SEMINAR: REMINDER--- MBF602 STUDENT SEMINAR *TODAY* 2/10 @ 1:00PM--KATHRYN SHULZITSKI & MARC NADON

[Pam Harris <pharris@rsmas.miami.edu>]

Pamela Harris
Administrative Assistant
Marine Biology and Fisheries
Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science
University of Miami
4600 Rickenbacker Causeway/SLAB-118
Miami, FL 33149
(305) 421-4176
fax - (305) 421-4600
pharris@rsmas.miami.edu
http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/academics/divisions/marine-biology-fisheries/

On 2/9/2012 10:38 AM, Pam Harris wrote:

 

MBF Student Seminar Series

 

Kathryn Shulzitski

Advisor: Dr. Su Sponaugle

“The influence of mesoscale eddies on abundance and growth of larval reef fishes in the Florida Keys.”

Mesoscale eddies are a dynamic component of the oceanography of the Florida Keys and the passage of these features through the Straits of Florida is accompanied by upwelling and increased primary productivity. Enhanced productivity suggests that eddies may serve as important larval habitat, yet there is an absence of empirical data on the abundance and growth rates of fish larvae associated with these eddies. Ichthyoplankton samples and physical data were collected during three cruises and stations were classified as those located inside and outside of eddies based primarily on temperature profiles. We found significant differences between larval assemblages sampled inside and outside of mesoscale eddies. Although abundances of reef fish larvae were higher in mesoscale eddies for two of the three cruises, this pattern was inconsistent at the species level. For Xyrichtys novacula, Cryptotomus roseus, Thalassoma bifasciatum, and Sphyraena barracuda, larval abundances were largely unaffected by mesoscale eddies. However, otolith analysis revealed that each species had consistently faster growth inside of eddies. Increased larval growth has been linked to higher survivorship in the larval and juvenile stages, thus these faster growing fish likely contribute significantly to population replenishment in this dynamic system.

 

 

Marc Nadon

Advisor: Dr. Jerald Ault

“Improving stock assessment capabilities for the coral-reef fish of Hawaii and other Pacific regions.”

  The coral reef fishery in Hawaii is a mix of near-shore recreational activity combined with a sizeable commercial sector. Several recent studies have reported that reef fish densities around populated Pacific regions are greatly reduced in comparison to more lightly exploited or relatively pristine areas. However, to date, no formal quantitative stock assessments have been conducted for any species in the coral reef fisheries of the U.S. Pacific. The 2006 reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act requires that regional Fishery Management Councils develop annual catch limits for each of its managed fisheries. Thus, there is a need for stock assessment data and methods to determine annual catch limits of coral reef fish stocks in the U.S. Pacific. My research will improve our assessment capabilities by addressing several limiting issues. First, underwater fish count data have been collected with several different techniques and these datasets need to be calibrated using statistical modeling before being combined. To do so efficiently, I created a computer program that can process large, multi-species datasets and quickly generate calibration factors. Second, life history parameters are missing for many exploited species in Hawaii. I plan on establishing probability distributions for missing parameters by putting together a large dataset of published life history parameters and using these distributions in Monte Carlo simulations or as informative priors in Bayesian analyses. Third, I plan to build a population simulation program with Monte Carlo simulation capabilities in order to integrate parameter uncertainty into stock assessments. Finally, I will use these tools to carry out proper stock assessment of reef fish in Hawaii.   

 

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2012

1:00pm

RSMAS campus, S/A 103

Pamela Harris
Administrative Assistant
Marine Biology and Fisheries
Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science
University of Miami
4600 Rickenbacker Causeway/SLAB-118
Miami, FL 33149
(305) 421-4176
fax - (305) 421-4600
pharris@rsmas.miami.edu
http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/academics/divisions/marine-biology-fisheries/

demics/divisions/marine-biology-fisheries/