National Ocean Service

About: National Ocean Service is a government organization based out in Silver Spring, Maryland, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Algal bloom & Population. The organization has 500 authors who have published 643 publications receiving 46096 citations.

Spatial and temporal dynamics of Pacific capelin Mallotus catervarius in the Gulf of Alaska: implications for ecosystem-based fisheries management

Abstract: The Gulf of Alaska (GOA) was divided into 5 offshore and 2 inshore regions (see Fig. 1 in manuscript). Offshore waters past the 500 m isobath were defined as the “slope”, while offshore regions over the GOA shelf in waters less than 500 m bottom depth were defined by longitude: EGOA, eastern shelf (134° to 140° W); CGOA, central shelf (140° to 147° W); NGOA, northern shelf (147° to 154° W); WGOA, western shelf (154° to 165° W). The two inshore regions included: SEAK, southeast Alaska inner waters (e.g. Glacier Bay, Cross Sound, Sitka Sound), Yakutat Bay, and Icy Bay; SCAK, southcentral Alaska (Cook Inlet, coastal embayments along the Kenai Peninsula, and Prince William Sound).

Natural dimethyl sulfide gradients would lead marine predators to higher prey biomass

Abstract: Finding prey is essential to survival, with marine predators hypothesised to track chemicals such as dimethyl sulfide (DMS) while foraging. Many predators are attracted to artificially released DMS, and laboratory experiments have shown that zooplankton grazing on phytoplankton accelerates DMS release. However, whether natural DMS concentrations are useful for predators and correlated to areas of high prey biomass remains a fundamental knowledge gap. Here, we used concurrent hydroacoustic surveys and in situ DMS measurements to present evidence that zooplankton biomass is spatially correlated to natural DMS concentration in air and seawater. Using agent simulations, we also show that following gradients of DMS would lead zooplankton predators to areas of higher prey biomass than swimming randomly. Further understanding of the conditions and scales over which these gradients occur, and how they are used by predators, is essential to predicting the impact of future changes in the ocean on predator foraging success.

Nutrient Dynamics in Coastal Lagoons and Marine Waters of Vieques, Puerto Rico

Abstract: Determining the efficacy of efforts to conserve natural systems requires that environmental baseline data exist; without such baseline data, it is impossible to determine if management actions are working. This study presents water quality baseline data (nutrients) for the coastal waters of the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico. As the island's economy shifts more towards tourism, these data can be used to verify that conservation efforts to preserve the ecology of the coastal waters are succeeding. Surface waters were sampled at 40 sites, selected using a stratified random sampling design, on 7 occasions between July 2007 and March 2008. Nutrient concentrations were similar to what has been observed in other systems in Puerto Rico, except for in the near coastal lagoons which had significantly higher observed concentrations. Variations in nutrients between lagoons are driven by connectivity to the ocean and lagoon depth. Because of these relationships, and because there are no obvious major sources of point or non-point sources of pollution on the island that would affect only the lagoons, it is hypothesized that these high nutrient levels are the natural status of the system, rather than evidence of eutrophication.