Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Discipline
- Institution
Articles 1 - 7 of 7
Full-Text Articles in Marine Biology
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 …
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 …
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 …
Polyp To Population: A Tale Of Two Corals, Christopher T. Fountain
Polyp To Population: A Tale Of Two Corals, Christopher T. Fountain
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Deep-sea corals are of conservation concern in the North Atlantic due to prolonged disturbances associated with the exploitation of natural resources and a changing environment. As a result, the recovery rates of deep-sea coral communities are of heightened interest. These recovery rates are suggested to be on the order of decades to millennia, based on slow growth rates and longevity, of various deep-sea coral species. In 2014 and 2017 two research cruises in the Gulf of Maine, collected samples of two locally dominant species, Primnoa resedaeformis and Paramuricea placomus. These specimen collections were coupled with video surveys, conducted by …
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 …
A Phylogeographic Analysis Of Black Coral (Antipatharia) On Artificial And Natural Reefs In The Northwestern Gulf Of Mexico, Heather Otte
A Phylogeographic Analysis Of Black Coral (Antipatharia) On Artificial And Natural Reefs In The Northwestern Gulf Of Mexico, Heather Otte
Theses and Dissertations
NOAA's Islands in the Stream concept (IitS) of designating networks of marine protected areas as refugia in the Gulf of Mexico depends on genetic connectivity. Isolated habitats like those proposed by the IitS occur naturally off the Texas coast where hard-bottom structures protrude from mudflats, offering a small-scale study of the IitS feasibility. Two sequences, mitochondrial 16S ribosomal RNA and nuclear internal transcribed spacer, were used to build haplotype networks of Antipatharians (Anthozoa: Hexacorallia), corals with planktonic larvae that can act as a proxy for connectivity of other organisms. Two species showed no significant genetic differentiation or pattern of genetic …