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Population Genetic Structure, Movement Patterns, and Environmental Preferences of the Pelagic Wahoo, Acanthocyhium solandri
Title
Population Genetic Structure, Movement Patterns, and Environmental Preferences of the Pelagic Wahoo, Acanthocyhium solandri.
Creator
Theisen, Timothy Charles, Florida Atlantic University, Baldwin, John D., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
Abstract/Description
The wahoo, Acanthocyhium solandri, is a pelagic marine fish which inhabits tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate waters worldwide. Despite being highly mobile and economically important over most of their range, there is little scientific data concerning population structure, movement patterns, or environmental preferences of wahoo. In this study I investigate wahoo genetic population structure and phytogeography on a global scale, and deploy pop-up satellite archival tags (PSA T's) in...
Show moreThe wahoo, Acanthocyhium solandri, is a pelagic marine fish which inhabits tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate waters worldwide. Despite being highly mobile and economically important over most of their range, there is little scientific data concerning population structure, movement patterns, or environmental preferences of wahoo. In this study I investigate wahoo genetic population structure and phytogeography on a global scale, and deploy pop-up satellite archival tags (PSA T's) in the western Atlantic Ocean to determine movement patterns and environmental preferences of wahoo. Wahoo population genetic structure was examined across their entire global range with intron six of lactate dehydrogenase-A (ldhA6, 10 locations, N = 213) and mtDNA cytochrome h (Cyth, 13 locations, N = 322). Results show extensive sharing ofhaplotypes and no significant structure between all locations (mtDNA ~ST < 0.0001, P = 0.634; nuclear FsT = 0.0125, P = 0.1 06). Overall nuclear heterozygosity (H = 0.714) and mtDNA haplotype diversity (h = 0.918) are both high, while overall mtDNA nucleotide diversity (n = 0.006) and nuclear nucleotide diversity (n = 0.004) are uniformly low. Coalescence indicates an effective female population size CNeF) at - 816,000, and a population bottleneck - 690,000 years ago. Movement patterns and environmental preferences were investigated by deploying PSA T's onto four individual wahoo in the western Atlantic Ocean. Tagging success rate (75%) validates the deployment protocol developed for this project. Results indicate that wahoo in the western Atlantic ocean spend the greatest portion of their time between 0 and 20 meters of depth, and between temperatures of 20oC and 26°C. More time was spent near the deeper extremes of their range during the nocturnal period, and daily visits to the surface were observed. Wahoo were observed traveling north in Fall and Winter, contrary to previous notions concerning the migratory movements of this species. The genetic results indicate a worldwide stock for wahoo, which reinforces the mandate for international cooperation on fisheries issues. The PSA T results demonstrate the value of the acquired data to the investigation of important life history parameters in pelagic species. The information generated from this project will benefit fisheries managers, marine biologists, evolutionary biologists, and both commercial and recreational fishing interests.
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Date Issued
2007
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00000880
Subject Headings
Population genetics, Marine biology, Biological diversity, Fish populations--Conservation
Format
Document (PDF)
introduction to the Abacoa Greenway
Title
An introduction to the Abacoa Greenway.
Creator
Blubaugh, Carmen., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Abstract/Description
Greenways are corridors of relatively intact natural vegetation through otherwise disturbed habitat that typically connect larger protected natural areas. The establishment of greenway systems throughout the United States is a testament to the increasing recognition of the necessity to incorporate wild areas within urban and other disturbed landscapes for the sake of biological sustainability and the emotional welfare of human residents. In my thesis, I examine a local greenway in Jupiter,...
Show moreGreenways are corridors of relatively intact natural vegetation through otherwise disturbed habitat that typically connect larger protected natural areas. The establishment of greenway systems throughout the United States is a testament to the increasing recognition of the necessity to incorporate wild areas within urban and other disturbed landscapes for the sake of biological sustainability and the emotional welfare of human residents. In my thesis, I examine a local greenway in Jupiter, Florida, the Abacoa Greenway, which is both product and component of the greenway movement, a recent and revolutionary phenomenon in urban planning. I evaluate the greenway's ecology, the specific functions it serves, and its significance within the broader realm of environmental ethics. The primary protected habitats are a mixture of scrubby pine flatwoods and shallow wetland basins. The flatwoods provide important habitats for numerous native species, including the gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) and the many commensal species that live in the tortoises' burrows. The shallow wetland basins also serve a number of purposes, including a surface water management system. As a whole, the greenway is an important resource for human recreation and environmental education, including scholarly research by students and faculty at Florida Atlantic University. It serves as important link between people and nature in an urban setting where they might otherwise be completely estranged.
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Date Issued
2006
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/11594
Subject Headings
Greenways, Biological diversity conservation, Government policy, Nature conservation, Government policy, Ecology
Format
Document (PDF)
Assessment of multiple paternity for the queen conch, Strombus gigas
Title
Assessment of multiple paternity for the queen conch, Strombus gigas.
Creator
Harris, Chris., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Abstract/Description
The commercially important queen conch, Strombus gigas, has been observed copulating with multiple partners and laying multiple egg masses during a reproductive season (Randall, 1964). While multiple paternity has been confirmed using microsatellite based genetic analysis for a variety of other gastropods, this technique has not been employed for S. gigas. Determining whether or not this species is capable of multiple paternity is important to understanding and maintaining genetic diversity...
Show moreThe commercially important queen conch, Strombus gigas, has been observed copulating with multiple partners and laying multiple egg masses during a reproductive season (Randall, 1964). While multiple paternity has been confirmed using microsatellite based genetic analysis for a variety of other gastropods, this technique has not been employed for S. gigas. Determining whether or not this species is capable of multiple paternity is important to understanding and maintaining genetic diversity of natural and captive populations. While an assessment of multiple paternity is the ultimate goal of this study, for my thesis, I have completed preliminary work which includes perfecting methods of tissue collection, DNA extraction, and DNA amplification with six non-labeled polymorphic microsatellite molecular markers, using cultured Strombus gigas animals. In addition, I collected tissue and extracted DNA from three wild S. gigas adult females and their egg masses from Pelican Shoal in the Florida Keys.
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Date Issued
2008
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/77671
Subject Headings
Gastropoda, Habitat, Queen conch, Conservation, Biological diversity, Marine biology, Mariculture
Format
Document (PDF)
Census of nonhuman primate populations of Comuna El Pital, in south central Ecuador
Title
Census of nonhuman primate populations of Comuna El Pital, in south central Ecuador.
Creator
Hores, Rose M., Florida Atlantic University, Broadfield, Douglas C.
Abstract/Description
Ecuador is home to several Neotropical primates. Some areas, and the primate fauna they support, remain little studied, as is El Pital of south-central Ecuador within Machalilla National Park. I conducted a systematic census between May--August, 2005, including some behavioral data. I documented 20 capuchins (Cebus albifrons ssp.) in three groups and 198 mantled howlers (Alouatta palliata) in 15 groups. All were cited between 2-11 kilometers from habitations. Preliminary data suggested that a...
Show moreEcuador is home to several Neotropical primates. Some areas, and the primate fauna they support, remain little studied, as is El Pital of south-central Ecuador within Machalilla National Park. I conducted a systematic census between May--August, 2005, including some behavioral data. I documented 20 capuchins (Cebus albifrons ssp.) in three groups and 198 mantled howlers (Alouatta palliata) in 15 groups. All were cited between 2-11 kilometers from habitations. Preliminary data suggested that a Cebus monkey, previously undocumented in the area, may inhabit the park. By recording current population numbers of nonhuman primates, future research may disclose if, over time, National Park designation correlates with population change, and whether or not the local people and their activities (e.g. hunting, farming and logging) impact monkey population densities. The results of this study can aid in the development of educational outreach programs to increase public awareness while fostering an eco-tourism industry.
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Date Issued
2006
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/13346
Subject Headings
Biological diversity conservation--Ecuador, Primates--Adaptation, Parque Nacional Machalillic (Ecuador), Monkeys--Ecuador--Comuna El Pital--Counting
Format
Document (PDF)
regeneration of nature: An alternative to ecological restoration
Title
The regeneration of nature: An alternative to ecological restoration.
Creator
Hindle, Tobin, Florida Atlantic University, Fiore, Robin N.
Abstract/Description
The Regeneration of Nature: an alternative to ecological restoration is an exploration of the human response to alterations society has imposed on natural ecosystems. Ecological restoration is the dominant response to these degraded systems that has emerged within Western, empirical thought. Restoration as it is characteristically practiced in the United States attempts to reverse human impact by returning an ecosystem to an earlier state of existence; its so called pre-disturbance condition....
Show moreThe Regeneration of Nature: an alternative to ecological restoration is an exploration of the human response to alterations society has imposed on natural ecosystems. Ecological restoration is the dominant response to these degraded systems that has emerged within Western, empirical thought. Restoration as it is characteristically practiced in the United States attempts to reverse human impact by returning an ecosystem to an earlier state of existence; its so called pre-disturbance condition. However, I argue that ecological restoration does not adequately address degraded ecosystems dominating today's landscape primarily because it excludes humans as an integrated part of ecosystems and it ignores the dynamic characteristics of nature. Despite the dichotomy embedded in the restoration view, humans and nature are best understood as interdependent. Therefore, those working on urban environmental issues must develop integrated solutions in which both society and nature benefit without creating negative impacts on each other. In The Regeneration of Nature: an alternative to ecological restoration , I show how the connections between science, society, and nature can be recognized as an integrated view to establish a new paradigm for positive change within communities, both natural and human. The new paradigm, which I entitle ecological regeneration, extends the interdisciplinary style of environmental research as it calls for the development, adoption, and dissemination of a truly integrated and dynamic socio-ecological model to replace the static and reductionist view that prevails within the ecological restoration model. Where restoration treats the human and natural environments as mutually exclusive, regeneration recognizes the necessity of integrating human built systems within nature and nature within built systems. By examining conceptual and practical problems within ecological restoration, my goal is to offer an ecological regeneration framework leading to theoretically better solutions with respect to society's impact on natural ecosystems. The vision I offer here of regenerating nature within the built environment is intended to help fellow scientists, non-scientists, and the general public pursue an environmentally accountable and socially responsible prospect.
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Date Issued
2006
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12232
Subject Headings
Nature--Effect of human beings on, Extinction (Biology), Biological diversity conservation, United States--Environmental policy, Ecosystem management, Ecological assessment (Biology), Biodiversity
Format
Document (PDF)
Assemblage dynamics of exotic herpetofauna on Jupiter campus of Florida Atlantic University
Title
Assemblage dynamics of exotic herpetofauna on Jupiter campus of Florida Atlantic University.
Creator
Kingsland, Kimber, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Abstract/Description
Many species considered exotic, by both biological definition and social construction, have been introduced into South Florida. These species compete for resources with native species and with each other. In this study, I surveyed the John D. MacArthur Campus of Florida Atlantic University in Jupiter Florida during spring and fall of 2005 to determine the assemblage dynamics of several exotic herpetofauna species, primarily the nocturnal Wood Slave gecko (Hemidactylus mabouia), the Indo-...
Show moreMany species considered exotic, by both biological definition and social construction, have been introduced into South Florida. These species compete for resources with native species and with each other. In this study, I surveyed the John D. MacArthur Campus of Florida Atlantic University in Jupiter Florida during spring and fall of 2005 to determine the assemblage dynamics of several exotic herpetofauna species, primarily the nocturnal Wood Slave gecko (Hemidactylus mabouia), the Indo- Pacific gecko (H. garnotii), and the diurnal Cuban brown anole (Anolis sagrei). I found that the more recently established (H. mabouia) was out-competing (H. garnotii) on most of the buildings being surveyed. The study also showed that the Cuban treefrog, (Osteopilus septentrionalis) population affected the gecko populations significantly. (A. sagrei) was the primary anole found on campus, with sightings of (A. carolinensis) the native Florida green anole, being rare.
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Date Issued
2007
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/11609, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FADT11609
Subject Headings
Amphibians, Reptiles, Biological diversity conservation
Format
Document (PDF)