Grantee Research Project Results
2003 Progress Report: Consortium for Estuarine Ecoindicator Research for the Gulf of Mexico (CEER-GOM)
EPA Grant Number: R829458Center: EAGLES - Consortium for Estuarine Ecoindicator Research for the Gulf of Mexico
Center Director: Brouwer, Marius
Title: Consortium for Estuarine Ecoindicator Research for the Gulf of Mexico (CEER-GOM)
Investigators: Brouwer, Marius , Thomas, Peter , Noble, Peter , Rose, Kenneth A. , Nunez, Brian Scott , Cheek, Ann , Rakocinski, Chet , Lepo, Joe , Proctor, Lita , Han, Luoheng , Denslow, Nancy , Heard, Richard , Snyder, Richard
Current Investigators: Brouwer, Marius , Thomas, Peter , Noble, Peter , Rose, Kenneth A. , Cheek, Ann , Rakocinski, Chet , Lepo, Joe , Han, Luoheng , Denslow, Nancy , Snyder, Richard , Yang, Xiaojun
Institution: University of Southern Mississippi , The University of Texas at Austin , University of West Florida , The University of Alabama , University of Washington , Louisiana State University - Baton Rouge , Florida State University
Current Institution: University of Southern Mississippi , Florida State University , Louisiana State University - Baton Rouge , The University of Alabama , The University of Texas at Austin , University of Florida , University of Washington
EPA Project Officer: Packard, Benjamin H
Project Period: December 1, 2001 through November 30, 2005 (Extended to May 20, 2007)
Project Period Covered by this Report: December 1, 2002 through November 30, 2003
Project Amount: $5,906,323
RFA: Environmental Indicators in the Estuarine Environment Research Program (2000) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Environmental Justice , Water , Aquatic Ecosystems , Ecological Indicators/Assessment/Restoration
Objective:
The main objective of the Consortium for Estuarine Ecoindicator Research for the Gulf of Mexico (CEER-GOM) program, which works in partnership with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Gulf Ecology Division (EPA GED), is to study, develop, and validate indicators of estuarine condition at four levels of increasing biological complexity (Individual, Population, Community, and Ecosystem/Watershed) and to integrate the suite of indicator responses into models that can be applied to assess estuarine ecosystem condition. In addition, we will develop sensitive indicators of early stages of ecological change. Our main focus will be on increased nutrient loading and concomitant hypoxic conditions, which are considered as one of the major factors responsible for declines in habitat quality in the Gulf of Mexico region. During Year 2 of the project, Pensacola Bay, FL, was sampled by CEER-GOM program components in a highly coordinated design.
Progress Summary:
Remote Sensing of Water Quality
In Year 2 of the CEER-GOM project, the remote sensing of water quality component still focused on the Pensacola Bay system. The primary goal is to develop algorithms of estimating chlorophyll concentrations using Landsat TM and ETM+ data. The algorithm development process included two approaches: traditional band combination and neural network analysis. With the algorithms established, maps of chlorophyll concentration in Pensacola Bay were created. Findings from the hyperspectral data analysis from Year 1 of the project were put together in a manuscript for publication. The principal investigator also was involved in a collaborative research effort between the two Estuarine and Great Lakes (EaGLe) Program groups.
Microbial Biofilms as Indicators of Estuarine Ecosystem Condition
Field deployments and microcosm studies were carried out in the 2003 summer season. Analysis of 2002 samples and consolidation of results into manuscripts continued. Field deployments targeted the coordinated sites for CEER-GOM work (P12, P13, P13, PB5, Marsh Pond, and Marsh Creek), as well as the spatial variance of benthic and floating biofilm growth in East Bay, and were coordinated with both the EPA and CEER-GOM's remote sensing work (Luoheng Han) at the monthly Pensacola Bay water quality stations manned by the EPA GED. Molecular analyses of sulfate-reducing prokaryotes (SRP) from field samples show strong correlation of a more diverse and rich SRP guild associated with hypoxic conditions. Microbial biofilm communities developed over two very closely located but distinct benthic habitats in the Pensacola Bay estuary show dramatic differences in habitat-specific microbial diversity that has implications for overall microbial diversity within estuaries (Nocker, et al., in press 2004). We took advantage of a sewage treatment plant outfall in Santa Rosa Sound to provide a natural field experiment with nutrient loading. Microcosm work targeted nutrient loading as combined nitrate, ammonium, and phosphate treatments. Experiments were conducted with each nutrient separately and where organic loading of phytoplankton biomass and heterotrophic bacterial media were used.
Individual Level Indicators: Molecular Indicators of Dissolved Oxygen Stress in Crustaceans
Occurrence of hypoxia in estuarine waters is increasing, and recovery of estuaries, once impacted, is slow. Detection of early effects of hypoxia is needed for timely remedial action to be taken. We have examined the use of hypoxia-responsive gene and protein expression profiles in the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, and grass shrimp, Palaemonetes pugio, as early warning signals of impacts of hypoxia. We cloned 23 and 74 potential hypoxia-responsive genes of the blue crab and the grass shrimp, respectively, which were used to construct gene macroarrays. Blue crabs exposed to chronic hypoxia (2.5 ppm dissolved oxygen [DO]) for 15 days showed significant (p < 0.05) changes in gene expression of heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70), copper metallothionein (CuMt3), cytosolic MnSOD (cyt-MnSOD), and ribosomal proteins S15 and L23. In all cases, except for CuMt3, gene expression decreased after 5 days of exposure to hypoxia. Expression of Hsp70, CuMt3, and cyt-MnSOD also increased (p < 0.05) in normoxic crabs held for 15 days, suggesting confounding effects from confinement stress. Hemocyanin protein concentrations changed significantly (p = 0.006) across the 15 days of chronic hypoxia exposure. Hemocyanin in crabs exposed to 10 days of intermittent hypoxia (2.5 ppm DO to 8 ppm DO over a 24-hour cycle) did not change, but cyt-MnSOD gene expression increased significantly (p = 0.037); whereas, cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (ccox1) showed a 2.2-fold downregulation. Blue crabs collected from Pensacola Bay, FL, showed significant (p < 0.006) downregulation of ccox1 and cyt-MnSOD gene expression as well as hemocyanin protein levels at a diurnally hypoxic marsh site. Several hypoxia-responsive genes (elongation factor 2, cryptocyanin, and hemocyanin) also were elevated significantly (p < 0.006) in intermolt versus premolt normoxic blue crabs. Grass shrimp fecundity was elevated significantly in animals exposed to chronic moderate (2-3 ppm DO, 6 weeks) or chronic severe (1.5 ppm DO, 8 weeks) hypoxia compared to normoxic grass shrimp, and eggs from the 1.5 ppm DO females had significantly higher triglyceride levels than eggs from control females. Both quantity and quality of eggs produced under hypoxic conditions appear superior to eggs from normoxic conditions. Analysis of the gene expression profiles of the laboratory-exposed grass shrimp is in progress. The identification of hypoxia-responsive genes and proteins in the blue crab and grass shrimp is an important first step toward development of sensitive molecular tools for rapid detection of sublethal effects of hypoxia in estuarine-resident species. Studies with the grass shrimp suggest both "whole animal" and molecular responses to hypoxia can be combined to provide diagnostic and predictive tools for the identification of effects of hypoxia on estuarine crustacea at the individual and population level.
Data Management and Analysis
A manuscript dealing with eutrophication of salt marsh estuaries based on phytoplankton community pigment analysis has been published (Noble, et al., 2003). Two manuscripts dealing with the application of DNA microarrays and neural network analysis have been published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology (El Fantroussi, et al., 2003; Urakawa, et al., 2003), and a third is being prepared for publication (Tribou, et al., 2004). An additional two manuscripts dealing with new neural network software have been written; one manuscript has been submitted for review (Morris, et al., 2004), and the other is being prepared for submission to the journal Science (Gough, et al., 2004). I am collaborating with three groups at the Atlantic Coast Environmental Indicators Consortium (J. Morris, University of South Carolina; L. Valdes and H. Pearl, University of North Carolina; Jay Pickney, Texas A&M University). I have developed new software programs to analyze the connectedness and disorder associated with ecological variables. The investigators believe that there is a relationship between connectedness and disorder of estuarine ecosystems and that these measures can be used as an indicator of eutrophication.
Individual Level Indicators: Reproductive Function in Estuarine Fishes
The overall long-term objective of this research project is to evaluate biomarkers of reproductive function in Atlantic croaker and Fundulus grandis as early warning indicators of fish population hazards due to degradation of estuarine environments, using low dissolved oxygen (DO) as a stressor. The major objectives for Year 2 of this project for croaker were to: (1) determine whether three critical stages of the reproductive cycle, at puberty, during gonadal growth and gametogenesis, and during spawning, in croaker were disrupted by chronic exposure to low DO (2.7 ppm and 1.7 ppm) in controlled laboratory studies; and (2) compare the effects of low DO on reproductive function biomarkers in the controlled laboratory study to the effects observed in fish collected from hypoxic sites in East Bay and Pensacola Bay, FL. All three reproductive stages were sensitive to low DO. Gonadal growth and gametogenesis were significantly impaired in both sexes resulting in dramatic reductions in the number of viable gametes that was accompanied by significant declines in plasma levels of estradiol, androgens, and progestins. Final gamete maturation also was significantly impaired in the low DO groups. Interestingly, the decrease in sperm motility after hypoxia exposure could be restored by progestin treatment suggesting that the decreased sperm function may be due to progestin deficiency. Low DO exposure resulted in decreased reproductive success as assessed by the rates of fertilization, hatching, and larval survival. Equally dramatic declines in gonadal growth, gametogenesis, fecundity, and endocrine disturbances were observed in croaker collected from persistently moderate hypoxic sites in East Bay during the reproductive season, September-November 2003. As observed in the laboratory studies, practically no development of vitellogenic oocytes and low sperm production were observed, suggesting that individuals at these sites are unlikely to contribute to the 2003 croaker spawning population. In contrast, normal reproductive development was observed in normoxic sites in the adjoining bay, Pensacola Bay.
The major objectives for Year 2 of this project for saltmarsh minnows, F. grandis were to: (1) determine whether reproductive biomarkers are affected by exposure to hypoxia in wild fish caught from Terrebonne Bay, LA, and Pensacola Bay, FL; and (2) compare the effects observed in fish collected from hypoxic sites in Gulf of Mexico estuaries to the effects of low DO exposure (< 20 percent saturation) during spawning under controlled laboratory conditions. In the field and laboratory, estradiol and androgens, gonad size, and egg number were sensitive to low DO. In wild fish, males were more sensitive than females, particularly during the summer. In the laboratory, females were more sensitive than males, and egg number was significantly reduced by hypoxia. In both the field and laboratory, vitellogenin was completely unresponsive to DO level. The results indicate that reproductive morphometric and endocrine functions in croaker and F. grandis are especially sensitive to moderate hypoxia, both in the laboratory and at field sites. These morphometric and endocrine responses are potentially useful as early warning indicators of reproductive failure, an ecologically relevant endpoint, because they correlated with declines in fecundity, gamete function, and reproductive success.
GIS and Terrestrial Remote Sensing
Although the focus of Year 1 of the project was on the construction of a comprehensive locationally based database, the focus of Year 2 of the project has shifted from database building into spatial data synthesis, analysis, and modeling for developing landscape-level indicators that can be used to quantify the anthropogenic impacts on the estuarine ecosystems. Specifically, progress has been achieved in three major areas. First, all of the spatial datasets initially created during Year 1 of the project were refined, and metadata were added to each dataset. Second, we used remote sensing and GIS-based spatial analysis and modeling technologies to analyze the relationship between landscape characteristics, socioeconomic attributes, and estuarine water quality using the Pensacola estuarine drainage area as a case study. Last, we have participated in an intercenter collaborative research project aiming to understand the relationship between geomorphology, landscape scale, and estuarine water quality at North Inlet estuary. Our research results were presented at professional conferences, and a number of manuscripts were submitted for publication in professional journals. The principal investigator is editing a special journal focus issue on estuarine ecosystem analysis, which is to be published by early 2005.
Macrobenthic Process Indicators of Estuarine Condition for the Northern Gulf of Mexico
Five main objectives were pursued by the macrobenthic indicator subgroup of CEER-GOM in Year 2 of this 4-year project: (1) conduct integrated field sampling along with the other CEER-GOM subgroups; (2) analyze and interpret the macrobenthic indicator data from the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) case study; (3) obtain and process 2002 and 2003 macrobenthic indicator data; (4) pursue extramural collaborative efforts; and (5) disseminate CEER-GOM macrobenthic subgroup findings. In fulfillment of the first objective, four field trips were completed during the 2003 field season comprising a total of 36 targeted site events. Between seven and nine of the sites were repeatedly sampled by the other CEER-GOM subgroups at the same times. Targeted samples included 5 sites in May, 10 sites in July (1 which was not sampled), 12 sites in August, and 10 sites in early November. The same integrated sites were sampled in July, August, and November by CEER-GOM subgroups. Plans for 2004 integrated sampling also have been completed, including a planned extension of the project to the Weeks Bay system of Mobile Bay in early August 2004.
In fulfillment of the second objective, spatial variation in three macrobenthic process indicators was examined within the Grand Bay NERR system, including estimates of macrobenthic production, P:B values, and parameters of standardized biomass-size spectra. A nonlinear response in macrobenthic function along a gradient of increasing eutrophication was hypothesized. Both longitudinal and cross-system patterns were apparent in Bayou Cumbest and Bayou Heron. Overall, macrobenthic production increased from upestuary to downestuary sites; while P:B values were higher at upestuary sites, reflecting the tendency for downestuary sites to contain macrobenthic communities consisting of larger and longer lived organisms. Moreover, macrobenthic production was clearly higher within Bayou Cumbest than in the Bayou Heron: values ranged more than one order of magnitude from 8,248 to 85,308 µg m-2 d-1 in the Bayou Cumbest system and only from 95 to 15,192 µg m-2 d-1 in the Bayou Heron system. This difference was congruent with the moderate nutrient enrichment hypothesis. Moreover, when characterized as a composite variable based on the three process-indicators, macrobenthic function was significantly related to several functional environmental variables, including concentrations of pore water ammonia and pore water total phosphorous, as well as surface chlorophyll and bottom DO.
In fulfillment of the third objective, all of the 2002 samples have been processed, including sorting and quality control for the removal of macrobenthic organisms, size fractionation of macrobenthic invertebrates, identification of size-taxon fractions, and volumetric determinations. One hundred and eight samples from 36 site events were obtained from East Bay from May to November 2003. All of these samples have been sorted and quality controlled for the removal of macrobenthic organisms. Taxonomic identification and volumetric determinations are currently underway; organisms from 50 percent of the 2003 samples have been identified and volumetrically determined. Now that our team is fully assembled for this project, we are doubling our efforts to expedite processing of the 2003 samples. Except for 10 2003 total organic carbon (TOC) samples, all 2002 and 2003 TOC, sediment composition, and pore water nutrient samples have been completed.
In fulfillment of the fourth objective, potential collaboration opportunities have been discussed with personnel of the EPA GED and with members of other EaGLe groups. In fulfillment of the fifth objective, findings of the CEER-GOM macrobenthic subgroup have been disseminated through various means, including presentations at various scientific meetings and workshops as well as through publications.
Modeling and Integration
The effort of the modeling group during Year 2 of the project centered on the two major objectives originally stated in the proposal, as well as some effort on an additional objective of program-wide integration. The three objectives of the modeling effort are to: (1) refine and test predictive models for scaling individual-level effects (croaker and sheepshead minnow) to the population level; (2) use reproductive and DO stress indicator data for population modeling of grass shrimp; and (3) increase integration of results among the components of the CEER-GOM program. Progress towards Objectives 1 and 2 in Year 2 consisted of the refinement of the croaker population model, development of a physiological model of the reproduction in an individual female croaker-like fish, and initiation of a fish community model inhabiting a Gulf of Mexico marsh ecosystem. We made progress in configuring a series of linked models that scale laboratory-measured indicators to croaker population responses. All three models have been developed and implemented. In the next year of the project, the linked models will be applied to hypoxia effects on croaker in the Gulf of Mexico. We developed a physiological model that simulates the reproductive process of vitellogenesis. The model begins with pulse of gonadotropin and ends just before the onset of final oocyte maturation. Laboratory data, including experiments from CCER-GOM efforts, are used to configure the model, estimate model parameters, and test model predictions. Continued development of the physiological model will include simulation of the effects of hypoxia and incorporation of environmental stochasticity and physiological parameter uncertainty using Monte Carlo techniques. We also initiated the development of an individual-based fish community model of Gulf of Mexico marsh ecosystem. The model simulates resident fish species (bay anchovy, Fundulus, sheepshead minnow, and silversides), blue crab, and grass shrimp predatory and competitive interactions on a fine-scale grid of habitat cells. The model will be used to predict the community responses to various scenarios of low DO conditions superimposed on different habitat maps. Progress towards Objective 3 for the modeling group in Year 2 of the project focused on planning and coordination. During Year 2 of the project, the Pensacola Bay was sampled by CEER-GOM program components in a highly coordinated design.
CEER-GOM and EPA GED Collaborative Efforts
Joint Meetings And Communications
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March 12-14, 2003 CEER-GOM Annual Meeting in Ocean Springs, MS, attended by
six EPA GED scientists.
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May 13, 2003 Joint CEER-GOM/EPA GED Planning Meeting/Workshop to discuss field
work in Pensacola Bay.
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July 11, 2003 Joint CEER-GOM/EPA GED conference call to discuss progress, problems,
and solutions.
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January 27, 2004 Joint CEER-GOM/EPA GED conference call to discuss progress,
problems, and solutions as well as the 2004 field season.
Joint Studies/Experiments
• Microbial Biofilms–GED Collaboration: (1) co-locating biofilm samplers with monthly water quality monitoring stations to compare biofilm response to phytoplankton response and nutrients in the water column of Escambia and East Bays (EPA collaborators: Greene, Murrell, Hagy); (2) stable isotope analysis on biofilm material (EPA collaborator: Chapman); and (3) co-authored review paper with Mike Lewis on biofilms as indicators.
• Macrobenthic Ecoindicators–GED Collaboration: Discussions have taken place with Michael C. Murrell, an ecologist with the EPA GED, regarding collaborations involving determinations of macrobenthic production estimates, biomass-size spectra, and P:B ratios for samples from throughout Pensacola Bay taken by the GED in 2003 to examine benthic pelagic coupling. It was agreed that this would be a mutually beneficial cooperative arrangement between GED and CEER-GOM. This possibility will be pursued once the macrobenthic subgroup has processed the CEER GOM samples.
• Remote Sensing–GED Collaboration. Dr. Han (CEER-GOM) collected hyperspectral data over the Pensacola Bay in collaboration with the researchers of the EPA GED on June 4, 2003. The GED has provided water sampling data, including chlorophyll-a.
Future Activities:
We will continue to develop sensitive indicators of early stages of ecological change. Also, a workshop for data analysis and integration is planned during Year 3 of the project.
Journal Articles: 52 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
Other center views: | All 175 publications | 58 publications in selected types | All 52 journal articles |
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Breitburg DL, Adamack A, Rose KA, Kolesar SE, Decker MB, Purcell JE, Keister JE, Cowan JH. The pattern and influence of low dissolved oxygen in the Patuxent River, a seasonally hypoxic estuary. Estuaries 2003;26(2A):280-297. |
R829458C009 (2003) |
not available |
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Brouwer M, Larkin P, Brown-Peterson N, King C, et al. Effects of hypoxia on gene and protein expression in the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus. Marine Environmental Research 2004;58(2-5):787-792. |
R829458C003 (2003) R829458C003 (2004) |
not available |
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Brouwer M, Brown-Peterson NJ, Larkin P, Patel V, Denslow N, Manning S, Brouwer TH. Molecular and whole animal responses of grass shrimp, Palaemonetes pugio, exposed to chronic hypoxia. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 2007;341(1):16-31. |
R829458C003 (2005) |
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Brown-Peterson NJ, Larkin P, Denslow N, King C, Manning S, Brouwer M. Molecular indicators of hypoxia in the blue crab Callinectes sapidus. Marine Ecology Progress Series 2005;286:203-215. |
R829458C003 (2004) R829458C003 (2005) |
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Cheek A, Landry C, Seele S, Manning S. Diel hypoxia in marsh creeks impairs the reproductive capacity of estuarine fish populations. MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIESN 2009;392:211-221. |
R829458 (2005) |
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Cheek A. Diel hypoxia alters fitness in growth-limited estuarine fish (Fundulus grandis). JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MARINE BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY 2011;409(12):13-20 |
R829458 (2005) |
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Popular article featuring Cheek & Thomas projects: Janet Raloff. Choked Up: How dead zones affect fish reproduction. Science News 2004;166(20):309. |
R829458C005 (2004) |
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El Fantroussi S, Urakawa H, Bernhard AE, Kelly JJ, Noble PA, Smidt H, Yershov GM, Stahl DA. Direct profiling of environmental microbial populations by thermal dissociation analysis of native rRNAs hybridized to oligonucleotide microarrays. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 2003;69(4):2377-2382. |
R829458C004 (2003) |
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Ferguson HJ, Rakocinski CF. Tracking marsh restoration using macrobenthic metrics: implementing a functional approach. Wetlands Ecology and Management 2008;16(4):277-289. |
R829458 (2005) |
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Fuiman LA, Rose KA, Cowan Jr. JH, Smith EP. Survival skills required for predator evasion by fish larvae and their relation to laboratory measures of performance. Animal Behaviour 2006;71(6):1389-1399. |
R829458C009 (2005) |
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Gough HL, Dahl AL, Tribou E, Noble PA, Gaillard J-F, Stahl DA. Elevated sulfate reduction in metal-contaminated freshwater lake sediments. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences 2008;113(G4):G04037, doi:10.1029/2008JG000738. |
R829458C004 (2003) R829458C004 (2004) |
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Han LH, Jordan KJ. Estimating and mapping chlorophyll-a concentration in Pensacola Bay, Florida using Landsat ETM+ data. International Journal of Remote Sensing 2005;26(23):5245-5254. |
R829458C001 (2004) R829458C001 (2005) |
not available |
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Han LH. Estimating chlorophyll-a concentration using first-derivative spectra in coastal water. International Journal of Remote Sensing 2005;26(23):5235-5244 |
R829458C001 (2004) R829458C001 (2005) |
not available |
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Hansel NN, Hilmer SC, Georas SN, Cope LM, Guo J, Irizarry RA, Diette GB. Oligonucleotide-microarray analysis of peripheral-blood lymphocytes in severe asthma. The Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine 2005;145(5):263-274. |
R829458 (2005) R832139 (2004) R832139 (2005) R832139 (2006) R832139 (2007) R832139C001 (2005) |
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Kelly JJ, Siripong S, McCormack J, Janus LR, Urakawa H, El Fantroussi S, Noble PA, Sappelsa L, Rittmann BE, Stahl DA. DNA microarray detection of nitrifying bacterial 16S rRNA in wastewater treatment plant samples. Water Research 2005;39(14):3229-3238. |
R829458C004 (2005) |
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Landry CA, Steele SL, Manning S, Cheek AO. Long term hypoxia suppresses reproductive capacity in the estuarine fish, Fundulus grandis. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology-Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology 2007;148(2):317-323. |
R829458 (2005) |
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Lewitus AJ, White DL, Tymowski RG, Geesey ME, Hymel SN, Noble PA. Adapting the CHEMTAX method for assessing phytoplankton taxonomic composition in Southeastern U.S. estuaries. Estuaries 2005;28(1):160-172. |
R829458C004 (2004) R829458C004 (2005) |
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Martinez ML, Landry C, Boehm R, Manning S, Cheek AO, Rees BB. Effects of long-term hypoxia on enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism in the Gulf killifish, Fundulus grandis. Journal of Experimental Biology 2006;209(19):3851-3861. |
R829458C005 (2005) |
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Morris JT, Porter D, Neet M, Noble PA, Schmidt L, Lapine LA, Jensen JR. Integrating LIDAR elevation data, multi-spectral imagery and neural network modelling for marsh characterization. International Journal of Remote Sensing 2005;26(23):5221-5234. |
R829458C004 (2003) R829458C004 (2005) R828677C003 (2004) R828677C003 (Final) |
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Moss JA, Nocker A, Lepo JE, Snyder RA. Stability and change in estuarine biofilm bacterial community diversity. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 2006;72(9):5679-5688. |
R829458C002 (2004) R829458C002 (2005) |
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Murphy CA, Rose KA, Thomas P. Modeling vitellogenesis in female fish exposed to environmental stressors: predicting the effects of endocrine disturbance due to exposure to a PCB mixture and cadmium. Reproductive Toxicology 2005;19(3):395-409. |
R829458C005 (2003) R829458C009 (2003) |
not available |
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Murphy CA, Rose KA, Alvarez MC, Fuiman LA. Modeling larval fish behavior: scaling the sublethal effects of methylmercury to population-relevant endpoints. Aquatic Toxicology 2008;86(4):470-484. |
R829458 (2005) |
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Murphy C, Rose K, Rahman M, Thomas P. Testing and applying a fish vitellogenesis model to evaluate laboratory and field biomarkers of endocrine disruption in Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus) exposed to hypoxia. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2009;28(6):1288-1303. |
R829458 (2005) R827399 (2001) |
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Niemi G, Wardrop D, Brooks R, Anderson S, Brady V, Paerl H , Rakocinski C, Brouwer M, Levinson B, McDonald M. Rationale for a new generation of indicators for coastal waters. Environmental Health Perspectives 2004;112(9):979-986. |
R829458C003 (2003) R829458C008 (2003) R829458C008 (2004) R828675 (2004) R828675 (Final) R828677C001 (Final) R828684 (Final) |
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Noble PA, Tymowski RG, Fletcher M, Morris JT, Lewitus AJ. Contrasting patterns of phytoplankton community pigment composition in two salt marsh estuaries in southeastern United States. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 2003;69(7):4129-4143. |
R829458C004 (2003) R829458C004 (2005) R826944 (2000) R826944 (Final) R828677C003 (2003) |
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Noble PA, Tribou EH. Neuroet: an easy-to-use artificial neural network for ecological and biological modeling. Ecological Modelling 2007;203(1-2):87-98. |
R829458 (2005) R829458C004 (2004) |
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Nocker A, Lepo JE, Snyder RA. Influence of an oyster reef on development of the microbial heterotrophic community of an estuarine biofilm. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 2004;70(11):6834-6845. |
R829458C002 (2003) R829458C002 (2004) |
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Nocker A, Lepo JE, Martin LL, Snyder RA. Response of estuarine biofilm microbial community development to changes in dissolved oxygen and nutrient concentrations. Microbial Ecology 2007;54(3):532-542. |
R829458C002 (2004) |
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Pozhitkov AE, Bailey KD, Noble PA. Development of a statistically robust quantification method for microorganisms in mixtures using oligonucleotide microarrays. Journal of Microbiological Methods 2007;70(2):292-300. |
R829458 (2005) |
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Pozhitkov AE, Stedtfeld RD, Hashsham SA, Noble PA. Revision of the nonequilibrium thermal dissociation and stringent washing approaches for identification of mixed nucleic acid targets by microarrays. Nucleic Acids Research 2007;35(9):e70. |
R829458 (2005) |
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Pozhitkov A, Chernov B, Yershov G, Noble PA. Evaluation of gel-pad oligonucleotide microarray technology by using artificial neural networks. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 2005;71(12):8663-8676. |
R829458C004 (2004) R829458C004 (2005) |
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Pozhitkov A, Noble PA, Domazet-Loso T, Nolte AW, Sonnenberg R, Staehler P, Beier M, Tautz D. Tests of rRNA hybridization to microarrays suggest that hybridization characteristics of oligonucleotide probes for species discrimination cannot be predicted. Nucleic Acids Research 2006;34(9):e66. |
R829458C004 (2005) |
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Rahman MS, Thomas P. Molecular cloning, characterization and expression of two hypoxia-inducible factor alpha subunits, HIF-1α and HIF-2α, in a hypoxia-tolerant marine teleost, Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus). Gene 2007;396(2):273-282. |
R829458 (2005) |
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Rakocinski CF. Linking allometric macrobenthic processes to hypoxia using the Peters mass balance model. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 2009;381(Suppl 1):S13-S20. |
R829458 (2005) |
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Rakocinski C. Evaluating macrobenthic process indicators in relation to organic enrichment and hypoxia. ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS 2012;13(1):1-12. |
R829458 (2005) |
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Richmond CE, Breitburg DL, Rose KA. The role of environmental generalist species in ecosystem function. Ecological Modelling 2005;188(2-4):279-295. |
R829458 (2005) |
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Richmond CE, Breitburg DL, Rose KA. The effect of stress tolerance on the relationship between species richness and system function. Ecological Modelling. |
R829458C009 (2004) |
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Rose KA, Murphy CA, Diamond SL, Fuiman LA, Thomas P. Using nested models and laboratory data for predicting population effects of contaminants on fish: a step towards a bottom-up approach for establishing causality in field studies. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment 2003;9(1):231-257. |
R829458C009 (2003) |
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Rose KA. Lack of relationship between simulated fish population responses and their life history traits: inadequate models, incorrect analysis, or site-specific factors?. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 2005;62(4):886-902 |
R829458C009 (2003) R829458C009 (2004) |
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Thomas P, Rahman MS, Kummer JA, Lawson S. Reproductive endocrine dysfunction in Atlantic croaker exposed to hypoxia. Marine Environmental Research 2006;62(Suppl 1):S249-S252. |
R829458C005 (2005) R826130 (1999) |
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Thomas P, Rahman MS, Khan IA, Kummer JA. Widespread endocrine disruption and reproductive impairment in an estuarine fish population exposed to seasonal hypoxia. Proceedings of The Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 2007;274(1626):2693-2701. |
R829458 (2005) |
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Thomas P, Rahman MS. Biomarkers of hypoxia exposure and reproductive function in Atlantic croaker: a review with some preliminary findings from the northern Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 2009;381(Suppl 1):S38-S50. |
R829458 (2005) |
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Thomas P, Rahman MS. Chronic hypoxia impairs gamete maturation in Atlantic croaker induced by progestins through nongenomic mechanisms resulting in reduced reproductive success. Environmental Science & Technology 2009;43(11):4175-4180. |
R829458 (2005) |
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Urakawa H, El Fantroussi S, Smidt H, Smoot JC, Tribou EH, Kelly JJ, Noble PA, Stahl DA. Optimization of single-base-pair mismatch discrimination in oligonucleotide microarrays. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 2003;69(5):2848-2856. |
R829458C004 (2003) R829458C004 (2005) |
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Yang X, Liu Z. Quantifying landscape pattern and its change in an estuarine watershed using satellite imagery and landscape metrics. International Journal of Remote Sensing 2005;26(23):5297-5323. |
R829458C007 (2004) R829458C007 (2005) |
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Yang XJ. Remote sensing and GIS applications for estuarine ecosystem analysis:an overview. International Journal of Remote Sensing 2005;26(23):5347-5356. |
R829458C007 (2004) R829458C007 (2005) |
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Yang X. Estimating landscape imperviousness with remotely sensed imagery. IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Letters 2006;3(1):6-9. |
R829458C007 (2004) R829458C007 (2005) |
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Yang X, Lo CP. Using a time series of satellite imagery to detect land use and land cover changes in the Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan area. International Journal of Remote Sensing 2002;23(9):1775-1798 |
R829458C007 (2003) |
not available |
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Yang X. Geospatial technologies for coastal and estuarine ecosystem analysis: status and research priorities. Journal of Coastal Research |
R829458C007 (2004) |
not available |
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Yang X, Liu Z. Use of satellite-derived landscape imperviousness index to characterize urban spatial growth. Computers, Environment and Urban Systems 2005; 29(5):524-540. |
R829458C007 (2003) R829458C007 (2004) R829458C007 (2005) |
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Yang X, Liu Z. Using satellite imagery and GIS for land-use and land-cover change mapping in an estuarine watershed. International Journal of Remote Sensing 2005;26(23):5275-5296. |
R829458C007 (2005) |
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Yang X, Liu Z. Use of remote sensing and landscape metrics to analyze estuarine landscape changing dynamics. International Journal of Remote Sensing . |
R829458C007 (2003) R829458C007 (2004) |
not available |
Supplemental Keywords:
population, community, ecosystem, watersheds, estuary, estuaries, Gulf of Mexico, nutrients, hypoxia, innovative technology, biomarkers, water quality, remote sensing, geographic information system, GIS, integrated assessment, risk assessment, fisheries, conservation, restoration, monitoring/modeling, Apalachicola Bay, Consortium for Estuarine Ecoindicator Research for the Gulf of Mexico, CEER-GOM, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program, EMAP, EaGLes Program, Galveston Bay, Mobile Bay, benthic indicators, ecoindicator, ecological exposure, ecosystem monitoring, environmental indicators, environmental stress, estuarine ecoindicator, estuarine integrity., RFA, Scientific Discipline, Geographic Area, Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, Aquatic Ecosystems & Estuarine Research, Ecosystem/Assessment/Indicators, Aquatic Ecosystem, Monitoring/Modeling, Environmental Monitoring, Ecological Risk Assessment, Ecology and Ecosystems, Biology, Ecological Indicators, Gulf of Mexico, ecological exposure, monitoring, ecoindicator, ecosystem monitoring, estuaries, estuarine integrity, Mobile Bay, Galveston Bay, benthic indicators, Apalachicola Bay, estuarine ecoindicator, environmental indicators, environmental stress, water qualityRelevant Websites:
http://www.usm.edu/gcrl/contacts/view_vitae.php?id=190 Exit
Progress and Final Reports:
Original Abstract Subprojects under this Center: (EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
R829458C001 Remote Sensing of Water Quality
R829458C002 Microbial Biofilms as Indicators of Estuarine Ecosystem Condition
R829458C003 Individual Level Indicators: Molecular Indicators of Dissolved Oxygen Stress in Crustaceans
R829458C004 Data Management and Analysis
R829458C005 Individual Level Indicators: Reproductive Function in Estuarine Fishes
R829458C006 Collaborative Efforts Between CEER-GOM and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-Gulf Ecology Division (GED)
R829458C007 GIS and Terrestrial Remote Sensing
R829458C008 Macrobenthic Process Indicators of Estuarine Condition for the Northern Gulf of Mexico
R829458C009 Modeling and Integration
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.