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BENTHIC FAUNAL RECOLONIZATION OF AN OFFSHORE BORROW PIT IN SOUTHEASTERN FLORIDA

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Date Issued:
1985
Summary:
Benthic faunal repopulation of a newly created borrow pit off Delray Beach, Florida was monitored from 15 June 1978 to 23 June 1979. For comparative purposes, a single sampling of an adjacent five year old borrow pit was conducted concurrently with the final sampling of the new pit. Repopulation of the new pit was rapid, with 35 species and 1081 inds./m^2 collected at the initial sampling, 21 days postdredging. Abundance peaked at 1761 inds./m^2 in the third sampling period (169 days postdredging) and species richness peaked at the fifth sampling period (325 days post dredging) with 57 species. Polychaete annelids and peracarid crustaceans were the numerically most important initial colonizers of the new pit, together comprising 91.8% of the fauna. Species diversity (H') and equitability were lowest during the first sampling period (4.21 and 0.82, respectively) and, although variable, increased toward the end of the study (5.10 and 0.92, respectively). The disturbed area showed complete recovery based on several aspects of community structure, although differences in species composition were still evident between the new and old pits.
Title: BENTHIC FAUNAL RECOLONIZATION OF AN OFFSHORE BORROW PIT IN SOUTHEASTERN FLORIDA.
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Name(s): BOWEN, PHILIP RANDOLPH.
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Marsh, G. Alex, Thesis advisor
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Issuance: monographic
Date Issued: 1985
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 87 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: Benthic faunal repopulation of a newly created borrow pit off Delray Beach, Florida was monitored from 15 June 1978 to 23 June 1979. For comparative purposes, a single sampling of an adjacent five year old borrow pit was conducted concurrently with the final sampling of the new pit. Repopulation of the new pit was rapid, with 35 species and 1081 inds./m^2 collected at the initial sampling, 21 days postdredging. Abundance peaked at 1761 inds./m^2 in the third sampling period (169 days postdredging) and species richness peaked at the fifth sampling period (325 days post dredging) with 57 species. Polychaete annelids and peracarid crustaceans were the numerically most important initial colonizers of the new pit, together comprising 91.8% of the fauna. Species diversity (H') and equitability were lowest during the first sampling period (4.21 and 0.82, respectively) and, although variable, increased toward the end of the study (5.10 and 0.92, respectively). The disturbed area showed complete recovery based on several aspects of community structure, although differences in species composition were still evident between the new and old pits.
Identifier: 14252 (digitool), FADT14252 (IID), fau:11062 (fedora)
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1985.
Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Subject(s): Florida--Environmental aspects
Marine animals--Collection and preservation--Florida
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/14252
Sublocation: Digital Library
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.