Marine Biology Commons^™

Effects Of Sedimentation On The Physiology And Oxidative Stress Of Two Common Scleractinian Corals, Margaret E. Rushmore

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effect of a growing environmental stressor, sedimentation, on the physiology and oxidative stress throughout the different life stages of two common scleractinian corals Montastraea cavernosa and Porites astreoides. Physiology, oxidative stress, and settlement success of newly released P. astreoides larvae were measured after exposure to various turbidity treatments. No significant effects were seen on larval settlement and photosynthetic efficiency, however carbonyl content and catalase activity were significantly higher in 2015 compared to 2014; highlighting a possible inter-annual variability in susceptibility. Larval settlement deterrence in the presence of a layer of accumulated fine- or coarse-grained sediment …

Global Genetic Connectivity And Diversity In A Shark Of High Conservation Concern, The Oceanic Whitetip, Carcharhinus Longimanus, Cassandra L. Ruck

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The oceanic whitetip shark, Carcharhinus longimanus, is a circumtropical pelagic shark of high conservation concern (IUCN Red List: “Critically Endangered” in the Western North and Western Central Atlantic and “Vulnerable” globally). I present the first, population genetic assessment of the oceanic whitetip shark on a global scale, based on analysis of two mitochondrial genome regions (entire 1066-1067 bp control region and 784 bp partial ND4 gene), and nine nuclear microsatellite loci. No population structure was detected within the Western Atlantic. However, highly significant population structure was detected between Western Atlantic and Indo-Pacific Ocean sharks across all markers. Additionally, a …

A Comparison Of Qualitative And Quantitative Data Collection Techniques To Assess Mapping Accuracy In The Florida Keys, Ian K. Rodericks

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Benthic habitat maps provide the spatial framework for many research science and management activities in coastal areas such as coral-reefs. Accuracy, the degree to which information on a map matches true or accepted values, of benthic habitat maps is important because often times the map will be used in decision-making processes about how we manage our marine resources. It is critical that some measure, such as the accuracy, of the map be known in order to give a sense of how the overall map portrays the seascape. This study compared the accuracy in the following map classes; major structure, major …

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 …

Population Fluctuation Of The Nodular Coral Psammocora Stellata In The Galápagos Islands, Ecuador: An Indicator Of Community Resilience And Implications For Future Management, Kathryn Brown

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Corals are experiencing a worldwide decline in abundance and diversity. Reasons for this include anthropogenic impacts and associated changes to environmental conditions, including global climate change. Increasing atmospheric CO₂ levels lead to a coordinated increase in sea surface temperatures and decrease in oceanic pH. Warming events associated with El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) amplify the impacts of steadily increasing temperatures. For example, coral communities in the Galápagos Islands experienced mortality rates of up to 95-99% during severe ENSO warming in 1982-1983. Persisting through such extreme conditions imposes additional challenges to survival in already marginal environments for coral growth and development …

Bacterial Indicators Of Fecal Pollution: Exploring Relationships Between Fecal Coliform And Enterococcus Groups In Central And South Florida Surface Waters, Shelby G. Craig

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Ambient and recreational surface waters worldwide experience fecal pollution due to a variety of anthropogenic sources. Fecal waste has been proven, for over a century, to harbor pathogenic microorganisms which subsequently cause a variety of disease and illness in human hosts. The benefits of utilizing fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) as a simple, inexpensive means to detect fitful human pathogens within a variety of water matrices are vast. However, no universal agreement exists in regard to which indicator is best suited for detection of fecal contamination and pathogens in environmental waters, and no single standard for bacterial indicators has been federally …

Coral Genotype Influence On Growth And Stress Resistance In Acropora Cervicornis: Investigating Potential Energy Tradeoffs, Peter T. Grasso

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Over the last few decades coral reefs have faced unprecedented declines in health due to natural and anthropogenic sources. Until recently few studies have examined genotypic variation of growth and thermal stress resistance in Acropora cervicornis. This study aims to assess the potential for energy trade-offs between growth and thermal stress resistance by following 120 coral fragments from 12 genotypes of Acropora cervicornis over the course of 15 months to determine average growth rates for each genotype. Following the completion of the growth observation a bleaching event occurred in the lower Florida Keys providing the opportunity for examining thermal …

An Endemic Commensal Leucothoid Discovered In The Tunicate Cnemidocarpa Bicornuta, From New Zealand (Crustacea, Amphipoda), Kaitlyn M. Brucker

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Precise descriptions and comprehensive taxonomies of species and their ecology are essential in monitoring changes in marine biodiversity at multiple spatial scales. A currently undescribed species of commensal amphipod in the genus Leucothoe is reported from New Zealand, collected from the endemic tunicate Cnemidocarpa bicornuta. This species differs from others in the genus in having a one-articulate first maxilla palp and an apically produced tuberculate lobe on the inner margin of the outer plate of the maxilliped. Previous taxonomic surveys in New Zealand waters did not document this species, indicating that it may be a recent arrival. This research …

Distribution, Abundance And Movement Of Fish Among Seagrass And Mangrove Habitats In Biscayne Bay, Patrick C. Goebel

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Inshore tropical and subtropical estuaries harbor a relatively high abundance and diversity of organisms. Specifically within estuaries, mangrove and seagrass habitats provide shelter and food for a plethora of organisms, through some or all their life histories. Given the biological connection between offshore coral reefs and coastal estuaries, there is a critical need to understand the underlying processes that determine distribution and abundance patterns within mangrove-seagrass habitats. The predatory fish assemblage within the mangrove and seagrass beds of Biscayne Bay, Florida (USA), was examined over 24-hr. time periods along a distance and habitat gradient from the mangrove edge and nearshore …

Sustainable Whale-Watching For The Philippines: A Bioeconomic Model Of The Spinner Dolphin (Stenella Longirostris), Allison Jenny Santos

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Whale-watching provides economic opportunities worldwide and particularly proliferates in developing countries, such as the Philippines. The sustainability of whale-watching is increasingly debated as these activities also negatively impact cetaceans through changes in behavior, communication, habitat use, morbidity, mortality, and life-history parameters. This study evaluated the total annual cost, revenue, and profit of whale-watching operators in Bais, Philippines, and predicted the changes in the population for spinner dolphin Stenella longirostris with varying levels of whale-watching effort. Total revenue was 3,805,077 PHP ($92,478 USD) while total cost was 5,649,094 PHP ($137,294 USD) with a discount rate of ten percent. The total annual …

The Our Florida Reefs Coastal Use Survey: An Online Survey To Support Stakeholder Management Recommendations For Southeast Florida, Amanda Rose Costaregni

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Coral reefs are an important resource world-wide. Unfortunately, coral reef conditions are declining in many areas due to both global and local stressors. The objective of this study was to survey stakeholders in southeast Florida to better understand reef use in the region. Stakeholders spatially identified where and how often they conducted their activities. These data were compiled and analyzed in GIS to determine spatial use patterns. Both location and intensity of use were analyzed to determine which areas may be under greater stress from recreational activities. It was found that reef use was not evenly distributed in the region …

Natural Vs. Anthropogenic Sedimentation: Does Reducing A Local Stressor Increase Coral Resilience To Climate Change?, Francesca Fourney

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Corals face serious worldwide population declines due to global climate change in combination with direct anthropogenic impacts. Global climate change is difficult to manage locally, but policy makers can regulate the magnitude of local stressors affecting reefs. The objective of this experiment is to investigate if reducing sedimentation will enable reef corals to better endure global climate change. It has been shown that some coral species can handle climate change stress when provided with additional energy resources. Here I tested if the capacity of corals to cope with climate change can be improved when their ability to feed and photosynthesize …

A Comparison Of Infaunal Community Structure Between Pre- And Post Construction Sampling Of Artificial Fdot Rock- Pile Reefs In Broward County, Florida, Joan Lorraine Guerra

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Artificial reefs (ARs) are generally created with the intention of increasing local fish populations, biodiversity and corresponding habitat productivity, most often in support of commercial and recreational uses (e.g., diving and fishing). Numerous studies have investigated the communities that develop on artificial reefs. By contrast, far less research has focused on the surrounding infaunal communities, which represent critical trophic resources for many species that populate both natural and artificial reefs, and which may be affected both by AR deployment and the organisms that subsequently recruit to them. This study compared infaunal organism abundances at four sites between the inner and …

Connectivity Of Coastal And Oceanic Ecosystems: Pelagic Habitat Use By Juvenile Reef Fishes In The Gulf Of Mexico, Katie Bowen

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The assemblage structure, abundance, biomass, and vertical distribution of juvenile reef fishes in the offshore pelagic habitat of the northern Gulf of Mexico are described as part of the NOAA-supported Offshore Nekton Sampling and Analysis Program. The results presented here are from a 3-month, continuous sampling series in 2011 in which discrete depth strata from 0 to 1500 m were sampled using a 10-m² MOCNESS midwater trawl. This is the first study to examine pelagic juvenile reef fish distributions across the entire oceanic northern Gulf of Mexico seaward of the continental shelf break after the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. …

Feeding Ecology Of The Invasive Lionfish (Pterois Spp.) And Comparison With Two Native Species: Schoolmaster Lutjanus Apodus (Walbaum, 1792) And Graysby Cephalopholis Cruentata (Lacepède, 1802), Jesse J. Secord

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Predator satiation and prey-size preference were determined for locally caught lionfish, schoolmaster, and graysby, all co-occurring predatory fishes in the Florida coral reef ecosystem. Individuals were evaluated by exposing them to wild-caught killifish over a gradient of four size classes (20 mm to 60 mm, in 10 mm increments). Preference trials extended over a 2 hr time period and were filmed to determine the order in which each prey item was consumed. Satiation was evaluated by exposing the predators to an equal number of excess prey items for 24 hrs and evaluating consumed prey weight. Lionfish and schoolmaster showed a …

Faunal Composition And Distribution Of Pelagic Larval And Juvenile Flatfishes (Teleostei: Pleuronectiformes) In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico: Connectivity Between Coastal And Oceanic Epipelagic Ecosystems, Lacey Malarky

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Pleuronectiformes (flatfishes) occur throughout the global oceans, and have high ecological and commercial importance in some areas. Though much is known regarding life history, abundance, and distribution for the benthic adult stage of flatfish species, much less is known about the pelagic larval phases of flatfishes in the open ocean. Taxonomic uncertainty and limited sampling in the oceanic Gulf of Mexico contribute to data gaps with respect to the distribution of early life history stage of flatfishes in this region. Knowledge of the faunal composition, abundance and distribution of larval flatfishes, such as members of Bothus, which have extended …

The Effects Of Petroleum Pollutants On Sea Urchins Reproduction And Development, Kellie C. Pelikan

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Disturbances, such as mass pollution events, threaten the health of vulnerable ecosystems. Recent media attention has focused on the devastating mass oil spills, but daily petroleum input from recreational and commercial ship bilge release has been overlooked. The focus of this study was the effect of petroleum products found in bilge water on fertilization success and larval viability of two sea urchin species, Lytechinus variegatus and Eucidaris tribuloides. Unlike other pollutant studies that have focused on sperm characteristics and concentrations, I chose to examine how egg integrity was compromised by petroleum products. Scanning electron microscopy revealed eggs were degraded when …

A Comparison Of Macroinfaunal Community Structure Between Artificial Concrete Boulder Reefs And Adjacent Natural Reefs In Broward County, Florida, Amber C. Metallo

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Relatively little is known about either the biological (i.e., predation) or physical (i.e., current, sedimentation) effects that artificial reefs may have on surrounding benthic infaunal communities. Following deployment of artificial reefs (concrete boulders) between the first and second reefs off Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on 30 October 2009, sediment cores were taken at 4 distances along three replicate 10-m transects on 13 and 26 September 2013, and 24 and 25 May 2014 at each of four artificial reef sites and four of their adjacent natural reef sites using SCUBA. Infauna (>0.5mm) were extracted from the sediment and identified to the …

Species Specific Microcalcification In Reef Building Caribbean Corals In Ocean Acidification Conditions, Ashley M. Dungan

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Coral reefs are one of the most economically important ecosystems on the planet. Despite their great contribution to the world economy, anthropogenic influence via carbon dioxide emissions is leading to unprecedented changes with concerns about subsequent negative impacts on reefs. Surface ocean pH has dropped 0.1 units in the past century; in spite of this rapid shift in oceanic chemistry, it is unclear if individual species or life stages of Caribbean stony corals will be more sensitive to ocean acidification (OA). Examined is the relationship between CO₂-induced seawater acidification, net calcification, photosynthesis, and respiration in three model Caribbean …

Bacterial Community Dynamics In Marine Sponge Cinachyrella Kuekenthali Under Irradiance And Antibiotics, Nidhi Vijayan

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The Marine sponge Cinachyrella sp used in this study are commonly found in offshore South Florida and Caribbean waters and appeared to be resilient in closed system aquaculture. Marine sponges host diverse bacterial symbionts that are distinct compared to bacteria found in ambient seawater, however the roles of a large fraction of the bacterial community in marine sponges are unknown. Comparison of symbiotic to aposymbiotic (bacteria-free) sponges could provide information about interactions (metabolic and physiologic) between the bacteria and sponge. In this study, a single Cinachyrella kuekenthali individual was subsectioned into explants (N=240) in order to provide identical bacterial communities …

Fine-Grained Bacterial Compositional Analsysis Of The Port Everglades Inlet (Broward County, Fl) Microbiome Using High Throughput Dna Sequencing, Lauren M. O'Connell

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Port Everglades Inlet is one of the busiest ports in the country and is a point source of pollution to surrounding beaches and offshore corals from heavy boat traffic and urban runoff. Understanding fluctuations of bacterioplankton communities in major port inlets is important due to their impacts on surrounding marine environments. To understand annual microbial fluctuations, the 16s rRNA V4 hypervariable region was sequenced using Illumina high-throughput DNA sequencing technology. Surface samples were taken weekly for one year to generate baseline fluctuations in the microbial community. Total reads of 1.4 million were generated with a final count of 16,384 Operational …

Biodiversity And Ecological Dynamics Of Sciophilous Benthic Communities On Artificial Plates: Emphasis On Reef Sponges, Caidra Elizabeth Hassanzada

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Low light intensity habitats harbor unique sciophilous benthic communities and are a source of novel and unique sponge fauna. However, the community structure of these habitats is poorly studied to date. Thus, this study attempts to understand the composition and structure of sciophilous sponge populations in southeast Florida. Fifty limestone plates were placed on a shallow reef in Fort Lauderdale for two years (2010-2012). To identify the sponge community and their patterns over time, all plates were photographed at the end of each year. Then, samples were taken from each of the live sponge specimens observed on the plates and …

A Phylogenetic Revision Of Superfamily Himerometroidea (Echinodermata: Crinoidea), Kristian Taylor

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Superfamily Himerometroidea AH Clark, 1908 (Echinodermata: Crinoidea) (formerly Mariametroidea) is the second most speciose superfamily in order Comatulida. Although it includes some of the most common species on tropical western Pacific reefs, its phylogeny is poorly understood. Genus- to species-level taxa are currently distinguished by plastic morphological characters. We revised the superfamily from species- to family-levels using a combined morphological and molecular approach. A phylogeny using two nuclear and three mitochondrial markers recovered Colobometridae and Himerometridae as paraphyletic and Mariametridae and Zygometridae as polyphyletic. Within genus Himerometra (Himerometridae), sequence data and detailed morphological examinations of multiple specimens of H. magnipinna, …

Time-Series Evaluation Of Suspect Rickettsiales-Like Bacteria Presence In Acropora Cervicornis Off Of Broward County From Years 2001–2012, Steven Di Lauro

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Rickettsiales-like organisms (RLOs) are thought to be related to bacteria in the order Rickettsiales. They have been reported to occur in the staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis), and this study investigated trends of infection over time, and in relation to the health of infected corals. This study focuses on tissue samples taken mostly from visibly healthy A. cervicornis thickets in Broward County, Florida, and processed for histological examination. Samples were originally collected and analyzed to document reproduction during years 2001 through 2012, and tissue loss diseases (white-band disease [WBD] types I and II, and rapid tissue loss). …

A Comparative Evaluation Of Mitigation Wetlands In Broward County, Florida, Using Chironomid (Ditera) Pupal Exuviae: A Potential Technique For Assessing Mitigation Success, Ryan St. George

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Wetland resources in South Florida are regulated at three redundant jurisdictional levels: local or municipal regulations set forth by many independent jurisdictions, State regulations derived directly from Florida Statutes, and Federal regulations promulgated primarily under the Clean Water Act. All three levels of government can have jurisdiction over projects that affect regulated wetland resources, yet inconsistent policies and standards remain and continue to confound regulators despite decades of intensive coordination efforts and a rapidly growing scientific research base. The size of a wetland mitigation area is of primary consideration when evaluating its perceived ecological value, although wetland mitigation areas constructed …

Benthic Invertebrate Communities And Habitat Characterization Of The Pourtalès Terrace, Florida With Analysis Of The Deepwater Coral Habitat Areas Of Particular Concern And The East Hump Marine Protected Area, Jana K. Ash

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The Pourtalès Terrace is a gently curved, narrow triangular platform that parallels the Florida Keys for 213 km running from southern Key Largo to between Key West and the Marquesas Keys. The main Terrace surface begins in 200 m and dips gently to approximately 450 m, where the Pourtalès Escarpment slopes steeply to the deep floor of the southern Straits of Florida. The Terrace platform exhibits a wide variety of Neogene-age geological features, including high-relief ledges, mounds, sinkholes and deep-water biogenic build-ups called bioherms. Previous research revealed dense and diverse benthic assemblages dominated by stylasterid hydrocorals, octocorals and sponges.

Many …

A Quantitative Assessment Of The January 2010 Cold Spell Effect On Mangrove Utilizing Coral Reef Fishes From Biscayne National Park, Florida, Jeffrey M. Ellis

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects of the January 2010 cold spell on mangrove utilizing coral reef fishes off the southeast coast of Florida, USA, in the vicinity of Biscayne National Park (BNP). An ongoing, fishery-independent mangrove visual survey documenting fish assemblages in BNP provided data from the years 1998 to 2014 for examination. Of particular interest were the presence, abundance, and size structure for five mangrove utilizing coral reef fishes: sergeant major (Abudefduf saxatilis), yellowfin mojarra (Gerres cinereus), schoolmaster snapper (Lutjanus apodus), gray snapper (Lutjanus griseus), and great barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda …

Assessment Of Nursery-Raised Acropora Cervicornis Transplants In The Upper Florida Keys, Matthew Ware

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Over the last 40 years, the Caribbean has lost half of its live coral cover, mostly in the form of Acropora cervicornis and A. palmata, due to disease, bleaching from rising water temperatures, and other stressors. To help restore these corals to reefs in Florida, the Coral Restoration Foundation (CRF) created nearshore nurseries and transplanted over 30,000 acroporid colonies across the Florida Keys. The objective of this thesis was to evaluate the growth, survivorship, and condition of nursery-raised A. cervicornis colonies that were part of two transplant projects: 1) photographic analyses of 17 past CRF transplant projects over the …

Connectivity Of Reef Fishes Between Mangroves And Coral Reefs In Broward County, Florida, Jennifer Savaro

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Many marine fishes use the mangrove ecosystem for foraging, protection, spawning, and as a nursery habitat. To develop a better understanding of energy flow between the coastal mangrove and coral reef ecosystems, the ontogentic migration and trophic connectivity of reef fishes were examined through the use of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and oxygen (O) stable isotope ratios. Juvenile and adult gray snapper Lutjanus griseus, lane snapper L. synagris, bluestriped grunt Haemulon sciurus, French grunt H. flavolineatum, sailor’s choice H. parra, yellowfin mojarra Gerres cinereus, and great barracuda Sphyraena barracuda were collected from both mangrove …

Staghorn Coral, Acropora Cervicornis, Restoration In South Florida: Growth And Survivorship Of Outplanted Nursery Corals, Meaghan Johnson

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

This thesis provides a detailed analysis of the growth and survivorship of outplanted Acropora cervicornis corals from underwater nurseries within three regions of the Florida Reef Tract. Substantial loss of stony coral cover on Florida’s coral reefs, including the branching staghorn coral, Acropora cervicornis, has occurred for decades due to disturbances such as disease, temperature induced bleaching, hurricanes, sedimentation, and pollution. This rapid population decline contributed to A. cervicornis being listed as a threatened species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act in May 2006. To aid in the recovery of the species, coral fragments were grown in underwater nurseries …