Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Robinson Point, Belize: An Important Foraging Ground For Endangered Sea Turtles In The Western Caribbean Sea, Linda Searle

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Anecdotal reports, flipper tag returns, satellite migration paths, and above-water and net surveys have identified an important foraging area for sea turtles in the Robinson Point area, 12 kilometers southwest of Belize City. Visual observations confirmed that sea turtles were actively foraging at Robinson Point. Sixteen 30 minute visual observations from stationary and drifting boats made 132 sea turtle sightings from October 2007 through January 2008, with a maximum of 40 sightings made in one survey. In-water capture methodology tested the traditional turtle net, which captured 14 turtles in 63 sets for a success rate of only 22%. There were …

Species Composition And Reproductive Strategies Of Commensal Synalpheus Shrimp (Decapoda:Alpheidae) Occupying The Sponges Spheciospongia Vesparium And Spongia Sp. Of The Florida Reef Tract, Brittnee Nicole Barris

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Synalpheus shrimp species of the gambarelloides group are the only marine organisms displaying the highest level of social functioning, eusociality. Their social hierarchies are equally complex compared to the reproductive abnormalities that have been recently discovered. For instance, snapping shrimp of the genus Synalpheus were thought to be gonochoric, i.e. developing as independent sexes, until scanning electron microscopy studies revealed intersexed gonopores in several species. This project analyzed both the species composition, and accompanying reproductive structures, of Synalpheus spp. (Caridea: Alpheidae) comprised of densely aggregating communal and pair-living colonies in the Florida Keys, Florida.

Colonies of pair-living and communal Synalpheus …

Educating The Masses: Human Attitudes Affecting Reef Health, Ashley Wiehl

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

About two thirds of the world’s population lives within 60 km of a coastline, however many members of the public do not recognize the importance of the nearby coral reef ecosystems. Although reef degradation is currently occurring at alarming rates, there is hope for the future of coral reef health. It is proven that humans have a large effect on the current health of coral reefs. This thesis aims to determine how marine scientists and educators can best influence the general public to affect behaviors to improve reef health. To do this involves taking analyzing the many effects of human …

Migratory Patterns And Habitat Use Of The Sand Tiger Shark (Carcharias Taurus) In The Western North Atlantic Ocean, Shara Marie Teter

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Large population declines for sand tiger sharks (Carcharias taurus) in parts of its global range are well documented, resulting in a strong need for biologically informed conservation and management measures. Although sand tigers in the western North Atlantic have been listed as a Species of Concern by the US government since 1997, details of their seasonal migratory movements and especially vertical habitat use patterns along the US East Coast are limited. Understanding these movement patterns is vital to reducing fishery-related mortality of these sharks and informing other management efforts aimed at recovery of their stocks in the US Atlantic. …

Distribution Of Parasitic Isopods On Caridean Shrimp In South Florida Seagrass Beds, Sarah A. Briggs

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Caridean shrimp are a prominent element of seagrass faunal communities and play an important role in the energy transfer between trophic levels. They are a food source for other organisms and play an integral role in the ecosystem by feeding on algae and assisting with the breakdown of organic matter. Carideans are also fundamental to the marine fishery industry in that they are a food source for potentially valuable juvenile commercial fish. Ectoparasitic isopods (Cymothoida: Bopyridae) that infest caridean shrimps decrease the energy level of the shrimp, resulting in slower reaction time, greater predation rate, slower growth rate, and/or reduced …

De Novo Transcriptome Analysis Of The Marine Sponge Cinachyrella Spp: A Potential Model Organism For Oil And Dispersant Ecotoxicology, Emily Smith

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

In order to study the potential effects of an oil spill on coral reef organisms, the marine sponge, Cinachyrella spp. was investigated. In this study, Cinachyrella spp. was placed in a closed aquaculture system and exposed to sub-lethal water-accommodated fractions (WAFs) of Macondo crude oil and chemically-enhanced water accommodated fractions (CE-WAFs) of the dispersant, Corexit 9500, over a 24-hour time course, in order to model the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill and oil spill sponge response. Illumina RNA sequencing and gene expression analysis utilizing hierarchical clustering, principal component analysis, and KEGG bioinformatic database generated 34,147 unique transcripts with …

Changes In A Tropical Seagrass Environment After Installation Of Small Artificial Reefs, Joseph M. Penta

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The 3-dimensional structural complexity of coral reef environments is positively correlated with measurements of biodiversity and biomass. EcoReefs are a type of artificial reef that resemble branching corals, such as Acropora cervicornis, which provide an environment of high structural diversity, and that are effective at recruiting and sustaining fish populations. Little is known, however, about the effects of EcoReefs on the surrounding environments in which they are deployed, so this study examined the results after installing Ecoreef modules in a seagrass environment. The installation occurred in March 2009 at Coco Cay in the Berry Island chain in the Bahamas …

Evaluating Acropora Cervicornis Growth And Survivorship In A Line Nursery, Zachary Ostroff

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Acropora cervicornis and A. palmata were once dominant, reef-building corals of Caribbean reefs. Over the last several decades, population declines of Caribbean Acropora have been dramatic, and both species are now listed as “Threatened” under the United States Endangered Species Act. Numerous restoration efforts now utilize coral gardening techniques to cultivate these species for transplantation, in which A. cervicornis is primarily cultivated both on fixed structures and in line nurseries. This study evaluates growth and survivorship of multiple A. cervicornis genotypes grown via two line nursery techniques, and compares the efficacy of each against the conventional method of fixed nursery …