Current Search: Coastal ecology--Florida (x)
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(1 - 8 of 8)
- Title
- Allelopathy at the land/sea interface: microalgae and Brazilian pepper.
- Creator
- Hargraves, Paul E.
- Date Issued
- 2008
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FCLA/DT/1925502
- Subject Headings
- Algae --Biotechnology, Coastal ecology --Florida, Allelopathy, Plant invasions --Florida, Mangrove ecology --Florida, Algae --Growth
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Increasing Integrity in Sea-Level Rise Impact Assessment on Florida’s Coastal Everglades.
- Creator
- Cooper, Hannah M., Zhang, Caiyun, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Geosciences
- Abstract/Description
-
Over drainage due to water management practices, abundance of native and rare species, and low-lying topography makes the coastal Everglades especially vulnerable to Sea-Level Rise (SLR). Water depths have shown to have a significant relationship to vegetation community composition and organization while also playing a crucial role in vegetation health throughout the Everglades. Modeling potential habitat change and loss caused by increased water depths due to SLR requires better vertical...
Show moreOver drainage due to water management practices, abundance of native and rare species, and low-lying topography makes the coastal Everglades especially vulnerable to Sea-Level Rise (SLR). Water depths have shown to have a significant relationship to vegetation community composition and organization while also playing a crucial role in vegetation health throughout the Everglades. Modeling potential habitat change and loss caused by increased water depths due to SLR requires better vertical Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and resolution Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) and Water Table Elevation Models (WTEMs). In this study, an object-based machine learning approach was developed to correct LiDAR elevation data by integrating LiDAR point data, aerial imagery, Real Time Kinematic (RTK)-Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and total station survey data. Four machine learning modeling techniques were compared with the commonly used bias-corrected technique, including Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), k-Nearest Neighbor (k-NN), and Artificial Neural Network (ANN). The k-NN and RF models produced the best predictions for the Nine Mile and Flamingo study areas (RMSE = 0.08 m and 0.10 m, respectively). This study also examined four interpolation-based methods along with the RF, SVM and k-NN machine learning techniques for generating WTEMs. The RF models achieved the best results for the dry season (RMSE = 0.06 m) and the wet season (RMSE = 0.07 m) WTEMs. Previous research in Water Depth Model (WDM) generation in the Everglades focused on a conventional-based approach where a DEM is subtracted from a WTEM. This study extends the conventional-based WDM approach to a rigorous-based WDM technique where Monte Carlo simulation is used to propagate probability distributions through the proposed SLR depth model using uncertainties in the RF-based LiDAR DEM and WTEMs, vertical datums and transformations, regional SLR and soil accretion rates. It is concluded that a more rigorous-based WDM technique increases the integrity of derived products used to support and guide coastal restoration managers and planners concerned with habitat change under the challenge of SLR. Future research will be dedicated to the extension of this technique to model both increased water depths and saltwater intrusion due to SLR (saltwater inundation).
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00005991
- Subject Headings
- Everglades (Fla.), Sea level rise, Coastal ecology--Florida, Everglades (Fla)--Environmental conditions, Impact assessment
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Fish, macrocrustacean and avian population dynamics and cohabitation in tidally influenced impounded subtropical wetlands.
- Creator
- Gilmore, R. G., Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
- Date Issued
- 1986
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FCLA/DT/3183731
- Subject Headings
- Symposium on Waterfowl and Wetlands Management in the Coastal Zone of the Atlantic Flyway (1986 : Wilmington, Del.), Wetland management, Salt marsh ecology--Florida, Mangrove ecology--Florida
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Distribution and Diversity of Benthic Foraminifera Within the Nearshore Ridge Complex off Pompano Beach, Broward County, Florida.
- Creator
- Hanley, Caitlin, Oleinik, Anton E., Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Geosciences
- Abstract/Description
-
Benthic foraminifera are exceptional organisms with distinctive features that allow for interpretation of both past and present environmental conditions. Some benthic foraminifera are widely distributed while some are restricted to specific environments due to their way of life. Foraminiferal assemblages south of Biscayne Bay and north of Cape Canaveral have previously been investigated; however, a gap exists in data covering a transitional zone along the Florida coast between the tropical...
Show moreBenthic foraminifera are exceptional organisms with distinctive features that allow for interpretation of both past and present environmental conditions. Some benthic foraminifera are widely distributed while some are restricted to specific environments due to their way of life. Foraminiferal assemblages south of Biscayne Bay and north of Cape Canaveral have previously been investigated; however, a gap exists in data covering a transitional zone along the Florida coast between the tropical waters of the western Atlantic and the cooler coastal waters along the North American coast. The purpose of this study was to collect baseline data on the benthic foraminifera of the small marine environment off of Pompano Beach that falls within this zone. This environment has a very particular relict reef system that includes a near-shore ridge complex, the unique foraminiferal assemblage of which has not been documented. Thirteen rubble samples were collected from this near shore ridge complex between October 2013 and April 2015 from depths of 2.5m – 9m. Abundances and diversity indices were calculated, and multivariate analysis and SHEBI analysis carried out to summarize baseline data for the area. Substrate types and seasonal collections were compared with foraminiferal abundances to determine if benthic foraminifera diversity varied between the four substrate types found on the near-shore ridge and between wet and dry seasons in Florida. Results revealed a variation in abundances for both substrates and seasons with the dominant genera being Quinqueloculina, Laevipeneroplis, and Archaias. Multivariate analysis displayed dissimilarities between substrates colonized by corals and those that were uncolonized. Comparison of studies from surrounding areas revealed fewer, however similar, species and different dominant genera. Overall, this area has proven to be a different environment compared to surrounding coastal areas and merits further investigation.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004601
- Subject Headings
- Pompano Beach (Fla.)--Environmental aspects., Foraminifera--Ecology--Florida--Pompano Beach., Paleoecology--Florida--Pompano Beach., Coastal zone ecology--Florida--Pompano Beach., Coral reef ecology--Florida--Pompano Beach.
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- The Associations of Little Blue Heron Prey and Vegetation Communities in Two Subtropical Coastal Ecosystems.
- Creator
- Kohler, Emilie R., Gawlik, Dale E., Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
- Abstract/Description
-
Shallow water availability coupled with anthropogenic degradation of seagrass beds limits wading bird food resources in dynamic coastal ecosystems. Identifying prey species critical to wading bird reproductive success and the environmental drivers of key prey species abundance is important for understanding how environmental stressors influence prey and change the quality of foraging patches. Little Blue Herons (Egretta caerulea) are reportedly generalists eating insects, crustaceans, and...
Show moreShallow water availability coupled with anthropogenic degradation of seagrass beds limits wading bird food resources in dynamic coastal ecosystems. Identifying prey species critical to wading bird reproductive success and the environmental drivers of key prey species abundance is important for understanding how environmental stressors influence prey and change the quality of foraging patches. Little Blue Herons (Egretta caerulea) are reportedly generalists eating insects, crustaceans, and fish; however, the proportions of prey items in the diet may shift spatially and temporally from freshwater to marine systems during breeding and non-breeding periods. I investigated prey selection by Little Blue Herons in Florida at the Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge and the western Florida Bay, during 2016 and 2017 breeding seasons by investigating prey availability at low-tide locations along mudflats compared to stomach regurgitate samples collected from Little Blue Heron chicks 1 to 4 weeks old. Little Blue Herons selected Gulf toadfish (Opsanus beta) and prawns (Farfantepenaeus spp.) from the estuarine environment, but also consumed terrestrial prey (e.g. tree crabs) suggesting Little Blue Heron foraging habitat is not restricted to tidal flats. Additionally, these results support the characterization of Little Blue Herons as a generalist. After identifying important prey species, I modeled the associations of selected prey species with submerged aquatic vegetation density and abiotic variables to better understand habitat preferences and important habitat characteristics that drive prey density. Models support total seagrass density and algal density as having the greatest effect on prey selected by Little Blue Herons. Prawn density has a strong positive association with seagrass density. Gulf toadfish (Opsanus beta) and prawns (Farfantepenaeus spp.) had strong positive association with algae while pipefish (Syngnathidae) had a strong negative association with algae suggesting algae density in seagrass meadows should be considered when assessing the quality of seagrass meadows for Little Blue Heron prey and habitat suitability. My results varied from previous studies where prawns and gulf toadfish were associated with specific seagrass species. Therefore, some Little Blue Heron prey species in south Florida may not be affected by changes in submerged aquatic vegetation community composition if submerged aquatic vegetation densities remain constant. Studies are needed that clarify the complex interactions between prey and specific habitat metrics to validate the strength of landscape scale drivers of wading bird prey densities in dynamic coastal ecosystems and to determine how these communities will respond to anthropogenic environmental change.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013156
- Subject Headings
- Herons--Ecology, Egretta, Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge (Fla), Florida Bay (Fla), Coastal ecology--Florida
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Alkaline Phosphatase Activity of Seagrass and Water Column Fractions in Florida Bay.
- Creator
- Kletou, Demetris, Koch, Marguerite, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
- Abstract/Description
-
Few phosphorus (P) depleted coastal marine ecosystems have been examined for their capacity to hydrolyze phosphomonoesters (PMEs). The purpose of this study was to examine seasonal APA partitioning between water column fractions (phytoplankton, bacteria and freely dissolved) and benthic autotrophs in Florida Bay, a P limited shallow estuary using low fluorescent substrate (MUF-P) concentrations (≤2.0 μm). APA was higher at the western and northcentral (751 and 695 nmol L^-1 h^-1) sites and...
Show moreFew phosphorus (P) depleted coastal marine ecosystems have been examined for their capacity to hydrolyze phosphomonoesters (PMEs). The purpose of this study was to examine seasonal APA partitioning between water column fractions (phytoplankton, bacteria and freely dissolved) and benthic autotrophs in Florida Bay, a P limited shallow estuary using low fluorescent substrate (MUF-P) concentrations (≤2.0 μm). APA was higher at the western and northcentral (751 and 695 nmol L^-1 h^-1) sites and driven by cyanobacterial blooms, compared to the P limited northeastern (359 nmol L^-1 h^-1) site The free dissolved fraction (<0.2 μm) accounted for the most APA (~50%), followed by the phytoplankton (>1 μm; 30%) and bacteria fraction (<0.2-> 1.2 μm; 8%). Thaiassia testudinum leaves with their associated epiphytes contributed modestly to water column APA (14 and 20%), and only during non-bloom conditions. Rapid hydrolysis of PMEs (undetected in most samplings) in Florida Bay is probably driven by high concentration of organic substrates for microbial and cyanobacterial activity which results from the close association of the shallow water column with the underlying seagrass community and adjacent Everglades wetlands.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00000780
- Subject Headings
- Coastal ecology--Florida, Coastal zone management--Florida, Estuarine sediments--Florida--Florida Bay, Aquaculture--Environmental aspects--Florida
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Perceived risk versus actual risk to sea-level rise: a case study in Broward County, Florida.
- Creator
- Bolter, Keren P., Hindle, Tobin, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Geosciences
- Abstract/Description
-
Global climate change stressors downscale to specific local vulnerabilities, requiring customized adaptation strategies. Southeast Florida has a high likelihood of sealevel rise impact to due to the low-lying porous limestone geology. High risk is coupled with high exposure due to high-valued coastal properties, productive ecosystems, and dense populations. Coastal populations are particularly at risk due to erosion, inundation and storm surge, but interior populations are also susceptible to...
Show moreGlobal climate change stressors downscale to specific local vulnerabilities, requiring customized adaptation strategies. Southeast Florida has a high likelihood of sealevel rise impact to due to the low-lying porous limestone geology. High risk is coupled with high exposure due to high-valued coastal properties, productive ecosystems, and dense populations. Coastal populations are particularly at risk due to erosion, inundation and storm surge, but interior populations are also susceptible to rising water tables and extended periods of inundation. All of these impacts are amplified by sea-level rise. Robust sea-level rise adaptation options require significant economic costs. If perceived risk does not adequately line up with actual risk, lack of funds and preparation will prevent implementation of the most effective strategies.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004268, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004268
- Subject Headings
- Climatic changes -- Florida -- Broward County -- Case studies, Coastal ecology -- Florida -- Broward County -- Case studies, Coastal zone management -- Florida -- Broward County -- Case studies, Hazardous geographic environments -- Florida -- Broward County -- Case studies, Sea level -- Florida -- Broward County -- Case studies
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Mechanisms Controlling Distribution of Cosmopolitan Submerged Aquatic Vegetation: A Model Study of Ruppia maritima L. (widgeongrass) at the Everglades-Florida Bay Ecotone.
- Creator
- Strazisar, Theresa, Koch, Marguerite, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
- Abstract/Description
-
Aquatic plants and submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) are some of the most wide-ranging species and create important habitat for fish and wildlife in many ecosystems, including highly variable coastal ecotones. Mechanistically understanding factors controlling current distributions of these species is critical to project future distribution and abundance under increasing variability and climate change. I used a population-based approach to quantify the effects of spatial and temporal...
Show moreAquatic plants and submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) are some of the most wide-ranging species and create important habitat for fish and wildlife in many ecosystems, including highly variable coastal ecotones. Mechanistically understanding factors controlling current distributions of these species is critical to project future distribution and abundance under increasing variability and climate change. I used a population-based approach to quantify the effects of spatial and temporal variability on life history transitions of the SAV Ruppia maritima L. (widgeongrass) in the highly dynamic Everglades-Florida Bay ecotone as a model to (1) examine which life history stages were most constrained by these conditions and (2) determine how management can promote life history development to enhance its distribution, an Everglades restoration target. Ruppia maritima life history transitions were quantified in a series of laboratory and field experiments encompassing a ra nge of abiotic and biotic factors known to affect seagrass and SAV (salinity, salinity variability, temperature, light and nutrients and seed bank recruitment and competition). These studies revealed that R. maritima life history varied east to west across the Everglades ecotone, driven by multiple gradients in abiotic factors that constrained different life history transitions in distinct ways. Based on this examination, persistence of SAV populations from dynamic coastal environments is highly dependent on large reproductive events that produce high propagule densities for recruitment. Large productive meadows of SAV also depend on high rates of clonal reproduction where vegetation completely regenerates in a short amount of time. Therefore, in hydrologically variable systems, maintenance or increases in SAV reproduction is required for population persistence through recruitment. However, SAV communities that do not experience high rates of sexual reproduction are dependent on successful seed germination, seedling and adult survival and clonal reproduction for biomass production and maintenance. Seedling survival and to a lesser extent, adult survival, are bottlenecks that can limit life history transitions under highly variable hydrological conditions. To ensure long-term survival in these communities, management activities that increase survival and successful life history development through these critical stages will be beneficial. If not, SAV populations may become highly reduced and ephemeral, providing less productive habitat.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004549, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004549
- Subject Headings
- Coastal zone management, Ruppia maritima -- Ecology -- Everglades National Park (Fla.), Ruppia maritima -- Ecology -- Florida Bay (Fla.), Seagrasses -- Everglades National Park (Fla.), Seagrasses -- Florida Bay (Fla.), Wetland ecology -- Everglades National Park (Fla.), Wetland ecology -- Florida Bay (Fla.)
- Format
- Document (PDF)
