Life Sciences Commons^™

Human–Black Bear Interactions And Public Attitudinal Changes In An Urban Ordinance Zone, Mark A. Barrett, Sarah E. Barrett, David J. Telesco, Michael A. Orlando

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Human–bear (Ursus spp.) interactions (HBI) commonly occur in residential areas throughout North America. Negative HBI can be alleviated by using bear-resistant garbage cans (BRC) and by securing other bear attractants (e.g., bird feeders). Since the early 2000s, human and Florida black bear (U. americanus floridanus) densities have increased substantially throughout Florida, USA, concurrently producing an increase in HBI. In central Florida, an area with high densities of humans and black bears, we surveyed 2 neighborhoods that occurred in an urban ordinance zone established in 2016 that required residents to secure anthropogenic food sources. Residents were supplied with …

Measuring Multiple Demographic Rates In Two Populations Of Northern Bobwhite, Alexander L. Jackson, D. Clay Sisson, Justin A. Rectenwald

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Demographic rates of northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus; hereafter, bobwhite) may vary spatially and temporally, and understanding the significance of these individual rates to population performance is critically important to bobwhite management. We present descriptive evidence from 2 populations that were simultaneously monitored from 2015–2020 that suggests different demographic rates can be more important to population performance than other demographic rates within the same region. Our objective was to understand the relative importance of various demographic rates to population performance in separate and seemingly stable populations. We monitored bobwhite seasonal survival and reproductive demographics on 2,475 bobwhites via radio-telemetry …

Summer To Autumn Population Of Wild Eumaeus Atala On The Ft. Lauderdale Campus Of Nova Southeastern University, Alexandra M. Lens

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

Eumaeus atala is an endangered tropical butterfly native to the Caribbean and some parts of Florida, USA. Following population reductions primarily due to habitat loss, E. atala populations are now increasing due to conservation efforts of its cycad host plants, especially Zamia integrifolia (coontie). The purpose of this study was to observe, document, and measure the population of wild E. atala on the Ft. Lauderdale, Florida campus of Nova Southeastern University where landscaping use of host plants supports a natural population of E. atala. Forty-four host plants located in two different sites were observed for 14 weeks. One site …

Effects Of Varying Heat Indexes On Habitat Utilization And Behavior On Captive Red-Ruffed Lemurs (Varecia Rubra), Jeffrey Gammon

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

The two captive red-ruffed lemurs (Varecia rubra) at the Central Florida Zoo experienced a more temperate climate and utilized a differing habitat than they would in their native range, Madagascar. Proper management of the species in captivity is crucial for its long-term survival as they are critically endangered. Over a four month period, heat index temperature, lemur behavior, and habitat utilization data were collected via an instantaneous scan sample. Variables were analyzed to characterize how variations in heat index alter habitat utilization and behavior of the captive lemurs. As the heat index increased, habitat use became more restricted …

Turtles Of The Early Pleistocene Santa Fe River 1b Locality, Dennis Parmley, Robert Chandler, Linda Chandler

Georgia Journal of Science

The early Pleistocene (ca. 2.588–1.806 Ma) Santa Fe River 1B fossil site (SF1B) of Gilchrist County, Florida has yielded turtle fossils representing nine genera and at least 10 species. Of these, at least six genera are aquatic turtles (Macrochelys and/or Chelydra, Apalone, Trachemys, Pseudemys, Sternotherus, and Kinosternon) and three are terrestrial (Hesperotestudo, Gopherus, and Terrapene). Hesperotestudo and an undescribed cf. Trachemys are the only extinct turtles identified in the paleoherpetofauna. Overall, the generic composition of the turtle fauna is predominantly modern and indicative of the southeastern United States today.

Distribution And Abundance Of Introduced Fishes In Florida's Charlotte Harbor Estuary, Charles F. Idelberger, Christopher J. Stafford, Sarah E. Erickson

Gulf and Caribbean Research

A growing number of non-native fishes have been introduced into Florida waters in recent years, yet little information has been available on their distribution and abundance in southwest Florida. The ichthyofauna of the Charlotte Harbor estuary, Florida, was intensively sampled from 1989 through 2007. We collected eight introduced fish taxa: African jewelfish (Hemichromis letourneuxi), blue tilapia (Oreochromis aureus), brown hoplo (Hoplosternum littorale), grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), Mayan cichlid (Cichlasoma urophthalmus), sailfin catfishes (Pterygoplichthys spp.), spotted tilapia (Tilapia mariae), and walking catfish (Clarias batrachus). These fishes …

Seagrass Distribution In The Pensacola Bay System, Northwest Florida, Michael A. Lewis, Richard Devereux, Pete Bourgeois

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Aerial surveys of seagrass coverage in the Pensacola Bay system (PBS) have been conducted during 1960, 1980, 1992 and 2003. This report summarizes the results for the 2003 survey and compares the results to those previously reported for other surveys. The estimated coverage of seagrass for the PBS during 2003 was 1,654 ha. Continuous and patchy coverages ranged from 0 to 684 ha and 11 to 543 ha, respectively, for five PBS subsystems. In 2003, the majority of seagrass coverage occurred in Santa Rosa Sound (76%). Declines in total coverage occurred for East Bay (93%) and Escambia Bay (75%) whereas …

Habitat Use By Juvenile Gag, Mycteroperca Microlepis (Pisces: Serranidae), In Subtropical Charlotte Harbor, Florida (Usa), J. Patrick Casey, Gregg R. Poulakis, Philip W. Stevens

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Estuaries play a key role in the juvenile stage of gag (Myeteroperca microlepis). The use of estuarine habitats by juvenlle gag has been examined in temperate estuaries, which are at the northern limits of the range of this species, but the importance of subtropical estuaries during the early life history of this species has not been studied extensively. Gag were collected in subtropical Charlotte Harbor, Florida, during routine monthiy sampling from January 1996 to Decemher 2002. Juvenlle gag were collected using a 21.3-m seine, a 183-m haul seine, and a 183-m purse seine. A total of 738 individuals …

Benthic Nutrient Flux In A Small Estuary In Northwestern Florida (Usa), Guy T. Didonato, Emile M. Lores, Michael C. Murrell, Lisa M. Smith, Jane M. Caffrey

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Benthic nutrient fluxes of ammonium (NH₄⁺), nitrite/nitrate (NO₂^- + NO₃^-), phosphate (PO₄^-3), and dissolved silica (DSi) were measured in Escambia Bay, an estuary within the larger Pensacola Bay system of northwestern Florida (USA). Our study occurred during a severe drought which reduced riverine inputs to Escambia Bay. Laboratory incubations of field-collected cores were conducted on 8 dates between June and October 2000 to estimate nutrient flux, and cores were collected from locations exhibiting a range of sediment organic matter content. NH₄⁺ flux ranged from – 48.1 to …

Feeding Habits Of Common Snook, Centropomus Undecimalis, In Charlotte Harbor, Florida, David A. Blewett, Rebecca A. Hensley, Philip W. Stevens

Gulf and Caribbean Research

We examined the feeding habits, ontogenetic and seasonal diet variations, and predator size–prey size relationships of common snook, Centropomus undecimalis, in Charlotte Harbor, Florida, through stomach contents analysis. A total of 694 stomachs were extracted from common snook (300–882 mm standard length [SL]) during a 24-month period (March 2000–February 2002); 432 stomachs contained prey items. At least 37 prey taxa were identified, including 19 that had not been previously reported. Fishes made up 71% of the prey by number and 90% by weight. Three prey items made up almost 50% of the diet numerically—Lagodon rhomboides, Anchoa spp., …

Distribution Of Myodocopid Ostracods In Tampa Bay, Florida, And Association With Abiotic Variables, Stephen A. Grabe

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Myodocopid ostracods were identified from > 600 benthic samples collected from Tampa Bay, Florida, during 1995 to 2001, as part of an annual synoptic survey of the benthos. At least 24 taxa were present. Parasterope pollex was the most abundant (76%) and most frequently collected (48%) species; Rutiderma darbyi (28%) and Eusarsiella disparalis (16%) were the next most frequently collected species. Logistic regression and “center of abundance” calculations were used to identify habitat “preferences” for the most frequently occurring species. With the exception of P. pollex, these were more likely to occur in coarser sediments, in more saline waters, and at …

First Report Of The Mayan Cichlid, Cichlasoma Urophthalmus (Günther 1862) Collected In The Southern Littoral Zone Of Lake Okeechobee, Florida, Wilfredo A. Matamoros, Keith D. Chin, Bruce Sharfstein

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Here we report the collection of five juvenile Mayan cichlids in Lake Okeechobee, a large, shallow subtropical lake (26°60'N, 80°50'W). These specimens were collected on 4 and 10 November 2003 in the southern littoral zone of Lake Okeechobee at a site off the southwest tip of Torry Island (26°42'N, 80°44'W). The lake stage of this densely vegetated area is highly variable. Nico (in press) reported a single collection of 16 juvenile Mayan cichlids in 2001 from a backwater area in the rim-canal along the NE portion of Lake Okeechobee; an area that is hydrologically isolated from the lake proper, except …

Spatial Patterns Of Estuarine Habitat Type Use And Temporal Patterns In Abundance Of Juvenile Permit, Trachinotus Falcatus, In Charlotte Harbor, Florida, Aaron J. Adams, David A. Blewett

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The life history of many marine fishes is a 2-phase cycle: juveniles and adults make up a demersal phase, whereas larvae are planktonic. Determining ontogenetic patterns of habitat type use of the demersal phase has important management and habitat conservation implications for species that use coastal habitat types as juveniles. Juvenile permit, Trachinotus falcatus, are presumed to be limited to beaches exposed to open ocean, but few studies have addressed juvenile permit use of estuarine habitat types. Ten years of fisheries-independent monitoring data from a subtropical estuary were analyzed to determine habitat type use patterns and seasonality of juvenile …

Range Extensions And Review Of The Caprellid Amphipods (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Caprellidae) From The Shallow, Coastal Waters From The Suwanee River, Florida, To Port Aransas, Texas, With An Illustrated Key, John M. Foster, Brent P. Thoma, Richard W. Heard

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Eight species of the amphipod family Caprellidae sensu Myers and Lowry, 2003 are currently known to occur in the shallow, near shore waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM), from the Suwannee River, Florida, to Port Aransas, Texas, and to depths of 10 m. They include: Phtisica marina, Hemiaegina minuta, Paracaprella pusilla, Paracaprella tenuis, Deutella incerta, Caprella equilibra, Caprella penantis, and Caprella scaura. Another species, Caprella andreae, is also suspected to occur in this region due to its close association with sea turtles, which nest on the sand beaches of …

Hydrobiid Snails (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Rissooidea) From St. Andrew Bay, Florida, Richard W. Heard, Robin M. Overstreet, John M. Foster

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Heleobops sp. of Hershler and Thompson appears to be the only previously published record for the gastropod family Hydrobiidae Troschel in tidal waters of the St. Andrew Bay System, Florida. Six species occurred in bayous, marshes, and brackish ponds associated with the System during studies conducted between 1984 and 1999: Texadina barretti (Morrison), Texadina sphinctostoma Abbott and Ladd, Littoridinops monroensis (Frauenfeld), Littoridinops palustris Thompson, Onobops jacksoni (Bartsch), and Heleobops sp. A. The last is an apparently undescribed species closely related to Heleobops carrikeri Davis and McKee. Based in part on this study, Heleobops sp. A, which occurs in brackish habitats …

Spatial And Temporal Variability In Zooplankton Community Dynamics In Three Urbanized Bayous Of The Pensacola Bay System, Florida, Usa, Emile M. Lores, Michael A. Lewis, Ziad A. Malaeb

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Spatial and temporal patterns in zooplankton community composition and abundance in coastal areas of the Gulf of Mexico are not well understood. Spatial and temporal differences in zooplankton community composition and abundance from 10 stations located in four sites are presented (Pensacola Bay and Bayou Texar, Bayou Chico, and Bayou Grande, three adjacent mesohaline-tidal bayous affected by urban and industrial development). Statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) were found in log-biovolume among sites. The mean biovolume of zooplankton was highest in Pensacola Bay (0.38 ml m^-3) followed by Bayou Grande (0.21 ml m^-3), Bayou Chico (0.14 ml m^-3), and Bayou Texar (0.06 ml m^-3). Mean zooplankton abundances (organisms m^-3) in Pensacola …

An Annotated Checklist And Key To Hermit Crabs Of Tampa Bay, Florida, And Surrounding Waters, Karen M. Strasser, W. Wayne Price

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Fourteen species of hermit crabs, belonging to 5 genera, were identified from 35 stations in Tampa Bay and adjacent continental shelf waters. Ninety-two samples were taken from the intertidal zone to 15 m with a variety of gear including dip nets, trawls, dredges, and hand collections using SCUBA. Pagurus maclaughlinae, Pagurus longicarpus, and Pagurus pollicaris were distributed throughout the bay. These species were often sympatric, and were commonly found in seagrass beds, sandy substrates, and sand/mud substrates, respectively. Clibanarius vittatus, Pagurus gymnodactylus, and Pagurus stimpsoni inhabited the higher salinity waters of the bay entrance. Paguristes sp., …

Eleven New Species Of Free-Living Marine Nematodes, Edwin J. Keppner

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The genus Halalaimus is reviewed and divided into four groups based on characters of the male. Characters used to separate the groups of males include presence or absence of caudal algae and the presence or absence of a precloacal sensillum and/or pore. Ten new species are described from St. Andrew Bay, Bay County, Florida, and H. gerlachi n. sp. is proposed for H. gracilis sensu GerIach, 1967. New species from St. Andrew Bay are H. thalassinus, H. tarjani, H. bayensis, H. bulbocaudatus, H. variabilis, H. paracomatus, H. americanus, H. floridanus, H. brimi, …

Haustorius Jayneae, A New Species Of Haustoriid Amphipod From The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, With Notes On Its Ecology At Panama City Beach, Florida U.S.A., John M. Foster, Sara E. Lecroy

Gulf and Caribbean Research

A new species of sand-burrowing amphipod, Haustorius jayneae, is described from the swash zone and shallow subtidal sands along the north Florida and Mississippi Gulf coasts. It is most similar to H. canadensis from the American Atlantic coast, differing primarily in the presence of a distinct anterodistal spinous lobe on pereopod 6, article 5; a longer row of distal marginal spines on pereopod 7, article 4; and fewer proximal spines on the peduncle of uropod 1. A revised key to the known species of Haustorius is included and information on the ecology of H. jayneae n. sp. at Panama …

The Use Of The Scanning Electron Microscope In Studying The Heat Treatment Of Prehistoric Lithic Artifacts From The North Florida Weeden Island Period Mckeithen Site, G. Michael Johnson

Scanning Electron Microscopy

In this paper, I discuss a study in which I attempted to determine whether or not the inhabitants of the McKeithen site, a Weeden Island Period mound and village complex in what is today northern Florida, employed heat treatment as part of their lithic reduction technology, and if so, at what point in the reduction sequence it was conducted. I used a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to photograph raw and heat treated control samples of northern Florida chert, then debitage and tools of chert and silicified coral from the McKeithen site which represented the range of colors and luster present …

Spatial Influences On Temporal Variations In Leaf Growth And Chemical Composition Of Thalassia Testudinum Banks Ex König In Tampa Bay, Florida, Michael J. Durako, Mark D. Moffler

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The importance of spatial influences on seasonal fluctuations in Thalassia testudinum leaf blade lengths and chemical constituents was demonstrated. Differences between samples from fringe and mid-bed for several constituents were significant and, if not accounted for, could affect the measurement of apparent seasonal cycles. Fringe-shoots, reflecting the influence of more intense grazing activity, had shorter leaf blade lengths, lower dry weights and carbohydrate levels, and higher protein levels than mid-bed shoots. Mid-bed rhizomes and roots had highest protein and ash levels reflecting possible sediment influence. Percent ash and protein in the rhizomes, and percent carbohydrate in the roots exhibited seasonal …

Discovery Of The Carolina Marsh Clam, Polymesoda Caroliniana (Bosc), A Supposed Florida Disjunct Species, In Everglades National Park, Florida, D.C. Tabb, D.R. Moore

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The presence of disjunct species of animals on either side of the Florida peninsula has been reported by a number of authors. The littorinid mollusk, Littorina irrorata Say, which has a range from Massachusetts to the Rio Grande of Texas, except for south Florida, is one such species (Bequaert 1943). The marsh crab, Sesarma cinereum (Bosc), is another example of an animal with a distribution from Virginia to the western Gulf of Campeche except for a break in southern Florida (Rathbun, 1918). Williams (1965) lists 23 species of crustaceans having interrupted distribution at the Florida peninsula. This report on discovery …

Oyster Abundance In Apalachicola Bay, Florida In Relation To Biotic Associations Influenced By Salinity And Other Factors, R.W. Menzel, N.C. Hulings, R.R. Hathaway

Gulf and Caribbean Research

From June 1955 through May 1957, stations on three oyster reefs were sampled quantitatively at intervals and all oysters and associated macroscopic organisms were recorded per unit area. Station I was a privately leased “natural” reef, consisting of higher places exposed at low water, with a salinity range of 22.7-36.6 o/oo and was fairly productive. Station II, depth ca. two meters, was the least saline, range 1.2-29.3 o/oo, and was considered very productive for natural reef. Station III, depth one meter, salinity range 7.5-35.7 o/oo, was depleted although there was an abundant spatfall.

Depth and bottom types as well as …

A Biological Investigation Of The Caloosahatchee Estuary Of Florida, Gordon Gunter, Gordon E. Hall

Gulf and Caribbean Research

A biological sampling program in the lower Caloosahatchee River and Estuary by District and consultant biologists was authorized by the Office, Chief of Engineers on 7 May 1957. This survey of the effects of Lake Okeechobee discharge and local runoff through the Caloosahatchee River on the fishes and animals of this Gulf estuary was a continuation of a previously authorized study of Lake releases to the Atlantic Coast (Gunter, 1959).

Scope and purpose of this work was to: (a) Review the history of the Caloosahatchee River and analyze the problems concerned with discharges into the Estuary; (b) present biological data …

Biological Investigations Of The St. Lucie Estuary (Florida) In Connection With Lake Okeechobee Discharges Through The St. Lucie Canal, Gordon Gunter, Gordon E. Hall

Gulf and Caribbean Research

A survey of the turbidity, salinity and sediment effects of St. Lucie Canal discharge into the St. Lucie Estuary was authorized by the Chief of Engineers on May 9, 1955. Expansion of that program to include the work of the present biological investigation was authorized by the Chief of Engineers on June 12, 1956.

The scope and purpose of this biological work was to: (a) review the history of the St. Lucie Canal and analyze the problems concerned with discharges of fresh water into the St. Lucie Estuary: (b) present biological data from a 2-year investigation of estuarine conditions, January …