Directional swimming patterns in jellyfish aggregations.

Having a profound influence on marine and coastal environments worldwide, jellyfish hold significant scientific, economic, and public interest. The predictability of outbreaks and dispersion of jellyfish is limited by a fundamental gap in our understanding of their movement. Although there is evidence that jellyfish may actively affect their position, the role of active swimming in controlling jellyfish movement, and the characteristics of jellyfish swimming behavior, are not well understood.

Evidence for a consistent use of external cues by marine fish larvae for orientation.

The larval stage is the main dispersive process of most marine teleost species. The degree to which larval behavior controls dispersal has been a subject of debate. Here, we apply a cross-species meta-analysis, focusing on the fundamental question of whether larval fish use external cues for directional movement (i.

Towards integrated modeling of the long-term impacts of oil spills.

Although great progress has been made to advance the scientific understanding of oil spills, tools for integrated assessment modeling of the long-term impacts on ecosystems, socioeconomics and human health are lacking. The objective of this study was to develop a conceptual framework that could be used to answer stakeholder questions about oil spill impacts and to identify knowledge gaps and future integration priorities. The framework was initially separated into four knowledge domains (ocean environment, biological ecosystems, socioeconomics, and human health) whose interactions were explored by gathering stakeholder questions through public engagement, assimilating expert input about existing models, and consolidating information through a system dynamics approach.

Impacts of a local music festival on fish stress hormone levels and the adjacent underwater soundscape.

An understudied consequence of coastal urbanization on marine environments is sound pollution. While underwater anthropogenic sounds are recognized as a threat to aquatic organisms, little is known about the effects of above-surface coastal sound pollution on adjacent underwater soundscapes and the organisms inhabiting them. Here, the impact of noise from the 2019 Ultra Music Festival® in Miami, FL, USA was assessed at the University of Miami Experimental Hatchery (UMEH) located directly adjacent to the music festival and on underwater sound levels in Bear Cut, a nearby water channel.

Invisible oil beyond the satellite footprint.

Major oil spills are catastrophic events that immensely affect the environment and society, yet determining their spatial extent is a highly complex task. During the (DWH) blowout, ~149,000 km of the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) was covered by oil slicks and vast areas of the Gulf were closed for fishing. Yet, the satellite footprint does not necessarily capture the entire oil spill extent.

Quantitative species-level ecology of reef fish larvae via metabarcoding.

The larval pool of coral reef fish has a crucial role in the dynamics of adult fish populations. However, large-scale species-level monitoring of species-rich larval pools has been technically impractical. Here, we use high-throughput metabarcoding to study larval ecology in the Gulf of Aqaba, a region that is inhabited by >500 reef fish species.

Auto-correlated directional swimming can enhance settlement success and connectivity in fish larvae.

Larvae of coastal-marine fishes have been shown repeatedly to swim directionally in the pelagic environment. Yet, biophysical models of larval dispersal typically impose a Simple Random Walk (SRW) algorithm to simulate non-directional movement in the open ocean. Here we investigate the use of a Correlated Random Walk (CRW) algorithm; imposing auto-correlated directional swimming onto simulated larvae within a high-resolution 3D biophysical model of the Gulf of Aqaba, the Red Sea.

Size Matters: Observed and Modeled Camouflage Response of European Cuttlefish () to Different Substrate Patch Sizes during Movement.

Camouflage is common throughout the phylogenetic tree and is largely used to minimize detection by predator or prey. Cephalopods, and in particular cuttlefish, are common models for camouflage studies. Predator avoidance behavior is particularly important in this group of soft-bodied animals that lack significant physical defenses.

Camouflage during movement in the European cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis).

A moving object is considered conspicuous because of the movement itself. When moving from one background to another, even dynamic camouflage experts such as cephalopods should sacrifice their extraordinary camouflage. Therefore, minimizing detection at this stage is crucial and highly beneficial.

Polarized light sensitivity and orientation in coral reef fish post-larvae.

Recent studies of the larvae of coral-reef fishes reveal that these tiny vertebrates possess remarkable swimming capabilities, as well as the ability to orient to olfactory, auditory, and visual cues. While navigation according to reef-generated chemicals and sounds can significantly affect dispersal, the effect is limited to the vicinity of the reef. Effective long-distance navigation requires at least one other capacity-the ability to maintain a bearing using, for example, a sun compass.