Life Sciences Commons^™

Artificially Induced Aggregation Of Fauna And Their Effects On Nutrient Regimes And Primary Producers In An Oligotrophic Subtropical Estuary, Bryan M. Dewsbury

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In order to investigate the role of faunal aggregations in concentrating nutrients in the oligotrophic landscape of Florida Bay, I manipulated faunal densities in Florida Bay sea grass beds by constructing artificial reefs. The effects of reefs and faunal aggregations on nutrient availability and benthic community structure were assessed.

Over a year-long sampling period, artificial reefs had an average population of 50 fishes and crustaceans of various species. Faunal aggregation resulted in significant sediment organic matter decreases and sediment phosphorus increases. Plots with high fauna populations also had shorter seagrass blades presumably due to the effects of grazing. Chlorophyll-a concentrations …

Patterns In Belowground Primary Productivity And Belowground Biomass In Marshes Of The Everglades' Oligohaline Ecotone, Gregory M. Juszli

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study quantified and assessed patterns in belowground primary productivity (BPP) and belowground biomass in Cladium jamaicense marshes of the oligohaline ecotone, a transition zone between the two dominant ecosystems (freshwater marsh and mangrove forest) in the Everglades. A 2x2x2 factorial design was used with transect (Shark River Slough/Taylor Slough), site (estuarine/freshwater), and season (dry/wet) as factors. BPP and belowground biomass were measured using root ingrowth and soil cores, respectively. Across all sites, BPP was significantly greater in the dry season. BPP peaked in Taylor Slough from April-July, the decrease likely due to oxygen saturation in the soil during marsh …

Determining The Physiological Response Of A Subtropical Seagrass, Thalassia Testudinum, To Salinity Stress Using Pulse Amplitude Modulated (Pam) Fluorometry, Dorothy A. Byron

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I investigated how photosynthetic performance of Thalassia testudinum changed along a naturally occurring salinity gradient in Florida Bay, and to laboratory controlled hyper and hypo-osmotic stress. I found significant differences between sites in Florida Bay for yield ratios (Y and F_v/F_m); however, this difference does not seem to be based on the salinity regime, since sites with the greatest salinity range were not significantly different from the site with the lowest salinity range. Laboratory results showed declines in the minimum and maximum fluorescence values after a gradual ramping-up of salinity and after long-term exposure to a …

Wading Bird Foraging Ecology In A Disturbed Mangrove Estuary In Northwest Ecuador : Commercial Shrimp Ponds Vs. Natural Mangrove Mudflats, Michael David Cheek

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I compared wading bird foraging ecology in commercial shrimp ponds and natural mangrove mudflats in the Muisne River Estuary in northwest Ecuador. I estimated foraging habitat suitability by observing the foraging efficiency, diet, and behavior of great (Ardea alba) and snowy (Egretta thula) egrets, censusing birds, and measuring prey availability (i.e. prey density, standing crop, water depth, and diversity). Great egrets had greater foraging efficiency in shrimp ponds, while snowy egret foraging efficiency was greater on mudflats. Over 85% of prey items in snowy egret boluses were from shrimp ponds. Mean density, standing crop, length, and …

Spatial Distribution Of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation In The Shark River Estuary And Implications For Understanding Movement And Feeding Patterns Of Manatees (Trichechus Manatus Latirostris), Virginia C. Cornett

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this study were to 1) characterize the distribution of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in the Shark River Estuary, 2) determine water quality parameters driving distribution of SAV, 3) document the stable isotopic and elemental content of potential food sources for manatees, and 4) explore the utility of natural variability in isotope ratios of SAV in determining feeding patterns of manatees using isotopic compositions of manatee hairs as analytical tools. The marine/freshwater interface of the estuary was found to be the main factor driving SAV distribution. δ¹³C of manatee hairs showed significant differences between captive (mean …

The Development Of Molecular Markers For Use Across All Plant Species Using Expressed Sequence Tags, Stephanie Douglas

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There are over a half a million plant species on earth, and we use them in virtually every aspect of our lives. Little or no genomic information exists about the vast majority of these plants. This study investigated the use of Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs) to locate highly conserved sequences from which to design a set of universal molecular markers for all plant species. Plant species for this study were chosen to representative of the plant kingdom. This was done by sampling several individuals of at least one species from all of the major terrestrial plant groups.

Conserved sequences are …

Epidemiology Of Recreational Exposure To Freshwater Cyanobacteria – An International Prospective Cohort Study, Ian Stewart, Penelope M. Webb, Philip J. Schulter, Lora E. Fleming, John W. Burns Jr., Miroslav Gantar, Lorraine C. Backer, Glen R. Shaw

Department of Biological Sciences

Background: Case studies and anecdotal reports have documented a range of acute illnesses associated with exposure to cyanobacteria and their toxins in recreational waters. The epidemiological data to date are limited; we sought to improve on the design of some previously conducted studies in order to facilitate revision and refinement of guidelines for exposure to cyanobacteria in recreational waters. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted to investigate the incidence of acute symptoms in individuals exposed, through recreational activities, to low (cell surface area <2.4 mm2/mL), medium (2.4–12.0 mm2/mL) and high (>12.0 mm2/mL) levels of cyanobacteria in lakes and rivers in southeast Queensland, the central coast area …

Would A Restaurant Menu Item By Any Other Name Taste As Sweet?, Tim Lockyer

Hospitality Review

The purpose of this paper is to examine the use of words on a restaurant menu, and to evaluate the impact that they have on the selection of menu items. The research comprised two distinct parts. First, four focus groups were held examining responses to five menus, each with the same menu items but using different wording. The results from the focus group analysis were used to develop a survey which was more widely distributed. From the focus group it was revealed that the occasion and participants in the dining experience influence the wording for menu item selection. Respondents discussed …

Characteristics Of Surface-Water Flows In The Ridge And Slough Landscape Of Everglades National Park: Implications For Particulate Transport, Lynn Leonard, Alexander L. Croft, Dan Childers, Sherry Mitchell-Bruker, Helena Solo-Gabriele, Michael S. Ross

FCE LTER Journal Articles

Over the last one hundred years, compartmentalization and water management activities have reduced water flow to the ridge and slough landscape of the Everglades. As a result, the once corrugated landscape has become topographically and vegetationally uniform. The focus of this study was to quantify variation in surface flow in the ridge and slough landscape and to relate flow conditions to particulate transport and deposition. Over the 2002–2003 and 2003–2004 wet seasons, surface velocities and particulate accumulation were measured in upper Shark River Slough in Everglades National Park. Landscape characteristics such as elevation, plant density and biomass also were examined …