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Articles 1 - 19 of 19
Full-Text Articles in Marine Biology
Spawning Asynchrony Of The Endangered Acropora Cervicornis: Are Light Pollution And Abnormally Warm Temperatures The Culprits?, Krista Laforest
Spawning Asynchrony Of The Endangered Acropora Cervicornis: Are Light Pollution And Abnormally Warm Temperatures The Culprits?, Krista Laforest
All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations
The persistence of reefs relies on mature corals spawning synchronously to maximize fertilization and produce larvae to replenish local populations. Corals synchronize the release of gametes by responding to temperature, sun, and moon light cycles; however, abnormalities in these patterns can disrupt synchrony. This study is the first to describe regional asynchronous spawning of Acropora cervicornis by quantifying gamete development and spawning times among two reefs, an in situ nursery off Fort Lauderdale, and an in situ nursery in the Florida Keys. While A. cervicornis in the Florida Keys synchronously spawned within the predicted window of 2-5 days after the …
Fishing And Fear Effects Interact To Shape Herbivory On Coral Reefs, Bethany M. Tilton
Fishing And Fear Effects Interact To Shape Herbivory On Coral Reefs, Bethany M. Tilton
All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations
Predation influences animal behavior and shapes ecological structure and function through lethal effects and fear effects. On coral reefs, fear effects can alter the distribution and intensity of herbivory by herbivorous reef fishes. This includes the browsing functional group, which potentially reverses macroalgal phase shifts and promotes reef recovery. Herbivory by multiple functional groups may increase on coral reefs through the use of NTZs (no-take zones) but few studies have examined the extent to which small-scale NTZs (< 0.5 km2) influence fear effects and perceived predator presence on reefs. This study aimed to determine whether fear effects on browsers on …
A Rapid Site Selection Assessment As An Indicator Of Stony Coral Microfragment Outplant Success, John J. Alfirevich
A Rapid Site Selection Assessment As An Indicator Of Stony Coral Microfragment Outplant Success, John J. Alfirevich
All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations
Microfragmentation of massive stony coral species is a technique being utilized to propagate corals asexually to help restore coral reefs. Microfragmentation consists of cutting corals into 3 cm diameter or less fragments, which boosts growth rates. However, in some locations the size of microfragments make them vulnerable to parrotfish predation and benthic overgrowth, reducing survival. As such, a method to identify key site characteristics which promotes microfragment outplant success, particularly one that can be performed quickly across multiple areas is needed. A rapid site assessment conducted prior to microfragment outplanting was performed at 12 randomly selected sites within the Kristin …
Psammocora Stellata Distribution At Devil's Crown, Floreana Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, María José Guarderas Sevilla
Psammocora Stellata Distribution At Devil's Crown, Floreana Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, María José Guarderas Sevilla
All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations
In the Galápagos Archipelago, the free-living nodular coral Psammocora stellata is a common species that does not form reef structures. However, it is a key component of the ecosystem by increasing habitat complexity and, consequently, species diversity. This species experienced a drastic decline in Devil’s Crown channel, Floreana Island, where it disappeared after the 1982-83 El Niño-Southern Oscillation, presumably by displacement of unattached colonies by strong surface waves and currents. This assemblage has now recovered to pre-impact levels. A combination of underwater photoquadrats from 2007 and 2009 and recent (2023) orthomosaics were used to determine changes in coral densities and …
Do Mesopelagic Fish Biomass Patterns Change In Response To Major Oceanographic Features In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico?, Ian M. Areford
Do Mesopelagic Fish Biomass Patterns Change In Response To Major Oceanographic Features In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico?, Ian M. Areford
All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations
In recent years interest in mesopelagic fishes has grown due to their ecological significance and economic potential. A major outstanding question is how the assemblage is potentially structured by mesoscale (10 - 100s km) oceanographic features such as eddies, fronts, and riverine plumes. Mesoscale features are known to influence micronekton and zooplankton’s spatial distributions but data on individual mesopelagic fish species’ responses are limited. The Gulf of Mexico (GoM) is an area of particular interest due to its diverse mesopelagic fish assemblage, its well-defined mesoscale oceanographic features, its history of anthropogenic impacts such as oil spills, and its diverse mesopelagic …
Parasites Versus Predation: The Role Of Chronic And Acute Parasite Exposure In Infection Risk And Anti-Predator Behavior, Delaney Farrell
Parasites Versus Predation: The Role Of Chronic And Acute Parasite Exposure In Infection Risk And Anti-Predator Behavior, Delaney Farrell
All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations
Parasites with complex, multi-host lifecycles often engage in host behavior manipulation to increase transmission between successive hosts. In intermediate fish hosts, previous research has measured increased frequency of conspicuous behaviors, decreased swimming performance, and reduced antipredator behavior, which would collectively increase the fish’s risk of predation. In ecosystems where this type of parasite increased trophic transmission (PITT) occurs, parasites can play a substantial role in food webs. In this study, I investigate how chronic versus acute exposure to the trematode Euhaplorchis sp. A. affects the antipredator behavior of the Gulf killifish Fundulus grandis. Using a fully crossed design, I …
Desperate Larva Or Death Before Dishonor: Can Old Coral Larvae Replenish Degraded Reefs?, Nepsis García Lara
Desperate Larva Or Death Before Dishonor: Can Old Coral Larvae Replenish Degraded Reefs?, Nepsis García Lara
All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations
The recovery of coral populations depends largely on larval recruitment. Coral larvae settle in response to environmental cues that indicate habitat quality. Newly competent larvae typically avoid settling on substrates with high macroalgal cover and sedimentation, and thus might never recruit to degraded reefs, hindering their recovery. What is unknown is if settlement preferences change as larvae age. In the absence of suitable settlement cues, lecithotrophic larvae delay settlement and might do this until either dying (Death Before Dishonor Hypothesis) or becoming less discriminatory and settling regardless of their specific habitat requirements (Desperate Larva Hypothesis). To test these hypotheses in …
A Review Of Endoparasites Found In Order Pelecaniformes And Order Ciconiiformes Birds Of Southeast Florida, Kaya C. Wells
A Review Of Endoparasites Found In Order Pelecaniformes And Order Ciconiiformes Birds Of Southeast Florida, Kaya C. Wells
All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations
The focus of this research was to investigate the parasite diversity for common wading birds from four families, Pelecanidae, Ardeidae, Threskiornithidae and Ciconiidae found in southeast Florida which includes Broward, Monroe, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties. This study also determined gaps in the literature for the selected species. A total of 116 papers were used to create host-parasite and parasite-host checklists for the nineteen wading bird species selected from the four families, twenty-eight of these studies occurred within the state of Florida. Statistical analyses demonstrated strong correlations between the number of papers found for each species and the number of …
Evaluating Post-Release Survival And Distribution Of Juvenile Swordfish (Xiphias Gladius) Caught On Buoy Gear Within The Gulf Of Mexico And The Florida Straits, Cody Rewis
All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations
Buoy gear used to target swordfish (Xiphias gladius) has become an increasingly popular commercial gear type throughout the United States fisheries in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Buoy gear can be defined as a series of independent free-floating gear where each rig consists of at least one floatation device, a vertical mainline, and no more than two hooks. Because of the potential modifications to the component parts and deployment strategies, buoy gear has been hypothesized to decrease bycatch interaction and dead discard numbers by targeting specific depths of swordfish habitat throughout various times of the day. Under the Deepwater …
The Effect Of Water Flow Rates On The Survival And Growth Rates Of Three Caribbean Bouldering Coral Species Juveniles In An Indoor Versus Outdoor Environment, Ian Michael Johnson
The Effect Of Water Flow Rates On The Survival And Growth Rates Of Three Caribbean Bouldering Coral Species Juveniles In An Indoor Versus Outdoor Environment, Ian Michael Johnson
All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations
Coral reefs are vital ecosystems for the world’s oceans and humanity; however, they are threatened by climate change, disease, and local anthropogenic stressors, and need assistance to recover. Traditional reef restoration efforts (fragmentation and outplanting are helping but are limited in effectiveness by not increasing genetic diversity. Ex situ sexual propagation for corals provides new, genetically different coral recruits. However, this process is laborious, expensive and time consuming, especially at the scale required to effectively contribute to the widespread recovery. To lower costs, two key parameters that require optimization to hasten the growth of coral recruits are water flow and …
Heavy Metals Within The Hawaiian Islands Archipelago As Evidenced In The Hawaiian Monk Seal And Their Prey, Yvanna M. Strait
Heavy Metals Within The Hawaiian Islands Archipelago As Evidenced In The Hawaiian Monk Seal And Their Prey, Yvanna M. Strait
All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations
The Hawaiian monk seal (HMS) is an endangered, endemic seal native to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI). During the 21st century, members of the HMS population have established residency within the Main Hawaiian Islands (MHI). This habitat shift may increase exposure of the animals to greater anthropogenic (urban industrialization, agricultural practices, and military activity) and natural (volcanic activity) heavy metal contaminants. Induced coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICPMS) analysis compared 16 heavy metal concentrations in HMS bone segregated by region, age, and sex. In additions, metal concentrations from potential prey items from the southern extent of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands …
Evaluating The Effect Of Symbiodiniacea On Survival, Growth, And Acquisition Of Newly Settled Corals Of Three Caribbean Species, Michael B. Hood
Evaluating The Effect Of Symbiodiniacea On Survival, Growth, And Acquisition Of Newly Settled Corals Of Three Caribbean Species, Michael B. Hood
All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations
Symbiosis between corals and Symbiodiniaceae is critical to coral reef health. However, this mutually beneficial relationship is threatened by a variety of stressors. This study aims to assess if seeding newly settled corals with different species of Symbiodiniaceae promotes differences in survival, growth, and symbiont acquisition in corals. Three reef-building species (Colpophyllia natans, Orbicella faveolata, and Pseudodiploria strigosa) reared in sterile saltwater baths were seeded with one of four Symbiodiniaceae species (Breviolum minutum, Durusdinium trenchii, Fugacium kawagutii, and Symbiodinium microadriaticum). Coral survival, growth, and symbiont acquisition were assessed biweekly during the first two months and monthly …
A Forensic Assessment Of Current Water Quality Using Idexx Techniques In The Himmarshee Canal And New River In Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Catherine Margaret Bilodeau
A Forensic Assessment Of Current Water Quality Using Idexx Techniques In The Himmarshee Canal And New River In Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Catherine Margaret Bilodeau
All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations
Fecal contamination has continued to plague local communities around the United States and the world, especially in highly populated areas like Southern Florida. Newer techniques are beginning to be used to track microbes properly as they are found in waterways. Some more recent techniques in Microbial Source Tracking (MST) use IDEXX kits to detect fecal indicator bacteria (FIB). Two IDEXX kits Colilert-18® which detects total coliforms and Escherichia coli in water or fecal coliforms in wastewater, and Enterolert®, which targets enterococci, were used in the waterways of the Himmarshee Canal and South Fork of the New River …
An Ecological Assessment Of The Deep-Pelagic Fish Genus Cyclothone (Gonostomatidae; Stomiiformes), Possibly The World’S Most Abundant Fishes, In The Gulf Of Mexico, Olivia C. North-Menthonnex
An Ecological Assessment Of The Deep-Pelagic Fish Genus Cyclothone (Gonostomatidae; Stomiiformes), Possibly The World’S Most Abundant Fishes, In The Gulf Of Mexico, Olivia C. North-Menthonnex
All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations
The fish genus Cyclothone is considered the most abundant vertebrate taxon on Earth. Despite this assertion, very few detailed ecological studies of this genus exist for any site in the World Ocean, largely due to the lack of expertise (and willingness) to identify specimens from existing sample sets. This study will provide a species-level description of the abundance, vertical distribution, and size structuring of the genus Cyclothone in the Gulf of Mexico, a hyper-diverse, deep-pelagic ecosystem that is increasingly impacted by anthropogenic disturbances. As the putative most-abundant fishes in the ecosystem, this characterization is critically needed for a holistic understanding …
Exploring Host-Parasite Interactions In The Euhaplorchis Californiensis-Fundulus Parvipinnis System, Bennett J. Perry
Exploring Host-Parasite Interactions In The Euhaplorchis Californiensis-Fundulus Parvipinnis System, Bennett J. Perry
All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations
Parasites with complex life-cycles may alter their intermediate host’s phenotype to increase the chance of successful transmission to their next host. This parasite-induced host modification often occurs in the form of behavioral changes, such as increased frequency of irregular locomotor behaviors (e.g., conspicuous behaviors), particularly in systems where the parasite is transmitted trophically through a predation event. However, most empirical evidence of host behavioral modification by parasites comes from a few model host-parasite systems and are frequently studied following a stressor (e.g., simulated predator attack). One host species studied is the California killifish Fundulus parvipinnis, which is infected by …
Assessing The Dynamics Of The Southeast Florida Shark Community From 2013-2019 Via Catch Per Unit Effort And Stable Isotope Analysis, Alexandra Barth
Assessing The Dynamics Of The Southeast Florida Shark Community From 2013-2019 Via Catch Per Unit Effort And Stable Isotope Analysis, Alexandra Barth
All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations
Sharks, as well as other top predators, are in drastic decline worldwide. As apex and near-apex predators, species such as nurse, lemon, and tiger sharks maintain balanced marine ecosystems by enacting top-down trophic control. However, this cascading effect is diminished with exploitation via commercial and recreational fishing. Sharks are generally long-lived, mature late, have long reproductive cycles, and produce few offspring. Much remains to be learned about the community structure, population trends and conservation statuses of shark populations worldwide. Comprehensive studies on the composition of the shark community in Southeast Florida north of Miami have been limited. This study assessed …
Age And Growth For Three Members Of The Family Gempylidae: Escolar (Lepidocybium Flavobrunnuem), Oilfish (Ruvettus Pretiosus), And Snake Mackerel (Gempylus Serpens), Sydney N. Daniels
Age And Growth For Three Members Of The Family Gempylidae: Escolar (Lepidocybium Flavobrunnuem), Oilfish (Ruvettus Pretiosus), And Snake Mackerel (Gempylus Serpens), Sydney N. Daniels
All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations
Escolar, Lepidocybium flavobrunnuem (Smith, 1849), Oilfish, Ruvettus pretiosus (Cocco, 1829), and Snake Mackerel, Gempylus serpens (Cuvier, 1829) belong to the family Gempylidae and are bycatch of the tuna-targeting pelagic longline fishery. There is limited know life-history information on these mesopelagic fishes, especially regarding growth rates. Age estimates were assigned by counting pairs of increment bands formed on the sagittal otoliths of Escolar (n = 133), Oilfish (n = 49), and Snake Mackerel (n = 46) collected between 2007 and 2022. Marginal increment analyses were used to validate age estimates and periodicity of increment formation, but no significant trends were observed …
The Potential For Top-Down Control Of The Corallivorous Gastropod Coralliophila Galea And Its Effect On Coral Reef Ecosystems, Tanya Y. Kamerman
The Potential For Top-Down Control Of The Corallivorous Gastropod Coralliophila Galea And Its Effect On Coral Reef Ecosystems, Tanya Y. Kamerman
All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations
Corallivores are understood to be ecologically important. However, their effects on reef ecosystems are difficult to distinguish from the multiple anthropogenic stressors currently affecting reefs. The corallivorous muricid snail, Coralliophila galea, has been documented to have a strong negative impact on Caribbean coral reefs, including curtailing reef recovery following other stressors. Although the basic biology of C. galea is relatively well understood, the limited information on its predators prevents a complete understanding of predator-snail-coral relationships, which limits proper protection and conservation of coral reef ecosystems. To determine the impact predators of C. galea have on coral reef ecosystems, I assessed …
Movement, Behavior, And Trophic Ecology Of A Pelagic Predator Guild In The Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean, Ryan Keith Logan
Movement, Behavior, And Trophic Ecology Of A Pelagic Predator Guild In The Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean, Ryan Keith Logan
All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations
Pelagic apex predators exert strong influences on ecological communities, and often support valuable commercial or recreational fisheries worldwide. Yet, due to their rarity and pelagic lifestyle, many species, such as billfishes, have proven particularly difficult to study at resolutions necessary to define dynamics of recovery from fishery interaction, physical interaction with environmental features and prey exploitation, and competitive interactions among other billfish predators. This leads to a paucity of knowledge on billfish ecology and habitat use, and hinders management efforts. With the ever-improving and miniaturization of technology and oceanographic datasets, the ability to define and quantify these interactions of fish …