New KML sign

The Keys Marine Lab has a new look by the office entrance show-casing the new KML logo

Governor Crist at KML

Florida's governor, Charlie Crist, paid a brief vist to KML this week. The Governor and Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission Chairman, Rodney Barreto, were on their way to Marathon to assist with the release of a rehabilitated seaturtle. The Lab was a convenient stopping point for Governor Crist to change into more Keys-friendly attire. The Governor took a few moments to chat with staff before continuing on to the Turtle Hospital.

Cindy, Heddy, Lisa, Governor Crist, Dave, Bill, Commissioner Barreto

Long Key Sea Turtle Nesting Season

As the sea turtle nesting season begins to wind down, it is time to look back to see how this season compared to last year.

The Keys Marine Lab's Biologist Andrew Crowder and his wife, Whitney, a ranger at Long Key State Park have monitored the beaches of Long Key again this year from April 15th until the end of October. This year they even added the Keys youngest sea turtle surveyor to the team, their son Finlee who will be 6 months old in a few days.

The first nest was laid right before the end of April, which was earlier than either of the last two previous years of monitoring, and there have even been crawls as late as the middle of this month. Last year the last crawl occurred at the beginning of July.

There haven't been any tropical storms or hurricanes that have seriously affected the Keys to date, knock on wood, but the raccoons have been busy again destroying all the eggs in 3 nests out at the point in the park. There have also been challenges for the sea turtle hatchlings with disorientations due to lighting, but all in all the nesting has been successful.

Manatee family visits KML

While preparing for a morning boat trip last week, we noticed a disturbance along the seawall in the lagoon in front of the wet lab. A pod of 6 manatees had cruised in to check out our seawater intake pipes and show off their new baby. They nibbled the algae on the PVC pipes and tickled their bellies with the seawater bubbler. Baby was very curious about our marker buoy. All 5 adults had terrible prop scars on their heads and backs from past encounters with boat motors. One manatee was actually missing almost half of its tail fluke. In spite of the temptation, we did not offer them drinks from our fresh water hose as this would only encourage them to return to dock areas and marinas, putting them in danger of further run-ins with boaters. We enjoyed their visit for over a half hour and then they moved on.

How well do sharks smell?

Tricia Meredith
Doctoral Candidate
Department of Biological Sciences
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL

FAU PhD student, Tricia Meredith, recently conducted experiments at Keys Marine Lab to determine how well sharks can smell odors. There are many myths about the extreme olfactory sensitivity of these animals with very little scientific evidence to support these claims.















For this research Dr. Stephen Kajiura, Tricia, and a few volunteers long-lined for Bonnethead Sharks (Sphyma tiburo) in shallow seagrass meadows and mangrove habitats near Long Key. The sharks were quickly transported back to KML and kept in flow-through seawater tanks until used in the experiments. One female shark gave birth to 6 pups while in the holding tank over-night. All 6 pups can now be found swimming in KML's Shallows.
















To determine the olfactory sensitivity of Bonnethead Sharks, they used a technique called an electro-olfactogram (EOG). During an EOG, odors are delivered into the nose of an immobilized shark while an electrode positioned over the olfactory organ detects the shark's response to the odor.

So far, Tricia has found that while sharks are very sensitive to odors, they are no more sensitive than bony fishes - disproving many of those shark myths.

Coral Spawning Event in the Keys

Professor Mary Alice Coffroth, from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and a team of scientists, will be using KML as the base of operations in anticipation of the annual Montastrea faveolata (mountainous star coral) spawning event.
Each year these reef-building boulder coral sychronize their reproductive efforts, releasing gametes 4 to 7 days after the full moon in August and September. Follow the event at the Buffalo Underseas Reef Research (BURR) coral spawning blog.

The symbiosis between corals and photosynthetic dinoflagellate symbionts provides the foundation and structure of the coral reef ecosystem. Given the importance of this symbiosis to the coral-algal holobiont and the reef ecosystem, understanding the mechanism governing the establishment and long-term maintenance of this symbiosis is essential.
The over-all purpose of this project is to identify the mechanisms and selective processes that lead to the final assemblage of algal symbionts harbored by the adult coral.

Bonnethead Shark pups at KML

A gravid bonnethead shark (Sphyma tiburo), gave birth to 6 live pups while being held for a visiting scientist in one of the large seawater tanks at the Lab .
















Actively swimming at birth and measuring 8-10" from nose to tail, these miniature replicas of their mother have been transferred to our Shallows where they are chasing small fry and slurping squid tentacles.

South Florida Student Shark Program

Graduate student Neil Hammerschlag, under the guidance of David Die, University of Miami-RSMAS, recently brought a group of students to KML for their June shark tagging in The Everglades National Park. The South Florida Student Shark Program is a partnership between the University of Miami, NOAA Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center, The Exlorers Club, and the Herbert W. Hoover Foundation. The research objectives focus on
1) determining the relative abundance, growth rates, and sex ratios of coastal shark species;
2) determining the presence and concentrations of mercury toxicity in coastal sharks;
3) characterizing sites important to the life history and ecology of sharks;
4) developing geographic information systems maps that incorportate data on shark population dynamics, genetics, eco-toxicity, and habitat use;
5) delineating areas of important for shark congregation, foraging, migration, and parturition as well as areas where sharks are susceptibale to bio-accumulation of mercury toxicity.

Bullshark being brought alongside the boat for measuring and taggingAnother important aspect of the project is to foster marine sciences, environmental stewardship mentoring, and public awareness through a network of interaction among high school, undergraduate and graduate students.















Magnificent 11' Great Hammerhead



















14' Small-toothed Sawfish: Sawfish are an endangered species and require special permits to handle and tag. This fish was released unharmed, as quickly and safely as possible.


A very successful day in the field!
(photos by M. McCallister)

Vandenberg Down!

Keys Marine Lab offered the use of their 25' Parker, the R/V Mola Mola, and a team of divers to assist with the Vandenberg Project May 27-28th off of Key West.


The 525' navy vessel, the USS Hoyt Vandenberg, built in 1943 and used as a troop transport ship during WW II, then as a missile tracking ship, was decommissioned in 1986. After 16 years of fund-raising and planning, the "Vandy" was towed to Key West in May 2009 for final preparations for sinking. The Vandenberg is now the 2nd largest artificial reef in the world and is expected to attract many eager divers.














Marine mammal and turtle watch within the Zone of Impact (within 0.3 nm of the hull)

















First blast detonated at 10:22am....


























...last view of the stern...



...totally below the surface in less than 2 minutes!














The bomb squad checked the hull for unexploded ordinances (glad to let them go first!) FKNMS personnel did the final safety check and rigging for the 6 mooring balls and then....

KML & FWRI staff were the first research divers to view the Vandy and record depths of the structures above the main deck. (photos by K. Mille)

first view of the stern at 92'


one of the radar satellite towers (64' depth)

divers exploring the upper decks



















The Conch Republic...even under the sea!














Bow of the USS Hoyt Vandenberg (at 97' depth)
















Assent back to the real world but the memories of a once-in-a-lifetime dive!

How important is structure?

Studying the effects of habitat complexity on coral community diversity and abundance

Brittany Huntington,

PhD candidate

University of Miami

This study will use the Long Key Bridge Rubble, an existing artificial reef structure in the Florida Keys, to explore the role of habitat complexity and spatial configuration in structuring coral communities.
Coral reefs are valued as unique ecosystems with high levels of biodiversity; however, little is known about which features of reef structure are crucial in supporting the diverse coral assemblages found on these reefs. While studies have linked greater reef complexity to greater fish diversity and abundance, the role of structural habitat complexity on the stony coral community remains unclear. By utilizing an existing artificial patch reef array with varying physical structure and a distinct spatial arrangement among patches, we will test the hypotheses that greater habitat complexity (‘habitat heterogeneity hypotheses’) and great proximity to neighboring patches supports greater coral diversity and abundance. This approach capitalizes on the unique structural variations within an existing artificial reef complex to test predictions of habitat complexity that would be difficult, if not impossible, to manipulate on natural reefs. In addition, we will be able to test the impacts of patch spatial arrangement on recruitment rates and coral abundance by monitoring both ‘edge’ and ‘middle’ patches within the artificial reef complex.
Field sampling will consist of extensive surveys of existing coral reef communities across similarly sized artificial patches of varying substrate complexity and spatial configuration. Percent cover of benthic organisms and coral species richness will be determined for each patch. Lastly, rates of coral recruitment will be measured using coral settlement tiles attached to each study reef.
Initial mapping of artificial patches was completed in March 2009, and complexity of each patch was recorded. In mid-March, a 6-member dive team conducted the initial sampling of the 16 study patches. Fish counts, benthic cover, coral demography and patch complexity data was taken for each patch. Recruitment tiles could not be hammered into the concrete of the artificial reefs, hence the tiles were not deployed. We are currently testing and building alternative rigs to hold recruitment tiles for deployment at our study reefs and hope to install the tiles in early May 2009.

Given the current degradation of reefs from bioerosion, coral disease and habitat fragmentation, there is a pressing need to elucidate the importance patch quality and spatial configuration to coral community dynamics. Results from this study will enhance our ability to manage reefs for abiotic features that contribute to robust coral communities, shaping future restoration efforts and design of coral reef reserves.