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Jj/IY.· 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: [email protected])
Vol. 4, Issue 22, 1 December 1995 ·
In this issue of Lazarette Gazette - Tony Amos: The Mutiny of the Manatee ...... cover MSI folks play major role at ERF '95 ..... :· ~ ...... 6 Scott Stewart.wins Philosophical Society essay contest ...... 10 Regular sections: tony's tidings - p. 1, personnel - 4 & 9, cruise reports & boat operations - p. 5, attaboys - p. 6 & 10, seminars - p. 8, irish pennants - p. 8, l~tters to the editor - p. 8, personnel - p. 9, editor's note - p. 10
The Mutiny of the Manatee - I told he~ to go south. She went north instead ... I think. Two weeks ago, the manatee came visiting the UTMSI boat basin. She stayed almost all day .and I lectured her on· the hydrography of the south Texas coastal waters and bays. "It gets cold," I said. "One time, in December, I measured a temperature of -1.6 degrees under the bridge at Snoopys," I told her (being a Mexican Manatee . . . I thought, she would understand centigrade, and if I said 29 degrees she might think how cozy that was when, in fact, it was frigid). "Go south," I urged, and I went home when it got too dark to see her any more. The next day, she visited Deep Sea Headquarters and also the Aransas Pass, and then she was gone. "She's gone south," I thought, as the days ::..:.
went by and no word of her walrus-like visage came. Then, despite my telling her not to go anywhere near places like the ditch alongside an oil refinery, there came a report of a manatee in Buffalo Bayou. That's the Buffalo Bayou in Houston, a place not known for the quality of its waters which can get just as cold as ours do here. Now, I do not know for sure whether the Houston manatee is "our" manatee, but certainly two weeks is enough time for her to travel that far.
97 30' 9715' 9700' 9645'
MANATEE SIGHTINGS; Oct - Nov 1995
I learned a little more about the history of manatees in Texas, thanks to Dr. Wes Tunnel who sent me a copy of an article appearing in the August 1944 issue of Texas Game and Fish magazine, the forerunner to Texas Parks and Wildlife. The article was written by none other than Gordon Gunter, Marine Biologist (as the masthead describes him). 1944 was two years before full time activities really began for UTMSI. Dr. Gunter eventually became Director of UTMSI and we hope will help us in celebrating our 50th Anniversary next year. He said that "there have been reports of Texas fishermen being scared partly out of their wits by a huge black animal that rose and snorted.beside their boats." In 1851, Mexican naturalist Dr. Luis Berlandiere sent a manatee found in the Lower Laguna Madre to the U.S. National Museum. Manatees were seen almost every summer in the Rio Grande and Lower L~guna. One taken alive near Port Isabel was exhibited in various parts of the U.S. Since 1913, Dr. Gunter reported, manatees have not been seen in Texas, although dead ones were found in Capano Bay in 1928, and in Cow Bayou near Sabine Lake in 1937. He described a manatee rib bone he had on his desk at the time. As manatees have the "heaviest
2 type of bone in the animal kingdom," his rib "is as solid as a piece of ivory." It had no hollow for the bone marrow. Since that time, manatees have been reported in 1979 (Corpus Christi), 1986 (Bolivar Peninsula - carcass found and skeleton now in the TAMU College Station collection), 1992 (Lower Laguna), 1993 (Matagorda Peninsula - dead), 1994 (twice in Laguna Madre), September 1995 (cow and calf in Galveston Bay), and then the present sightings, almost certainly the same animal, in Mansfield Channel, the Land Cut, Barney Davis Power Plant [1], the· Naval Air Station [2], Naval Station Ingleside [3], Rockport Harbor [4], Koch Refinery East La Quinta Channel [5], Texas State Aquarium [6]; Ship Channel [7],UTMSI Boat Basin [8], Deep-Sea Headquarters [9], and now ... Buffalo Bayou? (numbers in square brackets refer to map) -Tony Amos
Tide Predictions for December (For tidal heights at the tide tower, South Jetty, the Aransas Pass. Heights are in feet above or below mean sea level. The shaded area is nighttime. Remember, this is tidal height, not tidal current. Slack water is when the wiggly line crosses the MSL line, not at peaks and valleys, where the tidal current will be a full flood or ebb.)
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3 Weather Report for November 6- 26 1995
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UTMSI Scientists Receive Award at International Research Conference -
Three scientists from The University of Texas Marine Science Institute, Port Aransas (UTMSI) were recognized for organizing the 13th Estuarine Research Federation (ERF) Conference. The ERF Governing Board presented the award to Drs. Paul Montagna, Ken Dunton, and Terry Whitledge in Corpus Christi last week. The ERF represents about 2,800 scientists that conduct research in coastal watersheds, rivers, bays and shore environments.
"The international conference was supported by many Coastal Bend companies including: BP Exploration, Central Power and Light, H .E.B., Hoechst Celanese, Hydrolab Corporation, Lower Laguna Madre Foundation, Oxy Chem-Ingleside, Port of Corpus Christi, Reynolds Metals-Sherwin Alumina Plant, Russell Veteto Engineering, Texas Shrimp Association, Union Carbide-Port Lavaca, and Valero Refinery. The meeting attracted over 700 marine scientists and resource managers from the United States, Europe, South America, Asia and Australia," said Dr. Paul Montagna, Conference Chairperson.
"Over 115 graduate students and 12 minority undergraduate students made presentations at the meeting," according to Terry Whitledge, who organized the undergraduate research program.
"One of the most popular topics at the conference was how additions of inorganic nitrogen from sewage,
4 fertilizer, or animal wastes by river or groundwater leads to changes in water quality in coastal systems," said Ken Dunton, Program Co-Chair. "Scientists from around the country have noted significant increases in both the frequency and duration of harmful algal blooms and losses of seagrasses."
"The brown tide algal bloom, now in its sixth year, continues to show no sign of remission," according to Whitledge and Dr. Dean Stockwell (also at UTMSI). Dunton and Dr. Chris Onuf of the National Biological Survey both reported significant declil)es in the seagrass populations in the upper Laguna Madre, because of the shading caused by the algal bloom. -
Other scientists from UTMSI presented results on seagrass growth, the failure of zooplankton grazers to control the brown tide, and dissolved organic matter and its consumption in Gulf of Mexico food webs. UTMSI scientist Dr. Joan Holt organized a symp9sium on the movement of fish and shellfish through tidal inlets such as the Aransas Pass inlet at Port Aransas. A team of researchers at UTMSI reported on the passage of young redfish and croaker through these inlets from offshore spawning grounds to nursery areas within the bays. Dr. Holt said that the group's findings "promise to be useful in evaluating the potential impact of the proposed opening of Packery Channel on Padre Island". -Ken Dunton
Cruise #95-654 was underway by 0020, Wednesday, November 15. RIV LONGHORN departed for Freeport without scientific party aboard. Douglas Peter of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department boarded at Freeport where a buoy was loaded for the TPWD artificial reef project. RIV LONGHORN was again underway from Freeport at 1400 hours. A light was replaced at the Vancouver Reef site and a buoy deployed at the Basco Reef site. A buoy and anchor was re~overed five miles from the Basco Reef. The ship arrived back in Freeport at 1200 hours, November 16 and then continued to Port Aransas arriving at 0200 on November 17. Captain Cantu reported: good weather made deployment very smooth. Chief Scientist Douglas Peter reported: two additional objectives were added to the cruise and both were completed in the same amount of time as the original objective.
5 Presentations by MSI researchers at ERF conference
• Lee, K.-8., Dunton, K. H. Seasonal changes in biomass, leaf productivity and carbohydrate carbon content of Thalassia testudinum in Corpus Christi Bay, Texas • Kaldy, J. E., Dunton, K. H. Photosynthetic parameters, carbohydrate content and biomass of cultured Thalassia testudinum seedlings from south Texas Iii Herzka, S. Z., Dunton, K. H. Photosynthetic performance of the seagrass Thalassia testudinum in Corpus Christi Bay and lower Laguna Madre; Texas • Holt, J., Holt, S. Larval red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) transport to ·estuarine nursery areas: study introduction and spawning pattern •Drescher, K., Holt, G. J. The nutritional condition of larval red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) collected from a tidal pass in Port Aransas, Texas • Holt, S. A, Amos, A. F. The relationship of temporal patterns in density of red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) larvae in a tidal inlet and local hydrodynamic processes • Rooker, J. R., Holt, G. J. Application of RNA.DNA ratios to assess the condition of larval and juvenile red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) in estuarine nursery habitats •Seguin, R. J., Whitledge, T. E. Dissolved inorganic nitrogen in the Nueces River and Bay: development . of an ammonia monitor using an ion selective electrode • Benner, R., Concentration and composition of DOM in the Mississippi River plume •Lee, K.-S., Dunton, K. H. Effects of in situ light reduction on maintenance, growth and the carbon budget of Thalassia testudinum in Corpus Christi Bay, Texas • Stockwell, D. A., Whitledge, T. E. Biomass and productivity studies of the brown tide bloom in Laguna Madre, Texas • Buskey, E. J., Why can't zooplankton grazers control the Texas brown tide
Poster session presentations:
• Bernal, D., Whitledge, T. A study of nutritional uptake by the Texas brown tide using in situ mesocosms • Chiscano, C. L., Kaldy, J. E., Dunton, K. H. Age structure and shoot demography of shallow and deep Thalassia testudinum populations in Corpus Christi Bay, Texas • Saenz, L. L., Herzka, S. Z., Dunton, K. H. Diel cycle in the maximum photosynthetic rate of Thalassia · testudinum from East Flats, Corpus Christi Bay, Texas • Ward, L. A., and Montagna, P. A. Long-term changes in Nueces estuarine benthos due to climatic infiuence • Montagna, P., Kalke, R., Conley, M. Loss of diversity and food web change is caused by a brown tide
•I would like to take the opportunity to commend one of your staff, Bob Huntington. I have been involved in 18 trips to the Institute over the years and recently I took several of my Marine Science students for another chance for the experience. Bob again employed his "magic" to gain my students' interest. The intent of this letter is to commend Bob for an outstanding job while we were out on the RIV KATY and for providing support at the pier lab. I know well the challenge of keeping the interest of students this day and age, and Bob always delivers with enthusiasm, knowledge and quick wit. My students definitely profited from this experience. (To Rick Tinnin from T. Bruce Hall, Marine Science Instructor, James Bowie High School)
6 •Although I get the lion's share of the credit for the ERF conference, a heck of a lot ofpeople pitched in and were every bit a part of the success. Thanks to Ken Dunton for being Program Co-Chair, Terry Whitledge for heading the REU program, Christine Ritter for spearheading the local fund raising drive, Greg Street, for creating the art work that we used on the poster, book covers and T-shirt, and Mary Conley, Sharon Herzka, Kim Jackson, Jim Kaldy, Kun-Seop Lee, Susan Schonberg, Carrol Simanek, and Patty Webb who all worked on proof-reading, organizing, and publishing the 580 abstracts. A big thank you goes to John Shaw, Chuck Pearson, Tom Proietti, and Veril Barr who reconditioned the poster boards and set them up in the hotel. I received a ton of compliments on how attractive and well organized the poster session was, and these guys did a great job (especially Chuck and Tom who gave up a Sunday morning). Finally, there are the people who ran the projectors and took care of our A/V needs: Kathy Binney, Robert Burgess, Mary Conley, Kristin Drescher, Claire Fernandez, Jim Kaldy, Rick Kalke, Sharon Herzka, Kim Jackson, Jay Rooker, Andy Soto, and Sue Ziegler. It was no small task for a graduate student to tell a professor, ''your time is up, please stop talking". Again, I received tons of compliments on how well run the sessions were, and especially that people had never seen sessions on time as consistently as we were. Thank you to all of you. You sure helped to make UTMSI look good to our national and international guests. (from Paul Montagna to-)
• On behalf of The University of Texas Marine Science Institute, Rick Tinnin recently was presented a plaque from T.M.E.A. (Texas Marine Educators Association). The attractive wood and bronze plaque is now displayed in the Visitors Center and says: University of Texas, Marine Science Institute, Port Aransas, Texas - In Appreciation For Your Years of Outstanding Service and Support In T.M.E.A. - 1995.
• A plaque was presented to The University of Texas· Marine Science Institute and Paul Montagna, Conference Chair, Ken Dunton, Program Chair, and Terry Whitledge, Undergraduate Awards, for outstanding contributions to ERF '95 Conference, Estuaries: Bridges from Watersheds to Coastal Seas. This plaque is also displayed in the MSI Visitors Center.
• I returned last night from ERF '95 in Corpus Christi, exhausted but quite happy with the conference. I tip my hat to Paul Montagna and his crew of hard workers for everything they did to make the meeting such a resounding success. It will be a hard act to follow, to be sure! And thank you for allowing me to participate in the Research Experience for Undergraduates program at ERF '95. The two Florida International University students whom I brought with me had both a productive conference and a great time! Both did excellent research as undergraduates here at FIU, and both plan to continue on to graduate school. One of them (Luz Romero) had already made her graduate plans before ERF '95. Susie Escorcia, however, had not. While at ERF '95, Susie made solid contacts with both Mandy Joye at Texas A & M University and with Bob Howarth at Cornell. I am confident that she will start graduate school at one of these fine schools in August. Your REU program is singly responsible for her making these contacts and for this success! Thank you for helping me see that this talented and promising student goes on to join our scientific community. The ERF '95 REU program was clearly a success, and I very much enjoyed participating in it. Again, many thanks to you, to Paul, and to everyone else for everything. Your hard work is very much appreciated. (To Terry Whitledge from Daniel L. Childers, Assistant Professor, Florida International University)
7 ..-~-·----.. v,..,...... ,._...,. ~
• Dr. Steve Murray, Louisiana State University, Seasonal variability in the velocity and hydrographic structure of the Louisiana-Texas coastal current from ADCP, CTD and drifter observations. Tuesday, November 28.
• Kristen Drescher, The University of Texas Marine Science Institute; Investigation of the RNA.DNA Ratios of Larval Red Drum. Friday, December 1.
Accidents in UT vehicles - Do you know what to do if you have an accident while driving a UT vehicle? According to a recent memo from Mike Vandervort, UT Business Manager: never admit fault at the scene of the accident... indicate that the accident will be reported to The University's insurance company who will be in contact with the claimant. The supervisor of the driver should complete the loss notice form, sign at the bottom "reported by" and forward immediately (to the Business Manager's Office). MSI employees should contact MSI Administrative Office Personnel for assistance in completing the forms and forwarding to the Business Manager. Do not use the old forms. Use forms with date. at the right hand corner "8/23/95".
Mail - The address for MSI is no longer P. 0. Box 1267! P.A. now has partial mail service delivery. Mail is delivered every weekday to MSI by the Post Office. Our new address is 750 Channelview Drive. (The University of Texas Marine Science Institute, 750 Channelview Drive, Port Aransas, .Texas 78373). Please begin to use the new address. New stationery is on order. Meanwhile Patty Webb has labels available to stick over the old address. Group mailboxes are on order for the Wilson Apartments and Cottages and for the Beach Street Apartments. The address for Wilson is 730 Cotter Street, and the address for the Beach Street Apartments is 700 Beach Street. All housing residents who will be at MSI for at least a semester should arrange to receive personal mail at their housing address. Those who are not residents of University housing should also arrange to receive their personal mail by obtaining a post office box or via a group box if available at their residence.
• John - just saw your latest cry for help in the Laz Gaz. Boy you guys have it all wrong - the simple answer to the problem would be to put the diapers on the birds! I also gave the article about the out of range buoy to our Provost. He is an Aggie but also a Chemist and can sometimes figure out stuff like that. Had a chance to visit with several current and ex-UTMSI'ers at the recent ERF conference in Corpus. Sorry I could not get over to the island but I had to hurry home after my paper. Best to all and keep me informed on "the plans". (Richard Moore, Ph.D. 1973)
8 a - - -·-~-~·- -· ... ------~--- ~~~~-- ~ ---··-. . - ~"' . •
-proud parents of-
Mermaids, Makos and Sea Demons Finish Soccer Season Undefeated Bound for Western District Championships
The Mermaids (U-12 Girls), Makos (U-14 Boys) and Sea Demons (U-14 Girls) finished their fall season play Sunday with shut-out victories, completing undefeated seasons and invitations to participate in the Western . District State Soccer Championships in the Austin area December 2-3. The Mermaids (9-0) and the Makos (9-0-1) are coached by Ken Dunton; the Sea Demons (7-0-1) coach is David Morris. "To have one team from Port Aransas qualify for the District Championship is a real accomplishment, but to have three teams qualify in one season is simply unbelievable," said Ken Dunton, league Vice-President. To earn the . championship for the Coastal Bend Youth Soccer Association (the Makos are tied for first place with the Rockport Sting), the Mermaids, Makos and Sea Demons played teams throughout the area, travelling as far as Victoria and Kingsville.
The Pompanos (U-12 Boys) coached by Gary Sconyers, had a successful season, finishing fifth out of a field of 19 teams. As a first year team in their age group, they will be the team to watch in 1996, according to Dunton. The U-10 Marlins (Girls) coached by Susan Hamilton and the U-10 Tarpons (U-10 Boys) coached by Brian Cody and Paul Montagna also had very good seasons.
The locations of the Wes tern District State Championship tournaments will be in Buda for the Mermaids, Georgetown for the Makos and Roundrock for the Sea Demons. Soccer players and coaches from UTMSI include:
Marlins U-10 Girls Pompanos U-12 Boys Jennifer Seguin Brince Abel Alex Seguin Tarpons U-10 Boys Paul Montagna (coach) Sea Demons U-14 Girls Kyle Atkinson Sarah Seguin Jack Montagna Makos U-14 Boys Mermaids U-12 Girls Ken Dunton (coach) Ken Dunton (coach) Daniel Allen Karli Dunton J.B. Atkinson Ashley Harris Sean Cantu Joanna Jackson Nathan Dunton Tess Montagna Stephanie Tinnin
9 •
The Philosophical Society of Texas will be holding their annual meeting December 1 - 3 in Corpus Christi. Bill Moyers of television news fame and former special assistant to Lyndon Johnson and later publisher of Newsday will be moderating. Robert Ballard from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and of TITANIC and BISMAR,K fame will be on the program. l\1ore importantly, Tony Amos of the MSI, veteran of thirty-two separate expeditions to the Antarctic and five to the Arctic will be making a presentation. AND -
Scott Stewart, graduate student at the MSI, will be recognized and honored and receive a $2,000 award for having won the society's essay contest on the subject The Oceans: The Origin, The Mystery, The Myths.
First we had the Thanksgiving Holidays and second there were phone calls from the National Science Foundation requesting (meaning get with it if you want the money) immediate revisions of our Ship Operations and Marine Technical Support proposals for 1996. Together they delayed this issue of the Lazarette Gazette one week. Now that the turkey is eaten and the proposals revised, I don't want to hold up any longer, so here it is without any Egabrag Woes or Barnacle or news about the facilities. In short: the paving work is completed and looks great, the warehouse (known locally as the Sakewitz warehouse) has been demolished (on purpose) and the chillers are shut down as of today and will be or a few more days until the cooling tower is rebuilt.· Thanks especially to Tony Amos for The Mutiny f the Manatee. And thanks for help with this issue of the LazGaz to Ken Dunton, Paul Montagna, athy Quade, JoAnn Page, Lynn Amos, Patty Webb, and Linda Yates. In coming issues we want to eature research programs. We would like to have all the folks in a single program on the asthead-faculty member, associates, technicians, students. ·The little boat may get somewhat rowded for some of our programs. Also in the future, probably in connection with a special issue and he celebration of the MSI 50-year anniversary, we will be publishing Scott Stewart's award winning -John Thompson
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