Department of Fisheries Oceanography MS Thesis Defense-Flynn Casey
When: Friday,
May 17, 2019
1:00 PM
-
2:00 PM
Where: > See description for location
Description: The School for Marine Science and Technology
Department of Fisheries Oceanography
MS Thesis Defense
“Modeling the impact of climate change on American lobster, Homarus americanus,
larval connectivity in southern New England”
By
Flynn Casey
Advisor:
Dr. Geoffrey Cowles, SMAST, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
Committee Members:
James Churchill, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Kevin Stokesbury, SMAST, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
Tracy Pugh, Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
Richard Wahle, Darling Marine Center, University of Maine
Friday, May 17, 2019
1:00 PM
SMAST East, Rooms 101/102
836 S. Rodney French Blvd
New Bedford, MA
Abstract:
During the 1990s, Buzzards Bay supported a commercially viable American lobster fishery within Lobster Management Area-2 (LMA-2). Lobster landings and employment of commercial lobstermen in LMA-2 have since decreased substantially, concurrent with declines in abundance and inshore postlarval settlement. These changes occurred during a period of significant warming in southern New England, with coastal waters progressively characterized by thermal ranges affecting the physiology of all life stages. In addition to affecting the development and survival of pelagic larvae and newly-settled juveniles, rising ocean temperatures redistribute adults towards cooler offshore waters during the critical time of egg-release. The observed offshore shift in the distribution of egg-bearing females was characterized using kernel density estimation (KDE) and impacts on delivery to Buzzards Bay were examined by simulating larval transport with a coupled biophysical individual-based model (IBM) driven by realistic ocean hindcasts. While the intent of the study was to determine the effects of changing hatch locations and temperature-dependent parameterizations of larval development and mortality on the incidence of successful transport to Buzzards Bay, results from four representative years primarily demonstrate substantial, non-monotonic variation in transport success that highlights the important role of wind-driven and larger-scale circulation variability in delivery of larvae to local nursery habitat.
For additional information, please contact Sue Silva at s1silva@umassd.edu
Department of Fisheries Oceanography
MS Thesis Defense
“Modeling the impact of climate change on American lobster, Homarus americanus,
larval connectivity in southern New England”
By
Flynn Casey
Advisor:
Dr. Geoffrey Cowles, SMAST, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
Committee Members:
James Churchill, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Kevin Stokesbury, SMAST, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
Tracy Pugh, Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
Richard Wahle, Darling Marine Center, University of Maine
Friday, May 17, 2019
1:00 PM
SMAST East, Rooms 101/102
836 S. Rodney French Blvd
New Bedford, MA
Abstract:
During the 1990s, Buzzards Bay supported a commercially viable American lobster fishery within Lobster Management Area-2 (LMA-2). Lobster landings and employment of commercial lobstermen in LMA-2 have since decreased substantially, concurrent with declines in abundance and inshore postlarval settlement. These changes occurred during a period of significant warming in southern New England, with coastal waters progressively characterized by thermal ranges affecting the physiology of all life stages. In addition to affecting the development and survival of pelagic larvae and newly-settled juveniles, rising ocean temperatures redistribute adults towards cooler offshore waters during the critical time of egg-release. The observed offshore shift in the distribution of egg-bearing females was characterized using kernel density estimation (KDE) and impacts on delivery to Buzzards Bay were examined by simulating larval transport with a coupled biophysical individual-based model (IBM) driven by realistic ocean hindcasts. While the intent of the study was to determine the effects of changing hatch locations and temperature-dependent parameterizations of larval development and mortality on the incidence of successful transport to Buzzards Bay, results from four representative years primarily demonstrate substantial, non-monotonic variation in transport success that highlights the important role of wind-driven and larger-scale circulation variability in delivery of larvae to local nursery habitat.
For additional information, please contact Sue Silva at s1silva@umassd.edu
Contact: > See Description for contact information
Topical Areas: School for Marine Sciences and Technology