Keys. These openings allow for tidal transport of water from Florida Bay onto reefs in the area. The characteristics of the water masses coming from Florida Bay, which can experience broad swings in temperature, salinity, nutrients, and turbidity over short periods of time, are generally unfavorable or “inimical” to coral growth and reef development.Although reef habitats are ubiquitous throughout most of the Upper and Lower Keys, relatively few modern reefs exist in the Middle Keys most likely because of the impacts of inimical waters from Florida Bay. The reefs that are present in the Middle Keys generally are poorly developed compared with reefs elsewhere in the region. For example, Acropora palmata has been the dominant coral on shallow-water reefs in the Caribbean over the last 1.5 million years until populations of the coral declined throughout the region in recent decades. Although A. palmata was historically abundant in the Florida Keys, it was conspicuously absent from reefs in the Middle Keys. Instead, contemporary reefs in the Middle Keys have been dominated by occasional massive (that is, boulder or head) corals and, more often, small, non-reef-building corals.Holocene reef cores have been collected from many locations along the FKRT; however, despite the potential importance of the history of reefs in the Middle Florida Keys to our understanding of the environmental controls on reef development throughout the FKRT, there are currently no published records of the Holocene history of reefs in the region. The objectives of the present study were to (1) provide general descriptions of unpublished core records from Alligator Reef and (2) collect and describe new Holocene reef cores from two additional locations in the Middle Keys: Sombrero and Tennessee Reefs.

Molecular and isotopic tracers used to examine sources of organic matter and its incorporation into the food webs of San Francisco Bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Canuel, Elizabeth A.; Cloern, James E.; Ringelberg, David B.; Guckert, James B.; Rau, Greg H.

1995-01-01

Multiple indicators (Chl a, C : N ratios, [δ13C]POC, and two classes of lipid biomarker compounds- sterols and phospholipid ester-linked fatty acids) were used to evaluate spatial and temporal variations in the origin of particulate organic matter (POM) in the San Francisco Bay (SFB) estuary. Comparisons were made between the northern and southern subestuaries of SFB, as well as along the salinity gradient of northern SFB. Two sample types were collected-seston, which was used to characterize the bulk POM, and tissues of the suspension-feeding bivalve Potamocorbula amurensis -in order to evaluate the assimilable portion of the POM. Samples were collected around biological and physical events (phytoplankton blooms and freshwater inflow) thought to be the primary mechanisms controlling temporal variability in organic matter sources. Seston samples indicate that phytoplankton sources of POM are important throughout the entire SFB system, with additional inputs of organic matter from bacterial and terrestrial vascular plant sources delivered to the northern region. Analysis of biomarker compounds in P. amurensis tissues indicates that phytoplankton supply a large fraction of the assimilable carbon to clams throughout SFB, although isotopic analysis of clam tissues suggests that the origin of this reactive carbon varies spatially and that freshwater algae are an important source of reactive organic matter to clams living in northern SFB.

Mycobacterial infection in Northern snakehead (Channa argus) from the Potomac River catchment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Densmore, Christine L.; Iwanowicz, L.R.; Henderson, A.P.; Iwanowicz, D.D.; Odenkirk, J.S.

2016-01-01

The Northern snakehead, Channa argus (Cantor), is a non-native predatory fish that has become established regionally in some temperate freshwater habitats within the United States. Over the past decade, Northern snakehead populations have developed within aquatic ecosystems throughout the eastern USA, including the Potomac River system within Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. Since this species was initially observed in this region in 2002, the population has expanded considerably (Odenkirk & Owens 2007). In the Chesapeake Bay watershed, populations of Northern snakehead exist in the lower Potomac River and Rappahannock Rivers on the Western shore of the Bay, and these fish have also been found in middle or upper reaches of river systems on the Eastern shore of the Bay, including the Nanticoke and Wicomico Rivers among others. Over the past several years, many aspects of Northern snakehead life history in the Potomac River have been described, including range and dispersal patterns, microhabitat selection and diet (Lapointe, Thorson & Angermeier 2010; Saylor, Lapointe & Angermeier 2012; Lapointe, Odenkirk & Angermeier 2013). However, comparatively little is known about their health status including susceptibility to parasitism and disease and their capacity to serve as reservoirs of disease for native wildlife. Although considered hardy by fisheries biologists, snakehead fish have demonstrated susceptibility to a number of described piscine diseases within their native range and habitat in Asia. Reported pathogens of significance in snakehead species in Asia include snakehead rhabdovirus (Lio-Po et al. 2000), aeromonad bacteria (Zheng, Cao & Yang 2012), Nocardia (Wang et al. 2007) andMycobacterium spp. (Chinabut, Limsuwan & Chantatchakool 1990; ). Mycobacterial isolates recovered from another snakehead species (Channa striata) in the previous studies have included M. marinum and M. fortuitum, as identified through molecular-based diagnostics (Puttinaowarat et al. 2002). We have conducted health screenings of Northern snakehead from the Potomac River system over the past several years and have detected few associated pathogens. Typical observations have largely consisted of incidental identification of parasitism with protozoal, monogenean or trematode organisms (unpublished data). We have also identified largemouth bass virus (LMBV) in clinically normal Northern snakehead collected from the Potomac River (Iwanowicz et al. 2013). Continued research concerning these and other pathogens of this introduced species is important to fully understand the potential impacts of these fish on indigenous wildlife and aquatic ecosystems.

Predicted liquefaction in the greater Oakland area and northern Santa Clara Valley during a repeat of the 1868 Hayward Fault (M6.7-7.0) earthquake

USGS Publications Warehouse

Holzer, Thomas L.; Noce, Thomas E.; Bennett, Michael J.

2010-01-01

Probabilities of surface manifestations of liquefaction due to a repeat of the 1868 (M6.7-7.0) earthquake on the southern segment of the Hayward Fault were calculated for two areas along the margin of San Francisco Bay, California: greater Oakland and the northern Santa Clara Valley. Liquefaction is predicted to be more common in the greater Oakland area than in the northern Santa Clara Valley owing to the presence of 57 km2 of susceptible sandy artificial fill. Most of the fills were placed into San Francisco Bay during the first half of the 20th century to build military bases, port facilities, and shoreline communities like Alameda and Bay Farm Island. Probabilities of liquefaction in the area underlain by this sandy artificial fill range from 0.2 to ~0.5 for a M7.0 earthquake, and decrease to 0.1 to ~0.4 for a M6.7 earthquake. In the greater Oakland area, liquefaction probabilities generally are less than 0.05 for Holocene alluvial fan deposits, which underlie most of the remaining flat-lying urban area. In the northern Santa Clara Valley for a M7.0 earthquake on the Hayward Fault and an assumed water-table depth of 1.5 m (the historically shallowest water level), liquefaction probabilities range from 0.1 to 0.2 along Coyote and Guadalupe Creeks, but are less than 0.05 elsewhere. For a M6.7 earthquake, probabilities are greater than 0.1 along Coyote Creek but decrease along Guadalupe Creek to less than 0.1. Areas with high probabilities in the Santa Clara Valley are underlain by young Holocene levee deposits along major drainages where liquefaction and lateral spreading occurred during large earthquakes in 1868 and 1906.

San Francisco Bay Area Endangered Species Litigation: The Complaint

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California alleging that EPA failed to comply with the ESA related to 47 pesticides and 11 endangered or threatened species.

75 FR 77862 - FFP Missouri 16, LLC, Solia 9 Hydroelectric, LLC; Notice of Competing Preliminary Permit...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-14

... contain compact bulb turbines with individual unit capacities of 835 KW each and have a combined capacity... concrete powerhouse and intake in the northern two roller gate bays. The new proposed powerhouse would...

Seasonal Sea-Level Variations in San Francisco Bay in Response to Atmospheric Forcing, 1980

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wang, Jingyuan; Cheng, R.T.; Smith, P.C.

1997-01-01

The seasonal response of sea level in San Francisco Bay (SFB) to atmospheric forcing during 1980 is investigated. The relations between sea-level data from the Northern Reach, Central Bay and South Bay, and forcing by local wind stresses, sea level pressure (SLP), runoff and the large scale sea level pressure field are examined in detail. The analyses show that the sea-level elevations and slopes respond to the along-shore wind stress T(V) at most times of the year, and to the cross-shore wind stress T(N) during two transition periods in spring and autumn. River runoff raises the sea-level elevation during winter. It is shown that winter precipitation in the SFB area is mainly attributed to the atmospheric circulation associated with the Alcutian Low, which transports the warm, moist air into the Bay area. A multiple linear regression model is employed to estimate the independent contributions of barometric pressure and wind stress to adjusted sea level. These calculations have a simple dynamical interpretation which confirms the importance of along-shore wind to both sea level and north-south slope within the Bay.

Environmental quality in sediments of Cadiz and Algeciras Bays based on a weight of evidence approach (southern Spanish coast).

PubMed

Usero, José Antonio; Rosado, Daniel; Usero, José; Morillo, José

2016-09-15

This research applies an integrated sediment quality assessment method using a weight of evidence approach to Cadiz and Algeciras Bays (southern Spain). The method is composed of several analyses (particle size profile, aqua regia extractable metals, acid labile metals, total organic carbon, toxicity bioassay with Photobacterium phosphoreum and macrobenthic community alteration). The proposed method provides a single result, the environmental degradation index (EDI). EDI defined samples as low degraded (outer areas of both bays) and moderately degraded (Inner Bay of Cadiz Bay, the surroundings of Algeciras port and the northern part of Algeciras Bay). These samples showed the highest concentration of aqua regia extractable metals, which exceeded effects range-low (ERL) for Zn (51-176mg/l), Cu (11-54mg/l), As (4.3-9.5mg/l), Hg (0.17-0.28mg/l), Ni (23-82mg/l), and. Cr (37-134mg/l). They also exceeded some quality criteria for total organic carbon (4.0-6.5%) and toxicity (120-240TU/g) and showed poor results for macrobenthic community. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dissolved sulfides in the oxic water column of San Francisco Bay, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kuwabara, J.S.; Luther, G.W.

1993-01-01

Trace contaminants enter major estuaries such as San Francisco Bay from a variety of point and nonpoint sources and may then be repartitioned between solid and aqueous phases or altered in chemical speciation. Chemical speciation affects the bioavailability of metals as well as organic ligands to planktonic and benthic organisms, and the partitioning of these solutes between phases. Our previous, work in south San Francisco Bay indicated that sulfide complexation with metals may be of particular importance because of the thermodynamic stability of these complexes. Although the water column of the bay is consistently well-oxygenated and typically unstratified with respect to dissolved oxygen, the kinetics of sulfide oxidation could exert at least transient controls on metal speciation. Our initial data on dissolved sulfides in the main channel of both the northern and southern components of the bay consistently indicate submicromolar concenrations (from <1 nM to 162 nM), as one would expect in an oxidizing environment. However, chemical speciation calculations over the range of observed sulfide concentrations indicate that these trace concentrations in the bay water column can markedly affect chemical speciation of ecologically significant trace metals such as cadmium, copper, and zinc.

Coastal upwelling by wind-driven forcing in Jervis Bay, New South Wales: A numerical study for 2011

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Youn-Jong; Jalón-Rojas, Isabel; Wang, Xiao Hua; Jiang, Donghui

2018-06-01

The Princeton Ocean Model (POM) was used to investigate an upwelling event in Jervis Bay, New South Wales (SE Australia), with varying wind directions and strengths. The POM was adopted with a downscaling approach for the regional ocean model one-way nested to a global ocean model. The upwelling event was detected from the observed wind data and satellite sea surface temperature images. The validated model reproduced the upwelling event showing the input of bottom cold water driven by wind to the bay, its subsequent deflection to the south, and its outcropping to the surface along the west and south coasts. Nevertheless, the behavior of the bottom water that intruded into the bay varied with different wind directions and strengths. Upwelling-favorable wind directions for flushing efficiency within the bay were ranked in the following order: N (0°; northerly) > NNE (30°; northeasterly) > NW (315°; northwesterly) > NE (45°; northeasterly) > ENE (60°; northeasterly). Increasing wind strengths also enhance cold water penetration and water exchange. It was determined that wind-driven downwelling within the bay, which occurred with NNE, NE and ENE winds, played a key role in blocking the intrusion of the cold water upwelled through the bay entrance. A northerly wind stress higher than 0.3 N m-2 was required for the cold water to reach the northern innermost bay.

Seasonal variability in the surface sediments of Mobile Bay, Alabama, recorded by geochemistry and foraminifera, 2009–2010

USGS Publications Warehouse

Umberger, D.K.; Osterman, L.E.; Smith, C.G.; Frazier, J.; Richwine, K.A.

2012-01-01

A study was undertaken in order to document and quantify recent environmental change in Mobile Bay, Alabama. The study was part of the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM) Ecosystem Change and Hazard Susceptibility project, a regional project funded by the Coastal and Marine Geology Program to understand how natural forcings and anthropogenic modifications influence coastal ecosystems and their susceptibility to coastal hazards. Mobile Bay is a large drowned-river estuary that has been modified significantly by humans to accommodate the Port of Mobile. Examples include repeated dredging of a large shipping channel down the central axis of the bay and construction of a causeway across the head of the bay and at the foot of the bayhead delta. In addition to modifications, the bay is also known to have episodic periods of low oxygen (hypoxia) that result in significant mortality to fish and benthic organisms (May, 1973). For this study a series of surface sediment samples were collected. Surface benthic foraminiferal and bulk geochemical data provide the modern baseline conditions of the bay and can be used as a reference to changing environmental parameters in the past (Osterman and Smith, in press) and into the future. This report archives data collected as part of the Mobile Bay Study that may be used in future environmental change studies.

The distribution and abundance of Sphaeroma terebrans, a wood-boring isopod of red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) habitat within Tampa Bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brooks, R.A.; Bell, S.S.

2005-01-01

This study was conducted to determine the distribution, abundance, and demography of a wood boring isopod, Sphaeroma terebrans Bate, 1866, within the prop roots of the red mangrove, Rhizophora mangle L., in eight sites within Tampa Bay, Florida. Sphaeroma terebrans in Tampa Bay displayed reproductive activity year-round and bay-wide synchrony in their density pattern. On average approximately 60% (range: 25%-86%) of the intertidal aerial roots surveyed were occupied by S. terebrans. Although infestation levels by S. terebrans in Tampa Bay were similar to that of more tropical regions, the distribution of S. terebrans was not continuous throughout the study sites. A substantially higher occurrence and density of S. terebrans was found in the northern compared to more southern study sites within the Bay. Additionally, some seemingly suitable areas of the bay (i.e., Pinellas Point, Skyway, Fort Desoto) were actually unoccupied on some dates. Although sites differed in the frequency with which roots were attacked, the density of burrows and isopods in an occupied root was similar, with most attacked roots containing 3-5 burrows. The results of a transplantation experiment indicated that neither abiotic factors nor substrate quality limit the burrowing capabilities or survival of adult S. terebrans in the areas where they are absent. Instead, dispersal limitation, linked with differential juvenile survival, most likely controls isopod distribution and abundance within Tampa Bay.

Estimation of residence time in a shallow lacustrine embayment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Razmi, A. M.; Barry, D. A.; Lemmin, U.; Bakhtyar, R.

2012-12-01

Near-shore water quality in lacustrine bays subjected to effluent or stream discharges is affected by, amongst other things, the residence time within a given bay. Vidy Bay, located on the northern shore of Lake Geneva, Switzerland, receives discharge from a wastewater treatment plant, the Chamberonne River and a storm-water drain. The residence time of water in the bay largely depends on water exchanges with the main basin (Grand Lac) of Lake Geneva. Field investigations and modeling of the hydrodynamics of Vidy Bay have shown that currents are variable, due mainly to wind variability over the lake. However, in broad terms there are two main current patterns in the bay, (i) currents are linked to large gyres in the Grand Lac, or (ii) currents are partially independent of the Grand Lac and are controlled by small-scale gyres within the bay. Residence times in Vidy Bay were computed using the hydrodynamic model Delft3D. Since the Vidy Bay shoreline follows a shallow arc, the definition of the off-shore extent of the bay is ambiguous. Here, the largest within-bay gyre is used. Particle tracking was conducted for each of the three discharges into the bay. Model results were computed using meteorological data for 2010, and thus include the natural variability in wind patterns and seasonal stratification. An analysis of the results shows that a water parcel from the waste water outfall has a residence time ranging from hours to days. The water residence time is minimum near to the surface and maximum at the near bottom layer. The results confirmed that wind force, thermal stratification, and water depth are the main factors influencing residence time.

Transportation impacts to wildlife on state route 37 in northern San Pablo Bay, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Winton, Bryan R.; Takekawa, John Y.

2002-01-01

State Route 37 bisects conservation lands managed by San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service) and Napa-Sonoma Marshes Wildlife Area (California Department of Fish and Game) in Solano and Sonoma Counties. The 2-lane highway connects Interstates 101 and 80 in northern San Francisco Bay and experiences ~26,000 vehicles per day. Road-killed wildlife between Napa River and Tolay Creek bridges (14.7 km) were counted in 2000 to ascertain species composition, relative abundance, and relative occurence (animal fatality interval). The primary objectives of the study were to determine if endangered salt marsh harvest mice (Reithrodontomys raviventris), California clapper rails (Rallus longirostris), or other species of concern were represented, and to collect baseline data on transportation impacts to wildlife in the area. During 51 surveys, 291 dead birds (54.6%) and mammals (45.4%) were observed. Endangered species were not positively identified dead on the highway. In total, 28 bird, 10 mammal and 1 reptile species were positively identified along this section of highway that traverses tidal marsh and diked baylands (i.e., salt ponds, seasonal wetlands, and oat-hay agriculture fields). The mean animal fatality interval for both lanes was one road-kill every 2.1km (2.1 km SD).

Integrating terrestrial LiDAR and stereo photogrammetry to map the Tolay lakebed in northern San Francisco Bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Woo, Isa; Storesund,; Takekawa, John Y.; Gardiner, Rachel J.; Ehret,

2009-01-01

The Tolay Creek Watershed drains approximately 3,520 ha along the northern edge of San Francisco Bay. Surrounded by a mosaic of open space conservation easements and public wildlife areas, it is one of the only watersheds in this urbanized estuary that is protected from its headwaters to the bay. Tolay Lake is a seasonal, spring-fed lake found in the upper watershed that historically extended over 120 ha. Although the lakebed was farmed since the early 1860s, the majority of the lakebed was recently acquired by the Sonoma County Regional Parks Department to restore its natural habitat values. As part of the restoration planning process, we produced a digital elevation model (DEM) of the historic extent of Tolay Lake by integrating terrestrial LiDAR (light detection and ranging) and stereo photogrammetry datasets, and real-time kinematic (RTK) global positioning system (GPS) surveys. We integrated the data, generated a DEM of the lakebed and upland areas, and analyzed errors. The accuracy of the composite DEM was verified using spot elevations obtained from the RTK GPS. Thus, we found that by combining photogrammetry, terrestrial LiDAR, and RTK GPS, we created an accurate baseline elevation map to use in watershed restoration planning and design.

Seagrass epiphytic assemblages are strong indicators of agricultural discharge but weak indicators of host features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prado, Patricia

2018-05-01

Wastewater pulses from rice agriculture are persistently discharged into the northern shore of the Alfacs Bay (Ebro Delta, NW Mediterranean) from April to November. The bay also receives water from coastal lagoons which are subjected to freshwater inputs from the Ebro River mixed to an unknown extent with agricultural wastewater during the same period. This paper compares epiphyte assemblages growing on leaves of Cymodocea nodosa in sites exposed to agricultural drainage channels, lagoon connection channels, and control sites in the Ebro Delta Natural Park (southern shore of the bay). Leaf epiphytic assemblages of Zostera noltii patches in the northern shore of the bay were also compared with those of adjacent beds of C. nodosa. Drainage channel sites had consistently distinctive assemblages (higher species richness, biomass load, and taxa composition) than control sites. Assemblages from lagoon channel sites were more variable, with three sites showing particularly high covers of epiphytic algae and two sites more similar to controls. Epiphyte patterns clearly matched in situ measures of nutrient availability, and were consistent with decreased shoot densities in discharge sites. In contrast, differences in epiphyte assemblages between seagrass species were minor, and mostly a result of higher epiphytic loads on C. nodosa than on Z. noltii, which features thinner leaves. Further research is needed to investigate the consequences of these plant and epiphyte alterations in important ecosystem processes such as decomposition and export rates, as well as overall effects of nutrients and salinity in secondary producers such as associated macroinvertebrate assemblages supporting locally important marine fisheries.

[Spatial distribution of COD and the correlations with other parameters in the northern region of Lake Taihu].

PubMed

Zhang, Yun-lin; Yang, Long-yuan; Qin, Bo-qiang; Gao, Guang; Luo, Lian-cong; Zhu, Guang-wei; Liu, Ming-liang

2008-06-01

Spatial variation of chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentration was documented and significant correlations between COD concentration and chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) absorption, fluorescence, DOC concentration were found based on a cruise sampling in the northern region of Lake Taihu in summer including 42 samplings. The possible source of COD was also discussed using every two cruise samplings in summer and winter, respectively. The COD concentration ranged from 3.77 to 7.96 mg x L(-1) with a mean value of (5.90 +/- 1.54) mg x L(-1). The mean COD concentrations in Meiliang Bay and the central lake basin were (6.93 +/- 0.89) mg x L(-1) and (4.21 +/- 0.49) mg x L(-1) respectively. A significant spatial difference was found between Meiliang Bay and the central lake basin in COD concentration, CDOM absorption coefficient, fluorescence, DOC and phytoplankton pigment concentrations, decreasing from the river mouth to inner bay, outer bay and the central lake basin. Significant correlations between COD concentration and CDOM absorption, fluorescence, DOC concentration, suggested that COD concentration could be estimated and organic pollution could be assessed using CDOM absorption retrieved from remote sensing images. Significant and positive correlation was found between COD concentration and chlorophyll a concentration in summer. However, the correlation was weak or no correlation was found in winter. Furthermore, a significant higher COD concentration was found in summer than in winter (p < 0.001). Our results indicated that degradation of phytoplankton blooms was the main source of COD in summer, except for river terrestrial input.

Towards improved storm surge models in the northern Bay of Bengal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krien, Y.; Testut, L.; Islam, A. K. M. S.; Bertin, X.; Durand, F.; Mayet, C.; Tazkia, A. R.; Becker, M.; Calmant, S.; Papa, F.; Ballu, V.; Shum, C. K.; Khan, Z. H.

2017-03-01

The northern Bay of Bengal is home to some of the deadliest cyclones recorded during the last decades. Storm surge models developed for this region significantly improved in recent years, but they still fail to predict patterns of coastal flooding with sufficient accuracy. In the present paper, we make use of a state-of-the art numerical modeling system with improved bathymetric and topographic data to identify the strengths, weaknesses, and to suggest areas for improvement of current storm surge models in this area. The new model is found to perform relatively well in reproducing waves characteristics and maximum water levels for the two extreme cyclones studied here: Phailin (2013) and Sidr (2007). The wave setup turns out to be small compared to the wind-driven surge, although it still plays a significant role for inland flooding. Relatively large tide-surge interactions mainly due to shallow water effects are also evidenced by the model. These findings plead in favor of further efforts to improve the representation of the bathymetry, especially in the nearshore area, and the implementation of models including tides and radiation stresses explicitly. The main limit of the model is its inability to predict the detailed patterns of coastal flooding satisfactorily. The reason lies mainly in the fact that topographic data also need to be further improved. In particular, a good knowledge of embankments characteristics (crest elevation and their condition) is found to be of primary importance to represent inland flooding correctly. Public authorities should take urgent action to ensure that better data are available to the scientific community, so that state-of-the-art storm surge models reaching a sufficiently high level of confidence can be used for emergency preparedness and to implement mitigation strategies in the northern Bay of Bengal.

Lower Cretaceous-Upper Jurassic carbonate complex of southern margin of Florida-Bahama platform in northern Cuba

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Winston, G.O.

Examination of core samples and cuttings from seven wells in northern Cuba has shown that the southern margin of the Florida-Bahama platform is composed largely of dolomitized carbonate mound and talus material. Dolomitization is possibly due to reflux of the highly saline waters from the South Florida evaporite basin to the north. At least four separate episodes of mound construction are present, accompanied by seaward talus material. South of the dolomitized carbonate complex, three wells penetrated a deeper water continental slope facies consisting principally of light-colored limestone with uncommon beds of shale and radiolarian limestone. Zones of shallower facies appearmore » to be intercalated. Farther to the south beyond the scope of this study, volcanics and serpentine are reported in the literature. The northernmost wells on the island are cut by one or more high-angle thrust faults. Intense crumpling and faulting are present in the deeper water facies between the continental margin complex and the oceanic volcanic-serpentine province. The intense crumpling was probably caused as the deep-water sediments were scraped off by the subduction of an oceanic plate from the south beneath the continental crust of the Florida-Bahama platform. Certain beds in the northern Cuba carbonate complex can be correlated with the standard section in Florida, as exhibited in the Cay Sal well to the north. Three anhydrite beds in the Cayo Coco well appear to correlate with thick anhydrites in the Punto Gorda, Pumpkin Bay, and Bone Island formations. In the Collazo well to the south, a limestone-anhydrite section appears to correlate with the Pumpkin Bay. Three limestone intervals in the Blanquizal well seem to correlate with portions of the Rattlesnake Hammock, Pumpkin Bay, and Bone Island formations in the Cay Sal well.« less

Lake trout rehabilitation in Lake Huron

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eshenroder, Randy L.; Payne, N. Robert; Johnson, James E.; Bowen, Charles; Ebener, Mark P.

1995-01-01

Efforts to restore lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) in Lake Huron after their collapse in the 1940s were underway in the early 1970s with completion of the first round of lampricide applications in tributary streams and the stocking of several genotypes. We assess results of rehabilitation and establish a historical basis for comparison by quantifying the catch of spawning lake trout from Michigan waters in 1929-1932. Sixty-eight percent of this catch occurred in northern waters (MH-1) and most of the rest (15%) was from remote reefs in the middle of the main basin. Sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) increased in the early 1980s in the main basin and depressed spawning populations of lake trout. This increase was especially severe in northern waters and appeared to be associated with untreated populations in the St. Marys River. Excessive commercial fishing stemming from unresolved treaty rights also contributed to loss of spawning fish in northern Michigan waters. Seneca-strain lake trout did not appear to be attacked by sea lampreys until they reached a size > 532 mm. At sizes > 632 mm, Seneca trout were 40-fold more abundant than the Marquette strain in matched-planting experiments. Natural reproduction past the fry stage has occurred in Thunder Bay and South Bay, but prospects for self-sustaining populations of lake trout in the main basin are poor because sea lampreys are too abundant, only one side of the basin is stocked, and stocking is deferred to allow commercial gillnetting in areas where most of the spawning occurred historically. Backcross lake trout, a lake trout x splake (s. Fontinalis x s. Namaycush) hybrid, did not reproduce in Georgian Bay, but this genotype is being replaced with pure-strain lake trout, whose early performance appears promising.

Geohydrologic reconnaissance of drainage wells in Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kimrey, J.O.; Fayard, L.D.

1984-01-01

Drainage wells are used to inject surface waters directly into an aquifer, or shallow ground waters directly into a deeper aquifer, primarily by gravity. Such wells in Florida may be grouped into two broad types: (1) surface-water injection wells, and (2) interaquifer connector wells. Drainage wells of the first type are further categorized as either Floridan aquifer drainage wells or Biscayne aquifer drainage wells. Floridan aquifer drainage wells are commonly used to supplement drainage for urban areas in karst terranes of central and north Florida. Data are available for 25 wells in the Ocala, Live Oak, and Orlando areas that allow comparison of the quality of water samples from these Floridan aquifer drainage wells with allowable contaminant levels. Comparison indicates that maximum contaminant levels for turbidity, color, and iron, manganese, and lead concentrations are equaled or exceeded in some drainage-well samples, and relatively high counts for coliform bacteria are present in most wells. Biscayne aquifer drainage wells are used locally to dispose of stormwater runoff and other surplus water in southeast Florida, where large numbers of these wells have been permitted in Dade and Broward Counties. The majority of these wells are used to dispose of water from swimming pools or to dispose of heated water from air-conditioning units. The use of Biscayne aquifer drainage wells may have minimal effect on aquifer potability so long as injection of runoff and industrial wates is restricted to zones where chloride concentrations exceed 1,500 milligrams per liter. Interaquifer connector wells are used in the phosphate mining areas of Polk and Hillsborough Counties, to drain mines and recharge the Floridan aquifer. Water-quality data available from 13 connector wells indicate that samples from most of these wells exceed standards values for iron concentration and turbidity. One well yielded a highly mineralized water, and samples from 6 of the other 12 wells exceed standards values for gross alpha concentrations. (USGS)

Age Estimates of Holocene Glacial Retreat in Lapeyrère Bay, Anvers Island, Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mead, K. A.; Wellner, J. S.; Rosenheim, B. E.

2011-12-01

Lapeyrère Bay is a fjord on the eastern side of Anvers Island, located off the Western Antarctic Peninsula. Anvers island has a maximum elevation of 2400m (comprised of ice overlaying bedrock), and experiences colder temperatures and more precipitation than the South Shetlands, which are ~230km to the north. Two glaciers enter Lapeyrère Bay, one large and vulnerable to avalanching, the Iliad Glacier, and one smaller glacier confined to a northern unnamed cove. Though several research cruises have visited Lapeyrère Bay, very little has been published on the fjord's glacial retreat history or sediment flux. The primary purpose of this study is to reconstruct the glacial retreat and sediment flux histories of Lapeyrère Bay using a SHALDRIL core and standard piston cores for chronology and sedimentary facies analysis, and multibeam swath bathymetry data for identifying seafloor morphological features. Preliminary core data from the proximal northern flank of Lapeyrère Bay show greenish grey sandy mud with scattered pebble and sand lens lithology. A core taken in the distal-most part of the fjord is largely diatomaceous sediment grading into grey silty mud with thin sandy turbidites. Multibeam data has exposed seafloor features including a grounding zone wedge at the entrance of the unnamed cove of northern Lapeyrère Bay, drumlins, glacial lineations, and a glacial outwash fan near the ocean-termination of the Iliad glacier. Additionally, this study seeks to assess the effectiveness of a novel 14C method of dating sediment lacking sufficient calcareous material for carbonate 14C dating. The method being tested is ramped pyrolysis radiocarbon analysis, which dates individual fractions of organic material. It is hypothesized that ramped pyrolysis will improve upon bulk acid insoluble organic material (AIOM) dating, as AIOM can include both autochthonous syndepositionally aged carbon and allochthonous pre-aged carbon, resulting in 14C ages inherently older than the age of deposition. Performing ramped pyrolysis 14C dating and carbonate 14C dating on the same cores and comparing the resulting ages will address this hypothesis. Carbonate radiocarbon dating has been completed for cores taken in the proximal fjord, from the glacial outwash fan. Four dates from a 20.3m drill core yield an average sedimentation rate of 2.2mm/yr. Four dates from the nearby 293cm gravity core yield a sedimentation rate of 1.4mm/yr. Ramped pyrolysis has been performed on a total of nine samples, six taken from the proximal drill core and three taken from the distal-most gravity core of the fjord. The average proximal sample TOC is 0.22%, and the average distal sample TOC is 0.55%. These values show a trend of increasing TOC values with increasing oceanic influence in the distal fjord.

New constraints on the crustal structure in the eastern part of northern Baffin Bay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reichert, C. J.; Damm, V.; Altenbernd, T.; Berglar, K.; Block, M.; Ehrhardt, A.; Schnabel, M.

2010-12-01

The northern Baffin Bay is a key area for testing plate kinematic models for the Paleocene-Eocene motion of Greenland relative to North America and to decipher the evolution of the thick sedimentary basins in this area. In summer 2010, a multidisciplinary marine geoscientific expedition focusing on the Greenland part of northern Baffin Bay was performed under the direction of the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources Hannover, Germany in cooperation with the Alfred-Wegener Institute Bremerhaven. Using 70 days ship time onboard the German R/V Polarstern a comprehensive data set was acquired along profiles extending from the deep oceanic basin in the central part of North Baffin Bay onto the Greenland continental margin in an area which was bordered by the Kane Basin in the North and Disco Island in the South. By means of multi-channel seismic, wide angle seismic, gravimetric and magnetic methods the structural inventory of the crust in the NW Baffin Bay was investigated. Additionally, heat flow data and sediment cores were collected at selected positions along lines across the Greenland continental margin. The cores were extracted for geochemical and geomicrobiological analysis to be used for basin modeling and studying the hydrocarbon potential. Aeromagnetic data was acquired covering part of the marine survey area to investigate magnetic signatures of the oceanic crust and the continental margin. In our presentation we will give an overview of the first results of the expedition with special focus on multi-channel seismic data. With a total length of 3500 km, the initial interpretation of multi-channel seismic data shows that the West Greenland margin is a typical passive continental margin with large rotated basement blocks, listric faults facing mainly seaward, and deep syn-rift-basins in between. The most prominent reflector under the shelf and the slope probably indicates the transition from rifting to drifting and therefore the beginning of seafloor spreading in the Baffin Bay. This is suggested by erosion on top of basement blocks, subsidence along the slope area, and termination of the prominent reflector in the area of the ocean-continent boundary. The syn-rift sediments were deposited in two single phases, which could be imaged along several sections of the newly acquired seismic lines. The Quaternary and late Pliocene glacial deposits are characterized by prograding sequences on the western shelf and the upper slope. Some lines show that the NNW striking Melville Ridge is a compression structure generated by thrusting of the Melville graben sedimentary fill on its western edge. We interpret the compression as a result of strike slip faulting in conjunction with the northward movement of Greenland in the second drift phase starting in the Eocene. At some segments of the crustal margin the opening of the Baffin Bay might be associated with volcanic activity.

A quantitative comparison of moldic and vuggy porosity structure in karst aquifers using image and geospatial analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Culpepper, A. R.; Manda, A. K.

2011-12-01

Limestone aquifers are vital sources of groundwater for domestic and industrial use throughout the world. To sustain rising population throughout the southeastern United States, aquifers are increasingly exploited to provide the populace clean and reliable water resources. The moldic Castle Hayne and the vuggy Biscayne aquifer systems are two highly productive aquifers that provide critical water resources to millions of citizens in eastern North Carolina and southeastern Florida, respectively. In order to better understand karst aquifers and evaluate the potential for contaminant transport, detailed investigation of 2D porosity and pore geometry using image and geospatial analysis were undertaken. The objective of this study is to compare and contrast the porosity structure of moldic and vuggy karst aquifers by quantifying 2D porosity and pore geometry from images of slabbed core samples and optical televiewer images. Televiewer images and images of painted core samples from the Spring Garden Member of the Castle Hayne aquifer and Miami Limestone Formation of the Biscayne aquifer were acquired for analysis of porosity structure. The procedure for converting images of slabbed core and televiewer images to a GIS useable format consisted of rectification, calibration, image enhancement, classification, recoding and filtering. In GIS, raster or vector formats were used to assess pore attributes (e.g., area and perimeter) and structure. Preliminary results show that both pore area and perimeter for the Spring Garden Member of the Castle Hayne and Miami Limestone Formation of the Biscayne aquifers can be described by exponential distributions. In both sets of slabbed core images the relatively small pores have the highest occurrence, whereas larger pores occur less frequently. However, the moldic Spring Garden Member of the Castle Hayne aquifer has larger pore sizes derived from cores images than the vuggy Miami Limestone Formation of Biscayne aquifer. Total porosity derived from core images for the Spring Garden Member averages 37.5% whereas total porosity from the Miami Limestone Formation ranges between 10-48%. Analyses of televiewer images reveal the Miami Limestone Formation consists of conduits that range in aperture from a minimum of 0.86 cm to a maximum of 159 cm with an occurrence frequency of one conduit every two meters. Whereas, televiewer images of the Spring Garden Member of the Castle Aquifer do not reveal any conduits. This study presents an example of how quantitative measures of pore attributes and structure can be used to compare karst media with different porosity characteristics. Such measures will lead to a better understanding of porosity structure in karst aquifers that can be useful for designing and running ground water flow models and assessing transport mechanisms in karst media.

Regulation of eutrophication susceptibility in oligohaline zones of a northern Gulf of Mexico estuary, Mobile Bay, Alabama

EPA Science Inventory

Variability in estuarine eutrophication susceptibility to nutrinets was examined in a comparative empirical analysis of 7 oligohaline tidal river regions. Eutrophication response, in terms of phytoplankton biomass (chlorophylla), was related to estuarine mixing times scales and ...

Otolith shape analysis for stock discrimination of two Collichthys genus croaker (Pieces: Sciaenidae,) from the northern Chinese coast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Bo; Liu, Jinhu; Song, Junjie; Cao, Liang; Dou, Shuozeng

2017-08-01

The otolith morphology of two croaker species (Collichthys lucidus and Collichthys niveatus) from three areas (Liaodong Bay, LD; Huanghe (Yellow) River estuary, HRE; Jiaozhou Bay, JZ) along the northern Chinese coast were investigated for species identification and stock discrimination. The otolith contour shape described by elliptic Fourier coefficients (EFC) were analysed using principal components analysis (PCA) and stepwise canonical discriminant analysis (CDA) to identify species and stocks. The two species were well differentiated, with an overall classification success rate of 97.8%. And variations in the otolith shapes were significant enough to discriminate among the three geographical samples of C. lucidus (67.7%) or C. niveatus (65.2%). Relatively high mis-assignment occurred between the geographically adjacent LD and HRE samples, which implied that individual mixing may exist between the two samples. This study yielded information complementary to that derived from genetic studies and provided information for assessing the stock structure of C. lucidus and C. niveatus in the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea.

Temporal and spatial distributions of nutrients under the influence of human activities in Sishili Bay, northern Yellow Sea of China.

PubMed

Wang, Yujue; Liu, Dongyan; Dong, Zhijun; Di, Baoping; Shen, Xuhong

2012-12-01

The temporal and spatial distributions of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) and dissolved reactive silica (DRSi) together with chlorophyll-a, temperature and salinity were analyzed monthly from December 2008 to March 2010 at four zones in Sishili Bay located in the northern Yellow Sea. The nutrient distribution was impacted by seasonal factors (biotic factors, temperature and wet deposition), physical factors (water exchange) and anthropogenic loadings. The seasonal variations of nutrients were mainly determined by the seasonal factors and the spatial distribution of nutrients was mainly related to water exchange. Anthropogenic loadings for DIN, SRP and DRSi were mainly from point sources, but for DON, non-point sources were also important. Nutrient limitation has changed from DIN in 1997 to SRP and DRSi in 2010, and this has resulted in changes in the dominant red tide species from diatom to dinoflagellates. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

GIS-based health assessment of the marine ecosystem in Laizhou Bay, China.

PubMed

Song, Debin; Gao, Zhiqiang; Zhang, Hua; Xu, Fuxiang; Zheng, Xiangyu; Ai, Jinquan; Hu, Xiaoke; Huang, Guopei; Zhang, Haibo

2017-12-15

According to 2014-2016 monitoring data, an assessment index system including water quality, depositional environment and ecosystem was built to evaluate the health statue of marine ecosystem in the Laizhou Bay using analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method. The results, spatialized in ArcGIS software, show: while the comprehensive ecological health index is 0.62, the ecological environmental quality in the Laizhou Bay is in a sub-healthy state; the unhealthy area is mainly concentrated in southwestern inshore region, and impacted by serious environmental problems, such as water eutrophication and heavy metal pollution; the northwestern and southeastern inshore regions are in a sub-healthy state, while the eastern inshore and northern areas are in the healthiest state. The land-based pollutants that discharge into the sea may be the leading factors that are causing ecological environment deterioration in the Laizhou Bay, and the reclamation work ongoing around the port has exacerbated the ecological risk. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Intra-basinal water movements induced by faulting: The August 17, 1999, Golcuk (Izmit Bay) earthquake (M(W) = 7.4)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ozturk, H.; Koral, H.; Geist, E.L.

2000-01-01

A strong earthquake (M(w) = 7.4) occurred near the town of Golcuk, Izmit Bay, Western Turkey, at 00:01 GMT on August 17, 1999. Izmit Bay is a E-W trending pull-apart basin with a surface area of about 300 km2 along the North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAF), in the eastern extension of the Sea of Marmara. The earthquake was caused by a westerly movement of the Anatolian plate along NAF and was accompanied by isolated, chaotic water movements along the northern and southern shores of the bay. At localities along the shoreline a sudden drop in sea level, and a subsequent rise was prominent. The mode of observed sea-level movements rules out the occurrence of a basin-wide tsunami, sensu stricto. Instead, the water movements are attributed to localized sudden dip-slip movements of fault blocks in this pull-apart basin. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V.

Predicted liquefaction of East Bay fills during a repeat of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake

USGS Publications Warehouse

Holzer, T.L.; Blair, J.L.; Noce, T.E.; Bennett, M.J.

2006-01-01

Predicted conditional probabilities of surface manifestations of liquefaction during a repeat of the 1906 San Francisco (M7.8) earthquake range from 0.54 to 0.79 in the area underlain by the sandy artificial fills along the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay near Oakland, California. Despite widespread liquefaction in 1906 of sandy fills in San Francisco, most of the East Bay fills were emplaced after 1906 without soil improvement to increase their liquefaction resistance. They have yet to be shaken strongly. Probabilities are based on the liquefaction potential index computed from 82 CPT soundings using median (50th percentile) estimates of PGA based on a ground-motion prediction equation. Shaking estimates consider both distance from the San Andreas Fault and local site conditions. The high probabilities indicate extensive and damaging liquefaction will occur in East Bay fills during the next M ??? 7.8 earthquake on the northern San Andreas Fault. ?? 2006, Earthquake Engineering Research Institute.

Riverine discharges to Chesapeake Bay: Analysis of long-term (1927–2014) records and implications for future flows in the Chesapeake Bay basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rice, Karen; Moyer, Douglas; Mills, Aaron L.

2017-01-01

The Chesapeake Bay (CB) basin is under a total maximum daily load (TMDL) mandate to reduce nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment loads to the bay. Identifying shifts in the hydro-climatic regime may help explain observed trends in water quality. To identify potential shifts, hydrologic data (1927–2014) for 27 watersheds in the CB basin were analyzed to determine the relationships among long-term precipitation and stream discharge trends. The amount, frequency, and intensity of precipitation increased from 1910 to 1996 in the eastern U.S., with the observed increases greater in the northeastern U.S. than the southeastern U.S. The CB watershed spans the north-to-south gradient in precipitation increases, and hydrologic differences have been observed in watersheds north relative to watersheds south of the Pennsylvania—Maryland (PA-MD) border. Time series of monthly mean precipitation data specific to each of 27 watersheds were derived from the Precipitation-elevation Regression on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) dataset, and monthly mean stream-discharge data were obtained from U.S. Geological Survey streamgage records. All annual precipitation trend slopes in the 18 watersheds north of the PA-MD border were greater than or equal to those of the nine south of that border. The magnitude of the trend slopes for 1927–2014 in both precipitation and discharge decreased in a north-to-south pattern. Distributions of the monthly precipitation and discharge datasets were assembled into percentiles for each year for each watershed. Multivariate correlation of precipitation and discharge within percentiles among the groups of northern and southern watersheds indicated only weak associations. Regional-scale average behaviors of trends in the distribution of precipitation and discharge annual percentiles differed between the northern and southern watersheds. In general, the linkage between precipitation and discharge was weak, with the linkage weaker in the northern watersheds compared to those in the south. On the basis of simple linear regression, 26 of the 27 watersheds are projected to have higher annual mean discharge in 2025, the target date for implementation of the TMDL for the CB basin.

Processes of 30-90 days sea surface temperature variability in the northern Indian Ocean during boreal summer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vialard, J.; Jayakumar, A.; Gnanaseelan, C.; Lengaigne, M.; Sengupta, D.; Goswami, B. N.

2012-05-01

During summer, the northern Indian Ocean exhibits significant atmospheric intraseasonal variability associated with active and break phases of the monsoon in the 30-90 days band. In this paper, we investigate mechanisms of the Sea Surface Temperature (SST) signature of this atmospheric variability, using a combination of observational datasets and Ocean General Circulation Model sensitivity experiments. In addition to the previously-reported intraseasonal SST signature in the Bay of Bengal, observations show clear SST signals in the Arabian Sea related to the active/break cycle of the monsoon. As the atmospheric intraseasonal oscillation moves northward, SST variations appear first at the southern tip of India (day 0), then in the Somali upwelling region (day 10), northern Bay of Bengal (day 19) and finally in the Oman upwelling region (day 23). The Bay of Bengal and Oman signals are most clearly associated with the monsoon active/break index, whereas the relationship with signals near Somali upwelling and the southern tip of India is weaker. In agreement with previous studies, we find that heat flux variations drive most of the intraseasonal SST variability in the Bay of Bengal, both in our model (regression coefficient, 0.9, against ~0.25 for wind stress) and in observations (0.8 regression coefficient); ~60% of the heat flux variation is due do shortwave radiation and ~40% due to latent heat flux. On the other hand, both observations and model results indicate a prominent role of dynamical oceanic processes in the Arabian Sea. Wind-stress variations force about 70-100% of SST intraseasonal variations in the Arabian Sea, through modulation of oceanic processes (entrainment, mixing, Ekman pumping, lateral advection). Our ~100 km resolution model suggests that internal oceanic variability (i.e. eddies) contributes substantially to intraseasonal variability at small-scale in the Somali upwelling region, but does not contribute to large-scale intraseasonal SST variability due to its small spatial scale and random phase relation to the active-break monsoon cycle. The effect of oceanic eddies; however, remains to be explored at a higher spatial resolution.

Earth observations taken by the Expedition 14 crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2006-10-30

ISS014-E-06812 (30 Oct. 2006) --- Gibraltar Bay, located near the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula in the western Mediterranean Sea, is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 14 crewmember on the International Space Station. According to scientists, the famous Rock of Gibraltar that forms the northeastern border of the Bay is formed of Jurassic seafloor sediments that were lithified to form limestone (a rock formed predominantly of the mineral calcite) and subsequently uplifted as a result of collision of the African and Eurasian tectonic plates. The cities of La Linea and Algeciras bordering the Bay -- together with petroleum-processing facilities along the northern Bay shoreline -- are part of Spain, whereas the city of Gibraltar itself (to the west of and including the Rock) is under the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom. The protected waters of the Bay and its proximity to Africa and the Strait of Gibraltar as the gateway between the Atlantic and Mediterranean contribute to the region's past and current strategic and economic importance. Numerous ships and several ship wakes are visible within the Bay; the majority of these are freighters and cargo tankers accessing the petroleum facilities. Ships nearer to the Rock are more likely cruise ships, as Gibraltar is a popular destination for tourists. Partial sunglint within the Bay highlights surface water roughened by winds funneled into the Bay by the surrounding highlands -- one such area is visible directly to the west of La Linea.

Geology and structure of the North Boqueron Bay-Punta Montalva Fault System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roig Silva, Coral Marie

The North Boqueron Bay-Punta Montalva Fault Zone is an active fault system that cuts across the Lajas Valley in southwestern Puerto Rico. The fault zone has been recognized and mapped based upon detailed analysis of geophysical data, satellite images and field mapping. The fault zone consists of a series of Cretaceous bedrock faults that reactivated and deformed Miocene limestone and Quaternary alluvial fan sediments. The fault zone is seismically active (ML < 5.0) with numerous locally felt earthquakes. Focal mechanism solutions and structural field data suggest strain partitioning with predominantly east-west left-lateral displacements with small normal faults oriented mostly toward the northeast. Evidence for recent displacement consists of fractures and small normal faults oriented mostly northeast found in intermittent streams that cut through the Quaternary alluvial fan deposits along the southern margin of the Lajas Valley, Areas of preferred erosion, within the alluvial fan, trend toward the west-northwest parallel to the on-land projection of the North Boqueron Bay Fault. Beyond the faulted alluvial fan and southeast of the Lajas Valley, the Northern Boqueron Bay Fault joins with the Punta Montalva Fault. The Punta Montalva Fault is defined by a strong topographic WNW lineament along which stream channels are displaced left laterally 200 meters and Miocene strata are steeply tilted to the south. Along the western end of the fault zone in northern Boqueron Bay, the older strata are only tilted 3° south and are covered by flat lying Holocene sediments. Focal mechanisms solutions along the western end suggest NW-SE shortening, which is inconsistent with left lateral strain partitioning along the fault zone. The limited deformation of older strata and inconsistent strain partitioning may be explained by a westerly propagation of the fault system from the southwest end. The limited geomorphic structural expression along the North Boqueron Bay Fault segment could also be because most of the displacement along the fault zone is older than the Holocene and that the rate of displacement is low, such that the development of fault escarpments and deformation all along the fault zone has yet to occur.

Alexander Archipelago, Southeastern Alaska

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

West of British Columbia, Canada, and south of the Yukon Territory, the southeastern coastline of Alaska trails off into the islands of the Alexander Archipelago. The area is rugged and contains many long, U-shaped, glaciated valleys, many of which terminate at tidewater. The Alexander Archipelago is home to Glacier Bay National Park. The large bay that has two forks on its northern end is Glacier Bay itself. The eastern fork is Muir inlet, into which runs the Muir glacier, named for the famous Scottish-born naturalist John Muir. Glacier Bay opens up into the Icy Strait. The large, solid white area to the west is Brady Icefield, which terminates at the southern end in Brady's Glacier. To locate more interesting features from Glacier Bay National Park, take a look at the park service map. As recently as two hundred years ago, a massive ice field extended into Icy Strait and filled the Glacier Bay. Since that time, the area has experienced rapid deglaciation, with many large glaciers retreating 40, 60, even 80 km. While temperatures have increased in the region, it is still unclear whether the rapid recession is part of the natural cycle of tidewater glaciers or is an indicator of longer-term climate change. For more on Glacier Bay and climate change, read an online paper by Dr. Dorothy Hall, a MODIS Associate Science Team Member. Credit: Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC

Total Geomagnetic Survey on Suruga Bay, on the Pacific cost, Shizuoka, Japan, the second series report.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ichinose, S.; Baba, H.

2015-12-01

In 2009 to 2014, total geomagnetic and geological surveys by School of Marine Science & Technology, Tokai University, were conducted on Suruga Bay, located on the Pacific coast of Honshu in Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan, where a large thrust earthquake, often referred to as the Tokai earthquake, has been supposed to occur soon (Ishibashi, 1981). Suruga Bay area, where the Philippine Sea plate subducts beneath Japan, had some local magnetic anomalies on the overriding plate side. The past investigation of ship-borne survey conducted in Suruga Bay area is geomagnetic anomaly data of the Hydrographic Department of the Maritime Safety Agency in 1997. Detailed geomagnetic surveys carried out in the Suruga Bay area, is 50 km x 35km in S-N and W-E, respectively. Total geomagnetic anomaly values range from +100nT to +600nT. In this report, we carried out newly geomagnetic survey lines which costal region on Suruga Bay. The following results were found. (1) The costal region of Izu Peninsula in Northern part of Izu-Ogasawara arc is indicated high geomagnetic anomaly. This cause is regarded as something to come near to some volcanos. (2) And costal region of the Fujigawa fault system in the Sourath Fossa Magna region is indicated high geomagnetic anomaly. We present features of total geomagnetic anomalies on and around Suruga Bay with the results of inversion.

Interannual variation of rare earth element abundances in corals from northern coast of the South China Sea and its relation with sea-level change and human activities

USGS Publications Warehouse

Liu, Yajing; Peng, Z.; Wei, G.; Chen, T.; Sun, W.; He, J.; Liu, Gaisheng; Chou, C.-L.; Shen, C.-C.

2011-01-01

Here we present interannual rare earth element (REE) records spanning the last two decades of the 20th century in two living Porites corals, collected from Longwan Bay, close to the estuarine zones off Wanquan River of Hainan Island and Hong Kong off the Pearl River Delta of Guangdong Province in the northern South China Sea. The results show that both coral REE contents (0.5-40 ng g-1 in Longwan Bay and 2-250 ng g-1 in Hong Kong for La-Lu) are characterized with a declining trend, which are significantly negative correlated with regional sea-level rise (9.4 mm a-1 from 1981 to 1996 in Longwan Bay, 13.7 mm a-1 from 1991 to 2001 in Hong Kong). The REE features are proposed to be resulted from seawater intrusion into the estuaries in response to contemporary sea-level rise. However, the tendency for the coral Er/Nd time series at Hong Kong site is absent and there is no significant relation between Er/Nd and total REEs as found for the coral at Longwan Bay site. The observations are likely attributed to changes of the water discharge and sediment load of Pearl River, which have been significantly affected by intense human activities, such as the construction of dams/reservoirs and riverbed sediment mining, in past decades. The riverine sediment load/discharge ratio of the Pearl River decreased sharply with a rate of 0.02 kg m-3 a-1, which could make significant contribution to the declining trend of coral REE. We propose that coastal corals in Longwan Bay and similar unexplored sites with little influences of river discharge and anthropogenic disruption are ideal candidates to investigate the influence of sea-level change on seawater/coral REE. ?? 2010 Elsevier Ltd.

Multiple SNP Markers Reveal Fine-Scale Population and Deep Phylogeographic Structure in European Anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus L.)

PubMed Central

Zarraonaindia, Iratxe; Iriondo, Mikel; Albaina, Aitor; Pardo, Miguel Angel; Manzano, Carmen; Grant, W. Stewart; Irigoien, Xabier; Estonba, Andone

2012-01-01

Geographic surveys of allozymes, microsatellites, nuclear DNA (nDNA) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) have detected several genetic subdivisions among European anchovy populations. However, these studies have been limited in their power to detect some aspects of population structure by the use of a single or a few molecular markers, or by limited geographic sampling. We use a multi-marker approach, 47 nDNA and 15 mtDNA single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), to analyze 626 European anchovies from the whole range of the species to resolve shallow and deep levels of population structure. Nuclear SNPs define 10 genetic entities within two larger genetically distinctive groups associated with oceanic variables and different life-history traits. MtDNA SNPs define two deep phylogroups that reflect ancient dispersals and colonizations. These markers define two ecological groups. One major group of Iberian-Atlantic populations is associated with upwelling areas on narrow continental shelves and includes populations spawning and overwintering in coastal areas. A second major group includes northern populations in the North East (NE) Atlantic (including the Bay of Biscay) and the Mediterranean and is associated with wide continental shelves with local larval retention currents. This group tends to spawn and overwinter in oceanic areas. These two groups encompass ten populations that differ from previously defined management stocks in the Alboran Sea, Iberian-Atlantic and Bay of Biscay regions. In addition, a new North Sea-English Channel stock is defined. SNPs indicate that some populations in the Bay of Biscay are genetically closer to North Western (NW) Mediterranean populations than to other populations in the NE Atlantic, likely due to colonizations of the Bay of Biscay and NW Mediterranean by migrants from a common ancestral population. Northern NE Atlantic populations were subsequently established by migrants from the Bay of Biscay. Populations along the Iberian-Atlantic coast appear to have been founded by secondary waves of migrants from a southern refuge. PMID:22860082

Preliminary bathymetry of Blackstone Bay and Neoglacial changes of Blackstone Glaciers, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Post, Austin

1980-01-01

Preliminary bathymetry (at 1:20,000 scale) and scientific studies of Blackstone Bay Alaska, by the Research Vessel Growler in 1978 disclose that the head of the bay consists of two basins separated by Willard Island and a submarine ridge. Both basins are closed on the north by terminal-moraine bars where Blackstone Glacier and its tributaries terminated as recently as about A.D. 1350; a carbon-14 date of 580 years before present on Badger Point, and old trees farther up the bay, disclose that the glaciers retreated to two narrow inlets at the head of the bay before 1400. The inlets were still glacier-covered until at least 1909. Glaciers in both inlets have continued to retreat; at present they terminate at the head of tidewater, where they discharge small icebergs. Only relatively thin sediments have accumulated in the eastern basin south of the terminal-moraine bar, and most of the bottom is hard and irregular as disclosed by soundings and profiles. The northern part of Blackstone Bay is very deep; at more than 1,100 feet below sea level a large, level accumulation of sediment is present which is presumably as much as 1,000 feet deep and has been accumulating since late Pleistocene glaciers retreated. (USGS)

Research Spotlight: Narwhals document continued warming of Baffin Bay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Mohi

2011-03-01

Baffin Bay, situated between northern Greenland and Canada, is a major gateway between waters from the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans. Dynamics within the bay help govern how much water from the Arctic flows south and sinks to form North Atlantic Deep Water, a deep current that drives ocean circulation on a global scale. Unfortunately, monitoring the deep reaches of Baffin Bay throughout the year is difficult—most oceanographic data are collected in the summer when the area is ice free. To overcome this inability to collect data in harsh winter conditions, Laidre et al. hit upon a novel solution: mounting instruments on narwhals to collect temperature and depth data. Narwhals, a top predator in this frigid ecosystem, make annual migrations from summering grounds in the Canadian High Arctic and western Greenland to wintering grounds in the dense offshore pack ice of Baffin Bay. Moreover, narwhals, which rank among the deepest-diving whales in the world, dive extensively and repeatedly to depths exceeding 1800 meters under pack ice to reach their major food source, the flatfish that swarm on the seafloor of Baffin Bay. Narwhal dives are nearly vertical, making this whale an ideal platform on which to mount surveying instruments. (Journal of Geophysical Research-Oceans, doi:10.1029/2009JC005820, 2010)

Interim Use Limitations for Eleven Threatened or Endangered Species in the San Francisco Bay Area

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Interim use limitations may apply to pesticide products containing any of 75 active ingredients, in 8 listed counties. The limitations are in a Stipulated Injunction entered by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in 2010.

THE EFFECT OF PRECIPITATION ON ORGANIC CARBON COMPONENTS IN BAYOU TEXAR, FLORIDA

EPA Science Inventory

This study examined the relationship between precipitation and organic carbon in Bayou Texar, part of Florida's Pensacola Bay system in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Weekly samples were collected from five stations between March to June, 1999. Additionally, samples were taken befo...

Ages of Some Uranium and Thorium Minerals from East and Central Africa

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Darnley, A. G.

1961-01-01

method were accepted for minerals from a number of localities: uraninite, Nkana, Northern Rhodesia, 522 plus or minus 15 million years (m.y.); brannerite, Kansanshi, Northern Rhodesia, 503 plus or minus 15 m.y.; uraninite, Shinkolobwe, Katanga, 642 plus or minus 20 m.y.; davidite, Mavuzi, Mozambique, 578 plus or minus 15 m.y.;, monazite, Monkey Bay, Nyasaland, 597 plus or minus 25 m.y.; and samarskite, north-west Kenya, 635 plus or minus 25 m.y. The significance of the results is considered.

Research on Humpback and Blue Whales off California, Oregon and Washington in 2001

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-12-01

northern Puget Sound , Grays Harbor, off Oregon, and Monterey Bay (Tables 4). Photographic identification from whale-watch boats was most extensive in...whales but some coverage for humpback whales was also conducted. • Photographic identification of gray whales was conducted in northern Puget Sound ...Farallones 53 3 1 4 N California 63 1 1 Oregon 72 1 1 Central Washigton 75 1 1 1 1 4 N Washington/BC 76 3 1 4 Puget Sound 79 1 1 Grand Total 5 3 8 21 13

Principal sources and dispersal patterns of suspended particulate matter in nearshore surface waters of the northeast Pacific Ocean. [California coastal waters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carlson, P. R. (Principal Investigator); Janda, R. J.

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Release-recovery paths of drift cards released in conjunction with ERTS-1 overflight show that nearshore surface currents along the central and northern California coast flowed southward at an average rate in excess of 10 cm/sec (8.5 km/day) during August and September 1973 (California Current). By the middle of October 1973, the nearshore surface currents had reversed and the dominant flow velocity was northward at an average rate in excess of 20 cm/sec (17 km/ day) (Davidson Current). The August-September data suggested the presence of counterclockwise gyres in Monterey Bay and the Gulf of the Farallones, but by the middle of October, the gyres were no longer evident. Imagery of April 1973 showed well developed plumes of suspended sediment in Monterey Bay from the Salinas River and in the Gulf of the Farallones from San Francisco Bay. ERTS-1 imagery provides an effective means of monitoring timber harvest in the redwood forest along the northern California coast. ERTS-1 imagery also clearly portrays contrasting topographic belts characterized by fluvial erosion and by mass movement. The most visually apparent and most persistent river mouth suspended sediment plumes are associated with those rivers that drain belts of topography that appear to have been eroded primarily by mass movement.

[Naïve Bayes classification for classifying injury-cause groups from Emergency Room data in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region (Northern Italy)].

PubMed

Valent, Francesca; Clagnan, Elena; Zanier, Loris

2014-01-01

to assess whether Naïve Bayes Classification could be used to classify injury causes from the Emergency Room (ER) database, because in the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region (Northern Italy) the electronic ER data have never been used to study the epidemiology of injuries, because the proportion of generic "accidental" causes is much higher than that of injuries with a specific cause. application of the Naïve Bayes Classification method to the regional ER database. sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, agreement, and the kappa statistic were calculated for the train dataset and the distribution of causes of injury for the test dataset. on 22.248 records with known cause, the classifications assigned by the model agreed moderately (kappa =0.53) with those assigned by ER personnel. The model was then used on 76.660 unclassified cases. Although sensitivity and positive predictive value of the method were generally poor, mainly due to limitations in the ER data, it allowed to estimate for the first time the frequency of specific injury causes in the Region. the model was useful to provide the "big picture" of non-fatal injuries in the Region. To improve the collection of injury data at the ER, the options available for injury classification in the ER software are being revised to make categories exhaustive and mutually exclusive.

Hurricane Mitch: Landscape Analysis of Damaged Forest Resources of the Bay Islands and Caribbean Coast of Honduras

USGS Publications Warehouse

Doyle, Thomas W.; Michot, Thomas C.; Roetker, Fred; Sullivan, Jason; Melder, Marcus; Handley, Benjamin; Balmat, Jeff

2002-01-01

The advent of analog and digital video has provided amateur photographers with professional-like technology to capture dynamic images with ease and clarity. Videography is also rapidly changing traditional business and scientific applications. In the natural sciences, camcorders are being used largely to record timely observations of plant and animal behavior or consequence of some catastrophic event. Spectacular video of dynamic events such as hurricanes, volcanic eruptions and wildfire document the active process and aftermath. Scientists can analyze video images to quantify aspects of a given event, behavior, or response, temporally and spatially. In this study we demonstrate the simple use of an aerial application of videography to record the spatial extent and damage expression of mangrove forest in the Bay Islands and mainland coast of northern Honduras from wind damage following Hurricane Mitch (1998). In this study, we conducted a video overflight of coastal forests of the Bay Islands and mainland coast of northern Honduras 14 months after impact by Hurricane Mitch (1998). Coastal areas were identified where damage was evident and described relative to damage extent to forest cover, windfall orientation, and height of downed trees. The variability and spatial extent of impact on coastal forest resources is related to reconstructed wind profiles based on model simulations of Mitch's path, strength, and circulation during landfall.

Increased benthic grazing: An alternative explanation for low phytoplankton biomass in northern San Francisco Bay during the 1976-1977 drought

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nichols, F.H.

1985-01-01

Among the consequences of extremely low river flow into northern San Francisco Bay during a two-year drought were (1) a gradual increase in salinity, (2) an unusual decline in chlorophyll a concentration, and (3) the upstream migration of estuarine benthic invertebrates to the normally brackish area of the bay. Total abundance in the benthos at a shallow monitoring site increased from a normal 2000 to greater than 20 000 individuals m-2 during the summer of 1977, presumably in response to the increased salinity. Estimated filtration rates derived from equations in the literature for one of the species, the suspended-feeding bivalve Mya arenaria ranged from 1 to 4 m3 m-2 day-1 during 1977 depending on abundance and mean size on sampling dates. Because water depth at this site is less than 2 m, Mya could have filtered all of the particles (including diatoms) from the water column on the order of once per day. Several other immigrant species undoubtedly contributed to the removal of particles from the near-bottom water as well. Increased benthic grazing, therefore, could have accounted for the anomalously low phytoplankton biomass observed during the drought. These results suggest that during periods of prolonged low river flow and increased salinity benthic food webs could become more important than planktonic food webs in the upper part of the estuary. ?? 1985.

The phytoplankton component of seston in San Francisco Bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wienke, S.M.; Cloern, J.E.

1987-01-01

Phytoplankton biomass (as carbon) was estimated from chlorophyll a concentrations (Chla) and a mean value for the ratio of phytoplankton carbon to chlorophyll a in San Francisco Bay. The ratio was determined as the slope of a Model II regression of POC' against (Chla), where POC' is total particulate organic carbon minus sediment-associated non-phytoplankton carbon. Samples from 30 fixed sites in the channel and lateral shoals of San Francisco Bay were collected once or twice a month from April to November 1980, and at irregular intervals in South Bay during 1984 and 1985. For all data the calculated mean value of phytoplankton C:Chla was 51 (95% confidence interval = 47-54). No significant differences were found in the C:Chla ratio between shallow and deep sites (where light availability differs) or between northern and southern San Francisco Bay (where phytoplankton community composition differs). Using the mean C:Chla ratio of 51, we calculated that phytoplankton biomass constitutes about one third of seston carbon under most circumstances, but this fraction ranges from about 95% during phytoplankton blooms to less than 20% during spring periods of low phytoplankton biomass and high suspended sediment concentration. ?? 1987.

2008 Spawning Cisco Investigations in the Canadian Waters of Lake Superior

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yule, Daniel; Addison, Peter A.; Evrard, Lori M.; Cullis, Ken I.; Cholwek, Gary A.

2009-01-01

The Great Lakes Science Center of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) is working cooperatively with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR) on a threeyear study to develop standard procedures for acoustic and midwater trawl (AC-MT) assessments of spawning cisco Coregonus artedi that the OMNR can carry forward as a management activity. In year two (2008), we conducted an AC-MT survey of the northern shore from Nipigon Bay to Thunder Bay. Spawning-cisco (> 250 mm total length) densities were lowest near Nipigon Bay (<10/ha), moderate in and around Black Bay (15- 30/ha), and highest in Thunder Bay (118/ha). Rainbow smelt Osmerus mordax densities were highest in Nipigon (2,179/ha) and Black (3,219/ha) bays, and lowest in Thunder Bay (961/ha). We combined our AC-MT survey results with commercial catch records to estimate exploitation fractions of female cisco in Thunder Bay during the 2008 fishery at 4% for ages 1-5, 8.7% for ages 6-12, and 4.4% for ages ≥ 13. Lake Superior fishery managers recently recommended that annual exploitation of adult female lake cisco be kept below 10-15%. Recruitment of cisco since 2003 has been low and there is a strong probability the Thunder Bay stock will decline into the future. Using a simple population dynamics approach we estimated that if the current total allowable catch (TAC) quota is held constant, exploitation fractions could exceed 10% by 2010 and 15% by 2011. Our 2008 collections suggested the survey of Black Bay was likely conducted before all spawners had returned there to spawn. Our data also suggested that cisco collected in Black Bay and east of this site in mid-November may be from the same stock. During November 2009 we will attempt to get better definition of the area occupied by cisco around Black Bay and also determine when surveys should be conducted at this location.

The Formation of Laurentia: Evidence from Shear Wave Splitting and Seismic Tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liddell, M. V.; Bastow, I. D.; Gilligan, A.; Darbyshire, F. A.; Pugh, S.

2016-12-01

Earth conditions during the Precambrian, and their effect on plate tectonic processes during that era, are not fully understood; how the fast wave-speed cratonic roots, or keels, often found beneath these regions were formed is also debated. The geological record of northern Hudson Bay includes the 1.8Ga TransHudson Orogen (THO) terrane, a remnant of the Paleoproterozoic collision of the Archean Rae and Churchill domains that overlies one of Earth's largest cratonic keels. This region is thus an ideal natural laboratory for the study of Precambrian processes. We use broadband seismological data recorded at 65 stations in northern Hudson Bay to address questions regarding the manner and scale of plate deformation during Precambrian assembly of the region. To explore these questions, we conduct a study of mantle seismic anisotropy using SKS splitting. Our study constitutes the most complete shear wave splitting analysis of northern Canada to date utilising up to 11 years of data for some stations. Anisotropic fast directions (φ) and delay times (δt) are determined using a modified Silver and Chan (1991) method. In the Hudson Strait, φ directions parallel the THO, while the islands in northern Hudson Bay show changes in φ over length scales short enough to indicate lithospheric origin. Complex anisotropy patterns are observed in the central Rae craton and southern Baffin Island, suggesting multiple sources. Several possible sources of anisotropy are explored, including basal drag of the North American plate, mantle flow deflected by the Laurentian keel, and discontinuities associated with possible two-stage keel development P and S-wave relative arrival-time tomographic velocity models are also presented. Waveforms are aligned using the adaptive stacking routine of Rawlinson et al. (2004), and models are produced using the Fast Marching Tomography inversion code of Rawlinson et al. (2006). The THO is modeled as a low velocity feature relative to the neighbouring Archean cratons, corroborating previous studies that interpret Proterozoic under-thrusting of the Superior beneath southern Baffin Island (e.g. St. Onge et al., 2006). The interpretation of the mantle velocity structure and the SKS splitting results presented here contribute to a complex and ongoing story about the Precambrian assembly of Laurentia

Clams as CO2 generators: The Potamocorbula amurensis example in San Francisco Bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chauvaud, Laurent; Thompson, Janet K.; Cloern, James E.; Thouzeau, Gerard

2003-01-01

Respiration and calcium carbonate production by the invasive Asian clam, Potamocorbula amurensis, were calculated to assess their importance as CO2 sources in northern San Francisco Bay. Production, calculated using monthly population density and size structure measured at three sites over 7 yr and a shell length/CaCO3 conversion factor, averaged 221(±184)g CaCO3 m−2yr−1. Net calcium carbonate production by this exotic bivalve releases CO2 at a mean rate of 18(±17)g C m−2yr−1. Respiration by P. amurensis, estimated from secondary production, releases additional CO2 at a mean rate of 37(±34)g C m−2yr−1. Therefore, total net CO2 production by P. amurensis averages 55(±51)g C m−2yr−1 in an estuarine domain where net primary production consumes only 20g inorganic C m−2yr−1. CO2 production by P. amurensis in northern San Francisco Bay is an underestimate of the total CO2 supply from the calcified zoobenthic communities of San Francisco Bay, and results from other studies have suggested that this rate is not unusual for temperate estuaries. Global extrapolation yields a gross CO2 production rate in the world's estuaries of 1x1014g C yr−1, which suggests that calcified benthic organisms in estuaries generate CO2 equal in magnitude to the CO2 emissions from the world's lakes or from planetary volcanism (the net source is determined by the highly variable rate of CO2 consumption by carbonate dissolution). This biogenic CO2 source is increasing because of the continuing global translocation of mollusks and their successful colonization of new habitats.

Shallow-water habitat use by Bering Sea flatfishes along the central Alaska Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hurst, Thomas P.

2016-05-01

Flatfishes support a number of important fisheries in Alaskan waters and represent major pathways of energy flow through the ecosystem. Despite their economic and ecological importance, little is known about the use of habitat by juvenile flatfishes in the eastern Bering Sea. This study describes the habitat characteristics of juvenile flatfishes in coastal waters along the Alaska Peninsula and within the Port Moller-Herendeen Bay system, the largest marine embayment in the southern Bering Sea. The two most abundant species, northern rock sole and yellowfin sole, differed slightly in habitat use with the latter occupying slightly muddier substrates. Both were more common along the open coastline than they were within the bay, whereas juvenile Alaska plaice were more abundant within the bay than along the coast and used shallow waters with muddy, high organic content sediments. Juvenile Pacific halibut showed the greatest shift in distribution between age classes: age-0 fish were found in deeper waters (~ 30 m) along the coast, whereas older juveniles were found in the warmer, shallow waters within the bay, possibly due to increased thermal opportunities for growth in this temperature-sensitive species. Three other species, starry flounder, flathead sole, and arrowtooth flounder, were also present, but at much lower densities. In addition, the habitat use patterns of spring-spawning flatfishes (northern rock sole, Pacific halibut, and Alaska plaice) in this region appear to be strongly influenced by oceanographic processes that influence delivery of larvae to coastal habitats. Overall, use of the coastal embayment habitats appears to be less important to juvenile flatfishes in the Bering Sea than in the Gulf of Alaska.

Clams as CO2 generators: The Potamocorbula amurensis example in San Francisco Bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chauvaud, Laurent; Thompson, Janet K.; Cloern, James E.; Thouzeau, Gerard

2003-01-01

Respiration and calcium carbonate production by the invasive Asian clam, Potamocorbula amurensis, were calculated to assess their importance as CO2 sources in northern San Francisco Bay. Production, calculated using monthly population density and size structure measured at three sites over 7 yr and a shell length/CaCO3 conversion factor, averaged 221 (6184) g CaCO3 m22 yr21 . Net calcium carbonate production by this exotic bivalve releases CO2 at a mean rate of 18 (617) g C m22 yr21 . Respiration by P. amurensis, estimated from secondary production, releases additional CO2 at a mean rate of 37 (634) g C m22 yr21 . Therefore, total net CO2 production by P. amurensis averages 55 (651) g C m22 yr21 in an estuarine domain where net primary production consumes only 20 g inorganic C m22 yr21 . CO2 production by P. amurensis in northern San Francisco Bay is an underestimate of the total CO2 supply from the calcified zoobenthic communities of San Francisco Bay, and results from other studies have suggested that this rate is not unusual for temperate estuaries. Global extrapolation yields a gross CO2 production rate in the world’s estuaries of 1 3 1014 g C yr21 , which suggests that calcified benthic organisms in estuaries generate CO2 equal in magnitude to the CO2 emissions from the world’s lakes or from planetary volcanism (the net source is determined by the highly variable rate of CO2 consumption by carbonate dissolution). This biogenic CO2 source is increasing because of the continuing global translocation of mollusks and their successful colonization of new habitats.

Evaluating Aquatic Life Benefits of Reducing Nutrient Loading to Remediate Episodic and Diel Cycling Hypoxia in a Shallow Hypereutrophic Estuary

EPA Science Inventory

Theoretical linkages between excess nutrient loading, nutrient-enhanced community metabolism (i.e., production and respiration), and hypoxia in estuaries are well-understood. In seasonally-stratified estuaries and coastal systems (e.g., Chesapeake Bay, northern Gulf of Mexico), h...

KQED and Its Audience.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKay, Bruce

KQED is the community-supported, non-commercial public television station for the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California. A telephone survey was conducted to determine the size, composition, and general viewing patterns of the station's audience and to ascertain what programs were or were not popular. A total of 11,538 telephone interviews…

OBSERVATIONS OF PHYTOPLANKTON SIZE STRUCTURE, NUTRIENTS, VARIABLE FLOURESCENCE, AND ALGAL PHOSPHATASE ACTIVITY IN A GULF COAST ESTUARY

EPA Science Inventory

During 2001, phytoplankton dynamics, physiology, and related environmental conditions were studied in Santa Rosa Sound, Florida, USA, at near-weekly intervals. Santa Rosa Sound is a component of the Pensacola Bay system located in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Environmental parame...

SEAGRASS DISTRIBUTION IN THE PENSACOLA BAY SYSTEM, NORTHWEST FLORIDA

EPA Science Inventory

Seagrass coverage in the northern Gulf of Mexico has decreased 20 to 100% in many estuaries since the 1950s. As a result, determination of seagrass coverage and identification of the cause(s) of declines are priority research issues. Aerial surveys of seagrass coverage in the P...

REFINING KNOWLEDGE OF HYPOXIA DYNAMICS: THE INTERACTION OF PHYSICS AND BIOLOGY MX964240

EPA Science Inventory

The specific purpose of this proposal is to expand the coupled biological/physical data acquisition by instrumenting a moored platform in the Northern Gulf of Mexico close to the Mississippi River delta off the Barataria Bay estuary. Real-time monitors for dissolved oxygen, chlo...

Citizen scientists monitor a deadly fungus threatening amphibian communities in northern coastal California, USA

Treesearch

Karen L. Pope; Greta M. Wengert; Janet E. Foley; Donald T. Ashton; Richard G. Botzler

2016-01-01

Ecoclub youth and supervising family members conducted citizen science to assess regional prevalence and distribution of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) among amphibians at Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge) and Redwood National and State Parks (Parks), Humboldt County, California, US, May 2013 through December...

INDICATORS OF CHANGE IN MID-ATLANTIC WATERSHEDS, AND CONSEQUENCES IN UPPER CHESAPEAKE BAY

EPA Science Inventory

The rate of change of atmospheric temperature in the Northern Hemisphere in the past century relative to the preceding millennium strongly suggests that we are in a period of rapid global climate change. The mid-Atlantic region is quite sensitive to larger-scale climate variation...

Geology and coastal hazards in the northern Monterey Bay, California: field trip guidebook, November 4, 2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hapke, Cheryl

2000-01-01

The purpose of this field trip is to explore the relationships between local geology, coastal hazards, and human influences in the northern Monterey Bay, which is a tectonically active high wave energy coastal environment. Seacliffs, shore platforms, pocket beaches and a headland/embayment morphology characterize this rocky coastline. Many studies of the onshore and offshore geology and geophysics, the local wave climate, and the effects of large storm events and earthquakes on the coastline have been conducted in this region (see Related Reading section). This field trip summarizes many of the findings of these research investigations, and also considers the relationship between the rates and styles of seacliff erosion and the variations in the local geology. The field trip stops allow the participant to examine seacliff sites of different geological lithologies, geographic orientations, and varying protection from wave attack, and consider how these variables affect not only the rate or magnitude of seacliff retreat but also the styles of retreat. In general the two primary forcing factors in the retreat of seacliffs are marine and terrestrial processes. At the various field trip stops, the relative importance of these processes in shaping the coastline at that particular location will be explored. Where beaches have developed, whether naturally or by emplacement of man-made structures, field trip stops are designed to look at the occurrence of the beaches (why they exist where they do) and to understand the response of the beaches to large storm events. Finally, this trip focuses on the various coastline protection structures that have been built in the area, and their effectiveness in protecting development on the beaches or at the tops of the seacliffs. The first stop of the trip is the Long Marine Lab facility where the seacliffs are composed of the most resistant geological unit in the area, the Miocene Santa Cruz Mudstone. This stop also includes discussion of some of the interesting geological features associated with this part of the Bay, including the arches at Natural Bridges State Beach. The field trip stops are progressively east and south, moving into the inner Monterey Bay, as well as into the less resistant lithologies of the late Miocene to Pliocene Purisima Formation, and finally the Pleistocene Aromas Sand. The route will follow the coast wherever possible so participants can get a full perspective of the northern Monterey Bay coastline, even where stops have not been planned.

Geomorphic impact of the 16S 2015 tsunami event in the Coquimbo Bay (Northern Chile)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abad, Manuel; Izquierdo, Tatiana; Lock, Suan-lin; Rojas, Diego; Fritis, Eduardo

2017-04-01

On September 16, 2105 a Mw 8.3 earthquake occurred at 22:55 GTM with a focal depth of 23 km and an epicenter located 31.570°S, W 71.670°, in the Coquimbo Region (northern Chile). This event triggered a tsunami with wave heights of more than 6 m that caused damages and flooding in the northern Chilean coast, mainly in the cities of Tongoy and Coquimbo - La Serena. The vertical run-up shows an important saw-tooth like variation due to the sharp changes in the topography, specially towards both ends of the bay. The highest and more irregular values occurred in the South sector, that presents a higher topographic gradient, and progressively decrease towards the North were the topography is flatter. The horizontal flooding reached its maximum values in the bay fluvial valleys where the tsunami wave entered along the river channels. The waves, favored by the confining conditions, entered more than 950 m in the Elqui River mouth and almost 700 m in the Culebrón Stream. Coquimbo Bay comprises a wide and convex littoral zone of approximately 18 km long only interrupted by the mouths of the Elqui River and the Culebrón Stream where small saltmarshes have developed. According to the tide gauge data, the first wave reached the Coquimbo coast only 20 minutes after the earthquake with a maximum height of 0.85 m. 22 minutes later, a second wave arrived with a much higher height (4.3 m) causing the first damages on the littoral and the city. The last wave, the 4th one, occurred 35 minutes after the earthquake and was the highest reaching 4.68 m as well as the most damaging. Despite the existence of works that analyze the characteristics of this event, a more deep and thorough study is still needed of the tsunami geological record in the Coquimbo Bay where a wide variety of forms and deposits were preserved. The making of a geomorphological map has allowed us to differentiate the geological features related with the tsunamigenic event such as sand sheets and debris-boulder fields (tsunamites), littoral erosion scars developed on the saltmarshes, beaches and coastal dunes, erosive backwash channels, degraded wetlands, flooding lagoons or the appearance of new fluvial channels. This morpho-sedimentary assemblage, all together, has enabled us to characterize the conditions in which the tsunami occurred and to quantify it effects along this coastal zone as well their potential preservation.

Investigation of Colored Dissolved Organic Matter (CDOM) Optical Properties, Nutrients, and Salinity in Coastal Florida: Springshed to Estuaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arellano, Ana Rosa

Optical parameters measured via absorption spectroscopy and high-resolution fluorescence spectroscopy were used to characterize dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the springshed of Kings Bay, a spring-fed estuary located on Florida's Springs Coast. Over the past 40 years, springs supplying groundwater to Kings Bay have shown an increase in nitrate concentration. The overall goal of this project was to fingerprint wells and spring sites with elevated nitrogen concentrations using CDOM optical properties and establish relationships between nutrient and optical parameters. Samples were obtained from various sites: springs, Kings Bay surface (KBS), wells, coastal waters in and at the mouth of Crystal River (Coast) and lakes and rivers (LNR), during dry and wet seasons. The relationships between the environmental parameters and traditional optical parameters which provide insight into source characteristics were analyzed. Excitation emission matrix spectroscopy (EEMS) provided information about the concentration and chemical nature of organic matter in the study area. CDOM optical properties combined with salinity clearly separated the sources of fixed nitrogen in the Bay. Northern springs with elevated dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) concentration had lower salinities and showed a presence of protein peaks. CDOM concentration was negatively correlated with total nitrogen (TN) and DIN, which suggests that these are subjected to anthropogenic influences. Humic peaks dominated the composition of the southern springs. CDOM concentrations were much higher than in the northern springs and there was a positive correlation between CDOM and both TN and DIN. These findings suggest that the fixed nitrogen in the southern springs is naturally occurring organic matter and the low concentrations may partially be a result of subsurface mixing of saltwater and freshwater in the aquifer. Thus, hypothesis testing showed that there was a significant difference between northern and southern springs Hypothesis testing also showed that there is a significant and unexpected positive relationship between CDOM and salinity studying Kings Bay, which is due to the low CDOM concentration in the springs discharging fresh water. This unique dataset also determined that the intercept of the mixing line was significantly different form zero. This indicates that CDOM is present and detectable at very low concentrations. Parallel Factor Analysis (PARAFAC) was used to evaluate CDOM composition from excitation emission matrix spectra (EEMs) and five components were identified: two humic, two marine humic, and one protein-like. The marine-like components, peak M, were produced in the marine environment and in meteoric groundwater. The study found a unique groundwater marker for coastal regions. Northern Kings Bay sites were characterized by a protein-like component, which has been associated with wastewater. Additional optical and environmental parameters were used in discriminate analysis, which successfully identified the CDOM markers for both natural and anthropogenic sources of nutrients in the environment. It is vital to improve the analysis of water, nutrients, and carbon from groundwater discharge into the coastal zone. Elevated DIN concentrations in groundwater are a widespread problem in Florida and over the past 30 years many spring waters have shown an increase in DIN concentrations. Nutrient discharge into delicate coastal areas can lead to ecological concerns. Investigating CDOM and nutrient distribution together can be a beneficial tool that can help differentiate sources from riverine/lacustrine, estuarine, marine, groundwater, and sewage impacted categories.

Uranium from Seawater Marine Testing Program at the University of Miami’s Broad Key Island Research Station

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gill, Gary A.; Kuo, Li-Jung; Strivens, Jonathan E.

Marine testing at Broad Key Island (BKI), Florida was conducted to validate adsorption capacity and adsorption kinetics results obtained for several formulations of the ORNL amidoxime-based polymeric adsorbents in Sequim Bay, Washington in another location with different oceanographic and water quality conditions (e.g. temperature, dissolved organic carbon, salinity and trace element content). Broad Key is a small island off the southeast coast of Florida at the southern end of Biscayne Bay. Flow-through column and recirculating flume experiments were conducted at BKI using ambient filtered seawater and identical exposure systems as were used at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s (PNNL) Marinemore » Sciences laboratory (MSL). Testing was conducted in two periods in FY 2015 and FY 2016 with five different amidoxime-based adsorbent materials, four produced by ORNL (AF1, AI8, AF8, and AF1-DMSO) and one by LCW technologies (LCW-10). All exposures were conducted at ambient seawater temperatures, with moderate temperature control on the ambient seawater to mitigate large daily swings in the seawater temperature. The ORNL adsorbents AF1, AI8 and AF1-AO-DMSO all had fairly similar adsorption capacities (6.0 to 6.6 g U/ kg adsorbent) after 56 days of exposure at ambient temperature (26 to 31 °C) and salinity (35.7 to 37.4), but the AF8 adsorbent was considerably lower at 4.4 g U/kg adsorbent. All the adsorbents tested at BKI had higher capacities than was observed at PNNL, with the higher temperatures likely a major factor contributing to this difference. In general, the elemental distribution (expressed as a relative percentage) on all the adsorbents agreed well, including good agreement with the elemental distribution pattern for AF1 adsorbent exposed at PNNL. The most notable exception to a uniform elemental distributional pattern across the various adsorbents occurs with vanadium. The relative mass percentage for vanadium retained by the adsorbents ranged from a minimum of 13% for the AF8 formulation to a maximum of 29% for the AI8 formulation. All the V/U mass ratios at BKI are lower than observed for the AF1 adsorbent at PNNL (3.0). Temperature likely plays a significant role in the V/U mass ratio difference between BKI and PNNL. Because uranium has a higher adsorption capacity at higher temperatures, one would expect that warmer exposures would favor a lower V/U mass ratio, which could explain why the V/U mass ratio for the PNNL exposures are higher than observed for the BKI exposures. Marine Testing at BKI offers the opportunity to test adsorbent performance under warmer ambient and more saline conditions than exist at the marine test site on Sequim Bay. This is particularly important since the amidoxime-based adsorbents respond strongly to temperature. In addition, since salinities are about 15% higher at BKI compared to Sequim Bay (36 vs. 31), uranium adsorption capacities are about 15% higher at the BKI site compared to Sequim Bay.« less

Vertical Structure of Aerosols and Mineral Dust Over the Bay of Bengal From Multisatellite Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lakshmi, N. B.; Nair, Vijayakumar S.; Suresh Babu, S.

2017-12-01

The vertical distribution of aerosol and dust extinction coefficient over the Bay of Bengal is examined using the satellite observations (Cloud Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)) for the period from 2006 to 2017. Distinct seasonal pattern is observed in the vertical structure of both aerosol and dust over the Bay of Bengal with an enhancement of 24% in the aerosol extinction above 1 km from winter (December, January and February) to premonsoon (March, April, and May). Significant contribution of dust is observed over the northern Bay of Bengal during premonsoon season where 22% of the total aerosol extinction is contributed by dust aerosols transported from the nearby continental regions. During winter, dust transport is found to be less significant with fractional contribution of 10%-13% to the total aerosol optical depth over the Bay of Bengal. MODIS-derived dust fraction (fine mode based) shows an overestimation up to twofold compared to CALIOP dust fraction (depolarization based), whereas the Goddard Chemistry Aerosol Radiation and Transport-simulated dust fraction underestimates the satellite-derived dust fractions over the Bay of Bengal. Though the long-term variation in dust aerosol showed a decreasing trend over the Bay of Bengal, the confidence level is insufficient in establishing the robustness of the observed trend. However, significant dust-induced heating is observed above the boundary layer during premonsoon season. This dust-induced elevated heating can affect the convection over the Bay of Bengal which will have implication on the monsoon dynamics over the Indian region.

Three-dimensional hydrodynamic modelling study of reverse estuarine circulation: Kuwait Bay.

PubMed

Alosairi, Y; Pokavanich, T; Alsulaiman, N

2018-02-01

Hydrodynamics and associated environmental processes have always been of major concern to coastal-dependent countries, such as Kuwait. This is due to the environmental impact that accompanies the economic and commercial activities along the coastal areas. In the current study, a three-dimensional numerical model is utilized to unveil the main dynamic and physical properties of Kuwait Bay during the critical season. The model performance over the summer months (June, July and August 2012) is assessed against comprehensive field measurements of water levels, velocity, temperature and salinity data before using the model to describe the circulation as driven by tides, gravitational convection and winds. The results showed that the baroclinic conditions in the Bay are mainly determined by the horizontal salinity gradient and to much less extent temperature gradient. The gradients stretched over the southern coast of the Bay where dense water is found at the inner and enclosed areas, while relatively lighter waters are found near the mouth of the Bay. This gradient imposed a reversed estuarine circulation at the main axis of the Bay, particularly during neap tides when landward flow near the surface and seaward flow near the bed are most evident. The results also revealed that the shallow areas, including Sulaibikhat and Jahra Bays, are well mixed and generally flow in the counter-clockwise direction. Clockwise circulations dominated the northern portion of the Bay, forming a sort of large eddy, while turbulent fields associated with tidal currents were localized near the headlands. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact of coastal processes on resource development with an example from Icy Bay, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Molnia, Bruce F.

1978-01-01

The coastline of Alaska is dynamic and continually readjusting to changes in the many processes that operate in the coastal zone. Because of this dynamic nature, special consideration must be made in planning for development, and. caution must be exercised in site selection for facilities to be emplaced in the coastal zone. All types of coastal processes from continuously active normal processes to the low frequency-high intensity rare event must be considered. Site-specific evaluation-s considering the broad range of possible processes must precede initiation of development. An example of the relation between coastal processes and a proposed resource treatment facility is presented for Icy Bay, Alaska. Icy Bay is the only sheltered bay near many of the offshore tracts leased for petroleum exploration in the 1976 northern Gulf of Alaska OCS (Outer Continental Shelf) lease sale. Consequently, it has been selected as a primary onshore staging site for the support of offshore exploration and development. The environment of Icy Bay has many potentially hazardous features, including a submarine moraine at the bay mouth and actively calving glaciers at the bay's head which produce many icebergs. But most significant from the point of view of locating onshore facilities and pipeline corridors are the high rates of shoreline erosion and sediment deposition. If pipelines or any onshore staging facilities are to be placed in the coastal areas of Icy Bay, then the dynamic changes in shoreline position must be considered so that man-made structures will not be eroded away or be silted in before the completion of development.

Fires Down Under

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

This true-color image was taken over northern Australia on October 2, 2000, by the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), flying aboard NASA's Terra spacecraft. There are roughly a dozen wildfires visible in the scene, which spans from Western Australia , across the Northern Territory, and into Queensland. In this image, clouds appear bright white and smoke plume appear darker and greyish. The pixels containing the wildfires are colored red (hot) and yellow (hotter). There are quite a few large burn scars from previous wildfires, which appear as black splotches across the landscape. The large bay along northern shore is the Gulf of Carpentaria (visible in the full size image), which is roughly 400 miles (about 640 km) wide. Image by Brian Montgomery and Robert Simmon; Data courtesy MODIS Science Team, NASA GSFC

River capture and sediment redistribution in northern Tunisia: The doom of Utica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Booth-Rea, Guillermo; Camafort, Miquel; Pérez-Peña, J. Vicente; Melki, Fetheddine; Ranero, César; Azañón, José Miguel; Gracia, Eulalia; Ouadday, Mohamed

2016-04-01

Utica was a flourishing port city in northern Tunisia since the Phoenician times, 12-9th century B.C., until the 4th century A.D.. However, at present it is located 10 km from the coastline after very fast late Holocene progradation of the Mejerda River delta into the bay of Utica. This fast delta progradation occurred after Mejerda River captured Tine River increasing 140 % the river catchment area. Charcoal fragments present in the youngest Tine river terrace at the wind gap give a conventional radiocarbon age of 3240 +/- 30yr BP, indicating that the capture occurred after this date. Quaternary fluvial terraces located in the Tine River paleovalley have been folded and uplifted above a fold related to the active El Alia Tebousouk reverse fault (ETF). Continued uplift of the Tine River valley above the ETF favoured headward erosion of the Medjerda river tributaries creating a transverse drainage that captured Tine River. This capture produced an important change in sediment discharge along the northern Tunisia coast driving sediments to the Gulf of Tunis instead of feeding the Tyrrhenian Sea through the Ichkeul and Bizerte lakes. Although anthropogenic derived degradation of northern Tunisia land for agricultural purposes probably influenced the increase in sediment into the Utica bay, the main cause of rapid progradation of the Medjerda River delta during the late Holocene is related to its increase in drainage area after capturing the Tine River. This process was mostly driven by local contractive tectonics linked to the seismogenic Alia Tebousouk reverse fault.

Hydrogeology and geochemistry of aquifers underlying the San Lorenzo and San Leandro areas of the East Bay Plain, Alameda County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Izbicki, John A.; Borchers, James W.; Leighton, David A.; Kulongoski, Justin T.; Fields, Latoya; Galloway, Devin L.; Michel, Robert L.

2003-01-01

The East Bay Plain, on the densely populated eastern shore of San Francisco Bay, contains an upper aquifer system to depths of 250 feet below land surface and an underlying lower aquifer system to depths of more than 650 feet. Injection and recovery of imported water has been proposed for deep aquifers at two sites within the lower aquifer system. Successful operation requires that the injected water be isolated from surface sources of poor-quality water during storage and recovery. Hydraulic, geochemical, and isotopic data were used to evaluate the isolation of deeper aquifers. Ground-water responses to tidal changes in the Bay suggest that thick clay layers present within these deposits effectively isolate the deeper aquifers in the northern part of the study area from overlying surficial deposits. These data also suggest that the areal extent of the shallow and deep aquifers beneath the Bay may be limited in the northern part of the study area. Despite its apparent hydraulic isolation, the lower aquifer system may be connected to the overlying upper aquifer system through the corroded and failed casings of abandoned wells. Water-level measurements in observation wells and downward flow measured in selected wells during nonpumped conditions suggest that water may flow through wells from the upper aquifer system into the lower aquifer system during nonpumped conditions. The chemistry of water from wells in the East Bay Plain ranges from fresh to saline; salinity is greater than seawater in shallow estuarine deposits near the Bay. Water from wells completed in the lower aquifer system has higher pH, higher sodium, chloride, and manganese concentrations, and lower calcium concentrations and alkalinity than does water from wells completed in the overlying upper aquifer system. Ground-water recharge temperatures derived from noble-gas data indicate that highly focused recharge processes from infiltration of winter streamflow and more diffuse recharge processes from infiltration of precipitation occur within the study area. However, recharge of imported water from leaking water-supply pipes, believed by previous investigators to be a large source of ground-water recharge, was not supported on the basis of oxygen-18 and deuterium data collected as part of this study. Based on tritium/helium-3 ages, most water in the upper aquifer system is relatively young and was recharged after 1952; however, water in the lower aquifer system is older and does not contain detectable tritium. Carbon-14 ages interpreted for water from wells in the lower aquifer system and underlying partly consolidated rocks range from 500 to more than 20,000 years before present. The greatest ages were in water from wells completed in the partly consolidated deposits that underlie the northern part of the study area. Ground water from wells in the lower aquifer system near the proposed Bayside injection/recovery site was recharged about 9,400 years before present and appears to be isolated from surface sources of recharge and ground-water contamination.

Geology and geochemistry of volcanic centers within the eastern half of the Sonoma volcanic field, northern San Francisco Bay region, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sweetkind, Donald S.; Rytuba, James J.; Langenheim, V.E.; Fleck, Robert J.

2011-01-01

The volcanic fields in the California Coast Ranges north of San Francisco Bay are temporally and spatially associated with the northward migration of the Mendocino triple junction and the transition from subduction and associated arc volcanism to a slab window tectonic environment. Our geochemical analyses from the Sonoma volcanic field highlight the geochemical diversity of these volcanic rocks, allowing us to clearly distinguish these volcanic rocks from those of the roughly coeval ancestral Cascades magmatic arc to the west, and also to compare rocks of the Sonoma volcanic field to rocks from other slab window settings.

Temporal variations in the benthic communities at four intertidal sites in San Francisco Bay, California, 1983-85

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hopkins, D.R.

1987-01-01

Benthic core samples were collected monthly from January 1983 through January 1985 at four intertidal sites in San Francisco Bay, California, two in the northern part of the bay (North Bay) and two in the southern part of the bay (South Bay). Considerable variation was observed in numbers of species and individuals at the four sites, and abundances within species varied widely. Temporal changes in species abundances appeared to be related to freshwater inflow patterns and resultant salinity variations in the estuary. The 1982-83 winter season was extremely wet, with heavy freshwater inflow to the bay from January through March, whereas the 1983-84 winter was closer to a normal pattern, with most rainfall occurring from November through January. Species were grouped into four categories depending on their patterns of abundance during the 2-yr period. Species that showed an abundance peak in the North Bay in 1983 only were Corophium sp.B and a Chironomidae larva, apparently responding to the extended period of lowered salinity throughout spring and early summer. Species with an abundance peak only in 1984 included Corophium Acherusicum, Eteone californica, Nereis succinea, and Grandidierella japonica, typical estuarine species that might have been suppressed during the extended freshwater inflows in 1983. Species with peaks in both years were Gemma gemma and Ampelisca abdita in the South Bay; both showed strong seasonal variations. A number of species in both North and South Bays, including dominant members of the intertidal community such as Macoma balthical and Streblospio benedicti, did not show any consistent seasonal or year-to-year trends. Results of this study suggest that the intensity and timing of freshwater inflow to San Francisco Bay, particularly higher-than-normal inflow during late spring and early summer, may be an important factor in determining the composition of the intertidal benthic communities. (Author 's abstract)

Mechanisms of sediment flux between shallows and marshes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lacy, Jessica R.; Schile, L.M.; Callaway, J.C.; Ferner, M.C.

2015-01-01

We conducted a field study to investigate temporal variation and forcing mechanisms of sediment flux between a salt marsh and adjacent shallows in northern San Francisco Bay. Suspended-sediment concentration (SSC), tidal currents, and wave properties were measured over the marsh, in marsh creeks, and in bay shallows. Cumulative sediment flux in the marsh creeks was bayward during the study, and was dominated by large bayward flux during the largest tides of the year. This result was unexpected because extreme high tides with long inundation periods are commonly assumed to supply sediment to marshes, and long-term accretion estimates show that the marsh in the study site is depositional. A water mass-balance shows that some landward transport bypassed the creeks, most likely across the marsh-bay interface. An estimate of transport by this pathway based on observed SSC and inferred volume indicates that it was likely much less than the observed export.

Ionic strength and DOC determinations from various freshwater sources to the San Francisco Bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hunter, Y.R.; Kuwabara, J.S.

1994-01-01

An exact estimation of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) within the salinity gradient of zinc and copper metals is significant in understanding the limit to which DOC could influence metal speciation. A low-temperature persulfate/oxygen/ultraviolet wet oxidation procedure was utilized for analyzing DOC samples adapted for ionic strength from major freshwater sources of the northern and southern regions of San Francisco Bay. The ionic strength of samples was modified with a chemically defined seawater medium up to 0.7M. Based on the results, a minimum effect of ionic strength on oxidation proficiency for DOC sources to the Bay over an ionic strength gradient of 0.0 to 0.7 M was observed. There was no major impacts of ionic strength on two Suwanee River fulvic acids. In general, the noted effects associated with ionic strength were smaller than the variances seen in the aquatic environment between high- and low-temperature methods.

Variations in sediment texture on the northern Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary continental shelf

USGS Publications Warehouse

Edwards, B.D.

2002-01-01

The storm-protected continental shelf of Monterey Bay, part of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, north-central California, is subject to abundant, episodic sediment input from fluvial sources. North of Monterey Bay, conditions of reduced sediment supply combined with the exposed nature of the shelf provide an effective laboratory for studying the contrasting effects of storm- versus fluvial-dominated conditions on modern sedimentation. Textural analyses performed on surface sediment samples collected from more than 380 box cores and MultiCores??? document the existence of a clearly defined mud belt occupying the mid-shelf throughout the region. Inshore sands combined with these mid-shelf muds represent deposits from modern sedimentation processes. In Monterey Bay, where episodic fluvial input from winter storms dominates sedimentation, the mid-shelf mud belt extends across the shelf to the shelf break. North of Monterey Bay, where sediment loads are reduced and both oceanographic and storm processes dominate, the mid-shelf mud belt is bordered by relict sediments occupying the outer shelf. In the study area, mass accumulation rates established by radiochemical studies support the contention that storm-induced along-shelf processes result in northward transport of sediment within the mud belt. The continuity of transport, however, is interrupted by topographic highs which are barriers or inhibitors to sediment transport created by wrench-style tectonics associated with the San Andreas fault system.

The areal extent of brown shrimp habitat suitability in Mobile Bay, Alabama, USA: Targeting vegetated habitat restoration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, L.M.; Nestlerode, J.A.; Harwell, L.C.; Bourgeois, P.

2010-01-01

The availability of wetlands and shallow water habitats significantly influences Gulf of Mexico (GOM) penaeid shrimp fishery productivity. However, the GOM region has the highest rate of wetland loss in the USA. Protection and management of these vital GOM habitats are critical to sustainable shrimp fisheries. Brown shrimp (Farfantepenaeus aztecus) are a major component of GOM fisheries. We present an approach for estimating the areal extent of suitable habitat for post-larval and juvenile brown shrimp in Mobile Bay, Alabama, using an existing habitat suitability index model for the northern GOM calculated from probabilistic survey of water quality and sediment data, land cover data, and submerged aquatic vegetation coverages. This estuarine scale approach is intended to support targeted protection and restoration of these habitats. These analyses indicate that approximately 60% of the area of Mobile Bay is categorized as suitable to near optimal for post-larval and juvenile shrimp and 38% of the area is marginally to minimally suitable. We identify potential units within Mobile Bay for targeted restoration to improve habitat suitability. ?? 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Urban rivers as conveyors of hydrocarbons to sediments of estuarine areas: source characterization, flow rates and mass accumulation.

PubMed

Mauad, Cristiane R; Wagener, Angela de L R; Massone, Carlos G; Aniceto, Mayara da S; Lazzari, Letícia; Carreira, Renato S; Farias, Cássia de O

2015-02-15

Aliphatic (n-C12-n-C40, unresolved complex mixture, resolved peaks) and aromatic hydrocarbons (46 PAH) were investigated in suspended particulate matter (SPM) sampled over eleven months in six of the major rivers and two channels of the Guanabara Bay Basin. PAH flow rates of the most contaminated rivers, the contribution to the PAH sediment load of the receiving bay, and the main sources of hydrocarbons were determined. PAH (38) ranged from 28 ng L(-1) to 11,514 ng L(-1). Hydrocarbon typology and statistical evaluation demonstrated contribution of distinct sources in different regions and allowed quantification of these contributions. Total flow rate for the five major rivers amounts to 3 t year(-1) and responds for 30% of the total PAH annual input into the northern area of the Guanabara Bay. For the first time PAH mass deposited in the bay sediments has been estimated and shall serve as base for decision making and source abatement. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A screening level probabilistic ecological risk assessment of PAHs in sediments of San Francisco Bay

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Febbo, E.J.; Arnold, W.R.; Biddinger, G.R.

1995-12-31

As part of the Regional Monitoring Program administered by the San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI), sediment samples were collected at 20 stations in San Francisco Bay and analyzed to determine concentrations of 43 PAHs. These data were obtained from SFEI and used to calculate the potential risk to aquatic organisms using probabilistic modeling and Monte Carlo statistical procedures. Sediment chemistry data were used in conjunction with a sediment equilibrium model, a bioconcentration model, biota-sediment accumulation factors, and critical body burden effects concentrations to assess potential risk to bivalves. Bivalves were the chosen receptors because they lack a well-developed enzymatic systemmore » for metabolizing PAHs. Thus, they more readily accumulate PAHs and represent a species at greater risk than other taxa, such as fish and crustaceans. PAHs considered in this study span a broad range of octanol-water partition coefficients. Results indicate that risk of non-polar narcotic effects from PAHs was low in the Northern Bay Area, but higher in the South Bay near the more urbanized sections of the drainage basin.« less

Sediment sources and their contribution along northern coast of the South China Sea: Evidence from clay minerals of surface sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jianguo; Yan, Wen; Chen, Zhong; Lu, Jun

2012-09-01

Clay minerals of surface sediment samples from nine bays/harbors along northern coast of the South China Sea (SCS) are used for sediment sources and contribution estimation in the study areas. Results reveal that sediments in the study bays/harbors seem to be a mixture of sediments from the Pearl, Hanjiang River and local islands/rivers, but their clay mineral assemblage is distinct from that of Luzon and Taiwan sediments, indicating that sediments are derived mainly from the neighboring sources through riverine input and partly from localized sediments. Due to input of local sediments in the northern SCS, sediments from both east of the Leizhou Peninsula (Area IV) and next to the Pearl River estuary (PRE, Area II) have high smectite percent. Affected by riverine input of the Pearl and Hanjiang Rivers, sediments in west of the PRE (Area III) and east of the PRE (Area I) have high illite (average 47%) and kaolinite (54%) percents, respectively. Sediment contributions of various major sources to the study areas are estimated as the following: (1) the Hanjiang River provide 95% and 84% sediments in Areas I and II, respectively, (2) the Pearl River supply 79% and 29% sediments in Areas III and IV, respectively and (3) local sediments contribute the rest and reach the maximum (˜71%) in Area IV.

Immunological discrimination of Atlantic striped bass stocks

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schill, W.B.; Dorazio, R.M.

1990-01-01

Stocks of Atlantic striped bass Morone saxatilis that were assumed to be geographically isolated during spawning showed strong antigenic differences in blood serum albumin. A discriminant function was estimated from the immunologic responses of northern (Canadian and Hudson River) and southern (Chesapeake Bay and Roanoke River) stocks to two reference antisera. The function correctly classified 92% of the northern and 95% of the southern fish in the training set. Cross-validation revealed similar percentages of correct classification for fish that were of known origin but not used to estimate the discriminant function. Monte Carlo experiments were used to evaluate the ability of the discriminant function to predict the relative contribution of northern fish in samples of various size and stock composition. Averages of predicted proportions of northern fish in the samples agreed well with actual proportions. Coefficients of variation (100 × SD/mean) in the predicted proportions ranged from 1.5 to 36% for samples of 50–400 fish that contained at least 10% northern stock. In samples that contained only 2% northern stock, however, at least 1,600 fish were required to achieve similar levels of precision.

PHYTOPLANKTON DYNAMICS IN A GULF OF MEXICO ESTUARY: TIME SERIES OF SIZE STRUCTURE, NUTRIENTS, VARIABLE FLUORESCENCE AND ALGAL PHOSPHATASE ACTIVITY

EPA Science Inventory

Relationships between phytoplankton dynamics and physiology, and environmental conditions were studied in Santa Rosa Sound, Florida, USA, at near-weekly intervals during 2001. Santa Rosa Sound is a component of the Pensacola Bay estuary in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Parameters ...

TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL VARIATION IN PLASMA THYROXINE (T4) CONCENTRATIONS IN JUVENILE ALLIGATORS COLLECTED FROM LAKE OKEECHOBEE AND THE NORTHERN EVERGLADES, FLORIDA, USA

EPA Science Inventory

We examined variation in plasma thyroxine (T4) in juvenile American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) collected from three sites within the Kissimmee River drainage basin (FL, USA). Based on historical sediment data, Moonshine Bay served as the low contaminant exposure site...

Environmental Assessment: Mid-Bay Bridge Connector

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-11-01

Wood Duck Aix sponsa Pine Barrens Tree Frog Hyla andersonii Northern Bobwhite Colinus virginianus Red -winged Blackbird Agelaius phoenicius...Megaceryle alcyon Feral Pig Sus scrofa Eastern Mole Scalopus aquaticus Red shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus Salt Marsh Rabbit Sylvilagus...include: the Red -cockaded Woodpecker (RCW), bald eagle, piping plover, Okaloosa darter, Gulf sturgeon, flatwoods salamander, Eastern indigo snake

INDICATORS OF CHANGE IN THE MID-ATLANTIC WATERSHEDS AND CONSEQUENCES OF CLIMATE IN UPPER CHESAPEAKE BAY

EPA Science Inventory

The rate of change in Northern Hemisphere atmospheric temperature in the past century relative to the preceding millennium strongly suggests that we are in a period of rapid global climate change. The mid-Atlantic region is quite sensitive to larger scale climate variation, which...

Oxygenation variability off Northern Chile during the last two centuries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Díaz-Ochoa, J. A.; Pantoja, S.; de Lange, G. J.; Lange, C. B.; Sánchez, G. E.; Acuña, V. R.; Muñoz, P.; Vargas, G.

2010-07-01

The Peru Chile Current ecosystem is characterized by high biological productivity and important fisheries. Although this system is likely to be severely affected by climate change, its response to current global warming is still uncertain. In this paper we analyze 10-166 year old sediments in two cores collected in Mejillones Bay, an anoxic sedimentary setting favorable for preservation of proxies. Based on a 166 year chronology we used indicators of bottom water oxygenation proxies (Mo, V, S, and the (lycopane+n-C35)/n-C31) ratio) and surface water productivity (biogenic opal, counts of diatom valves, biogenic Ba, organic carbon and chlorins) to reconstruct environmental variations in Mejillones Bay. We find that at decadal scales, and during the last two centuries, a shift in the coastal marine ecosystem off Northern Chile took place which was characterized by intense ENSO-like activity and large fluctuations in biological export productivity, in bottom water oxygenation, and increased eolic activity (inferred from Ti/Al and Zr/Al). On top of this short-term variability, a gradual increase of sulfidic conditions has occurred being even more intensified since the early 1960s.

Trace metal pollution and carbon and nitrogen isotope tracing through the Yongdingxin River estuary in Bohai Bay, Northern China.

PubMed

Sun, Conghui; Wei, Qi; Ma, Lixia; Li, Li; Wu, Guanghong; Pan, Ling

2017-02-15

A tide gate was built in 2010 to prevent seawater from moving upstream into the Yongdingxin River estuary in Bohai Bay, Northern China. We analysed the concentrations of Hg, Cd, Pb, TOC, TN, δ 13 C and δ 15 N and studied their variations in the surface layer and vertical profiles of sediment cores collected from the Yongdingxin River estuary. Contamination factors and geo-accumulation indices were calculated for each metal, which revealed high levels of contamination for Hg and Cd in the sediments, likely from anthropogenic sources. δ 13 C and δ 15 N were used as natural tracers to determine the sources of TOC and TN. The results revealed that sewage was the main source of TOC, while TN may have more than one source in the Yongdingxin River estuary. Sewage dominated trace metal pollution in the Yongdingxin River estuary. Our results provide a baseline for trace metal contamination in an estuary facing a large water project. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Views of the Sea Floor in Northern Monterey Bay, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Storlazzi, Curt D.; Golden, Nadine E.; Finlayson, David P.

2008-01-01

A sonar survey that produced unprecedented high-resolution images of the sea floor in northern Monterey Bay was conducted in 2005 and 2006. The survey, performed over 14 days by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), consisted of 172 tracklines and over 300 million soundings and covered an area of 12.2 km2 (4.7 mi2). The goals of this survey were to collect high-resolution bathymetry (depth to the sea floor) and acoustic backscatter data (amount of sound energy bounced back from the sea floor, which provides information on sea-floor hardness and texture) from the inner continental shelf. These data will provide a baseline for future change analyses, geologic mapping, sediment- and contaminant-transport studies, benthic-habitat delineation, and numerical modeling efforts. The survey shows that the inner shelf in this area is extremely varied in nature, encompassing flat sandy areas, faults, boulder fields, and complex bedrock ridges that support rich marine ecosystems. Furthermore, many of these complex bedrock ridges form the ?reefs? that result in a number of California?s classic surf breaks.

Concentration of Antifouling Biocides and Metals in Sediment Core Samples in the Northern Part of Hiroshima Bay

PubMed Central

Tsunemasa, Noritaka; Yamazaki, Hideo

2014-01-01

Accumulation of Ot alternative antifoulants in sediment is the focus of this research. Much research had been done on surface sediment, but in this report, the accumulation in the sediment core was studied. The Ot alternative antifoulants, Diuron, Sea-Nine211, and Irgarol 1051, and the latter’s degradation product, M1, were investigated in five samples from the northern part of Hiroshima Bay. Ot compounds (tributyltin (TBT) and triphenyltin (TPT)) were also investigated for comparison. In addition, metal (Pb, Cu, Zn, Fe and Mn) levels and chronology were measured to better understand what happens after accumulation on the sea floor. It was discovered that Ot alternative antifoulant accumulation characteristics in sediment were like Ot compounds, with the concentration in the sediment core being much higher than surface sediment. The concentration in sediment seems to have been affected by the regulation of Ot compounds in 1990, due to the concentration of Ot alternative antifoulants and Ot compounds at the survey point in front of the dock, showing an increase from almost the same layer after the regulation. PMID:24901529

Surface Water pCO2 Variations and Sea-Air CO2 Fluxes During Summer in the Eastern Canadian Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burgers, T. M.; Miller, L. A.; Thomas, H.; Else, B. G. T.; Gosselin, M.; Papakyriakou, T.

2017-12-01

Based on a 2 year data set, the eastern Canadian Arctic Archipelago and Baffin Bay appear to be a modest summertime sink of atmospheric CO2. We measured surface water CO2 partial pressure (pCO2), salinity, and temperature throughout northern Baffin Bay, Nares Strait, and Lancaster Sound from the CCGS Amundsen during its 2013 and 2014 summer cruises. Surface water pCO2 displayed considerable variability (144-364 μatm) but never exceeded atmospheric concentrations, and average calculated CO2 fluxes in 2013 and 2014 were -12 and -3 mmol C m-2 d-1 (into the ocean), respectively. Ancillary measurements of chlorophyll a reveal low summertime productivity in surface waters. Based on total alkalinity and stable oxygen isotopes (δ18O) data, a strong riverine signal in northern Nares Strait coincided with relatively high surface pCO2, whereas areas of sea-ice melt occur with low surface pCO2. Further assessments, extending the seasonal observation period, are needed to properly constrain both seasonal and annual CO2 fluxes in this region.

Strap-Down Inertial Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-05-01

navigation computer (SNC), sepa- rate alterable memory units for the computer, a control /display unit (CDU), a computer control unit (CCU), and a non ...AND SYSTEM Advisory Group for Aerospace Research and Development, Paris (France). Presented at the 15th Meeting of the Guidance and Control Panel of... Group , Redondo Beach, Calif.) American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Guidance and Control Conference, Key Biscayne, Fla., August 20-22

Variation of Strom Surge Propagation in a Shallow Estuary with Sea Level Rise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herrington, T. O., Jr.; Blumberg, A. F.

2014-12-01

Hurricane Sandy made landfall along the New Jersey coast at 8pm EDT on October 29th, 2012. At landfall wind gusts of between 129 and 145 km/hr were recorded in New York and New Jersey. The large wind field associated with the storm generated an extreme storm surge north of the eye at landfall resulting in high-velocity overland storm surge along the northern barrier Islands of the Barnegat Bay followed 7 hours later by a rapid rise in water level along the bayside of the barrier islands. A high-resolution, hydrodynamic model for the Barnegat Bay estuary; including its vast intertidal areas, has been developed and validated to simulate the observed Sandy storm surge. The Barnegat Bay Inundation Model (BBIMS) has a constant 100m resolution and is nested within the three dimensional Stevens NYHOPS ocean circulation model at its offshore open boundary. Wetting and drying of land features in the model's external time step is as low as 0.1 sec in its 2D barotropic mode. This mode provides for the dynamic prediction of depth integrated flood elevations and velocities across land features during inundation events. The BBIMS was calibrated using the NYHOPS hindcast of Hurricane Sandy. The hindcast utilized Sandy over ocean wind field and atmospheric pressure data, offshore wave and tidal boundary forcing, atmospheric heat fluxes, interior stream flow data and was validated against observed water levels and measured high water marks. A comparison against 6 water level time series measured by USGS tide gauges located in the Barnegat Bay verified that the model is able to capture the spatial and temporal variation of water levels in the Bay observed during Hurricane Sandy. A comparison against the verified high water marks found that the model is capable of hincasting overland water elevation to within 0.63ft (one standard deviation) at 71% of the total water marks measured. The modeling results show that strong northerly winds along the axis of the estuary prior to landfall suppressed the storm surge in the northern portion of the Bay. A rapid shift in wind direction to southerly winds after landfall allowed the surge to propagate north up the estuary as a shallow water wave (Figure 1). The effect of future sea levels on surge propagation in the estuary is investigated through increases in model mean sea level.

Summer microbial community composition governed by upper-ocean stratification and nutrient availability in northern Marguerite Bay, Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rozema, Patrick D.; Biggs, Tristan; Sprong, Pim A. A.; Buma, Anita G. J.; Venables, Hugh J.; Evans, Claire; Meredith, Michael P.; Bolhuis, Henk

2017-05-01

The Western Antarctic Peninsula warmed significantly during the second half of the twentieth century, with a concurrent retreat of the majority of its glaciers, and marked changes in the sea-ice field. These changes may affect summertime upper-ocean stratification, and thereby the seasonal dynamics of phytoplankton and bacteria. In the present study, we examined coastal Antarctic microbial community dynamics by pigment analysis and applying molecular tools, and analysed various environmental parameters to identify the most important environmental drivers. Sampling focussed on the austral summer of 2009-2010 at the Rothera oceanographic and biological Time Series (RaTS) site in northern Marguerite bay, Antarctica. The Antarctic summer was characterized by a salinity decrease (measured at 15 m depth) coinciding with increased meteoric water fraction. Maximum Chl-a values of 35 μg l-1 were observed during midsummer and mainly comprised of diatoms. Microbial community fingerprinting revealed four distinct periods in phytoplankton succession during the summer while bacteria showed a delayed response to the phytoplankton community. Non-metric multidimensional scaling analyses showed that phytoplankton community dynamics were mainly directed by temperature, mixed layer depth and wind speed. Both high and low N/P ratios might have influenced phytoplankton biomass accumulation. The bacterioplankton community composition was mainly governed by Chl-a, suggesting a link to phytoplankton community changes. High-throughput 16S and 18S rRNA amplicon sequencing revealed stable eukaryotic and bacterial communities with regards to observed species, yet varying temporal relative contributions. Eukaryotic sequences were dominated by pennate diatoms in December followed by polar centric diatoms in January and February. Our results imply that the reduction of mixed layer depth during summer, caused by meltwater-related surface stratification, promotes a succession in diatoms rather than in nanophytoflagellates in northern Marguerite Bay, which may favour higher trophic levels.

Sensitivity of the Freshwater Plume to Winds in the Bay of Bengal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sandeep, K. K.; Pant, V.; Rao, A. D.

2016-12-01

The role of winds in determining the dispersal pattern of freshwater plume in the Bay of Bengal (BoB) is investigated by using a high resolution three dimensional Regional Ocean Modelling System (ROMS) with realistic coastline and bathymetry. In the Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal (BoB) receives substantial freshwater by excess precipitation over evaporation and river runoff. Major rivers like Ganges, Brahmaputra, Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Irrawaddy discharge freshwater volume in range between 1.5 x 1012 m3 and 1.83 x 1013 m3. About three-fourths of all riverine influx into the BoB occurs during the summer monsoon period from May until September. Multiple experiments are carried out with idealized winds replicating the seasonal wind patterns in the study region. Idealized winds of 8ms-1 with directions as southwesterly, southeasterly, northeasterly, and northerly used to force the model. Monthly climatology of river discharge from the seven major rivers in the domain are included by identifying their geographic locations. Model simulations show distinct behavioural patterns of the dispersal of riverine freshwater plumes in response to the direction of idealized winds. Comparison of different idealized experiments show the largest variability of the transport pathways in the northern BoB, where the largest freshwater volume is discharged through the rivers Ganges and Brahmaputra. Freshwater pool remains bounded to the northern-northeastern boundary of the BoB when forced with southwesterly winds, whereas the northeasterly winds produce a remarkable southward transport of freshwater along the east coast of India. These signatures of low salinity waters along the east coast of India have also been observed in observations during October-November. Further, the southeasterly winds produce strong mixing of low saline waters in the northern BoB. The northerly wind stress, however, limits the channelized flow of riverine freshwater either through the eastern or western boundary of the BoB.

Winter movements of four fish species near a thermal plume in northern Minnesota

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ross, M.J.; Winter, J.D.

1981-01-01

During winter 1975, 17 yellow perch (Perca flavescens), 6 northern pike (Esox lucius), 3 walleyes (Stizostedion vitreum), and 2 largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) were equipped with radio frequency transmitters to compare their winter movements near the thermal plume of a power plant. The mean home range sizes, in hectares, were northern pike 19.0; yellow perch 13.4; largemouth bass 3.7; walleye 2.2. Northern pike and yellow perch had mean home range sizes larger than the discharge area. Mean water depths at fish locations were as follows: largemouth bass 0.8 m; northern pike 1.2 m; yellow perch 1.6 m; walleye 3.5 m.more » Largemouth bass preferred the warmest locations near the discharge point. Yellow perch were most often located in the peripheral areas of the discharge bay while walleyes were most often located in the deeper center area. Northern pike moved over the entire discharge area. All species except largemouth bass moved freely between discharge-affected and unaltered waters. The average numbers of movements per individual per week between heated and unheated areas were the following: northern pike 0.8; yellow perch 1.2; walleye 1.1; largemouth bass, 0.« less

Nearshore circulation and water-column properties in the Skagit River Delta, northern Puget Sound, Washington: juvenile Chinook Salmon habitat availability in the Swinomish Channel

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grossman, Eric E.; Stevens, Andrew W.; Gelfenbaum, Guy; Curran, Christopher

2007-01-01

Time-series and spatial measurements of nearshore hydrodynamic processes and water properties were made in the Swinomish Channel to quantify the net direction and rates of surface water transport that influence habitat for juvenile Chinook salmon along their primary migratory corridor between the Skagit River and Padilla Bay in northern Puget Sound, Washington. During the spring outmigration of Skagit River Chinook between March and June 2007, currents measured with fixed acoustic doppler current profilers (ADCP) at the south and north end of the Swinomish Channel and with roving ADCP revealed that the currents are highly asymmetric with a dominant flow to the north (toward Padilla Bay). Maximum surface current velocities reached 1.5 m/s and were generally uniform across the channel near McGlinn Island Causeway. Transport times for surface water to travel the 11 km from the southern end of Swinomish Channel at McGlinn Island to Padilla Bay ranged from 2.1 hours to 5.5 days. The mean travel time was ~1 day, while 17 percent of the time, transport of water and passive particles occurred within 3.75 hours. Surface water in the Swinomish Channel during this time was generally very saline 20-27 psu, except south of the Rainbow Bridge in the town of La Conner where it ranged 0-15 psu depending on tide and Skagit River discharge. This salinity regime restricts suitable low salinity (

Sediment transport and development of banner banks and sandwaves in an extreme tidal system: Upper Bay of Fundy, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Michael Z.; Shaw, John; Todd, Brian J.; Kostylev, Vladimir E.; Wu, Yongsheng

2014-07-01

Multibeam sonar mapping and geophysical and geological groundtruth surveys were coupled with tidal current and sediment transport model calculations to investigate the sediment transport and formation processes of the complex seabed features off the Cape Split headland in the upper Bay of Fundy. The Cape Split banner bank, composed of coarse to very coarse sand, is a southwest-northeast oriented, large tear-drop shaped sand body with superimposed sand waves that show wavelengths from 15 to 525 m and heights from 0.5 to 19 m. Isolated and chains of barchan dunes occur on top of a shadow bank to the southeast of the banner bank. The barchan dunes are composed of well-sorted medium sand and are oriented northwest-southeast. Their mean height and width are 1.5 and 55 m, respectively. A gravel bank, with an elongated elliptical shape and west-east orientation, lies in the Minas Passage erosional trough east of the headland to form the counterpart to the sandy Cape Split banner bank. The southern face is featureless but the northern face is covered by gravel megaripples. Tidal model predictions and sediment transport calculations show that the formation of the banner bank and the gravel bank are due to the development of the transient counter-clockwise and clockwise tidal eddies respectively to the west and east of the headland. The formation of barchan dunes is controlled by the nearly unidirectional flow regime in outer Scots Bay. Sand waves on the flanks of the Cape Split banner bank show opposite asymmetry and the barchan dunes are asymmetric to the northeast. The tidal current and sediment transport predictions corroborate bedform asymmetry to show that sand wave migration and net sediment transport is to southwest on the northern flank of the banner bank but to northeast on the southern bank. Long-term migration of the Scots Bay barchan dunes is to the northeast. Spring-condition tidal currents can cause frequent mobilization and high-stage transport over the banner bank and barchan dunes. Strong currents in Minas Passage can cause infrequent low-stage transport over the megarippled northern face but are not high enough to mobilize the coarser gravels on the southern face of the gravel bank.

Radiocarbon chronology of the last deglaciation in the Baffin Bay reveals asynchronous melting of Arctic and Laurentide ice sheets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jackson, Rebecca; Kucera, Michal; Vogt, Christoph; Wacker, Lukas

2016-04-01

The transition from the last ice age into the Holocene interglacial was characterised by rapid retreat of North American ice sheets, discharging large quantities of meltwater into the Labrador Sea. Whereas the meltwater chronology of the Laurentide Ice Sheet is well documented, the deglacial history of the American Arctic ice sheets (Inuit Ice sheet and northern Greenland Ice Sheet) draining into the Labrador Sea via the Baffin Bay is less well constrained. Here we present the first high-resolution radiocarbon-dated deglacial records from the Canadian and Greenland margins of the central Baffin Bay. Sedimentological and geochemical data confirm the presence during Termination I of two events of enhanced delivery of detrital carbonate (Baffin Bay Detrital Carbonate Events) dated to 14.2-13.7 ka BP and 12.7-11 ka BP. The events are synchronous across the Baffin Bay and their mineralogical signature indicates a common source of detrital carbonate from the Canadian Arctic, with a synchronous clastic source proximal to Greenland. The events postdate Heinrich layers and their onset is not linked to Greenland temperature change. This indicates that the deglaciation of American Arctic ice sheets and associated meltwater discharge were decoupled from the dominant North Atlantic climate mode.

Effects of shoreline discharge of iron mine tailings on a marine soft-bottom community in northern Chile.

PubMed

Lancellotti, D A; Stotz, W B

2004-02-01

This study evaluates the magnitude and extension of the impact produced by the discharge of inert allochthonous materials, including clays and particulate iron, on macrobenthic soft-bottom assemblages in the subtidal zone of a coastal bay in north-central Chile. An average of 118 Ton h(-1) of finely divided solids were discharged into the rocky intertidal zone of the bay for a period of over 16 years, producing continuous turbidity in the water column and sedimentation in the subtidal zone. Data obtained four months before cessation of the discharge showed that the macrofauna present at 20 and 50 m depth in the bay suffered an important decrease in abundance and species richness, low diversity/high dominance, and deep changes in community structure related to the discharge. The faunal assemblages present at 110 m depth did not show effects from the discharge, suggesting that the impact was limited to the inner part of the bay. The impoverished faunal aggregates at 20 and 50 m depth showed exclusive domination by the Lumbrineris bifilaris (polychaete)-Diastylis tongoyensis (cumacean) association, representing a simple trophic guild of deposit feeders. The complete absence of opportunistic species such as capitellid, spionid, and/or cirratulid polychaetes may be associated with the turbidity and sedimentation levels in the bay.

Quaternary geology of Alameda County, and parts of Contra Costa, Santa Clara, San Mateo, San Francisco, Stanislaus, and San Joaquin counties, California: a digital database

USGS Publications Warehouse

Helley, E.J.; Graymer, R.W.

1997-01-01

Alameda County is located at the northern end of the Diablo Range of Central California. It is bounded on the north by the south flank of Mount Diablo, one of the highest peaks in the Bay Area, reaching an elevation of 1173 meters (3,849 ft). San Francisco Bay forms the western boundary, the San Joaquin Valley borders it on the east and an arbitrary line from the Bay into the Diablo Range forms the southern boundary. Alameda is one of the nine Bay Area counties tributary to San Francisco Bay. Most of the country is mountainous with steep rugged topography. Alameda County is covered by twenty-eight 7.5' topographic Quadrangles which are shown on the index map. The Quaternary deposits in Alameda County comprise three distinct depositional environments. One, forming a transgressive sequence of alluvial fan and fan-delta facies, is mapped in the western one-third of the county. The second, forming only alluvial fan facies, is mapped in the Livermore Valley and San Joaquin Valley in the eastern part of the county. The third, forming a combination of Eolian dune and estuarine facies, is restricted to the Alameda Island area in the northwestern corner of the county.

Drivers of Variability of Diel-Cycling and Episodic Hypoxia In ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Eutrophication of coastal ecosystems is a longstanding environmental concern, exacerbated by population growth and associated nutrient pollution, and ultimately resulting in increased incidence of hypoxia. Shallow and highly productive estuaries and embayments are particularly susceptible to diel-cycling hypoxia, associated with day-night cycles of production and respiration, which can cause extreme excursions in dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations from anoxia to super-saturation within a single day. Diel oxygen dynamics in these systems are complex, and may be influenced by wind forcing, vertical and horizontal mixing, variation in freshwater inflow, cloud cover, and temperature. To better understand the environmental drivers of periodic hypoxia, this study examined four northern Gulf of Mexico Estuaries (Weeks Bay, AL; Wolf Bay, AL; Fowl River, AL; and St. Louis Bay, MS). Dissolved oxygen varied strongly on a diel basis in all four systems, with periods of sustained low oxygen (>24 h) observed in both Weeks Bay and Wolf Bay. The duration and persistence of hypoxia further varied in response to changing salinity regimes and regional weather. These results underscore the dynamic nature of hypoxia in shallow estuarine systems, and highlight the importance of combining fixed site continuous monitoring data with spatial hydrographic surveys to accurately resolve DO dynamics. This abstract is submitted for presentation at the CERF conference held Nov 8-12 in Oregon

Acoustically detected year-round presence of right whales in an urbanized migration corridor.

PubMed

Morano, Janelle L; Rice, Aaron N; Tielens, Jamey T; Estabrook, Bobbi J; Murray, Anita; Roberts, Bethany L; Clark, Christopher W

2012-08-01

Species' conservation relies on understanding their seasonal habitats and migration routes. North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis), listed as endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, migrate from the southeastern U.S. coast to Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts, a federally designated critical habitat, from February through May to feed. The whales then continue north across the Gulf of Maine to northern waters (e.g., Bay of Fundy). To enter Cape Cod Bay, right whales must traverse an area of dense shipping and fishing activity in Massachusetts Bay, where there are no mandatory regulations for the protection of right whales or management of their habitat. We used passive acoustic recordings of right whales collected in Massachusetts Bay from May 2007 through October 2010 to determine the annual spatial and temporal distribution of the whales and their calling activity. We detected right whales in the bay throughout the year, in contrast to results from visual surveys. Right whales were detected on at least 24% of days in each month, with the exception of June 2007, in which there were no detections. Averaged over all years, right whale calls were most abundant from February through May. During this period, calls were most frequent between 17:00 and 20:00 local time; no diel pattern was apparent in other months. The spatial distribution of the approximate locations of calling whales suggests they may use Massachusetts Bay as a conduit to Cape Cod Bay in the spring and as they move between the Gulf of Maine and waters to the south in September through December. Although it is unclear how dependent right whales are on the bay, the discovery of their widespread presence in Massachusetts Bay throughout the year suggests this region may need to be managed to reduce the probability of collisions with ships and entanglement in fishing gear. ©2012 Society for Conservation Biology.

Enhanced land subsidence in Galveston Bay, Texas: Interaction between sediment accumulation rates and relative sea level rise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al Mukaimi, Mohammad E.; Dellapenna, Timothy M.; Williams, Joshua R.

2018-07-01

Galveston Bay is the second largest estuary along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast, with a watershed containing one of largest concentrations of petroleum and chemical industries globally, as well as Houston, the fifth largest metropolitan area in the USA. Throughout the last century, extensive groundwater extraction to support these industries and an expanding population has resulted in significantly enhanced land subsidence (0.6-3.0 cm yr-1). The highest subsidence rates observed in the bay are within the lower 15 km of the San Jacinto River/Houston Ship Channel region (SJR/HSC), with distal areas in East and West Galveston Bays having subsidence rates on the order of 0.2 cm yr-1. In order to investigate the impacts of subsidence on sedimentation, a series of 22 vibracores were collected throughout the bay, and 210Pb and 137Cs radioisotope geochronologies and grain size distributions were determined. Sediment accumulation rates are highest (1.9 ± 0.5 cm yr-1) in the SJR/HSC, and decrease (<0.6 cm yr-1) both seaward and towards low subsidence regions. These results indicate sedimentation rates are significantly (p < 0.01) higher in areas with elevated Relative Sea Level Rise (RSLR). However, throughout most of Galveston Bay sedimentation rates are lower (as much as 50%) than estimated RSLR, indicating a sediment accretionary deficit. In areas (e.g., Scott Bay) within the SJR/HSC, the bay has deepened by more than 1.5 m, suggesting that sediment accumulation cannot keep pace with RSLR. Ultimately, this has resulted in a loss of coastal wetlands and a conversion of marine habitats from relatively shallow to deeper water settings.

Geophysical evidence for the extent of crustal types and the type of margin along a profile in the northeastern Baffin Bay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Altenbernd, Tabea; Jokat, Wilfried; Heyde, Ingo; Damm, Volkmar

2015-11-01

Investigating the crust of northern Baffin Bay provides valuable indications for the still debated evolution of this area. The crust of the southern Melville Bay is examined based on wide-angle seismic and gravity data. The resulting P wave velocity, density, and geological models give insights into the crustal structure. A stretched and rifted continental crust underneath southern Melville Bay is up to 30 km thick, with crustal velocities ranging between 5.5 and 6.9 km/s. The deep Melville Bay Graben contains a 9 km thick infill with velocities of 4 to 5.2 km/s in its lowermost part. West of the Melville Bay Ridge, a ~80 km wide and partly only 5 km thick Continent-Ocean Transition (COT) is present. West of the COT, up to 5 km thick sedimentary layers cover a 4.3 to 7 km thick, two-layered oceanic crust. The upper oceanic layer 2 has velocities of 5.2 to 6.0 km/s; the oceanic layer 3 has been modeled with rather low velocities of 6.3 to 6.9 km/s. Low velocities of 7.8 km/s characterize the probably serpentinized upper mantle underneath the thin crust. The serpentinized upper mantle and low thickness of the oceanic crust are another indication for slow or ultraslow spreading during the formation of the oceanic part of the Baffin Bay. By comparing our results on the crustal structure with other wide-angle seismic profiles recently published, differences in the geometry and structure of the crust and the overlying sedimentary cover are revealed. Moreover, the type of margin and the extent of crustal types in the Melville Bay area are discussed.

De-confounding of Relations Between Land-Level and Sea-Level Change, Humboldt Bay, Northern California: Uncertain Predictions of Magnitude and Timing of Tectonic and Eustatic Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gilkerson, W.; Leroy, T. H.; Patton, J. R.; Williams, T. B.

2010-12-01

Humboldt Bay in Northern California provides a unique opportunity to investigate the effects of relative sea level change on both native flora and maritime aquiculture as influenced by both tectonic and eustatic sea-level changes. This combination of superposed influences makes quantitatively predicting relative sea-level more uncertain and consumption of the results for public planning purposes exceedingly difficult. Public digestion for practical purposes is confounded by the fact that the uncertainty for eustatic sea-level changes is a magnitude issue while the uncertainty associated with the tectonic land level changes is both a magnitude and timing problem. Secondly, the public is less well informed regarding how crustal deformation contributes to relative sea-level change. We model the superposed effects of eustatic sea-level rise and tectonically driven land-level changes on the spatial distribution of habitats suitable to native eelgrass (Zostera marina) and oyster mariculture operations in Humboldt Bay. While these intertidal organisms were chosen primarily because they have vertically restricted spatial distributions that can be successfully modeled, the public awareness of their ecologic and economic importance is also well developed. We employ easy to understand graphics depicting conceptual ideas along with maps generated from the modeling results to develop locally relevant estimates of future sea level rise over the next 100 years, a time frame consistent with local planning. We bracket these estimates based on the range of possible vertical deformation changes. These graphic displays can be used as a starting point to propose local outcomes from global and regional relative sea-level changes with respect to changes in the distribution of suitable habitat for ecologically and economically valuable species. Currently the largest sources of uncertainty for changes in relative sea-level in the Humboldt Bay area are 1) the rate and magnitude of tectonic deformation throughout the earthquake cycle and 2) the stability and reliability of the tide gauges and other benchmarks assumed to be stable in the Humboldt Bay region.

Environmental assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface sediments of the Santander Bay, Northern Spain.

PubMed

Viguri, J; Verde, J; Irabien, A

2002-07-01

Samples of intertidal surface sediments (0-2 cm) were collected in 17 stations of the Santander Bay, Cantabric Sea, Northern Spain. The concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 16, were analysed by HPLC and MS detection. Surface sediments show a good linear correlation among the parameters of the experimental organic matter evaluation, where total carbon (TC) and loss on ignition (LOI) are approximately 2.5 and 5 times total organic carbon (TOC). A wide range of TOC from 0.08% to 4.1%, and a broad distribution of the sum of sigma16PAHs, from 0.02 to 344.6 microg/g d.w., which can be correlated by an exponential equation to the TOC, has been identified. A qualitative relationship may be established between the industrial input along the rivers and the concentration of sigma6PAHs in the sediments of the estuaries: Boo estuary (8404-4631 microg/g OC), Solia-San Salvador estuaries (305-113 microg/g OC) and Cubas estuary (31-32 microg/g OC). This work shows a dramatic change in the spatial distribution in the concentration of PAHs of intertidal surface sediments. The left edge of the Bay has the main traffic around the city and the major source of PAHs is from combustion processes and estuarine inputs, leading to medium values of PAHs in the sediments; the right edge of the Bay has much lesser anthropogenic activities leading to lower values of PAHs in sediments. The distribution of individual PAHs in sediments varies widely depending on their structure and molecular weight; the 4-6 ring aromatics predominate in polluted sediments due to their higher persistence. The isomer ratio does not allow any clear identification of the PAHs origin. Environmental evaluation according to Dutch guidelines and consensus sediment quality guidelines based on ecotoxicological data leads to the same conclusion, sediments in the Santander Bay show a very different environmental quality depending on the spatial position from heavily polluted/medium effects to non-polluted/below threshold effects. These results indicate that local sources of PAHs, especially estuary discharges, lead to very different qualities of sediments in coastal zones, where traffic and industrial activities take place.

Sedimentary archives of the French Atlantic coast (inner Bay of Vilaine, south Brittany): Depositional history and late Holocene climatic and environmental signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sorrel, Philippe; Tessier, Bernadette; Demory, François; Baltzer, Agnès; Bouaouina, Firas; Proust, Jean-Noël; Menier, David; Traini, Camille

2010-06-01

The late Holocene is of particular interest to our understanding of the evolution of coastal sedimentary systems because this period encompasses warmer and cooler periods, and rising sea level in northern Europe. Based on an approach combining AMS 14C, sedimentological and rock magnetic analyses on sediment cores complemented with seismic data collected in the macrotidal Bay of Vilaine (south Brittany), we document the depositional history of the inner bay coeval to the mid- to late-Holocene transgression in south Brittany. Correlation between sedimentary archives revealed the main sedimentary infilling phases during the last 6000 years. Four units (U1-U4) are recognized in the coastal sediment wedge of the system, corresponding to the stepwise marine invasion of the bay. We show that (1) marine inundation, due to the steep morphology of the bedrock, is diachronous between distal and proximal records. A time lag of ˜1000 years is inferred over a distance of less than 5 km; (2) in the outer areas, the sedimentation has been condensed since 3000 years; (3) proximal estuarine archives offer the best record of sedimentary processes covering the last 2000 years, including the Medieval Warm Period (MWP). Correlations in proximal records in the Bay of Vilaine assess the connection between coastal sedimentary dynamics, climatic conditions and anthropogenic activities during the MWP. We match the preservation of clay deposits to increased river-borne suspended matter transported to the estuary probably as a result of accelerated land-use development (higher soil erosion) in the catchment area between ca. 880 and 1050 AD. Because the preservation of estuarine sedimentary successions is favoured when coastal wave sediment reworking is minimal, it is proposed that the prevailing climatic regime in south Brittany during the MWP likely resembled to that of the preferred negative phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Our data are fairly consistent with other late Holocene records from northern Europe including the Atlantic seaboard. However, they outline the difficulty in interpreting climatic and anthropogenic signatures in coastal sedimentary records where high-resolution chronologies required to unravel their respective influences are still missing.

Holocene sedimentation processes and environmental changes along the Namibian coastline

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schüller, Irka; Belz, Lukas; Wilkes, Heinz; Wehrmann, Achim

2016-04-01

The regional oceanic and atmospheric circulation patterns strongly control environmental conditions in southern Africa. Changes in the system may have significant consequences on climate and related processes. The hyper arid coast of Namibia is mainly influenced by (1) the cold Benguela upwelling, (2) the Benguela current and (3) the Angola current. The Benguela current transports the cool, upwelling water from south to north and interacts with the warm, contrary flowing Angola current at the Angola-Benguela Front (ABF). Today the ABF is located around the Namibian-Angolan border with minor seasonal changes. Therefore, climate and environment at the Namibian coast are affected by the cold water conditions. It is known evidently that the location of the ABF changed during the Holocene over several latitudes and enabled warm water species to expand their range farther south. Several (paleo-) lagoons (coastal salt pans) exist along the Namibian coastline. Most of them are already barred and filled by longshore sediment transport processes. Tidal flooding and active sedimentation processes are restricted to the southernmost lagoons. Two different types of sediments occur. The northern pans contain well sorted, siliciclastic medium sands. Fine-layered alternation refers to changes in mineral composition. The southern pans are dominated by typical tidal sediments with a high amount of benthic fauna (mainly bivalves and gastropods). At Cape Cross the distinct shift between both facies is documented in the cores. Age determinations of core material prove a very fast sediment filling of the distinct lagoons with high sedimentation rates. However, the age of closure differs from lagoon to lagoon. Northern pan sediments are much older (Cape Cross: ~ 5000 a BP) than southern (Sandwich Bay and Conception Bay: 1800 - 300 a BP). Additional information are supported by river clay deposits (~ 36600 a BP) and fossil reed systems (~ 47900 a BP) in Conception Bay and peat deposits at the fossil Kuiseb delta between Walvis Bay and Sandwich Bay (~ 1350 - 750 a BP). The results of our analyses of lagoon and pan sediments as well as the fossil remnants allow the reconstruction of coastal sedimentation processes as well as the associated Holocene environmental changes at the coast and the terrestrial hinterland.

Uncloaking a cryptic, threatened rail with molecular markers: origins, connectivity and demography of a recently-discovered population

USGS Publications Warehouse

Girard, Philippe; Takekawa, John Y.; Beissinger, Steven R.

2010-01-01

The threatened California Black Rail lives under dense marsh vegetation, is rarely observed, flies weakly and has a highly disjunct distribution. The largest population of rails is found in 8–10 large wetlands in San Francisco Bay (SF Bay), but a population was recently discovered in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains (Foothills), within a wetland network comprised of over 200 small marshes. Using microsatellite and mitochondrial analyses, our objectives were to determine the origins, connectivity and demography of this recently-discovered population. Analyses of individuals from the Foothills (n = 31), SF Bay (n = 31), the Imperial Valley (n = 6) and the East Coast (n = 3), combined with rigorous power evaluations, provided valuable insights into past history and current dynamics of the species in Northern California that challenge conventional wisdom about the species. The Foothills and SF Bay populations have diverged strongly from the Imperial Valley population, even more strongly than from individuals of the East Coast subspecies. The data also suggest a historical presence of the species in the Foothills. The SF Bay and Foothills populations had similar estimated effective population size over the areas sampled and appeared linked by a strongly asymmetrical migration pattern, with a greater probability of movement from the Foothills to SF Bay than vice versa. Random mating was inferred in the Foothills, but local substructure among marshes and inbreeding were detected in SF Bay, suggesting different dispersal patterns within each location. The unexpected dimensions of Black Rail demography and population structure suggested by these analyses and their potential importance for management are discussed.

Ability to protect oil/gas pipelines and subsea installations from icebergs in the Hibernia area

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Weir, F.V.

1981-01-01

Mobil Oil Canada has examined 2 pipeline routes from Hibernia to the Newfoundland coast. The Northern Route is from Hibernia to the Bay of Bulls, a distance of ca 200 miles. The Southern Route is from Hibernia to Trepassey Bay, a distance of ca 225 miles. Both these routes go through the Avalon channel which has water depths of 200 m, or over 600 ft, with very steep slopes on both sides of the channel. To protect pipelines from icebergs and iceberg scour, there is really only one obvious solution and that is to bury the pipeline several feet belowmore » the deepest known iceberg scour depth.« less

Tidally generated sea-floor lineations in Bristol Bay, Alaska, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Marlow, M. S.; Stevenson, A.J.; Chezar, H.; McConnaughey, R.A.

1999-01-01

Highly reflective linear features occur in water depths of 20-30 m in northern Bristol Bay (Alaska, USA) and are, in places, over 600 m in length. Their length-to-width ratio is over 100:1. The lineations are usually characterized by large transverse ripples with wavelengths of 1-2 m. The lineations trend about N60??E, and are spaced between 20 and 350 m. Main tidal directions near the lineations are N60??E (flood) and S45??W (ebb), which are parallel to subparallel to the lineations. They suggest that the lineations may be tidally generated. The lineations may be bright sonar reflections from a winnowed lag concentrate of coarse sand.

Coyote Creek (Santa Clara County) Pilot Revegetation Project

Treesearch

John T. Stanley; L. R. Silva; H. C. Appleton; M. S. Marangio; W. J. Lapaz; B. H. Goldner

1989-01-01

The Santa Clara Valley Water District, located in Northern California, is currently evaluating a pilot riparian revegetation project on a 1.6 ha (4 ac) site adjacent to Coyote Creek in the south San Francisco Bay Area. Specific techniques used during the design, site preparation and installation of 3640 plants (including seed planting locations) are described. This...

HISTORICAL CHANGES IN GLOBAL SCALE CIRCULATION PATTERNS, MID-ATLANTIC CLIMATE STREAM FLOW AND NUTRIENT FLUXES TO THE CHESAPEAKE BAY

EPA Science Inventory

The rate of change in Northern Hemisphere temperature in the past century strongly suggests that we are now in a period of rapid global climate change. Also, the climate in the mid-Atlantic is quite sensitive to larger scale climate variation, which affects the frequency and seve...

NUTRIENT FLUX AT THE SEDIMENT-WATER INTERFACE IN ESCAMBIA BAY, FL, A NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO ESTUARY INVITED SEMINAR

EPA Science Inventory

(Abstract). Presented at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute, 30 April 2001, Port Aransas, TX. 1 p. (ERL,GB R841).

Nutrient flux at the sediment-water interface is an integral component of estuarine dynamics, and the benthos may represent a significant source ...

Tick vector and disease pathogen surveillance of nilgai antelope, Boselaphus tragocamelus, in Southeastern Texas

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Nilgai are non-native bovines originally introduced as game animals to one large, south Texas ranch but are now present throughout southeastern Texas from Baffin Bay to Harlingen and in northern Mexico at least as far west as Durango. Between October 2014 and January 2017, nilgai (N = 517) were exam...

Interrupting Privilege: White Student Affairs Educators as Racial Justice Allies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young-Law, Courtney

2012-01-01

This study examines the ally development process and behaviors of ten white student affairs educators at four-year institutions in the Bay Area region of Northern California who were identified as racial justice allies by a colleague of color. The methods of this study included a survey to understand the context of multicultural competency in…

RELATIVE INFLUENCE OF HYPOXIA, ANOXIA, AND ASSOCIATED ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS AS DETERMINANTS OF MACROBENTHIC COMMUNITY STRUCTURE IN A NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO ESTUARY

EPA Science Inventory

Seasonal patterns (i.e., December 1986, and April and October 1987) in benthic macroinfaunal abundance, distribution, and taxa composition at 19 sites in Perdido Bay, AL/FL, are evaluated to assess the relative importance of environmental factors as determinants of community stru...

Magnetic and mineralogical properties of central Baffin Bay sediments since the Last Glacial Maximum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simon, Q.; St-Onge, G.; Hillaire-Marcel, C.

2011-12-01

Magnetic and mineralogical properties of terrigenous sediments from the deep central Baffin Bay (HU2008-029-016PC - 70°46,14N/-64°65,77W - 2063 m) were analyzed as a means of linking sedimentological changes to ice-margin dynamics along the surrounding coastlines of W. Greenland, E. Baffin Island and N.E. Ellesmere Island since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). A chronology based on relative paleointensity (RPI) and secular variation (PSV) in sections where magnetism properties were suitable has been set. The age-model yields a low mean sedimentation rate varying between 4 - 8 cm/kyr along the core and illustrates a significant increase during Termination 1. Carbonate content increases drastically from 16 ka due to increasing supplies of dolomitic material from dolostone rocks outcropping in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and associated with inputs from the Innuitian Ice Sheet margin. The magnetic properties demonstrate major changes during the deglaciation and especially during Heinrich event 1 (H1), the Younger Dryas (YD) and throughout the Holocene. Very low median destructive field (MDF) of the natural remanent magnetization (NRM) values are observed during the 11.5 - 12.6 ka (YD) and 14.8 - 16 (H1) ka intervals, and are reflecting coarser magnetic grains. Similarly, the kARM/kLF grain-size ratio shows coarser magnetic grain size during the H1 and YD intervals, and finer magnetic grains during the LGM (19 - 22 ka). During the LGM, "glacial flour" formed by mechanical grinding of rocks by ice sheets released finer magnetic grains from lateral source (e.g., Greenland continental shelf). On the contrary, during the YD and H1 periods, icebergs released coarser magnetic grains from a northern source (axial source). The Holocene is marked by the highest median destructive field (MDF) and ARM20mT/ARM0mT values of the core, indicating an increased proportion of finer magnetic grains during this interval. Together with the large increase in the silt fraction, these different proxies tend to demonstrate the establishment of the modern Baffin Bay oceanic circulation that followed the deglaciation and the opening of Lancaster Sound, Jones Sound and Nares Strait, and the onset of the Western Greenland Current. These data provide strong marine evidence of 1) increasing supplies of sedimentary material coming from the rapid retreat of ice streams in the northern part of Baffin Bay starting at 16 ka and 2) the ice-margin dynamics (Innuitian vs. Greenland ice sheets) since the LGM. The study enables to document these sedimentological changes with regard to regional and Northern Hemisphere climatic variability, and highlights the importance of Baffin Bay for the establishment of modern oceanic circulation.

The Hayward-Rodgers Creek Fault System: Learning from the Past to Forecast the Future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwartz, D. P.; Lienkaemper, J. J.; Hecker, S.

2007-12-01

The San Francisco Bay area is located within the Pacific-North American plate boundary. As a result, the region has the highest density of active faults per square kilometer of any urban center in the US. Between the Farallon Islands and Livermore, the faults of the San Andreas fault system are slipping at a rate of about 40 mm/yr. Approximately 25 percent of this rate is accommodated by the Hayward fault and its continuation to the north, the Rodgers Creek fault. The Hayward fault extends 88 km from Warm Springs on the south into San Pablo Bay on the north, traversing the most heavily urbanized part of the Bay Area. The Rodgers Creek fault extends another 63 km, passing through Santa Rosa and ending south of Healdsburg. Geologic, seismologic, and geodetic studies during the past ten years have significantly increased our knowledge of this system. In particular, paleoseismic studies of the timing of past earthquakes have provided critical new information for improving our understanding of how these faults may work in time and space, and for estimating the probability of future earthquakes. The most spectacular result is an 11-earthquake record on the southern Hayward fault that extends back to A.D. 170. It suggests an average time interval between large earthquakes of 170 years for this period, with a shorter interval of 140 years for the five most recent earthquakes. Paleoseismic investigations have also shown that prior to the most recent large earthquake on the southern Hayward fault in 1868, large earthquakes occurred on the southern Hayward fault between 1658 and1786, on the northern Hayward fault between 1640 and 1776, and on the Rodgers Creek fault between 1690 and 1776. These could have been three separate earthquakes. However, the overlapping radiocarbon dates for these paleoearthquakes allow the possibility that these faults may have ruptured together in several different combinations: a combined southern and northern Hayward fault earthquake, a Rodgers Creek-northern Hayward fault earthquake, or a rupture of all three fault sections. Each of these rupture combinations would produce a magnitude larger than 1868 (M~6.9). In 2003, the Working Group on California Earthquake Probabilities released a new earthquake forecast for the Bay Area. Using the earthquake timing data and alternative fault rupture models, the Working Group estimated a 27 percent likelihood of a M?6.7 earthquake along the Hayward-Rodgers Creek fault zone by the year 2031. This is this highest probability of any individual fault system in the Bay Area. New paleoseismic data will allow updating of this forecast.

Remarkable invasion of San Francisco Bay (California, USA), by the Asian clam Potamocorbula amurensis. I. Introduction and dispersal

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carlton, James T.; Thompson, Janet K.; Schemel, Laurence E.; Nichols, Frederic H.

1990-01-01

The euryhaline bivalve mollusc Potamocorbula amurensis (family Corbulidae), a native of China, Japan, and Korea, has recently appeared and become very abundant in San Francisco Bay. This clam appears to have been introduced as veliger larvae in the seawater ballast of cargo vessels. It was first collected in northern San Francisco Bay in late 1986. P, amurensis then spread throughout the estuary within 2 yr and reached densities at some sites exceeding 10 000 m-2 It lives primarily in the subtidal on all substrates (mud, sand, peat, and clay) and is found in the full range of bay salinities (< 1 to 33%). Its explosive increase in abundance and spread may result in major alterations of the San Francisco Bay estuary ecosystem. These could include changes in (1) trophic dynamics (through competition with other suspension-feeding and deposit-feeding infauna; changes in benthic community energy flow; availability of a new and abundant prey item for birds, fish, and crabs; and reduction - as a result of its filter feeding - of phytoplankton standmg stock) and (2) benthic dynamics (through inhibition and/or enhancement of infauna due to substrate destabilization; alteration of suspended sediment load of near-bottom water; and change of sediment surface redox balance). The early detection of the appearance and spread of P. amurensis in San Francisco Bay makes this one of the best documented invasions of any estuary in the world.

Timing of paleoearthquakes on the northern Hayward Fault: preliminary evidence in El Cerrito, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lienkaemper, J.J.; Schwartz, D.P.; Kelson, K.I.; Lettis, W.R.; Simpson, Gary D.; Southon, J.R.; Wanket, J.A.; Williams, P.L.

1999-01-01

The Working Group on California Earthquake Probabilities estimated that the northern Hayward fault had the highest probability (0.28) of producing a M7 Bay Area earthquake in 30 years (WGCEP, 1990). This probability was based, in part, on the assumption that the last large earthquake occurred on this segment in 1836. However, a recent study of historical documents concludes that the 1836 earthquake did not occur on the northern Hayward fault, thereby extending the elapsed time to at least 220 yr ago, the beginning of the written record. The average recurrence interval for a M7 on the northern Hayward is unknown. WGCEP (1990) assumed an interval of 167 years. The 1996 Working Group on Northern California Earthquake Potential estimated ~210 yr, based on extrapolations from southern Hayward paleoseismological studies and a revised estimate of 1868 slip on the southern Hayward fault. To help constrain the timing of paleoearthquakes on the northern Hayward fault for the 1999 Bay Area probability update, we excavated two trenches that cross the fault and a sag pond on the Mira Vista golf course. As the site is on the second fairway, we were limited to less than ten days to document these trenches. Analysis was aided by rapid C-14 dating of more than 90 samples which gave near real-time results with the trenches still open. A combination of upward fault terminations, disrupted strata, and discordant angular relations indicates at least four, and possibly seven or more, surface faulting earthquakes occurred during a 1630-2130 yr interval. Hence, average recurrence time could be <270 yr, but is no more than 710 yr. The most recent earthquake (MRE) occurred after AD 1640. Preliminary analysis of calibrated dates supports the assumption that no large historical (post-1776) earthquakes have ruptured the surface here, but the youngest dates need more corroboration. Analyses of pollen for presence of non-native species help to constrain the time of the MRE. The earthquake recurrence estimates described in this report are preliminary and should not be used as a basis for hazard estimates. Additional trenching is planned for this location to answer questions raised during the initial phase of trenching.

Late Holocene Hurricane Activity in the Gulf of Mexico from a Bayou Sediment Archive

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodysill, J. R.; Donnelly, J. P.; Toomey, M.; Sullivan, R.; MacDonald, D.; Evans, R. L.; Ashton, A. D.

2012-12-01

Hurricanes pose a considerable threat to coastal communities along the Atlantic seaboard and in the Gulf of Mexico. The complex role of ocean and atmospheric dynamics in controlling storm frequency and intensity, and how these relationships could be affected by climate change, remains uncertain. To better predict how storms will impact coastal communities, it is vital to constrain their past behavior, in particular how storm frequency and intensity and the pattern of storm tracks have been influenced by past climate conditions. In an effort to characterize past storm behavior, our work contributes to the growing network of storm records along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts by reconstructing storm-induced deposits in the northern Gulf of Mexico during the Late Holocene. Previous work on the northern Gulf coast has shown considerable centennial-scale variability in the occurrence of intense hurricanes, much like the northern Atlantic coast and in the Caribbean Sea. The timing of active and quiet intervals during the last 1000 years amongst the Gulf Coast records appears to be anti-phased with stormy intervals along the North American east coast. The sparse spatial coverage of the existing intense hurricane reconstructions provides a limited view of the natural variability of intense hurricanes. A new, high resolution reconstruction of storms along the northern Gulf Coast would be beneficial in assembling the picture of the patterns of storminess during the Late Holocene. Our study site, Basin Bayou, is situated on the north side of Choctawhatchee Bay in northwest Florida. From 1851 to 2011, 68 storms have struck the coast within 75 miles of Basin Bayou, of which 10 were Category 3 or greater, making it a prime location to reconstruct intense hurricanes. Basin Bayou openly exchanges water with Choctawhatchee Bay through a narrow channel, which acts as a conduit for propagating storm surges, and potentially coarse-grained bay sediments, into the bayou. Our record is constructed from grain size analyses and core density measurements on multiple cores from Basin Bayou. The upper sediments were dated with 210Pb and 137Cs techniques and compared with the historical record of storms. We observe substantial centennial-scale variability in the occurrence of storm-induced deposits in Basin Bayou over the last 1500 years that aligns considerably well with the temporal distribution of intense storms from preexisting Gulf Coast reconstructions.

Analytical Models of the Transport of Deep-Well Injectate at the North District Wastewater Treatment Plant, Miami-Dade County, Florida, U.S.A

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

King, J. N.; Walsh, V.; Cunningham, K. J.; Evans, F. S.; Langevin, C. D.; Dausman, A.

2009-12-01

The Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department (MDWASD) injects buoyant effluent from the North District Wastewater Treatment Plant (NDWWTP) through four Class I injection wells into the Boulder Zone---a saline (35 parts per thousand) and transmissive (105 to 106 square meters per day) hydrogeologic unit located approximately 1000 meters below land surface. Miami-Dade County is located in southeast Florida, U.S.A. Portions of the Floridan and Biscayne aquifers are located above the Boulder Zone. The Floridan and Biscayne aquifers---underground sources of drinking water---are protected by U.S. Federal Laws and Regulations, Florida Statutes, and Miami-Dade County ordinances. In 1998, MDWASD began to observe effluent constituents within the Floridan aquifer. Continuous-source and impulse-source analytical models for advective and diffusive transport of effluent are used in the present work to test contaminant flow-path hypotheses, suggest transport mechanisms, and estimate dispersivity. MDWASD collected data in the Floridan aquifer between 1996 and 2007. A parameter estimation code is used to optimize analytical model parameters by fitting model data to collected data. These simple models will be used to develop conceptual and numerical models of effluent transport at the NDWWTP, and in the vicinity of the NDWWTP.

Results of time-domain electromagnetic soundings in Miami-Dade and southern Broward Counties, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fitterman, David V.; Prinos, Scott T.

2011-01-01

Time-domain electromagnetic (TEM) soundings were made in Miami-Dade and southern Broward Counties to aid in mapping the landward extent of saltwater in the Biscayne aquifer. A total of 79 soundings were collected in settings ranging from urban to undeveloped land, with some of the former posing problems of land access and interference from anthropogenic features. TEM soundings combined with monitoring-well data were used to determine if the saltwater front had moved since the last time it was mapped, to provide additional spatial coverage where existing monitoring wells were insufficient, and to help interpret a previously collected helicopter electromagnetic (HEM) survey flown in the southernmost portion of the study area. TEM soundings were interpreted as layered resistivity-depth models. Using information from well logs and water-quality data, the resistivity of the freshwater saturated Biscayne aquifer is expected to be above 30 ohm-meters, and the saltwater-saturated aquifer will have resistivities of less than 10 ohm-meters allowing determination of water quality from the TEM interpretations. TEM models from 29 soundings were compared to electromagnetic induction logs collected in nearby monitoring wells. In general, the agreement of these results was very good, giving confidence in the use of the TEM data for mapping saltwater encroachment.

The Seagrass Holobiont and Its Microbiome

PubMed Central

Ugarelli, Kelly; Chakrabarti, Seemanti; Laas, Peeter; Stingl, Ulrich

2017-01-01

Seagrass meadows are ecologically and economically important components of many coastal areas worldwide. Ecosystem services provided by seagrasses include reducing the number of microbial pathogens in the water, providing food, shelter and nurseries for many species, and decreasing the impact of waves on the shorelines. A global assessment reported that 29% of the known areal extent of seagrasses has disappeared since seagrass areas were initially recorded in 1879. Several factors such as direct and indirect human activity contribute to the demise of seagrasses. One of the main reasons for seagrass die-offs all over the world is increased sulfide concentrations in the sediment that result from the activity of sulfate-reducing prokaryotes, which perform the last step of the anaerobic food chain in marine sediments and reduce sulfate to H2S. Recent seagrass die-offs, e.g., in the Florida and Biscayne Bays, were caused by an increase in pore-water sulfide concentrations in the sediment, which were the combined result of unfavorable environmental conditions and the activities of various groups of heterotrophic bacteria in the sulfate-rich water-column and sediment that are stimulated through increased nutrient concentrations. Under normal circumstances, seagrasses are able to withstand low levels of sulfide, probably partly due to microbial symbionts, which detoxify sulfide by oxidizing it to sulfur or sulfate. Novel studies are beginning to give greater insights into the interactions of microbes and seagrasses, not only in the sulfur cycle. Here, we review the literature on the basic ecology and biology of seagrasses and focus on studies describing their microbiome. PMID:29244764

Sources of mercury to San Francisco Bay surface sediment as revealed by mercury stable isotopes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gehrke, Gretchen E.; Blum, Joel D.; Marvin-DePasquale, Mark

2011-01-01

Mercury (Hg) concentrations and isotopic compositions were examined in shallow-water surface sediment (0–2 cm) from San Francisco (SF) Bay to determine the extent to which historic Hg mining contributes to current Hg contamination in SF Bay, and to assess the use of Hg isotopes to trace sources of contamination in estuaries. Inter-tidal and wetland sediment had total Hg (HgT) concentrations ranging from 161 to 1529 ng/g with no simple gradients of spatial variation. In contrast, inter-tidal and wetland sediment displayed a geographic gradient of δ202Hg values, ranging from -0.30% in the southern-most part of SF Bay (draining the New Almaden Hg District) to -0.99% in the northern-most part of SF Bay near the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta. Similar to SF Bay inter-tidal sediment, surface sediment from the Alviso Slough channel draining into South SF Bay had a δ202Hg value of -0.29%, while surface sediment from the Cosumnes River and Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta draining into north SF Bay had lower average δ202Hg values of -0.90% and -0.75%, respectively. This isotopic trend suggests that Hg-contaminated sediment from the New Almaden Hg District mixes with Hg-contaminated sediment from a low δ202Hg source north of SF Bay. Tailings and thermally decomposed ore (calcine) from the New Idria Hg mine in the California Coast Range had average δ202Hg values of -0.37 and +0.03%, respectively, showing that Hg calcination fractionates Hg isotopes resulting in Hg contamination from Hg(II) mine waste products with higher δ202Hg values than metallic Hg(0) produced from Hg mines. Thus, there is evidence for at least two distinct isotopic signals for Hg contamination in SF Bay: Hg associated with calcine waste materials at Hg mines in the Coast Range, such as New Almaden and New Idria; and Hg(0) produced from these mines and used in placer gold mines and/or in other industrial processes in the Sierra Nevada region and SF Bay area.

Eutrophication of Buttermilk Bay, a cape cod coastal embayment: Concentrations of nutrients and watershed nutrient budgets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valiela, Ivan; Costa, Joseph E.

1988-07-01

Nutrient concentrations in Buttermilk Bay, a coastal embayment on the northern end of Buzzards Bay, MA, are higher in the nearshore where salinities are lower. This pattern suggests that freshwater sources may contribute significantly to nutrient inputs into Buttermilk Bay. To evaluate the relative importance of the various sources we estimated inputs of nutrients by each major source into the watershed and into the bay itself. Septic systems contributed about 40% of the nitrogen and phosphorus entering the watershed, with precipitation and fertilizer use adding the remainder. Groundwater transported over 85% of the nitrogen and 75% of the phosphorus entering the bay. Most nutrients entering the watershed failed to reach the bay; uptake by forests, soils, denitrification, and adsorption intercepted two-thirds of the nitrogen and nine-tenths of the phosphorus that entered the watershed. The nutrients that did reach the bay most likely originated from subsoil injections into groundwater by septic tanks, plus some leaching of fertilizers. Buttermilk Bay water has relatively low nutrient concentrations, probably because of uptake of nutrients by macrophytes and because of relatively rapid tidal flushing. Annual budgets of nutrients entering the watershed showed a low nitrogen-to-phosphorus ratio of 6, but passage of nutrients through the watershed raised N/P to 23, probably because of adsorption of PO4 during transit. The N/P ratio of water that leaves the watershed and presumably enters the bay is probably high enough to maintain active growth of nitrogenlimited coastal producers. There is a seasonal shift in N/P in the water column of Buttermilk Bay. N/P exceeded the 16∶1 Redfield ratio during midwinter; the remainder of the year N/P fell below 16∶1. This suggests that annual budgets do not provide sufficiently detailed data with which to interpret nutrient-limitation of producers. Further, some idea of water turnover is also needed to evaluate impact of loading rates. Urbanization of watersheds seems to increase loadings to nearshore environments, and to shift the nutrient loadings delivered to coastal waters to relatively high N-to-P ratios, potentially stimulating growth of nitrogen-limited primary producers.

Osprey distribution, abundance, and status in western North America: I. The northern California population

USGS Publications Warehouse

Henny, Charles J.; Dunaway, David J.; Mallette, Robert D.; Koplin, James R.

1978-01-01

An estimated 355± 40 pairs (95 percent C.I.) of Ospreys (Pandion haliaetus carolinensis) nested in the northern California survey area in 1975. Eighty-one pairs were estimated along the extreme northern coast in Del Norte and Humboldt Counties. One hundred and forty-four pairs were estimated along California's northern coast in Mendociuo, Sonoma, and Marin Counties. The northern interior region, primarily in Siskiyou, Trinity, Shasta, Lassen, and Plumas Counties, contained an estimated 130 pairs. Forty-nine percent of the interior Osprey population is associated with reservoirs that were not present in 1900. We believe more Ospreys are present in the interior now than 75 years ago because of the increase in suitable habitat; nevertheless, populations at Shasta Lake and Clair Engle Lake are now exhibiting below-normal production rates and local declines. The long-term status of the coastal population, nesting along rivers, streams, and bays, is not clear. Recent production rates from two segments of the coastal population appear to be normal, but production at Usal Creek is below normal.

Facies dimensions within carbonate reservoirs - guidelines from satellite images of modern analogs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Harris, P.M.; Kowalik, W.S.

1995-08-01

Modern analogs illustrate the distribution of carbonate facies within an overall depositional setting and can be an integral part of a subsurface geologic model in indicating the dimensions, trend, and interrelationships of facies that might be related to reservoir and non-reservoir distribution. Satellite images from several modern carbonate areas depict the geologic characteristics that can be expected in ancient shallow-water settings. Isolated carbonate platforms- the Bahamas, Caicos Platform in the British West Indies, Chinchorro Bank offshore of Yucatan, and portions of the Belize area; Ramp-style shelf-to-basin transitions - Abu Dhabi and northern Yucatan; Rimmed shelf margins - South Florida, portionsmore » of Belize, and the Great Barrier Reef of Australia; Broad, deep shelf lagoons - the Great Barrier Reef and Belize; Reef variability - South Florida, the Bahamas, Caicos, Northern Yucatan, and Abu Dhabi; Shallow lagoon/tidal flat settings - South Florida, the Bahamas, Caicos, Northern Yucatan, Shark Bay in Western Australia, Abu Dhabi; Mixed carbonate and siliciclastic depostion - South Florida, Belize, the Great Barrier Reef, Shark Bay and Abu Dhabi. The geologic framework as illustrated by these areas is important at the development scale where lateral variation of porosity and permeability, i.e. reservoir quality, is commonly tied to facies changes and facies dimensions are required as input to reservoir models. The geologic framework is essential at the exploration scale for reservoir facies prediction and stratigraphic play concepts which are related directly to depositional facies patterns.« less

Submarine glacial landforms on the Bay of Fundy–northern Gulf of Maine continental shelf

USGS Publications Warehouse

Todd, B.J.; Shaw, J.; Valentine, Page C.

2016-01-01

The Bay of Fundy–northern Gulf of Maine region surrounds the southern part of Nova Scotia, encompassing, from west to east, the Bay of Fundy, Grand Manan Basin, German Bank, Browns Bank, Northeast Channel and northeastern Georges Bank (Fig. 1a, b). During the last glacial maximum (c. 24–20 14C ka BP), the SE margin of the Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS) occupied the study area, the rest of the Gulf of Maine and the continental Scotian Shelf off Atlantic Canada (see Dyke et al. 2002, fig. 1; Shaw et al. 2006, fig. 8; Hundert & Piper 2008, fig. 16). Early mapping of the glaciated region on the Scotian Shelf using side-scan sonar imagery and seismic-reflection profiles revealed topographic features interpreted to be recessional moraines indicative of retreat of the LIS (King et al. 1972; King 1996). Subsequently, multibeam sonar seafloor mapping of local-scale glacial landforms on the inner Scotian Shelf off Halifax, Nova Scotia (Fig. 1b) provided further information on the dynamics of the advance and retreat of the ice sheet (Loncarevic et al.1994). Interpretation of seismic-reflection profiles across Georges Bank revealed that the surficial sediment is a veneer of glacial debris transported to Georges Bank by the LIS during the late Pleistocene from continental areas to the north (Shepard et al. 1934; Knott & Hoskins 1968; Schlee 1973; Twichell et al. 1987; Fader et al. 1988). Recent high-resolution multibeam sonar surveys of German Bank and the Bay of Fundy mapped a complex of ice-advance and ice-retreat features attributed to the activity of the LIS (Todd et al. 2007; Todd & Shaw 2012).

Holocene faulting in the Bellingham forearc basin: upper-plate deformation at the northern end of the Cascadia subduction zone

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kelsey, Harvey M.; Sherrod, Brian L.; Blakely, Richard J.; Haugerud, Ralph A.

2013-01-01

The northern Cascadia forearc takes up most of the strain transmitted northward via the Oregon Coast block from the northward-migrating Sierra Nevada block. The north-south contractional strain in the forearc manifests in upper-plate faults active during the Holocene, the northern-most components of which are faults within the Bellingham Basin. The Bellingham Basin is the northern of four basins of the actively deforming northern Cascadia forearc. A set of Holocene faults, Drayton Harbor, Birch Bay, and Sandy Point faults, occur within the Bellingham Basin and can be traced from onshore to offshore using a combination of aeromagnetic lineaments, paleoseismic investigations and scarps identified using LiDAR imagery. With the recognition of such Holocene faults, the northernmost margin of the actively deforming Cascadia forearc extends 60 km north of the previously recognized limit of Holocene forearc deformation. Although to date no Holocene faults are recognized at the northern boundary of the Bellingham Basin, which is 15 km north of the international border, there is no compelling tectonic reason to expect that Holocene faults are limited to south of the international border.

Prey preferences among the community of deep-diving odontocetes from the Bay of Biscay, Northeast Atlantic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spitz, Jérôme; Cherel, Yves; Bertin, Stéphane; Kiszka, Jeremy; Dewez, Alexandre; Ridoux, Vincent

2011-03-01

Long-finned pilot whales ( Globicephala melas), Risso's dolphins ( Grampus griseus), melon-headed whales ( Peponocephala electra), Cuvier's beaked whales ( Ziphius cavirostris), Sowerby's beaked whales ( Mesoplodon bidens), northern bottlenose whales ( Hyperoodon ampullatus), sperm whales ( Physeter macrocephalus), dwarf sperm whales ( Kogia sima) and pygmy sperm whales ( Kogia breviceps) make up the large community of deep-diving odontocetes occurring off the Bay of Biscay, northeast Atlantic. The ecology of these toothed cetaceans is poorly documented worldwide. The present study described their prey preferences from stomach content analysis and showed resource partitioning within the assemblage. The majority of the species appeared to be mostly teutophageous. Fish was an important food source only for the Sowerby's beaked whale and, to a lesser extent, for the long-finned pilot whale. In terms of foraging habitats inferred from prey composition, either pelagic oceanic or demersal neritic habitats were exploited by toothed whales in the Bay of Biscay, with only the long-finned pilot whale foraging in the two habitats. Finally, with more than 14,000 identified cephalopods from 39 species, the present study highlighted also the poorly known deep-sea cephalopod community off the Bay of Biscay using top predators as biological samplers.

Occurance and survival of Vibrio alginolyticus in Tamouda Bay (Morocco).

PubMed

Sabir, M; Cohen, N; Boukhanjer, A; Ennaji, M M

2011-10-15

The objectives of this study were to investigate the spatial and seasonal fluctuations of Vibrio alginolyticus in marine environment of the Tamouda Bay on the Mediterranean coast of Morocco and to determine the dominant factors of the environment that govern these fluctuations. The samples (sea water, plankton, shellfish and sediment) were collected fortnightly for two years from three study sites on the coast Tamouda Bay in northern Morocco. The charge of Vibrio alginolyticus is determined by MPN method. The physicochemical parameters including temperature of sea water, pH, salinity, turbidity and chlorophyll a concentration were determined. Analysis of variance of specific variables and several principal component analyses showed that the temperature of seawater is the major determinant of seasonal distribution of Vibrio alginolyticus. The results showed a positive linear correlation between Vibrio alginolyticus and the water temperature, pH, turbidity and chlorophyll a. Similarly, there are seasonal variations and spatial of Vibrio alginolyticus in marine environment of the Tamouda bay and the highest concentrations were recorded in both years of study during the warm season whereas it was minimal during the cold season. Linear positive correlation was recorded between Vibrio alginolyticus populations in all ecological types of samples studied.

Bloom of the Yessotoxin producing dinoflagellate Protoceratium reticulatum (Dinophyceae) in Northern Chile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Álvarez, Gonzalo; Uribe, Eduardo; Díaz, Rosario; Braun, Mauricio; Mariño, Carmen; Blanco, Juan

2011-05-01

In summer 2007, a dinoflagellate preliminarily identified as Protoceratium reticulatum bloomed in Bahía Mejillones, northern Chile. Phytoplankton samples were analyzed in detail by light and scanning electron microscopy revealing the presence of resting cyst and motile cells of P. reticulatum. Oceanographic and phytoplankton data suggest that the bloom was initiated offshore by motile cells and germinated cysts during an upwelling pulse. These cells were advected into the bay when upwelling relaxed and grew without any relevant competitor. Phytoplankton net samples were found to contain yessotoxin as the only toxin in an estimated proportion of 0.2 and 0.4 pg cell - 1 , thus confirming that P. reticulatum is a source of yessotoxin in northern Chilean waters and consequently that it poses a risk for human health and mollusk exploitation in the area.

Early results from the Northern Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem Change and Hazard Susceptibility Project

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brock, John C.; Lavoie, Dawn L.; Poore, Richard Z.

2011-01-01

The northern Gulf of Mexico coastal region and its diverse ecosystems are threatened by population and development pressure and by the impacts of rising sea level and severe storms such as the series of hurricanes that has impacted the northern Gulf in recent years. In response to the complex management issues facing the region, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) organized a multidisciplinary research program to coordinate the activities of USGS and other scientists working in the northern Gulf of Mexico region (fig. 1). The Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM) Ecosystem Change and Hazard Susceptibility Project aims to develop a thorough understanding of the dynamic coastal ecosystems on the northern Gulf coast, the impact of human activities on these ecosystems, and the vulnerability of ecosystems and human communities to more frequent and more intense hurricanes in the future. A special issue of Geo-Marine Letters published in December 2009 is devoted to early results of studies completed as part of this project. These studies, which have been conducted at sites throughout the northern Gulf region, from the Chandeleur Islands to Apalachicola Bay, have focused on three themes: (1) The underlying geologic framework that exerts controls over coastal processes (2) The impact of human activities on nearshore water quality (3) Hurricanes and associated effects

Natural and anthropogenic nitrogen uptake by bloom-forming macroalgae.

PubMed

Thornber, Carol S; DiMilla, Peter; Nixon, Scott W; McKinney, Richard A

2008-02-01

The frequency and duration of macroalgal blooms have increased in many coastal waters over the past several decades. We used field surveys and laboratory culturing experiments to examine the nitrogen content and delta(15)N values of Ulva and Gracilaria, two bloom-forming algal genera in Narragansett Bay, RI (USA). The northern end of this bay is densely populated with large sewage treatment plant nitrogen inputs; the southern end is more lightly populated and opens to the Atlantic Ocean. Field-collected Ulva varied in delta(15)N among sites, but with two exceptions had delta(15)N above 10 per thousand, reflecting a significant component of heavy anthropogenic N. This variation was not correlated with a north-south gradient. Both Ulva and Gracilaria cultured in water from across Narragansett Bay also had high signals (delta(15)N= approximately 14-17 per thousand and 8-12 per thousand, respectively). These results indicate that inputs of anthropogenic N can have far-reaching impacts throughout estuaries.

Stress-based aftershock forecasts made within 24h post mainshock: Expected north San Francisco Bay area seismicity changes after the 2014M=6.0 West Napa earthquake

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parsons, Thomas E.; Segou, Margaret; Sevilgen, Volkan; Milner, Kevin; Field, Edward; Toda, Shinji; Stein, Ross S.

2014-01-01

We calculate stress changes resulting from the M= 6.0 West Napa earthquake on north San Francisco Bay area faults. The earthquake ruptured within a series of long faults that pose significant hazard to the Bay area, and we are thus concerned with potential increases in the probability of a large earthquake through stress transfer. We conduct this exercise as a prospective test because the skill of stress-based aftershock forecasting methodology is inconclusive. We apply three methods: (1) generalized mapping of regional Coulomb stress change, (2) stress changes resolved on Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast faults, and (3) a mapped rate/state aftershock forecast. All calculations were completed within 24 h after the main shock and were made without benefit of known aftershocks, which will be used to evaluative the prospective forecast. All methods suggest that we should expect heightened seismicity on parts of the southern Rodgers Creek, northern Hayward, and Green Valley faults.

Stress-based aftershock forecasts made within 24 h postmain shock: Expected north San Francisco Bay area seismicity changes after the 2014 M = 6.0 West Napa earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parsons, Tom; Segou, Margaret; Sevilgen, Volkan; Milner, Kevin; Field, Edward; Toda, Shinji; Stein, Ross S.

2014-12-01

We calculate stress changes resulting from the M = 6.0 West Napa earthquake on north San Francisco Bay area faults. The earthquake ruptured within a series of long faults that pose significant hazard to the Bay area, and we are thus concerned with potential increases in the probability of a large earthquake through stress transfer. We conduct this exercise as a prospective test because the skill of stress-based aftershock forecasting methodology is inconclusive. We apply three methods: (1) generalized mapping of regional Coulomb stress change, (2) stress changes resolved on Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast faults, and (3) a mapped rate/state aftershock forecast. All calculations were completed within 24 h after the main shock and were made without benefit of known aftershocks, which will be used to evaluative the prospective forecast. All methods suggest that we should expect heightened seismicity on parts of the southern Rodgers Creek, northern Hayward, and Green Valley faults.

Mercury in birds of San Francisco Bay-Delta, California: trophic pathways, bioaccumulation, and ecotoxicological risk to avian reproduction

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ackerman, Joshua T.; Eagles-Smith, Collin A.; Heinz, Gary; De La Cruz, Susan E. W.; Takekawa, John Y.; Miles, A. Keith; Adelsbach, Terrence L.; Herzog, Mark P.; Bluso-Demers, Jill D.; Demers, Scott A.; Herring, Garth; Hoffman, David J.; Hartman, Christopher A.; Willacker, James J.; Suchanek, Thomas H.; Schwarzbach, Steven E.; Maurer, Thomas C.

2014-01-01

San Francisco Bay Estuary in northern California has a legacy of mercury contamination, which could reduce the health and reproductive success of waterbirds in the estuary. The goal of this study was to use an integrated field and laboratory approach to evaluate the risks of mercury exposure to birds in the estuary. We examined mercury bioaccumulation, and other contaminants of concern, in five waterbird species that depend heavily on San Francisco Bay Estuary for foraging and breeding habitat: American avocets (Recurvirostra americana), black-necked stilts (Himantopus mexicanus), Forster’s terns (Sterna forsteri), Caspian terns (Hydroprogne caspia), and surf scoters (Melanitta perspicillata). These species have different foraging habitats and diets that represent three distinct foraging guilds within the estuary’s food web. In this report, we provide an integrated synthesis of the primary findings from this study and results are synthesized from 54 peer-reviewed publications generated to date with other unpublished results.

Disturbance of recruitment success of mantis shrimp in Tokyo Bay associated with effects of hypoxia on the early life history.

PubMed

Kodama, Keita; Tajima, Yoshihiro; Shimizu, Takamichi; Ohata, Satoshi; Shiraishi, Hiroaki; Horiguchi, Toshihiro

2014-08-30

We investigated effects of severe hypoxia (dissolved oxygen <1 ml l(-1)) on recruitment of mantis shrimp Oratosquilla oratoria in Tokyo Bay. Ten-year field surveys were conducted to examine quantitative relationships in annual mean densities of larvae and juveniles, and spatial distribution of juveniles and severe hypoxia. There was no significant correlation between annual mean densities of larvae and juveniles, suggesting that mortality during larval or juvenile stages varies among years, which might have regulated abundance of young-of-the-year juveniles. Juvenile density was low in the severely hypoxic area, implying that hypoxia could affect survivals and spatial distribution of juveniles. Meanwhile, there are yearly fluctuations in juvenile density in normoxic areas of both northern and southern part of the bay. This evidence suggests that abundance of post-settled juveniles might have been determined by not only effects of hypoxia, but also other factors influencing mortality during the early life stages. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Use of geochemical biomarkers in bottom sediment to track oil from a spill, San Francisco Bay, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hostettler, F.D.; Rapp, J.B.; Kvenvolden, K.A.

1992-01-01

In April 1988, approximately 1500 m3 of a San Joaquin Valley crude oil were accidentally released from a Shell Oil Co. refinery near Martinez, Californa. The oil flowed into Carquinez Strait and Suisun Bay in northern San Francisco Bay Sediment and oil samples were collected within a week and analysed for geochemical marker compounds in order to track the molecular signature of the oil spill in the bottom sediment. Identification of the spilled oil in the sediment was complicated by the degraded nature of the oil and the similarity of the remaining, chromatographically resolvable constituents to those already present in the sediments from anthropogenic petroleum contamination, pyrogenic sources, and urban drainage. Ratios of hopane and sterane biomarkers, and of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their alkylated derivatives best identified the oil impingement. They showed the oil impact at this early stage to be surficial only, and to be patchy even within an area of heavy oil exposure.

Evaluation of potential relationships between benthic community structure and toxic metals in Laizhou Bay.

PubMed

Wu, Bin; Song, Jinming; Li, Xuegang

2014-10-15

The objective of the present study was to examine the relationships between benthic community structure and toxic metals using bivariate/multivariate techniques at 17 sediment locations in Laizhou Bay, North China. Sediment chemical data were evaluated against geochemical background values and sediment quality guidelines, which identified Cu and As as contaminants of concern with a moderate potential for adverse effects. Benthic community data were subjected to non-metric multidimensional scaling, which generated four groups of stations. Spearman rank correlation was then employed to explore the relationships between the major axes of heavy metals and benthic community structure. However, weak and insignificant correlations were found between these axes, indicating that contaminants of concern may not be the primary explanatory factors. Polychaeta were abundant in southern Laizhou Bay, serving as a warning regarding the health status of the ecosystem. Integrated sediment quality assessment showed sediments from northern central locations were impaired, displaying less diverse benthos and higher metal contamination. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Science, Politics, and Best Practice: 35 Years after Larry P.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frisby, Craig L.; Henry, Betty

2016-01-01

A little over 35 years have passed since the original "Larry P." decision was handed down in 1979 by Robert Peckham, a federal judge for the US District Court for the Northern District of California. The "Larry P. case" is a shorthand moniker that refers to a class action lawsuit, supported by the Bay Area Association of Black…

A Truly Northern Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Norwood, Christy

2007-01-01

In this article, the author reflects on her trip to Lutsel K'e, a small isolated community of under 300 people tucked in a gorgeous bay on the east arm of Great Slave Lake. This place has given her a whole new perspective on what it is to be Canadian. To begin, the wildlife and the scenery are absolutely breathtaking in a really raw and barren way…

76 FR 17752 - Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the San Francisco Veterans...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-30

... issues associated with 945,000 square feet of new construction and approximately 500,000 square feet of... an additional 945,000 square feet of medical facility space (in addition to the existing 1.02 million square feet of medical facility space) to meet the needs of San Francisco Bay Area and northern...

Ecological risk assessment of copper and cadmium in surface waters of Chesapeake Bay watershed

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hall, L.W. Jr.; Scott, M.C.; Killen, W.D.

1998-06-01

This ecological risk assessment was designed to characterize risk of copper and cadmium exposure in the Chesapeake Bay watershed by comparing the probability distributions of environmental exposure concentrations with the probability distributions of species response data determined from laboratory studies. The overlap of these distributions was a measure of risk to aquatic life. Dissolved copper and cadmium exposure data were available from six primary data sources covering 102 stations in 18 basins in the Chesapeake Bay watershed from 1985 through 1996. Highest environmental concentrations of copper (based on 90th percentiles) were reported in the Chesapeake and Delaware (C and D)more » Canal, Choptank River, Middle River, and Potomac River; the lowest concentrations of copper were reported in the lower and middle mainstem Chesapeake Bay and Nanticoke River. Based on the calculation of 90th percentiles, cadmium concentrations were highest in the C and D Canal, Potomac River, Upper Chesapeake Bay, and West Chesapeake watershed. Lowest environmental concentrations of cadmium were reported in the lower and middle mainstem Chesapeake Bay and Susquehanna River. The ecological effects data used for this risk assessment were derived primarily from acute copper and cadmium laboratory toxicity tests conducted in both fresh water and salt water; chronic data were much more limited. The 10th percentile (concentration protecting 90% of the species) for all species derived from the freshwater acute copper toxicity database was 8.3 {micro}g/L. For acute saltwater copper data, the 10th percentile for all species was 6.3 {micro}g/L copper. The acute 10th percentile for all saltwater species was 31.7 {micro}g/L cadmium. Highest potential ecological risk from copper exposures was reported in the C and D Canal area of the northern Chesapeake Bay watershed.« less

Slicing up the San Francisco Bay Area: Block kinematics and fault slip rates from GPS-derived surface velocities

USGS Publications Warehouse

d'Alessio, M. A.; Johanson, I.A.; Burgmann, R.; Schmidt, D.A.; Murray, M.H.

2005-01-01

Observations of surface deformation allow us to determine the kinematics of faults in the San Francisco Bay Area. We present the Bay Area velocity unification (BA??VU??, "bay view"), a compilation of over 200 horizontal surface velocities computed from campaign-style and continuous Global Positioning System (GPS) observations from 1993 to 2003. We interpret this interseismic velocity field using a three-dimensional block model to determine the relative contributions of block motion, elastic strain accumulation, and shallow aseismic creep. The total relative motion between the Pacific plate and the rigid Sierra Nevada/Great Valley (SNGV) microplate is 37.9 ?? 0.6 mm yr-1 directed toward N30.4??W ?? 0.8?? at San Francisco (??2??). Fault slip rates from our preferred model are typically within the error bounds of geologic estimates but provide a better fit to geodetic data (notable right-lateral slip rates in mm yr-1: San Gregorio fault, 2.4 ?? 1.0; West Napa fault, 4.0 ?? 3.0; zone of faulting along the eastern margin of the Coast Range, 5.4 ?? 1.0; and Mount Diablo thrust, 3.9 ?? 1.0 of reverse slip and 4.0 ?? 0.2 of right-lateral strike slip). Slip on the northern Calaveras is partitioned between both the West Napa and Concord/ Green Valley fault systems. The total convergence across the Bay Area is negligible. Poles of rotation for Bay Area blocks progress systematically from the North America-Pacific to North America-SNGV poles. The resulting present-day relative motion cannot explain the strike of most Bay Area faults, but fault strike does loosely correlate with inferred plate motions at the time each fault initiated. Copyright 2005 by the American Geophysical Union.

Under the Golden Gate bridge: views of the sea floor near the entrance to San Francisco Bay, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dartnell, Peter; Barnard, Patrick L.; Chin, John L.; Hanes, Daniel; Kvitek, Rikk G.; Iampietro, Pat J.; Gardner, James V.

2006-01-01

San Francisco Bay in Northern California is one of the largest and most altered estuaries within the United States. The sea floor within the bay as well as at its entrance is constantly changing due to strong tidal currents, aggregate mining, dredge disposal, and the creation of new land using artificial fill. Understanding this dynamic sea floor is critical for addressing local environmental issues, which include defining pollution transport pathways, deciphering tectonics, and identifying benthic habitats. Mapping commercial interests such as safe ship navigation and dredge disposal is also significantly aided by such understanding. Over the past decade, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE) and the Center for Integrative Coastal Observation, Research and Education (CICORE) have partnered to map central San Francisco Bay and its entrance under the Golden Gate Bridge using multibeam echosounders. These sonar systems can continuously map to produce 100 percent coverage of the sea floor at meter-scale resolution and thus produce an unprecedented view of the floor of the bay. This poster shows views of the sea floor in west-central San Francisco Bay around Alcatraz and Angel Islands, underneath the Golden Gate Bridge, and through its entrance from the Pacific Ocean. The sea floor is portrayed as a shaded relief surface generated from the multibeam data color-coded for depth from light blues for the shallowest values to purples for the deepest. The land regions are portrayed by USGS digital orthophotographs (DOQs) overlaid on USGS digital elevation models (DEMs). The water depths have a 4x vertical exaggeration while the land areas have a 2x vertical exaggeration.

Wind effect on salt transport variability in the Bay of Bengal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sandeep, K. K.; Pant, V.

2017-12-01

The Bay of Bengal (BoB) exhibits large spatial variability in sea surface salinity (SSS) pattern caused by its unique hydrological, meteorological and oceanographical characteristics. This SSS variability is largely controlled by the seasonally reversing monsoon winds and the associated currents. Further, the BoB receives substantial freshwater inputs through excess precipitation over evaporation and river discharge. Rivers like Ganges, Brahmaputra, Mahanadi, Krishna, Godavari, and Irawwady discharge annually a freshwater volume in range between 1.5 x 1012 and 1.83 x 1013 m3 into the bay. A major volume of this freshwater input to the bay occurs during the southwest monsoon (June-September) period. In the present study, a relative role of winds in the SSS variability in the bay is investigated by using an eddy-resolving three dimensional Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) numerical model. The model is configured with realistic bathymetry, coastline of study region and forced with daily climatology of atmospheric variables. River discharges from the major rivers are distributed in the model grid points representing their respective geographic locations. Salt transport estimate from the model simulation for realistic case are compared with the standard reference datasets. Further, different experiments were carried out with idealized surface wind forcing representing the normal, low, high, and very high wind speed conditions in the bay while retaining the realistic daily varying directions for all the cases. The experimental simulations exhibit distinct dispersal patterns of the freshwater plume and SSS in different experiments in response to the idealized winds. Comparison of the meridional and zonal surface salt transport estimated for each experiment showed strong seasonality with varying magnitude in the bay with a maximum spatial and temporal variability in the western and northern parts of the BoB.

Spatial and temporal variation in distribution of larval lake whitefish in eastern Lake Ontario: signs of recovery?

USGS Publications Warehouse

McKenna, J.E.; Johnson, J. H.

2009-01-01

The lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) is one of the native Lake Ontario fishes that declined severely over the past century. Recent evidence of larval lake whitefish production in a historic spawning area (Chaumont Bay) might signal a recovery of this species in New York waters. We surveyed coastal and open water areas to evaluate densities and estimate total abundance of larval lake whitefish in Chaumont Bay. Other historic spawning areas and embayments with appropriate spawning and nursery habitat were also surveyed, but only a few larvae were found outside of Chaumont Bay. Lake whitefish larvae were found in every embayment sampled within Chaumont Bay, with larval densities of nearly 600/1000 m2 in some samples. Greatest abundances occurred in the northern sectors and near the mouth of the bay. Open water densities were generally less than half that of nearshore sites. The total bay-wide estimate for 2005 was approximately 644,000 lake whitefish larvae, but dropped to 230,000–400,000 in 2006 and 2007, respectively. Mean larval growth rates (0.36 mm/day) did not differ by year, but were consistently higher in early May than in late April. Lake whitefish production in Chaumont Bay is encouraging for this species, but the cause and persistence of the decline after 2005 can be determined only by continued monitoring. Other possible bottlenecks of survival may exist at juvenile and adult stages and could significantly affect recruitment dynamics. This species is sensitive to normal climatic fluctuations and increased variability associated with global climatic change could make winter nursery conditions unfavorable for this species.

Spatial variation in reproductive effort of a southern Australian seagrass.

PubMed

Smith, Timothy M; York, Paul H; Macreadie, Peter I; Keough, Michael J; Ross, D Jeff; Sherman, Craig D H

2016-09-01

In marine environments characterised by habitat-forming plants, the relative allocation of resources into vegetative growth and flowering is an important indicator of plant condition and hence ecosystem health. In addition, the production and abundance of seeds can give clues to local resilience. Flowering density, seed bank, biomass and epiphyte levels were recorded for the temperate seagrass Zostera nigricaulis in Port Phillip Bay, south east Australia at 14 sites chosen to represent several regions with different physicochemical conditions. Strong regional differences were found within the large bay. Spathe and seed density were very low in the north of the bay (3 sites), low in the centre of the bay (2 sites) intermediate in the Outer Geelong Arm (2 sites), high in Swan Bay (2 sites) and very high in the Inner Geelong Arm (3 sites). In the south (2 sites) seed density was low and spathe density was high. These regional patterns were largely consistent for the 5 sites sampled over the three year period. Timing of flowering was consistent across sites, occurring from August until December with peak production in October, except during the third year of monitoring when overall densities were lower and peaked in November. Seagrass biomass, epiphyte load, canopy height and stem density showed few consistent spatial and temporal patterns. Variation in spathe and seed density and morphology across Port Phillip Bay reflects varying environmental conditions and suggests that northern sites may be restricted in their ability to recover from disturbance through sexual reproduction. In contrast, sites in the west and south of the bay have greater potential to recover from disturbances due to a larger seed bank and these sites could act as source populations for sites where seed production is low. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

3D simulation as a tool for improving the safety culture during remediation work at Andreeva Bay.

PubMed

Chizhov, K; Sneve, M K; Szőke, I; Mazur, I; Mark, N K; Kudrin, I; Shandala, N; Simakov, A; Smith, G M; Krasnoschekov, A; Kosnikov, A; Kemsky, I; Kryuchkov, V

2014-12-01

Andreeva Bay in northwest Russia hosts one of the former coastal technical bases of the Northern Fleet. Currently, this base is designated as the Andreeva Bay branch of Northwest Center for Radioactive Waste Management (SevRAO) and is a site of temporary storage (STS) for spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and other radiological waste generated during the operation and decommissioning of nuclear submarines and ships. According to an integrated expert evaluation, this site is the most dangerous nuclear facility in northwest Russia. Environmental rehabilitation of the site is currently in progress and is supported by strong international collaboration. This paper describes how the optimization principle (ALARA) has been adopted during the planning of remediation work at the Andreeva Bay STS and how Russian-Norwegian collaboration greatly contributed to ensuring the development and maintenance of a high level safety culture during this process. More specifically, this paper describes how integration of a system, specifically designed for improving the radiological safety of workers during the remediation work at Andreeva Bay, was developed in Russia. It also outlines the 3D radiological simulation and virtual reality based systems developed in Norway that have greatly facilitated effective implementation of the ALARA principle, through supporting radiological characterisation, work planning and optimization, decision making, communication between teams and with the authorities and training of field operators.

Distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in southern Chesapeake Bay surface water: Evaluation of three methods for determining freely dissolved water concentrations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gustafson, K.E.; Dickhut, R.M.

1997-03-01

Gas sparging, semipermeable-membrane devices (SPMDs), and filtration with sorption of dissolved polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to XAD-2 resin were evaluated for determining the concentrations of freely dissolved PAHs in estuarine waters of southern Chesapeake Bay at sites ranging from rural to urban and highly industrialized. Gas sparging had significant sampling artifacts due to particle scavenging by rising bubbles, and SPMDs were kinetically limited for four-ring and larger PAHs relative to short-term temporal changes in water concentrations. Filtration with sorption of the dissolved contaminant fraction to XAD-2 resin was found to be the most accurate and feasible method for determining concentrationsmore » of freely dissolved PAHs in estuarine water. Concentrations and distribution coefficients of dissolved and particulate PAHs were measured using the filtration/XAD-2 method. Concentrations of PAHs in surface waters of southern Chesapeake Bay were higher than those reported for the northern bay; concentrations in the Elizabeth River were elevated relative to all other sites. A gradient for particulate PAHs was observed from urban to remote sites. No seasonal trends were observed in dissolved or particle-bound PAH fractions at any site. Distributions of dissolved and particulate PAHs in surface waters of the Chesapeake Bay are near equilibrium at all locations and during all seasons.« less

Evaluation of a Single-Beam Sonar System to Map Seagrass at Two Sites in Northern Puget Sound, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stevens, Andrew W.; Lacy, Jessica R.; Finlayson, David P.; Gelfenbaum, Guy

2008-01-01

Seagrass at two sites in northern Puget Sound, Possession Point and nearby Browns Bay, was mapped using both a single-beam sonar and underwater video camera. The acoustic and underwater video data were compared to evaluate the accuracy of acoustic estimates of seagrass cover. The accuracy of the acoustic method was calculated for three classifications of seagrass observed in underwater video: bare (no seagrass), patchy seagrass, and continuous seagrass. Acoustic and underwater video methods agreed in 92 percent and 74 percent of observations made in bare and continuous areas, respectively. However, in patchy seagrass, the agreement between acoustic and underwater video was poor (43 percent). The poor agreement between the two methods in areas with patchy seagrass is likely because the two instruments were not precisely colocated. The distribution of seagrass at the two sites differed both in overall percent vegetated and in the distribution of percent cover versus depth. On the basis of acoustic data, seagrass inhabited 0.29 km2 (19 percent of total area) at Possession Point and 0.043 km2 (5 percent of total area) at the Browns Bay study site. The depth distribution at the two sites was markedly different. Whereas the majority of seagrass at Possession Point occurred between -0.5 and -1.5 m MLLW, most seagrass at Browns Bay occurred at a greater depth, between -2.25 and -3.5 m MLLW. Further investigation of the anthropogenic and natural factors causing these differences in distribution is needed.

Application of otolith shape analysis for stock discrimination and species identification of five goby species (Perciformes: Gobiidae) in the northern Chinese coastal waters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Xin; Cao, Liang; Liu, Jinhu; Zhao, Bo; Shan, Xiujuan; Dou, Shuozeng

2014-09-01

We tested the use of otolith shape analysis to discriminate between species and stocks of five goby species ( Ctenotrypauchen chinensis, Odontamblyopus lacepedii, Amblychaeturichthys hexanema, Chaeturichthys stigmatias, and Acanthogobius hasta) found in northern Chinese coastal waters. The five species were well differentiated with high overall classification success using shape indices (83.7%), elliptic Fourier coefficients (98.6%), or the combination of both methods (94.9%). However, shape analysis alone was only moderately successful at discriminating among the four stocks (Liaodong Bay, LD; Bohai Bay, BH; Huanghe (Yellow) River estuary HRE, and Jiaozhou Bay, JZ stocks) of A. hasta (50%-54%) and C. stigmatias (65.7%-75.8%). For these two species, shape analysis was moderately successful at discriminating the HRE or JZ stocks from other stocks, but failed to effectively identify the LD and BH stocks. A large number of otoliths were misclassified between the HRE and JZ stocks, which are geographically well separated. The classification success for stock discrimination was higher using elliptic Fourier coefficients alone (70.2%) or in combination with shape indices (75.8%) than using only shape indices (65.7%) in C. stigmatias whereas there was little difference among the three methods for A. hasta. Our results supported the common belief that otolith shape analysis is generally more effective for interspecific identification than intraspecific discrimination. Moreover, compared with shape indices analysis, Fourier analysis improves classification success during inter- and intra-species discrimination by otolith shape analysis, although this did not necessarily always occur in all fish species.

Effects of changes in reservoir operations on water quality and trophic state indicators in Voyageurs National Park, northern Minnesota, 2001-03

USGS Publications Warehouse

Christensen, Victoria G.; Payne, G.A.; Kallemeyn, Larry W.

2004-01-01

Implementation of an order by the International Joint Commission in January 2000 has changed operating procedures for dams that regulate two large reservoirs in Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota. These new procedures were expected to restore a more natural water regime and affect water levels, water quality, and trophic status. Results of laboratory analyses and field measurements of chemical and physical properties from May 2001 through September 2003 were compared to similar data collected prior to the change in operating procedures. Rank sum tests showed significant decreases in chlorophyll-a concentrations and trophic state indices for Kabetogama Lake (p=0.021) and Black Bay (p=0.007). There were no significant decreases in total phosphorus concentration, however, perhaps due to internal cycling of phosphorus. No sites had significant trends in seasonal total phosphorus concentrations, with the exception of May samples from Sand Point Lake, which had a significant decreasing trend (tau=-0.056, probability=0.03). May chlorophyll-a concentrations for Kabetogama Lake showed a significant decreasing trend (tau=-0.42, probability=0.05). Based on mean chlorophyll trophic-state indices (2001-03), Sand Point, Namakan, and Rainy Lakes would be classified oligotrophic to mesotrophic, and Kabetogama Lake and Rainy Lake at Black Bay would be classified as mesotrophic. The classification of Sand Point, Namakan, and Rainy Lakes remain the same for data collected prior to the change in operating procedures. In contrast, the trophic classification of Kabetogama Lake and Rainy Lake at Black Bay has changed from eutrophic to mesotrophic.

Evaluation of Emerging Contaminants of Concern at the South District Wastewater Treatment Plant Based on Seasonal Events, Miami-Dade County, Florida, 2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lietz, Arthur C.; Meyer, Michael T.

2006-01-01

The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan has identified highly treated wastewater as a possible water source for the restoration of natural water flows and hydroperiods in selected coastal areas, including the Biscayne Bay coastal wetlands. One potential source of reclaimed wastewater for the Biscayne Bay coastal wetlands is the effluent from the South District Wastewater Treatment Plant in southern Miami-Dade County. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan Wastewater Reuse Technology Pilot Project Delivery Team, initiated a study to assess the presence of emerging contaminants of concern in the South District Wastewater Treatment Plant influent and effluent using current wastewater-treatment methods. As part of the study, 24-hour composite and discrete samples were collected at six locations (influent at plants 1 and 2, effluent pump, reuse train, chlorine dioxide unit, and ultraviolet pilot unit) at the plant during: (1) a dry-season, low-flow event on March 2-3, 2004, with an average inflow rate of 83.7 million gallons per day; (2) a wet-season, average-flow event on July 20-21, 2004, with an average inflow rate of 89.7 million gallons per day; and (3) high-rate disinfection tests on October 5 and 20, 2004, with average flow rates of 84.1 and 119.6 million gallons per day, respectively. During these four sampling events, 26, 27, 29, and 35 constituents were detected, respectively. The following transformations in concentration were determined in the waste stream: -100 to 180 percent at the effluent pump and -100 to 85 percent at the reuse train on March 2-3, 2004, and -100 to 1,609 percent at the effluent pump and -100 to 832 percent at the reuse train on July 20-21, 2004; -100 to -37 percent at the effluent pump, -100 to -62 percent at the reuse train, -100 to -56 percent at the chlorine dioxide unit, and -100 to -40 percent at the ultraviolet pilot unit on October 5, 2004; and -100 to -4 percent at the effluent pump, -100 to 17 percent at the reuse train, -100 to -40 percent at the chlorine dioxide unit, and -100 to -14 percent at the ultraviolet pilot unit on October 20, 2004. Samples were tested for detection of household and industrial (organic) wastewater compounds, pharmaceutical compounds, antibiotic compounds, and hormones in influent. Two 'known' endocrine disrupting compounds?17 beta-estradiol (E2) and diethoxynonylphenol? and four 'suspected' endocrine-disrupting compounds?1,4-dichlorobenzene, benzophenone, tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate, and tris(dichloroisopropyl) phosphate?were detected during these sampling events. Phenanthrene and indole showed the greatest concentration ranges and highest concentrations for the organic wastewater compounds. Acetaminophen showed the greatest concentration range and highest concentration, and warfarin showed the smallest concentration range for the pharmaceutical compounds. Sulfamethoxazole (a sulfonamide) showed the greatest concentration range and highest concentration, and sulfathiozole (also a sulfonamide) showed the smallest concentration range for the antibiotic compounds. Two hormones, 17 beta-estradiol (E2) and estrone (E1), were detected in influent. Samples were also tested for detection of organic wastewater compounds, pharmaceutical compounds, antibiotic compounds, and hormones in effluent. Indole showed the greatest concentration range and highest concentration, and triphenyl phosphate showed the smallest concentration range for the organic wastewater compounds. Dehydronifedipine showed the greatest concentration range and highest concentration, and warfarin had the smallest concentration range for the pharmaceutical compounds. Anhydro-erythromycin (a macrolide degradation product) showed the greatest concentration range, and sulfadiazine (a sulfonamide) and tetracycline showed the lowest concentration ranges for the antibiotic compounds. One hormone, 17 beta-estradiol (E2), was det

Atlantic Seaduck Project

USGS Publications Warehouse

Perry, M.C.; Hanson, Alan; Kerekes, Joseph; Paquet, Julie

2006-01-01

Atlantic Seaduck Project is being conducted to learn more about the breeding and moulting areas of seaducks in northern Canada and more about their feeding ecology on wintering areas, especially Chesapeake Bay. Satellite telemetry is being used to track surf scoters wintering in Chesapeake Bay, Maryland and black scoters on migrational staging areas in New Brunswick, Canada to breeding and moulting areas in northern Canada. Various techniques used to capture the scoters included mist netting, night-lighting, and net capture guns. All captured ducks were transported to a veterinary hospital where surgery was conducted following general anaesthesia procedures. A PTT100 transmitter (39 g) manufactured by Microwave, Inc., Columbia, Maryland was implanted into the duck?s abdominal cavity with an external (percutaneous) antenna. Eight of the surf scoters from Chesapeake Bay successfully migrated to possible breeding areas in Canada and all 13 of the black scoters migrated to suspected breeding areas. Ten of the 11 black scoter males migrated to James Bay presumably for moulting. Updated information from the ARGOS Systems aboard the NOAA satellites on scoter movements was made accessible on the Patuxent Website. Habitat cover types of locations using GIS (Geographical Information Systems) and aerial photographs (in conjunction with remote sensing software) are currently being analyzed to build thematic maps with varying cosmetic layer applications. Many factors related to human population increases have been implicated in causing changes in the distribution and abundance of wintering seaducks. Analyses of the gullet (oesophagus and proventriculus) and the gizzard of seaducks are currently being conducted to determine if changes from historical data have occurred. Scoters in the Bay feed predominantly on the hooked mussel and several species of clams. The long-tailed duck appears to select the gem clam in greater amounts than other seaducks, but exhibits a diverse diet of other mollusks and crustaceans. Seaduck food habits in the Maritimes are decidedly different, where all three species of scoters feed extensively on the blue mussel. Understanding the feeding ecology of seaducks in wintering areas such as the Chesapeake Bay and the Maritimes will provide managers with a better understanding of the changes in the distribution and abundance of these ducks. Future studies will attempt to determine the effects of experimental diets varying in protein and energy levels on the physiology and behaviour of captive seaducks. An attempt will be made to determine if seaducks exhibit an endogenous rhythm in regard to body weight and condition during the winter. Foraging energetics in relation to different food sources found in the Chesapeake Bay will be measured in two large aquariums (dive tanks) with scoters and long-tailed ducks. The combined studies being conducted in the Atlantic Seaduck Project will greatly aid the conservation effort for seaducks presently being conducted throughout the world.

Investigations of belukha whales in coastal waters of western and northern Alaska, 1982-1983: marking and tracking of whales in Bristol Bay

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Frost, K.J.; Lowry, L.F.; Nelson, R.R.

1983-12-01

A 2-year study was conducted in Bristol Bay, Alaska, to develop and test techniques for marking belukha whales with visual and radio tags. Information was also gathered on belukha distribution and abundance, foods and feeding, and rates and causes of mortality. Two types of radio packages were developed: an OAR backpack designed to be bolted through the dorsal ridge, and a Telonics barnacle tag with an umbrella-stake attachment. Testing of tags and attachments revealed that the more-powerful OAR radio could be received at longer distances and lower antenna heights, and the the umbrella-stake attachment penetrated too deeply for reliable usemore » on belukhas.« less

Temporal dynamics of estuarine phytoplankton: A case study of San Francisco Bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cloern, J.E.; Cole, B.E.; Wong, R.L.J.; Alpine, A.E.

1985-01-01

Detailed surveys throughout San Francisco Bay over an annual cycle (1980) show that seasonal variations of phytoplankton biomass, community composition, and productivity can differ markedly among estuarine habitat types. For example, in the river-dominated northern reach (Suisun Bay) phytoplankton seasonality is characterized by a prolonged summer bloom of netplanktonic diatoms that results from the accumulation of suspended particulates at the convergence of nontidal currents (i.e. where residence time is long). Here turbidity is persistently high such that phytoplankton growth and productivity are severely limited by light availability, the phytoplankton population turns over slowly, and biological processes appear to be less important mechanisms of temporal change than physical processes associated with freshwater inflow and turbulent mixing. The South Bay, in contrast, is a lagoon-type estuary less directly coupled to the influence of river discharge. Residence time is long (months) in this estuary, turbidity is lower and estimated rates of population growth are high (up to 1-2 doublings d-1), but the rapid production of phytoplankton biomass is presumably balanced by grazing losses to benthic herbivores. Exceptions occur for brief intervals (days to weeks) during spring when the water column stratifies so that algae retained in the surface layer are uncoupled from benthic grazing, and phytoplankton blooms develop. The degree of stratification varies over the neap-spring tidal cycle, so the South Bay represents an estuary where (1) biological processes (growth, grazing) and a physical process (vertical mixing) interact to cause temporal variability of phytoplankton biomass, and (2) temporal variability is highly dynamic because of the short-term variability of tides. Other mechanisms of temporal variability in estuarine phytoplankton include: zooplankton grazing, exchanges of microalgae between the sediment and water column, and horizontal dispersion which transports phytoplankton from regions of high productivity (shallows) to regions of low productivity (deep channels). Multi-year records of phytoplankton biomass show that large deviations from the typical annual cycles observed in 1980 can occur, and that interannual variability is driven by variability of annual precipitation and river discharge. Here, too, the nature of this variability differs among estuary types. Blooms occur only in the northern reach when river discharge falls within a narrow range, and the summer biomass increase was absent during years of extreme drought (1977) or years of exceptionally high discharge (1982). In South Bay, however, there is a direct relationship between phytoplankton biomass and river discharge. As discharge increases so does the buoyancy input required for density stratification, and wet years are characterized by persistent and intense spring blooms. ?? 1985 Dr W. Junk Publishers.

Air-water CO2 Fluxes In Seasonal Hypoxia-influenced Green Bay, Lake Michigan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, P.; Klump, J. V.; Guo, L.

2016-02-01

Increasing anthropogenic nutrient enrichment has led to seasonal hypoxia in Green Bay, the largest freshwater estuary in the Laurentian Great Lakes, but change in carbon dynamics associated with the development of hypoxia remains poorly understood. Variations in alkalinity, abundance of carbon species, and air-water CO2 fluxes were quantified under contrasting hypoxic conditions during summer 2014. Green Bay was characterized with high pH (average 8.62 ± 0.16 in August), high DIC concentrations (2113 - 3213 µmol/kg) and high pCO2 in the water column. pCO2 was mostly >700 µatm in June, resulting in a net CO2 source to the air, while pCO2 was mostly <650 µatm in August when hypoxic conditions occurred in Green Bay. In central Green Bay, pCO2 was the highest during both sampling months, accompanying by low dissolved oxygen (DO) and lower pH in the water column. In August, pCO2 was inversely correlated with DOC concentration and increased with DOC/DOP ratio, suggesting a control by organic matter on air-water CO2 dynamics and consumption of DO in Green Bay. Positive CO2 fluxes to the atmosphere during August were only observed in northern bay but a CO2 sink was found in southern Green Bay ( 40% of study area) with high biological production and terrestrial DOM. Daily CO2 flux ranged from 10.9 to 48.5 mmol-C m-2 d-1 in June with an average of 18.29 ± 7.44 mmol-C m-2 d-1, whereas it varied from 1.82 ± 1.18 mmol m-2 d-1 in the north to -2.05 ± 1.89 mmol m-2 d-1 in the south of Green Bay in August. Even though strong biological production reduced the CO2 emission, daily CO2 fluxes from Green Bay to the air were as high as 7.4 × 107 mole-C in June and 4.6 × 106 mole-C in August, suggesting a significant role of high-DIC lakes in global CO2 budget and cycling.

Biochemical composition of seston in two upwelling sites within the Humboldt Current System (21°S to 23°S): Summer conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Isla, Enrique; Homs, Patricia; Sañé, Elisabet; Escribano, Rubén; Claramunt, Gabriel; Teixidó, Nuria

2010-07-01

The biochemical composition of seston within the Humboldt Current System (HCS) in two bays off northern Chile (21°S-23°S) was assessed to estimate its chemical quality as potential food supply for benthic communities, large zooplankton and fish larvae. As part of the CENSOR project, in the summer of 2006 physical and biochemical variables were analyzed in Chipana and Mejillones Bays during one week at four depths determined by the occurrence of the upper boundary of the oxygen minimum zone and fluorescence peaks. The depth of the oxy- and pycnoclines controlled the distribution of biochemical variables in both bays. There were significant differences in the concentration of protein (PRT), lipid (LPD) and carbohydrates (CHO) among depths in both bays. The differences were also found in the PRT and LPD contribution to the biopolymeric carbon (BPC) among bays and among depths in the case of CHO. However, the concentration of suspended particulate matter and biogenic silica (bSi) were similar in both bays. PRT, LPD and CHO showed the highest concentrations in the upper meters of the water column and small peaks close to the seabed related to sediment resuspension and/or lateral transport. In Chipana Bay, the high nutritive quality of seston occurring near the seabed suggests a rapid sinking of diatom aggregates and a reduced respiration of the particulate organic matter. PRT, LPD and CHO varied between 0.05 and 0.47 mg l - 1 , 0.06 and 0.39 mg l - 1 and 0.07 and 0.51 mg l - 1 , respectively. LPD were the most important contributors to the BPC in both bays. The seston in these bays presented a high PRT and LPD content in comparison to a number of settings of different latitudes and oceanographic characteristics. The high quantity and biochemical quality of the particulate matter in both bays may reflect the high productivity of this zone and partially explain their condition as spawning areas within the HCS.

Effects of predation, flooding, and contamination on reproductive success of California Clapper Rails (Rallus longirostris obsoletus) in San Francisco Bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schwarzbach, S.E.; Albertson, J.D.; Thomas, C.M.

2006-01-01

We assessed the reproductive success of the California Clapper Rail (Rallus longirostris obsoletus), an endangered subspecies restricted to San Francisco Bay, and the relative importance of predation, flooding, and contaminants as factors affecting that success. Our study was conducted in six tidal marshes in the northern and southern reaches of San Francisco Bay. This assessment, conducted in four breeding seasons (1991, 1992, 1998, 1999), determined that productivity of California Clapper Rails was much reduced over the natural potential. Only 69% of clapper rail eggs whose viability could be assessed were viable. Hatchability of eggs in North Bay and South Bay marshes was 65% and 70%, respectively. Only 45% of the nests successfully hatched at least one egg. Despite mean clutch sizes of 6.7 and 6.9 in the North and South bays, respectively, clapper rails produced only 1.9 and 2.5 young per nesting attempt. Flooding was a minor factor, reducing the number of eggs available to hatch by only 2.3%. Predation on eggs was a major factor affecting nest success, reducing productivity by a third. Failed eggs were examined for abnormal development and contaminant concentrations. Contamination appeared to adversely influence California Clapper Rail reproductive success, as evidenced by deformities; embryo hemorrhaging; embryo malpositions; a depressed rate of hatchability; excess concentrations of mercury, barium, and chromium over known avian embryotoxic thresholds; and a correlation of deformities with elevated concentrations of some trace elements in eggs that failed to hatch. Mercury was the only significant contaminant common to all marshes.

Predecessor rain events over China's low-latitude highlands associated with Bay of Bengal tropical cyclones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Junpeng; Zhao, Di; Yang, Ruowen; Yang, Hongfei

2018-02-01

A predecessor rain event (PRE) is defined as organized heavy rainfall that occurs far ahead of tropical cyclone (TC), yet directly associated with the deep tropical moisture originating from the TC vicinity. The PREs occurring over China's low-latitude highlands (CLLH) in association with Bay of Bengal TCs were investigated from 1981 to 2012. Results indicate that about 19% of Bay of Bengal TCs produces PRE. The PREs frequently occur when TCs are active in the northern Bay of Bengal with northeastward paths. The PREs are more likely to appear in the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons, with peaks in May and October, respectively. The median lifetime of the PREs was approximately two days. The distances between PREs and parent TCs are ranged from 745 to 1849 km, with a median distance of 1118 km. Composite results of PREs suggested that deep moisture is advected from the TC vicinity to the remote CLLH region, which is situated beneath the equatorward entrance of the upper-level East Asia subtropical jet (EASJ). The lower-level southwesterly flow, which is associated with a strong pressure gradient between the western Pacific subtropical high and a trough in Bay of Bengal, steers TCs conveying abundant moisture from the Bay of Bengal to the CLLH region. The enhancement of the ascent and frontogenesis within the equatorward entrance region of the EASJ is favorable for occurrence of PREs in CLLH. TCs may also have a dynamical role in occurrence of PREs by intensifying the upper-level EASJ.

Controls on the interannual variability of hypoxia in a subtropical embayment and its adjacent waters in the Guangdong coastal upwelling system, northern South China Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Heng; Cheng, Weicong; Chen, Yuren; Yu, Liuqian; Gong, Wenping

2018-06-01

Coastal embayments located downwind of large rivers under an upwelling-favorable wind are prone to develop low-oxygen or hypoxic conditions in their bottom water. One such embayment is Mirs Bay, off the Guangdong coast, which is affected by upwelling and the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) plume during summer. The relative importance of physical and biochemical processes on the interannual variability of hypoxia in Mirs Bay and its adjacent waters was investigated using statistical analyses of monthly hydrographic and water quality monitoring data from 2001 to 2015. The results reveal that the southwesterly wind duration and the PRE river discharge together explain 49% of the interannual variability in the size of the hypoxic area, whereas inclusion of the nutrient concentrations inside Mirs Bay and phytoplankton on the shelf explains 75% of the interannual variability in the size of the hypoxic area. This finding suggests that the interannual variability of hypoxia in Mirs Bay is regulated by coupled physical and biochemical processes. Increase of the hypoxic area under a longer-lasting southwesterly wind is caused by increased stratification, extended bottom water residence time, and onshore transport of a low-oxygen water mass induced by stable upwelling. In contrast, a reduction in the size of the hypoxic area may be attributed to a decrease in the surface water residence time of the particulate organic matter outside Mirs Bay due to increased discharge from the PRE. The results also show that the effects of allochthonous particulate organic matter outside Mirs Bay on bottom hypoxia cannot be neglected.

Distribution and spectral characteristics of chromophoric dissolved organic matter in a coastal bay in northern China.

PubMed

Li, Guiju; Liu, Jing; Ma, Yulan; Zhao, Ruihua; Hu, Suzheng; Li, Yijie; Wei, Hao; Xie, Huixiang

2014-08-01

The absorption spectra of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM), along with general physical, chemical and biological variables, were determined in the Bohai Bay, China, in the springs of 2011 and 2012. The absorption coefficient of CDOM at 350 nm (a350) in surface water ranged from 1.00 to 1.83 m⁻¹ (mean: 1.35 m⁻¹) in May 2011 and from 0.78 to 1.92 m⁻¹ (mean: 1.19 m⁻¹) in April 2012. Little surface-bottom difference was observed due to strong vertical mixing. The a350 was weakly anti-correlated to salinity but positively correlated to chlorophyll a (Chl-a) concentration. A shoulder over 260-290 nm, suggestive of biogenic molecules, superimposed the overall pattern of exponentially decreasing CDOM absorption with wavelength. The wavelength distribution of the absorption spectral slope manifested a pronounced peak at ca. 300 nm characteristic of algal-derived CDOM. All a250/a365 ratios exceeded 6, corresponding to CDOM molecular weights (Mw) of less than 1 kDa. Spectroscopically, CDOM in the Bohai Bay differed substantively from that in the Haihe River, the bay's dominant source of land runoff; photobleaching of the riverine CDOM enlarged the difference. Results point to marine biological production being the principal source of CDOM in the Bohai Bay during the sampling seasons. Relatively low runoff, fast dilution, and selective photodegradation are postulated to be among the overarching elements responsible for the lack of terrigenous CDOM signature in the bay water. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The 1997 Kronotsky earthquake and tsunami and their predecessors, Kamchatka, Russia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bourgeois, Joanne; Pinegina, Tatiana K.

2018-01-01

The northern part of the Kamchatka subduction zone (KSZ) experienced three tsunamigenic earthquakes in the 20th century - February 1923, April 1923, December 1997 - events that help us better understand the behavior of this segment. A particular focus of this study is the nature and location of the 5 December 1997 Kronotsky rupture (Mw ˜ 7.8) as elucidated by tsunami runup north of Kronotsky Peninsula in southern to central Kamchatsky Bay. Some studies have characterized the subduction zone off Kronotsky Peninsula as either more locked or more smoothly slipping than surrounding areas and have placed the 1997 rupture south of this promontory. However, 1997 tsunami runup north of the peninsula, as evidenced by our mapping of tsunami deposits, requires the rupture to extend farther north. Previously reported runup (1997 tsunami) on Kronotsky Peninsula was no more than 2-3 m, but our studies indicate tsunami heights for at least 50 km north of Kronotsky Peninsula in Kamchatsky Bay, ranging from 3.4 to 9.5 m (average 6.1 m), exceeding beach ridge heights of 5.3 to 8.3 m (average 7.1 m). For the two 1923 tsunamis, we cannot distinguish among their deposits in southern to central Kamchatsky Bay, but the deposits are more extensive than the 1997 deposit. A reevaluation of the April 1923 historical tsunami suggests that its moment magnitude could be revised upward, and that the 1997 earthquake filled a gap between the two 1923 earthquake ruptures. Characterizing these historical earthquakes and tsunamis in turn contributes to interpreting the prehistoric record, which is necessary to evaluate recurrence intervals for such events. Deeper in time, the prehistoric record back to ˜ AD 300 in southern to central Kamchatsky Bay indicates that during this interval, there were no local events significantly larger than those of the 20th century. Together, the historic and prehistoric tsunami record suggests a more northerly location of the 1997 rupture compared to most other analyses, a revision of the size of the April 1923 earthquake, and agreement with previous work suggesting the northern KSZ ruptures in smaller sections than the southern KSZ. The final suggestion should be considered with caution, however, as we continue to learn that our historic and even prehistoric records of earthquakes and tsunamis are limited, in particular as applied to hazard analysis. This study is a contribution to our continued efforts to understand tectonic behavior around the northern Pacific and in subduction zones, in general.

Quality of ground water in the Biscayne Aquifer in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties, Florida, 1996-1998, with emphasis on contaminants

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bradner, Anne; McPherson, Benjamin F.; Miller, Ronald L.; Kish, George; Bernard, Bruce

2005-01-01

The high permeability of the sand and limestone sediments and shallow water table of the Biscayne aquifer make ground water vulnerable to contamination by human activities. To assess potential contamination in the aquifer, untreated ground water was sampled from 30 public-supply wells (40-165 feet deep) in Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach Counties, 32 shallow wells (10-50 feet deep) in a recently urbanized (residential and light commercial) part of Broward County, and 3 shallow reference wells in Broward County. Results from sample analyses indicate that major ions, pH, dissolved oxygen, nutrients, and trace element concentrations were generally within the range indicative of background concentrations, except for: (1) substantially higher bromide concentrations in water from public-supply wells in southern Miami-Dade County; (2) a few relatively high (greater than 2 milligrams per liter) concentrations of nitrate in water from public-supply wells near agricultural lands in Miami-Dade and southern Broward Counties; and (3) a few relatively high concentrations of arsenic (greater than 10 micrograms per liter) in water from some shallow urban wells near golf courses. Pesticides were detected in every public-supply well, in most of the shallow, urban monitoring wells (78 percent), and in one reference well; however, no pesticide concentration exceeded any drinking-water standard. Fifteen different pesticides or their degradation products were detected. The most frequently detected pesticides were atrazine and tebuthiuron; less frequently detected were the herbicides diuron, fenuron, prometon, metolachlor, simazine, and 2,6-diethylaniline. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were detected in most of the public-supply wells (77 percent) and shallow, urban wells (91 percent) and in two of the three reference wells. Thirty-two different VOCs were detected in ground water in the Biscayne aquifer, with cis-1,2-dichloroethene the most frequently detected VOC in the public-supply wells, followed by methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), 1,4-dichlorobenzene, and chloroform. Toluene, p-isopropyltoluene, and 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene were the most frequently detected VOCs in the shallow, urban wells. Concentrations of all VOCs were less than the maximum contaminant level (MCL) for public drinking water, except in two samples from public-supply wells near industrialized areas that had vinyl chloride concentrations (3 and 5 micrograms per liter) above the MCL of 1 microgram per liter.

Multi-scale characterization of dissolution structures and porosity distribution in the upper part of the Biscayne aquifer using ground penetrating radar (GPR)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mount, Gregory J.

The karst Biscayne aquifer is characterized by a heterogeneous spatial arrangement of porosity, making hydrogeological characterization difficult. In this dissertation, I investigate the use of ground penetrating radar (GPR), for understanding the spatial distribution of porosity variability in the Miami Limestone presented as a compilation of studies where scale of measurement is progressively increased to account for varying dimensions of dissolution features. In Chapter 2, GPR in zero offset acquisition mode is used to investigate the 2-D distribution of porosity and dielectric permittivity in a block of Miami Limestone at the laboratory scale (< 1.0 m). Petrophysical models based on fully saturated and unsaturated water conditions are used to estimate porosity and solid dielectric permittivity of the limestone. Results show a good correspondence between analytical and GPR-based porosity estimates and show variability between 22.0-66.0 %. In Chapter 3, GPR in common offset and common midpoint acquisition mode are used to estimate bulk porosity of the unsaturated Miami Limestone at the field scale (10.0-100.0 m). Estimates of porosity are based on the assumption that the directly measured water table reflector is flat and that any deviation is attributed to changes in velocity due to porosity variability. Results show sharp changes in porosity ranging between 33.2-60.9 % attributed to dissolution areas. In Chapter 4, GPR in common offset mode is used to characterize porosity variability in the saturated Biscayne aquifer at 100-1000 m field scales. The presence of numerous diffraction hyperbolae are used to estimate electromagnetic wave velocity and asses both horizontal and vertical changes in porosity after application of a petrophysical model. Results show porosity variability between 23.0-41.0 % and confirm the presence of isolated areas that could serve as enhanced infiltration or recharge. This research allows for the identification and delineation areas of macroporosity areas at 0.01 m lateral resolution and shows variability of porosity at different scales, reaching 37.0 % within 1.3 m, associated with areas of enhanced dissolution. Such improved resolution of porosity estimates can benefit water management efforts and transport modelling and help to better understand small scale relationships between ground water and surface water interactions.

Is Sex Education Failing Our Youth? A Program Evaluation of One East Bay High School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weinstein, Allison B.

2011-01-01

The reality is that many adolescents are engaging in sexual activity. It is also a reality that the rate of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) is high and continues to be a major problem. What are schools doing about this continued problem and the rise in STDs? More specifically, what are Northern California high schools doing to address this…

Prospects for natural world heritage sites in the Northwest Pacific Region

Treesearch

Jim Thorsell

2007-01-01

Alaska, northern British Columbia (BC), and the western portion of the Yukon Territory have extensive areas of wildlands that are matched by protected area systems covering some 20 percent of the land area of the region. One of the most outstanding of these is the Kluane/Wrangell-St. Elias/Glacier Bay/Tatshenshini-Alsek Park complex that is shared by all three...

Rafting seahorses: the presence of juvenile Hippocampus patagonicus in floating debris.

PubMed

Luzzatto, D C; Estalles, M L; Díaz de Astarloa, J M

2013-09-01

A total of 477 juvenile Hippocampus patagonicus recorded in 80 sampling events were detected rafting on the surface during high tide at San Antonio Bay, northern Patagonia, Argentina. If rafting juveniles drift long distances beyond their original populations, they have the potential to form new populations, which may explain the wide distribution of H. patagonicus. © 2013 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Environmental Assessment for Mid-Bay Bridge Connector, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-12-05

Eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon corais couperi), and have no effect on the red -cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis). Compliance with National 3...Picoides borealis Wood Duck Aix sponsa Pine Barrens Tree Frog Hyla andersonii Northern Bobwhite Colinus virginianus Red -winged Blackbird...Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon Feral Pig Sus scrofa Eastern Mole Scalopus aquaticus Red shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus Salt Marsh Rabbit

Northern Victoria Land (western Ross Sea-Antarctica): inner shelf fine sedimentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colizza, E.; Finocchiaro, F.; Ivaldi, R.; Pittà, A.; Tolotti, R.; Brambati, A.

2003-04-01

The Holocene sedimentation conditions are represented, in the western Ross Sea, by diatomaceous ooze in the uppermost part of sedimentary sequences, while diamicton deposited during Last Glacial Maximum are the basal unit of most cores. Thick layer (> 2 m) of diatomaceous ooze were sampled in the northern Joides Basin and into Granite Harbour. In Drygalski Ice Tongue area and along the coasts of northern Victoria Land, prevails coarse sedimentation, due to seaward flowing of large outlet glacier that drain the Transantarctic Mountain. During 1998-99 and 2001-02 PNRA antarctic cruises, favourable sea ice conditions, has allowed to sample inner shelf area, both in Wood Bay and south of Drygalski ice tongue (Nordenskjold basin). In both sites fine laminated diatomaceous mud are present. Preliminary seismostratigraphy and sedimentological data are here reported. This is the first note of new sites of fine sedimentation in the Ross Sea inner shelf.

Juxtaposition of contrasting structural regimes across a portion of the Norumbega fault system in the northern Casco Bay region of Maine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

West, D. P., Jr.; Hussey, A. M., II

2015-12-01

It has long been recognized that Paleozoic stratified rocks in some regions of central New England are dominated by relatively flat structural features (e.g., recumbent folds, shallow dipping foliation) while other areas are dominated by near vertical upright structures. The northern Casco Bay region of coastal Maine (Brunswick 7.5' quadrangle and adjacent areas) provides an excellent venue for studying the relationships between these two structural regimes as they are in close proximity due to juxtaposition by high angle faulting associated with the Norumbega fault system. Stratified rocks exposed west of the Flying Point fault in northern Casco Bay are dominated by moderately east dipping foliation (ave. = 025o, 37o), moderate northeast plunging mineral lineations, and recumbent to gently inclined minor folds. In stark contrast, immediately east of the Flying Point fault, stratified rocks are dominated by steep east dipping foliation (ave. = 014o, 73o), subhorizontal mineral lineations, and upright to steeply inclined minor folds. The structural differences correspond directly to differences in the thermal histories preserved in these rocks as revealed by earlier thermochronological studies. Rocks in the zone of upright structures east of the Flying Point fault were last subjected to high grade metamorphic conditions and granitic plutonism in the Late Devonian and were relatively cold (<300oC) by Late Carboniferous time. In contrast, flat lying rocks west of the Flying Point fault were over 500oC in the Early Permian and Permian pegmatites are common. Geochronological studies north of the study area have revealed that the two distinctly different structural styles are not the product of strain partitioning during the same deformational episode, but rather they represent two temporally and kinematically distinct deformational events. Swanson (1999), originally suggested flat structures west of the Flying Point fault are consistent with an episode of northwest directed thrusting and our findings are consistent with this interpretation. However, this flat phase of deformation significantly post-dates the older upright structures preserved to the east and thus models for the structural evolution of the region must integrate both the kinematic and temporal differences in this deformation.

Reconstructing Sea Surface Conditions in the Bay of Bengal during the Mid-Pleistocene Transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lagos, A. D.; Dekens, P.; Reilly, B. T.; Selkin, P. A.; Meynadier, L.; Savian, J. F.

2017-12-01

During the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT, 0.8-1.2Ma) Earth's glacial cycles transitioned from responding primarily to 41kyr obliquity cycles to responding to 100kyr eccentricity cycles. In the tropics, sea surface temperature (SST) in the eastern tropical Pacific cooled through the MPT, suggesting a strengthening of the equatorial Pacific zonal temperature gradient (Medina-Elizalde & Lea, 2005). The strong SST gradient would have intensified Walker Cell convection during the MPT and built up latent heat in the western Pacific, which could cause cold SST anomalies in the northern Indian Ocean (Liu et al., 2015). Due to a scarcity of records, it is unclear how climate and oceanic conditions evolved in the Indian Ocean during the MPT. A set of recent IODP expeditions, including 353 and 354, cored sediment from the Bay of Bengal. Several sites recovered by expedition 353 will be ideal for reconstructing monsoon intensity through time, while the expedition 354 cores from a longitudinal transect at 8°N are in a region not directly impacted by changes in freshwater input due to direct precipitation or run off. The sites are influenced by the northeastern migration of equatorial Indian Ocean water via the Southwest Monsoon Current, which supplies significant moisture to the monsoon. Expedition 354's southern Bay of Bengal sites are well situated for better understanding the link between the tropical Indian Ocean and the northern Bay of Bengal. We reconstructed sea surface conditions at IODP site 1452 (8°N, 87°E, 3670m water depth) in the distal Bengal Fan. A 3 meter long section of the core has been identified as the MPT using the Bruhnes/Matuyama, Jaramillo, and Cobb Mountain paleomagnetic reversals (France-Lanord et al., 2016). This section of site 1452 was sampled every 2cm ( 2kyr resolution). Approximately 30 G. sacculifer, a surface dwelling planktonic foraminifera, were picked from the 355-425μm size fraction. We measured Mg/Ca and δ18O on splits of the same material to reconstruct SST and δ18OSW. While this study will not reconstruct monsoon intensity, establishing the sea surface conditions for the southern Bay of Bengal will improve our understanding of the connection between the Indian Ocean and the monsoons through the MPT.

Spatial and temporal variability of thermohaline properties in the Bay of Koper (northern Adriatic Sea)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soczka Mandac, Rok; Žagar, Dušan; Faganeli, Jadran

2013-04-01

In this study influence of fresh water discharge on the spatial and temporal variability of thermohaline (TH) conditions is explored for the Bay of Koper (Bay). The Bay is subject to different driving agents: wind stress (bora, sirocco), tidal and seiches effect, buoyancy fluxes, general circulation of the Adriatic Sea and discharge of the Rizana and Badaševica rivers. These rivers have torrential characteristics that are hard to forecast in relation to meteorological events (precipitation). Therefore, during episodic events the spatial and temporal variability of TH properties in the Bay is difficult to determine [1]. Measurements of temperature, salinity and turbidity were conducted monthly on 35 sampling points in the period: June 2011 - December 2012. The data were processed and spatial interpolated with an objective analysis method. Furthermore, empirical orthogonal function analysis (EOF) [2] was applied to investigate spatial and temporal TH variations. Strong horizontal and vertical stratification was observed in the beginning of June 2011 due to high fresh water discharge of the Rizana (31 m3/s) and Badaševica (2 m3/s) rivers. The horizontal gradient (ΔT = 6°C) was noticed near the mouth of the Rizana river. Similar pattern was identified for salinity field on the boundary of the front where the gradient was ΔS = 20 PSU. Vertical temperature gradient was ΔT = 4°C while salinity gradient was ΔS = 18 PSU in the subsurface layer at depth of 3 m. Spatial analysis of the first principal component (86% of the total variance) shows uniform temperature distribution in the surface layer (1m) during the studied period. Furthermore, temporal variability of temperature shows seasonal variation with a minimum in February and maximum in August. This confirms that episodic events have a negligible effect on spatial and temporal variation of temperature in the subsurface layer. Further analysis will include application of EOF on the salinity, density and total suspended matter. Additionally, we will investigate the cross correlations between the above mentioned parameters with singular value decomposition method. Reference: 1. Faganeli, J., Planinc, R., Pezdic, J., Smodis, B., Stegnar, P., and Ogorelec, B. 1991. Marine geology of Gulf of Trieste (northern Adriatic): Geochemical aspects. Marine Geology, 99: 93-108. 2. Glover, M., Jenkins, J., and Doney, S. C. 2011. Modeling methods for marine science. Cambridge University Press, 571 p.

Group Care for Young Children: Considerations for Child Care and Health Professionals, Public Policy Makers, and Parents. Pediatric Round Table: 12. Summary of a Conference (Key Biscayne, Florida, October 1986).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gunzenhauser, Nina, Ed.; Caldwell, Bettye M., Ed.

Participants in this pediatric round table met to (l) detrivialize child care; (2) advance the concept of child care as a continuum of services; (3) establish the role of health care professionals in the design and implementation of high quality child care; and (4) develop action guidelines for use by professionals attempting to provide high…

Using state-of-the-art technology to evaluate saltwater intrusion in the Biscayne aquifer of Miami-Dade County, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Prinos, Scott T.

2014-01-01

The fresh groundwater supplies of many communities have been adversely affected or limited by saltwater intrusion. An insufficient understanding of the origin of intruded saltwater may lead to inefficient or ineffective water-resource management. A 2008–2012 cooperative U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Miami-Dade County study of saltwater intrusion describes state-of-the art technology used to evaluate the origin and distribution of this saltwater.

Rhizolith evidence in support of a late Holocene sea-level highstand at least 0.5 m higher than present at Key Biscayne, Florida

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Froede, Carl R., Jr.

2002-03-01

R. Fairbridge and F. Shepard proposed different sea-level curves for the late Holocene. South Florida, as a tectonically stable platform, provides a key locale from which late Quaternary sea-level measurements have been attempted. Previous studies supporting Holocene sea-level curves have focused on mangrove peat deposits, barrier ridges, and archaeological sites. However, in situ biological indicators provide the best evidence in support of varying sea-level positions during the late Holocene. The northeastern side of Key Biscayne, Florida, has two areas of rock reef where rhizoliths (i.e., fossilized root casts) are exposed within the intertidal zone. They have previously been interpreted as the fossilized roots of a former black mangrove (Avicennia germinans) forest. However, the morphology, size, orientation, and areal extent of the rhizoliths is best understood if they are interpreted as the former root casts of turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum). This interpretation would constitute in situ biological evidence of a late Holocene sea-level position at least 0.5 m higher than at present. Previously published 14C dating of the calcareous paste inside the rhizoliths suggests that they formed 1 2 k.y. before present. This corresponds to a higher than present sea-level highstand supported by independent evidence from other areas in south Florida.

Estimating Changes in Runoff and Carbon Exports From Northern Canadian Catchments Under a 2X CO2 Atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clair, T. A.; Ehrman, J. M.

2006-12-01

The doubling of atmospheric CO2 on temperature and precipitation will change annual runoff and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) export patterns in northern Canada. Because of the physical size and the range of climatic changes of northern Canada, we found it necessary to model potential changes in river water and carbon exports in the region using a neural network approach. We developed a model for hydrology and one for DOC using as inputs, monthly General Circulation Model temperature and precipitation predictions, historical hydrology and dissolved organic carbon values, as well as catchment size and slope. Mining Environment Canada's historical hydrology and water chemistry databases allowed us to identify 20 sites suitable for our analysis. The site results were summarized within the Canadian Terrestrial Ecozone classification system. Our results show spring melts occurring one month sooner in all northern ecozones except for the Hudson Bay Plains zone, with changes in melt intensity occurring in most regions. The DOC model predicts that exports from catchments will increase by between 10 and 20% depending on the ecozone. Generally, we predict that major changes in both hydrology and carbon cycling should be expected in northern Canadian ecosystems in a warmer planet.

Coastal Circulation and Sediment Dynamics in Hanalei Bay, Kaua'i, Part IV, Measurements of Waves, Currents, Temperature, Salinity, and Turbidity, June-September 2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Storlazzi, Curt D.; Presto, M. Katherine; Logan, Joshua B.; Field, Michael E.

2008-01-01

High-resolution measurements of waves, currents, water levels, temperature, salinity and turbidity were made in Hanalei Bay, northern Kaua'i, Hawai'i, during the summer of 2006 to better understand coastal circulation, sediment dynamics, and the potential impact of a river flood in a coral reef-lined embayment during quiescent summer conditions. A series of bottommounted instrument packages were deployed in water depths of 10 m or less to collect long-term, high-resolution measurements of waves, currents, water levels, temperature, salinity, and turbidity. These data were supplemented with a series of profiles through the water column to characterize the vertical and spatial variability in water column properties within the bay. These measurements support the ongoing process studies being conducted as part of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Coastal and Marine Geology Program's Pacific Coral Reef Project; the ultimate goal is to better understand the transport mechanisms of sediment, larvae, pollutants, and other particles in coral reef settings. Information regarding the USGS study conducted in Hanalei Bay during the 2005 summer is available in Storlazzi and others (2006), Draut and others (2006) and Carr and others (2006). This report, the last part in a series, describes data acquisition, processing, and analysis for the 2006 summer data set.

Evaluating Aquatic Life Benefits of Reducing Nutrient Loading ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Theoretical linkages between excess nutrient loading, nutrient-enhanced community metabolism (i.e., production and respiration), and hypoxia in estuaries are well-understood. In seasonally-stratified estuaries and coastal systems (e.g., Chesapeake Bay, northern Gulf of Mexico), hypoxia is predominantly seasonal, such that the spatial extent indicates potential aquatic life impacts. However, in relatively small and shallow Gulf of Mexico bays and bayous, hypoxia frequently occurs episodically or on a diel basis. This study utilized continuous DO monitoring and 3-D hydrodynamic (Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code) and water quality (Water Quality Analysis Simulation Program) models to examine physical and biological controls on DO dynamics and ecosystem metabolism in Weeks Bay, AL. Observed vertical DO gradients varied on a diel basis, with larger amplitude variations at depth relative to the surface, underscoring the importance of benthic production and respiration as a driver of ecosystem metabolism in shallow estuaries. Hydrodynamic and water quality models simulated seasonal and event-driven dynamics, but struggled to resolve the amplitude of daily DO fluctuations, particularly in bottom waters. Using these data in conjunction with the 10-year continuous O2 record from Weeks Bay, we applied empirical relationships and simple scaling relations to predict how reducing nutrient loading may affect the frequency, severity and duration of hypoxia. We further applied

Seafloor geology of the Monterey Bay area continental shelf

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eittreim, S.L.; Anima, R.J.; Stevenson, A.J.

2002-01-01

Acoustic swath-mapping of the greater Monterey Bay area continental shelf from Point An??o Nuevo to Point Sur reveals complex patterns of rock outcrops on the shelf, and coarse-sand bodies that occur in distinct depressions on the inner and mid-shelves. Most of the rock outcrops are erosional cuestas of dipping Tertiary rocks that make up the bedrock of the surrounding lands. A mid-shelf mud belt of Holocene sediment buries the Tertiary rocks in a continuous, 6-km-wide zone on the northern Monterey Bay shelf. Rock exposures occur on the inner shelf, near tectonically uplifting highlands, and on the outer shelf, beyond the reach of the mud depositing on the mid-shelf since the Holocene sea-level rise. The sediment-starved shelf off the Monterey Peninsula and south to Point Sur has a very thin cover of Holocene sediment, and bedrock outcrops occur across the whole shelf, with Salinian granite outcrops surrounding the Monterey Peninsula. Coarse-sand deposits occur both bounded within low-relief rippled scour depressions, and in broad sheets in areas like the Sur Platform where fine sediment sources are limited. The greatest concentrations of coarse-sand deposits occur on the southern Monterey Bay shelf and the Sur shelf. ?? 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Tidal and tidally averaged circulation characteristics of Suisun Bay, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, Lawrence H.; Cheng, Ralph T.

1987-01-01

Availability of extensive field data permitted realistic calibration and validation of a hydrodynamic model of tidal circulation and salt transport for Suisun Bay, California. Suisun Bay is a partially mixed embayment of northern San Francisco Bay located just seaward of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The model employs a variant of an alternating direction implicit finite-difference method to solve the hydrodynamic equations and an Eulerian-Lagrangian method to solve the salt transport equation. An upwind formulation of the advective acceleration terms of the momentum equations was employed to avoid oscillations in the tidally averaged velocity field produced by central spatial differencing of these terms. Simulation results of tidal circulation and salt transport demonstrate that tides and the complex bathymetry determine the patterns of tidal velocities and that net changes in the salinity distribution over a few tidal cycles are small despite large changes during each tidal cycle. Computations of tidally averaged circulation suggest that baroclinic and wind effects are important influences on tidally averaged circulation during low freshwater-inflow conditions. Exclusion of baroclinic effects would lead to overestimation of freshwater inflow by several hundred m3/s for a fixed set of model boundary conditions. Likewise, exclusion of wind would cause an underestimation of flux rates between shoals and channels by 70–100%.

Statewide summary for Texas: Chapter B in Emergent wetlands status and trends in the northern Gulf of Mexico: 1950-2010

USGS Publications Warehouse

Handley, Lawrence R.; Spear, Kathryn A.; Gibeaut, Jim; Thatcher, Cindy A.

2014-01-01

The Texas coast (Figure 1) consists of complex and diverse ecosystems with a varying precipitation gradient. The northernmost portion of the coast, extending from Sabine Lake to Galveston Bay, is composed of salt, brackish, intermediate, and fresh marshes, with humid flatwoods inland (Moulton and others, 1997). Coastal prairies are found across the entire coast. From Galveston Bay to Corpus Christi Bay, rivers feed into large bays and estuarine ecosystems. Barrier islands and peninsulas exist along the coast from Galveston Bay to the Mexican border. The southernmost portion of the coast is composed of wind-tidal flats and the hypersaline Laguna Madre. The Laguna Madre lacks rivers and has little rainfall and restricted inlet access to the Gulf. Semiarid rangeland and irrigated agricultural land can be found inland.Approximately 6 million people live in Texas’ coastal counties (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010; Texas GLO, 2013). Seventy percent of the state’s industry and commerce occurs within 160.9 km (100 miles) of the coast (Moulton and others, 1997). Texas ports support 1.4 million jobs and generate $6.5 billion in tax revenues (Texas GLO, 2013). Chemical and petroleum production and marine commerce thrive on the Texas coast. Agriculture, grazing, commercial and recreational fishing, and recreation and tourism are strong industries along the coast and in adjacent areas; oil and gas production, agriculture, and tourism are the state’s three largest industries.

Source identification of Florida Bay's methylmercury problem: Mainland runoff versus atmospheric deposition and in situ production

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rumbold, Darren G.; Evans, David W.; Niemczyk, Sharon; Fink, Larry E.; Laine, Krysten A.; Howard, Nicole; Krabbenhoft, David P.; Zucker, Mark

2011-01-01

The first advisory to limit consumption of Florida Bay fish due to mercury was issued in 1995. Studies done by others in the late 1990s found elevated water column concentrations of both total Hg (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) in creeks discharging from the Everglades, which had its own recognized mercury problem. To investigate the significance of allochthonous MeHg discharging from the upstream freshwater Everglades, we collected surface water and sediment along two transects from 2000 to 2002. Concentrations of THg and MeHg, ranging from 0.36 ng THg/L to 5.98 ng THg/L and from <0.02 ng MeHg/L to 1.79 ng MeHg/L, were elevated in the mangrove transition zone when compared both to upstream canals and the open waters of Florida Bay. Sediment concentrations ranged from 5.8 ng THg/g to 145.6 ng THg/g and from 0.05 ng MeHg/g to 5.4 ng MeHg/g, with MeHg as a percentage of THg occasionally elevated in the open bay. Methylation assays indicated that sediments from Florida Bay have the potential to methylate Hg. Assessment of mass loading suggests that canals delivering stormwater from the northern Everglades are not as large a source as direct atmospheric deposition and in situ methylation, especially within the mangrove transition zone.

Shear wave velocity models retrieved using Rg wave dispersion data in shallow crust in some regions of southern Ontario, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Shutian; Motazedian, Dariush; Corchete, Victor

2013-04-01

Many crucial tasks in seismology, such as locating seismic events and estimating focal mechanisms, need crustal velocity models. The velocity models of shallow structures are particularly important in the simulation of ground motions. In southern Ontario, Canada, many small shallow earthquakes occur, generating high-frequency Rayleigh ( Rg) waves that are sensitive to shallow structures. In this research, the dispersion of Rg waves was used to obtain shear-wave velocities in the top few kilometers of the crust in the Georgian Bay, Sudbury, and Thunder Bay areas of southern Ontario. Several shallow velocity models were obtained based on the dispersion of recorded Rg waves. The Rg waves generated by an m N 3.0 natural earthquake on the northern shore of Georgian Bay were used to obtain velocity models for the area of an earthquake swarm in 2007. The Rg waves generated by a mining induced event in the Sudbury area in 2005 were used to retrieve velocity models between Georgian Bay and the Ottawa River. The Rg waves generated by the largest event in a natural earthquake swarm near Thunder Bay in 2008 were used to obtain a velocity model in that swarm area. The basic feature of all the investigated models is that there is a top low-velocity layer with a thickness of about 0.5 km. The seismic velocities changed mainly within the top 2 km, where small earthquakes often occur.

Clam density and scaup feeding behavior in San Pablo Bay, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Poulton, Victoria K.; Lovvorn, James R.; Takekawa, John Y.

2002-01-01

San Pablo Bay, in northern San Francisco Bay, California, is an important wintering area for Greater (Aythya marila) and Lesser Scaup (A. affinis). We investigated variation in foraging behavior of scaup among five sites in San Pablo Bay, and whether such variation was related to densities of their main potential prey, the clams Potamocorbula amurensis and Macoma balthica. Time-activity budgets showed that scaup spent most of their time sleeping at some sites, and both sleeping and feeding at other sites, with females feeding more than males. In the first half of the observation period (12 January–5 February 2000), percent time spent feeding increased with increasing density of P. amurensis, but decreased with increasing density of M. balthica (diet studies have shown that scaup ate mostly P. amurensis and little or no M. balthica). Densities of M. balthica stayed about the same between fall and spring benthic samples, while densities of P. amurensis declined dramatically at most sites. In the second half of the observation period (7 February–3 March 2000), percent time feeding was no longer strongly related to P. amurensis densities, and dive durations increased by 14%. These changes probably reflected declines of P. amurensis, perhaps as affected by scaup predation. The large area of potential feeding habitat, and alternative prey elsewhere in the estuary, might have resulted in the low correlations between scaup behavior and prey densities in San Pablo Bay. These low correlations made it difficult to identify specific areas of prey concentrations important to scaup.

Tsunamis of the northeast Indian Ocean with a particular focus on the Bay of Bengal region—A synthesis and review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alam, Edris; Dominey-Howes, Dale; Chagué-Goff, Catherine; Goff, James

2012-08-01

The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami (2004 IOT) challenged assumptions about the level of regional hazard. Significantly, there has been some debate about the hypothesis that the northern Bay of Bengal may be capable of generating large tsunamis similar to the 2004 IOT. To test this hypothesis, we documented historical and palaeotsunamis in the northeast Indian Ocean. Using multiple sources, we identified 135 purported tsunamis. After completing a process of validity assessment, we categorised 31 definite tsunamis, 27 probable tsunamis, 51 doubtful tsunamis and 20 events that only caused a seiche or disturbance in an inland river. Six of the purported events were identified as either cyclones or earthquakes without any associated tsunamis. Using the reported list of 135 events, we identified different tsunamigenic regions and explored the temporal distribution of past events, with the oldest event dated to around 38,000BC (although the dated material is most likely reworked and this was probably a Holocene event). The second oldest event dated to 3000-2000BC. Historical records indicate that only one definite tsunami, occurring in AD1762, was generated in the northern Bay of Bengal. We encountered a number of significant challenges in reviewing and analysing data contained within the documents and sources we consulted. Statistical analysis of tsunami data from AD1710 to AD2010 suggests that the occurrence of a tsunami affecting the coasts of Bangladesh and Myanmar is 0.99% in any given year, and 63% in a century. We recognise that this incomplete tsunami dataset limits the capacity to fully quantify the hazard. As such, we recommend further 'deep' archival research coupled with regional palaeotsunami studies to gain a more sophisticated understanding of the hazard.

Diurnal variability in carbon and nitrogen pools within Chesapeake Bay and northern Gulf of Mexico: implications for future ocean color satellite sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mannino, A.; Novak, M. G.; Tzortziou, M.; Salisbury, J.

2016-02-01

Relative to their areal extent, estuaries and coastal ocean ecosystems contribute disproportionately more to global biogeochemical cycling of carbon, nitrogen and other elements compared to the open ocean. Applying ocean color satellite data to study biological and biogeochemical processes within coastal ecosystems is challenging due to the complex mixtures of aquatic constituents derived from terrestrial, anthropogenic, and marine sources, human-impacted atmospheric properties, presence of clouds during satellite overpass, fine-scale spatial gradients, and time-varying processes on diurnal scales that cannot be resolved with current sensors. On diurnal scales, biological, photochemical, and biogeochemical processes are regulated by the variation in solar radiation. Other physical factors, such as tides, river discharge, estuarine and coastal ocean circulation, wind-driven mixing, etc., impart further variability on biological and biogeochemical processes on diurnal to multi-day time scales. Efforts to determine the temporal frequency required from a NASA GEO-CAPE ocean color satellite sensor to discern diurnal variability C and N stocks, fluxes and productivity culminated in field campaigns in the Chesapeake Bay and northern Gulf of Mexico. Near-surface drogues were released and tracked in quasi-lagrangian space to monitor hourly changes in community production, C and N stocks, and optical properties. While only small diurnal changes were observed in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) absorption in Chesapeake Bay, substantial variation in particulate organic carbon (POC) and nitrogen (PN), chlorophyll-a, and inorganic nitrogen (DIN) were measured. Similar or greater diurnal changes in POC, PN, chlorophyll-a and DIN were found in Gulf of Mexico nearshore and offshore sites. These results suggest that satellite observations at hourly frequency are desirable to capture diurnal variability in carbon and nitrogen stocks, fluxes and productivity within coastal ecosystems.

Relative value of managed wetlands and tidal marshlands for wintering northern pintails

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coates, Peter S.; Casazza, Michael L.; Halstead, Brian J.; Fleskes, Joseph P.

2012-01-01

Northern pintail Anas acuta (hereafter, pintail) populations have declined substantially throughout the western US since the 1970s, largely as a result of converting wetlands to cropland. Managed wetlands have been developed throughout the San Francisco Bay estuaries to provide wildlife habitat, particularly for waterfowl. Many of these areas were historically tidal baylands and plans are underway to remove dikes and restore tidal action. The relationship between tidal baylands and waterfowl populations is poorly understood. Our objective was to provide information on selection and avoidance of managed and tidal marshland by pintails. During 1991–1993 and 1998–2000, we radio-marked and relocated 330 female pintails (relocations, n =11,574) at Suisun Marsh, the largest brackish water estuary within San Francisco Bay, to estimate resource selection functions during the nonbreeding months (winter). Using a distance-based modeling approach, we calculated selection functions for different ecological communities (e.g., tidal baylands) and investigated variation explained by time of day (day or night hours) to account for differences in pintail behavior (i.e., foraging vs. roosting). We found strong evidence for selection of managed wetlands. Pintails also avoided tidal marshes and bays and channels. We did not detect differences in selection function between day and night hours for managed wetlands but the degree of avoidance of other habitats varied by time of day. We also found that areas subjected to tidal action did not influence the selection of immediately adjacent managed wetlands. If current management goals include providing habitat for wintering waterfowl populations, particularly pintail, then we recommend wildlife managers focus tidal restoration on areas that are not currently managed wetland and/or improve conditions in areas of managed wetlands to increase local carrying capacities

Combining Real-time Seismic and Geodetic Data to Improve Rapid Earthquake Information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murray, M. H.; Neuhauser, D. S.; Gee, L. S.; Dreger, D. S.; Basset, A.; Romanowicz, B.

2002-12-01

The Berkeley Seismological Laboratory operates seismic and geodetic stations in the San Francisco Bay area and northern California for earthquake and deformation monitoring. The seismic systems, part of the Berkeley Digital Seismic Network (BDSN), include strong motion and broadband sensors, and 24-bit dataloggers. The data from 20 GPS stations, part of the Bay Area Regional Deformation (BARD) network of more than 70 stations in northern California, are acquired in real-time. We have developed methods to acquire GPS data at 12 stations that are collocated with the seismic systems using the seismic dataloggers, which have large on-site data buffer and storage capabilities, merge it with the seismic data stream in MiniSeed format, and continuously stream both data types using reliable frame relay and/or radio modem telemetry. Currently, the seismic data are incorporated into the Rapid Earthquake Data Integration (REDI) project to provide notification of earthquake magnitude, location, moment tensor, and strong motion information for hazard mitigation and emergency response activities. The geodetic measurements can provide complementary constraints on earthquake faulting, including the location and extent of the rupture plane, unambiguous resolution of the nodal plane, and distribution of slip on the fault plane, which can be used, for example, to refine strong motion shake maps. We are developing methods to rapidly process the geodetic data to monitor transient deformation, such as coseismic station displacements, and for combining this information with the seismic observations to improve finite-fault characterization of large earthquakes. The GPS data are currently processed at hourly intervals with 2-cm precision in horizontal position, and we are beginning a pilot project in the Bay Area in collaboration with the California Spatial Reference Center to do epoch-by-epoch processing with greater precision.

Heron Island, Australia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

The skies over Northern India are filled with a thick soup of aerosol particles all along the southern edge of the Himalayan Mountains, and streaming southward over Bangladesh and the Bay of Bengal. Notice that the air over the Tibetan Plateau to the north of the Himalayas is very clear, whereas the view of the land surface south of the mountains is obstructed by the brownish haze. Most of this air pollution comes from human activities. The aerosol over this region is notoriously rich in sulfates, nitrates, organic and black carbon, and fly ash. These particles not only represent a health hazard to those people living in the region, but scientists have also recently found that they can have a significant impact on the region's hydrological cycle and climate (click to read the relevant NASA press release). This true-color image was acquired on December 4, 2001, by the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), flying aboard NASA's Terra satellite. It is interesting to compare the image above with this earlier MODIS image over the region, acquired on October 23, 2001. Notice the difference in the clarity of the air over the region in the earlier image. Under the thick plume of aerosol, the Brahmaputra (upper right) and Ganges Rivers are still visible. The many mouths of the Ganges have turned the northern waters of the Bay of Bengal a murky brown as they empty their sediment-laden waters into the bay. Toward the upper lefthand corner of the image, there appears to be a fresh swath of snow on the ground just south of the Himalayas. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC

The contribution of total suspended solids to the Bay of Biscay by Cantabrian Rivers (northern coast of the Iberian Peninsula)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prego, Ricardo; Boi, Paola; Cobelo-García, Antonio

2008-07-01

Information of suspended sediments fluxes of small rivers to the coastal zone is sparse, and this is particularly so for the Iberian Rivers. To help address this shortage of information, the relationship between fluvial discharge and total suspended solids (TSS) for the main 28 Cantabrian Rivers using data from 22 years monitoring by the COCA network has been analysed, and their particulate material fluxes to the Bay of Biscay coasts have been quantified. The Cantabrian Fluvial System (drainage basin area of 20,333 km 2) may be considered as a quasi-homogeneous fluvial system with an average discharge of 561 m - 3 s - 1 and average loads of 35 kg TSS s - 1 with rivers showing similar average yields of 56 t km - 2 a - 1 . The average TSS contribution is 1.2 ± 0.2 10 9 kg a - 1 . This seaward flux of sediment is dispersed along the entire North Iberian coast and is rather modest (25% of the total supply) in comparison with the output from the French Rivers to the Bay of Biscay. The TSS loads of Cantabrian Rivers indicate they are similar to world upland rivers and those of other parts of Northern Europe according to Milliman and Syvistki [Milliman and Syvistki, 1992. Geomorphic/tectonic control of sediment discharge to the ocean: the importance of small mountainous rivers. Journal of Geology, 100: 525-544] and Milliman [Milliman, 2001. Delivery and fate of fluvial water and sediment to the sea: a marine geologist's view of European rivers. Scientia Marina, 65: 121-132]. Although their TSS flux is practically negligible (13,000 times lower) when compared to the world average flux, they provide a good example of the role of small Atlantic temperate rivers.

Surface-Wave Tomographic Studies of the Hudson Bay Lithosphere: Implications for Paleoproterozoic Tectonic Processes and the Assembly of the Canadian Shield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darbyshire, F. A.

2015-12-01

Hudson Bay is a shallow intracratonic basin that partially conceals the Trans-Hudson Orogen (THO) in northern Canada. The THO is thought to be a Himalayan-scale Paleoproterozoic orogenic event that was an important component of assembly of the Canadian Shield, marking the collision of the Archean Superior and Western Churchill plates. Until recently, only global and continental-scale seismic tomographic models had imaged the upper-mantle structure of the region, giving a broad but relatively low-resolution picture of the thick lithospheric keel. The Hudson Bay Lithospheric Experiment (HuBLE) investigated the present-day seismic structure beneath Hudson Bay and its surroundings, using a distributed broadband seismograph network installed around the periphery of the Bay and complemented by existing permanent and temporary seismographs further afield. This configuration, though not optimal for body-wave studies which use subvertical arrivals, is well-suited to surface wave tomographic techniques, with many paths crossing the Bay. As there is little seismicity in the region around the Canadian Shield, two-station measurements of teleseismic Rayleigh wave phase velocity formed the principal data set for lithospheric studies. The interstation measurements were combined in a linearized tomographic inversion for maps of phase velocity and azimuthal anisotropy at periods of 20-200 s; these maps were then used to calculate a pseudo-3D anisotropic upper-mantle shear-wavespeed model of the region. The model shows thick (~180-260 km), seismically fast lithosphere across the Hudson Bay region, with a near-vertical 'curtain' of lower wavespeeds trending NE-SW across the Bay, likely associated with more juvenile material trapped between the Archean Superior and Churchill continental cores during the THO. The lithosphere is layered, suggesting a 2-stage formation process. Seismic anisotropy patterns vary with depth; a circular pattern in the uppermost mantle wrapping around the Hudson Bay basin is superseded in the lower lithosphere by a pattern that mirrors THO-related structures within the crust; the lower layer thus likely formed when stress patterns related to the THO were still active.

Current temporal asymmetry and the role of tides: Nan-Wan Bay vs. the Gulf of Elat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashkenazy, Yosef; Fredj, Erick; Gildor, Hezi; Gong, Gwo-Ching; Lee, Hung-Jen

2016-05-01

Nan-Wan Bay in Taiwan and the Gulf of Elat in Israel are two different coastal environments, and as such, their currents are expected to have different statistical properties. While Nan-Wan Bay is shallow, has three open boundaries, and is directly connected to the open ocean, the Gulf of Elat is deep, semi-enclosed, and connected to the Red Sea via the Straits of Tiran. Surface currents have been continuously measured with fine temporal (less than or equal to 1 h) and spatial resolution (less than or equal to 1 km) for more than a year in both environments using coastal radars (CODARs) that cover a domain of roughly 10 × 10 km. These measurements show that the currents in Nan-Wan Bay are much stronger than those in the Gulf of Elat and that the mean current field in Nan-Wan Bay exhibits cyclonic circulation, which is stronger in the summer; in the Gulf of Elat, the mean current field is directed southward and is also stronger during the summer. We have compared the statistical properties of the current speeds in both environments and found that both exhibit large spatial and seasonal variations in the shape parameter of the Weibull distribution. However, we have found fundamental and significant differences when comparing the temporal asymmetry of the current speed (i.e., the ratio between the time during which the current speed increases and the total time). While the Nan-Wan Bay currents are significantly asymmetric, those of the Gulf of Elat are not. We then extracted the tidal component of the Nan-Wan Bay currents and found that it is strongly asymmetric, while the asymmetry of tidally filtered currents is much weaker. We thus conclude that the temporal asymmetry of the Nan-Wan Bay currents reported here is due to the strong tides in the region. We show that the asymmetry ratio in Nan-Wan Bay varies spatially and seasonally: (i) the currents increase rapidly and decay slowly in the northern part of the domain and vice versa in the southern part, and (ii) the asymmetry is stronger during summer.

Current temporal asymmetry and the role of tides: Nan-Wan Bay vs. the Gulf of Elat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashkenazy, Y.; Fredj, E.; Gildor, H.; Gong, G. C.; Lee, H. J.; Wu, C. R.

2016-02-01

Nan-Wan Bay in Taiwan and the Gulf of Elat in Israel are two different coastal environments and as such are expected to have different statistical properties of their currents. While the Nan-Wan Bay is shallow, has three open boundaries, and directly connected to the open ocean, the Gulf of Elat is deep, semi-enclosed, and connected to the Red Sea via the Straits of Tiran. High temporal (less or equal one hour) and spatial (less or equal one km) surface currents have been measured continuously for more than a year in both environments using Coastal Radars (CODARs) that cover a domain of roughly 10×10 kms. These measurements show that the currents in Nan-Wan Bay are much stronger than those in the Gulf of Elat and that the mean current field in Nan-Wan Bay exhibits cyclonic circulation, which is stronger in the summer; in the Gulf of Elat the mean current field is directed to south and is stronger during the summer. We have compared the statistical properties of the CODAR current speeds in both environments and found that both exhibit large spatial and seasonal variations in the shape parameter of the Weibull distribution. However, we have found fundamental and significant differences when comparing the temporal asymmetry of the current speed (i.e., the ratio between the time during which the current speed is increasing to the total time). While the Nan-Wan Bay currents are significantly asymmetric, those of the Gulf of Elat are not significantly asymmetric. We then extracted the tidal component of the Nan-Wan Bay currents and found that it is strongly asymmetric while the asymmetry of tidally-filtered currents is much weaker. We thus conclude that the temporal asymmetry of the Nan-Wan Bay currents reported here is due to the strong tides in the region. We show that the asymmetry ratio in the Nan-Wan Bay is varied spatially and seasonally: (i) currents increase rapidly and decay slowly in the northern part of the domain and vice versa in the southern part, and that (ii) the asymmetry is stronger during summer.

Seasonal/Yearly Salinity Variations in San Francisco Bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peterson, David H.; Cayan, Daniel R.; Dettinger, Michael D.; DiLeo, Jeanne Sandra; Hager, Stephen E.; Knowles, Noah; Nichols, Frederic H.; Schemel, Laurence E.; Smith, Richard E.; Uncles, Reginald J.

1995-01-01

The ability of resource agencies to manage fish, wildlife and freshwater supplies of San Francisco Bay estuary requires an integrated knowledge of the relations between the biota and their physical environment. A key factor in these relations is the role of salinity in determining both the physical and the biological character of the estuary. The saltiness of the water, and particularly its seasonal and interannual patterns of variability, affects which aquatic species live where within the estuary. Salinity also determines where water can and cannot be diverted for human consumption and irrigated agriculture, and plays a role in determining the capacity of the estuary to cleanse itself of wastes. In short, salinity is a fundamental property of estuarine physics and chemistry that, in turn, determines the biological characteristics of each estuary. Freshwater is a major control on estuarine salinity. Most freshwater supplied to the Bay is from river flow through the Delta, which is primarily runoff from the Sierra Nevada. Most contaminants in San Francisco Bay are from the Sacramento/San Joaquin Valley and the local watershed around the Bay rather than the sea or atmosphere. Land is the primary source of freshwater and freshwater serves as a tracer of land-derived substances such as the trace metals (copper, lead and selenium), pesticides and plant nutrients (nitrate and phosphate). The U.S. Geological Survey is collaborating with other agencies and institutions in studying San Francisco Bay salinity using field observations and numerical simulations to define the physical processes that control salinity. The issues that arise from salinity fluctuations, however, differ in the northern and southern parts of the bay. In North Bay we need to know how salinity responds to freshwater flow through the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta; this knowledge will benefit water managers who determine how much delta flow is needed a) to protect freshwater supplies for municipal water use and b) modulate salinity for a healthy estuary. In South Bay we need to know where the freshwater comes from (the distant Delta or local streams) to sort out the sources of a) contamination or b) dilution.

Outer Continental Shelf environmental assessment program. Final reports of principal investigators. Volume 43

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1986-06-01

Contents include: Assessment of gray whale feeding grounds and sea floor interaction in the northeastern Bering Sea; Feeding ecology of the gray whale in the northern Bering Sea; Feeding ecology of the gray whale in the Chirikof Basin, summer 1982; Project rationale, design, summary; Distribution, production, and ecology of gray whale prey species; Distribution and abundance of gray whales in the Chirikof Basin, summer 1982; Assessment of gray whale feeding grounds and sea floor interaction in the northeastern Bering Sea; Feeding ecology of gray whales in the Chirikof Basin; Investigations of belukha whales in coastal waters of western and northernmore » Alaska, 1982-1983: marking and tracking of whales in Bristol Bay; Belukha whale responses to industrial noise in Nushagak Bay, Alaska.« less

Mercury, cadmium, lead, and selenium in three waterbird species nesting in Galveston Bay, Texas, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

King, K.A.; Cromartie, E.

1986-01-01

Heavy metal and selenium concentrations were determined in Olivaceous Cormorants (Phalacrocorax olivaceus ), Laughing gulls (Larus atricilla ), and Black Skimmers (Rynchops niger ) nesting in Galveston Bay, Texas, during 1980-81. Lead was detected at low levels in a small proportion of the liver samples. Mercury was present in all livers sampled, the highest levels being found in cormorants (7.8 ppm) and skimmers (16 ppm). Concentrations were considerably lower than those reported in birds from mercury-contaminated lakes in northern United States and Canada. Cadmium and selenium were detected in 93 and 95% of the kidneys. Cadmium was highest in gulls and skimmers with a maximum value of 16 ppm. Selenium levels were similar among species except for higher concentrations in gulls collected in 1981.

Geomicrobiology of cores from Suruí Mangrove--Guanabara Bay--Brazil.

PubMed

Fontana, Luiz Francisco; Mendonça Filho, João Graciano; Netto, Annibal Duarte Pereira; Sabadini-Santos, Elisamara; de Figueiredo, Alberto Garcia; Crapez, Mirian Araújo Carlos

2010-10-01

The aim of this work was to quantify the biopolymers associated to esterase enzymes and identify bacterial respiratory activity in four cores collected in Suruí Mangrove, Guanabara Bay - RJ. Biopolymer concentration was 1000 times lower than previously reported in the literature, indicating the need for creating and establishing eutrophication indicative rates and records compatible with tropical coastal systems. The biochemical representative relationships in the cores were equivalent to those from studies on coastal marine environments made in the Northern Hemisphere. The esterase enzymes in the sediment proved efficient in the mineralization of biopolymers, even with preferentially anaerobic metabolic physiology. Despite the lack of incipient geomicrobiological studies, the results highlighted the possible application of microbiology to a better understanding of geological processes. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Seasonal movements, migratory behavior, and site fidelity of West Indian manatees along the Atlantic coast of the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Deutsch, C.J.; Reid, J.P.; Bonde, R.K.; Easton, Dean E.; Kochman, H.I.; O'Shea, T.J.

2003-01-01

The West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus) is endangered by human activities throughout its range, including the U.S. Atlantic coast where habitat degradation from coastal development and manatee deaths from watercraft collisions have been particularly severe. We radio-tagged and tracked 78 manatees along the east coast of Florida and Georgia over a 12-year period (1986-1998). Our goals were to characterize the seasonal movements, migratory behavior, and site fidelity of manatees in this region in order to provide information for the development of effective conservation strategies. Most study animals were tracked remotely with the Argos satellite system, which yielded a mean (SD) of 3.7 (1.6) locations per day; all were regularly tracked in the field using conventional radiotelemetry methods. The combined data collection effort yielded >93,000 locations over nearly 32,000 tag-days. The median duration of tracking was 8.3 months per individual, but numerous manatees were tracked over multiple years (max = 6.8 years). Most manatees migrated seasonally over large distances between a northerly warm-season range and a southerly winter range (median one-way distance = 280 km, max = 830 km), but 12% of individuals were resident in a relatively small area (2,300 km of coastline between southeastern Florida and Rhode Island. No study animals journeyed to the Gulf coast of Florida. Regions heavily utilized by tagged manatees included: Fernandina Beach, FL to Brunswick, GA in the warm season; northern Biscayne Bay to Port Everglades, FL in the winter; and central coastal Florida, especially the Banana River and northern Indian River lagoons, in all seasons. Daily travel rate, defined as the distance between successive mean daily locations, averaged 2.5 km (SD = 1.7), but this varied with season, migratory pattern, and sex. Adult males traveled a significantly greater distance per day than did adult females for most of the warm season, which corresponded closely with the principal period of breeding activity, but there was no difference between the sexes in daily travel rate during the winter. The timing of seasonal migrations differed markedly between geographic regions. Most long-distance movements in the southern half of the study area occurred between November and March in response to changing temperatures, whereas most migrations in the northern region took place during the warmer, non-winter months. Manatees left their warm-season range in central Florida in response to cold fronts that dropped water temperatures by an average of 2.0??C over the 24-hr period preceding departure. Water temperature at departure from the warm-season range averaged 19??C, but varied among individuals (16-22??C) and was not related to body size or female reproductive status. The presence of industrial warm-water effluents permitted many manatees to overwinter north of their historic winter range, and for some migrants this delayed autumn migrations and facilitated earlier spring migrations. Southward autumn and northward spring migrations lasted an average of 10 and 15 days at mean rates of 33.5 (SD = 7.6) and 27.3 (SD = 10.5) km/day, respectively. The highest rate of travel during migration was 87 km/day (3.6 km/hr) during winter. Manatees overwintering in southeastern Florida often traveled north during mild weather - sometimes reaching their warm-season range - only to return south again with the next major cold front. Manatees were consistent in their seasonal movement patterns across years and showed strong fidelity, to warm-season and winter ranges. Within a season, individuals usually occupied only 1 or 2 core use areas that encompassed about 90% of daily locations. Most manatees returned faithfully to the same seasonal ranges year after year (median distance between range centers was <5 km between years). Seasonal movements of 4 immature manatees tracked as calves with their mothers

Demographic Clusters Identified within the Northern Gulf of Mexico Common Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncates) Unusual Mortality Event: January 2010 - June 2013

PubMed Central

Venn-Watson, Stephanie; Garrison, Lance; Litz, Jenny; Fougeres, Erin; Mase, Blair; Rappucci, Gina; Stratton, Elizabeth; Carmichael, Ruth; Odell, Daniel; Shannon, Delphine; Shippee, Steve; Smith, Suzanne; Staggs, Lydia; Tumlin, Mandy; Whitehead, Heidi; Rowles, Teri

2015-01-01

A multi-year unusual mortality event (UME) involving primarily common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncates) was declared in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GoM) with an initial start date of February 2010 and remains ongoing as of August 2014. To examine potential changing characteristics of the UME over time, we compared the number and demographics of dolphin strandings from January 2010 through June 2013 across the entire GoM as well as against baseline (1990-2009) GoM stranding patterns. Years 2010 and 2011 had the highest annual number of stranded dolphins since Louisiana’s record began, and 2011 was one of the years with the highest strandings for both Mississippi and Alabama. Statewide, annual numbers of stranded dolphins were not elevated for GoM coasts of Florida or Texas during the UME period. Demographic, spatial, and temporal clusters identified within this UME included increased strandings in northern coastal Louisiana and Mississippi (March-May 2010); Barataria Bay, Louisiana (August 2010-December 2011); Mississippi and Alabama (2011, including a high prevalence and number of stranded perinates); and multiple GoM states during early 2013. While the causes of the GoM UME have not been determined, the location and magnitude of dolphin strandings during and the year following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, including the Barataria Bay cluster from August 2010 to December 2011, overlap in time and space with locations that received heavy and prolonged oiling. There are, however, multiple known causes of previous GoM dolphin UMEs, including brevetoxicosis and dolphin morbillivirus. Additionally, increased dolphin strandings occurred in northern Louisiana and Mississippi before the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Identification of spatial, temporal, and demographic clusters within the UME suggest that this mortality event may involve different contributing factors varying by location, time, and bottlenose dolphin populations that will be better discerned by incorporating diagnostic information, including histopathology. PMID:25671657

Demographic clusters identified within the northern Gulf of Mexico common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncates) unusual mortality event: January 2010-June 2013.

PubMed

Venn-Watson, Stephanie; Garrison, Lance; Litz, Jenny; Fougeres, Erin; Mase, Blair; Rappucci, Gina; Stratton, Elizabeth; Carmichael, Ruth; Odell, Daniel; Shannon, Delphine; Shippee, Steve; Smith, Suzanne; Staggs, Lydia; Tumlin, Mandy; Whitehead, Heidi; Rowles, Teri

2015-01-01

A multi-year unusual mortality event (UME) involving primarily common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncates) was declared in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GoM) with an initial start date of February 2010 and remains ongoing as of August 2014. To examine potential changing characteristics of the UME over time, we compared the number and demographics of dolphin strandings from January 2010 through June 2013 across the entire GoM as well as against baseline (1990-2009) GoM stranding patterns. Years 2010 and 2011 had the highest annual number of stranded dolphins since Louisiana's record began, and 2011 was one of the years with the highest strandings for both Mississippi and Alabama. Statewide, annual numbers of stranded dolphins were not elevated for GoM coasts of Florida or Texas during the UME period. Demographic, spatial, and temporal clusters identified within this UME included increased strandings in northern coastal Louisiana and Mississippi (March-May 2010); Barataria Bay, Louisiana (August 2010-December 2011); Mississippi and Alabama (2011, including a high prevalence and number of stranded perinates); and multiple GoM states during early 2013. While the causes of the GoM UME have not been determined, the location and magnitude of dolphin strandings during and the year following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, including the Barataria Bay cluster from August 2010 to December 2011, overlap in time and space with locations that received heavy and prolonged oiling. There are, however, multiple known causes of previous GoM dolphin UMEs, including brevetoxicosis and dolphin morbillivirus. Additionally, increased dolphin strandings occurred in northern Louisiana and Mississippi before the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Identification of spatial, temporal, and demographic clusters within the UME suggest that this mortality event may involve different contributing factors varying by location, time, and bottlenose dolphin populations that will be better discerned by incorporating diagnostic information, including histopathology.

Latitudinal discontinuity in thermal conditions along the nearshore of central-northern Chile.

PubMed

Tapia, Fabian J; Largier, John L; Castillo, Manuel; Wieters, Evie A; Navarrete, Sergio A

2014-01-01

Over the past decade, evidence of abrupt latitudinal changes in the dynamics, structure and genetic variability of intertidal and subtidal benthic communities along central-northern Chile has been found consistently at 30-32°S. Changes in the advective and thermal environment in nearshore waters have been inferred from ecological patterns, since analyses of in situ physical data have thus far been missing. Here we analyze a unique set of shoreline temperature data, gathered over 4-10 years at 15 sites between 28-35°S, and combine it with satellite-derived winds and sea surface temperatures to investigate the latitudinal transition in nearshore oceanographic conditions suggested by recent ecological studies. Our results show a marked transition in thermal conditions at 30-31°S, superimposed on a broad latitudinal trend, and small-scale structures associated with cape-and-bay topography. The seasonal cycle dominated temperature variability throughout the region, but its relative importance decreased abruptly south of 30-31°S, as variability at synoptic and intra-seasonal scales became more important. The response of shoreline temperatures to meridional wind stress also changed abruptly at the transition, leading to a sharp drop in the occurrence of low-temperature waters at northern sites, and a concurrent decrease in corticated algal biomass. Together, these results suggest a limitation of nitrate availability in nearshore waters north of the transition. The localized alongshore change results from the interaction of latitudinal trends (e.g., wind stress, surface warming, inertial period) with a major headland-bay system (Punta Lengua de Vaca at 30.25°S), which juxtaposes a southern stretch of coast characterized by upwelling with a northern stretch of coast characterized by warm surface waters and stratification. This transition likely generates a number of latitude-dependent controls on ecological processes in the nearshore that can explain species-specific effects, and add strength to the suggestion of an oceanography-driven, major spatial transition in coastal communities at 30-31°S.

Algicidal and growth-inhibiting bacteria associated with seagrass and macroalgae beds in Puget Sound, WA, USA.

PubMed

Inaba, Nobuharu; Trainer, Vera L; Onishi, Yuka; Ishii, Ken-Ichiro; Wyllie-Echeverria, Sandy; Imai, Ichiro

2017-02-01

The algicidal and growth-inhibiting bacteria associated with seagrasses and macroalgae were characterized during the summer of 2012 and 2013 throughout Puget Sound, WA, USA. In 2012, Heterosigma akashiwo-killing bacteria were observed in concentrations of 2.8×10 6 CFUg -1 wet in the outer organic layer (biofilm) on the common eelgrass (Zostera marina) in north Padilla Bay. Bacteria that inhibited the growth of Alexandrium tamarense were detected within the biofilm formed on the eelgrass canopy at Dumas Bay and North Bay at densities of ∼10 8 CFUg -1 wet weight. Additionally, up to 4100CFUmL -1 of algicidal and growth-inhibiting bacteria affecting both A. tamarense and H. akashiwo were detected in seawater adjacent to seven different eelgrass beds. In 2013, H. akashiwo-killing bacteria were found on Z. marina and Ulva lactuca with the highest densities of ∼10 8 CFUg -1 wet weight at Shallow Bay, Sucia Island. Bacteria that inhibited the growth of H. akashiwo and A. tamarense were also detected on Z. marina and Z. japonica at central Padilla Bay. Heterosigma akashiwo cysts were detected at a concentration of 3400cystsg -1 wet weight in the sediment from Westcott Bay (northern San Juan Island), a location where eelgrass disappeared in 2002. These findings provide new insights on the ecology of algicidal and growth-inhibiting bacteria, and suggest that seagrass and macroalgae provide an environment that may influence the abundance of harmful algae in this region. This work highlights the importance of protection and restoration of native seagrasses and macroalgae in nearshore environments, in particular those regions where shellfish restoration initiatives are in place to satisfy a growing demand for seafood. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Long-term monitoring of sudden oak death in Marin County and the East Bay Hills

Treesearch

Brice A. McPherson; Greg Biging; Maggi Kelly; David L. Wood

2017-01-01

Prior to 2000 the etiology, effects on host trees, and possible consequences for northern California’s forests of the syndrome known as sudden oak death were unknown. We designed a plot-based study to address these issues and to set a baseline for future evaluations.In March-April 2000 we established a total of 20 plots in two forested...

Humboldt Open Ocean Disposal Site (HOODS) Survey Work 2014

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Humboldt Open Ocean Disposal Site (HOODS) is a dredged material disposal site located 3 nautical miles (nm) offshore of Humboldt Bay in Northern California. HOODS was permanently designated by EPA Region 9 in 1995, and has been actively used for dredged material disposal operations since then. The HOODS has received higher volumes of dredged material than predicted since its designation in 1995, mainly from USACE construction and maintenance dredging.

Ecological and Environmental Impacts of Eurasion Watermilfoil.

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-11-01

production of viable seeds requires emersion of the typically monecious flowering spikes with transfer of pollen by wind (anemophily) as the dominant...Chesapeake Bay area and in the Northeastern states during the past 20 year. It was allegedly introduced into the Tennessee River watershed by...fishermen in 1964, but it was not positively identified until the following year when a localized primary area of infestation found in northern Currituck

Spring migration routes and chronology of surf scoters (Melanitta perspicillata): a synthesis of Pacific coast studies

USGS Publications Warehouse

de la Cruz, S.E.W.; Takekawa, John Y.; Wilson, M.T.; Nysewander, D.R.; Evenson, J.R.; Esler, Daniel N.; Boyd, W.S.; Ward, D.H.

2009-01-01

Understanding interconnectivity among wintering, stopover, and breeding areas of migratory birds is pivotal to discerning how events occurring in each might have a cross-seasonal effect on another. Such information can guide the location and timing of conservation efforts. Thus, we examined spring migration routes, chronology, and stopover use of 85 surf scoters (Melanitta perspicillata (L., 1758)) marked with satellite transmitters at four Pacific Flyway wintering sites: San Quintin Bay, Baja California; San Francisco Bay, California; Puget Sound, Washington; and Strait of Georgia, British Columbia. Eighty-three percent of marked scoters followed two main routes to the breeding area: a Southern Inland route involving staging in Puget Sound and Strait of Georgia and protracted inland migration, or a Northern Coastal route characterized by short movements along the Pacific coast of British Columbia and southeast Alaska with inland migration initiating from Lynn Canal and surrounding areas. Route choice was related to nesting site latitude in the Canadian Northern Boreal Forest. Data from birds tracked over 2 years indicated strong migration route fidelity, but altered chronology and stopover locations between years. Departure date varied by wintering site, but arrival and apparent settling dates were synchronous, suggesting individuals adjusted migration timing to meet an optimized reproductive schedule.

Sediment quality assessment in tidal salt marshes in northern California, USA: An evaluation of multiple lines of evidence approach

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hwang, Hyun-Min; Carr, Robert S.; Cherr, Gary N.; Green, Peter G.; Grosholz, Edwin G.; Judah, Linda; Morgan, Steven G.; Ogle, Scott; Rashbrook, Vanessa K.; Rose, Wendy L.; Teh, Swee J.; Vines, Carol A.; Anderson, Susan L.

2013-01-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of integrating a traditional sediment quality triad approach with selected sublethal chronic indicators in resident species in assessing sediment quality in four salt marshes in northern California, USA. These included the highly contaminated (Stege Marsh) and relatively clean (China Camp) marshes in San Francisco Bay and two reference marshes in Tomales Bay. Toxicity potential of contaminants and benthic macroinvertebrate survey showed significant differences between contaminated and reference marshes. Sublethal responses (e.g., apoptotic DNA fragmentation, lipid accumulation, and glycogen depletion) in livers of longjaw mudsucker (Gillichthys mirabilis) and embryo abnormality in lined shore crab (Pachygrapsus crassipes) also clearly distinguished contaminated and reference marshes, while other responses (e.g., cytochrome P450, metallothionein) did not. This study demonstrates that additional chronic sublethal responses in resident species under field exposure conditions can be readily combined with sediment quality triads for an expanded multiple lines of evidence approach. This confirmatory step may be warranted in environments like salt marshes in which natural variables may affect interpretation of toxicity test data. Qualitative and quantitative integration of the portfolio of responses in resident species and traditional approach can support a more comprehensive and informative sediment quality assessment in salt marshes and possibly other habitat types as well.

Lithogenic sources, composition and intra-annual variability of suspended particulate matter supplied from rivers to the Northern Galician Rias (Bay of Biscay)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernárdez, Patricia; Prego, Ricardo; Filgueiras, Ana Virginia; Ospina-Álvarez, Natalia; Santos-Echeandía, Juan; Álvarez-Vázquez, Miguel Angel; Caetano, Miguel

2017-12-01

Scarce research about small European rivers from non-human impacted areas to determine their natural background state has been undertaken. During the annual hydrological cycle of 2008-9 the patterns of particulate supply (SPM, POC, PON, Al, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, V, Zn) from the rivers Sor, Mera Landro, Lourido and Landoi to the Northern Galician Rias (SW Bay of Biscay) were tackled. No differences in the composition of the SPM were detected for the studied rivers regarding Al, Fe and POC but the relative percentage of particulate trace elements (PTE) discriminate the rivers. So, Cr, Co and Ni in the Lourido, and Landoi rivers, and Cu in the Mera River, are controlled by watershed minerals of Ortegal Geological Complex while for the rest rivers PTE are by granitic and Ollo de Sapo bedrock watershed. Therefore, the imprint of PTE in the parental rocks of the river basins is reflected on the coastal sediments of the Rias. The main process controlling the dynamics and variations of chemical elements in the particulate form is the river discharge. This fact exemplifies that these rivers presents a natural behavior not being highly influenced by anthropogenic activities.

Oxygenation variability in Mejillones Bay, off northern Chile, during the last two centuries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Díaz-Ochoa, J. A.; Pantoja, S.; de Lange, G. J.; Lange, C. B.; Sánchez, G. E.; Acuña, V. R.; Muñoz, P.; Vargas, G.

2011-01-01

The Peru Chile Current ecosystem is characterized by high biological productivity and important fisheries. Although this system is likely to be severely affected by climate change, its response to current global warming is still uncertain. In this paper, we analyze 10-166 year-old sediments in two cores collected from Mejillones Bay, an anoxic sedimentary setting favorable for the preservation of proxies. Based on a 166-year chronology, we used proxies of bottom-water oxygenation (Mo, V, S, and the (lycopane + n-C35)/n-C31 ratio) and surface water productivity (biogenic opal, counts of diatom valves, biogenic Ba, organic carbon, and chlorins) to reconstruct environmental variations in Mejillones Bay. During the last two centuries, a shift took place in the coastal marine ecosystem of Bahia Mejillones at decadal scales. This shift was characterized by intense ENSO-like activity, large-scale fluctuations in biological export productivity and bottom water oxygenation, and increased eolian activity (inferred from Ti/Al and Zr/Al). This short-term variability was accompanied by a gradual increase of sulfidic conditions that has intensified since the early 1960s.

Hazard assessment of the Tidal Inlet landslide and potential subsequent tsunami, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wieczorek, G.F.; Geist, E.L.; Motyka, R.J.; Jakob, M.

2007-01-01

An unstable rock slump, estimated at 5 to 10????????10 6 m3, lies perched above the northern shore of Tidal Inlet in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska. This landslide mass has the potential to rapidly move into Tidal Inlet and generate large, long-period-impulse tsunami waves. Field and photographic examination revealed that the landslide moved between 1892 and 1919 after the retreat of the Little Ice Age glaciers from Tidal Inlet in 1890. Global positioning system measurements over a 2-year period show that the perched mass is presently moving at 3-4 cm annually indicating the landslide remains unstable. Numerical simulations of landslide-generated waves suggest that in the western arm of Glacier Bay, wave amplitudes would be greatest near the mouth of Tidal Inlet and slightly decrease with water depth according to Green's law. As a function of time, wave amplitude would be greatest within approximately 40 min of the landslide entering water, with significant wave activity continuing for potentially several hours. ?? 2007 Springer-Verlag.

Seismic stratigraphy and depositional history of the Büyükçekmece Bay since Latest Pleistocene, Marmara Sea, Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vardar, Denizhan; Alp, Hakan; Alpar, Bedri

2018-02-01

High-resolution seismic data shed light on latest Pleistocene and Holocene sedimentation beneath the Büyükçekmece Bay, northern shelf area of the Marmara Sea, Turkey. Discontinuous fluvio-marine and marine deposits overlying the erosional truncation surface of Oligocene-Lower Miocene deposits are as thick as 30 m and preserved preferentially within the incised valleys that were controlled by some old faults. A series of prograding shoreline, laterally passing to the latest Pleistocene-Holocene valley-fill deposits, are thought to have accumulated mainly during times of shoreline transgression and sea-level rise. The overall morphology and stratigraphic setting observed in the Büyükçekmece Bay and at the southern outlet of the Bosphorus Strait have nearly same characteristics, implying that similar hydrodynamic conditions, erosional and depositional processes were mainly under the control of strong northerly flows during the Late Quaternary. These flows were less powerful in the Büyükçekmece region with decreased sediment input and smaller accommodation space.

Quality of Ground Water in the Biscayne Aquifer in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties, Florida, 1996-1998, with Emphasis on Contaminants

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-01-01

Blasland, Bouck, and Lee, Inc., 1992), arsenic and copper used as fungicide on grape - fruit and as a wood preservative (Sherwood and others, 1973), and...for nematode control (400 pounds per acre from Noling and Gilreath, 1998) would provide 44.8 grams per square meter to the soil. The decomposition... nematode control: A south Florida synopsis: Gainesville, University of Florida, Institute for Food and Agricultural Science: accessed October 8, 2002

Hydrography and bottom boundary layer dynamics: Influence on inner shelf sediment mobility, Long Bay, North Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Davis, L.A.; Leonard, L.A.; Snedden, G.A.

2008-01-01

This study examined the hydrography and bottom boundary-layer dynamics of two typical storm events affecting coastal North Carolina (NC); a hurricane and the passages of two small consecutive extratropical storms during November 2005. Two upward-looking 1200-kHz Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCP) were deployed on the inner shelf in northern Long Bay, NC at water depths of less than 15 m. Both instruments profiled the overlying water column in 0.35 in bins beginning at a height of 1.35 in above the bottom (mab). Simultaneous measurements of wind speed and direction, wave and current parameters, and acoustic backscatter were coupled with output from a bottom boundary layer (bbl) model to describe the hydrography and boundary layer conditions during each event. The bbl model also was used to quantify sediment transport in the boundary layer during each storm. Both study sites exhibited similar temporal variations in wave and current magnitude, however, wave heights during the November event were higher than waves associated with the hurricane. Near-bottom mean and subtidal currents, however, were of greater magnitude during the hurricane. Peak depth-integrated suspended sediment transport during the November event exceeded transport associated with the hurricane by 25-70%. Substantial spatial variations in sediment transport existed throughout both events. During both events, along-shelf sediment transport exceeded across-shelf transport and was related to the magnitude and direction of subtidal currents. Given the variations in sediment type across the bay, complex shoreline configuration, and local bathymetry, the sediment transport rates reported here are very site specific. However, the general hydrography associated with the two storms is representative of conditions across northern Long Bay. Since the beaches in the study area undergo frequent renourishment to counter the effects of beach erosion, the results of this study also are relevant to coastal management decision-making. Specifically, these issues include 1) identification of municipalities that should share the cost for renourishment given the likelihood for significant along-shelf sand movement and 2) appropriate timing of sand placement with respect to local climatology and sea-turtle nesting restrictions.

Influence of environmental and anthropogenic factors on the composition, concentration and spatial distribution of microplastics: A case study of the Bay of Brest (Brittany, France).

PubMed

Frère, L; Paul-Pont, I; Rinnert, E; Petton, S; Jaffré, J; Bihannic, I; Soudant, P; Lambert, C; Huvet, A

2017-06-01

The concentration and spatial distribution of microplastics in the Bay of Brest (Brittany, France) was investigated in two surveys. Surface water and sediment were sampled at nine locations in areas characterized by contrasting anthropic pressures, riverine influences or water mixing. Microplastics were categorized by their polymer type and size class. Microplastic contamination in surface water and sediment was dominated by polyethylene fragments (PE, 53-67%) followed by polypropylene (PP, 16-30%) and polystyrene (PS, 16-17%) microparticles. The presence of buoyant microplastics (PE, PP and PS) in sediment suggests the existence of physical and/or biological processes leading to vertical transfer of lightweight microplastics in the bay. In sediment (upper 5 cm), the percentage of particles identified by Raman micro-spectroscopy was lower (41%) than in surface water (79%) and may explain the apparent low concentration observed in this matrix (0.97 ± 2.08 MP kg -1 dry sediment). Mean microplastic concentration was 0.24 ± 0.35 MP m -3 in surface water. We suggest that the observed spatial MP distribution is related to proximity to urbanized areas and to hydrodynamics in the bay. A particle dispersal model was used to study the influence of hydrodynamics on surface microplastic distribution. The outputs of the model showed the presence of a transitional convergence zone in the centre of the bay during flood tide, where floating debris coming from the northern and southern parts of the bay tends to accumulate before being expelled from the bay. Further modelling work and observations integrating (i) the complex vertical motion of microplastics, and (ii) their point sources is required to better understand the fate of microplastics in such a complex coastal ecosystem. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spatiotemporal distribution and fluctuation of radiocesium in Tokyo Bay in the five years following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident

PubMed Central

Yamazaki, Hideo; Hinokio, Ryoichi; Yamashiki, Yosuke Alexandre; Azuma, Ryokei

2018-01-01

A monitoring survey was conducted from August 2011 to July 2016 of the spatiotemporal distribution in the 400 km2 area of the northern part of Tokyo Bay and in rivers flowing into it of radiocesium released from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident. The average inventory in the river mouth (10 km2) was 131 kBq⋅m-2 and 0.73 kBq⋅m-2 in the central bay (330 km2) as the decay corrected value on March 16, 2011. Most of the radiocesium that flowed into Tokyo Bay originated in the northeastern section of the Tokyo metropolitan area, where the highest precipitation zone of 137Cs in soil was almost the same level as that in Fukushima City, then flowed into and was deposited in the Old-Edogawa River estuary, deep in Tokyo Bay. The highest precipitation of radiocesium measured in the high contaminated zone was 460 kBq⋅m-2. The inventory in sediment off the estuary of Old-Edogawa was 20.1 kBq⋅m-2 in August 2011 immediately after the accident, but it increased to 104 kBq⋅m-2 in July 2016. However, the radiocesium diffused minimally in sediments in the central area of Tokyo Bay in the five years following the FDNPP accident. The flux of radiocesium off the estuary decreased slightly immediately after the accident and conformed almost exactly to the values predicted based on its radioactive decay. Contrarily, the inventory of radiocesium in the sediment has increased. It was estimated that of the 8.33 TBq precipitated from the atmosphere in the catchment regions of the rivers Edogawa and Old-Edogawa, 1.31 TBq migrated through rivers and was deposited in the sediments of the Old-Edogawa estuary by July 2016. Currently, 0.25 TBq⋅yr-1 of radiocesium continues to flow into the deep parts of Tokyo Bay. PMID:29494667

Winter movements of four fish species near a thermal plume in northern Minnesota

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ross, M.J.; Winter, J.D.

1981-01-01

Four fish species were studied during the winter of 1975 to compare their winter movements near the thermal plume of a power plant. Seventeen yellow perch (Perca flavescens), six northern pike (Esox lucius), three walleyes (Stizostedion vitreum), and two largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) were equipped with radio frequency transmitters. The spatial distributions differed among species. Only the largemouth bass confined their movements to heated water areas. The yellow perch, which was of particular interest, do not seem to be attracted to warm winter waters, and thus locate themselves in the peripheral areas of the discharge bay and fail to reproduce.more » This finding is contrary to those of previous studies.« less

Genetic connectivity in scleractinian corals across the Northern Gulf of Mexico: oil/gas platforms, and relationship to the Flower Garden Banks.

PubMed

Sammarco, Paul W; Brazeau, Daniel A; Sinclair, James

2012-01-01

The 3,000 oil/gas structures currently deployed in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) provide hard substratum for marine organisms in a region where such has been rare since the Holocene. The major exception to this are the Flower Garden Banks (FGB). Corals are known to have colonized oil/gas platforms around the FGB, facilitating biogeographic expansion. We ask the question, what are the patterns of genetic affinity in these coral populations. We sampled coral tissue from populations of two species occurring on oil and gas platforms: Madracis decactis (hermatype) and Tubastraea coccinea (invasive ahermatype). We sampled 28 platforms along four transects from 20 km offshore to the continental shelf edge off 1) Matagorda Island, TX; 2) Lake Sabine, TX; 3) Terrebonne Bay, LA; and 4) Mobile, AL. The entire population of M. decactis was sampled between depths of 5 m and 37 m. T. coccinea populations were sub-sampled. Genetic variation was assessed using the PCR-based Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms (AFLPs). Data were analyzed via AFLPOP and STRUCTURE. Genetic connectivity among M. decactis platform populations was highest near the FGB and decreased to the east. Connectivity increased again in the eastern sector, indicating isolation between the populations from different sides of the Mississippi River (Transects 3 and 4). A point-drop in genetic affinity (relatedness) at the shelf edge south of Terrebonne Bay, LA indicated a population differing from all others in the northern GOM. Genetic affinities among T. coccinea were highest in the west and decreased to the east. Very low genetic affinities off Mobile, AL indicated a dramatic difference between those populations and those west of the Mississippi River, apparently a formidable barrier to larval dispersal.

Implications of climate change on winter road networks in Ontario's Far North and northern Manitoba, Canada, based on climate model projections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hori, Y.; Cheng, V. Y. S.; Gough, W. A.

2017-12-01

A network of winter roads in northern Canada connects a number of remote First Nations communities to all-season roads and rails. The extent of the winter road networks depends on the geographic features, socio-economic activities, and the numbers of remote First Nations so that it differs among the provinces. The most extensive winter road networks below the 60th parallel south are located in Ontario and Manitoba, serving 32 and 18 communities respectively. In recent years, a warmer climate has resulted in a shorter winter road season and an increase in unreliable road conditions; thus, limiting access among remote communities. This study focused on examining the future freezing degree-days (FDDs) accumulations during the winter road season at selected locations throughout Ontario's Far North and northern Manitoba using recent climate model projections from the multi-model ensembles of General Circulation Models (GCMs) under the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios. First, the non-parametric Mann-Kendall correlation test and the Theil-Sen method were used to identify any statistically significant trends between FDDs and time for the base period (1981-2010). Second, future climate scenarios are developed for the study areas using statistical downscaling methods. This study also examined the lowest threshold of FDDs during the winter road construction in a future period. Our previous study established the lowest threshold of 380 FDDs, which derived from the relationship between the FDDs and the opening dates of James Bay Winter Road near the Hudson-James Bay coast. Thus, this study applied the threshold measure as a conservative estimate of the minimum threshold of FDDs to examine the effects of climate change on the winter road construction period.