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Spatial And Temporal Patterns Of Arctic Nearshore Fish Community And Food Web Structures, Mark B. Barton
Spatial And Temporal Patterns Of Arctic Nearshore Fish Community And Food Web Structures, Mark B. Barton
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Climate change and increasing anthropogenic activities are causing rapid changes to environmental and ecological processes in the Arctic Ocean. To better understand these changes, scientists have increased research efforts in these regions, but to date the number of studies on Arctic nearshore habitats are lacking. My dissertation responds to the paucity of information and investigates patterns in Arctic nearshore fish communities and food webs to gain insight to how these ecosystems may shift as these changes continue. I used multivariate statistical analysis to examine patterns in community structure and composition to determine that Arctic nearshore fish communities are largely driven …
Factors Influencing Movements And Foraging Ecology Of American Alligators (Alligator Mississippiensis) In A Dynamic Subtropical Coastal Ecosystem, Adam Rosenblatt
Factors Influencing Movements And Foraging Ecology Of American Alligators (Alligator Mississippiensis) In A Dynamic Subtropical Coastal Ecosystem, Adam Rosenblatt
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Top predators can have large effects on community and population dynamics but we still know relatively little about their roles in ecosystems and which biotic and abiotic factors potentially affect their behavioral patterns. Understanding the roles played by top predators is a pressing issue because many top predator populations around the world are declining rapidly yet we do not fully understand what the consequences of their potential extirpation could be for ecosystem structure and function. In addition, individual behavioral specialization is commonplace across many taxa, but studies of its prevalence, causes, and consequences in top predator populations are lacking. In …
The Influence Of Body Size On The Ecology Of Coastal Fish Predators In The Bahamas, Caroline M. Hammerschlag-Peyer
The Influence Of Body Size On The Ecology Of Coastal Fish Predators In The Bahamas, Caroline M. Hammerschlag-Peyer
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Body size is a fundamental structural characteristic of organisms, determining critical life history and physiological traits, and influencing population dynamics, community structure, and ecosystem function. For my dissertation, I focused on effects of body size on habitat use and diet of important coastal fish predators, as well as their influence on faunal communities in Bahamian wetlands. First, using acoustic telemetry and stable isotope analysis, I identified high variability in movement patterns and habitat use among individuals within a gray snapper (Lutjanus griseus) and schoolmaster snapper (L. apodus) population. This intrapopulation variation was not explained by body …