Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

In-Vitro Micropropagation And Acclimatization Of Selected Florida Native Orchids, Andrew Mullin

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Florida is home to 106 native orchid species with the majority of them being endangered or critically imperiled, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Institute for Regional Conservation (IRC). In nature orchid germination rates are very low because they lack an endosperm, instead depending on an obligate relationship with a mycorrhizal fungus for nutrients. Most orchid seeds can be germinated in-vitro without the need for specific mycorrhizal fungi and therefore high rates of germination can be achieved. This study aims are a) to establish the fastest and most efficient in-vitro seed germination media and …

Comparison Of Modern And Mid-Holocene Benthic Foraminifera To Assess Recent Environmental Change In Almirante Bay, Caribbean Panama, Maria N. Gudnitz

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study used the diversity and distribution of benthic foraminiferal assemblages of Almirante Bay, Caribbean Panama, as environmental proxies to compare modern coral, seagrass and mangrove habitats to mid-Holocene coral reef facies on the island of Isla Colón, to investigate both natural and human-influenced changes.

The modern study associated species and assemblage characteristics with environmental conditions related to degraded water quality. Assemblages were fairly similar among neighboring habitats but differed in species proportions, while several stress-tolerant taxa might indicate eutrophic conditions. Diversity appeared to be regionally controlled by freshwater input irrespective of habitat type, was generally lower near the mainland …