The Lazarette Gazette NEWS FROM The University of Texas at Austin MARINE SCIENCE INSTITUTE Port Aransas, Texas 78373-1267 (512-749-6760 -fax 512-749-6777) (internet: thompson@utmsi.zo.utexas.edu) Vol. 4, Issue 21, 10 November 1995 In this issue of Lazarette Gazette Terry Whitledge: Research summary reports for 1995 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 The Bullfightin-Guitar Strummin-Jujitsuin-Grass Mowin Crew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 RIV MAR,CJA K -superboat of the 60's ......................... : . . . . . . . . 7 Regular sections: director's report -p. 1, trip reports & travel -p. 5, attaboys -p. 5, personnel -p. 6, cruise reports & boat operations -p. 6, irish pennants -p. 7, tony's tidings -p. 7, egabrag woes -p. 7, editor's note -p. 8 Each year we prepare an Organized Research Summary Report. The last two years we have shared a major portion of this report with readers of the Lazarette Gazette, and I now wish to do so for the third time. I think you will find the following vignettes, although greatly distilled, not only of casual interest, but a handy reference to what it is that really goes on at MSI. Ifyou are truly interested in MSI, I urge that you read them all. You may be surprised-and favorably so! We are not including a list of our publications, but there we.re fifty. And we are not including the financial part of the report, but it showed-although there was a decrease in appropriated funds-an increase of 17% in overall funding due to increased grants/contracts. -T. E. Whitledge . . Anthony F. Amos' research was centered m two main areas. Locally he has researched the history and trends of the incidence of bay/marine (anthropogenic) debris. In Antarctica he completed the installation of a tide gauge at Palmer Station with real-time display. He started a program to monitor remote San Jose Island for sea-turtle stranding and nesting, worked with Scott Holt on a larval fish monitoring program, with Terry Whitledge on the direct measurement of currents in the shallow Laguna Madre, and continues to monitor the Mustang Island Gulfbeach and monitor tides, currents, and weather at the UTMSI pier laboratory with real-time displays at the Visitor's Center and the UTMSI office. His tide tables are widely distributed with University of Texas acknowledgment in several newspapers. Dr. Connie R. Arnold's research has emphasized the development of sustainable mariculture through responsible stewardship of marine resources and the dev~lopment of culture technologies. Closed system research has included the evaluation of the interaction of feeds and closed system dynamics, the demonstration of recirculation systems technologies for the production of Penaeus uannamei, and the development oflarge scale larval rearing protocols for Sciaenops ocellatus and Ocyurus chrysurus. Nutrition research has emphasized the continued development and testing of"low pollution" feeds for marine species ' such as Sciaenops ocellatus and Penaeus uannamei. Work on early life history offishes continued with an active field program involving studies of larval transport and nursery area utilization by red drum and other sciaenids. Results suggest that events during the pelagic larval stage are quite important in regulating recruitment to the nursery and ultimately population size in red drum. Additional analysis ofthese data is currently underway. Work with cobia (ling) is continuing with efforts to capture and transport additional adults to enhance the population for spawning. Dr. Ronald H. Benner's research group investigated various aspects of the carbon and nitrogen cycles in the oceans, estuaries, and rivers. . Photo-oxidation, as well as microbial oxidation, were shown to be important controls on the composition and concentrations oforganic matter in the Amazon River system. Nitrifying bacteria were found to be major consumers of dissolved oxygen in Mississippi River plume waters and a contributing factor to the development of hypoxic waters. The reactivity of dissolved organic matter was found to be related to its size, leading to a new conceptual model of organic matter diagenesis in the ocean. Dr. Edward J. Buskey's research group has completed studies ofswarming behavior of copepods in the mangrove prop root environment in Belize. By forming these aggregations, the cope-pods are protected from predators, avoid being dispersed into unfavorable habitats and increase their opportunities for mating. They have also continued studies of protozooplankton in the Gulf of Mexico, including laboratory studies of sensory perception and feeding behavior of heterotrophic dinoflagellates. Dr. Kenneth H. Dunton's research has focused on understanding the physiological mechanisms that enable aquatic plants to optimize photosynthetic production under widely different light and nutrient conditions. He has monitored the decline of seagrasses in the Laguna Madre based on a six-year continuous study of plants at several sites in response to decrease in underwater irradiance caused by a widespread algal bloom. He has also documented in situ photosynthetic characteristics of the common subtropical seagrass, Thalassia testudinum, and the critical role of below-ground tissues as carbon storage reservoirs in this species,_which explains its dominance in various habitats in Texas and illustrates its importance in south Texas estuarine food webs. Finally, Dunton's group has demonstrated that some species of seagrasses are unable to photosynthetically adapt to reductions in underwater irradiance, which has broad implications with respect to natural and anthropogenic disturbances that result in chronic declines in underwater light. Dr. Lee A. Fuiman's laboratory continued to explore the implications of morphological development for ecological interactions offish larvae. Using a paradigm in which growth and ontogeny are separate processes, he created a new analytical method to assess their separate effects on a larva's performance capabilities. Related studies assessed several commonly used measurements for their value as estimators of physiological age. Dr. Fuiman's research expanded this year to include the use of behavioral and sensory assays to measure sublethal effects of pollutants on fish populations. Dr. G. Joan Holt's research group developed methodology for rearing two coral reef species Lysmata wurdemani and Equetus umbrosus. A manuscript describing larval development in E. umbrosus compared to the closely related species E. acuminatus will show definitive differences in larval development in the two species, resolving a taxonomic dilemma. A major component of this year's research was a red drum transport and recruitment study with Scott Holt. Spawning periodicity and larval abundances provide the first data for the entire spawning event. Forty-two percent of planktonic larvae were experiencing some degree of food deprivation, but only two percent were starved or in poor condition. Variation in the biochemical condition of larvae collected in estuarine seagrass was due to fish size and water temperature, but not to differences in seagrass species. Dr. Ellery D. Ingall's research has focused on the cycling of nutrients in the ocean. Recent studies have demonstrated that oxygen depleted bottom waters greatlyenhance phosphorus regeneration from sediments. Based on these observations a positive feedback between water column anoxia, enhanced benthic phosphorus regeneration, and marine productivity has been proposed and incorporated into a large scale mathematical model of the ocean. The feedback effect helps explain the widespread accumulation of organic-rich marine sediments deposited from anoxic waters that are observed in the geologic record. Dr. Paul A. Montagna's research focuses on the importance of benthic invertebrates in the ecology of the coastal zone. This year, he has proved that grazing by meiofauna, the smallest invertebrates, can control the rates of many microbial processes in natural and disturbed sediments. He has also shown that small clams and snails are good indicators of the importance of freshwater inflow to maintain productivity in Texas estuaries. Dr. Curtis A. Suttle's group has developed a number of new approaches for investigating the roles of viruses in marine ecosystems. These include a protocol for staining viruses so that they can be visualized by epifluorescence microscopy, using fluorescently tagged viruses to identify and quantify specific types of cells that are susceptible to viral infection, and developing oligonucleotide primers for virus DNA polymerase genes that allow the DNA from known and unknown viruses to be amplified from seawater and identified. These methods have helped to investigate the dynamics of host and virus populations in nature, and to determine the existence of previously unknown viruses in seawater. Richard K. Tinnin heads the Marine Education Services Program. MES hosts over 10,000 students each year who stay in the dorms and participate in research vessel cruises and field trips to the surrounding marine habitats. One thousand teachers last year participated in 17 weekend teacher workshops. The Visitors Center hosted over 40,000 visitors who enjoyed seven marine aquariums, watched videos in the auditorium and toured the main laboratory displays. MES is in the 2nd year of a 3 year pilot program for an elementary education project, Marine Activities, Resources and Education (MARE) in cooperation with The Lawrence Hall of Science, UC Berkeley. Six Texas schools are pilot testing the habitat oriented curriculum and writing Gulf coast activities to be included in this exciting teacher training project. The MARE curriculum uses the ocean as a central theme to link all traditional subject matter in an interdisciplinary approach. Dr. Peter Thomas' group has recently identified a steroid receptor on croaker sperm. Steroid binding activity was previously found in the sperm of humans and other mammals, but the binding has not been characterized. Thomas' group have fully characterized the steroid receptor in croaker sperm, the first extensive characterization of such a receptor in any vertebrate species. The function of this receptor is unknown at present, but may be associated with sperm activation. Previous studies had indicated that somatolactin, a pituitary hormone recently discovered in fish, is involved in background adaptation. Further research has demonstrated that purified somatolactin can act directly on chromatophores in fish scales to cause mela~in aggregation. These results suggest that somatolactin enables fish to adapt to different backgrounds by altering chromatophore function and hence body pigmentation. Dr. Terry E. Whitledge's work has focused on the relationship of nutrient availability and growth of the Texas brown tide in the upper and lower Laguna Madre. Experimental ponds were used to determine how different types of nitrogen fertilizers affect relative species composition, biomass and growth rates of the brown tide and other phytoplankton as a potential means of biological control. Research was also continued on the enhanced productivity and ecological effects of proposed freshwater and wastewater diversions into Nueces Bay and Rincon Delta. Travel ending between October 27 and November 10 +Paul Montagna, October 26-27, Baton Rouge, Louisiana State University, to give an invited seminar at Louisiana State University. +Izhar Khan, October 29-November 1, Hot Springs, Arkansas, present paper at 13th International N eurotoxicology Conference. +Peter Thomas, October 29-November 1, Hot Springs, Arkansas, present paper at 13th International N eurotoxicology Conference. +Ron Benner, November 2-5, Hanover, New Hampshire, present seminar, Composition and reactivity of dissolved organic matter in the ocean, at Dartmouth College. +Peter Thomas, November 4-11, Vancouver, Canada, chair session and present paper, Interactions of xenobiotics with steroid hormone receptors and sex-steroid binding protein in spotted seatrout, at the annual meeting of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and 9hemistry. • The Texas Association for Environmental Education is pleased to present you with this certificate of recognition for your efforts in the field of environmental education. Students, teachers, agency personnel,youth leaders, and citizens all across Texas are working extremely hard to preserve the natural beauty ofour state for ourselves and generations to come. Efforts are underway to begin or expand recycling efforts, create outdoor classrooms, participate in water quality monitoring, protect endangered and threatened species,increase environmental awareness, and that is just to name a few of the awardees programs whose efforts were recognized this year. We encourage you to continue your efforts. Every little bit makes a difference and often we aren't even aware ofthe effects that all ofour energies produce. Keep up the great job that you are doing!!! (To Tony Amos from Carol A. Miserlian, TAEE President) • ...Thanks for your help, and congratulations on this fine dissertation (Feng Chen's). By the way, I am a member ofthe NSF's CEOSE advisory committee (Equal Opportunity in Science and Education), and at our meeting this week the Geosciences Directorate was bragging about a program at Port Aransas to introduce undergraduates to marine science. I am always happy to hear our praises sung in DC! (To Curtis Suttle from Teresa A. Sullivan, Vice President and Dean of Graduate Studies, UT Austin) The MSI Grounds Crew is aboard the masthead this issue. There has to be a reason these fellows are all smiling. Surely it has nothing to do with the change in supervisors. Benny Rodriguez lives in Taft and has worked for MSI for {our years. Benny and his wife Sandra have two children, Cheyenne, 14 months, and Samantha, 12. Benny likes to collect movies on videotape and has an extensive collection. He likes to go country and western dancing and when not wearing his UT uniform wears a belt buckle the size of a hubcap and a hat as big as a manhole cover. His dream is to win the lottery and buy a 4-wheel drive truck. Benny is considered a comedian and spends the day keeping the crew entertained. Dave Hernandez also lives in Taft and has worked for MSI for five years. Dave buys, repairs, and sells old cars and trucks, but his main interest is music and guitars. He has been playing over ten years and owns five guitars. He holds jam sessions at his house regularly with anyone who wants to show up. He has his own style of blues guitar playing and can play any song ifhe hears it a couple of times. Dave is single and plans to stay that way. He does not want children because he says he has plenty of nephews to play with ifhe feels the need. Amador ''Moy" Guajardo has worked for MSI for four years. He lives in Port Aransas with his wife, Rosa, and children John, 18; Jacob, 12; and Joshua, 6. His hobby is fishing. Moy says that he comes from a long line of bullfighters in Mexico. He says it is a family tradition for the men of the family to fight bulls, but here in Texas there are not many bullfighting opportunities so he decided to cut grass instead. He says the only reason he has gray hair is because he has three boys. Moy is a big football fan and his worst day of the week is Sunday after the Oilers have lost. Michael Gibson was recently promoted to supervisor for grounds maintenance. Mike has been a UT employee for over ten years. His wife, Kelly, is retail advertising manager for the Rockport Pilot newspaper and a student at TAMUCC working on a marketing degree. They have a son, Travis, who is ten, and another child is due in June. Mike's hobbies are art, music, and martial arts. He makes extra money now and then doing art work, and he plays the guitar. Mike's main interest is martial arts which he has studied for nine years. Mike: I have a 1st degree black belt in Sho-Rin Ryu Karate, 3rd KYU brown belt in Goshin Buda Jujitsu, 3rd KYU brown belt in Okinawan Kobudo. I have studied Tae-Kwon-Do, Kungfu, Aikido, and am now delving into Brazilian Jujitsu and grappling. I taught Karate and Jujitsu for Island Martial Arts here in Port A and in Aransas Pass. I enjoy martial arts more than anything else because I always seem to learn something new every time I work out and anyone who knows me well knows that, once I get started talking about it, its hard to shut me up. I am very excited about my promotion, and I thoroughly enjoy being supervisor. Everything looks different to me now, and I can't wait to get to work. I usually show up to work at 6:45 and go over what I am going to do for the day. I've worked with a lot ofcrews in my time here and, without a doubt, the guys I work with now are the best we've had. They all work hard and they are fun to work with. Tom Proietti has begun work with the Maintenance Crew, replacing John Garlington, who resigned last month. Tom lives in Aransas Pass with wife Elaine and 13-year old daughter Melissa. His hobby is competition riflery. Cruise #95-653 is one both boat crew and scientists would just as soon forget. RIV LONGHORN departed for Horseshoe Basin at midnight, November 7. By 0300 winds were 25 to 30 mph. The sea was unusually rough and sloppy, even for winds ofthis velocity. After 13 hours and with no diminishing ofthe wind, and loss of the port fiopper-stopper, RIV LONGHORN returned to Port Aransas, arriving at 2100, November 8. Chief Scientist was Steve Wilhelm. Others of the scientific staff aboard were Randy Garza, Lauren Clark, Ellery Ingall, Markus Weinbauer, Mike Taras, and Steven Short. Chief Scientist Wilhelm reported: Nature is a harsh mistress! Bird problems -Two responses were received to an item in the last Lazarette Gazette calling for solutions to MSI's bird problems (boat house pigeons and pier sea gulls -all with active digestive systems).Dick Watson had one serious suggestion, closing in the attic area to eliminate spots to roost, and one less serious, loaning a shotgun. Perhaps it would be fairer to use the shotgun on the so-called sportsmen who were to a large extent responsible for our immense pigeon population in Port Aransas-the sportsmen who released them from cages for shooting competition. Ed Buskey had another suggestion. Ed supplied a brochure advertizing an Animal Control Scare-Away Cannon. The cannon sells for $308, is powered by L.P. gas and has an automatic electronic ignition which explodes the gas, soundinglike a 37 mm cannon. Ed further advises we should purchase the 360° rotating platform but forego the timer (because those sneaky gulls may try to get in at night!). Apparently the makers had UT in mind because this cannon comes with a burnt orange barrel. MSI tried to buy one, but there was no HUB vendor. Anyhow, it seems more appropriate for a different kind of Port Aransas bird problem. You can buy one yourself and mount it on top of your car. This February you will be driving down Allister Street in Port Aransas and a Snowbird will be ahead of you poking along at 10 mph, when -WHAM, just what you needed, a 37mm cannon to move-em along. -Mfil He 3HB.eM Ken Dunton's Makos win tournament-Soccer Coach Ken Dunton's Makos, boys under the age of 14 years, swept their division in the Ninth Annual Wurstfest Tournament at New Braunfels and Seguin and are the only undefeated team in their bracket in the Corpus Christi area. Nathan Dunton and the other backfield players allowed only four goals in the entire tournament. Weather Report for October 23 -November 5 1995 23 -29 OCT 1995 . ~ . . . MON . . . . TUE .... WED . . . . THU .... FRI ... ~ SAT' .... SUN. :<.