Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Monthly Variability In Florida Bay Benthic Foraminifera Community Structure, C. Featherstone, Patricia Blackwelder

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

Florida Bay is a shallow subtropical estuary, which experiences highly variable environmental fluctuations due to natural forces (hurricanes, climatic variations and sea level rise) and anthropogenic influences (agricultural activity, water management and urbanization). Study of short time-scale variability in benthic community population structure and synchronous environmental change is essential to understanding forcing relationships between environment and its effects on population. Benthic foraminifera assemblage variability is an excellent indicator of environmental change in estuarine and coastal areas because populations may respond relatively quickly on spatial and temporal scales (Alve, 1995). Temporal resolution is enhanced because foraminifera may reproduce as often as …

Fish Colonization Of A Newly Deployed Vessel-Reef Off Southeast Florida: Preliminary Results, Paul T. Arena, Lance K. B. Jordan, Patrick Quinn, Arlo H. Hemphill, David R. Bryan, Brian Buskirk, Richard E. Spieler

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

Fish colonization on the Ebenezer II, a 25.5m merchant marine vessel, was studied from May 2002 - July 2003. The ship was scuttled in May 2002 off Broward County, Florida at a depth of 21m and was censused 10 times during the study period using a modified Bohnsack and Bannerot visual census method. Adjacent natural reefs and the Mcallister, a nearby, 30m tugboat deployed in June 1998, were censused during the same period.

Distinct changes in the fish assemblage on the Ebenezer II were observed throughout the sample period. A pioneer assemblage was observed during the first three months, characterized …