Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Keyword
-
- Coral (5)
- Acropora cervicornis (3)
- Acropora (2)
- Coral reefs (2)
- Disease (2)
-
- Growth (2)
- Invasion (2)
- Microbiome (2)
- Settlement (2)
- Acclimation (1)
- Acropora palmata (1)
- Acropora prolifera (1)
- Allee effect (1)
- Asexual reproduction (1)
- Bathymetry (1)
- Bathypelagic (1)
- Bioindicators (1)
- Broadcast spawner (1)
- Broward County (1)
- CCA (1)
- Cadmium (1)
- Campylobacter (1)
- Carbonate Geology (1)
- Caribbean (1)
- City of Miami Beach (1)
- Coastal Flooding (1)
- Community Ecology (1)
- Computational fluid dynamics (1)
- Connectivity (1)
- Conservation (1)
Articles 1 - 30 of 31
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Species Richness, Diversity, And Abundance Of Sponge Communities In Broward County, Florida, 2000-2015, Jessica Price
Species Richness, Diversity, And Abundance Of Sponge Communities In Broward County, Florida, 2000-2015, Jessica Price
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
Sponges (Porifera) are a major component of coral reef ecosystems. They outnumber coral species on the Florida Reef Tract, and in places, account for more living cover. Because coral reefs are a vital part of Florida’s economy, it is important to understand how local sponge assemblages vary spatially and temporally, especially as corals continue to decline. However, long-term observations of sponge assemblages (species richness, diversity and abundance) are lacking. To address this, annual photoquadrats were analyzed from a series of 25 sites off Broward County between 2000 and 2015. Variations in sponge assemblages were then compared to several natural and …
Peruvian Pinnipeds As Archivists Of Enso Effects, Mickie Rae Edwards
Peruvian Pinnipeds As Archivists Of Enso Effects, Mickie Rae Edwards
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
Environmental fluctuations in the eastern Pacific Ocean are reflected in the tissues of some of its most vulnerable apex predators, the Peruvian fur seal (PFS) Arctocephalus australis ssp.and the South American sea lion (SASL) Otaria byronia.These large pinnipeds live in sympatry along the Pacific coastline of South America and forage within the neritic waters over the continental shelf. The coastal waters off Peru are a region of great environmental fluctuations due to periodic, oscillating El Niño- La Niña- Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events, which result in ecosystem-wide food web changes. Pinniped vibrissae (whiskers) are continuously growing keratinous tissues and …
Ecophysiology Of Lionfish Metabolic And Visual Systems: Are There Physiological Limits To Inshore Invasion?, Aaron Hasenei
Ecophysiology Of Lionfish Metabolic And Visual Systems: Are There Physiological Limits To Inshore Invasion?, Aaron Hasenei
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
Lionfish (Pterois spp.), an invasive species native to the Indo-Pacific, have permanently established themselves throughout the greater Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and regions of the Western Atlantic ranging from as far north as North Carolina to central Brazil. As their fundamental range expands, lionfish threaten to migrate into estuarine environments as they have been found to tolerate low salinities and an eclectic range of temperatures. The physiological capacity of invasion was assessed by quantifying the visual ecology of lionfish utilizing corneal electroretinography (ERG) as well as their metabolic scope and hypoxia tolerances under various temperature-oxygen-regimes utilizing intermittent-flow respirometry. Seasonal …
Indirect Effects Of Ocean Warming And Acidification On The Realized Recruitment Of Agaricia Agaricites, Allan Anderson
Indirect Effects Of Ocean Warming And Acidification On The Realized Recruitment Of Agaricia Agaricites, Allan Anderson
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
Over the past few decades, coral cover has declined worldwide due to overfishing, disease, and storms, and these effects have been exacerbated by ocean warming and acidification. Corals are extremely susceptible to these changes because they are already living close to their thermal and aragonite saturation thresholds. Ocean warming and acidification (OAW) may also impact coral survival and growth by impacting their settlement cues. Coral larvae use crustose coralline algae (CCA) and their associated biofilms as cues for settlement, i.e., habitat selection. Settlement cues can also be negatively affected by increased water temperature and acidity. It was hypothesized that the …
Turbulent And Electromagnetic Signature Of Small- And Fine-Scale Biological And Oceanographic Processes, Cayla Whitney Dean
Turbulent And Electromagnetic Signature Of Small- And Fine-Scale Biological And Oceanographic Processes, Cayla Whitney Dean
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
Small- and fine-scale biological and oceanographic processes may have a measurable electromagnetic signature. These types of processes inherently involve turbulence and three-dimensional dynamics. Traditional models of the electromagnetic signature of oceanographic processes are of an analytical nature, do not account for three-dimensional boundary layer dynamics or turbulence, self-inductance, and may not describe the variety of the environmental conditions occurring in the ocean. In order to address this problem, I have implemented magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools, which has allowed for the evaluation of the electromagnetic signature of a number of small- and fine-scale biological and oceanographic processes in …
Optimization Of Light Irradiance During The Early Life Of Sexually-Produced Porites Astreoides And Agaricia Agaricites Recruits, Nicholas J. Mcmahon
Optimization Of Light Irradiance During The Early Life Of Sexually-Produced Porites Astreoides And Agaricia Agaricites Recruits, Nicholas J. Mcmahon
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
Current solutions of coral restoration rely mainly on fragmentation. Though a reliable technique, this asexual form of reproduction does not benefit the genetic diversity of the coral reef. With many global and local stressors threatening corals’ existence, the resiliency of corals to future ocean conditions depends highly on sexual reproduction to produce new genotypes. New technology allows coral spawning/larval release, larval settlement and rearing to be carried out in an aquarium system. Many of the techniques necessary to maintain coral recruits are well-established, however the effects of light intensity remain to be studied for these early life stages. Newly …
Uncovering The Role Of Propagule Pressure In Determining Establishment Success Using A Synthetic Biology Approach, Michael D. Dressler
Uncovering The Role Of Propagule Pressure In Determining Establishment Success Using A Synthetic Biology Approach, Michael D. Dressler
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
The spread of invasive species poses a major ecological and economical threat. Consequently there are ongoing efforts to develop a generalizable mechanism to predict establishment success of non-native species. One proposed mechanism to predict establishment success is propagule pressure, which is defined as the number of individuals introduced at a given time. Although some studies have demonstrated a positive correlation between propagule pressure and establishment success, others have not, and the effect of propagule pressure on establishment success remains unclear. To address this challenge, a strain of bacteria engineered with an Allee effect, a growth dynamic that is often associated …
Microbiome Diversity Of Coastal Tidal Floodwater In Southeastern Florida, Marissa Wickes
Microbiome Diversity Of Coastal Tidal Floodwater In Southeastern Florida, Marissa Wickes
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
Over 3.7 million people are in high risk of coastal flooding and live within 1 mile of high tide in the US alone. The Atlantic coast is one of the most vulnerable areas due to its low elevation, large population, and economic importance (Bray, et. al, 2016). Coastal municipalities in the region of Southeast Florida, such as the cities of Miami, Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale, etc., are at especial risk from coastal flooding related to sea level rise. The US National Climate Assessment has named Miami, Florida as the economically most vulnerable city impacted by this sea level rise …
Population Dynamics And Genotypic Richness Of The Threatened Acropora Spp. And Their Hybrid In The U.S. Virgin Islands, Hannah F. Nylander-Asplin
Population Dynamics And Genotypic Richness Of The Threatened Acropora Spp. And Their Hybrid In The U.S. Virgin Islands, Hannah F. Nylander-Asplin
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
Since the 1980’s, there has been an unprecedented decline in the reef-building Caribbean corals, Acropora cervicornis and A. palmata, which has led to their listing as “threatened” under the U.S Endangered Species Act. Despite this protective status, these Acropora species continue to experience declines primarily attributed to disease, global climate change, and storm damage. Recent evidence suggests the hybrid of these threatened species (A. prolifera) is found at abundances similar to or higher than the parental species at many sites throughout the Caribbean. However, there is still much that is unknown as to how and why hybrids may …
Early Life History Response Of Reef Building Coral, Orbicella Faveolata, To Ocean Acidification And Warming, Kelly A. Pitts
Early Life History Response Of Reef Building Coral, Orbicella Faveolata, To Ocean Acidification And Warming, Kelly A. Pitts
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
Ocean warming and acidification pose major threats to coral reef organisms. It is unknown how the early life history stages of Atlantic corals cope with the combined effects of these two global environmental stressors. Here, I investigate how these stressors influence the fertilization success, larval survivorship, and settlement of the threatened Atlantic coral, Orbicella faveolata. Gametes from O. faveolata were subjected to a factorial combination of present and future scenarios of oceanic temperatures (28.5° C and 30° C) and pH (8.2 and 8.0) predicted to occur by 2050. Results indicate that treatment type did not significantly affect fertilization success. …
The Assemblage Structure And Trophic Ecology Of A Deep-Pelagic Fish Family (Platytroctidae) In The Gulf Of Mexico, Michael Novotny
The Assemblage Structure And Trophic Ecology Of A Deep-Pelagic Fish Family (Platytroctidae) In The Gulf Of Mexico, Michael Novotny
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
Members of the family Platytroctidae (tubeshoulders) are found throughout the meso- and bathypelagic waters of the World Ocean. Due to the lack of specimens collected globally, this taxon has received little attention, despite recent evidence suggesting its predominance in the bathypelagic biome. Prior to this study, only four species had been reported in the Gulf of Mexico’s (GoM) highly diverse deep-pelagic ecosystem. An extensive meso- and bathypelagic trawl series in the GoM allowed a detailed examination of this family, which included analyses of species composition, abundance, vertical distribution, sex ratios, and trophic ecology. A total of 16 species were collected, …
Environmental Controls On Depositional Patterns Of Isolated Carbonate Platforms, Jeremy M. Kerr
Environmental Controls On Depositional Patterns Of Isolated Carbonate Platforms, Jeremy M. Kerr
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
This dissertation explores the influence of the environment on the lateral spatial patterning of facies in modern isolated carbonate platforms through six studies. The first study describes the creation of a database of benthic habitat and bathymetric maps derived from multispectral satellite imagery and the field data used calibrate and validate the mapping algorithms. The second study develops and assesses a new approach for remotely-deriving water depth from multispectral satellite imagery without the need for ground-truth information. The third study identifies a criterion for distinguishing between facies belts and mosaics and deploys the criterion to investigate the co-occurrence of these …
Genomic Analysis Of Acropora Cervicornis Mucus And Sediments In The Florida Keys Tavernier Nursery, Rachel Zimmerman
Genomic Analysis Of Acropora Cervicornis Mucus And Sediments In The Florida Keys Tavernier Nursery, Rachel Zimmerman
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
White Band disease has devastated the staghorn coral Acropora cervicornis in recent decades, and it continues to impinge upon restoration efforts. The etiological agent(s) remain unknown as Koch’s postulates have yet to be satisfied, but disease may originate when opportunistic pathogens in the surface mucus layer exploit a stressed host. Using 16s rRNA sequencing, differences in the taxonomic diversity and relative abundances of bacteria within the mucus of A. cervicornis were documented between colonies of the same genotype, genotypes (n=8) categorized as having either high or low WBD susceptibility, and during a transplantation event. A. cervicornis colonies suspended from midwater …
A Comparison Of Benthic Habitats And Faunas Between The Miami Terrace (Proposed Calypso Pipeline Site) And The Pourtales Terrace (Coral Habitat Of Particular Concern), Laura Dell
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
Quantitative photographs of benthic communities at two northern Miami Terrace sites, originally investigated as part of an environmental impact survey in advance of the proposed Calypso pipeline, and two Pourtalès Terrace sites, investigated as part of an exploration of deep-sea coral and sponge ecosystems (DSCEs) within the Pourtalès Terrace Deep-water Coral Habitat Area of Particular Concern (CHAPC), were reanalyzed and compared for similarities and differences. Both terraces are part of an elongated lithified platform that parallels the southeastern Florida coast at depths averaging between 250 and 450 m. Although both sites have similar geological origins and lie under the Florida …
Spatiotemporal Change In The Benthic Community Of Southeast Florida, Nicholas P. Jones
Spatiotemporal Change In The Benthic Community Of Southeast Florida, Nicholas P. Jones
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
High-latitude reefs have been postulated as refugia, centers for resilience or the first areas to undergo re-organization under climate change. The Southeast Florida Reef Tract (SEFRT) is a high-latitude reef system (>25 °N) running parallel to the highly urbanized coastline of southeast Florida. With a benthic community comprised of a mixture of coral reef associated assemblages, the SEFRT is towards the northern limit of stony coral cover due to temperature constraints. This study analyzed spatial variations in benthic cover, spatiotemporal changes in the benthic community and the impact of spatial and temporal fluctuations in temperature on benthic cover on …
Effects Of Ocean Warming, Sedimentation, And Parental Genotype On The Post-Settlement Survival And Growth Of Acropora Cervicornis Recruits, Jena Robbins
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
Ocean warming and increased sedimentation from coastal activities are major threats to coral persistence. This study assessed the effects of increased temperature and sedimentation on the survival and growth of Acropora cervicornisrecruits. The potential for adults from different regions and genotypes to confer their offspring with higher or lower tolerance to heat and/or sediment was also determined. Gametes were collected and brought to the laboratory for cross fertilization of different genotypes within the regions collected. Larval rearing and settlement were then performed in the laboratory. Newly settled recruits were reared at 29 and 31°C (current summer temperature for August …
Heavy Metal Accumulation In Seagrasses In Southeastern Florida, Erin Smith
Heavy Metal Accumulation In Seagrasses In Southeastern Florida, Erin Smith
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
Seagrass beds are among the most ecologically important systems in the marine environment. They provide the primary production to nearby coral reef and mangrove communities, and seagrasses comprise a large component of the diets of many marine organisms including fishes, small invertebrate species, and many protected species such as manatees and sea turtles. This consumption provides a pathway for many contaminants to enter the marine food web via the seagrasses. The coastal location of seagrass beds causes them to be especially susceptible to anthropogenic pollution, including accumulation of heavy metals, which has been shown to have many adverse health effects …
A Temporal Analysis Of A Deep-Pelagic Crustacean Assemblage (Decapoda: Caridea: Oplophoridae And Pandalidae) In The Gulf Of Mexico After The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Devan Nichols
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
In 2010, the largest oil spill in U.S history occurred off the coast of Louisiana from April 20th to September 19th, when the well was declared officially sealed by the U.S Coast Guard, after releasing more than 4.4 million barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) (McNutt et al., 2012). This spill was unique because it occurred in deep water approximately 1500 m below the ocean surface. Virtually nothing is known about the effects of oil spills on marine life in the deep sea, and there are limited data on mesopelagic and bathypelagic animals …
Ecological Correlates Of Community Structure In Seagrass-Associated Fishes In North Biscayne Bay And Port Of Miami, Florida, Elizabeth F. Colhoun
Ecological Correlates Of Community Structure In Seagrass-Associated Fishes In North Biscayne Bay And Port Of Miami, Florida, Elizabeth F. Colhoun
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
Seagrass habitats are critical habitat for many fish species and are currently threatened by anthropogenic and natural factors, such as coastal development, pollution, global climate change, and sea level rise. There are few studies that have tracked long- term changes in seagrass habitat and their associated fish communities. This project addressed this need using data collected by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) from two South Florida sites, North Biscayne Bay, FL (NBB) and Port of Miami, FL (POM). The USGS sampling was part of ongoing monitoring projects designed to assist future management decisions that would enhance the protection of …
Assessment Of Metals In Tissues Of Marine-Associated Birds In South Florida, Caitlyn A. Nay
Assessment Of Metals In Tissues Of Marine-Associated Birds In South Florida, Caitlyn A. Nay
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
Seabirds – broadly defined as any bird species associated with the marine environment – are exposed to a wide range of environmental contaminants. Vectors of exposure to metal pollution include by external contact, inhalation, and most often ingestion of food and incidental seawater. Seabirds are often considered marine ecosystem bioindicators due to their high trophic position, relatively long lifespan, and wide geographic ranges. We examined the concentration of total mercury (THg), lead (Pb), and cadmium (Cd), in the kidney, liver, breast muscle, and feathers of seven species of juvenile and adult seabirds commonly found in South Florida: brown pelican Pelecanus …
Evaluating The Efficacy Of Using Geomorphology As A Surrogate To Benthic Habitat On The Miami Terrace, Kim D. Smith
Evaluating The Efficacy Of Using Geomorphology As A Surrogate To Benthic Habitat On The Miami Terrace, Kim D. Smith
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
The deep-sea is a vast and relatively sparsely characterized domain. As little as 0.01% of deep-sea benthic habitats have been characterized in detail. Characterizing the distribution of organisms and environmental components of the deep-sea is pivotal to the creation and implementation of successful resource management. Benthic habitat maps are a good method to inventory and characterize deep-sea habitats. Recent advances in technology, such as multibeam sonar and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), have allowed for greater understanding of these ecosystems. As it is difficult and expensive to collect data deep-sea benthic community composition, environmental surrogates of biological data would be economically …
Population Dynamics Of The Threatened Staghorn Coral, Acropora Cervicornis, And The Development Of A Species-Specific Monitoring Protocol, Elizabeth Goergen
Population Dynamics Of The Threatened Staghorn Coral, Acropora Cervicornis, And The Development Of A Species-Specific Monitoring Protocol, Elizabeth Goergen
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
Historically, Acropora cervicornis was found in high densities on many Caribbean, Florida, and Gulf of Mexico reefs. A disease outbreak in the late 1970s and 80s caused up to 99% loss of A. cervicornis cover at some sites, leaving populations sparsely distributed throughout its range and typically found as isolated colonies. Even though populations are depauperate causing a decrease in sexual reproduction, its fast growth rate and ability to reproduce through asexual fragmentation affords this species the potential for quick recovery and population growth. However, limited to no natural recovery has been documented. Many of these populations are poorly studied …
Patterns In Caribbean Coral Spawning, Anna C. Jordan
Patterns In Caribbean Coral Spawning, Anna C. Jordan
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
Most corals worldwide are broadcast spawners that rely on synchronous gamete release for successful fertilization. Spawning synchrony may also decrease the probability of heterospecific fertilization that may produce maladaptive hybrids. Despite the importance of reproductive timing, researchers have only recently begun to collect spawning data across coral species in the Caribbean, but these data remain to be analyzed. This study investigates interannual, seasonal, and environmental patterns that may influence Caribbean scleractinian spawning times. The number of spawning observations varies widely among location and species. Most spawning observations were collected in Florida, Curaçao, and Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. Acropora …
Genetic Population And Evolutionary Dynamics Of The Angel Sharks, Squatina Spp., Cristin Keelin Fitzpatrick
Genetic Population And Evolutionary Dynamics Of The Angel Sharks, Squatina Spp., Cristin Keelin Fitzpatrick
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
Once so abundant as to be called the ‘common’ angelshark, Squatina squatina has been extirpated from nearly the entirety of its historical range, from the eastern North Atlantic, to the Mediterranean Sea [International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List: Critically Endangered]. The angelshark now only occurs in any abundance in the waters surrounding the Canary Islands. I present the first genetic assessment of the angelshark’s population dynamics and diversity from three locations within the Canary Islands archipelago: Gran Canaria, Tenerife, and Lanzarote. Using a suite of individual mitochondrial genome regions [Control region (CR), NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 …
Trophic Ecology And Parasitism Of A Mesopelagic Fish Assemblage, Matthew Woodstock
Trophic Ecology And Parasitism Of A Mesopelagic Fish Assemblage, Matthew Woodstock
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
Mesopelagic (open ocean, 200-1000 m depth) fishes are important consumers of zooplankton and are prey of oceanic predators. Some mesopelagic fishes (e.g., myctophids and stomiids) undertake a diel vertical migration where they ascend to the near-surface waters during the night to feed and descend into the depths during the day to avoid predators. Other mesopelagic fishes (e.g., Sternoptyx spp.) do not vertically migrate and remain at deep depths throughout the day. While in the epipelagic zone (surface – 200 m depth), vertically migrating fishes become prey to upper-trophic level predators, such as: tunas and billfishes. Benthic fishes (e.g., macrourids) often …
Identification And Spatiotemporal Dynamics Of Tuna (Family: Scombridae; Tribe: Thunnini) Early Life Stages In The Oceanic Gulf Of Mexico, Nina Pruzinsky
Identification And Spatiotemporal Dynamics Of Tuna (Family: Scombridae; Tribe: Thunnini) Early Life Stages In The Oceanic Gulf Of Mexico, Nina Pruzinsky
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
Fishes within the family Scombridae (i.e. tunas, mackerels and bonitos) are of high ecological and economic value, as they are heavily targeted by commercial and recreational fisheries. In coastal and open-ocean environments, adults are high-level predators, while larvae and juveniles serve as prey for numerous species. Much is known about the distribution and abundance of adult tunas, but high taxonomic uncertainty and limited knowledge regarding the distributional patterns of larval and juvenile tunas have led to an “operational taxonomic unit” gap in our understanding of tuna ecology. Scombrids were collected across the Gulf of Mexico (GoM, hereafter) during seven research …
Pathogen Transmission Techniques And Genotypic Resistance To Disease In The Threatened Coral, Acropora Cervicornis, Megan Bock
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
Unprecedented population losses of the staghorn coral, Acropora cervicornis, since the 1970s have been attributed primarily to disease. Although a positive linear relationship between disease prevalence and increased water temperature has been described, the pathogen(s) causing disease and whether they are spread through the water or vectors is still poorly understood. Additionally, an increase in disease outbreaks and severity has provided an urgent need to identify natural genotypic resistance to disease in Caribbean acroporids. Studies to date have explored a variety of pathogen transmission methods, but prior to this study, there has been no examination of differences among common techniques. …
The Role Of Ontogenetic Habitat Shifts On The Parasite Communities Of Five South Florida Fishes, Brittany Nicole White
The Role Of Ontogenetic Habitat Shifts On The Parasite Communities Of Five South Florida Fishes, Brittany Nicole White
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
Many reef fishes initially recruit into mangroves, and then migrate out to reef habitats as they grow and mature. Each ontogenetic habitat shift exposes migrants to previously unencountered parasite taxa, potentially increasing parasite species richness and driving changes in parasite community structure. However, studies on this topic rarely attempt to distinguish between the location effects of habitat shifts versus a simple increase in physical size. Therefore we contrasted parasite community richness and structure in Great Barracuda Sphyraena barracuda (N=84), Atlantic Needlefish Strongylura marina (N=49), Crevalle Jack Caranx hippos (N=59), White Mullet Mugil curema (N=90), and Yellow-fin Mojarra Gerres cinnerus (N=60) …
Identifying Disease-Resistant And Thermal-Tolerant Genotypes In The Threatened Staghorn Coral, Acropora Cervicornis, Morgan V. Hightshoe
Identifying Disease-Resistant And Thermal-Tolerant Genotypes In The Threatened Staghorn Coral, Acropora Cervicornis, Morgan V. Hightshoe
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
Since the 1970s, loss of herbivores, coral bleaching, pollution, and disease epidemics have reshaped the ecological framework of coral reefs. Staghorn coral, Acropora cervicornis, was a major reef-building scleractinian coral found throughout Florida and the Caribbean that experienced unprecedented population declines primarily due to disease and coral bleaching. These two stressors are coupled; the highest coral disease prevalence occurs after periods of thermal stress caused by increased sea surface temperature. Previous research documented three disease-resistant A. cervicornis genotypes in Panama, but it is unknown if disease-resistant genotypes exist in the Florida Keys. Thermal tolerance has been found to be …
Age And Growth Of Hogfish (Lachnolaimus Maximus) In Southeast Florida, Ian A. Towne
Age And Growth Of Hogfish (Lachnolaimus Maximus) In Southeast Florida, Ian A. Towne
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
Hogfish (Lachnolaimus maximus; Walbaum 1792) from Southeast Florida were aged using sectioned otoliths and growth rates were calculated using the von Bertalanffy growth equation. The samples were collected from Broward County (n=209); other regions of Southeast Florida (n=18), the Florida Keys (n=35) and Bahamas (n=43). Growth rates were determined for each of these areas and were then compared to previously reported growth rates from other regions including the eastern Gulf of Mexico and Florida Keys. There was significant separation at the 95% confidence level between growth rates from each reagion. The average maximum fork length increased, from the Florida …