Table of Contents

• Coverage
• Dataset Description
  • Methods & Sampling
  • Data Processing Description
• Data Files
• Related Datasets
• Parameters
• Instruments
• Project Information
• Funding

Data have been published “as is”. Final review by the data submitter was not received after it was imported into the BCO-DMO data system.
* Parameter descriptions are not complete
* No confirmation on time zone of the data (assumption: UTC time).

An Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) was deployed at the MG111 barge between 7 July and 5 December 2020. The instrument was programmed to collect 512 samples at 2Hz every hour in 50cm vertical bins. Operating frequency was 1MHz. Current velocity (cm s-1) and direction (degrees), water temperature (°C), wave height (m), wave direction (degrees), and wave period (s) were recorded.

Data are provided as downloaded from instrument. Wave height must be processed further to derive wave height, energy, and period information.

BCO-DMO processing notes:

• Added ISO_DateTime_UTC parameter. NOTE: the column seconds has decimal seconds in it. However the ISO_DateTime_UTC variable has not. Seconds were rounded to nearest whole number.
• Added latitude and longitude of ADCP location.

NSF Award Abstract:

Many species of reef fish form large seasonal gatherings at specific locations to spawn. Such aggregations may lead to population overfishing if not well managed. Additionally, spawning aggregations in shallow coastal areas may also be susceptible to prolonged surge, high volumes of freshwater run-off and potentially changes in salinity associated with large storms and tropical cyclones. Yet, the impact from such events, which are becoming increasingly prevalent, has not been studied. This study investigates the impacts of hurricane Dorian on spawning activity of the endangered goliath grouper (Epinephelus itajara) fish species off the southeast coast of Florida. The broader impacts of the project relate to its value to inform fisheries management plans for goliath grouper. The project supports two early career faculty members and training of a postdoctoral researcher, a graduate student, and several undergraduate students at Florida International University.

Hurricane Dorian occurred at the peak of goliath grouper's spawning aggregation in Florida's shallow waters. This project takes advantage of ongoing acoustic surveys since 2017, telemetry, biophysical modelling, and behavioral studies of goliath grouper at spawning sites to assess how hurricane Dorian: 1) influenced the duration of spawning events and the size of aggregations, 2) affected individual residency to spawning sites and spawning behavior, 3) changed the dispersal patterns of goliath grouper larvae and identify nursery habitats with/without storm or hurricane events, and 4) influenced trophic cascades at the reef ecosystem level due to goliath grouper spawning aggregations as determined by changes on lower trophic level foraging rates and the subsequent changes to the benthos. The combination of methods provide insight into how storms affects spawning behavior from the individual to the group level, and how subsequent larval recruitment may be influenced. Finally, this project tests the utility of acceleration sensors for identifying spawning behavior in free ranging fishes, which will be of major significance to spawning studies across taxa.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.