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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Two Fields, One Pellet: Combining Demographics And Population Genetics Through Non-Invasive Sampling Of Snowshoe Hare Fecal Pellets In Michigan., Genelle Nicole Uhrig
Two Fields, One Pellet: Combining Demographics And Population Genetics Through Non-Invasive Sampling Of Snowshoe Hare Fecal Pellets In Michigan., Genelle Nicole Uhrig
Theses and Dissertations
As climate continues to change at a rapid rate, species are increasingly vulnerable to the resulting environmental changes. This is especially true for species whose fitness is closely linked to climate-associated environmental conditions. One of these vulnerable species is snowshoe hare, Lepus americanus, who depends on the timing and duration of snowfall to provide camouflage when they go through seasonal pelage changes from brown in the summer to white in the winter. Whereas snowshoe hare are stable across the core of their range, populations along the southern range edge are experiencing declines due to climate driven environmental changes that cause …
Spatial And Temporal Trends In The Xestospongia Muta (Giant Barrel Sponge) Population On The Southeast Florida Reef Tract, Alanna D. Waldman
Spatial And Temporal Trends In The Xestospongia Muta (Giant Barrel Sponge) Population On The Southeast Florida Reef Tract, Alanna D. Waldman
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
Xestospongia muta, the giant barrel sponge, is a key component of coral reef benthic communities in Southeast Florida and the Caribbean. Xestospongia muta increases habitat complexity and stability, and filters large volumes of water, enhancing water quality and facilitating nutrient cycling. Therefore, it is important to investigate trends in the X. muta population on Southeast Florida reefs in response to anthropogenic stressors, changing environmental conditions and acute disturbances and how these events affect its ecological role in the benthic community. This study identified trends in X. muta population density, volume, and size class distribution over time and across reef …
A Characterization Of A Southeast Florida Stony Coral Assemblage After A Disease Event, Nicole K. Hayes
A Characterization Of A Southeast Florida Stony Coral Assemblage After A Disease Event, Nicole K. Hayes
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
Coral reefs have declined globally due to anthropogenic stressors increasing the frequency and severity of bleaching and disease events. In 2014, a stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) outbreak occurred off the coast of southeast Florida and subsequently spread throughout the region. Data collected by the Southeast Florida Reef Evaluation and Monitoring Project (SECREMP) were used to examine the regional impacts of the disease event on the Southeast Florida stony coral assemblage. A long-term annual monitoring project, SECREMP samples permanent sites along the Southeast Florida Reef Tract (SEFRT) from Miami-Dade County north to Martin County. Analysis of stony coral demographic …
Sponges Structure Water-Column Characteristics In Shallow Tropical Coastal Ecosystems, Marla M. Valentine, Mark J. Butler Iv
Sponges Structure Water-Column Characteristics In Shallow Tropical Coastal Ecosystems, Marla M. Valentine, Mark J. Butler Iv
Biological Sciences Faculty Publications
Sponges can have powerful effects on ecosystem processes in shallow tropical marine ecosystems. They drive benthic-pelagic coupling by filtering dissolved and particulate organic matter from the water column, alter water chemistry in association with their symbiotic microorganisms, and increase habitat structural complexity. Anthropogenic degradation of coastal waters is widespread and can reduce the density and diversity of foundation species such as sponges, potentially diminishing their contributions to ecosystem processes. We used a novel mesocosm design that minimized artifacts associated with traditional single-species and closed-system filtration experiments to examine the effects of water turnover and sponge biomass on water-column properties. Using …