Evaluation of Larval Transport Models using a Programmable, Vertically Migrating 'Zooplankton Mimic'
{'Code': '06040301', 'Directorate': {'Abbreviation': 'GEO', 'LongName': 'Directorate For Geosciences'}, 'Division': {'Abbreviation': 'OCE', 'LongName': 'Division Of Ocean Sciences'}}
{'SignBlockName': 'Phillip R. Taylor', 'PO_EMAI': None, 'PO_PHON': None}
Our understanding of how populations in the sea are affected by                 the ocean circulation to which they are subject during part or                  all of their life cycle is restricted at the moment to large                    scale circulation and biogeographic distributions.  Mesoscale and               small scale interactions, where the individual organism is of                   primary importance, are difficult to study.  The vertically                     migrating Lagrangian drifter to be developed in this study will                 emulate the small-scale vertical swimming behavior of decapod                   larvae in the field.  Drifters programmed according to laboratory               and field observations of larval behavior will be released where                crabs are spawning to determine if vertical migration can account               for retention of larvae in estuaries and ultimate arrival at                    adult habitats.  A larger drifter, carrying an ARGOS satellite                  transmitter, will track effects of behavior on transport of crab                larvae exported from an esutary (Callinectes sapidus in                         Chesapeake Bay).  Some oceanographic models predict that C.                     sapidus will be swept out of the mid-Atlantic Bight, but dense                  populations remain within 50km of the mouth of Chesapeake Bay,k                 apparently re-entering the Bay as megaloae and juveniles.                       Drifters programmed with alternative larval behaviors will help                 resolve whether this is caused by wind-driven advection of near-                surface larvae, passive transport of megalopae in bottom                        currents, or transport enhanced by vertical migration into flood                tidal currents.                                                                 %%%                                                                             One of the shellfish resources of considerable value to man is                  the blue crab of Chesapeake Bay and other estuaries of the                      southeastern United States.  Studies of the distribution of the                 larvae have shown that they exit Chesapeake Bay during part of                  their life cycle, but then re-enter the Bay when they near                      adulthood.  It is not clear how their position in the water                     column, their ability to move up and down in the water column,                  and the local currents in the Bay and mid-Atlantic Bight combine                to maintain the populations in the Bay.  A small drifter that can               mimic larval behavior is being developed.  The drifter will carry               a satellite transmitter so that its position can be tracked as it               is carried by the currents, and its movement up and down in the                 water column can be specified.  The drifter will be deployed                    where the adult blue crabs spawn.  The drifter will allow various               swimming behaviors to be tested to determine which combination(s)               of behavior and currents most realistically copy known larval                   distributions and result in maintenance of the crab population in               the Chesapeake Bay.
[{'FirstName': 'Donna', 'LastName': 'Wolcott', 'PI_MID_INIT': 'L', 'PI_SUFX_NAME': None, 'PI_FULL_NAME': 'Donna L Wolcott', 'EmailAddress': 'dwolcott@ncsu.edu', 'NSF_ID': '000452414', 'StartDate': '11/01/1989', 'EndDate': None, 'RoleCode': 'Co-Principal Investigator'}, {'FirstName': 'Thomas', 'LastName': 'Wolcott', 'PI_MID_INIT': 'G', 'PI_SUFX_NAME': None, 'PI_FULL_NAME': 'Thomas G Wolcott', 'EmailAddress': 'tom_wolcott@ncsu.edu', 'NSF_ID': '000469631', 'StartDate': '01/19/1994', 'EndDate': None, 'RoleCode': 'Principal Investigator'}]
{'Name': 'North Carolina State University', 'CityName': 'RALEIGH', 'ZipCode': '276950001', 'PhoneNumber': '9195152444', 'StreetAddress': '2601 WOLF VILLAGE WAY', 'StreetAddress2': None, 'CountryName': 'United States', 'StateName': 'North Carolina', 'StateCode': 'NC', 'CONGRESSDISTRICT': '02', 'CONGRESS_DISTRICT_ORG': 'NC02', 'ORG_UEI_NUM': 'U3NVH931QJJ3', 'ORG_LGL_BUS_NAME': 'NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY', 'ORG_PRNT_UEI_NUM': None}
{'Name': 'North Carolina State University', 'CityName': 'RALEIGH', 'StateCode': 'NC', 'ZipCode': '276950001', 'StreetAddress': '2601 WOLF VILLAGE WAY', 'CountryCode': 'US', 'CountryName': 'United States', 'StateName': 'North Carolina', 'CountryFlag': '1', 'CONGRESSDISTRICT': '02', 'CONGRESS_DISTRICT_PERF': 'NC02'}
[{'Code': '1650', 'Text': 'BIOLOGICAL OCEANOGRAPHY'}, {'Code': '5414', 'Text': 'INSTRUMENTATION DEVELOPMENT'}]
{'url': 'https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/download?DownloadFileName=1989&All=true', 'xml': '8900060.xml'}