Reflecting back on a long and rewarding career from 1980—2023 at the University of the West Indies, based on the small island of Barbados, this paper tracks the many and often remarkable changes in the marine environment, in attitudes and policies, and available opportunities that have influenced my journey as a marine scientist in an ever—changing but resilient Caribbean. From free—access fisheries to degraded stocks, from coral to algal dominated reefs, from flyingfish to Almaco Jacks, from sandy beaches and clear water to a Sargassum crisis — these are just some of the fundamental changes in the marine environment that have determined my research focus over the decades. An increasingly com-prehensive legal framework for marine management together with shifting attitudes that now see value and opportunities associated with healthy oceans have prompted policies and actions that aim to protect and sustainably manage marine resources. These changes have further shaped my research, teaching and mentoring of students, whilst improved access to knowledge, funding and employment opportunities for Caribbean marine graduates has provided some assurance that the future of the Caribbean Sea will be in the hands of well qualified and passionate local guardians.
Between 2006 and 2012, seagrass coverage across Sarasota Bay expanded by 1,108 ha, a 28% increase. During the subsequent years of 2012−2020, 830 ha of seagrass were lost, a 16% decline. In response to these findings, resource management efforts focused on determining the likely reason(s) why those 2 periods had such contrasting trends, to come up with strategies to reverse these losses. Based on results from the seagrass data, the 7—y period of 2006−2012 was designated a “reference period” and water quality data were compared against the subsequent 7—y designated “degraded period” of 2013−2019. Annual average chlorophyll-a (chl-a) values and macroalgae coverage on the bay bottom were significantly higher in 4 of 5 bay segments in the degraded period, suggesting that the bay was suffering from nutrient enrichment. In 2021, the difference in watershed—wide loads of dissolved inorganic nitrogen between the degraded and reference periods (20%) was set as the bay’s pollutant load reduction goal. Based on output from the bay’s pollutant loading model, it appeared that by 2022, the 20% load reduction target had been met through a series of management actions. During 2020−2024, double—digit percent declines in annual average total nitrogen and chl—a concentrations were documented in 4 of the bay’s 5 segments, along with reductions in the amount of drift macroalgae. Likely in response to these improvements, seagrass coverage in Sarasota Bay expanded by 774 ha between 2022 and 2024, a 19% increase.
In 2014, an unidentified eagle ray was incidentally caught using artisanal bottom—set gillnets in the coastal waters of Venezuela. The dental plates were recovered and deposited in a local ichthyological collection. Morphological analysis of the dental plate indicates that the specimen belongs to the eagle ray genus Aetomylaeus Garman, 1908 (Myliobatiformes, Myliobatidae), and constitutes the first documented evidence of the genus in the Caribbean Sea and in the Western Atlantic Ocean. Comparative assessment of the dental morphology with extant and fossil eagle rays supports the generic assignment but precludes confident identification at the species level due to pronounced intra and interspecific variability in dental plate morphology within the genus. Three hypotheses are proposed to explain these plates: 1) the persistence of an unknown relict and undescribed population of Aetomylaeus sp, which survived the separation of the Caribbean from the Pacific Ocean, 2) long— distance vagrancy of Aetomylaeus bovinus from the eastern Atlantic, and 3) the plates do not belong to a specimen of the genus Aetomylaeus, but rather belong to a hybrid of 2 extant eagle ray genera of the Caribbean. These new data highlight the need for further research on the diversity of eagle rays in the region, as most species of the genus Aetomylaeus are categorized under some degree of threat or as Data Deficient.
Globally, flooding is the most frequent and costly natural hazards, disproportionately affecting populations based on environmental, social, and economic factors. Understanding the spatial variability of flood risk as well as the respective flood drivers is essential for informing cost-effective mitigation strategies and enhancing community resilience. Here we mapped flood risk that combines flood hazards and vulnerability in an under-resourced coastal community prone to compound flooding. Our approach integrates stakeholder engagement with GIS-based analysis using open-access datasets. We first developed an initial flood hazard map using an equal-weight combination of factors commonly associated with flood occurrence/prevention, including upslope area, impervious surface coverage, canopy coverage, 20-year average rainfall, soil runoff potential, and distance to water bodies (a location’s proximity to water bodies). Local stakeholders and city officials were then consulted to provide insight into their past flood experience. Their input was used to calibrate the GIS model by adjusting the relative weights of the six contributing factors, resulting in a flood hazard map that best aligned with local experience. This locally calibrated flood hazard map was then combined with three flood vulnerability indicators, derived from a social vulnerability index, distance to parks, and proximity to critical infrastructure in GIS to provide a high-resolution map of total flood risk throughout the City. The resulting map showed substantial spatial overlap between flood hazards and flood vulnerability, indicating that the most vulnerable populations reside in areas most prone to repetitive flooding. Impervious surface coverage, tree canopy coverage, and precipitation emerged as the most influential factors in determining flood hazards. This study highlights the importance of stakeholder engagement and suggests that measures that reduce impervious surface coverage and increase tree canopy coverage, i.e. nature-based solutions, can effectively mitigate flood hazards in coastal communities.
Sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus) have been characterized as one of the most vulnerable species to overfishing in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) based on their reproductive strategy of spawning in aggregations. Here, we analyzed fishery—independent and dependent data (1983—2023) collected by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to assess Sheepshead populations and describe the fishery in Texas. Gill net sampling was used to describe Sheepshead abundance and distribution, while creel survey data and commercial landings were used to determine spatial and temporal characteristics of the fishery and evaluate targeted fishing activity during the spawning season. Sheepshead encountered in gill nets were especially common around GOM passes along the middle and lower Texas coast. Over the time series, trends in Sheepshead abundance were not evident although decreased catches were observed in 2023. Increased harvest and catch rate indicated that Sheepshead experienced heightened fishing pressure during their spawning season (February—April) compared to the rest of the year. In addition, fishing pressure was highly concentrated spatially with most landings observed near Port Aransas, TX. These results indicate that fishing pressure is most intense when Sheepshead are highly vulnerable due to their aggregating spawning behavior. In addition, the combination of fishery—independent and dependent data can be useful for evaluating the vulnerability of Sheepshead and other spawning—focused fisheries.
Southern oyster drill snails (Stramonita haemastoma complex) are nuisance organisms within the Gulf of Mexico. This is due to their damaging impact on recovering and farmed oyster (Crassostrea virginica) populations, which are one of the drills’ main food sources. Oyster reef recovery and increased aquaculture production are priorities for Mississippi and the wider northern Gulf coast. The Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) hosts multiple oyster reef restoration sites within its boundaries, yet no comprehensive survey of oyster drill abundance has been conducted in this area to date. Additionally, knowledge of oyster drill preferences for sediment composition within their wider habitat is limited. The aim of this project was to determine sediment and water quality preferences of oyster drills in the NERR, as well as identify hotspots. Over 6 weeks, we conducted a field survey of the oyster drill population with 36 traps grouped along 12 transects, spread across 3 areas of the estuary - Bangs Lake (BL), Bangs Bayou (BB) and Point aux Chenes Bay (PAC), with reef restoration sites occurring in BB and PAC. In conjunction with traps, we measured relative depth, transect-event water quality, and collected sediment from each trap site. Drills were more abundant in mid - south PAC and east BL. Across other transects, they were more often found in mid-transect locations, which were also often the mid-depth of each transect. Our findings on drill abundance, sediment characteristics, water quality and site preferences can be used to inform future reef restoration efforts and drill mitigation techniques.
Hard bottom coral habitats in the mesophotic zone are ecologically and economically important systems, yet questions remain about the relative abundances of benthic organisms and trophic resources available to them. As part of the Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities Habitat Assessment and Evaluation project, downward-facing imagery along ROV transects was used to estimate percentage cover of major benthic organism groups across the Mississippi-Alabama continental shelf (MS-AL shelf, 6 dives) and at 2 sites within the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary on the Texas-Louisiana continental shelf (TX-LA shelf). Benthic cover was analyzed relative to depth and the availability of water-borne food as living particulate organic carbon (LPOC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) using unpaired water column seawater samples (MS-AL shelf) and paired seawater samples taken above the benthos (TX-LA shelf). Over a limited depth range at MS-AL shelf sites, percentage cover significantly changed with bottom depth but accounted for only 5.1% of the variation. Water column DOC ranged from 69-284 mu mol C/L and was variable across depth while LPOC ranged from 6-36 mu g C/L and was influenced by sampling time and depth. At the TX-LA shelf sites, benthic cover significantly changed with transect depth, accounting for 25% of the variation (p < 0.01), and both LPOC and DOC overall decreased as bottom depth increased but differed by site. The trends in benthic organism abundance reported herein align with limited previous studies for this region and provide new data on food availability near the benthos.
Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) supports nekton and epifaunal macroinvertebrates, sustaining food webs and ecosystem services in estuaries. Invasive SAV can alter these dynamics by displacing native vegetation and restructuring communities. In Alabama’s Mobile-Tensaw Delta (MTD), Eurasian milfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) is rapidly expanding and outcompeting native wild celery (Vallisneria americana). This study compared nekton and epifaunal assemblages between M. spicatum and V. americana, focusing on edge versus interior positions. Nekton surveys identified 22 taxa (M. spicatum, n = 13; V. americana, n = 18), but assemblages did not differ significantly between vegetation types nor positions, suggesting motile nekton use both habitats similarly. Seventeen epifauna taxa were identified (M. spicatum, n = 16; V. americana, n = 14), with these communities showing strong vegetation-specific and some within-bed spatial patterns. A significant interaction between habitat and position revealed differences between M. spicatum and V. americana, with edge-interior contrasts occurring only in M. spicatum, potentially due to higher structural complexity of this SAV. Moreover, M. spicatum supported higher epifaunal richness, abundance, and diversity; SIMPER analyses showed that ~72% of the community differences between V. americana and M. spicatum were driven by Gammarus sp., Chironomus sp., damselfly taxa, and Hydrobiidae. Similarly, the same 4 taxa explained ~72% of the edge–interior dissimilarity, with all but Hydrobiidae more abundant at edges. Overall, nekton assemblages appear resilient across SAV types, while epifaunal communities respond strongly to vegetation structure and bed position, highlighting potential shifts in some community dynamics with expansion of invasive SAV.
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, Thunnus thynnus (ABFT), migrate long distances to broadcast spawn in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) basin, the Mediterranean Sea and the Slope Sea (NW Atlantic). These areas have commonalities including a highly dynamic upper ocean eddy environment that draws nutrients from shallow thermoclines and adjacent continental shelves and can provide temporal sanctuaries from some larval predators. In the GOM basin, the Loop Current (LC) and its energetic spin-off eddies sweep weak swimming predators such as jellyfish (Pelagia noctiluca) into lines and aggregations, leaving relatively open areas as temporal sanctuaries for ABFT larvae during the vulnerable egg-to-flexion developmental stages (similar to 9 days). In this study, archived HYCOM modeled currents are used to disperse a grid of hypothetical drifting particles in the GOM basin to determine the spatial and temporal extent of the structured mesoscale environment in relation to life histories of both ABFT and jellyfish. Although short lived submesoscale processes, such as Langmuir mixing, are important to marine biota, they tend to be entrained within the mesoscale events and carried with them. We suggest that physical dynamics of the GOM basin result in temporal predator-reduced ABFT spawn/nursery areas. It was found that persistently cleared regions occurred within the area of LC intrusion and along the northern GOM continental shelf/slope, specifically the eastern wall of the DeSoto Canyon, the Mississippi River Outflow/Mississippi Canyon area and the northwestern corner of the GOM basin. Fishery protection of spawning ABFT from long-line bycatch should be considered in these areas.
Halophila stipulacea, a seagrass native to the western Indian Ocean, has become an established invader throughout the western Atlantic, where it often outcompetes native seagrass species across diverse environmental conditions. Here, we report its presence in the northern Bahamas, ca. 2300 km northwest of the first Caribbean record in Grenada and 304 km northeast of the recent observation in Florida, USA. This range expansion represents the northernmost Caribbean record to date and highlights the species’ capacity for long-distance dispersal and continued spread within the region. Our observation underscores the need for coordinated monitoring efforts to track the trajectory of this invasion and evaluate its site specific ecological consequences for Caribbean seagrass ecosystems.
In this essay I review my 45+ year career and some of the significant changes I have observed. This journey involved research in rivers and streams, estuaries, coastal systems (including the continental shelf), and the deep sea to a depth of about 4,000 m. After completing undergraduate (BS, Duke University) and graduate (MA, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill and PhD, NC State University) degrees in zoology, I found jobs as a Fishery Biologist (NC Division of Marine Fisheries), a program Research Coordinator (NC National Estuarine Research Reserve), and a Research Professor (University of NC – Wilmington). Between 1971 and 2023 I participated in 49 offshore research cruises using 19 different research ships, eight submersibles, six ROVs, and a diverse array of gear. The first cruise I led as Chief Scientist was in 1980, and since then I have led 32 other cruises. Between cruises my lab and colleagues analyzed, presented and published data, participated in meetings in a variety of capacities, advised graduate students, and conducted research in inshore ecosystems not requiring ships. Some of this work contributed to long term monitoring programs and large scale marine protected areas. I review some of the changes I have observed in both technological and sociological arenas during my career.
Marine bryozoans have about 6,000 living species and many fossil species going back to the early Ordovician. As suspension feeders they can be an important part of keeping the ocean healthy. Yet, as colonial organisms, even though present in habitats from estuaries and continental shelves to the deep sea, they are often treated as background for mobile organisms. There is still much to learn about their lives and relationships. This Ocean Reflection describes my career as a museum scientist from the 1970s to today, beginning at a time when it was often difficult as a woman to find a way forward. Though my path wasn't direct, perseverance paid off and I found a museum career. The article summarizes some of the things we have learned about bryozoans (and those who studied them) during the last part of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st and suggests some mysteries still to be unraveled.
The Bahia Grande is a 6,500-acre tidal basin located at the southernmost tip of Texas. Tidal flow into this coastal estuary was cut off in the 1930s, causing the basin to dry up for similar to 70 y. A pilot channel connecting the Bahia Grande to tidal waters was constructed in 2005, allowing flooding of the basin to occur. Throughout the period reported herein (2005-2019), the system remained characterized by persistent spatial and temporal episodes of extreme hypersalinity (>70)-a critical factor influencing estuarine community composition and driving key ecological processes. With additional rehabilitation actions forthcoming, characterization of the estuary is essential to evaluate the effectiveness of future restoration efforts. In this study, we analyzed macroinvertebrate data collected from 2005-2019 to evaluate community turnover as well as spatial variation driven by salinity gradients (ranging from 36 to 178). We found 5 distinct ecological groups throughout the study period: 1) early colonizers, 2) high salinity, 3) early stabilization, 4) middle stabilization, and 5) late stabilization. In addition, we found that less saline areas of the basin support different macroinvertebrate assemblages than more saline areas, suggesting that full ecological recovery of the Bahia Grande has yet to be achieved. These findings provide unique insight into the ecological progression of a reflooded, hypersaline estuary (sequence of community turnover, persistence of salinity-driven assemblages, limited recovery of sensitive taxa) while also offering an assessment of the estuary's current rehabilitation status and critical baseline data to inform and evaluate the outcomes of future restoration efforts.
Once vibrant ecosystems, coral reefs are degrading at unprecedented rates due to natural and human-induced disturbances, necessitating immediate restoration and conservation efforts. Evaluating the success of these projects often involves assessing changes in reef biodiversity. Bioacoustics has emerged as a promising, non-invasive method for such evaluations, though its efficacy remains debated. This study aimed to determine whether the diurnal soundscapes of restored coral reefs are consistent across different time frames (months) and spatial scales (reefs), which is crucial for developing reliable monitoring tools for reef health. To achieve this, 2 commonly used acoustic indices, the Acoustic Complexity Index (ACI) and Mean Sound Pressure Level (SPL), were employed to describe the underwater soundscape of 3 restored coral reefs in Culebra, Puerto Rico. The results showed that neither acoustic index followed a clear diurnal pattern, with considerable variation across studied locations and sampling days. The lack of consistent diurnal patterns across space and time suggests that ACI and SPL alone may not be ideal for comparing coral reef health, particularly as indicators of biodiversity. Instead, these sound metrics should complement other monitoring methods, such as visual and video census techniques, when evaluating the biodiversity of coral reef ecosystems.
In this essay I review my 45+ year career and some of the significant changes I have observed. This journey involved research in rivers and streams, estuaries, coastal systems (including the continental shelf), and the deep sea to a depth of about 4,000 m. After completing undergraduate (BS, Duke University) and graduate (MA, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and PhD, NC State University) degrees in zoology, I found jobs as a Fishery Biologist (NC Division of Marine Fisheries), a program Research Coordinator (NC National Estuarine Research Reserve), and a Research Professor (University of North Carolina-Wilmington). Between 1971 and 2023 I participated in 49 offshore research cruises using 19 different research ships, 8 submersibles, 6 ROVs, and a diverse array of gear. The first cruise I led as Chief Scientist was in 1980, and since then I have led 32 other cruises. Between cruises my lab and colleagues analyzed, presented and published data, participated in meetings in a variety of capacities, advised graduate students, and conducted research in inshore ecosystems not requiring ships. Some of this work contributed to long term monitoring programs and large scale marine protected areas. I review some of the changes I have observed in both technological and sociological arenas during my career.
