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Articles 1 - 8 of 8
Full-Text Articles in Biodiversity
Addressing Water Hyacinth (Pontederia Crassipes) Impacts On Aquatic Biota In Lake Okeechobee, Joseph Salerno
Addressing Water Hyacinth (Pontederia Crassipes) Impacts On Aquatic Biota In Lake Okeechobee, Joseph Salerno
All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations
The incursion of water hyacinth, Pontederia crassipes in Lake Okeechobee has resulted in management systems to be implemented to reduce the coverage of the invasive macrophyte. Its residence in the Lake Okeechobee ecosystem and the effects it has on organisms in the lake, whether it be positive or harmful is unknown. This study attempted to assess the potential effects that water hyacinth has on aquatic biota in Lake Okeechobee. Biotic data were collected on open water, water hyacinth covered, and native vegetation covered habitats via hook-and-line fishing, electrofishing, baited minnow traps, and the sampling of plant roots over a thirteen-month …
Psammocora Stellata Distribution At Devil's Crown, Floreana Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, María José Guarderas Sevilla
Psammocora Stellata Distribution At Devil's Crown, Floreana Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, María José Guarderas Sevilla
All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations
In the Galápagos Archipelago, the free-living nodular coral Psammocora stellata is a common species that does not form reef structures. However, it is a key component of the ecosystem by increasing habitat complexity and, consequently, species diversity. This species experienced a drastic decline in Devil’s Crown channel, Floreana Island, where it disappeared after the 1982-83 El Niño-Southern Oscillation, presumably by displacement of unattached colonies by strong surface waves and currents. This assemblage has now recovered to pre-impact levels. A combination of underwater photoquadrats from 2007 and 2009 and recent (2023) orthomosaics were used to determine changes in coral densities and …
Twenty Years Of Change In A Southeast Florida Acropora Cervicornis Thicket, Daniel Perez
Twenty Years Of Change In A Southeast Florida Acropora Cervicornis Thicket, Daniel Perez
All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations
Acropora cervicornis is a species of stony coral that can exist in large thickets that provide functionally unique habitat. However, populations have declined by 98% in some areas of the Caribbean. Even in death, the structure from an A. cervicornis thicket provides surface area for the attachment of benthic organisms. Broward County Acropora (BCA) is an A. cervicornis thicket, located off Fort Lauderdale, Florida, which has been monitored since 2003. The objective of this study was to describe the temporal changes in community structure in response to 20 years of disturbances affecting BCA. Data was collected by taking images along …
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 …
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 …
Taxonomic Resolution Assessment And Biodiversity Evaluations For Deep-Sea Fish Assemblages In A Pelagic Ecosystem Of The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Krista N. Scheuerman
Taxonomic Resolution Assessment And Biodiversity Evaluations For Deep-Sea Fish Assemblages In A Pelagic Ecosystem Of The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Krista N. Scheuerman
All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations
Knowledge of community assemblages and biodiversity is important for monitoring health and resilience in an ecosystem. Taxonomic and functional biodiversity of mesopelagic (200- 1000 m) fishes is extremely rich in the Gulf of Mexico. The aim of this study was to compare calculations of biodiversity and community structures at varying taxonomic resolutions for deep pelagic fishes to inform future decisions about deep-sea ecosystem monitoring. This study analyzed biodiversity and assemblage structure patterns from a biological inventory of deep-sea fishes collected with a large mesh, commercial-sized, high-speed rope trawl in the Gulf of Mexico between June 21st and July 14 …
Accumulation Of Persistent Organic Pollutants In Marine Mammals: A Case Study On Cetaceans, Pinnipeds, And Sirenians, Alydia Moorhead
Accumulation Of Persistent Organic Pollutants In Marine Mammals: A Case Study On Cetaceans, Pinnipeds, And Sirenians, Alydia Moorhead
All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are lipophilic semi-volatile organic chemicals that present a range of challenges to marine biota, specifically marine mammals that often occupy a high trophic position in the food web. POPs have become a global problem since they have been shown to cause immunologic, teratogenic, carcinogenic, neurological, and reproductive complications in living organisms due to their resistance to biodegradation and their lipophilic nature. Marine mammals can accumulate these toxic substances through direct ingestion, trophic transfer, adsorption, and maternal offloading. They are susceptible to both bioaccumulation and biomagnification of POPs. Accumulation of POPs is affected by many variables, including …
Reef Fish Spatial Distribution And Benthic Habitat Associations On The Southeast Florida Reef Tract, Dana Fisco
Reef Fish Spatial Distribution And Benthic Habitat Associations On The Southeast Florida Reef Tract, Dana Fisco
HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
The Florida Reef Tract (FRT) extends from the tropical Caribbean up the southeast coast of Florida into a temperate environment where tropical reef assemblages diminish with increasing latitude. This study used data from a three-year comprehensive fishery-independent survey to quantify reef fish spatial distribution along the Southeast FRT and define where the assemblage shifts from tropical to temperate. A total of 1,676 reef fish visual census samples were conducted to assess the populations on a stratified-random selection of sites of marine hardbottom habitats between the Miami River and St. Lucie inlet. Multivariate analyses were used to investigate differences in assemblages …