Geology topics

Melissa E. Price

Publications and source records attributed to Melissa E. Price.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2025

New insights reveal a temporally distinct two-stock genetic structure for Suwannee River Gulf sturgeon

Understanding population genetic structure and patterns of gene flow is important for effective decision making and the preservation of genetic diversity, especially when managing protected species. Historically, Gulf sturgeon have been managed by river system, with early evidence supporting spatially distinct genetic structure across 7 natal populations. However, an increasing number of studies recognize that some rivers possess 2 genetically distinct sturgeon stocks residing within the same drainage. This, combined with evidence of both spring and fall spawning events within these drainages, suggests the distinction between these stocks may be temporally mediated, as similarly exhibited by the closely related Atlantic sturgeon. We analyzed the movements of 136 Gulf sturgeon within the Suwannee River, Florida, USA, between 2008 and 2022 using acoustic telemetry. We assessed migratory patterns and presence within known spawning habitat to categorize individuals as exhibiting either spring, fall, or unknown spawning behaviors each year. These individuals were also genotyped for 14 microsatellite loci to assign them to a genetic group. Our results reinforce previous work suggesting the presence of 2 genetically distinct stocks in the Suwannee River and indicate this genetic structure is driven by fidelity to temporally distinct spawning events, with one stock spawning in the spring and the other in fall. The delineation of these 2 sympatric stocks, historically managed as one, has management implications for the recovery of this species.

Florida, Georgia↗

USGS2023

Satellite telemetry reveals space use of diamondback terrapins

Movement and space use information of exploited and imperiled coastal species is critical to management and conservation actions. While satellite telemetry has been successfully used to document movements of marine turtles, the large tag sizes available have limited use on smaller turtle species. We used small Argos-based satellite tags to document movement patterns of diamondback terrapins ( Malaclemys terrapin ), the only estuarine turtle species in North America. Movement data from ten terrapins in St. Joseph Bay, Florida were gathered between July 13, 2018 and July 22, 2021. We estimated seasonal space use using the daily locations generated from a Bayesian hierarchical state-space model to calculate minimum convex polygons (95% MCP) and kernel density estimates (50% and 95% KDE). Mean tracking duration was 125 days and mean home range size was 9.4 km 2 (95% MCP) and 8.1 km 2 (95% KDE). Seagrass habitat comprised 55.8% of all home ranges on average, whereas salt marsh comprised a mean of 3.0%. Mean elevation used by terrapins was − 0.13 m (95% MCP) and -0.35 m (95% KDE). Satellite telemetry provided broad-scale spatiotemporal movement and space use data; however, Argos error produced considerable noise relative to true terrapin movements given their size, speed, and behavior. Terrapin home ranges were greater than previously reported and three of the ten terrapins exhibited repeated long-distance, directed movements within the bay. Small patches of salt marsh habitat were centralized within home ranges, despite comprising only a small percentage for each terrapin. Moreover, the percentage of salt marsh present in each core use area was positively correlated with terrapin mass. Although considered an estuarine species, seagrass habitat comprised a large portion of terrapin home ranges; however, our data did not provide the detail necessary to understand how terrapins were using this habitat. As northward-expanding mangroves continue to infringe upon salt marsh habitat, there is potential for negative impacts to terrapin populations across the northern Gulf of Mexico. As salt marsh habitat continues to be infringed upon by northward-expanding mangroves impacts to terrapins across the northern Gulf of Mexico.

Florida↗

USGS2022

Temporal and spatial relationships of Yellowfin Tuna to deepwater petroleum platforms in the northern Gulf of Mexico

In 2006–2007, 110 Yellowfin Tuna Thunnus albacares were tagged with acoustic transmitters near deepwater oil platforms and one drillship in the northern Gulf of Mexico off the Mississippi River delta to determine the extent to which platforms act as fish aggregating devices (FADs). Vemco acoustic receivers were installed on six deepwater platforms to detect the presence of tagged individuals. Five of 12 Yellowfin Tuna captured in 2006 were detected in 2007, demonstrating multi-year presence in the region. Ninety Yellowfin Tuna were detected in 2007, resulting in 221 platform residencies and 32 single detections. Duration of residence at a platform was positively correlated with the platform's depth, and the number of transitions decreased with platform-to-platform distance. In total, 109 movements between platforms by 46 (51%) different individuals were detected, traveling distances of up to 98.2 km. Yellowfin Tuna displayed interactions with deepwater platforms in the northern Gulf of Mexico similar to their interactions with FADs and other studied geological features, by way of aggregating or using them as meeting points, landmarks, and stopovers within a movement corridor. The large number of oil and gas platforms located in the northern Gulf of Mexico may have a significant effect on distribution, retention, and migration of Yellowfin Tuna populations in this area of the gulf.

Louisiana↗

USGS2021

Regional-scale variability in the movement ecology of marine fishes revealed by an integrative acoustic tracking network

Marine fish movement plays a critical role in ecosystem functioning and is increasingly studied with acoustic telemetry. Traditionally, this research has focused on single species and small spatial scales. However, integrated tracking networks, such as the Integrated Tracking of Aquatic Animals in the Gulf of Mexico (iTAG) network, are building the capacity to monitor multiple species over larger spatial scales. We conducted a synthesis of passive acoustic monitoring data for 29 species (889 transmitters), ranging from large top predators to small consumers, monitored along the west coast of Florida, USA, over 3 yr (2016-2018). Space use was highly variable, with some groups using all monitored areas and others using only the area where they were tagged. The most extensive space use was found for Atlantic tarpon Megalops atlanticus and bull sharks Carcharhinus leucas . Individual detection patterns clustered into 4 groups, ranging from occasionally detected long-distance movers to frequently detected juvenile or adult residents. Synchronized, alongshore, long-distance movements were found for Atlantic tarpon, cobia Rachycentron canadum , and several elasmobranch species. These movements were predominantly northbound in spring and southbound in fall. Detections of top predators were highest in summer, except for nearshore Tampa Bay where the most detections occurred in fall, coinciding with large red drum Sciaenops ocellatus spawning aggregations. We discuss the future of collaborative telemetry research, including current limitations and potential solutions to maximize its impact for understanding movement ecology, conducting ecosystem monitoring, and supporting fisheries management.

Marine Ecology Progress Series↗

USGS2019

State-space models to infer movements and behavior of fish detected in a spatial array of acoustic receivers

We developed state-space models for inferring movements and behaviors of fish implanted with acoustic transmitters and detected within a spatial array of stationary acoustic receivers. In these models fish movements and behavior switching are specified using a hidden Markov model of the changes in an individual's latent activity center. The observed number of detections at each acoustic receiver is modeled as a function of the distance between the receiver and a fish's activity center. To illustrate these models, we analyzed the detections of individual Gulf sturgeon that moved within a spatial array of acoustic receivers placed in the Suwannee River, Florida. Our models of these detections provided estimates of the locations of individual sturgeon and the periods when individuals switched between spawning and resting behaviors. We anticipate that these models will be used to analyze acoustic surveys of other species and to help design new surveys.

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences↗