At a gathering designed to put NOAA’s suite of red tide forecasts in the hands of more Floridians, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science’s harmful algae experts and their partners explored avenues to strengthen partner collaboration, gather feedback, identify improvements, consider potential users, and determine requirements for new developments. The Florida officials seemed genuinely excited [...]
From August 26 to September 6, Schmidt Ocean Institute Fellow Peter Etnoyer is serving as chief scientist aboard the R/V Falkor, owned by the institute, as part of sea trials for the new vessel and its equipment. Researchers and crew will employ the Global Explorer MK3 remotely operated vehicle and its state-of-the-art 3-D video and biological [...]
University scientists sponsored by NOAA are conducting a 14-day mission to study how the mid-depth, middle-light (mesophotic) coral reefs of Pulley Ridge may replenish key fish species and other organisms in downstream reefs of the nearby Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and Tortugas Ecological Reserve. With the well-documented decline of Florida’s reefs, places like Pulley [...]
On August 3, 2012, the Executive Director of Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission signed an order allowing citizens and tourists to take an unlimited harvest of lionfish without a fishing license. Commercial fisherman can also take as much as they like under the yearlong decree, which even waives bycatch limits for this invasive species. [...]
Scientists from Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and partner agencies will depart Key West this week aboard the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ship Nancy Foster to map fish spawning sites between Key West and the Dry Tortugas. Data collected on this 10-day research cruise will enhance scientific understanding of fish spawning locations, as [...]
Researchers from the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science developed effective, inexpensive molecular lab tests for field samples to detect algae responsible for a widespread seafood-borne illness. In this month’s Journal of Phycology, the scientists describe assays to detect and quantify six species of Gambierdiscus that cause ciguatera fish poisoning in the Atlantic, Caribbean, and [...]
Skin lesions on coastal dolphins are associated with water that’s colder and has lower salinity, say researchers at the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science. They analyzed photographs collected during routine monitoring studies of dolphins in estuaries and coastal waters of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida and found that in all three sites, the prevalence of skin lesions [...]
Seagrass: it might not sound very exciting, but according to experts these extensive marine flowering plants form the basis of one of the most productive ecosystems on Earth. In recent decades seagrass habitats have come under threat, from anthropogenic activities and climate change, and currently there is little consensus about which threats are causing the [...]