Atlantic blue marlin fin spines were sampled from Venezuelan fleets during 2003-2008 for the purpose of estimating age and growth. Transverse sections of the second spine from the first anal fin were sampled from 1708 individuals. Of these, 1638 (95.9%) were readable (774 males, 744 females and 120 indeterminate). Males ranged in size from 130 to 254 cm LJFL, females from 126 to 370 cm LJFL. Samples were scored for visible growth annuli and age-corrected for early annuli lost as a result of increased spine core vascularization. Maximum age estimates based on visible annuli were 19.6 yrs for males and 31.3 yrs for females. After agecorrection the maximum age estimates were revised to 43.4 and 43.5 for males and females, respectively. The von Bertalanffy growth model and alternate variant models are presented for the observed individual LIFL at-age data, and three derived data sets: (1) mean observed LIFL at age, (2) all back-calculated LJFLs at each age, (3) mean back-calculated LJFL at each age for males, females, and combined sex.

The inflow of fresh water into coastal lagoons is a key factor influencing the structure and function of these ecosystems. Biscayne Bay, a coastal lagoon adjacent to the city of Miami, is located downstream of the Everglades ecosystem where the extensive water management system now in place has modified the historical hydrology, replacing groundwater and overland flows with pulsed releases from canals. In areas where canals discharge directly into littoral habitats, an environment with low-mean salinity and high-salinity variability is created. In this study, we characterize the salinity patterns of nearshore habitats (<500 m from shore) and document patterns of seasonal abundance and distribution of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) to evaluate the impacts of water management practices. Seagrasses were the principal component of the SAV community during the 2005 dry season (mean cover = 25.5%), while macroalgae dominated during the wet season (mean cover = 33.4%). The distribution and abundance of SAV were directly related to the tolerance of each taxon to salinity patterns. Seagrass species with high tolerance to low and variable salinity such as Halodule wrightii and Ruppia maritima were found only in canal-influenced areas and increased in abundance and spatial distribution in the wet season when freshwater inflow is highest. The dominance of rhizophytic macroalgae during the wet season was determined by the appearance and high abundance of Chara, a taxon commonly associated with freshwater environments. Thalassia testudinum, the most abundant seagrass species, was found throughout the study region, but decreased in abundance in the canal-influenced areas during the wet season when lower, more variable salinity resulted in lowered productivity. The data presented here showed a significant relationship between salinity patterns and the seasonal abundance and distribution of SAV. These findings support the use of SAV as appropriate indicators of changes in water quality resulting from future restoration projects associated with the Everglades Restoration Plan, which will once again modify the delivery of fresh water into littoral habitats with unknown ecological consequences.

The dynamics of glove sponge (Spongia graminea) population in Biscayne Bay, Florida were investigated using a series of matrix population models, a hydrodynamic model, and a GIS data base. Sponges at Billy's Point, on the eastern margin of Biscayne Bay, were sampled between 1993 and 1995 and resampled in 2000 for model calibration and testing. An iterative procedure was used to fit unmeasured fecundity and a growth parameter by minimizing the 1993 to 2000 simulated differences from the observed year 2000 size class distribution. A density dependent model was found to fit the total population size in 2000 better than the density independent matrix model. Systematic sampling of the bay was used to identify four local populations with sponge densities above 50ha−1. The three western populations experienced salinity below 25, based on hydrodynamic model outputs for 1995, whereas the eastern Billy's Point population had a stable ocean salinity environment. The hydrodynamic model was used to simulate larval transport between local populations as lagrangian drifting particles. These simulations indicated that the Billy's Point population was likely to be demographically closed.