Newsletter of the SFRC-Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Program WaterWorks is a semi-annual publication of the Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Program (FAS) in the School of Forest Resources and Conservation (SFRC) at the University of Florida/IFAS. The purpose of the newsletter is to provide information to prospective students, alumni, stakeholders, partners, and colleagues. Past editions can be found at http://sfrc.ufl.edu/fish/about/waterworksnews/ This issue was designed by Nancy Montes and edited by Bob Swett and Roy Yanong. To contribute an article or information for a future issue, contact Bill Lindberg ([email protected]). WATERWORKS When Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (FAS) rejoined the School of Forest Resources and Conservation (SFRC) several years ago, we were very fortunate to gain great leadership in Dr. Tim White, Director of the SFRC. At the end of May, Tim retired after 13 years at the helm of the SFRC. Congratulations Tim, and thank you!! A search for Tim White’s replacement is now underway, with a closing date of August 1st. If you know someone especially well-qualified to lead our large and diverse School, please let us know. We want the best. In the mean- time, the two SFRC Associate Directors, Dr. Tim Martin and me, will serve as Co-Interim Directors for the School until the Director’s position is filled. Now, on to this edition of WaterWorks... Fishing is obviously important to us, as evidenced in part by the 20th Annual UF Fisheries/FWC Fishing Tournament, reported inside. Congratulations to this year’s winners and to all who enjoyed the festivities. And congratulations to Mike Allen (UF) and Eric Nagid (FWC) for reaching this 20-year milestone! As important as fishing is to us, so too, are the healthy freshwater and marine ecosystems that sustain Florida’s rich fisheries. This edition of WaterWorks features just a few of the efforts by Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (FAS) faculty and graduate students to help ensure the health and effective management of aquatic ecosystems. Coral reefs globally are under stress and in need of restoration, including the unique Florida Keys reef tract. The featured gradu- ate research and faculty collaborations on long-spined sea urchins and Acropora corals Greetings from the Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Program! Greetings and Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Program update 1 Health assessment of the long-spined sea urchin, Diadema antillarum, in the Florida Keys 2 Coral reef restoration: A look at past and potential tools for overcoming obstacles in the future 3 Holistic reef restoration: pairing Diadema antillarum restoration with coral restoration in the Florida Keys 3 Understanding the role of phenotype in Acropora cervicornis restoration 4 Endowment for Sharon Fitz-Coy memorial award 4 20th Annual UF Fisheries/FWC fishing tournament 5 Happy 30th birthday Florida LAKEWATCH! 6 Awards 7 Notes 8 Upcoming events 8 Spring graduates 8 Recent publications by our faculty 9 Inside this issue: FISHERIES AND AQUATIC SCIENCES PROGRAM UPDATE July 2016 represent the holistic approach to problem solving that has characterized our efforts since the inception of the FAS program. They also reflect the cooperative partnerships needed to address such wicked problems, partnerships that include the UF College of Veterinary Medicine, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, The Florida Aquarium, The Center for Conservation, Mote Marine Laboratory, lead- ers from the private sector and many others. Dr. John Woeste, Dean Emeritus of UF-IFAS Extension and a valued mentor, once told us “Great things can happen if you don’t worry about who gets the credit, and credit is infinitely divisible.” His words still ring true. Primarily in freshwater ecosystems, Florida LAKEWATCH is celebrating its 30th birthday as one of the nation’s stellar examples of citizen scientists partnering with university researchers and extension faculty to support effective management. Highlights of LAKEWATCH’s accom- plishments are featured inside. What is nearly impossible to summarize is the commitment, fulfillment and effectiveness of the LAKEWATCH volunteers, some of whom have served for 20+ years. If you know one, thank them. If you want to be one, contact Mark Hoyer! We share with you inside many awards, recogni- tions and graduations…things that make us all proud. Congratulations to each and every one! We are truly proud of your accomplishments. We also share the sadness and inspiration felt by all of us with the unexpected passing of Sharon Fitz-Coy (a.k.a. Miss Sharon!), who shared her joy of all things aquatic with children of all ages. Please consider continuing her legacy in youth education through a donation to the endowment in her name. It’s a reminder that we’re here for just a brief time, yet our influences live on. All the best! By Bill Lindberg, PhD, Associate Director, Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Program
Transcript
N e w s l e t t e r o f t h e S F R C - F i s h e r i e s a n d A q u a t i c S c i e n c e s P r o g r a m
WaterWorks is a semi-annual publication of the Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Program (FAS) in the School of Forest Resources and Conservation (SFRC) at the University of Florida/IFAS. The purpose of the newsletter is to provide information to prospective students, alumni, stakeholders, partners, and colleagues. Past editions can be found at http://sfrc.ufl.edu/fish/about/waterworksnews/ This issue was designed by Nancy Montes and edited by Bob Swett and Roy Yanong. To contribute an article or information for a future issue, contact Bill Lindberg ([email protected]).
WATERWORKS
When Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (FAS) rejoined the School of Forest Resources and Conservation (SFRC) several years ago, we were very fortunate to gain great leadership in Dr. Tim White, Director of the SFRC. At the end of May, Tim retired after 13 years at the helm of the SFRC. Congratulations Tim, and
thank you!!
A search for Tim White’s replacement is now underway, with a closing date of August 1st. If you know someone especially well-qualified to lead our large and diverse School, please let us know. We want the best. In the mean-time, the two SFRC Associate Directors, Dr. Tim Martin and me, will serve as Co-Interim Directors for the School until the Director’s
position is filled.
Now, on to this edition of WaterWorks...
Fishing is obviously important to us, as evidenced in part by the 20th Annual UF Fisheries/FWC Fishing Tournament, reported inside. Congratulations to this year’s winners and to all who enjoyed the festivities. And congratulations to Mike Allen (UF) and Eric Nagid (FWC) for reaching this 20-year
milestone!
As important as fishing is to us, so too, are the healthy freshwater and marine ecosystems that sustain Florida’s rich fisheries. This edition of WaterWorks features just a few of the efforts by Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (FAS) faculty and graduate students to help ensure the health and effective management
of aquatic ecosystems.
Coral reefs globally are under stress and in need of restoration, including the unique Florida Keys reef tract. The featured gradu-ate research and faculty collaborations on long-spined sea urchins and Acropora corals
Greetings from the Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Program!
Greetings and Fisheries and Aquatic
Sciences Program update 1
Health assessment of the long-spined
sea urchin, Diadema antillarum, in the
Florida Keys
2
Coral reef restoration: A look at past
and potential tools for overcoming
obstacles in the future
3
Holistic reef restoration: pairing
Diadema antillarum restoration with
coral restoration in the Florida Keys
3
Understanding the role of phenotype
in Acropora cervicornis restoration 4
Endowment for Sharon Fitz-Coy
memorial award 4
20th Annual UF Fisheries/FWC
fishing tournament 5
Happy 30th birthday Florida
LAKEWATCH! 6
Awards 7
Notes 8
Upcoming events 8
Spring graduates 8
Recent publications by our faculty 9
Inside this issue:
FISHERIES AND AQUATIC SCIENCES PROGRAM UPDATE
July 2016
represent the holistic approach to problem solving that has characterized our efforts since the inception of the FAS program. They also reflect the cooperative partnerships needed to address such wicked problems, partnerships that include the UF College of Veterinary Medicine, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, The Florida Aquarium, The Center for Conservation, Mote Marine Laboratory, lead-ers from the private sector and many others. Dr. John Woeste, Dean Emeritus of UF-IFAS Extension and a valued mentor, once told us “Great things can happen if you don’t worry about who gets the credit, and credit is infinitely divisible.” His
words still ring true.
Primarily in freshwater ecosystems, Florida LAKEWATCH is celebrating its 30th birthday as one of the nation’s stellar examples of citizen scientists partnering with university researchers and extension faculty to support effective management. Highlights of LAKEWATCH’s accom-plishments are featured inside. What is nearly impossible to summarize is the commitment, fulfillment and effectiveness of the LAKEWATCH volunteers, some of whom have served for 20+ years. If you know one, thank them. If you want to
be one, contact Mark Hoyer!
We share with you inside many awards, recogni-tions and graduations…things that make us all proud. Congratulations to each and every one!
We are truly proud of your accomplishments.
We also share the sadness and inspiration felt by all of us with the unexpected passing of Sharon Fitz-Coy (a.k.a. Miss Sharon!), who shared her joy of all things aquatic with children of all ages. Please consider continuing her legacy in youth education through a donation to the endowment in her name. It’s a reminder that we’re here for
just a brief time, yet our influences live on.
All the best!
By Bill Lindberg, PhD, Associate Director, Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Program
By Ruth Francis-Floyd, DVM, MS, DACZM, Professor and UF/IFAS Extension Veterinarian, College of Veterinary Medicine and School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida
HEALTH ASSESSMENT OF THE LONG-SPINED SEA URCHIN, DIADEMA ANTILLARUM, IN THE FLORIDA KEYS
The Long-spined sea urchin (Diadema antillarum) is a keystone species in coral reef ecosystems. Although once considered a nuisance because of the painful spines, they are now appreciat-ed for their importance to the health of coral reefs throughout the Caribbean. Diadema provide several ecological services which are essential for a healthy coral reef. First, they are aggressive herbivores and prevent the accumulation of algal overgrowth. Second, they are bioeroders, which means that they recycle coral skeletons, preventing the accumulation of rubble and preparing substrate for recruitment of new organisms. Finally, with their sharp spines, they provide a degree of protection to the reef itself, discouraging swimmers from stepping down onto the living tissues of the corals.
The loss of Diadema from Caribbean reefs has coincided with the replacement of healthy coral reefs with rubble and the over-growth of algae. There are other stressors to this delicate ecosystem. Many reefs have been over-fished, resulting in removal of important fish species (often other herbivores) from the environment. Nutrient enrichment of coastal waters has encouraged algal overgrowth, further compounding the impact of decreased populations of herbivores. Finally, climate change and increasing water temperatures may also be contributing to coral disease and bleaching events. In 1983-84 there was a Caribbean-wide die-off of Diadema throughout the region. The cause of the mortality event was never determined, but Diadema populations were decreased by more than 90% and in most areas they have not recovered. Currently, Diadema populations in the Florida Keys are typically low, and the State of Florida has an interest in the use of cultured sea urchins to increase populations in certain areas as a comple-ment to other coral reef restoration efforts. Given the disease history of this group of organisms, an interdisciplinary team was formed in the fall of 2014 to develop diagnostic techniques for
the species and determine what the current health status of the existing population was. The team consisted of scientists from UF (the Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Program and the College of Veterinary Medicine), The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Mote Marine Laboratory as well as specialists from t he Un i ve r s i t y o f Massachusetts (Boston), Roger Williams University, USGS -Hawa i ’ i , t he Florida Aquarium and a private mariculturist. The team met in December 2014 to develop and test diagnostic protocols. Field sampling was then carried out in March, April and September 2015 from the Lower, Middle and Upper Keys, respectively. A total of 265 animals were examined and baseline information has been obtained on behavior and physical param-eters, coelomic fluid, bacterial and gut flora. A diagnostic manual has been drafted that will serve as a resource for diagnosticians asked to examine the species, and to standardize the approach followed by Florida scientists. Normal anatomy is being described and flora of wild-caught urchins is being characterized so that it can be used to compare to findings from captive animals in the future. The collaboration has been highly successful and the group hopes to continue to work together beyond the end of the current project.
Respected mariculturist, Martin Moe, is breaking ground trying to raise the long-spined sea urchin at his small culture facility in Islamorada Florida.
Participants in a Sea Urchin Disease workshop (Dec 2014) hosted by UF (College of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Program) and FWC at the FWC South Florida Regional Laboratory located in Marathon, Florida.
Dr. Shirley Baker (FAS) examining a long-spined sea urchin during a health assessment.
Ms. Deborah Pouder (UF FAS and TAL) has collected coelomic fluid from a sea urchin. These samples were used for microbiology and immunology tests.
Figure 3. Used clam bag, cut open to reveal grow-ing oysters inside. These bags are from an aquacul-ture lease, where they were considered an impedi-ment.
Holistic reef restoration: Pairing Diadema antillarum restoration with coral restoration in the Florida Keys By Kayla Ripple, MS student (Mark Flint, Advisor) in Fisheries and Aquatic Science Program
Coral restoration is a promising strategy for preserving genetic diversity and increasing coral cover on degraded reefs, but stressors still prevent restored colonies from growing and thriving as they did 40 years ago. To combat and mitigate synergistic pressures, synergistic restoration strategies should be considered. Enhancing urchin populations may be one piece of the puzzle, providing strategies to moderate the competition between coral and algae at resto-ration sites.
Inability of Diadema to recover has been attributed to factors such as allele effects, habitat loss due to decline in coral populations, and predation pressures faced by juvenile urchins. In the Florida Keys, juvenile Diadema can be found inhabiting inshore rubble patches, suggesting that there may be successful spawning events of adult urchins, but low success rates of juveniles surviving into adulthood. A 2003 urchin relocation experiment conducted by Ken Nedimyer and Martin Moe showed that relocating Diadema to patch reefs in densities of 1/m2 has the potential to greatly reduce the amount of macroalgae on the patch reef, and increase coralline algae and stony coral cover. Urchins were able to survive transport to restoration sites, and their populations were found to stabilize following initial predation after relocation. The findings of this preliminary study
suggest Diadema relocation is a worthwhile approach to aid in reef recovery in the Florida Keys and Caribbean, and my graduate research aims to explore this technique in more detail. In particular, I am interested in how the integration of Diadema relocation into existing coral restoration programs could improve overall restoration outcomes. My research aims to test the effectiveness of pairing urchin relocation with various outplanted coral configurations. Ultimately, these studies could provide new tools for US and Caribbean coral reef managers looking to bring back hard coral cover that supports ecosystem services vital to the health of surrounding ocean environment and human populations.
We hope that our graduate research as well as collabora-tive work being done by Professor Francis-Floyd’s group, FWC Marathon, the Florida Aquarium, Mote Marine Labora-tories, and Martin Moe will be an important step forward in better understanding and restoring Acropora and Diadema.
Massive coral head before Diadema relocation to patch reefs (left) and after Diadema relocation to patch reefs (right) showing a noticeable decrease in macroalgae cover and increase in coral growth (Nedimyer & Moe, 2003).
Coral reef restoration: A look at past and potential
tools for overcoming obstacles in the future
Coral reefs are vital to Florida’s environment and economy: they create habitat for important fishery species, buffer shorelines against erosion, and attract dive and snorkel tourism. Unfortunately, Florida’s reefs have been in decline for several decades. In 1983-84, the long-spined sea urchin (Diadema antillarum), a critical grazer of algae on reefs, was almost completely wiped out by an unknown pathogen. The loss of Diadema resulted in rapid growth of algae, which quickly outcom-peted coral on many reefs. Meanwhile, disease prevalence also increased among once spatially-dominant staghorn and elkhorn coral (Acropora cervicornis and A. palmata, respectively), and these populations have now declined up to 98% on some reefs. Additional stressors such as severe storms and climate change exacerbate these ongoing problems, and coral populations continue to decline while macroalgae cover increases.
In response to the status of Diadema and Acropora, new techniques are being developed to assist recovery, which, along with concurrent improvements in environmental conditions, could
Images taken decades apart illustrate coral reef decline at iconic reef sites in Jamaica and Key Largo, FL (Jackson et al. 2014).
help to enhance the condition of Florida’s reefs. Our graduate studies at UF focus on improving existing methods and developing new techniques for restoring populations of these critically important species.
By Katie Lohr, PhD student (Josh Patterson, Advisor) and Kayla Ripple, MS student (Mark Flint, Advisor) in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Program
Endowment for Sharon Fitz-Coy Memorial Award Sharon Fitz-Coy, senior biologist with the UF/IFAS SFRC Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Program for the past 23+ years, unexpectedly passed away on 27 February 2016.
Page 4 WaterWorks - July 2016
Sharon was the "Jamaican mother" for many graduate students over the years. As education coordinator for our “Fishing For Success” program, Sharon personally conducted face-to-face, hands-on, out-door education programs for over 150,000 children and their parents. She likely introduced more children to fishing than any other person in Florida.
When UF decided to stop conducting our monthly “Family Fishing Days,” Sharon took it upon herself to keep this program going, by volunteering her weekends to set-up and conduct these family-oriented events. She rounded up 100s of volunteers to help. She gave away 1,000s of “rubber worm awards” to children who caught either a largemouth bass or channel catfish.
Sharon had a passion and love for introducing children of all ages to the wonders of our aquatic world. It was not uncommon for a teacher to come up to Miss Sharon and say "You probably don't remember me, but as a child, I participated in one of your programs and now I'm bringing my students to you to teach." What a role model!
Often when out in the public,
children would run up to her and say:
"Miss Sharon! Miss Sharon!
You're the bug lady that we visited!"
By Katie Lohr, PhD student (Josh Patterson, Advisor) in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Program
In the 1990s, researchers developed the coral gardening technique – a method of coral aquaculture based on asexual colony fragmen-tation (the breaking up of corals for propagation). Staghorn coral’s easy-to-fragment branching morphology combined with its fast growth rate has made it ideal to culture for restoration via coral gardening. Dozens of ocean based coral nurseries focused on Acropora now exist through out the Caribbean.
The ultimate goal of farming coral within a nursery is to outplant colo-nies back to degraded reefs. Outplanting immediately improves reef structure, but also provides new colonies that can grow to maturity and begin to reproduce naturally, contributing to the recovery of the species.
Nursery-reared Acropora still face the same challenges as wild colonies once outplanted to the reef. My current research aims to quantify differences in phenotype among known genotypes of nursery-reared A. cervicornis. This represents a first step toward iden-tifying genotypes with potentially advantageous traits, such as fast growth or resistance to certain environmental stressors.
To determine how phenotype varies in nursery-reared colonies, I
worked with the Coral Restoration Foundation (CRF), which has strived to restore Acropora in Florida since 2003. CRF maintains over 150 genotypes of staghorn coral, and I selected 10 for study. I monitored, measured, and weighed replicate colonies from each genotype for over one year.
Results suggest that there are differences in growth, branch formation, calcification, and, potentially, resistance to bleaching, a stress response associated with extreme temperatures. Maintaining high genetic diversity is a key consideration when culturing and ultimately outplanting coral. However, moderately increasing the proportion of restored colonies better able to withstand extant and future environmental conditions could potentially improve long-term growth and survivorship of entire restored populations. My next step is to test whether the differences in phenotype observed in a nursery setting are still observed once colonies are outplanted to natural reefs.
Understanding the role of phenotype in
Acropora cervicornis restoration
One of many experimental colo-
nies at CRF’s Tavernier nursery used to quantify
variation in phenotype among nursery-reared
A. cervicornis.
(Photo credit: Josh Patterson)
Sharon will always be remembered in our hearts and in the hearts of the many 10,000s of children that she influenced!
She always greeted folks with a big smile, a laugh, and a will to get things done!
In honor of Sharon’s commitment to youth, we have set up an endow-ment (The Sharon Fitz-Coy Memorial Award) in the UF/IFAS Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Program. This annual award will be given to UF students making an impact on youth in their community. Donations (tax deductible) can be made payable to UF Foundation, Inc. and sent to UF/IFAS Development, P.O. Box 110170, Gainesville, FL 32611-0170. Please note Sharon Fitz-Coy in the memo area. Donations can also be made online at www.uff.ufl.edu/appeals/Fitz-CoyMemorial. Our goal is to raise $30,000 to fully endow the award.
As said by one of Sharon's best friends: "We will all hurt and cry at her loss, but I will always remember the fire and joy she always displayed."
For more information, please contact: Chuck Cichra ( a.k.a. Dr. C ) Professor/Fisheries Extension Specialist University of Florida/IFAS/SFRC Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Program 7922 NW 71st Street, Gainesville, Florida 32653-3071 Cell: (352) 339-6173. Email: [email protected]
20th Annual UF Fisheries/FWC Fishing Tournament — May 21, 2016
Page 5 WaterWorks - July 2016
The 20th Annual UF Fisheries/FWC Fishing Tournament at Cedar Key is in the books! We had a great event this year. Early week predictions of rainy weather missed the mark, and clear skies and relatively calm winds greeted anglers as the day began Saturday morning. The winds picked up a bit in the afternoon but conditions remained favorable all day. We had a total of 19 boats and 42 anglers this year, and the group did not disappoint on fish catches. The full range of species was caught this year, for a total of 5 prize categories (each prize was $145). And the winners were…
Largest Spanish Mackerel 21.5 inches, Captain George Tanner and his brother. This boat had 16 Spanish, three spotted sea-trout, and one redfish. It was one of only two boats with three qualifying species in this tournament. George usually catches fish, and he did well again this year capturing this category.
Largest Cobia 37 inches, Captain Steve Larsen and coworkers Ryan LaMar and Cristian Villata. An excellent catch on this boat.
Largest Redfish 26.9 inches, Captain Eric Nagid and partner Janell Brush. Eric often catches a redfish that’s in contention for the winner, and this year they boated the perfect specimen that was just 1/16 of an inch below the 27-inch upper slot size. This fish was gonna be hard to beat!
Largest Spotted Seatrout 21.5 inches, Captain Eric Nagid and Janell Brush. Janell caught this fish first thing the morning, and it turned out to be the winner from our most commonly caught gamefish species. Congrats Janell! Eric and Janell had a limit of 10 legal spotted seatrout to go with the winning redfish. Excellent catch!
Most Impressive Cooler This prize is awarded to the boat with the most impressive total catch of qualifying game fish in this event (trout, Spanish mackerel, redfish, and cobia). This year the winner was Captain Steve Larsen and his coworkers. This boat had two legal seatrout, three Spanish Mackerel and two big cobia (36.75 and 37 inches). The combination of three species, punctuated with two large cobia took our most coveted prize this year. Congrats Steve, who is a former FAS graduate student and long time participant in this event. They will have cobia to eat for quite some time. Congrats also to Travis Thomas and his father Mike, friend Joe McNeil, and Savanna Barry as they brought in the first ever king mackerel in this event. Not a prize winner, but a really impressive 40-inch fish! We also had a strong contingent of friends that came to Cedar Key for the fish fry, which was terrific. Graduate students Grant Scholten, Yasmin Quintana, Justin Procopio, and Chao Xiong worked hard to prepare the facility for the event, and Mendy Allen helped with literally everything! We had a great group of stepped up to fillet fish. Special thanks to Leslie Sturmer and her husband Chris for cooking clams at the fish fry, they were fantastic. We had a great set of side dishes and plenty of fish. Cedar Key Mayor Heath Davis even fried a few striped mullet as an hors d’oeuvre. What makes this event special is the families and friends who all come to Cedar Key for fishing, food and fun. Thank you for participating, and if you didn’t make it…
We hope to see you next year!
By Mike Allen, PhD, Professor, Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Program, and Director of the Nature Coast Biological Station, and
Eric Nagid, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, [email protected]
By Mark Hoyer, Director, Florida LAKEWATCH, Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Program
Florida LAKEWATCH is one of the nation’s most successful volunteer water quality-monitoring programs, with citizen scientists all across Florida who sample water from diverse aquatic systems. In 2014, LAKEWATCH’s success yielded the following State and National awards:
Distinguished Service Award - the School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) awarded Florida LAKEWATCH Volunteers (Citizen Scientists) a Distinguished Service Award. The award is given to those whose services to the School, and to the State, help to protect and manage Florida’s precious natural resources.
Vision Award - the National Water Quality Monitoring Council presented Florida LAKEWATCH with its Vision Award in recognition of the program’s extraordinary vision, collaboration, and leadership in water quality monitoring and environmental protection.
Florida LAKEWATCH was established in 1991 by the Florida Legislature as Florida’s volunteer water quality monitoring program (Chapter 91-69; s. 240.5329, F.S.; now F.S. 1004.49). However, the program was really born on August 16, 1986, when the first LAKEWATCH samples were taken on Lake Santa Fe. Since that humble start, LAKEWATCH has analyzed samples from 1,903 lakes, 394 rivers stations, 368 coastal sites, 16 springs, and 213 special aquatic systems located in or next to 64 Florida Counties. Currently, over 125 lakes, with more than 20 years of monthly data, are in the LAKEWATCH data base, making it one of the world’s most extensive. All LAKEWATCH data (currently about 45,000 samples per year) are publicly available in EPA’s STORET as well as on the LAKEWATCH website (http://lakewatch.ifas.ufl.edu), along with publications and other information generated by the program to promote the science-based management of Florida’s aquatic re-sources.
Why the longevity? LAKEWATCH has always focused on one important question: What is the name of the most important lake in Florida? Answer: My Lake! This question and its corresponding answer get to the core of why volunteer monitoring programs succeed. Volunteers have to be personally vested in the stewardship of the systems/organisms before they will regularly spend their time and resources to monitor these systems. For the Florida LAKEWATCH program that means volunteers are seriously vested in protecting/managing the aquatic resources they regularly enjoy. Volunteers also continue their diligent sampling efforts because they receive constant feedback and education on lake management issues from professionals at the University of Florida willing to work with them.
To briefly describe all aspects and directions that the LAKEWATCH program has taken in the last 30 years is impossible. The program
Maps showing Florida phosphorus and nitrogen zones and the nutrient concentrations of the upper 90% of lakes within each zone (Bachmann et al. 2012).
continually adds new research aspects, such as the role of aquatic plants, to answer questions posed by the volunteers and other professionals. LAKEWATCH data are used to create information products that address relevant issues in an understandable format while maintaining scientific credibility. LAKEWATCH’s committed researchers also maintain a steady stream of publications in peer-reviewed journals showcasing the quality and scope of data collected by its volunteers.
The LAKEWATCH program is particularly proud of work published by Bachmann et al. (2012) that is now part of USEPA recently approved numeric nutrient criteria established for Florida lakes. Bachmann et al. used over 3 decades of LAKEWATCH data to simplify Florida’s 47 Lake Regions into 6 total phosphorus zones and 5 total nitrogen zones (Figure 1). Their work provided USEPA and FDEP regulators with a basis for developing numeric nutrient criteria that takes into account regional differences. More importantly, USEPA and FDEP regulators now have the scientific basis for removing waters from the presumptive Impaired List if, during the professional verification process, it is deter-mined that the water is functioning as expected for its designated nutrient zone. This approach was adopted by the Florida Environmen-tal Regulation Commission and ultimately approved by the Florida Legislature (FAC 62-302.200). LAKEWATCH data have been used in over 40 peer-reviewed scientific publications and in three books. The program has cooperated with scientists from around the globe by sharing data for comparative ecological studies. Over 35 graduate students, all of whom received degrees in the lake management field, were mentored through the program. Undergraduate students are also mentored and supported in hands-on lake research and management activities.
The success of LAKEWATCH would not be possible without contributions from many funding sources, scientists, and staff. However,
“To The Volunteer Goes The Glory,” without whose efforts there would be no LAKEWATCH.
The Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the Warrington College of Business Administration selects a Outstanding Entrepreneurship Faculty Fellow every year. Dr. Shirley Baker was selected as the recipient of this award for the 2015-16 academic year. Dr. Baker was selected based on three key factors: a) the significant progress she has made on her Fellowship project, which involves introducing new coursework and pedagogy related to the roles of entrepreneurship and innovation in her home discipline, b) her efforts to support the Fellows program through a variety of activities ranging from hosting the group for a monthly luncheon, to participating in a Fellows Forum as part of the annual Gator 100 celebration, and c) her positive inputs and contributions to the monthly meetings of the Fellows, including sharing perspectives and ideas related to the integration of the entrepreneurial mindset in disciplines across the campus, and her general entrepreneurial spirit.
A journal article by B. Pine, C. Walters, E. Camp, R. Bouchillon, Rob Ahrens and Leslie Sturmer regarding eastern oyster stock status was just recognized as a 2016 High Impact Publication by the IFAS Dean for Research. The article reference is: Pine, III W. E., C. J. Walters, E. V. Camp, R. Bouchillon, R. Ahrens, L. Sturmer, and M. E. Berrigan. 2015. The curious case of eastern oys-ter Crassostrea virginica stock status in Apalachicola Bay, Florida. Ecology and Society 20(3) doi:10.5751/ES-07827-200346. Dr. Rob Ahrens was selected as the FAS Faculty Member of the Year.
Awards
Yasmin Quintana
Kelli O’Donnell
Katie Lohr
Chelsea Crandall
Savanna Barry
Julia Simonetti
Taryn Garlock
BethanyGaffey
Katie Lawson
Students
Congratulations to the FAS 2015-16 Award winners
Outstanding Master’s Student Yasmin Quintana (Advisor: Mike Allen)
an SNRE student
Outstanding PhD Students (tied) Savanna Barry (Advisor: Tom Frazer) and Chelsey Crandall (Advisor: Kai Lorenzen)
Chelsey is also SNRE student
Best Master’s Thesis Julia Simonetti (Advisor: Shirley Baker)
“Economic Analysis of a Small Urban Aquaponic System“
Best Dissertation Taryn Garlock (Advisor: Kai Lorenzen
and Colette St Mary, co-advisors) “An Integrative Approach to Evaluating Fisheries
Enhancement in Florida“
Congrats to PhD Candidate Katelyn Lawson (Advisor: Jeff Hill), for winning the Jan F. Smith Conservation Award at the Ecological and Evolutionary Ethology of Fishes conference.
The 2016 SFRC Marine Sciences Student of the Year Award was given to Bethany Gaffey.
Katie Lohr, FAS doctoral student (Advisor: Josh Patterson), won a student poster presentation award at the UF Water Institute Symposium. Katie’s award includes up to $1,000 for UF-approved travel expenses to attend and present her research at a professional conference.
Kelli O’Donnell, a master’s student (Advisor: Josh Patterson), won the 2016 Aylesworth Scholarship. The scholarship is a joint effort of the Aylesworth Foundation, the Southeastern Fisheries Association and Florida Sea Grant.
Spring Semester Graduates
Page 8 WaterWorks - July 2016
The UF School of Forest Resources and Conservation is pleased to acknowledge our May 2016 graduates with majors in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences:
Master of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
Upcoming Events
Doctor of Philosophy
Christina Moreau “An assessment of catch-and-release mortality
in a northern population of Walleye, Sander vitreus”
Chair: Rob Ahrens
Savanna Barry “Assessing structure, resilience and habitat quality of Thalassia testudinum meadows
along a gradient in nutrient concentration.” Chair: Tom Frazer
From Reefs to Rivers: Florida’s Fisheries Science Blog
Graduate research accounts of current Fisheries research in Florida
The blog was created by doctoral and masters students researching patterns and processes that drive Florida’s spectacular fisheries. The bloggers are involved in research that spans from bluewater fisheries to freshwater pond management. The purpose of Reefs to Rivers is to convey the latest research and findings regarding Florida’s fisheries, as well as to share stories of the trials and tribulations involved in collecting fisheries data. We encourage readers to leave comments about our research, as well as post concerns they may have about Florida’s fisheries.
Recent posts include:
Fishing for Bedding Bass - Benign Pastime or Cause for Concern? By John Hargrove
What is Stock Assessment? Part 1. By Chelsey Crandall
The Science PhD Experience: My Life is a Series of Home Improvement Stores. By Carrie Schuman
PIT Tags and Passive Antenna Systems Part 2: Arctic Adaptability. By Greg Hill
Remember that we are always looking for submissions and keep a calendar for those wanting to write a post. It's a great place to practice your communication skills, and a good addition to your resume!
December 12–15, 2016 This is a 3.5 day introductory work-shop in the use of ArcGIS 10.3. The primary objective of this training is to provide novices with practical, hands-on instruction in the use of GIS by using natural resource exercises. The workshop will be held at the University of Florida UF-IFAS Computer Laboratory located in 3086 McCarty Hall B, Gainesville, FL
For more info go to: http://tinyurl.com/glfd927
Master of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
Master of Science
Marine Sciences Interdisciplinary Studies Major
Bailey E. Thump “Ecophysiology and genetics of the
Cyanobacterium Cyanothece species BG0011: A candidate for bioenergy production.”
Chair: E. J. Philips
Maile A Branson (Chair: Ruth Francis-Floyd) James S Burris Jr (Chair: Jeffrey Hill) Kristen Callender (Chair: Juliane Struve) Taylor Lipscomb (Chair: Charles Cichra) Thalita Ribeiro (Chair: Kai Lorenzen)
Caitlin Elizabeth Beaver Katheryne L. Cronk Danielle S. Cummings Jennifer Nicole Glass Rachel N. Henriquez April L. Hugi Timothy J. Lyons Brooke Kemble Newmans
Kristen Nicole Oliff Luke Richards William D. Santos Pérez Claudia M. Urrutia Jessica L. Van Vaerenbergh Aaron Selby Williams Natalie Dana Ziev
Recent Publications By Our Faculty Asche, F., B. Misund, and A. Oglend. 2016. The spot-forward relationship in the Atlantic salmon market. Aquaculture Economics and Management. 20
(2), 222-234.
Badylak, S., E. J. Phlips, N. Dix, J. Hart, A. Srifa, D. Haunert, Z. He, J. Lockwood, P. Stofella, D. Sun, and Y. Yang. 2016. Phytoplankton dynamics in a subtropical tidal creek: Influences of rainfall and water residence time on composition and biomass. Marine and Freshwater Research 67:466-482 (dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf14325).
Berlinsky, D.L., M.T. Watson, M.A. DiMaggio, and T.S. Breton. 2016. The use of tricaine methanesulfonate, clove oil, metomidate, and 2-phenoxyethanol for anesthesia induction in alewives. North American Journal of Aquaculture 78:84-91.
Bronnmann, J. and F. Asche (2016) The Values of Product Attributes, Brands and Private Labels: An Analysis of Frozen Seafood in Germany. Journal of Agricultural Economics. 67(1) 231-244.
Canfield, D. E. Jr., R. W. Bachmann, D. B. Stephens, M. V. Hoyer, L. Bacon, S. Williams, and M. Scott, 2016. Monitoring by citizen scientists demonstrates water clarity of Maine (USA) lakes is stable, and not declining, due to cultural eutrophication. Inland Waters 6: 11-27.
Chapman, P.A., H. Owen, M. Flint, R.J. Traub, T.H. Cribb, and P.C. Mills. 2016. Molecular characterization of Coccidia associated with an epizootic in green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) in south east Queensland, Australia. PLoS ONE 11(2): e0149962. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0149962.
Clarke, T.M., M. Espinoza, R. Ahrens, and I.S. Wehrtmann. 2016. Elasmobranch bycatch associated with the shrimp trawl fishery off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, Central America. Fishery Bulletin, 114, 1-17.
DiMaggio, M.A., L.W. Kenter, T.S. Breton, and D.L. Berlinsky. 2016. Effects of dietary genistein administration on growth, survival and sex determination in southern flounder, Paralichthys lethostigma. Aquaculture Research 47:82-90.
Dole, T., S. Koltun, S.M. Baker, R.M. Goodrich-Schneider, M.R. Marshall, and P.J. Sarnoski. 2016. The matrix effect of tuna and mahi-mahi on biogenic amine detection. Journal of Food and Health Science 2(3): 74-81.
Efitre, J., D.J. Murie, and L.J. Chapman. 2016. Age validation, growth and mortality of introduced Tilapia zillii in Crater Lake Nkuruba, Uganda. Fisheries Management and Ecology 23: 66-75.
Gillett, A.K., R. Ploeg, P. O’Donoghue, P.A. Chapman, R. Webb, M. Flint, and P.C. Mills. 2016. Ultrastructural and molecular characterization of an Heterosporis-like microsporidian in Australian sea snakes (Hydrophiinae). PLoS ONE. 11(3): e0150724.doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0150724.
Havens, K.E., R.S. Fulton III, J.R. Beaver, E.E. Samples and J.M. Collee. 2016. Effects of climate variability on cladoceran zooplankton and cyanobacte-ria in a shallow subtropical lake. Journal of Plankton Research, DOI: 10.1093/plankt/fwb009.
Hill, J.E. 2016. Collapse of a reproducing population of non-native African jewelfish (Hemichromis letourneuxi) in a Florida lake. Neobiota 29:35-52.
Littles, C.J., S.S. Pilyugin, and T.K. Frazer. 2016. A combined inverse method and multivariate approach for exploring population trends of Florida Manatees. Marine Mammal Science 32(1):122-140.
Lorenzen, K., S. Smith, M. Banks, C. Zhang, Z. Sohou, V.N. Sanjeevan, and A. Rosenberg. 2016. Fish stock propagation. In: The First Global Integrated Marine Assessment (World Ocean Assessment I). Chapter 13. United Nations – Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea. (http://www.un.org/depts/los/global_reporting/WOA_RPROC/Chapter_13.pdf ).
Lorenzen, K. 2016. Toward a new paradigm for growth modeling in fisheries stock assessment: embracing plasticity and its consequences. Fisheries Research 180: 4-22.
Martin, S.M. and K. Lorenzen. 2016. Livelihood diversification in rural Laos. World Development 83: 231-243.
Mintzer, V.J., K. Lorenzen, T.K. Frazer, A.R. Martin, V.M.F. da Silva. 2016. Seasonal movements of river dolphins (Inia geoffrensis) in a protected Amazonian floodplain. Marine Mammal Science 32: 664-681.
Nifong, J. C., T. Frazer, and C. Mojica. 2016. Alligator mississippiensis (DIET). Herpetological Review 47 (1): 130–131.
Piercy, A., D.J. Murie, and J.J. Gelsleichter. 2016. Histological and morphological aspects of reproduction in the sandbar shark Carcharhinus plumbeus in the U.S. south-eastern Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. Journal of Fish Biology 88: 1708-1730.
Rogers, A., and K. Lorenzen. 2016. Does slow and variable recovery of Diadema antillarum on Caribbean fore-reefs reflect density-dependent habitat selection? Frontiers in Marine Science 3: 63.
Truelove, N.K., D.C. Behringer, M.J. Butler IV, and R.F. Preziosi. 2016. Isolation and characterization of eight polymorphic microsatellites for the spotted spiny lobster, Panulirus guttatus. PeerJ 4:e1467; DOI 10.7717/peerj.1467.
Tuckett, Q.M., J.L. Ritch, K.M. Lawson, and J.E. Hill. 2016. Implementation and enforcement of Best Management Practices for Florida ornamental aquaculture with an emphasis on non-native species. North American Journal of Aquaculture 78:113-124.
Tuckett, Q.M., J.L. Ritch, K.M. Lawson, L.L. Lawson, Jr., and J.E. Hill. 2016. Phenotypic variation in cold tolerance in escaped and farmed non-native green swordtails (Xiphophorus hellerii) revealed by laboratory trials and field introductions. Biological Invasions 18: 45-56.
van de Kerk, M., C. Jones Littles, O. Saucedo, and K. Lorenzen. 2016. The effect of latitudinal variation on shrimp reproductive strategies. PLoS ONE 11(5): e0155266.
Yang, H., J. Daly, C. Carmichael, J. Matthews, Z.M. Varga, and T. Tiersch. 2016. A procedure-spanning analysis of plasma membrane integrity for assessment of cell viability in sperm cryopreservation of zebrafish Danio rerio. Zebrafish. March 2016, 13(2): 144-151. doi:10.1089/zeb.2015.1176.
Young, J., B. Yeiser, E. Ault, J. Whittington, and J. Dutka-Gianelli. 2016. Spawning site fidelity, catchment, and dispersal of common snook along the east coast of Florida. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. 145 (2): 400-415.
