Life Sciences Commons^™

Florida-Friendly Butterfly Gardening, John J. Pipoly Iii

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

Can Indoor Plants Clean A Sick Building?, John J. Pipoly Iii

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches, Lectures

No abstract provided.

Fl-Friendly Container Gardening, John J. Pipoly Iii

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches, Lectures

No abstract provided.

Florida-Friendly Butterfly Gardening, John J. Pipoly Iii

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches, Lectures

No abstract provided.

Can Indoor Plants Clean A Sick Building?, John J. Pipoly Iii

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

Fl-Friendly Container Gardening, John J. Pipoly Iii

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

Growth, Injury, And Population Dynamics In The Extant Cyrtocrinid Holopus Mikihe (Crinoidea, Echinodermata) Near Roatan, Honduras, V. J. Syverson, Charles G. Messing, Karl Stanley, Tomasz K. Baumiller

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

The crinoid order Cyrtocrinida is known mainly from Mesozoic fossils; its few surviving members, all from bathyal environments, are among the most peculiar living crinoids. Cyrtocrinids attributed to Holopus mikihe Donovan and Pawson, 2008, have been observed in large numbers via submersible off the western coast of Roatán, Honduras, on vertical and overhanging walls at depths between 430 and 640 m. Observations in 2012, 2013, and 2014 have permitted the first estimates of population structure, growth, and regeneration. Two size modes were observed; the flat barnacle-like “juvenile” stage resembles confamilial and co-occurring Cyathidium pourtalesiAméziane, 1999, whereas the larger “adults” …

Translocation Of Acropora Cervicornis Across Geographic Regions: Investigating Species Recovery And Restoration, Bradley Cody Bliss

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is the first known study to relocate Acropora cervicornis across multiple regions of the Florida Reef Tract. Since 2006, A. cervicornis has been listed as a threatened coral species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. In response, restoration efforts utilizing coral nursery methods have been implemented throughout the Caribbean. The primary objective of this research was to determine the response of A. cervicornis colonies to being relocated between two coral nurseries separated by approximately 150km along the Florida Reef Tract. To accomplish this, a reciprocal transport was conducted between coral fragments with known genotypes from Broward County and …

Feeding Ecology And Habitat Utilization Of The Great Barracuda Sphyraena Barracuda (Edwards 1771) In Southeast Florida, Noah R. Hansen

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Great barracuda Sphyraena barracuda is a large predatory teleost found circumglobally, other than the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The species is commonly caught by both recreational and commercial fishermen as bycatch while targeting other, more economically or recreationally valuable fishes. This species also exhibits an ontogenetic shift in habitat, with juveniles inhabiting mangrove and seagrass habitats, while adults live near offshore reefs and associated structure.

This thesis consists of two separate studies of S. barracuda: 1) feeding ecology along an ontogenetic gradient and 2) habitat utilization of as derived through electronic tagging. The first chapter of this thesis describes the …

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 …

Caffeine Elicits Time Dependent Biphasic Response Of Functional Recovery In Carassius Auratus Hemilabyrinthectomy Lesion Model, Bethany Brockhoff

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Caffeine is one of the most popular psychostimulant drugs worldwide. Its effects are exerted through a variety of complex mechanisms, apparently primarily via interactions with adenosine A1 and A2A receptors. This drug has also been proven to elicit neuroprotective responses in a number of different brain disorders of the Central Nervous System (CNS), as well as provide enhancement of cognitive abilities. Moreover, a biphasic set of functional and structural neurological changes are often found in these receptors among diverse vertebrates. I investigated the effects of chronic caffeine exposure on functional recovery of the dorsal light reflex (DLR) in hemilabyrinthectomized common …

Feasibility Of Using Biofuel By-Products As A Sustainable Nutritional Resource For Aquaculture Production Of Litopenaeus Vannamei, Erik David Demicco

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Many different algal species can provide an acceptable protein ingredient, with good digestibility, for shrimp feeds. Compared to fish meal, similar protein, carbohydrate, and lipid levels can be found in select algal species. Traditional shrimp diets in aquaculture rely on fish meal and fish oil from pelagic fish fisheries. A reduction or elimination of these ingredients would reduce the dependency of shrimp aquaculture on offshore fisheries and increase economic competiveness. Biofuel production produces algal by-products of potential use to aquaculturists that might reduce or eliminate the need for fisheries products in shrimp feed. Established uses for by-products from biofuel production …

Operationalizing Resilience For Adaptive Coral Reef Management Under Global Environmental Change, Kenneth R. N. Anthony, Paul A. Marshall, Ameer Abdulla, Roger Beeden, Christopher Bergh, Ryan Black, C. Mark Eakin, Edward T. Game, Margaret Gooch, Nicholas A. J. Graham, Alison Green, Scott F. Heron, Ruben Van Hooidonk, Cheryl Knowland, Sangeeta Mangubhai, Nadine Marshall, Jeffrey A. Maynard, Peter Mcginnity, Elizabeth Mcleod, Peter J. Mumby, Magnus Nystrom, David Obura, Jamie Oliver, Hugh P. Possingham, Robert L. Pressey, Gwilym Rowlands, Jerker Tamelander, David Wachenfeld, Stephanie Wear

HCAS Student Articles

Cumulative pressures from global climate and ocean change combined with multiple regional and local-scale stressors pose fundamental challenges to coral reef managers worldwide. Understanding how cumulative stressors affect coral reef vulnerability is critical for successful reef conservation now and in the future. In this review, we present the case that strategically managing for increased ecological resilience (capacity for stress resistance and recovery) can reduce coral reef vulnerability (risk of net decline) up to a point. Specifically, we propose an operational framework for identifying effective management levers to enhance resilience and support management decisions that reduce reef vulnerability. Building on a …

Evolutionary Genomics And Adaptive Evolution Of The Hedgehog Gene Family (Shh, Ihh And Dhh) In Vertebrates, Joana Pereira, Warren E. Johnson, Stephen J. O'Brien, Erich D. Jarvis, Guojie Zhang, M. Thomas P. Gilbert, Vitor Vasconcelos, Agostinho Antunes

Biology Faculty Articles

The Hedgehog (Hh) gene family codes for a class of secreted proteins composed of two active domains that act as signalling molecules during embryo development, namely for the development of the nervous and skeletal systems and the formation of the testis cord. While only one Hh gene is found typically in invertebrate genomes, most vertebrates species have three (Sonic hedgehog – Shh; Indian hedgehog – Ihh; and Desert hedgehog – Dhh), each with different expression patterns and functions, which likely helped promote the increasing complexity of vertebrates and their successful diversification. In this study, we …

Primulaceae, Jon M. Ricketson, John J. Pipoly Iii, B. Stahl, M. Moraes

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Books and Book Chapters

No abstract provided.

Landscape Of Transposable Elements In Mycosphaerella Graminicola, Braham Dhillon, Navdeep Gill, Richard Hamelin, Stephen Goodwin

Biology Faculty Articles

Background: In addition to gene identification and annotation, repetitive sequence analysis has become an integral part of genome sequencing projects. Identification of repeats is important not only because it improves gene prediction, but also because of the role that repetitive sequences play in determining the structure and evolution of genes and genomes. Several methods using different repeat-finding strategies are available for whole-genome repeat sequence analysis. Four independent approaches were used to identify and characterize the repetitive fraction of the Mycosphaerella graminicola (synonym Zymoseptoria tritici) genome. This ascomycete fungus is a wheat pathogen and its finished genome comprises 21 chromosomes, eight …

Comparative Population Genetics And Evolutionary History Of Two Commonly Misidentified Billfishes Of Management And Conservation Concern, Andrea M. Bernard, Mahmood S. Shivji, Eric Prince, Fabio H.V. Hazin, Freddy Arocha, Andres Domingo, Kevin A. Feldheim

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Background:  Misidentifications between exploited species may lead to inaccuracies in population assessments, with potentially irreversible conservation ramifications if overexploitation of either species is occurring. A notable showcase is provided by the realization that the roundscale spearfish (Tetrapturus georgii), a recently validated species, has been historically misidentified as the morphologically very similar and severely overfished white marlin (Kajikia albida) (IUCN listing: Vulnerable). In effect, no information exists on the population status and evolutionary history of the enigmatic roundscale spearfish, a large, highly vagile and broadly distributed pelagic species. We provide the first population genetic evaluation of the …

Reproductive Parameters Of Two Coastal Pelagic Fishes Off Southeast Florida: Blackfin Tuna Thunnus Atlanticus And Little Tunny Euthynnus Alletteratus, Sonia Ahrabi-Nejad

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The ability to manage a fish stock relies on an understanding of life history characteristics and basic biology of the species. Numerous age-growth studies are facilitated by the relative ease of ageing fishes through hard-part analyses. Determining reproductive parameters for fish populations is equally important for stock assessments and management, and histological examination of gonads provides the most accurate determination of fecundity and spawning periods. Coastal pelagic fishes are often targeted commercially and recreationally due to their easy access by private vessels. However, there are few studies researching the biology and reproduction of recreational fishes in the waters of Southeastern …

Changes In Coral Community Composition At Devil's Crown, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador: A 7,700 Year Perspective, Katharine Jane Hendrickson

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Coral mortality caused by El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) activity and its related disturbances has been researched throughout the Eastern Pacific. In the past three decades, disturbances related to the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) have been shown to influence coral growth in the Eastern Pacific. In the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, more than 97% of corals experienced mortality after the severe 1982-1983 ENSO episode. However, two of the most dominant coral species found in a coral community adjacent to Devil’s Crown; Psammocora stellata and Diaseris distorta survived this severe ENSO event. By reconstructing sediment cores of the coral community, this study assessed …

The Birds Of Genome10k, Stephen J. O'Brien, David Haussler, Oliver A. Ryder

Biology Faculty Articles

Everyone loves the birds of the world. From their haunting songs and majesty of flight to dazzling plumage and mating rituals, bird watchers – both amateurs and professionals - have marveled for centuries at their considerable adaptations. Now, we are offered a special treat with the publication of a series of papers in dedicated issues of Science, Genome Biology and GigaScience (which also included pre-publication data release). These present the successful beginnings of an international interdisciplinary venture, the Avian Phylogenomics Project that lets us view, through a genomics lens, modern bird species and the evolutionary events that produced them.

Distribution, Growth, And Impact Of The Coral-Excavating Sponge, Cliona Delitrix, On The Stony Coral Communities Offshore Southeast Florida, Ari Halperin

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Bioerosion is a major process that affects the carbonate balance on coral reefs, and excavating sponges from the genus Cliona are some of the most important bioeroders on Caribbean reefs. The orange boring sponge, Cliona delitrix, is an abundant excavating sponge offshore southeast Florida that frequently colonizes dead portions of live stony corals, killing live coral tissue as it grows. With the recent decline in coral cover attributed to combined environmental and anthropogenic stressors, the increasing abundance of excavating sponges poses yet another threat to the persistence of Caribbean coral reefs.

In the first part of this study, I …

Assessment Of Macroinvertebrate Communities And Heavy Metal Contamination Along The Intracoastal Waterway In Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Robert Bernhard

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Sediments from four areas adjacent to marinas and a background site in the Intracoastal Waterway were assessed for macroinvertebrate composition and heavy metal contamination. Sediment core samples were collected in 2004 and 2005 for analyses of macroinvertebrate composition and sediment grain size. Additional sediment samples were collected in 2005 for chemical analyses of metals (Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, Hg, Ni and Zn). MANOVA and dendograms using Bray-Curtis similarity matrices grouped the sites into two clusters: the 3 sites closest to the New River formed one group, and the two end sites formed the other. The sites nearest …

Book Review - Wild Connection: What Animal Courtship And Mating Tell Us About Human Relationships, J. Matthew Hoch

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

No abstract provided.

Comment On “Chemically Mediated Behavior Of Recruiting Corals And Fishes: A Tipping Point That May Limit Reef Recovery”, Andrew H. Baird, Vivian R. Cumbo, Joana Figueiredo, Saki Harii, Tom Hata, Joshua S. Madin

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Dixson et al. (2014) report that coral larvae navigate towards chemical cues associated with healthy reefs and avoid cues from degraded reefs. However, the swimming capabilities of coral larvae and well-established patterns of recruitment and reef hydrodynamics indicate that coral larvae will not be able to use these cues to recruit to healthy reefs. Perfuming degraded reefs, as suggested by Dixson et al (2014), will not enhance recovery rather it will distract from the difficult task of reducing fishing effort and improving water quality.

Marginal Coral Populations: The Densest Known Aggregation Of Pocillopora In The Galápagos Archipelago Is Of Asexual Origin, Iliana B. Baums, Meghann Devlin-Durante, Beatrice A. A. Laing, Joshua S. Feingold, Tyler B. Smith, Andrew Bruckner, Joao Monteiro

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Coral populations at distributional margins frequently experience suboptimal and variable conditions. Recurrent El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) warming events have caused extensive mortality of reef-building corals in the Eastern Pacific, and particularly impacted branching pocilloporid corals in the Galápagos Islands. Pocillopora spp. were previously more common and formed incipient reefs at several locations in the archipelago but now occur as scattered colonies. Here, we report an unusually concentrated aggregation of colonies and evaluate their current genetic diversity. In particular we focus on a large population of 1614 live Pocillopora colonies found in a volcanic lagoon along the southern shore of Isabela …

Gwatch: A Web Platform For Automated Gene Association Discovery Analysis, Anton Svitin, Sergey Malov, Nikolay Cherkasov, Paul Geerts, Mikhail Rotkevich, Pavel Dobrynin, Andrey Shevchenko, Li Guan, Jennifer L. Troyer, Sher L. Hendrickson, Holli Hutcheson Dilks, T. K. Oleksyk, Sharyne Donfield, Edward Gomperts, Douglas A. Jabs, Efe Sezgin, Mark Van Natta, P. Richard Harrigan, Zabrina L. Brumme, Stephen J. O'Brien

Biology Faculty Articles

Background: As genome-wide sequence analyses for complex human disease determinants are expanding, it is increasingly necessary to develop strategies to promote discovery and validation of potential disease-gene associations.

Findings: Here we present a dynamic web-based platform – GWATCH – that automates and facilitates four steps in genetic epidemiological discovery: 1) Rapid gene association search and discovery analysis of large genome-wide datasets; 2) Expanded visual display of gene associations for genome-wide variants (SNPs, indels, CNVs), including Manhattan plots, 2D and 3D snapshots of any gene region, and a dynamic genome browser illustrating gene association chromosomal regions; 3) Real-time validation/replication …

Two Distinct Microbial Communities Revealed In The Sponge Cinachyrella, Marie L. Cuvelier, Emily Blake, Rebecca Mulheron, Peter J. Mccarthy, Patricia Blackwelder, Rebecca Vega-Thurber, Jose V. Lopez

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Marine sponges are vital components of benthic and coral reef ecosystems, providing shelter and nutrition for many organisms. In addition, sponges act as an essential carbon and nutrient link between the pelagic and benthic environment by filtering large quantities of seawater. Many sponge species harbor a diverse microbial community (including Archaea, Bacteria and Eukaryotes), which can constitute up to 50% of the sponge biomass. Sponges of the genus Cinachyrella are common in Caribbean and Floridian reefs and their archaeal and bacterial microbiomes were explored here using 16S rRNA gene tag pyrosequencing. Cinachyrella specimens and seawater samples were collected from the …

The Effects Of An Extended Power Plant Shutdown On The Florida Manatee (Trichechus Manatus Latirostris) In Port Everglades, Florida, Christopher Grissett

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) seek out warmer waters during winter months when ambient water temperatures drop below 20 degrees Celsius. Over time, manatees have discovered artificial warm water sites from power plant discharges in addition to natural sites such as springs and passive thermal refugia (PTRs). The Florida Power and Light (FPL) Port Everglades power plant in Broward County is one such artificial warm water refuge used by manatees. This plant was shutdown on July 16, 2013, and is expected to remain off line for at least three years during demolition and construction of a new facility. …

Habitat And Seasonal Distribution Of The North American River Otter (Lontra Canadensis) And Vertebrate Species Assemblages In Two Protected Areas Of The Florida Everglades, Catherine Faye Hamilton

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The Florida Everglades ecosystem is threatened by human development, increased pollution, freshwater scarcity, and invasive species; factors that have negatively impacted the Everglades and native species health and populations. Man-made canals and levies have redirected the natural flow of fresh water from Lake Okeechobee into the Florida Everglades, starving central and south Florida ecosystems of necessary fresh water and nutrients. Through the efforts of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Project (CERP), freshwater is being redirected back into central and south Florida, returning the sheet flow of water back into the Everglades. Monitoring species abundance in the Everglades is a beneficial conservational …

Measuring The Socio-Economic Characteristics Of A Lionfish Derby Event, Adam Nardelli, Stephanie Green, L. Akins, David W. Kerstetter

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches, Lectures

No abstract provided.