Spatially distributed water quality responses to freshwater discharge in a tropical estuary, Hilo Bay, Hawai'i.

Hilo Bay, Hawai'i, is an estuary of great importance to its neighboring coastal community, but it is threatened by impaired water quality indicated by excessive turbidity and chlorophyll a associated with river discharges of sediments and nutrients. The Wailuku River in the western half of the bay is the primary source of freshwater discharge, hypothesized here to form a surface water-dominant half of the bay with different water quality traits than the groundwater-dominant, eastern half of the bay where the spring-fed Wailoa River discharges. The water quality of both halves of the bay over different flow conditions of the Wailuku River is examined in this study using spatially distributed water quality sampling which collects hundreds of samples in either half of the bay at a distance of about every 40 m.

Enterococcus exceedances related to environmental variability at New Jersey ocean beaches.

Microbial pollution at ocean beaches is a global public health problem that can be exacerbated by excessive rainfall, particularly at beaches adjacent to urban areas. Rain is acknowledged as a predictive factor of Enterococcus levels at NJ beaches, but to date no study has explicitly examined the link. Here, five beaches (156 observations) in Monmouth County, NJ, with storm drain outflows present were sampled for Enterococcus and water quality during dry and wet periods.

Ciguatoxin in Hawai'i: Fisheries forecasting using geospatial and environmental analyses for the invasive Cephalopholis argus (Epinephelidae).

Invasive species can precede far-reaching environmental and economic consequences. In the Hawai'ian Archipelago Cephalopholis argus (family Serranidae) is an established invasive species, now recognized as the dominant local reef predator, negatively impacting the native ecosystem and local fishery. In this region, no official C.

Spatial analysis of water quality parameters in Hilo Bay, Hawai'i, using a combination of interpolated surfaces and hot spot analysis.

Hilo Bay estuary, located on the northeastern side of Hawai'i Island, experiences variability in water quality parameters due to its numerous water inputs. This estuary experiences influxes of water from three sources: groundwater to the east, marine water from the north, and surface water from the Wailuku River to the west. High rainfall and river flow impacts Hilo Bay's water quality including salinity, turbidity, and chlorophyll a concentration.

Seasonal to Inter-Annual Variability of Primary Production in Chesapeake Bay: Prospects to Reverse Eutrophication and Change Trophic Classification.

Estuarine-coastal ecosystems are rich areas of the global ocean with elevated rates of organic matter production supporting major fisheries. Net and gross primary production (NPP, GPP) are essential properties of these ecosystems, characterized by high spatial, seasonal, and inter-annual variability associated with climatic effects on hydrology. Over 20 years ago, Nixon defined the trophic classification of marine ecosystems based on annual phytoplankton primary production (APPP), with categories ranging from "oligotrophic" to "hypertrophic".

Long-term trends, current status, and transitions of water quality in Chesapeake Bay.

Coincident climatic and human effects strongly influence water-quality properties in estuarine-coastal ecosystems around the world. Time-series data for a number of ecosystems reveal high spatio-temporal variability superimposed on secular trends traceable to nutrient over-enrichment. In this paper, we present new analyses of long-term data for Chesapeake Bay directed at several goals: (1) to distinguish trends from spatio-temporal variability imposed by climatic effects; (2) to assess long-term trends of water-quality properties reflecting degradation and recovery; (3) to propose numerical water-quality criteria as targets for restoration; (4) to assess progress toward attainment of these targets.

Ichthyotoxic Karlodinium veneficum (Ballantine) J Larsen in the Upper Swan River Estuary (Western Australia): Ecological conditions leading to a fish kill.

Ichthyotoxic Karlodinium veneficum has become a persistent problem in the eutrophic Swan River Estuary (SRE) near Perth, Western Australia. Karlotoxin (KmTx) concentrations and K. veneficum were sampled from March to July 2005, spanning a bloom confirmed by microscopy and genetics (ITS sequence), and a fish kill coincident with end of the bloom.

Variable climatic conditions dominate recent phytoplankton dynamics in Chesapeake Bay.

Variable climatic conditions strongly influence phytoplankton dynamics in estuaries globally. Our study area is Chesapeake Bay, a highly productive ecosystem providing natural resources, transportation, and recreation for nearly 16 million people inhabiting a 165,000-km(2) watershed. Since World War II, nutrient over-enrichment has led to multiple ecosystem impairments caused by increased phytoplankton biomass as chlorophyll-a (chl-a).

A dinoflagellate exploits toxins to immobilize prey prior to ingestion.

Toxins produced by the harmful algal bloom (HAB) forming, mixotrophic dinoflagellate Karlodinium veneficum have long been associated with fish kills. To date, the perceived ecological role for toxins has been relief from grazing pressures. Here, we demonstrate that karlotoxins also serve as a predation instrument.

ENVIRONMENTAL MODULATION OF KARLOTOXIN LEVELS IN STRAINS OF THE COSMOPOLITAN DINOFLAGELLATE, KARLODINIUM VENEFICUM (DINOPHYCEAE)(1).

We examined the influence of N or P depletion, alternate N- or P-sources, salinity, and temperature on karlotoxin (KmTx) production in strains of Karlodinium veneficum (D. Ballant.) J.

STRAIN VARIATION IN KARLODINIUM VENEFICUM (DINOPHYCEAE): TOXIN PROFILES, PIGMENTS, AND GROWTH CHARACTERISTICS(1).

Karlodinium veneficum (D. Ballant.) J.

Digital holographic microscopy reveals prey-induced changes in swimming behavior of predatory dinoflagellates.

The shallow depth of field of conventional microscopy hampers analyses of 3D swimming behavior of fast dinoflagellates, whose motility influences macroassemblages of these cells into often-observed dense "blooms." The present analysis of cinematic digital holographic microscopy data enables simultaneous tracking and characterization of swimming of thousands of cells within dense suspensions. We focus on Karlodinium veneficum and Pfiesteria piscicida, mixotrophic and heterotrophic dinoflagellates, respectively, and their preys.