The influence of mesoscale ocean eddies on near-surface ocean temperature, surface stress and phytoplankton communities is investigated by collocating numerous satellite measurements along with vertical profiles of oceanic temperature and salinity to the interiors of eddies identified and tracked in altimetric sea surface height maps.
The surface currents associated with...
Plant-parasitic nematodes cause more than US $100 billion in annual agriculture loss worldwide. Thorough knowledge of their genetic diversity, and interactions with endosymbionts and environment have the potential to provide valuable insights into the basic biology of these animals, and assist future efforts aimed at management of these plant parasites....
Algal chlorophyll and carotenoid distributions were measured periodically in the euphotic zone of Sta. ALOHA (22º45′N, 158º00′W) between February 1989 and October 1991 to document the variability in phytoplankton abundance and composition. The annual mean depth-integrated (O-200 db) concentration of Chl a displayed significant interannual variability. Seasonal patterns in Chl...
Previous observations of light levels and phytoplankton abundances along the Oregon coast demonstrated that phytoplankton attenuated light sufficiently to potentially limit the growth of intertidal macrophytes and therefore structure local intertidal communities. Inspired by this observation, in spring 2004, I initiated a study to quantify the direct and indirect benthic...
Experiments were designed to answer key questions about diatom-derived organic matter cycling (i.e., production and degradation) in coastal systems. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) production was examined in axenic batch cultures of five diatom species. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) release rates varied between species, but were significantly higher for all species...
Marine bacteria play vital roles in every niche of the ocean, from small-scale symbioses to large-scale productivity and the regulation of Earth’s climate. Recent advances in molecular tools now allow us to probe the genetic potential of entire microbial communities. The next step is linking these diverse communities to the...
The particle size distribution (PSD) is a critical aspect of the oceanic ecosystem. Local variability in the PSD can be indicative of shifts in microbial community structure and reveal patterns in cell growth and loss. The PSD also plays a central role in particle export by influencing settling speed. Satellite-based...
During the summer of 2012, we used laser diffractometry to investigate the temporal and vertical variability of the particle size spectrum (1.25–100 µm in equivalent diameter) in the euphotic zone of the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre. Particles measured with this optical method accounted for ∼40% of the particulate carbon stocks...
Measurements at the Hawaii Ocean Time-series (HOT) Station ALOHA (22 degrees 45'N, 158 degrees W) have revealed a significant, approximately 50% increase in euphotic zone depth-integrated rates of primary production ( PP; mol C fixed m(-2) d(-1)) based on in situ C-14 experiments. The character of the nearly two-decade increasing...
Continuous records of upper water column (0–150 m) temperature profiles, spectral distribution of downwelling irradiance, and phytoplankton solar-induced fluorescence at 25 m depth were obtained during the inaugural deployment of the Hawaii Air-sea Logging Experiment, A Long-term Oligotrophic Habitat Assessment (HALE ALOHA) mooring, near the Hawaii Ocean Time-series (HOT) Station...
The subarctic-subtropical transition zone in the North Pacific represents the second largest sink of
atmospheric carbon dioxide in the world ocean, yet the relative importance of physical and biological processes in
this uptake is debated. In a step toward understanding the spatiotemporal variability of environmental,
physiological, and ecological factors that...
Desert plant communities are among the most sensitive to changes in soil water conditions. In areas with shallow aquifers, it is important to understand both the effects of groundwater alterations on vegetation and how changes in surface-soil water affect plant water uptake. Studies in arid environments have evaluated the effect...
The apparent dissociation constants of carbonic acid were
determined as functions of temperature and salinity in seawater
at atmospheric pressure.
There is fair agreement between my values of K'₁ and those
of Buch et al. (1932), Lyman (1956), and Hansson (1971). My values,
on the average, are 6.7% lower than...
Time-series observations are critical to understand the structure, function, and dynamics of marine ecosystems. The Hawaii Ocean Time-series program has maintained near-monthly sampling at Station ALOHA (22°45′N, 158°00′W) in the oligotrophic North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG) since 1988 and has identified ecosystem variability over seasonal to interannual timescales. To further...
Full Text:
Ferrón1,2, Jessica N. Fitzsimmons1,6, LaurieW. Juranek7,
Zbigniew S. Kolber1,8, RicardoM. Letelier1,7
Time-series observations are critical to understand the structure, function, and dynamics of marine ecosystems. The Hawaii Ocean Time-series program has maintained near-monthly sampling at Station ALOHA (22°45′N, 158°00′W) in the oligotrophic North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG) since 1988 and has identified ecosystem variability over seasonal to interannual timescales. To further...
Full Text:
. Kolber8, RicardoM. Letelier7, Sandra
Martínez-Garcia1,2, David P. Nicholson9, Kelvin J. Richards1
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Terra spacecraft contains spectral bands that allow retrieval of solar-induced phytoplankton chlorophyll fluorescence emission radiance. Concurrent airborne laser-induced (and water-Raman normalized) phytoplankton chlorophyll fluorescence data is used to successfully validate the MODIS chlorophyll fluorescence line height (FLH) retrievals within Gulf Stream, continental...
We present a spatially extensive record of dinitrogen (N₂) fixation rates and distributions
of N₂ fixing microorganisms along with the results of exogenous phosphorus (P) addition experiments
conducted during a series of cruises in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG). We measured the
N₂ and carbon (C) fixation rates of...
The sagebrush steppe ecosystem of the Columbia Plateau has become degraded by a long history of alternative land use and associated perturbations. Protection of remnant stands of intact sagebrush steppe currently relies upon their preservation within the nation's network of parks and protected-areas. The John Day Fossil Beds National Monument,...
In 1976, John D. Isaacs proposed to use wave energy to invert the density structure of the ocean and pump deep, nutrient-rich water into the sunlit surface layers. The basic principle is simple: a length of tubing attached to a surface buoy at the top, and a one-way valve at...
The historical function of fire in sagebrush steppe has been altered by 19th century overgrazing, active fire suppression, annual grass invasion and encroachment of woody species. The significance of fire to these systems is known, but research on long-term fire effects are limited. The Sheep Rock management unit of the...
Continental margin carbon cycling is complex, highly variable over a range of space and time scales, and forced by multiple physical and biogeochemical drivers. Predictions of globally significant air–sea CO₂ fluxes in these regions have been extrapolated based on very sparse data sets. We present here a method for predicting...
Nitrate concentrations, chlorophyll a (Chl a) fluorescence, radiance, salinity, and
temperature were measured on the Hawaii Air-Sea Logging Experiment, A Long-Term
Oligotrophic Habitat Assessment (HALE ALOHA) mooring located near the Hawaii
Ocean Time-Series (HOT) Program’s Station ALOHA (22°45’N; 158°W). Nitrate
concentrations were determined with OsmoAnalyzers deployed at depths of 120...
A carefully calibrated primitive-equation model from 41°N to 48°N is used to study the poleward undercurrent off the US west coast. Chapter 2 describes poleward flow over the slope from Eulerian and Lagrangian perspectives. The model is robust, in the sense of several characteristics being qualitatively consistent with observational and...
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitous environmental microbe, opportunistic pathogen, and a highly social organism. P. aeruginosa utilizes a wide array of cooperative behaviors to adapt to the environmental conditions around it. These behaviors include quorum sensing (QS), a form a cell-to-cell signaling that coordinates the expression of secreted products in...
Guatemala is internationally recognized as a country suitable to invest in the forestry industry. The first Guatemalan Forest Incentive Program – PINFOR- was implemented in 1996 to foster local forestry through cost-sharing. However, it lacks both formal land use planning processes and mechanisms to assess economic potential of projects, so...
Satellite-derived data provide the temporal means and seasonal and nonseasonal
variability of four physical and biological parameters off Oregon and Washington
(41°–48.5°N). Eight years of data (1998–2005) are available for surface chlorophyll
concentrations, sea surface temperature (SST), and sea surface height, while six years of
data (2000–2005) are available for...
This study evaluated biomass production, water-use efficiency (WUE), biomass allocation, and water use characteristics of common plant species in Owens Valley, California, USA. The species studied were the grasses Distichlis spicata, Leymus triticoides, and Sporobolus airoides, the forbs Glycyrrhiza lepidota, Juncus arcticus, and Salsola tragus (annual), the desert shrubs Artemisia...
During austral summer 1997, satellite imagery revealed enhanced chlorophyll associated with the Antarctic Polar Front at 170°W. Phytoplankton growth conditions during the early stages of the spring increase were investigated on the Antarctic Environment and Southern Ocean Process Study Survey I cruise using flow cytometry (FCM) and microscopy to characterize...
We present a new nitrogen isotope model incorporated into the three-dimensional ocean component of a global Earth system climate model designed for millennial timescale simulations. The model includes prognostic tracers for the two stable nitrogen isotopes, 14N and 15N, in the nitrate (NO3−), phytoplankton, zooplankton, and detritus variables of the...
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are plant symbionts that associate with the vast majority of terrestrial plants species. The AMF colonizes the plant roots by penetrating the root cortical cells, where the fungi exchanges mineral nutrients with the host plant for photosynthates. This association exists as a complex system in which...
Western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) encroachment has been associated with negative ecological and hydrological consequences including reductions in herbaceous production and diversity, deterioration for wildlife habitat, and higher erosion and runoff potentials. As a result, western juniper removal is a common and accepted rangeland management practice. Although studies evaluating the ecological...
Wetland degradation has negative influences on wetland functions and services. The understanding of wetland functions requires the intersection of two science disciplines, ecohydrology and plant physiology for a correct approach on wetland restoration and management. Although studies assessing ecohydrological relationships to protect wetlands are relatively common, studies evaluating both ecohydrological...
The local and remote sources of variability of the South Atlantic Ocean are investigated using a set of numerical experiments and satellite data. A global, eddy-permitting, numerical simulation is analyzed to investigate the dynamical links between the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) and the Malvinas Current (MC). The model results indicate...
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) may exert profound influences on ecosystem resilience and invasion resistance in western North American sagebrush steppe and other arid rangeland plant communities. Maintenance of plant community structure through ecological feedbacks such as facilitation of nutrient cycling and uptake by host plants, physical and chemical contributions to...
Quaking aspen, Populus tremuloides, has experienced severe declines in recent years in part due to the effects of changing climate and extreme drought. As the dominant deciduous tree in Western North American forests, aspen plays a critical role in forest biodiversity and ecosystem function. Therefore, the persistence of this species...
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Ricardo Mata-Gonzalez
Quaking aspen, Populus tremuloides, has experienced severe declines
Within the sagebrush steppe ecosystem, invasive annual grasses are of growing management concern as they outcompete native vegetation, change the fundamental nutrient cycling processes, decrease biodiversity, and increase frequency of wildfires. The most widely used and effective management tool to decrease invasive annual grass abundance, is the use of pre-emergent...
Analytical and numerical models are used to study the effects of a meridional ridge on the propagation of barotropic Rossby waves produced by distant wind stress forcing. The analytical model illustrates the qualitative aspects of the problem by solving a simplified form of the potential vorticity equation. The analytical results...
After three decades of active research coupling hydrology and stream ecology, the connection among solute transport, metabolism and processing is still unresolved. These knowledge gaps obscure the functioning of stream ecosystems and how those ecosystems interact with other landscape processes. We must resolve these challenges to wisely manage water resources,...
In recent years, our ecological knowledge of tropical dry forests has increased dramatically. However, whole components of the ecosystem, like lichenized fungi, remain mostly unknown. Crustose lichens in these forests are so abundant, that they are responsible for the characteristic appearance of a “white bark forest” during the dry season....
Modifications of an ocean model are described, as the objective for which the model was used changed to study the kinematics and dynamics of an eastern-boundary poleward undercurrent.
5'-Deoxy-5'-methylthioadenosine phosphorylase catalyzes
the phosphorolytic cleavage of 5'-deoxy-5'-methylthioadenosine
to form 5'-deoxy-5'-methylthioribose-1-phosphate and
adenine in mammalian cells and plays an important role in
methionine and purine salvage. The enzyme is abundant in
normal tissues and in cell lines derived from normal cells.
However, several malignant tissues and cell lines have been...