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HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Seasonality

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A Temporal Analysis Of The Euphausiid Assemblage In The Gulf Of Mexico After The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, With Notes On Seasonal Reproduction, Nathan A. La Spina Apr 2020

A Temporal Analysis Of The Euphausiid Assemblage In The Gulf Of Mexico After The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, With Notes On Seasonal Reproduction, Nathan A. La Spina

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents the results of the first multi-year study on the euphausiid assemblage in the vicinity of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (DWHOS), covering depths down to 1000 m. There are no data on the euphausiid assemblage from this region prior to the oil spill; therefore, the data in this study were analyzed with respect to year (samples collected in 2011 vs. those collected between 2015 – 2016), and season (May vs. August) to determine if any trends were present. These results presented here show a statistically significant decrease in both abundance and biomass between 2011 and 2015 – …


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 May 2018

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 …


Ecology, Population Dynamics, And Sexual Characteristics Of Commensal Leucothoid Amphipods With The Sponge Cliona Varians In The Florida Keys (Crustacea: Amphipoda), Stephanie Lynn Andringa Jan 2015

Ecology, Population Dynamics, And Sexual Characteristics Of Commensal Leucothoid Amphipods With The Sponge Cliona Varians In The Florida Keys (Crustacea: Amphipoda), Stephanie Lynn Andringa

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Recent observations have identified a new species of leucothoid amphipod, Leucothoe “sp. F,” associated with the sponge Cliona varians. This project examined the relationship between this amphipod and its sponge host at three sites in the Florida Keys with differing hydrodynamic regimes. Ninety-eight sponge samples with a total of 2,030 amphipods were collected between December 2011 and September 2012. Leucothoe “sp. F” is currently a common species in the Florida Keys strongly associated with C. varians; its distribution strongly coincides with open tidal currents from the Gulf of Mexico. Seasonality, depth, and tidal regimes not only influence population …


Density And Diversity Of Penaeid Shrimp And Fish Species In Near-Shore Seagrass Beds Of Northern Biscayne Bay, Florida (Usa), Robin Cascioli Dec 2012

Density And Diversity Of Penaeid Shrimp And Fish Species In Near-Shore Seagrass Beds Of Northern Biscayne Bay, Florida (Usa), Robin Cascioli

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Seagrass beds serve critical functions in coastal Florida ecosystems. The beds serve as nursery habitat for many juvenile reef fish species and provide protection for many types of benthic organisms found in Biscayne Bay. They help stabilize sediment that would otherwise increase turbidity around coral reefs, filter the water of contaminants, and help support an entire food web. Three species of seagrass were found at the study sites in northern Biscayne Bay: Thalassia testudinum, Halodule wrightii, and Syringodium filiforme. This study focused on understanding the organism habitat interaction by determining the species diversity, seasonal densities, and the …


Diet Composition Of Swordfish, Xiphias Gladius, Within The Straits Of Florida, Amy Marie Heemsoth Nov 2009

Diet Composition Of Swordfish, Xiphias Gladius, Within The Straits Of Florida, Amy Marie Heemsoth

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

A diet study of swordfish, Xiphias gladius, was conducted in the Straits of Florida from April 2007 to December 2008. The stomachs of 131 swordfish were analyzed. Thirteen species of teleosts, three species of cephalopods, and one species of crustacean were observed in the diet. Cephalopods dominated the swordfish diet by weight (73.38%), number (69.90%), and occurrence (80.91%) and ranked highest in importance in the diet when calculating the index of relative importance (IRI). Teleosts followed by weight (25.16%), number (26.34%), occurrence (68.18%), and IRI (3,510.97). The prey species with the greatest dietary importance was Illex sp followed by …