Seasonal and interannual patterns of distribution and diet of bluefish within a Middle Atlantic bight estuary in relation to abiotic and biotic factors

Seasonal and interannual patterns in the spatial distribution of bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) within a Middle Atlantic Bight estuary were examined using multipanel gillnets fished biweekly at 14 fixeds stations in the Sandy Hook Bay-N avesink River estuary during May–November of 1998 and 1999. To characterize habitats along the estuarine gradient, we measured several abiotic and biotic variables concurrently with gillnet sampling. Juvenile (age-0 and age-1+) bluefish were captured regularly during both years along with large numbers of Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus), which were confirmed by diet analyses to be bluefish’s primary forage species. The date of initial appearance of age-0 bluefish and menhaden in the estuary varied between years and may have been related to interannual differences in seawater temperatures on the continental shelf during spring. Delayed estuarine arrival of prey fishes may have contributed to variability in bluefish diets between years. Within the estuary, bluefish spatial distribution were consistent across seasons and years: bluefish were most common in areas associated with high concentrations of suspended materials and the presence of menhaden. Community analyses also indicated habitat overlap between bluefish and menhaden. Spatial distribution patterns revealed the consistent occurrence of piscivorous bluefish in shallow estuarine habitats that retained suspended materials and aggregated prey fishes. Foraging success of bluefish and other estuarine piscivores may be closely linked with the availability of these productive habitat, highlighting the need for future study of biological interactions and the governing physical processes.     

Rates of chitin degradation in an estuarine environment

In vitro chitin degradation rates in pure cultures and in mixed natural cultures have been determined and compared with those of other workers.In situ studies in the salt marsh shrimp nursery grounds along the southeastern Louisiana coast showed that chitin degradation was most rapid (118 mg d^–1 g^–1 chitin) when water temperature averaged 30C. Maximum degradation rates were noted at the water-sediment interface and when substrate particles were reduced in size (0.25 cm²). Of the several types of chitin tested, including treated and untreated, native chitin was most rapidly solubilized. Microbial populations on this substrate developed more rapidly, suggesting that chitin degradationin situ is a function of initial colonization. This is further supported by the observation that degradation rates were most rapid when total bacteria, chitinoclastic bacteria, and the ratio of chitinoclasts to total bacterial biomass (15.6 %) was greatest.     

Physiographic and bathymetric characteristics of the continental slope,northwest Gulf of Mexico

Bathymetric charts of the continental slope of the northwestern Gulf of Mexico reveal the presence of over 90 intraslope basins with relief in excess of 150 m. The evolution and the general configuration of the basins are a function of halokinesis of allochthonous salt. Intraslope-interlobal and intraslope-superlobal basins occupy the upper and lower continental slope, respectively. Other structures on the slope associated with salt tectonics are the Sigsbee Escarpment, the seaward edge of the Sigsbee salt nappe, and the Alaminos and Keathley canyons. Major erosional features are the Mississippi Canyon and portions of a submarine canyon on the southern extreme of the Sigsbee Escarpment.     

The Newport line off Oregon - Studies in the North East Pacific

The Newport Hydrographic (NH) Line along 44.65°N off central Oregon was sampled seasonally during two epochs: 1961-1971 through the TENOC program and 1997-2003 through the GLOBEC Northeast Pacific Long Term Observations Program (LTOP); some observations are available for 2004 and 2005. During TENOC, the line extended 305 km offshore to 128°W, with stations 18 km apart over the continental shelf and 36 km offshore. During LTOP, the line was shorter (to 126°W) with closer station spacing over the continental shelf (9 km apart) and slope (18 km apart). LTOP cruises included biochemical sampling and underway current measurements. During both TENOC and LTOP, the seasonal cycle is very strong (accounting for >50% of the variance in surface layer properties), with rapid transitions in spring and fall. The summer regime is subject to coastal upwelling driven by southward winds, equatorward surface currents, and advection of low-salinity waters from the Columbia River. The winter regime off Newport is subject to coastal downwelling and poleward surface currents driven by northeastward winds. Comparison between TENOC and LTOP summer regimes shows the near-surface layer (0-100 m) at most locations is significantly warmer and fresher during LTOP than TENOC, and steric heights over the continental margin are significantly higher. Comparison of LTOP and TENOC winters shows that average differences at most locations were not statistically significant, but that the variance of steric height and shelf-break temperatures was significantly higher during LTOP than TENOC. Interannual variability of climate indices is also stronger during LTOP, which included a rare Subarctic invasion in 2002 as well as the strong 1997-1998 El Niño. During both TENOC and LTOP, interannual variability of steric height is closely related to the El Niño/La Niña cycle. Nutrient concentrations and nitrate-to-phosphate ratios of upwelling-source waters vary inversely with halocline temperature. Both reflect alongshore advection by coastal currents: southward currents bring cool, nitrate-rich waters in summer (especially during the Subarctic invasion), and northward currents bring relatively warm, nitrate-poor waters to the NH line in winter (especially during El Niño). Seasonal and interannual variations in the nutrient level of upwelling-source water are reflected in time series of vertically-integrated chlorophyll over the LTOP survey region (about 150 km by 300 km). Seasonal variations in chlorophyll and currents are congruent with seasonal variations in copepod biomass and diversity. We were not successful in establishing a clear connection between chlorophyll levels and interannual variations in copepod biomass or diversity, nor in explaining the large decrease in the survival rate of coho salmon between TENOC (6%) and LTOP (3%).