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Survival and Growth of Sponge Recruits in a Land-based Nursery
| Title: | Survival and Growth of Sponge Recruits in a Land-based Nursery. |
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| Name(s): |
Crouch, Barbara C. , author Fonnegra, Andia Chaves , Thesis advisor Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor Department of Biological Sciences Charles E. Schmidt College of Science |
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| Type of Resource: | text | |
| Genre: | Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation | |
| Date Created: | 2022 | |
| Date Issued: | 2022 | |
| Publisher: | Florida Atlantic University | |
| Place of Publication: | Boca Raton, Fla. | |
| Physical Form: | application/pdf | |
| Extent: | 79 p. | |
| Language(s): | English | |
| Abstract/Description: | Sponges (phylum Porifera) are ancient animals that provide numerous ecosystem functions (e.g., water filtration, habitat, food source) and commercial applications (e.g., bath sponges and pharmaceuticals). However, mass mortality events in Florida Bay have drastically impacted sponge communities and the ecosystem services they provide. To restore habitats, sponge restoration initiatives are ongoing in Florida. The aim of this thesis was to determine survival and growth of sponges in a land-based nursery. Larvae from four species were collected from the Indian River Lagoon and the Florida Keys from July to September 2021. Larval settlement and metamorphosis, survival of recruits, morphological development and growth were observed, quantified, and compared to other species. Larvae settlement success was highest in our Heteroscleromorpha species Tedania ignis, Haliclona caerulea and Niphates erecta, but not the Keratosa species Spongia sp. However, the highest recruit survival was the Spongia sp. Early developmental characteristics were significantly different among species and over observation periods, with most developmental characteristics occurring during the first 14 days post-settlement. H. caerulea and Spongia sp. developed faster than other species. Spongia sp. recruit growth was higher when kept in artificial seawater with no food supplement. These results provide further insight toward optimizing the FAUHBOI sponge nursery protocols to supplement current restoration efforts and increase the abundance of sponge populations and community diversity. | |
| Identifier: | FA00014086 (IID) | |
| Degree granted: | Thesis (MS)--Florida Atlantic University, 2022. | |
| Collection: | FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection | |
| Note(s): | Includes bibliography. | |
| Subject(s): |
Sponges--Florida Restoration ecology Sponges--Growth |
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| Persistent Link to This Record: | http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014086 | |
| 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. |
