Digital Commons Network^™

Estimating The Carbon Flux Contributions Of Three Common Myctophids In The Gulf Of Mexico, Mary S. Gad

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Carbon flux, the transport of carbon from the epipelagic zone (0 m – 200 m) to the mesopelagic zone (200 m -1000 m), can be facilitated by migratory fauna. Myctophids, likely comprising the highest biomass of migratory mesopelagic fishes across all oceans, play an important role in carbon flux. Myctophids undergo diel vertical migration (DVM) from the mesopelagic zone to the epipelagic zone. The amount of carbon transported by myctophids, through DVM, can be estimated by modeling all the bioenergetic pathways that release carbon. This study will use an individual adult myctophid model, with a series of bioenergetics calculations, to …

Frequent Disease Intervention On The Largest Corals Prolongs Colony Life During Coral Disease Outbreaks, Allie Kozachuk

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) is a highly contagious coral disease, causing rapid colony mortality and local extinctions. Conducting disease interventions on all corals in a region during an outbreak is virtually impossible therefore, prioritizing corals must be considered. In 2015, we identified and monitored 78 of southeast Florida's largest (>2m in diameter) living Orbicella faveolata colonies. In 2018, all corals were revisited, and those with the greatest living tissue area and largest colony size were grouped as priority corals (n=42) and the remainder were grouped as non-priority corals (n=36). Priority corals received additional monthly monitoring with disease …

One-Time Broadscale Sctld Intervention Effectiveness On Montastraea Cavernosa In An Endemic Zone, Amanda Zummo

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Disease intervention using CoralCure with amoxicillin is effective at stopping stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) lesion progression, however, it does not provide protection against reinfection. Prolonging colony survival may require regular visits to treat new lesions should they appear. Intervention activities in southeast Florida were allocated between regular treatment and monitoring of selected priority colonies and broadscale disease interventions. The latter involved strike team divers, who worked in small groups to cover large areas of reef treating all SCTLD lesions observed, tagging the colonies, and recording their locations via a floating GPS. Broadscale disease intervention efforts aimed to maximize …

Trophic Ecology Of Black Swallowers (Scombriformes: Chiasmodontidae: Chiasmodon) In The Deep-Pelagic Gulf Of Mexico, Travis J. Kirk

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

The ecology of deep-pelagic predatory fishes remains poorly understood despite their importance as ecosystem regulators and energy transfer vectors. This study investigated the trophic ecology of three species of the predatory fish genus Chiasmodon (“black swallowers”) in the Gulf of Mexico, a region that serves as an analog for the global low-latitude deep pelagial, the world’s largest cumulative ecosystem. Foraging habits (e.g., selectivity, chronology, daily ration) of an “advanced” evolutionary fish in a system that is otherwise dominated by basal fish taxa, were quantitatively estimated via high-resolution stomach content analysis. A quantitative dataset of both predator and prey abundance, the …

The Trophic Ecology And Vertical Distribution Of The Deep-Pelagic Fish Scombrolabrax Heterolepis (Scombriformes: Scombrolabracidae), An ‘Advanced’ Fish In A World Of ‘Primitive’ Fishes, Kathryn Lim

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

The trophic ecology and vertical distribution of a deep-pelagic predatory fish, the longfin escolar (Scombriformes: Scombrolabrax heterolepis), from the Gulf of Mexico were examined. Deep-pelagic predators remain understudied because their larger size and higher mobility allow them to evade traditional, research-sized (i.e., relatively small) sampling nets. With the use of large midwater trawls, however, a substantial sample set was obtained. Quantitative gut content analysis revealed a wide range of prey types including teleost fishes and crustaceans, as well as a strong selective preference for cephalopods. This species appears to be a true “see it, eat it” generalist, a rarity …

Euhaplorchis Sp. A Effect On Social Behavior And Familiarity Of Gulf Killifish (Fundulus Grandis), Hannah Bauman

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Trophically transmitted parasites may manipulate their hosts’ phenotype (e.g., behavior, physiology, morphology) to increase the likelihood of transmission to the definitive host. In fishes, stable social groups develop familiarity over time through repeated interactions among individuals, and social preferences are often developed due to familiarity. Consequently, fishes often shoal with familiar fishes, a behavior that is likely to be protective against predation. Parasites may alter fish social dynamics in two ways: by decreasing association with familiar individuals, thereby isolating infected fish and making them more susceptible to predation by definitive hosts; and/or by incentivizing uninfected individuals to avoid infected fish …

Microplastic Quantification On The Effect Of Endoparasite Communities In Florida Seabirds, Sarah N. Prieto

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Microplastics are being studied in a variety of different projects to better understand their impact and threat to wildlife species. Although there is an understanding that microplastics are affecting our wildlife, there are still questions about how coastal seabirds come to ingest them and how the ingestion is altering critical biological processes, such as that for endoparasite communities. This project aims to determine a better understanding of two main objectives: assessment of the presence of secondary ingestion of microplastics in coastal seabirds due to the fish species they prey on and relationship between microplastics and endoparasite communities' structure and state …

Spatiotemporal Patterns Of Parrotfish (Scaridae) Population Structure Across Florida’S Coral Reef, Zachary T. Graff

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

This study conducted a population assessment of parrotfish density, biomass, occurrence, and size class frequencies in south Florida utilizing a decade of previously collected National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) Reef Visual Census (RVC) fish count data from 2012-2022. Larger parrotfish have the ability to remove large amounts of macroalgae during feeding which may clear habitat for assisting with reef repair via benthic settlement of beneficial organisms such as coral and CCA. Therefore, the parrotfish population over 30 cm in total length were also examined separately. Results illustrated size classes heavily skewed towards smaller individuals with 46.76% parrotfish below 11 …

Exploration Of Enterococcus Faecalis Bacteriophages Diversity: Comprehensive Phylogenetic Analysis And Discovery Isolation Of Enterococcus Faecalis Phage From A Soil Sample In South Florida, Hailey N. Jauernick

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Enterococcus faecalis is a commensal bacterium found in the gastrointestinal tract, oral cavity, and vagina of humans, which can transition to pathogenic states, leading to diverse infections. Many E. faecalis infections are becoming progressively challenging to treat, stemming from the lack of effective antibiotic therapies against its virulence factors, including biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance. Phage therapy emerges as a promising alternative, targeting bacteria with minimal impact on host flora. However, despite phages' ubiquitous presence and potential applications in medicine and biotechnology, their diversity and ecological niches are vastly understudied. Here, we investigated the diversity of sequenced E. faecalis phages …

"We Are Bad Feminists!": Understanding Genre And Rhetoric In (Post)Feminist Dramedy Television, Cailin Rolph

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Centered on Lena Dunham’s Girls (2012) and Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag (2016) this thesis examines the use of genre conventions in dramedy to facilitate feminist critiques of postfeminist ideals. In conducting a case study of feminist rhetoric present in the shows Girls and Fleabag, this thesis addresses a gap in genre studies concerning the social and political potency of the dramedy genre. The thesis utilizes rhetorical critique, through generic methods, to identify the specific techniques used by Dunham and Waller-Bridge. Through its analyses, this thesis argues that dramedy can uniquely operate as a work of social action and critique, using …

Restoration Of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease Susceptible Species In The Arrecife De Puerto Morelos National Park, Mexico Using Colony Microfragmentation, Marina Garmendia

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

The Arrecife de Puerto Morelos National Park (APMNP) has been a marine protected area in Mexico’s Mesoamerican Reef since 1998 and includes ~90 km² of coral reef. Significant declines in stony coral cover have been recorded within the APMNP, primarily due to increasing ocean temperatures and disease events which precipitated the need for active restoration activities. This study addressed if current APMNP conditions, in relation to Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD), are appropriate for the restoration of stony corals through outplanting SCTLD-susceptible species microfragments. In September 2022, three species (Montastraea cavernosa, Orbicella annularis, and O. faveolata) …

Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling Of Internal Wave Interactions On Conch Reef, Florida Keys, Megan Miller

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Internal waves breaking on continental shelves play a significant role in mixing and nutrient delivery to coral reef ecosystems. As internal solitary waves, or solitons, propagate shoreward onto continental slopes, they can become unstable and break into turbulent bores that bring cool, nutrient-rich sub-thermocline water shoreward onto coral reefs. The propagation of turbulent bores generated by internal waves interacting with a complex surface creates high-frequency variabilities in the thermal and nutrient environment of Conch Reef in the Florida Keys, which has been studied previously. Here, I have created a three-dimensional model using ANSYS Fluent Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software to …

Addressing Water Hyacinth (Pontederia Crassipes) Impacts On Aquatic Biota In Lake Okeechobee, Joseph Salerno

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

The incursion of water hyacinth, Pontederia crassipes in Lake Okeechobee has resulted in management systems to be implemented to reduce the coverage of the invasive macrophyte. Its residence in the Lake Okeechobee ecosystem and the effects it has on organisms in the lake, whether it be positive or harmful is unknown. This study attempted to assess the potential effects that water hyacinth has on aquatic biota in Lake Okeechobee. Biotic data were collected on open water, water hyacinth covered, and native vegetation covered habitats via hook-and-line fishing, electrofishing, baited minnow traps, and the sampling of plant roots over a thirteen-month …

Investigating The Effects Of A Southward Flow In The Southeastern Florida Shelf Using Robotic Instruments, Alfredo Quezada

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

We deployed a Slocum G3 glider fitted with an acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP), a Conductivity-Temperature-Depth sensor (CTD), optics sensor channels, and a propeller on the Southeastern Florida shelf. The ADCP and CTD provide continuous measurements of Northern and Eastern current velocity components, salinity, temperature, and density, throughout the water column in a high-current environment. The optics sensor channels are able to provide measurements of chlorophyll concentrations, colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM), and backscatter particle counts. Additionally, for one of the glider deployments, we deployed a Wirewalker wave-powered profiling platform system also fitted with an ADCP and a CTD in …

Spawning Asynchrony Of The Endangered Acropora Cervicornis: Are Light Pollution And Abnormally Warm Temperatures The Culprits?, Krista Laforest

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

The persistence of reefs relies on mature corals spawning synchronously to maximize fertilization and produce larvae to replenish local populations. Corals synchronize the release of gametes by responding to temperature, sun, and moon light cycles; however, abnormalities in these patterns can disrupt synchrony. This study is the first to describe regional asynchronous spawning of Acropora cervicornis by quantifying gamete development and spawning times among two reefs, an in situ nursery off Fort Lauderdale, and an in situ nursery in the Florida Keys. While A. cervicornis in the Florida Keys synchronously spawned within the predicted window of 2-5 days after the …

A Rapid Site Selection Assessment As An Indicator Of Stony Coral Microfragment Outplant Success, John J. Alfirevich

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Microfragmentation of massive stony coral species is a technique being utilized to propagate corals asexually to help restore coral reefs. Microfragmentation consists of cutting corals into 3 cm diameter or less fragments, which boosts growth rates. However, in some locations the size of microfragments make them vulnerable to parrotfish predation and benthic overgrowth, reducing survival. As such, a method to identify key site characteristics which promotes microfragment outplant success, particularly one that can be performed quickly across multiple areas is needed. A rapid site assessment conducted prior to microfragment outplanting was performed at 12 randomly selected sites within the Kristin …

Fishing And Fear Effects Interact To Shape Herbivory On Coral Reefs, Bethany M. Tilton

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Predation influences animal behavior and shapes ecological structure and function through lethal effects and fear effects. On coral reefs, fear effects can alter the distribution and intensity of herbivory by herbivorous reef fishes. This includes the browsing functional group, which potentially reverses macroalgal phase shifts and promotes reef recovery. Herbivory by multiple functional groups may increase on coral reefs through the use of NTZs (no-take zones) but few studies have examined the extent to which small-scale NTZs (< 0.5 km²) influence fear effects and perceived predator presence on reefs. This study aimed to determine whether fear effects on browsers on …

Prevalence, Faunal Composition, And Vertical Distribution Of Bioluminescence In The Pelagic Gulf Of Mexico: Fishes, Crustaceans, Cephalopods And Gelatinous Megaplankton, Devynne M. Brown

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Bioluminescence is the phenomenon of light emission by living organisms. It occurs through a chemical reaction within an organism and serves various purposes. The diversity of bioluminescent capabilities and occurrence in unrelated taxa suggest that bioluminescence has evolved independently numerous times amongst taxa thriving in certain environments. One such environment is the deep ocean, where little to no sunlight penetrates the water column, specifically in the mesopelagic (200-1000 m depth) and bathypelagic (> 1000 m) zones. The mesopelagic and bathypelagic zones have been extensively sampled and well documented in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM), one of the few places globally …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of The Internal Transcribed Sequences (Its) As Dna Barcodes To Estimate Fungal Diversity, Jailisa Linares

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Universal phylogenetic markers such as the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed sequences (ITS), specifically ITS1 and ITS2, are routinely used to estimate fungal diversity in environmental samples. However, numerous studies report differences in the performance and efficacy of ITS1 and ITS2 in documenting fungal diversity. To better understand the implications of using ITS1 versus ITS2, a comprehensive representation of the diverse fungal taxa was necessary to conduct a meta-analysis of their use across multiple fungal taxa. In order to address this, a thorough literature review was conducted to compare and contrast the use of ITS1 and ITS2 as effective DNA barcodes. …

Psammocora Stellata Distribution At Devil's Crown, Floreana Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, María José Guarderas Sevilla

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

In the Galápagos Archipelago, the free-living nodular coral Psammocora stellata is a common species that does not form reef structures. However, it is a key component of the ecosystem by increasing habitat complexity and, consequently, species diversity. This species experienced a drastic decline in Devil’s Crown channel, Floreana Island, where it disappeared after the 1982-83 El Niño-Southern Oscillation, presumably by displacement of unattached colonies by strong surface waves and currents. This assemblage has now recovered to pre-impact levels. A combination of underwater photoquadrats from 2007 and 2009 and recent (2023) orthomosaics were used to determine changes in coral densities and …

Do Mesopelagic Fish Biomass Patterns Change In Response To Major Oceanographic Features In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico?, Ian M. Areford

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

In recent years interest in mesopelagic fishes has grown due to their ecological significance and economic potential. A major outstanding question is how the assemblage is potentially structured by mesoscale (10 - 100s km) oceanographic features such as eddies, fronts, and riverine plumes. Mesoscale features are known to influence micronekton and zooplankton’s spatial distributions but data on individual mesopelagic fish species’ responses are limited. The Gulf of Mexico (GoM) is an area of particular interest due to its diverse mesopelagic fish assemblage, its well-defined mesoscale oceanographic features, its history of anthropogenic impacts such as oil spills, and its diverse mesopelagic …

Microscale To Mesoscale Modeling Of The Ocean Under Tropical Cyclones: Effects Of Sea Spray And Surfactants On Tropical Cyclone Intensity And Air-Sea Gas Exchange, Breanna Lynn Cain Vanderplow

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Tropical cyclone intensity prediction remains a challenge despite computational and observational developments because successful intensity forecasting requires implementing a multitude of atmospheric and oceanic processes. Hurricane Maria 2017 and Hurricane Dorian 2019 serve as prime examples of rapidly intensifying storms that devastated communities in the Caribbean. A lack of understanding and parameterization of crucial physics involved in tropical cyclone intensity in existing forecast models may have led to these and other forecasting errors.

Microscale physical processes at the air-sea interface are a major factor in intensification of tropical cyclones that are often unaccounted for in forecasting models since they are …

Parameterizing The Spillage Left Behind: Datafication, Machine Learning Algorithms, And The Question Of Ecological Agency, Courtney Rosenthal

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

With “datafication” practices becoming more common in digital ecologies, humans have become increasingly reliant on emerging technologies and other actors that can store, comprehend, and analyze information. This thesis offers a proposed model of mediative agency to address the importance of interrogating how non-human actors interpret and make meaning from data. Mediative agents contribute to the disbursement of rhetoric, as well as our understanding of information, by granting visibility and assigning value to data. These processes effectively play a role in shaping reality through agents’ parameterization of data broadly, allowing non-human actors to take on a complex agency that can …

The Plastic Pandemic: Examining Surgical Face Mask Degradation In The Marine Environment In Times Of Covid-19, Christopher J. Mayer

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

The development and use of single-use plastics skyrocketed with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. With the support of world governments, manufacturing companies exponentially increased their output of personal protective equipment (PPE), and wearing surgical grade face masks became a ubiquitous aspect of reopening public society as they proved to significantly reduce the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Over the course of the pandemic, however, environmental researchers began taking note of the improper disposal and increased waste of face masks and other pandemic-associated PPE throughout a wide range of environments.

This study assessed metrics of degradation of black …

Parasites Versus Predation: The Role Of Chronic And Acute Parasite Exposure In Infection Risk And Anti-Predator Behavior, Delaney Farrell

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Parasites with complex, multi-host lifecycles often engage in host behavior manipulation to increase transmission between successive hosts. In intermediate fish hosts, previous research has measured increased frequency of conspicuous behaviors, decreased swimming performance, and reduced antipredator behavior, which would collectively increase the fish’s risk of predation. In ecosystems where this type of parasite increased trophic transmission (PITT) occurs, parasites can play a substantial role in food webs. In this study, I investigate how chronic versus acute exposure to the trematode Euhaplorchis sp. A. affects the antipredator behavior of the Gulf killifish Fundulus grandis. Using a fully crossed design, I …

Coral Castles: Protecting Polyps From Parrotfish Predation, Kyle Anthony-Kicking Bear Pisano

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Florida's coral reefs are in a state of near-constant degradation concomitant with ever-increasing coastal development and associated anthropogenic impacts. Government agencies, non-profits, and concerned citizens have spent significant time and resources combating these negative impacts. One primary method of mitigating damage to coral reefs is to transplant corals onto degraded reefs using corals that have been grown in nurseries. While many challenges of reef restoration have been overcome, parrotfish predation on freshly transplanted corals persists as a significant issue. Parrotfish are recognized as an essential species on healthy reefs but can also hinder reef restoration efforts by biting young, newly …

Desperate Larva Or Death Before Dishonor: Can Old Coral Larvae Replenish Degraded Reefs?, Nepsis García Lara

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

The recovery of coral populations depends largely on larval recruitment. Coral larvae settle in response to environmental cues that indicate habitat quality. Newly competent larvae typically avoid settling on substrates with high macroalgal cover and sedimentation, and thus might never recruit to degraded reefs, hindering their recovery. What is unknown is if settlement preferences change as larvae age. In the absence of suitable settlement cues, lecithotrophic larvae delay settlement and might do this until either dying (Death Before Dishonor Hypothesis) or becoming less discriminatory and settling regardless of their specific habitat requirements (Desperate Larva Hypothesis). To test these hypotheses in …

Cytokine Profiles In Peruvian Pinnipeds And Their Relationships With Environmental Stressors, Mykenzee L. Munaco

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Large colonies of two vulnerable, sympatric pinniped species, Peruvian fur seals (Arctocephalus australis Peruvian subpopulation; PFS) and South American sea lions (Otaria byronia; SASL), reside and reproduce in Punta San Juan, Peru (PSJ) where they are exposed to stressors such as environmental contaminants and El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events. Cytokine concentrations can be indicative of an animal’s health and immune function by allowing for immunoresponse characterization as Th1 or Th2 dominant. Utilizing an archived pinniped plasma collection of samples from 2009-2019 (n=148), 13 cytokines were analyzed in PFS and SASL: GM-CSF, IFN-γ, KC-like, MCP-1, TNF-α, IL-2, IL-6, …

The Effect Of Water Flow Rates On The Survival And Growth Rates Of Three Caribbean Bouldering Coral Species Juveniles In An Indoor Versus Outdoor Environment, Ian Michael Johnson

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Coral reefs are vital ecosystems for the world’s oceans and humanity; however, they are threatened by climate change, disease, and local anthropogenic stressors, and need assistance to recover. Traditional reef restoration efforts (fragmentation and outplanting are helping but are limited in effectiveness by not increasing genetic diversity. Ex situ sexual propagation for corals provides new, genetically different coral recruits. However, this process is laborious, expensive and time consuming, especially at the scale required to effectively contribute to the widespread recovery. To lower costs, two key parameters that require optimization to hasten the growth of coral recruits are water flow and …

Optimization Of Light Spectrum During Coral Grow-Out, Daisy N. Ponce

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Direct and indirect anthropogenic stressors have led to a global decline of coral populations. Coral restoration aims to mitigate this loss and facilitate reef recovery. In particular, the sexual propagation of corals ex situ allows for the production and outplant of genetically diverse coral recruits on the reef. However, optimization at ex situ coral nurseries is required to scale-up production. This project aims to investigate and develop methods that reduce the duration of grow-out ex situ by determining the optimal light spectrum under which to rear for sexual recruits of the tropical scleractinian coral species Pseudodiploria strigosa and P. …