Invertebrate class from NSU visits KML

Students from Nova Southeastern University recently came to KML to study invertebrates in the field with their instructor, Dr. Charles Messing. They explored creatures at Old Dan Bank.....
...and snorkeled off-shore near Long Key State Park.

New dive gear washdown area

Fall has been a busy time at KML, both on and off the water. New and returning researchers have been on-site conducting their studies and have been very excited at the progress of the rebuilding projects. We have housed several classes in our dorms and taken visiting groups out to explore the nearby marine habitats.

Divers and snorkelers can now enjoy the use of our new gear wash-down area at the end of a day on the water. We have 2 large tubs for wet-suits and dive BC's and fins. In addition, there are now 3 smaller tubs designated just for regulators, masks and snorkels, and camera equipment. Fresh-water showers are also available for a quick rinse-off.




Future plans include a second wash-down area to be constructed out near our wet lab.

SEAKEYS Monitoring Program at KML

By Jon Fajans, SEAKEYS Program Manager & Andrew Crowder, SEAKEYS Research Assistant

SEAKEYS, which stands for Sustained Ecological Research Related to the Management of the Florida Keys Seascape, is a research framework for scientists organized by the Florida Institute of Oceanography (FIO) in 1989, with funding from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Keys Marine Lab provides the SEAKEYS program a base for its operations. As part of SEAKEYS, FIO, in cooperation with the National Data Buoy Center (NDBC), established six enhanced Coastal Marine Automated Network (C-MAN) environmental monitoring stations. The program is now sustained annually through grants from NOAA and the EPA.

Renovated SEAKEYS building at KML (formerly the Conch Lab)

The SEAKEYS C-Man stations, located throughout the Florida Keys and the Bay, provide a wealth of oceanographic and weather data used by marine ecosystem managers and scientists conducting research. Scientists investigating topics like coral bleaching and algae blooms are not the only people that depend upon the real-time data provided by the oceanographic stations. Boaters, anglers, and divers, including commercial operators, also take advantage of being able to check the wind speed and direction on the internet before they leave the dock.

C-man station LONF1 Florida Bay north of Long Key

The SEAKEYS network encompasses the geographic scale of the Florida Keys and the Dry Tortugas. The data is transmitted hourly via a Geo-stationary Orbiting Environmental Satellite (GOES) providing near real-time environmental baseline data for researchers, resource managers, and the public. These stations record hourly wind speed, wind direction, air temperature, barometric pressure, sea temperature, salinity, and terrestrial solar irradiance. These data are available on the web at the following sites: http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/maps/Florida.shtml and http://www.coral.noaa.gov/seakeys/real_data.shtml.

A seventh monitoring station, a cooperative effort between FIO and the University of South Florida's Coastal Oceanographic Monitoring Program (USF/COMPS), is located in Northwest Florida Bay. This site has been down since hurricanes Katrina and Wilma destroyed the monitoring equipment and is expected to be back online fall 2008. Upon completion this data will also be available by visiting:http://comps1.marine.usf.edu/nfb/index.shtml or one of the websites listed above.

In addition to the rebuilding of the station in Florida Bay, this year the SEAKEYS Program began upgrading all of their stations throughout the Keys to process at a high data rate to accommodate a new suite of sensors that will greatly enhance the data. The oceanographic sensors that will be at all seven monitoring stations are a Falmouth Scientific NXIC-CT sensor, that measures water conductivity, temperature, salinity, and can power up to five other sensors, a Biospherical PAR sensor, which will show the amount of biologically productive light reaching the water that is important for coral growth, and a Falmouth Scientific 1-D wave sensor, that will give tide information and wave heights. Also, there will be Solar Light underwater UVB sensors at Fowey Rocks (FWYF1), Molasses Reef (MLRF1), Sombrero Reef (SMKF1), Sand Key (SANF1), and Pulaski Shoal (PLSF1) which will cover the entire Sanctuary reef tract. UVB rays from the sun are important for photosynthesis in the symbiotic algae found in coral tissues. MLRF1 will also get CO2 and pH sensors for a closer look at the impacts of global climate change on the reefs of the Florida Keys.

In the near future SEAKEYS will also be adding their first buoy creating an eighth station off of Carysfort Reef thanks to a generous contribution from the Ocean Reef Foundation. This station (CRYF1) is a YSI buoy that is over ten feet tall and will be replacing one of the corner buoys of the Sanctuary Protected Area (SPA) at Carysfort Reef near the Gulf Stream. Along with the standard oceanographic and meteorological data that the other SEAKEYS stations provide, the buoy will be equipped with a new Falmouth Scientific 3-D wave sensor that will not only give wave height and direction, but current direction and speed also. In addition, this sensor will provide water clarity readings which will be helpful to the anglers and divers of the Upper Keys. The SEAKEYS staff hopes that this cutting edge science will be well received by the public, which may lead to funding opportunities that would allow them to apply this technology to other locations throughout the Keys, such as deep water wrecks for added dive safety.

For more information about this program visit: http://www.keysmarinelab.org/seakeys.htm

Or contact the program manager at: jsfajans@keysmarinelab.org

Sea Turtle nesting on Long Key

Sea turtle nesting season stretches from May 1st through October 31st here in the Keys.
















The Loggerhead turtles are usually done nesting by early September but "turtlers" continue to monitor the beaches for the occasional Green or Hawksbill nest.

Long Key State Park staff and Save-a-Turtle volunteers have been monitoring the beaches of Long Key since early April. Walking the beaches each morning, they monitor the previous night's nesting activities. Only 10 Loggerhead nests were marked and monitored this year, 3 of which were within the State Park.


The eggs typically hatch 50-75 days later. The 7 nests located outside of the Park averaged 110 eggs per nest with a 54% hatching rate. Losses due to predation were around 15%, and typically are due to raccoons. The nest pictured above was flooded during the high tides and storm surges due to hurricanes (Faye, Gustav, and Ike). Turtlers usually wait at least 10 days after hatching occurs to "dig" the nests and assess hatching success. In cases of poorly-placed nests or in areas were raccoon predation is a concern, they may dig the nest sooner. Any late hatchlings left behind in the nest are scooped up, held for the day, and safely escorted to the water's edge at nightfall.
A grand total of 422 Loggerhead hatchlings left the nests from the Long Key beaches this year.

Introducing the 2008 KML staff

L to R: Lisa, Heddy, Bill, Dave, Cindy, Mike

Lisa Tipsword - operations manager
Heddy MacBain - office assistant (keeps us all in line)
Dave Norman & Bill Ferrell - marine and technical support (the guys who keep KML running!)
Cindy Lewis & Mike McCallister - marine biologists

KML tote bag

A new addition to Keys Marine Lab's line of apparel!

Most of us are of the "reduce, re-use, and recycle" mindset. Now you can have your own KML "green" bag for shopping or travel around town. Handy side pouches for cell phones or water bottles. We now offer our "KML blue" tote bags for a suggested donation of $5.00.

All KML apparel is also available online through the Wildlife Foundation of Florida
http://shop.wildlifeflorida.org

Our Marina Dorm is open again!

KML has weathered Hurricanes Fay and Gustav so far this year. Fay caused a mandatory evacuation for a few days days. Rain and wind (30-45 knots here on Long Key) were a minor inconvenience as Gustav passed. Now we're all watching the approach of Hanna, Ike, and Josephine!












In spite of all that, reconstruction at the Lab has continued and our Marina Dorm is once again open for use. Check out the substantial new stairway and deck over-looking the marina basin!
Each building is being carefully power-washed and painted for a fresh new look - KML Green with Cream trim, blending subtlety with the palms and mangroves along the water's edge.

Can corals change their feeding mode based on environmental conditions?

The feeding ecology of corals of the Florida Reef Tract

Co-PIs Dr. Diego Lirman (University of Miami) and Dr. Mark Teece (State University of New York) were at the Keys Marine Lab during the first week of June 2008, conducting research on the feeding ecology of corals of the Florida Reef Tract. The goals of this project, funded by the Mote Marine Laboratory “Protect Our Reefs” License Plate Grant Funding, are to document: (1) the relative contribution of autotrophic and heterotrophic sources of nutrition and the nutritional status of corals under different environmental conditions; and (2) the role of nutritional sources and status on coral growth and survivorship.

To accomplish these research goals the researchers will use a combination of field collections, field transplants, microcosm experiments, and the application of novel molecular-level biochemical and stable isotopic techniques to determine the relative importance of heterotrophic feeding versus autotrophically-derived organic matter in satisfying the nutritional requirements of the coral host. The results of this study will provide important insights into how corals may be able to adapt to declines in water quality associated with increasing coastal development and environmental change, and will therefore have direct implications for the conservation of corals in Florida and elsewhere.

Recent research has clearly shown that the vulnerability of corals to disturbance can be influenced by their energetic status and that the lipid reserves stored by corals may allow them to increase their resistance and resilience to stress. Moreover, the ability of corals to switch their main feeding mode, from autotrophy to heterotrophy, under marginal conditions marginal (i.e., high turbidity, sedimentation, high nutrients) can provide an adaptive mechanism for sustained growth over the short-term that may be fundamental to corals exposed to multiple stressors. The increased availability of heterotrophic energy and nutrient sources in nearshore coastal habitats has already been linked to higher coral growth, increased energy storage, and increased resilience to disturbances such as coral bleaching. These findings have led to the hypothesis that inshore habitats in the Florida Keys may provide an expanded heterotrophic niche for corals not available to offshore corals that will be tested in the proposed project using molecular-level biochemical and stable isotopic techniques.

With logistic support provided by KML’s science staff, Lirman and Teece completed coral collections at 4 reefs in the Middle Florida Keys. At each reef (2 inshore and 2 offshore reefs), small (2-4 cm²) tissue shavings were collected from 2 abundant coral species, Porites astreoides and Montastraea faveolata, using a wood chisel. Some of the samples were kept for isotopic analyses and the remaining coral chips were used for a reciprocal transplant experiment established between inshore and offshore coral reefs. In addition to the coral tissue, researchers collected water, macroalgae, zooplankton, and sediment samples to analyze the isotopic composition of benthic primary producers and potential coral food sources. All samples were initially processed at the lab facilities provided by the Keys Marine Lab at Long Key, Florida.

In June, 2008, reciprocal coral transplants were performed using tissue chips from colonies from inshore and offshore habitats to document changes in nutritional sources and lipid and protein storage as corals are transplanted to different habitats, and to evaluate the role of nutritional sources and reserves on coral growth and survivorship. Coral chips were glued to terracotta tiles and placed on PVC platforms at Coral Gardens (inshore site) and 11-ft Mound (offshore sites). The growth and survivorship of the transplants will be monitored at bi-monthly intervals, and a subset of transplanted coral chips will be collected after 2, 4, and 6 months for isotopic and lipid analysis.

For information on this project, please contact D. Lirman (dlirman@rsmas.miami.edu) or M. Teece (mteece@esf.edu).

Keys Marine Lab apparrel

At long last we have KML shirts and hats available!

White Gildan 100% cotton short sleeved t-shirts with the official KML logo on the front and a stylized map of the Florida Keys on the back, sizes small, medium, large, and extra-large. The tan 100% cotton hats have an adjustable strap.

Either shirts or hats may be had for a suggested donation to KML of $15. Check it out the next time you stop by the Lab.

All KML apparel is also available online through the Wildlife Foundation of Florida
http://shop.wildlifeflorida.org

reef ball mangroves at KML

Mangrove Solutions Division:
Dr. Catherine Jadot - president
Ben Chisholm - project coordinator
http://www.mangrovesolutions.com

We are exploring yet another technique for planting mangroves out beyond the protection of the rip-rap. The Mangroves Solution Division is using KML as a beta test site here in the Keys.

The project:
To stabilize the seedlings (propagules) in the ocean, one proven method uses split encasement tubes driven into the sediment. This method protects against the wrack line, however, it doesn't alone promote the optimal growth of the seedling. A solution combining this wrack protection and Reef Ball technology has been developed to ensure the fastest, healthiest, and most protected growth of the mangrove tree. This solution is ideal for numerous applications including erosion efforts, enhancing aesthetical aspects of property and fertilizer runoff filtration.

Anchoring in high energy areas:
Suitable anchoring of the propagule is a common problem encountered. The Reef Ball Mangrove Planting Solution provides a steel anchor allowing a durable mooring.
Foundation Protection - Armored Cultivator Pot:
The concrete base of the device allows the propagule & roots to be protected from submerged debris. Available in a bio-degradable version, the solution has the ability to “wash away” as the mangrove matures and no longer needs assistance, leaving only a self sufficient, beautiful mangrove.
Wrack Protection - split PVC pipe:
Armored Cultivator Pot's stems will be shielded from waves, floating debris, wind, upland runoff, predation and UV, avoiding the troubles that most often cause plant failures in high energy zones
Enriched environment - fertilizer disk:
The Reef Ball Solution includes slow release fertilizer nutrients to optimize mangrove growth.


Putting it all together:
Mangrove propagules from the mangroves already on site were collected. The metal anchors were pounded into the hardbottom. The PVC wrack protectors were pounded over the stake. The armored cultivator pots were packed with peat and the bottom "sealed" with a fertilizer disk, then slid over the PVC pipe and stomped firmly into the muck on the bottom. The PVC pipes were filled with more peat to the mean high tide level and a propagule was dropped into the tube.



12 new mangroves planted at KML!
We will be watching for them to poke their noses out of the rack protectors in the next couple months as the reach for they sun.

















mangroves in armored pots at low tide

embryonic skeletal development in brittle star

guest submission by:

Mitch Ruzek, Ph.D. canidate

University Of South Florida (USF)

Tampa, FL

My colleagues and I in the Brian Livingston lab at USF are interested in mechanisms of control within cells that help to determine when and why certain cells take on certain fates at defined times in a developing embryo. We are specifically interested in the group of genes that is responsible for embryonic skeletal development in the brittle star Ophiocoma wendtii that is common in the Florida Keys. While utilizing the facilities at the Keys Marine Lab we collect brittle star specimens in ten to thirty feet of water around Long Key.

We carry out a great deal of our wet laboratory work directly on premise at the Keys Marine Lab. While staying in the dormitories on site we can spawn animals, collect fertilized eggs and developing embryos at various stages of development where the larval skeleton begins to form. We can preserve animals, extract both DNA and RNA as well as perform microscopic injection of embryos while at the KML.

Work continues on the embryos and genetic material collected while at KML when we return to Tampa. Once back at USF we work to determine what genes are responsible for the larval skeleton that is characteristic of the brittle star. Our work will help to contribute to a better understanding of the networks of genes found within all cells that function as groups to accomplish individual functions or tasks. Without the facilities and staff of the Keys Marine Lab our work with this fragile and difficult-to-transported species would be nearly impossible.

KML Marina is Open!

The long-awaited marina at KML is operational! Our boat ramp is officially open for use. Be sure to check with our Operations Manager and Staff for access and use guidelines.






We are docking KML boats on site once again. Many thanks to our Layton neighbors for offering us courtesy dock space at Zane Grey Marina across the street while the marina project was under way.



In the coming weeks we will be adding additional mooring spots along the new seawall as well as power and wash-down stations.

Thank you to all of our KML guests for your patience during our re-building efforts.

Mangrove mitigation is completed

During the construction of our new seawall, some of the white mangroves had to be removed in order to allow the large cranes and backhoes access to the marina area. Mangrove mitigation required KML to re-plant mangroves once the the seawall was completed. After a bit of research into the best planting methods to ensure survival, we contacted Sue Nulman at "Keys Mangroves" to purchase our red mangrove seedlings. Our first site was in a mucky inter-tidal area along the shoreline behind the new rip-rap. We set seven 24" seedings directly into the muck.
Site 1 at low tide
Site 1 at high tide



The second site at KML's Mangrove Point (the entrance to our marina) was mostly rubble and rock so we used terracotta strawberry pots lined with burlap to hold the soil around the mangrove seedlings. The 6 pots were partially buried among the rubble behind the new rip-rap. The pots should decay in a few years as the mangrove root system becomes established.

Site 2 at low tide
Site 2 at high tide



We will be monitoring our our new red mangrove seedlings at both sites in the coming months and anticipate adding more mangroves and other native plantings to the landscape.

Effects of Climate Change on Corals in Florida Bay

Chris Langdon, Remy Okazaki, Peter Swart

Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmoshperic Science

University of Miami

Scientists working from the Keys Marine Lab are doing their part to investigate the effects of climate change, in particular, the phenomenon of ocean acidification. The University of Miami (UM) scientists are studying two species of corals growing in Florida Bay and whether these corals may have adapted to changing CO2. These star and starlet corals appear to be healthy and growing without any detrimental effects, despite the fact that Florida Bay’s highly variable environment makes it a potentially harsh habitat for corals and other organisms. Because of Florida Bay’s unique environment and environmental variability, it is an ideal “natural laboratory” to study climate change and corals.

Florida Bay experiences daily, seasonal, and regional fluctuations in many water chemistry parameters, including salinity, pH, and CO2. As a consequence of these changing parameters, the bay experiences extreme conditions, including CO2 levels that can be twice as high as levels that are found at the reefs on the Keys. These high-CO2 times in Florida Bay mimic future predicted conditions for the world’s oceans as greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase. As more and more CO2 builds up in the atmosphere, more of it fluxes into the oceans where it becomes carbonic acid. This is the concept of ocean acidification. This acid neutralizes carbonate ions in the ocean, which marine calcifiers, such as corals, require to build their skeletons. Consequently, calcification is slowed. With their ability to calcify and grow impaired, corals are more susceptible to erosion, storm damage, and other processes that break down reefs. Hence, coral reefs and the ecosystem services they provide are threatened by ocean acidification.

Based out of the Keys Marine Lab, the UM scientists are measuring coral calcification and photosynthesis in a wide array of environmental conditions. Additionally, the scientists are analyzing a 190-year old coral skeleton from the study site to reconstruct the water chemistry and determine how the coral has grown during the last two centuries. These experiments should indicate whether corals have indeed adapted or acclimated to changing CO2. If they have, then hope exists for corals in the future.

(photo: This core sample is from a star coral skeleton and represents ~50 years of growth. Scientists will attempt to reconstruct the history of Florida Bay from this skeleton.)

Show your colors at KML

We are encouraging all KML visitors to bring along a school pennant or small banner to help decorate our newly-remodeled classroom. Feel free to sign and date them so other visitors can see who has been here.

AmeriCorps Badgers Busy at KML

AmeriCorps NCCC's "Badger 3" team donated 3 days of intensive labor at Keys Marine Lab. Eleven hard-working youths from across the US worked along side KML staff to trim palm trees, power-wash the marina building, pick up construction debris, clean out sheds, and help organize displays in the office and classroom.


On their 'day off', they volunteered to clean cages and walk dogs at the local animal shelters in Marathon and Big Pine.



Thanks to their tireless efforts, KML looks a lot brighter and neater. Their enthusiastic team-work were rewarded by a great afternoon of snorkeling at East Turtle Shoals off KML boats.

Classroom and Dry Lab ready for action!

Like the Phoenix rising from the ashes, KML is emerging from the rubble and debris of Hurricane Wilma's destruction. The building that housed the classroom, dry lab, and computer lab is finished!




Boasting new AC, electrical and plumbing throughout the building, a peek inside reveals a fresh look to cabinetry, counter tops, and workspace. Several groups have already taken advantage of the newly remodeled space.






Research Lab II is refurbished for our visiting scientists and the wet table will be plumbed once our new seawater system is functioning.








Our computer lab boasts a spectacular view of Florida Bay. Two computers, printers, and DSL access are available for our visitors.

KML is thinking Green

As guardians of our fragile ecosystem, the Keys Marine Lab is committed to making this facility Green Friendly. KML staff is requesting your assistance in the effort to "Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle". New recycle bins have been placed in each dorm and around the grounds for your convenience.
While staying on site, we are asking our guests to make the effort to separate all discarded glass, aluminum cans, and plastics into the appropriate bins.

KML’s on-site Recycling Center, located within the dumpster area, is the central collection area for all your recyclables at the end of your stay. Plastic bags and Styrofoam egg cartons can be recycled at Publix and Winndixie grocery stores in marked containers at the front entrance.

“Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle”

Sea wall & marina project is taking shape

The beautiful new sea wall at KML is really shaping up. This massive project began last fall with construction crews working long hours, often 6 days a week. The marina has been dredged and the big cranes and backhoes are gone now that the metal retaining wall is set, the pilings are in, and the boulders of rip-rap are in place.






Our new boat ramp is slowly materializing as concrete forms are pulled away. Quite a bit of work remains before the ramp and marina is usable.







The cement seawall cap is poured from the east end of KML, past the old observation deck and wet lab, and out to the old pump house. Progress has been slow but steady.