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The relative importance of nutrient enrichment and herbivory on macroalgal communities near Norman’s Pond Cay, Exumas Cays, Bahamas: a ‘‘natural’’ enrichment experiment
Title
The relative importance of nutrient enrichment and herbivory on macroalgal communities near Norman’s Pond Cay, Exumas Cays, Bahamas: a ‘‘natural’’ enrichment experiment.
Creator
Lapointe, Brian E., Barile, Peter J., Yentsch, Charles S., Littler, Mark M., Littler, Diane S., Kakuk, Brian
Date Issued
2003
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/FCLA/DT/2848311
Subject Headings
Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Herbivores, Marine algae --Bahamas --Grand Bahama, Groundwater --Pollution
Format
Document (PDF)
Grazing effects of herbivorous fishes and juvenile green turtles (Chelonia Mydas) on macroalgal communities
Title
Grazing effects of herbivorous fishes and juvenile green turtles (Chelonia Mydas) on macroalgal communities.
Creator
Holloway-Adkins, Karen G., Hanisak, M. Dennis, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
Abstract/Description
The impact of grazers on the primary production of marine ecosystems has largely been explored in tropical environments. A number of studies support theories on the functional importance of grazers in the community structure of coral reefs. However, large-bodied grazers, like juvenile green turtles, co-occur with herbivorous fishes in subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world and we know little about their combined impact on macroalgal communities and whether they compete for...
Show moreThe impact of grazers on the primary production of marine ecosystems has largely been explored in tropical environments. A number of studies support theories on the functional importance of grazers in the community structure of coral reefs. However, large-bodied grazers, like juvenile green turtles, co-occur with herbivorous fishes in subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world and we know little about their combined impact on macroalgal communities and whether they compete for macroalgal resources. My dissertation research was composed of four studies that were conducted simultaneously to further our understanding of plant/herbivore interactions in marine ecosystems. Studies were conducted at the Trident Basin, a non-public military facility within the Port Canaveral Inlet at Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA. The macroalgal study (Chapter 1), determined the spatial and temporal distribution of the macroalgal community. The foraging habits of juvenile green turtles were compared with the macroalgal abundance within the Basin and over time (Chapter 2). Selection ‘for’ specific macroalgal species (based on their availability in the macroalgae study) was used to determine the level of overlap and/or partitioning of resources among herbivorous fishes and juvenile green turtles (Chapter 3). The final empirical study (Chapter 4) measured the impact on thallus height, diameter and/or branching of macroalgae as well as the macroalgal community composition from caging experiments that excluded herbivorous fishes and juvenile green turtles. The algal community was predominantly composed of nine red and green macroalgal species that were persistent year-round. Grazer-resistant macroalgae were rarely observed. Green turtles foraged on many of these same macroalgae but also opportunistically foraged on flotsam, including anthropogenic debris (e.g., plastic). The gut content of the major herbivorous fishes in the community (Abudefduf saxatilis, Archosargus probatocephalus, Diplodus holbrooki, and Lagodon rhomboides) foraged as omnivores depending on where they were captured within the Basin area or their size. All herbivores showed selection for less abundant green algae (i.e., Ulva spp.). Results of the exclusion of juvenile green turtles and large herbivorous fishes in caging experiments suggest that grazing by these large-bodied herbivores had no impact on the composition of the macroalgal community and little impact on the morphological structure of the macroalgal species that were examined. Collectively these four studies contribute to a better understanding of how multiple grazers have evolved to forage in macroalgal communities without detrimental effects on their food resources.
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Date Issued
2014
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004123, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004123
Subject Headings
Algal communities -- Physiology, Coral reef ecology, Herbivores -- Ecology, Sustainable agriculture
Format
Document (PDF)
Simultaneous top-down and bottom-up forces control macroalgal blooms on coral reefs (Reply to the comment by Hughes et al.)
Title
Simultaneous top-down and bottom-up forces control macroalgal blooms on coral reefs (Reply to the comment by Hughes et al.).
Creator
Lapointe, Brian E.
Date Issued
1999
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/FCLA/DT/3172685
Subject Headings
Coral reef ecology, Algal blooms, Marine algae --Effect of grazing on, Eutrophication, Herbivores
Format
Document (PDF)
Correspondence: Phosphorus-rich waters at Glovers Reef, Belize?
Title
Correspondence: Phosphorus-rich waters at Glovers Reef, Belize?.
Creator
Lapointe, Brian E.
Date Issued
2003
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/FCLA/DT/2848321
Subject Headings
Phosphorus, Coral reefs and islands --Caribbean Sea, Herbivores, Fish-culture, Algae
Format
Document (PDF)