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Explore WARC's science publications.

Filter Total Items: 3377

Disturbance and recovery of the Louisiana coastal marsh landscape from the impacts of Hurricane Andrew

The impact of Hurricane Andrew on the Louisiana coastal landscape and the initial recovery of wetland plant communities was determined from extensive surveys of a large geographic region of coastal marsh near Atchafalaya Bay and intensive studies of an oligohaline marsh on Otter Bayou. Wind and water movements associated with the hurricane resulted in the formation of compressed marsh, thick sedim
Authors
Glenn R. Guntenspergen, Donald R. Cahoon, James B. Grace, Gregory D. Steyer, Stephen Fournet, M. A. Townson, A. Lee Foote

Microwave radiometers and their application in field and aircraft campaigns for remote sensing of land and water surfaces

The paper presents an overview of the scientific investigations and practical applications of a group of specialists working in the Institute of Radioengineering and Electronics of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IRE RAS) with their partners in Russia and the USA in the area of passive microwave remote sensing as applied to the study of soil, vegetation and water bodies. Applications that are des
Authors
A.M. Shutko, A.A. Haldin, E.P. Novichikhin, A.A. Mil'shin, S.P. Golovachev, A.G. Grankov, V.G. Mishanin, T.J. Jackson, B.J. Logan, G.B. Tilley, E.W. Ramsey, H. Pirchner

Wind shear stress measurements in a coastal marsh during Hurricane Andrew

Hurricane Andrew produced changes to the Louisiana wetlands not normally observed after lesser, more common storms. For example, the <25 m/s wind speeds generated by cold fronts and winter storms, and any accompanying storm surge, do not cause substantial, wide-spread alteration of marsh vegetation. During Hurricane Andrew, however, the wind, the wind-driven storm surge, or both produced severe, w
Authors
J. R. Dingler, S.A. Hsu, A. Lee Foote

Structural impact of hurricane Andrew on the forested wetlands of the Atchaflaya Basin in South Louisiana

On August 26, 1992, Hurricane Andrew hit the Louisiana coast and traversed a large portion of the lower Atchafalaya Basin, bounding the largest remaining tract of cypress-tupelo and bottomland hardwood swamp in the United States. Permanent field sites were established following the hurricane to assess the extent of forest damage and to monitor the rate and process of forest recovery. Bottomland ha
Authors
Thomas W. Doyle, Bobby D. Keeland, Lance E. Gorham, Darrin J. Johnson

Comparison of condition indices in migratory passerines at a stopover site in coastal Louisiana

We evaluated the utility of four nondestructive condition indices—body mass, body mass scaled by wing chord length, fat scoring, and total body electrical conductivity method (TOBEC)—as predictors of lipid levels in migrating Wood Thrushes (Hylocichla mustelina), Swainson's Thrushes (Catharus ustulatus), and Summer Tanagers (Piranga rubra). The Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus), a winter
Authors
Terry J. Spengler, P.L. Leberg, Wylie C. Barrow

Effect of increased water depth on growth of a common perennial freshwater-intermediate marsh species in Coastal Louisiana

The response of Sagittaria lancifolia to increased water depths of 7.5 and 15 cm was examined in this field study. Water-depth treatments were achieved by digging sods containing one or two individual plants or ramets of S. lancifolia from the marsh, removing sediment from the resulting hole, and replacing the sods in their original location at the appropriate lower elevation. Plants subjected to
Authors
Rebecca J. Howard, Irving A. Mendelssohn

Species-specific patterns of hyperostosis in marine teleost fishes

The occurrence of swollen or hyperostotic bones in skeletal preparations, preserved museum material or whole fresh specimens of marine teleost fishes was identified in 92 species belonging to 22 families. Patterns of hyperostotic skeletal growth were typically consistent and often species-specific in all individuals larger than a certain size. The taxonomic distribution of hyperostosis in diverse
Authors
William F. Smith-Vaniz, L.S. Kaufman, J. Glowacki

Survey for blood parasites in redheads (Aythya americana) wintering at the Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana

We detected no infections with species of Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, Leucocytozoon, Sarcocystis or Trypanosoma in blood smears, liver and spleen impressions, and muscle tissue from 136 redheads (Aythya americana) collected or captured at the Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana (USA), during three winters (1987 to 1990). One bird, a juvenile male, was infected with an unidentified species of microfilaria.
Authors
Thomas C. Michot, Mary C. Garvin, Earl H. Weidner

Seagrass distribution in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

Seagrass ecosystems are widely recognized as some of the most productive benthic habitats in estuarine and nearshore waters of the gulf coast. Seagrass meadows provide food for wintering waterfowl and important spawning and foraging habitat for several species of commercially important finfish and shellfish. Physical structure provided by seagrasses affords juveniles refuge from predation and allo
Authors
Lawrence R. Handley

An alternative bacteriological medium for the isolation of Aeromonas spp.

Two solid bacteriologic media were compared for cultivating Aeromonas spp. from piscine sources: the Rimler-Shotts (RS) medium and a starch-glutamate-ampicillin-penicillin-based medium (SGAP-10C) used for the recovery of Aeromonas spp. from water samples. The selective and differential capacities of the media were assessed March through October 1992 by recovery rate and phenotype of 99 isolates re
Authors
J.A. Jenkins, P.W. Taylor