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Publications

These publications showcase the significant science conducted in our Science Centers.

Filter Total Items: 16785

Strange bedfellows - A deep-water hermatypic coral reef superimposed on a drowned barrier island; Southern Pulley Ridge, SW Florida platform margin

The southeastern component of a subtle ridge feature extending over 200 km along the western ramped margin of the south Florida platform, known as Pulley Ridge, is composed largely of a non-reefal, coastal marine deposit. Modern biostromal reef growth caps southern Pulley Ridge (SPR), making it the deepest hermatypic reef known in American waters. Subsurface ridge strata are layered, lithified, an
Authors
B. D. Jarrett, A. C. Hine, R. B. Halley, D. F. Naar, S. D. Locker, A.C. Neumann, D. Twichell, C. Hu, B.T. Donahue, W.C. Jaap, D. Palandro, K. Ciembronowicz

Summer low flows in New England during the 20th Century

High springtime river flows came earlier by one to two weeks in large parts of northern New England during the 20th Century. In this study it was hypothesized that late spring/early summer recessional flows and late summer/early fall low flows could also be occurring earlier. This could result in a longer period of low flow recession and a decrease in the magnitude of low flows. To test this hypot
Authors
Glenn A. Hodgkins, R. W. Dudley, Thomas G. Huntington

Using chaotic forcing to detect damage in a structure

In this work we develop a numerical test for Holder continuity and apply it and another test for continuity to the difficult problem of detecting damage in structures. We subject a thin metal plate with incremental damage to the plate changes, its filtering properties, and therefore the phase space trajectories of the response chaotic excitation of various bandwidths. Damage to the plate changes i
Authors
L. Moniz, J. Nichols, S. Trickey, M. Seaver, D. Pecora, L. Pecora

Water level dynamics in wetlands and nesting success of Black Terns in Maine

The Black Tern (Chlidonias niger) nests in freshwater wetlands that are prone to water level fluctuations, and nest losses to flooding are common. We examined temporal patterns in water levels at six sites with Black Tern colonies in Maine and determined probabilities of flood events and associated nest loss at Douglas Pond, the location of the largest breeding colony. Daily precipitation data fro
Authors
Andrew T. Gilbert, F. A. Servello

Factors influencing the sporulation and cyst formation of Aphanomyces invadans, etiological agent of ulcerative mycosis in Atlantic menhaden, Brevoortia tyrannus

Oomycete infections caused by Aphanomyces invadans occur in freshwater and estuarine fishes around the world. Along the east coast of the USA, skin ulcers caused by A. invadans are prevalent in Atlantic menhaden, Brevoortia tyrannus. From laboratory observations low salinities appear crucial to transmission of the pathogen. To better understand aspects of transmission, we characterized sporulation
Authors
Y. Kiryu, Vicki S. Blazer, W. K. Vogelbein, H. Kator, J. D. Shields

Possible modes of coral-reef development at Molokai, Hawaii, inferred from seismic-reflection profiling

High-resolution, seismic-reflection data elucidate the late Quaternary development of the largest coral-reef complex in the main Hawaiian Islands. Six acoustic facies were identified from reflection characteristics and lithosome geometry. An extensive, buried platform with uniformly low relief was traced beneath fore-reef and marginal shelf environments. This highly reflective surface dips gently
Authors
W. A. Barnhardt, B. M. Richmond, E. E. Grossman, P. Hart

Geochemical constraints on the distribution of gas hydrates in the Gulf of Mexico

Gas hydrates are common within near-seafloor sediments immediately surrounding fluid and gas venting sites on the continental slope of the northern Gulf of Mexico. However, the distribution of gas hydrates within sediments away from the vents is poorly documented, yet critical for gas hydrate assessments. Porewater chloride and sulfate concentrations, hydrocarbon gas compositions, and geothermal g
Authors
C. K. Paull, W. Ussler, T. Lorenson, W. Winters, J. Dougherty

Fundamental challenges to methane recovery from gas hydrates

The fundamental challenges, the location, magnitude, and feasibility of recovery, which must be addressed to recover methane from dispersed hydrate sources, are presented. To induce dissociation of gas hydrate prior to methane recovery, two potential methods are typically considered. Because thermal stimulation requires a large energy input, it is less economically feasible than depressurization.
Authors
P. Servio, M.W. Eaton, D. Mahajan, W.J. Winters

Seismic architecture and lithofacies of turbidites in Lake Mead (Arizona and Nevada, U.S.A.), an analogue for topographically complex basins

Turbidites, which have accumulated in Lake Mead since completion of the Hoover Dam in 1935, have been mapped using high-resolution seismic and coring techniques. This lake is an exceptional natural laboratory for studying fine-grained turbidite systems in complex topographic settings. The lake comprises four relatively broad basins separated by narrow canyons, and turbidity currents run the full l
Authors
D. C. Twichell, V.A. Cross, A.D. Hanson, B.J. Buck, J.G. Zybala, M.J. Rudin

Numerical modeling of an estuary: A comprehensive skill assessment

Numerical simulations of the Hudson River estuary using a terrain-following, three-dimensional model (Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS)) are compared with an extensive set of time series and spatially resolved measurements over a 43 day period with large variations in tidal forcing and river discharge. The model is particularly effective at reproducing the observed temporal variations in both
Authors
J.C. Warner, W.R. Geyer, J.A. Lerczak

Surficial geology of the sea floor in west-central Long Island Sound as shown by sidescan-sonar imagery

We used sidescan-sonar imagery detailing almost 300 km2 of the sea floor in west-central Long Island Sound in conjunction with bathymetry, sediment samples, bottom video, and seismic data to interpret the area's surficial geology. The distribution of sediments and sedimentary environments interpreted from these data sets represents the Quaternary geology, regional bathymetry, and effects of modern
Authors
K.Y. McMullen, L. J. Poppe, M. L. DiGiacomo-Cohen, M. S. Moser, E. B. Christman

Disturbance of eelgrass Zostera marina by commercial mussel Mytilus edulis harvesting in Maine: Dragging impacts and habitat recovery

We studied the effects of commercial harvest of blue mussels Mytilus edulis on eelgrass Zostera marina L. in Maquoit Bay, Maine, USA, at a hierarchy of scales. We used aerial photography, underwater video, and eelgrass population- and shoot-based measurements to quantify dragging impacts within 4 sites that had been disturbed at different times over an approximate 7 yr interval, and to project eel
Authors
Hilary A. Neckles, Frederick T. Short, Seth Barker, Blaine S. Kopp