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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Spatial And Temporal Trends Of Southeastern Florida's Octocoral Comunity, Alexandra Hiley
Spatial And Temporal Trends Of Southeastern Florida's Octocoral Comunity, Alexandra Hiley
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
In the Caribbean, local and global stressors have driven significant declines in scleractinian coral cover up to 80% in only three decades. Following these declines, phase shifts in benthic community composition have been reported. Shifts towards macroalgal dominance has been the most widely observed case, however, shifts towards octocoral and sponge dominance have also been reported. In Florida, USA, the Florida Reef Tract is an extensive barrier reef system that contains diverse assemblages of corals, sponges, fish, and other taxa. The Southeast Florida Reef Tract (SEFRT) within the Southeast Florida Coral Reef Conservation Area is the northern portion of this …
Characterization Of Bacterial Communities In Biscayne Bay Through Genomic Analysis, Eric Fortman
Characterization Of Bacterial Communities In Biscayne Bay Through Genomic Analysis, Eric Fortman
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
Biscayne Bay is a shallow oligotrophic estuary in Southeast Florida. Channelization of rivers, and dredging of canals has greatly altered the historical flow of fresh water into the bay. This, coupled with the rise of a sprawling urban & suburban development, has greatly increased the nutrient load in the bay. This study examined the bacterial community at 14 stations throughout Biscayne Bay —6 stations were located at the mouths of canals; 1 upstream-canal station; 6 stations in the center of the bay; and one ocean influenced station, located near the entrance to the bay. One liter, surface water samples were …
Identifying Causes Of Temporal Changes In Acropora Cervicornis Populations And The Potential For Recovery, Elizabeth Goergen, Alison L. Moulding, Brian K. Walker, David S. Gilliam
Identifying Causes Of Temporal Changes In Acropora Cervicornis Populations And The Potential For Recovery, Elizabeth Goergen, Alison L. Moulding, Brian K. Walker, David S. Gilliam
Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles
Corals, specifically the Atlantic staghorn coral, Acropora cervicornis, are under major threat as disturbance events such as storms and disease and predation outbreaks increase in frequency. Since its population declines due to a wide spread disease event in the early 1980s, limited long-term monitoring studies describing the impact of current threats and potential recovery have been completed. The aim of this study was to document the impacts of environmental (tropical storms, increased wind) and biological (disease and predation) threats on A. cervicornis to further understand its population dynamics and potential for recovery. Two high-density A. cervicornis patches (greater than …