Marine Biology Commons^™

Common Snook, Centropomus Undecimalis Neurocranium, Olivia Cantalupo, Madelyn Vieth, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Neurocranium from Common Snook, Centropomus undecimalis.

Examining The Relationship Between Stomiiform Fish Morphology And Their Ecological Traits, Mikayla L. Twiss

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Trait-based ecology characterizes individuals’ functional attributes to better understand and predict their interactions with other species and their environments. Utilizing morphological traits to describe functional groups has helped group species with similar ecological niches that are not necessarily taxonomically related. Within the deep-pelagic fishes, the Order Stomiiformes exhibits high morphological and species diversity, and many species undertake diel vertical migration (DVM). While the morphology and behavior of stomiiform fishes have been extensively studied and described through taxonomic assessments, the connection between their form and function regarding their DVM types, morphotypes, and daytime depth distributions is not well known. Here, three …

Vertical And Diel Behavior Patterns Of Adult Lemon Sharks (Negaprion Brevirostris) Around The Southeastern Florida And Western Bahamas Coastal Shelves, Jacquelyne Reuder

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

The lemon shark (Negaprion brevirostris) is a large sub-tropical species found in the western Atlantic Ocean from Virginia to Brazil, including The Bahamas and Caribbean Sea. Previous studies on habitat utilization were conducted on juveniles in The Bahamas, but little is known about vertical depth and temperature preferences of adults. Given the species’ risk to overexploitation and habitat degradation, the IUCN Red List recently listed lemon sharks as Vulnerable. Pop-up satellite archival tags (PSATs) were deployed on lemon sharks (n=7) in 2008 and 2009 off Jupiter, Florida (n=6; two females, four males) and Tiger Beach, Bahamas (n=1; one …

Integrative Revision Of Five Genera Type Species For Zoanthidea To Bridge The Parataxonomy Gap, Jacob Colbert

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Cnidarian order Zoanthidea is a relatively understudied group of invertebrates inhabiting a diverse range of marine habitats. Over/During the last two decades, species descriptions within this order have largely been based on a novel molecular parataxonomic system that relies almost exclusively on DNA barcodes to detect and describe new species. DNA barcodes are short, conserved sequences that are readily compared across taxa and used to detect previously described species. The existing taxonomic system, based on anatomical analysis and the identification of evolutionarily informative characters for phylogenetic inference, has been recently replaced by molecular parataxonomy by some scientists/researchers. While molecular sequence …

Quantifying The Toxicological Effects Of The Organic Uv Filters Avobenzone And Homosalate On Acropora Cervicornis, Samantha F. Buckley

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Reports of the environmental effects of organic UV filters such as oxybenzone have led to the marketing of “reef-safe” sunscreen ingredients, including avobenzone and homosalate. Avobenzone provides broad-spectrum UV protection which blocks higher wavelength UV rays, the leading cause of aging and skin cancer. However, as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organic UV filters have similar structures to crude oil and estrogens, some of which have been labeled endocrine disrupters. Common in personal care products, UV filters enter marine ecosystems via wastewater effluent and swimmers. Significant stress and mortality have been observed in juvenile and some adult scleractinian corals after exposure …

Toxicity And Effectiveness Of A New Two-Part Underwater Adhesive For Coral Restoration, Matthew Rojano

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

As coral cover decreases around the world due to disease, bleaching events, and anthropogenic effects, coral restoration projects become increasingly important. A crucial part of many coral restoration projects is the attachment of corals to substrates in nurseries or reef substrates during outplanting. The effective anchoring of transplants is a critical phase in coral restoration and the adhesive used for attachment is crucial. Commonly used adhesives have several drawbacks: there are long mixing times, low substrate adhesion, and lengthy hardening times. To address these issues and provide an effective alternative for coral restoration activities, a new two-part Mixed Adhesive was …

Ship Groundings And Boulder Deployment: A Study On Restoration Of Ship Grounding Sites In The Kristin Jacobs Coral Reef Ecosystem Conservation Area, Shane Wever

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Coral reefs are widely regarded as one of the world’s most important ecosystems. These ecosystems have been in a state of rapid decline worldwide due to chronic stressors and acute disturbances. Ship groundings on coral reefs are one of the most destructive acute disturbances, damaging both the biological community and the underlying reef framework. Once disturbed, these reef ecosystems often require restoration to promote recovery. Southeast Florida is home to an extensive high latitude reef system located near a highly developed and densely populated coast. In 2006, two large commercial vessels, the Spar Orion and Clipper Lasco, grounded north of …

Larval Ecology Of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus Thynnus): New Insights From Otolith Microstructure, Biotic, And Abiotic Analyses From The Gulf Of Mexico And Mediterranean Sea, Estrella Malca

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Atlantic bluefin tuna (ABT), Thunnus thynnus, spawn in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) and the Mediterranean Sea (MED). Spawning occurs within narrow temporal and environmental parameters. Efforts to characterize growth of ABT in wild conditions revealed a wide range of growth variability during the early life stages. This series of studies examined potential biotic and abiotic influences of larval growth from seven ABT cohorts, and identified several key drivers of growth for this commercially valuable species. A detailed investigation of larval dynamics using otolith microstructure was conducted as follows. First, companion growth curves and stable isotope analysis from the same …

Assessing Broad-Scale Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease Intervention Activities In Southeast Florida, Usa, Kathryn Toth

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Reef-building corals are crucial to the long-term existence of Caribbean coral reef ecosystems, providing both direct and indirect, local and global, ecological, economic, and social benefits. Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) is endemic in southeast Florida first appearing in 2014 and present in 2022. Effective in situ disease intervention treatments using antibiotic paste stop disease progression ~ 90% of the time. Between May 2019 and April 2022, 1,037 corals, >85% of which were Montastraea cavernosa, were treated during disease intervention dives in southeast Florida. This study investigated intervention activities over three years in an effort to make them more …

Caribbean Reef-Building Coral-Symbiodiniaceae Network: Identifying Symbioses Critical For System Stability In A Changing Climate, Shaman Patel

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Increasing global ocean temperatures and frequency of marine heatwaves pose dire consequences for coral reefs. High temperatures often lead to disruptions in coral symbiosis resulting in coral bleaching, increasing the mortality of corals. However, corals can potentially avoid bleaching peril by associating with thermally tolerant symbionts. Here we provide a tool for understanding symbiosis network stability of Caribbean reef-building corals. We created a network of Caribbean hermatypic corals and their associated Symbiodiniaceae phylotypes. A bleaching model was applied to this network to test for resilience and robustness (R50) to thermal stress. It was also layered with trait data for coral …

Scamp Grouper, (Mycteroperca Phenax) Neurocranium, Liam L. Wilcox, David William Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Neurocranium from 5.40 cm; total length unknown. Scamp Grouper, (Mycteroperca phenax)

Specimen received from Kerstetter's lab

Toro (Priacanthus Arenatus) Neurocranium, Nicole Mozer, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Neurocranium from 7.8 cm

Toro - Priacanthus arenatus

Collected from Kerstetter Fisheries & Avian Ecology Lab on 9/21/2022 by Nicole Mozer & David Kerstetter

Mahi Mahi (Coryphaena Hippurus) Neurocranium, Logan Exton, David William Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Neurocranium from 13.335 cm total length (TL) Mahi Mahi (Coryphaena hippurus), collected from Fort Lauderdale on 04/11/2022 by Logan Exton

Crustacean Assemblage Structure Over The Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone Of The Mid-Atlantic Ridge Collected During The 2009 Henry B. Bigelow Expedition, Kathryn Medina

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

The Charlie Gibbs Fracture Zone (CGFZ) consists of two nearly parallel fracture transform faults that intersect the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) axis. This area has high primary productivity and biomass levels due to the topography and water. A predominant hydrographic feature of the MAR is the Sub-Polar Front (SPF) which runs along the southern edge of the CGFZ and is known as a biogeographical boundary for multiple species. As part of The Census of Marine Life project Patterns and Processes of the Ecosystem of the northern Mid-Atlantic (MAR-ECO), this study analyzed the abundance and distribution patterns of the CGFZ crustacean community …

Channel Catfish - Ictalurus Punctatus, Jason E. Rosales, David William Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Neurocranium total length is 110.81 mm, [CHANNEL CATFISH , Ictalurus punctatus} collected from Canal in Davie on November 18th, 2022 by Zachary

Workshops Report For Mesophotic And Deep Benthic Community Fish, Mobile Invertebrates, Sessile Invertebrates And Infauna, Rachel Bassett, Stacey L. Harter, Randy Clark, Ian Zink, Katherine Hornick, Jennifer Hart, Hanna Bliska, Melissa Carle, Tracey Sutton, Amanda Demopoulos, Andy David, Kristopher Benson, Jill Bourque, Martha Nizinski, Nancy Prouty, Stephanie Sharuga, Alicia Caporaso, Jennifer Le, Jennifer Herting, Cheryl Morrison, Matthew Poti

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

Two workshops with subject matter experts in the appropriate fields, were held in November and December 2021 to elicit guidance and feedback from the broader mesophotic and deep benthic scientific community. These workshops focused on best practices/approaches and identifying data gaps relative to habitat assessment and evaluation goals of the Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Community (MDBC) restoration portfolio. The first workshop was a combined effort of the Habitat Assessment and Evaluation (HAE) Project Team and the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) Program. Industrial Economics, Inc. (IEc) provided extensive workshop planning, organizing, execution, and facilitation support during all stages of the workshop. Based …

Tripletail Lobotes Surinamensis Neurocranium, Briana K. Zaffiro, Anna Johnson, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Neurocranium from Lobotes surinamensis

[Black Margate (Anisotremus Surinamensis)] Neurocranium, Maeve Hunt, Jenna Hill, Breanna Calle, David William Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Neurocranium from 9.5 cm total length (TL) [Black Margate (Anisotremus surinamensis)]

Lionfish (Pterois Volitans) Neurocranium, Vincenzo Ledonne, David William Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Neurocranium from 7.3025 cm total length (TL) [Lionfish (Pterois volitans)]

Mesoptroph, A Database Of Trophic Parameters To Study Interactions In Mesopelagic Food Webs, Mónica A. Silva, Catarina T. Fonseca, M. Pilar Olivar, Ainhoa Bernal, Jérôme Spitz, Tiphaine Chouvelon, Sigrún Jonasdottir, Ana Colaço, Vanda Carmo, Tracey Sutton, Gui Menezes, Tone Falkenhaug, Odd Aksel Bergstad, Sergi Pérez-Jorge

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Mesopelagic organisms play a crucial role in marine food webs, channelling energy across the predator-prey network and connecting depth strata through their diel vertical migrations. The information available to assess mesopelagic feeding interactions and energy transfer has increased substantially in recent years, owing to the growing interest and research activity in the mesopelagic realm. However, such data have not been systematically collated and are difficult to access, hampering estimation of the contribution of mesopelagic organisms to marine ecosystems. Here we present MesopTroph, a georeferenced database of diet, trophic markers, and energy content of mesopelagic and other marine taxa compiled from …

Unexpected Opportunities For Manatee (Trichechus Manatus Latirostris) Education And Citizen Science, Yvanna M. Strait, Amy Hirons

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

The Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) mainly resides within the state's coastal waters, but sharing this habitat with thousands of watercrafts, either registered, unregistered, or visiting, has proven challenging for its survival. The future of manatee research among scientists and citizen scientists has strong potential. By taking advantage of venues of opportunity such as boat shows, not only is local population data gathered, but a stronger positive relationship with the public is forged. When people feel they have a stake in the conservation of a species or habitat, they will likely become and remain engaged.

Coral X-Radiograph Densitometry System, Nova Southeastern University

NSU Software

The Coral X-radiograph Densitometry System (CoralXDS) is a Windows-based program which provides a tool for measurement of linear extension, density, and calcification from coral X-radiographs. These quantities are determined for high-density, low-density, and annual bands. CoralXDS operates in two "modes": full mode and extension/luminance mode. Full mode measures linear extension, density, and calcification, while extension/luminance mode measures only linear extension. Extension/luminance mode requires only a coral image with scaling information. CoralXDS allows user specification of transect location and orientation on the coral image, and provides several options for automated and manual band selection. The output measurements …

Cpce Software, Nova Southeastern University

NSU Software

The CPCe (Coral Point Count with Excel extensions) program is a Windows-based software (PC use only) that provides a tool for the determination of coral cover using transect photographs. A specified number of spatially random points are distributed on a transect image and the features underlying the points are user-identified. Coverage statistics are then calculated and the results sent to Excel spreadsheets automatically.

Additionally, CPCe can be used for image calibration and area analysis of benthic features. Excel sheets are automatically generated to summarize the area calculations for each image.

Using CPCe

Using CPCe is simple and straightforward. The main …

Population Trajectory And Stressors Of Acropora Palmata Sites In The Florida Keys, Karen L. Neely, Kevin A. Macaulay, Kate S. Lunz

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

The decline of elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, has been ongoing for decades, but the causes of decline and the resulting population status continue to be topics of study. Past efforts to categorize stressors have ranged from spatially and/or temporally focused efforts that detect local stressors but may miss broader patterns to meta-analyses that identify large-scale trends but may not account for finer-scale variability. We here conduct an analysis of sites surveyed across five years (2010-2015) and much of the Florida Reef Tract in order to look at large-scale patterns while also accounting for site, habitat, seasonal, and annual variability. …

[Tilapia (Oreochromis)] Neurocranium, Kaylee J. Czachorowski, Mackenzie S. Magyar, Haley Minne, David William Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Neurocranium [Oreochromis] by Kaylee Czachorowski, Haley Minne, Mackenzie Magyar

Spatial Variation In Hard Bottom Coral Communities Of The Coastal West Florida Shelf, Nicole Blank, Sandra D. Brooke, Brian K. Walker

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Hard bottom coral and sponge communities differ along portions of the West Florida Shelf (WFS) in species occurrence, diversity, and/or size. However, the composition and spatial distribution of these communities are not well understood. Community transitions have been proposed in the central portion of the WFS around Tampa Bay, Cedar Key, and as far south as Charlotte Harbor, but supporting data are sparse. Fifteen sites in three regions of Florida were surveyed for species distribution, density, and demographics. Distinct communities were found between St Teresa, Hudson, and Tarpon Springs. Coral and sponge densities were highest off Tarpon Springs followed by …

Caulerpa Chemnitzia In Darwin Threatening Galapagos Coral Reefs, Inti Keith, William Bensted-Smith, Stuart Banks, Jenifer Suarez, Bernhard Riegl

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Coral reefs are rare in the Galapagos and there is concern that, like in many areas around the world, they may be degrading due to increasing anthropogenic pressure, which can cause changes and reorganizations of structure and function with associated phase shifts. Algae of the genus Caulerpa J.V. Lamouroux, 1809 are known as widespread and persistent marine invaders. They grow rapidly, particularly in disturbed areas where they can opportunistically monopolize substratum and compete with native species, thus reducing biodiversity. Caulerpa chemnitzia increased in abundance and overgrew corals on the reef since 2012, ultimately raising fears that a phase-shift from coral …

Diving Into The Vertical Dimension Of Elasmobranch Movement Ecology, Samantha Andrzejaczek, Tim C. D. Lucas, Maurice C. Goodman, Nigel E. Hussey, Amelia J. Armstrong, Aaron B. Carlisle, Daniel M. Coffey, Adrian C. Gleiss, Charlie Huveneers, David M. P. Jacoby, Mark G. Meekan, Johann Mourier, Lauren R. Peel, Katya Abrantes, Andre S. Afonso, Matthew J. Ajemian, Brooke N. Anderson, Scot D. Anderson, Gonzalo Araujo, Asia O. Armstrong, Pascal Bach, Adam Barnett, Mike B. Bennett, Natalia P. A. Bezerra, Ramon Bonfil, Andre M. Boustany, Heather D. Bowlby, Ilka Branco, Carmin D. Braun, Edward J. Brooks, Judith Brown, Patrick J. Burke, Paul Butcher, Michael Castleton, Taylor K. Chapple, Olivier Chateau, Maurice Clarke, Rui Coelho, Enric Cortes, Lydie I. E. Couturier, Paul D. Cowley, Donald A. Croll, Juan M. Cuevas, Tobey H. Curtis, Laurent Dagorn, Jonathan J. Dale, Ryan Daly, Heidi Dewar, Philip D. Doherty, Andres Domingo, Alistair D. M. Dove, Michael Drew, Christine L. Dudgeon, Clinton A. J. Duffy, Riley G. Elliott, Jim R. Ellis, Mark V. Erdmann, Thomas J. Farrugia, Luciana C. Ferreira, Francesco Ferretti, John D. Filmalter, Brittany Finucci, Chris Fischer, Richard Fitzpatrick, Fabien Forget, Kerstin Forsberg, Malcolm P. Francis, Bryan R. Franks, Austin J. Gallagher, Felipe Galva-Magana, Mirta L. Garcia, Troy F. Gaston, Bronwyn M. Gillanders, Matthew J. Gollock, Jonathan R. Green, Sofia Green, Christopher A. Griffiths, Neil Hammerschlag, Abdi Hasan, Lucy A. Hawkes, Fabio H.V. Hazin, Matthew Heard, Alex Hearn, Suzanne M. Henderson, John C. Holdsworth, Kim N. Holland, Lucy A. Howey, Robert E. Hueter, Nicolas E. Humphries, Melanie Hutchinson, Fabrice R. A. Jaine, Salvador J. Jorgensen, Paul E. Kanive, Jessica Labaja, Fernanda O. Lana, Hugo Lassauce, Rebecca S. Lipscombe, Fiona Llewellyn, Bruno C. L. Macena, Ronald Mambrasar, Jaime D. Mcallister, Sophy R. Mccully Phillips, Frazer Mcgregor, Matthew N. Mcmillan, Lianne M. Mcnaughton, Sibele A. Mendonça, Carl G. Meyer, Megan Meyers, John A. Mohan, John C. Montgomery, Gonzalo Mucientes, Michael K. Musyl, Nicole Nasby-Lucas, Lisa Natanson, John B. O'Sullivan, Paulo Oliveira, Yannis P. Papastamatiou, Toby A. Patterson, Simon J. Pierce, Nuno Queiroz, Craig A. Radford, Andy J. Richardson, Anthony J. Richardson, David Righton, Christoph A. Rohner, Mark A. Royer, Ryan A. Saunders, Matthias Schaber, Robert J. Schallert, Michael C. Scholl, Andrew C. Seitz, Jayson M. Semmens, Edy Setyawan, Brendan D. Shea, Rafid A. Shidqi, George Shillinger, Oliver N. Shipley, Mahmood Shivji, Abraham B. Sianipar, Joana F. Silva, David W. Sims, Gregory B. Skomal, Lara L. Sousa, Emily J. Southall, Julia L. Y. Spaet, Killian M. Stehfest, Guy Stevens, Joshua D. Stewart, James Sulikowski, Ismail Syakurachman, Simon R. Thorrold, Michele Thums, David Tickler, Mariana T. Tolloti, Kathy A. Townsend, Paulo Travassos, John P. Tyminski, Jeremy Vaudo, Drausio Veras, Laurent Wantiez, Sam B. Weber, R.J. David Wells, Kevin C. Weng, Bradley M. Wetherbee, Jane E. Williamson, Matthew J. Witt, Serena Wright, Kelly Zilliacus, Barbara A. Block, David J. Curnick

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Knowledge of the three-dimensional movement patterns of elasmobranchs is vital to understand their ecological roles and exposure to anthropogenic pressures. To date, comparative studies among species at global scales have mostly focused on horizontal movements. Our study addresses the knowledge gap of vertical movements by compiling the first global synthesis of vertical habitat use by elasmobranchs from data obtained by deployment of 989 biotelemetry tags on 38 elasmobranch species. Elasmobranchs displayed high intra- and interspecific variability in vertical movement patterns. Substantial vertical overlap was observed for many epipelagic elasmobranchs, indicating an increased likelihood to display spatial overlap, biologically interact, and …

Effects Of Net Type On The Quantification Of Pelagic Shrimp And Krill In The Gulf Of Mexico, Eric J. Lee

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Trawls are an effective and widely used method for collecting micronekton because they can sample large volumes of sparsely distributed organisms, as well as allow for direct species identification of collected samples. However, net sampling methods are known to be highly variable in terms of design and catchability, and comparisons of deep-sea trawl data from two different types of nets over the same spatial and temporal scale are relatively rare. The current study is unique because it provides such an analysis for micronektonic crustaceans in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) by comparing the trawling efficacy of a smaller 10 m …

Size Structuring Of Myctophids In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico In The Years Following The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Adam Warren

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Body size is one of the main determinants of marine ecosystem structure and is correlated with many behavioral processes such as diel vertical migration (DVM). Myctophidae, a highly abundant, speciose, and globally distributed fish family, perform diel vertical migrations between the epipelagic zone at night and the mesopelagic zone during the day with vertical distributions varying with ontogeny, and therefore body length. Understanding how DVM contributes to an ecosystem’s structure is important to understanding ecosystem functioning, especially in response to anthropogenic impacts such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The aim of this study was to investigate changes in myctophid …