1 / 133

To the officers, scientists and crew of the US Exploring Expedition 1838-1842

To the officers, scientists and crew of the US Exploring Expedition 1838-1842. I feel a special affinity to the expedition. This presentation is more than a job interview seminar, it is re-creating an important historical link Here’s why…. Evolution of the NOAA Corps.

asa
Télécharger la présentation

To the officers, scientists and crew of the US Exploring Expedition 1838-1842

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. To the officers, scientists and crew of the US Exploring Expedition 1838-1842

  2. I feel a special affinity to the expedition This presentation is more than a job interview seminar, it is re-creating an important historical link Here’s why…

  3. Evolution of the NOAA Corps • NOAA Corps (360, charts) • ESSA Corps • Coast & Geodetic Survey Corps (1920’s) • Coast Survey • Survey of the Coast Maintained US Navy identity • Naval uniform • Globe & triangle insignia • Same rank and privileges • Transferred to Navy in war time

  4. NOAA Corps RootsSurvey of the Coast • Survey of the Coast Act of 1807 • T. Jefferson • $25,000 • Ferdinand Hassler • Triangulation • 1st super • Trained naval officers • 1957 Book 150 yrs

  5. Hassler’s studentLT Charles Wilkes • 1826 promoted to LT • Studied triangulation for 3 yrs • 1832-33 Narragansett Bay survey • 1833 Depot of Charts & Instruments • New US Coast Survey office with Hassler • Wilkes was one of the first NOAA Corps officers

  6. US Exploring Expedition • In 1836 law passed • Wilkes goes to England for instruments • Astronomer position • 1837 preps in shambles • Surveys Georges Banks, Savannah River, Calibogue Sound • Meets N. Bowditch • Others relieved • 20 March 1838 offered command of the expedition • Sails in 6 months

  7. Check-out this hole • John Symmes “Holes in the Poles” theory • Sealing and whaling grounds • Punish natives

  8. 18 August 1838 - Remote and arduous duty - six ships - four years - 87,000 miles

  9. Scientists (7)Artists (2) • James Dana, Geologist • Contriibutions to tectonic theory • Recognized systematic age progression of islands

  10. Island mapping

  11. Coral collections form the foundation of the Smithsonian collection19 quarter units with 11 of them type specimens

  12. Accomplishments • Surveyed 280 islands • Constructed 180 charts • Narrative of the US Exploring Expedition 5 vols • Collections helped the fledgling Smithsonian grow into the National Museum of the US • Led to emergence of the US as a naval and scientific power with world-wide interests • Wilkes in later years actively supported US Coast Survey programs

  13. So today,166 years later…. • We have a professional descendant of Wilkes • giving a seminar at the Smithsonian • on corals… • that he provided for the museum collections

  14. Salute • With great pleasure I salute the early officers, scientists and crew members who started such a proud tradition of US ocean exploration • I feel privileged to have been a part of this tradition for 20 years as a NOAA commissioned officer • I feel honored to create the link again, for one short hour, between US coast survey officers, coral reefs and the Smithsonian

  15. Applied taxonomy - three new tools for coral reef management: 1. a quantitative key to the Poritidae off Belize 2. a coral reef index of biotic integrity using benthic invertebrates 3. a coral damage index

  16. Seminar outline • Importance of coral reefs (2) • A quantitative key to the Poritidae off Belize (25) • A coral reef index of biotic integrity using benthic invertebrates (10) • A coral damage index (10) • Discussion (5)

  17. Importance of coral reefs

  18. Coral reef area under US jurisdiction

  19. Economic importanceGlobal focus • Costanza et al (1997) estimate that reef habitats globally provide $375 billion/year to humans from living resources and ecological services (tourism and coastal protection) • Cesar (1996) estimates the cost over a 25 year period of destroying 1 km2 of reef (247 acres) was $0.6-2.5 million when the value of fishery, tourism and protection was considered.

  20. Economic valueSouth Florida focus • Annual economic value: $228 million • Asset value (if you wanted to buy the reefs and receive the $228 million annually: $7.6 billion • Supports 44,500 jobs • Providing an annual income of $1.2 billion Reference: Johns et al 2001

  21. Economic valueBioprospecting • Biochemicals produced by many reef species are being used in health care products • Sun blocks • Bone grafts • Drugs for viral infections • Coral reef biochemicals may offer treatments for: • Leukemia • Skin cancer • Other diseases

  22. Federal responsibilities:12 laws authorizing aspects of protection • National Park Service Organic Act of 1916 • National Wilderness Preservation System Act • National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act • Sikes Act (DOD rehab) • Clean Water Act

  23. Federal responsibilities: NOAA mandates (7) • National Marine Sanctuaries Act • Coastal Zone Management Act • Endangered Species Act • National Environmental Policy Act (EIS) • Lacey Act (illegal taking) • Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (FMP’s & EFH)

  24. Other NOAA responsibilites • Coral Reef Conservation Act 1999 (Grants) • Co-chairman and lead agency for the: US Coral Reef Task Force - Executive Order 13089 • Includes: • 11 Federal agencies • 7 Representatives from states and territories

  25. Government support • The US government has never in its history employed a full-time shallow-water scleractinian taxonomist • There is not one person in the US working full-time on living scleractinina taxonomy • It is a miracle I am here making this presentation

  26. A quantitative key to the Poritidae off Belize

  27. Publication reference • Jameson SC (1997) Morphometric analysis of the Poritidae (Anthozoa: Scleractinia) off Belize. Proc 8th Intl Coral Reef Symp, 2: 1591-1596, Panama • Targeted at practitioners

  28. Acknowledgements • Dr. Bruce Collette • Sponsored my PhD full-time university training • Provided lab and logistical support to collect dissertation data • Dr. Stephen Cairns • Served on my dissertation committee • Continues to provide support via a Research Associate affiliation • Dr. Klaus Rützler • Provided essential travel and field support at Carrie Bow Cay

  29. Acknowledgements Technical and curatorial support: • Ruth Gibbons (NOAA) • Tim Coffer (NMNH-IZ) • Cindy Ahearn (NMNH-IZ)

  30. Research Location 1985-86

  31. Seven collection locations -589 colonies • CBC Fore reef • 20m, 10m, 1m • CBC reef flat • CBC lagoon patch reefs • East side of BGR Thalassia • Wee Wee Cay south

  32. The Family Poritidae Single genus in Caribbean and western Atlantic Described species include: • Porites astreoides Lamarck 1816 • P. verrilli Rehberg 1892 • P. porites (Pallas 1766) • P. clavaria Lamarck 1816 • P. furcata Lamarck 1816 • P. divaricata Lesueur 1821 • P. branneri Rathbun 1887 • P. colonensis Zlatarski 1990 Dr. Stephen C. Jameson

  33. A clear taxonomic understanding is necessary because • Of the major role they have and continue to play in the structure, ecology and evolution of coral reef systems • Have been a key part of many geological and ecological studies • Human benefits including: • Esthetic, ecological, economic, medical applications

  34. Porites play a critical role in global climate change research • Skeletons incorporate chemical tracers of key oceanic and atmospheric phenomena • Yield quantitative reconstructions of SST, rainfall, salinity, vertical mixing, water mass provenance, and anthropogenic influences i.e., nutrient and river input

  35. Global Climate Change Histories • Porites histories, in some cases, are equivalent in quality and resolution to those derived from instrumental data • Most regions yield records of at least 100 years • 500-800 years: Australia & Bermuda • 300-400 years: Australia, Indonesia, eastern Pacific, Caribbean

  36. The Controversy • Overlapping morphological variation within and among Porites species makes their taxonomy among the most difficult of all scleractinians • Controversy began soon after original descriptions (1800’s) among taxonomists using qualitative techniques on morphological characters

  37. Classic battle of splitters vs. lumpers • Are there three branching species (P. porites, P. furcata, P. divaricata) or just one species with different growth forms? • Are there three encrusting species (P. astreoides, P. verrilli, P. branneri) or just one species with different growth forms? • P. colonensis described in 1990 by Zlatarski (foliacious growth form)

  38. Multivariate morphometric challenge • Could not, with any degree of confidence, create a priori groups for discriminant analysis using qualitative or quantitative methods (i.e. cluster analysis on corallite characters) • Must not use same corallite characters for creating groups as you use in the discriminant analysis

  39. Genetic research (1992-93) Found fixed allele differences among: • Encrusting • P. astreoides • P. branneri • Foliacious • P. colonensis • Branching • P. porites • P. furcata • P. divaricata • P. verrilli still in question

  40. But the practical challenge of identification remained • How do you identify Porties species if you don’t have an electrophoresis lab • Armed with the genetic knowledge, can you use skeletal corallite characters which are: • Easy to obtain, preserve, store & study • Applicable to fossils

  41. Genetic results and field knowledge opened the door for morphometrics • Could now create a priori groups with more confidence • Genetics reaffirmed my field observations that indicated different species preferred different habitats

  42. Habitat preferences of branching species • P. porites prefers fore-reef and patch reef environs • P. furcata prefers reef crest and other high energy Thalassia environs • P. divaricata found only in leeside/low energy Thalassia beds

  43. Research Goals • Demonstrate that the Poritidae (Anthozoa: Scleractinia) off Belize can be distinguished using morphometric techniques • Describe the relationship of Belize species to type specimens • Discuss what characters are important in distinguishing Caribbean and western Atlantic poritids (most stop) Dr. Stephen C. Jameson

  44. Pushing the envelop -Creating a tool • Develop a quantitative key to the Poritidae off Belize that can be used as a tool for distinguishing these notoriously difficult species

  45. Astreoid corallite

  46. Astreoid corallite Found in: • P. astreoides • P. verrili

  47. Non-Astreoid Corallite

  48. Non-astreoid corallite Found in: Branching • P. porites • P. furcata • P. divaricata Encrusting • P. branneri Foliacious • P. colonensis

  49. Research Methods • Measured 10 corallites/col • 70 astreoid colonies (700 x 19 = 13,300) • 70 nonastreoid colonies (700 x 24 = 16,800) • Discriminant analysis on colony character means using a priori designated groups • Compared Belize species to type specimens • Documented corallites using stereo SEM photos Dr. Stephen C. Jameson

  50. Corallite measurements -will discuss important ones later

More Related