2009 LTER All Scientists Meeting - Marine Ecology

The propagating response of inner shelf circulation to wind relaxations along the central California Coast

Libe Washburn — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:38:43 +0000

Poster Number:

395

Presenter/Primary Author:

Libe Washburn

Co-Authors:

Chris Melton

Co-Authors:

Melanie Fewings

Co-Authors:

Chris Gotschalk

Following relaxations prevailing equatorward winds, warm water from the Santa Barbara Channel flows poleward around Point Conception and along the central California coast. Sequences of satellite sea surface temperature images show the events as bands of warm water extending up to 20 km offshore. Characteristics of these flows were examined using time series of currents and temperature from an array of moorings along the inner shelf (15 m depth), a mooring on the mid-shelf (100 m depth), and surface current observations from high frequency radars.

Zooplankton Vertical Habitat Shifts in Relation to Water Column Optical Properties

Mark Ohman — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 04:31:11 +0000

Poster Number:

371

Presenter/Primary Author:

Mark Ohman

Co-Authors:

Jean-Baptiste Romagnan

On the CCE Process Cruises in the California Current System, we used a Lagrangian sampling design to identify and track a series of discrete water parcels and entrained plankton communities through time.

The California Current Ecosystem (CCE) LTER Site

Mark Ohman — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 03:58:20 +0000

Poster Number:

369

Presenter/Primary Author:

Mark Ohman

Co-Authors:

24 coauthors

The California Current System is a coastal upwelling biome, as found along the eastern margins of all major ocean basins. These are among the more productive ecosystems in the world ocean. The California Current Ecosystem (CCE) LTER site (centered on 32.9° N, 120.3° W) is investigating nonlinear transitions in the California Current coastal pelagic ecosystem, with particular attention to long-term forcing by a secular warming trend, multi-decadal oscillations (e.g., PDO and NPGO), and ENSO in altering the structure and dynamics of the pelagic ecosystem.

Seabirds as Indicators of Climate Change

Beth Simmons — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 20:32:43 +0000

Poster Number:

346

Presenter/Primary Author:

Beth Simmons

Co-Authors:

Kirsten Carlson

A new Schoolyard children's book called Sea Secrets: Tiny Clues to a Big Mystery uncovers clues connecting the Cassin's Auklet from the California Current Ecosystem LTER and the Adelie penguin from Palmer Station LTER helping students understand that seabirds may be indicators of climate change.

The Georgia Coastal Ecosystems LTER Program

Wade Sheldon — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 19:49:53 +0000

Poster Number:

343

Presenter/Primary Author:

Merryl Alber

Co-Authors:

Steven Pennings

Co-Authors:

Adrian Burd

Co-Authors:

James T. Hollibaugh

Co-Authors:

Samantha B. Joye

Co-Authors:

Wade Sheldon

The Georgia Coastal Ecosystems (GCE) LTER site, located on the central Georgia coast, was established in 2000. The study domain encompasses three adjacent sounds (Altamaha, Doboy, Sapelo) and includes upland (mainland, barrier islands, marsh hammocks), intertidal (fresh, brackish and salt marsh) and submerged (river, estuary, continental shelf) habitats. Patterns and processes in this complex landscape vary spatially within and between sites, and temporally on multiple scales (tidal, diurnal, seasonal, and inter-annual).

Autonomous robotic surveys of Adélie penguin foraging “hot spots” offshore of Palmer Station, Antarctica

Alex Kahl — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 19:14:49 +0000

Poster Number:

286

Presenter/Primary Author:

Alex Kahl

Co-Authors:

Ducklow, Hugh

Co-Authors:

Fraser, WIliam

Co-Authors:

Martinson, Doug

Co-Authors:

Schofield, Oscar

The distribution of Adélie penguins along the West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) is spatially heterogeneous. Large Adélie colonies occur spatially in regions characterized by deep seafloor canyons. Often associated with these regions is persistent upwelling of warm, nutrient-rich UCDW, which is hypothesized to provide a predictable food resource close to the colonies such that they can be accessed by the penguins given their limited foraging range.

Factors Affecting Adelie Penguin Foraging and Chick Growth off the Western Antarctic Peninsula: A Modeling Study

Erik Chapman — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:09:51 +0000

Poster Number:

284

Presenter/Primary Author:

Erik Chapman

Co-Authors:

Eileen E Hofmann

Co-Authors:

Christine A Ribic

Co-Authors:

William R Fraser

Adelie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) colonies in off the western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) are undergoing changes in population size that have been correlated with climate-driven alteration of the marine and terrestrial environment. Climate-associated changes in the environment may affect chick growth processes which are important because large chicks are more likely to recruit to the breeding population and Adelie penguin population dynamics can correlate with fledging mass.

Influence of Acroporid Coral Characteristics on Associated Fish Communities

Michele Johnson — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 04:18:33 +0000

Poster Number:

276

Presenter/Primary Author:

Michele Johnson

Co-Authors:

Sally J. Holbrook

Co-Authors:

Russell J. Schmitt

Co-Authors:

Andrew J. Brooks

Hermatypic corals form the foundation of most coral reef ecosystems and provide critical habitat for hundreds of species of coral associated fishes. Recent decades have seen a decline in the abundance and areal cover of branching Acroporid corals along the north shore of Moorea, French Polynesia.

Student Poster:

Yes

Tracing Persistent Organic Pollutants into Antarctic Seabird Eggs

Heidi Geisz — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:00:51 +0000

Poster Number:

267

Presenter/Primary Author:

Heidi Geisz

Co-Authors:

Rebecca M Dickhut

Co-Authors:

Michele A Cochran

Co-Authors:

William R Fraser

Antarctic seabirds, including Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae), south polar skuas (Catharacta maccormicki) and southern giant petrels (Macronectes gigantus), are high trophic level predators that accumulate persistent organic pollutants (POPs) present in the marine food webs in which they forage. Diet and migration patterns influence the level of POP residues per species. Here we examine POP levels within the three bird species based on migratory patterns and trophic level using stable isotope analysis of δ15N and δ13C.

Student Poster:

Yes

Predator abundance vs swamping: which factor explains spatial variation in Diadema savignyi density?

Xueying Han — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 05:48:47 +0000

Poster Number:

255

Presenter/Primary Author:

Xueying Han

Herbivory plays a crucial role in structuring coral reef communities. A decrease in abundance of herbivores increases the probability of state shift from coral to algae domination. Although both fish and sea urchins are important herbivores, many tropical reef systems have suffered from over-harvesting of fishes and therefore, a more thorough understanding the effect of urchins on community structure is essential. This study examines how population dynamics of the urchin Diadema savignyi, affect the reef community of Moorea, French Polynesia. D.

Student Poster:

Yes