1978 0 
Ogden, J. C. (1978) American crocodile. Rare and Endangered Biota of Florida . Vol. 3, 
Amphibians and Reptiles. R. W. McDiarmid (ed.). University of Florida Press, Gainesville, 
FL. 21-2. 
[DATE OF SAMPLING UNKNOWN OR NOT APPLICABLE.] This is a short description of the 
ecology, range, habitat and status of the American crocodile. 
1978 
Poole, A. (1979) Sibling aggression among nestling ospreys in Florida Bay. The Auk . 
96(2):4 1 5-7. 
Nestling activity was monitored during 1978 at two Florida Bay osprey nests as part of 
a study of osprey feeding ecology for the region. One nestling was consistently 
aggressive towards its only nestmate. The aggression produced no physical damage but 
was sufficient to reduce the food intake of the intimidated sibling significantly. 
1978 0 
Wanless, H. R. (1978) Storm generated stratigraphy of carbonate mud banks, South Florida. 
Geol. Soc. Amer. Abs. . 10(7):512. 
[ABSTRACT ONLY. DATE OF SAMPLING UNKNOWN OR NOT APPLICABLE.] Southward 
migration and expansion of east-west trending carbonate mudbanks within Biscayne Bay 
and Florida Bay have generated sedimentary sequences composed of four lithologies. 
These lithologies are produced by an interaction of hurricane and repetitive winter 
storm sedimentation. A molluscan-foraminiferal grainstone to packstone forms the 
basal 0 - 15 cm over Pleistocene bedrock. This is a winter storm winnowed lag of 
sediment produced in bays adjacent to banks and/or carried into the bays during 
hurricanes. The overlying 0.2 - 1 m is a crudely layered molluscan foraminiferal 
packstone thought to represent hurricane layers. These are deposited as widespread 
layers in the bays but are only preserved where covered by migrating or expanding 
mudbank flanks. The bulk of the mudbanks is a pelleted mudstone (2 - 3 m in thickness) 
formed by lee side accretion of fine sediment during winter storms. Hurricanes may 
also add mud to lee flanks. Winter storm waves will strip any hurricane mud layers 
from north facing flanks. North facing flanks of banks contain a surficial molluscan 
grainstone to packstone. Shell is derived from winnowing of eroding north facing flanks 
as well as from southward transport from adjacent bays. Winter storm waves move 
lobes of this grainstone onto the bank flat. These anastomosing mudbanks of biogenic 
sediment record a dynamic history of physical sedimentation caused by accretion and 
erosion during minor and major storm events and probably also by evolving stability of 
subcircular bay patterns during late stages of the Holocene rise of sea level. 
1978 - 1979 
Lyons, W. G., D. G. Barber, S. M. Foster, F. S. Kennedy, and G. R. Milano (1981) The spiny 
lobster, Panulirus argus, in the Middle and Upper Florida Keys: Population structure, 
seasonal dynamics, and reproduction. Rep. No. 38. Florida Department of Natural 
Resources, St. Petersburg, FL. 45 pp. 
Data on abundance, distribution, size, sex, mating, spawning, molting, incidence of 
fouling organisms, and injury rates were obtained from 19,180 lobsters at nine 
stations in the upper and middle Keys fishery area during April 1978 through March 
1979. Mean and modal carapace length (CL) sizes were approximately 73 mm, slightly 
below legal size (76 mm). Lobsters at deep reef (30 m) stations averaged 80.1 mm CL; 
size decreased gradually to an average of 65.6 mm CL at shallow (3 m) Bay stations. 
Distribution of lobsters was age- and habitat-related; immature, principally sublegal 
lobsters in year class 2+ occupied southern Florida Bay stations, then moved gradually 
to nearshore oceanside Keys stations; lobsters in year class 3+ migrated seaward in 
239 
