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Title: In vitro culture of the ascidian Ecteinascidia turbinata to supply the antitumor compounds ecteinascidins.
Creator: Duckworth, Alan R., Samples, Gail A., Wright, Amy E., Pomponi, Shirley A.
Date Issued: 2004
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FCLA/DT/2827818
Subject Headings: Ascidians, Microalgae --Congresses, Marine ecology, Marine ecosystem management, Antineoplastic agents
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Trophic Ecology of the Slender Snipe Eel, Nemichthys scolopaceus (Anguilliformes: Nemichthyidae).
Creator: Feagans, Jennifer N., Sutton, Tracey T., Florida Atlantic University
Abstract/Description: Roughly 92% of the total volume of Earth's oceans is considered deep sea. The eel species, Nemichthys scolopaceus, inhabits these waters, and little is known of its diet, its place within pelagic food webs, and its overall ecological impact. In this study we quantitatively estimate the abundance, feeding and predation impact of this key predator. Specimens were collected in 2004 along Georges Bank as part of the Census of Marine Life Gulf of Maine project. Gut contents were analyzed,...
Show moreRoughly 92% of the total volume of Earth's oceans is considered deep sea. The eel species, Nemichthys scolopaceus, inhabits these waters, and little is known of its diet, its place within pelagic food webs, and its overall ecological impact. In this study we quantitatively estimate the abundance, feeding and predation impact of this key predator. Specimens were collected in 2004 along Georges Bank as part of the Census of Marine Life Gulf of Maine project. Gut contents were analyzed, revealing thirteen prey types, primarily euphausiids and decapod crustaceans. Other potential prey (i.e. fishes) were absent from the diet, suggesting a fairly selective feeding preference. Of the 85 fish species collected, N scolopaceus ranked second in abundance and first in total fish biomass. Therefore, this species is not only a large biomass contributor, but perhaps cycles a great deal of macrocrustacean carbon through deep-pelagic fishes in this, and likely other, ecosystems.
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Date Issued: 2008
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00000760
Subject Headings: Predatory marine animals--Ecology, Marine ecosystem management, Aquatic ecology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Consumptive effects of predatory fish reduce wetland crayfish (Procambarus spp.) recruitment and drive species turnover.
Creator: Kellogg, Christopher M., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
Abstract/Description: Trade-offs in traits conferring success in permanent and ephemeral habitats are often at odds with few species being able to persist in both types of environments. I examined the effect of sunfish predators on two species of south Florida crayfish to establish the mechanism that limits one species, Procambarus alleni, to short-hydroperiod environments. The crayfish assemblage response to a gradient of sunfish predators and the effect of predation on P. fallax alone was examined. I also...
Show moreTrade-offs in traits conferring success in permanent and ephemeral habitats are often at odds with few species being able to persist in both types of environments. I examined the effect of sunfish predators on two species of south Florida crayfish to establish the mechanism that limits one species, Procambarus alleni, to short-hydroperiod environments. The crayfish assemblage response to a gradient of sunfish predators and the effect of predation on P. fallax alone was examined. I also examined the effects of sunfish on crayfish growth and quantified activity levels and risky behaviors of both crayfish species. P. alleni dominated at low sunfish densities but dominance shifted with increasing sunfish density. P. alleni was more active and likely to initiate risky behaviors, suggesting that sunfish predators remove the more active P. alleni, reducing their numbers disproportionally to those of P. fallax and allowing P. fallax to dominate crayfish assemblages in long-hydroperiod wetlands.
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Date Issued: 2011
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3171400
Subject Headings: Wetland ecology, Habitat selection, Marine ecosystem management, Predatory marine animals, Ecology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Diet variation and the consumptive effects of native centrarchids on benthic macroinvertebrates in wetlands.
Creator: Bransky, Jacob., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Center for Environmental Studies
Abstract/Description: Fish predation can have structuring effects in aquatic communities, but the most important fish predators are not always immediately obvious. Generalist fish predators often occupy similar habitats and consume similar prey making determination of their consumptive impacts difficult. Understanding these consumptive impacts is important for understanding complex wetland food webs. I collected warmouth (Lepomis gulosus), bluespotted sunfish (Enneacanthus gloriosus), and dollar sunfish (Lepomis...
Show moreFish predation can have structuring effects in aquatic communities, but the most important fish predators are not always immediately obvious. Generalist fish predators often occupy similar habitats and consume similar prey making determination of their consumptive impacts difficult. Understanding these consumptive impacts is important for understanding complex wetland food webs. I collected warmouth (Lepomis gulosus), bluespotted sunfish (Enneacanthus gloriosus), and dollar sunfish (Lepomis marginatus) in two seasons from sloughs for both diet and bioenergetics analysis. Macroinvertebrates dominated diets of the three species, and nonparametric analyses revealed evidence of diet ontogeny in warmouth and potential competition for prey items among gape-matched individuals. Bioenergetics modeling revealed high levels of macroinvertebrate comsumption by these species relative to macroinvertebrate reproductive output suggesting that when combined with other sources of mortality, consumptive pressures placed by sunfish on benthic macroinvertebrates may be quite large.
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Date Issued: 2012
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3356894
Subject Headings: Wetland ecology, Predatory marine animals, Ecology, Predation (Biology), Habitat selction, Marine ecosystem management
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Conservation and Phylogeny of a Novel Family of Non‐Hox Genes of the Antp Class in Demospongiae (Porifera).
Creator: Richelle-Maurer, Evelyn, Boury-Esnault, Nicole, Itskovich, Valeria B., Manuel, Michael, Pomponi, Shirley A., Van de Vyver, Gisele, Borchiellini, Carole
Date Issued: 2006
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FCLA/DT/2796095
Subject Headings: Demospongiae, Homeobox genes, Marine ecosystem management, Phylogeny, Sponges --Bahamas, Sponges --Florida
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: A New Sterol Sulfate, Sch 572423, from a Marine Sponge, Topsentia sp.
Creator: Yang, Shu-Wei, Buevich, Alexei, Chan, Tze-Ming, Smith, Michelle, Lachowicz, Jean, Pomponi, Shirley A., Wright, Amy E., Mierzwa, Ronald, Patel, Mahesh, Gullo, Vincent, Chu, Min
Date Issued: 2003
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FCLA/DT/2827816
Subject Headings: Water quality bioassay, Water --Pollution --Toxicology, Sponges, Marine ecosystem management, Filters and filtration
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Deep-Water Biogenic Sediment off the Coast of Florida.
Creator: Zuccarelli, Claudio L., Oleinik, Anton E., Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Geosciences
Abstract/Description: Biogenic “oozes” are pelagic sediments that are composed of > 30% carbonate microfossils and are estimated to cover about 50% of the ocean floor, which accounts for about 67% of calcium carbonate in oceanic surface sediments worldwide. These deposits exhibit diverse assemblages of planktonic microfossils and contribute significantly to the overall sediment supply and function of Florida’s deep-water regions. However, the composition and distribution of biogenic sediment deposits along these...
Show moreBiogenic “oozes” are pelagic sediments that are composed of > 30% carbonate microfossils and are estimated to cover about 50% of the ocean floor, which accounts for about 67% of calcium carbonate in oceanic surface sediments worldwide. These deposits exhibit diverse assemblages of planktonic microfossils and contribute significantly to the overall sediment supply and function of Florida’s deep-water regions. However, the composition and distribution of biogenic sediment deposits along these regions remains poorly documented. Seafloor surface sediments have been collected in situ via Johnson- Sea-Link I submersible along four of Florida’s deep-water regions during a joint research cruise between Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute (HBOI) and Florida Atlantic University (FAU). Sedimentological analyses of the taxonomy, species diversity, and sedimentation dynamics reveal a complex interconnected development system of Florida’s deep-water habitats. Results disclose characteristic microfossil assemblages of planktonic foraminiferal ooze off the South West Florida Shelf, a foraminiferal-pteropod ooze through the Straits of Florida, and pteropod ooze deposits off Florida’s east coast. The distribution of the biogenic ooze deposits is attributed to factors such as oceanographic surface production, surface and bottom currents, off-bank transport, and deep-water sediment drifts. The application of micropaleontology, sedimentology, and oceanography facilitate in characterizing the sediment supply to Florida’s deep-water regions.
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Date Issued: 2017
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004857
Subject Headings: Marine sediments., Sediment transport., Deep-sea ecology., Ecosystem management., Micropaleontology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Ecosystem health and environmental influences on innate immune function in the loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green (Chelonia mydas) sea turtle.
Creator: Sposato, Patricia L., Milton, Sarah L., Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
Abstract/Description: Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green (Chelonia mydas) turtles recruit to nearshore environments as juveniles. These often degraded habitats are associated with emerging diseases such as green turtle fibropapillomatosis (GTFP), however there are few studies on immune function in sea turtles. The objective of this research was to quantify phagocytosis of the innate immune system by flow cytometry and compare levels between animals from a degraded habitat (the Indian River Lagoon, FL) to a...
Show moreLoggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green (Chelonia mydas) turtles recruit to nearshore environments as juveniles. These often degraded habitats are associated with emerging diseases such as green turtle fibropapillomatosis (GTFP), however there are few studies on immune function in sea turtles. The objective of this research was to quantify phagocytosis of the innate immune system by flow cytometry and compare levels between animals from a degraded habitat (the Indian River Lagoon, FL) to a more pristine environment (the Trident Basin, Port Canaveral, FL), and across a range of temperatures. While in vitro temperatures did not alter rates of phagocytosis, it was higher in samples obtained in the summer than winter. Rates of phagocytosis in sea turtles with GTFP and from degraded environments with increased prevalence of GTFP were low compared to animals from the more pristine environment, suggesting that the environment can alter innate immunological function and thus contribute to the development of disease.
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Date Issued: 2014
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004333, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004333
Subject Headings: Developmental biology, Ecosystem management -- Florida, Loggerhead turtle -- Habitat -- Environmental aspects, Marine biodiversity conservation, Sea turtles -- Immunology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Limitations on macroinvertebrate populations in South Florida weltands.
Creator: Knorp, Natalie E., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
Abstract/Description: It can be difficult to disentangle the factors that determine population success in freshwater systems, particularly for organisms with disturbance-resistant life stages like aquatic invertebrates. Nevertheless, the effects of environmental variation and habitat structure on animal population success in wetlands are important for understanding both trophic interactions and biodiversity. I performed two experiments to determine the factors limiting crayfish (Procambarus fallax) and dragonfly ...
Show moreIt can be difficult to disentangle the factors that determine population success in freshwater systems, particularly for organisms with disturbance-resistant life stages like aquatic invertebrates. Nevertheless, the effects of environmental variation and habitat structure on animal population success in wetlands are important for understanding both trophic interactions and biodiversity. I performed two experiments to determine the factors limiting crayfish (Procambarus fallax) and dragonfly (Family: Libellulidae) populations in wetland environments. A simulation of a dry-disturbance and subsequent sunfish (Family: Centrarchidae) re-colonization revealed that crayfish populations are sensitive to sunfish, while dragonfly naiads seemed to be limited by other drying-related factors. A second manipulation revealed that small-bodied fishes and habitat structure (submerged vegetation) shaped dragonfly communities primarily through postcolonization processes.
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Date Issued: 2013
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/3362485
Subject Headings: Wetland ecology, Wildlife conservation, Freshwater invertebrates, Ecology, Predation (Biology), Marine ecosystem management
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Nutrition and habitat driven foraging of wild dolphins in the Bahamas: a recipe for prey.
Creator: Malinowski, Christopher R., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
Abstract/Description: Two sympatric dolphin species, Stenella frontalis and Tursiops truncatus, resident to Little Bahama Bank, Bahamas were found to mostly forage independent of one another, but occasionally foraged in mixed groups. Analysis of over 20 years of data revealed the degree of overlap to be minimal with spatially distinct regions identified for both species, environmental segregation based on depth, bottom type, temperature, and time of day. Results based on observational data indicated significant...
Show moreTwo sympatric dolphin species, Stenella frontalis and Tursiops truncatus, resident to Little Bahama Bank, Bahamas were found to mostly forage independent of one another, but occasionally foraged in mixed groups. Analysis of over 20 years of data revealed the degree of overlap to be minimal with spatially distinct regions identified for both species, environmental segregation based on depth, bottom type, temperature, and time of day. Results based on observational data indicated significant differences in group size and selected prey. For S. frontalis, lactating females had the most distinct diet, which differed from that of non-reproductively active (NRA) females. Pregnant females had ambiguous prey use results, but diet differences were revealed through nutritional analysis. Lactating females had a higher intake of all nutrients (% moisture, % lipid, % protein, and calories) than pregnant females but lower than NRA females. Mother and calf pairs selected prey for caloric and moisture values. The influence of calves on foraging groups was reflected through discrete differences in all nutrients. Males and females appeared to select the same major prey, but female prey use was much more diverse.
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Date Issued: 2011
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3318668
Subject Headings: Dolphins, Habitat, Predatory marine animals, Ecology, Marine ecosystem management, Predation (Biology), Aquatic mammals, Behavior
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Monitoring seasonal and annual changes in the mesozooplankton community of the Indian River Lagoon, Florida.
Creator: Kerr, Miranda Hoover., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
Abstract/Description: In estuaries, like the Indian River Lagoon, mesozooplankton have a vital role in the food web by connecting trophic levels. In this study, mesozooplankton abundance and species composition were monitored weekly on the incoming and outgoing tides from September 2006 to May 2009. For the incoming tide, the mean abundance was 2298.2 mesozooplankton/m3 (+/-325.2), and for the outgoing tide the mean abundance was 1180.0 mesozooplankton/m3 (+/-153.1). The mesozooplankton abundance on the incoming...
Show moreIn estuaries, like the Indian River Lagoon, mesozooplankton have a vital role in the food web by connecting trophic levels. In this study, mesozooplankton abundance and species composition were monitored weekly on the incoming and outgoing tides from September 2006 to May 2009. For the incoming tide, the mean abundance was 2298.2 mesozooplankton/m3 (+/-325.2), and for the outgoing tide the mean abundance was 1180.0 mesozooplankton/m3 (+/-153.1). The mesozooplankton abundance on the incoming tide was significantly greater than on the outgoing tide. The most abundant type of mesozooplankton was the copepod Acartia tonsa, representing 35.0% and 52.1% of the individuals on the incoming and outgoing tides respectively. Mesozooplankton abundance values were compared with environmental data obtained from the South Florida Water Management District. The strongest positive correlation was found between chlorophyll a concentrations and A. tonsa abundance, likely due to phytoplankton being the primary food source for A. tonsa.
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Date Issued: 2009
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/2783241
Subject Headings: Marine zooplankton, Ecology, Marine ecology, Marine ecosystem management
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Mangrove Morphological Change Across an Environmental Gradients: Implications for Competitive Ability in a Changing Climate.
Creator: Standish, Hilary, Proffitt, C. Edward, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
Abstract/Description: In Florida, mangroves have responded to climate change by slowly migrating northward into traditional salt marsh habitat. However, little is understood about the relationships among mangrove growth form plasticity and environmental conditions. In addition, the effects of the mangrove northward expansion on pre-existing salt marsh communities are unknown, especially any influences of differences in tree morphology. The size, canopy structure, and root structure of the three mangrove species...
Show moreIn Florida, mangroves have responded to climate change by slowly migrating northward into traditional salt marsh habitat. However, little is understood about the relationships among mangrove growth form plasticity and environmental conditions. In addition, the effects of the mangrove northward expansion on pre-existing salt marsh communities are unknown, especially any influences of differences in tree morphology. The size, canopy structure, and root structure of the three mangrove species Rhizophora mangle, Avicennia germinans, and Laguncularia racemosa were measured at six sites along the east coast of Florida. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate the multivariate relationships between environmental and biotic variables. Mangrove growth form varied widely with environmental variables. The results of this study suggest that R. mangle expansion into salt marsh may rely on interactions with salt marsh and shading as well as on climatic variables, which has implications for future mangrove expansion northward in Florida.
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Date Issued: 2016
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004759, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004759
Subject Headings: Mangrove forests--Florida., Mangrove management., Mangrove ecology., Mangrove conservation., Marine ecosystem management--Florida., Coastal zone management--Florida., Forest ecology., Climatic changes--Florida.
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Interpretation of seafloor topologies based on IKONOS satellite imagery of a shallow-marine carbonate platform: Florida Bay to the Florida Reef Tract.
Creator: Steinle, Jacob Thomas., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Geosciences
Abstract/Description: A benthic environments classification system is devised from digital interpretations of multi-spectral IKONOS satellite imagery for 1,360 km2 of the carbonate platform and presented in a comprehensive digitized map. The classification scheme is designed as a 7th order hierarchical structure that integrates 5 Physiographic Realms, 24 Morphodynamic Zones, 11 Geoforms, 39 Landforms, 6 dominant surface sediment types, 9 dominant biological covers and 3 densities of biological covers for the...
Show moreA benthic environments classification system is devised from digital interpretations of multi-spectral IKONOS satellite imagery for 1,360 km2 of the carbonate platform and presented in a comprehensive digitized map. The classification scheme is designed as a 7th order hierarchical structure that integrates 5 Physiographic Realms, 24 Morphodynamic Zones, 11 Geoforms, 39 Landforms, 6 dominant surface sediment types, 9 dominant biological covers and 3 densities of biological covers for the description of benthic environments. Digital analysis of the high-resolution (4 m) IKONOS imagery employed ESRI's ArcMap to manually digitize 412 mapping units at a scale of 1:6,000 differentiated by spectral reflectance, color tones, and textures of seafloor topologies. The context of each morphodynamic zone is characterized by the content and areal distribution (in km2) of geomorphic forms and biological covers. Over 58% of the mapping area is occupied by sediment flats, and seagrasses are colonized in almost 80% of the topologies.
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Date Issued: 2011
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3174075
Subject Headings: Submarine topography, Marine sediments, Remote sensing, Marine ecosystem management, Ocean bottom, Sampling, Ocean bottom, Sampling, Coral reef ecology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Generating space-time hypotheses in complex social-ecological systems.
Creator: Forbes, Dolores J., Xie, Zhixiao, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Geosciences
Abstract/Description: As ecosystems degrade globally, ecosystem services that support life are increasingly threatened. Indications of degradation are occurring in the Northern Indian River Lagoon (IRL) estuary in east central Florida. Factors associated with ecosystem degradation are complex, including climate and land use change. Ecosystem research needs identified by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) include the need to: consider the social with the physical; account for dynamism and change; account for...
Show moreAs ecosystems degrade globally, ecosystem services that support life are increasingly threatened. Indications of degradation are occurring in the Northern Indian River Lagoon (IRL) estuary in east central Florida. Factors associated with ecosystem degradation are complex, including climate and land use change. Ecosystem research needs identified by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) include the need to: consider the social with the physical; account for dynamism and change; account for complexity; address issues of scale; and focus on ecosystem structure and process. Ecosystems are complex, self-organizing, multi-equilibrial, non-linear, middle-number systems that exist in multiple stable states. Results found are relative to the observation and the frame of analysis, requiring multi-scaled analytical techniques. This study addresses the identified ecosystem research needs and the complexity of the associated factors given these additional constraints. Relativity is addressed through univariate analysis of dissolved oxygen as a measure of the general health of the Northern IRL. Multiple spatial levels are employed to associate social process scales with physical process scales as basin, sub-basins, and watersheds. Scan statistics return extreme value clusters in space-time. Wavelet transforms decompose time-scales of cyclical data using varying window sizes to locate change in process scales in space over time. Wavelet transform comparative methods cluster temporal process scales across space. Combined these methods describe the space-time structure of process scales in a complex ecosystem relative to the variable examined, where the highly localized results allow for connection to unexamined variables.
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Date Issued: 2014
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004284
Subject Headings: Environmental sciences -- Mathematical models, Indian River (Fla. : Lagoon) -- Environmental aspects, Marine ecosystem management -- Florida -- Indian River (Lagoon), Sustainable development, Wavelets (Mathematics)
Format: Document (PDF)

FAU Theses and Dissertations (11)	+ -
HBOI Faculty Contributions (3)	+ -

Marine ecosystem management (10)	+ -
Ecology (5)	+ -
Predation (Biology) (3)	+ -
Predatory marine animals (3)	+ -
Wetland ecology (3)	+ -

Marine ecology (2)	+ -
Antineoplastic agents (1)	+ -
Aquatic ecology (1)	+ -
Aquatic mammals (1)	+ -
Ascidians (1)	+ -
Behavior (1)	+ -
Climatic changes--Florida. (1)	+ -
Coastal zone management--Florida. (1)	+ -
Coral reef ecology (1)	+ -
Deep-sea ecology. (1)	+ -
Demospongiae (1)	+ -
Developmental biology (1)	+ -
Dolphins (1)	+ -
Ecosystem management -- Florida (1)	+ -
Ecosystem management. (1)	+ -
Environmental sciences -- Mathematical models (1)	+ -
Filters and filtration (1)	+ -
Forest ecology. (1)	+ -
Freshwater invertebrates (1)	+ -
Habitat (1)	+ -
Habitat selction (1)	+ -
Habitat selection (1)	+ -
Homeobox genes (1)	+ -
Indian River (Fla. : Lagoon) -- Environmental aspects (1)	+ -
Loggerhead turtle -- Habitat -- Environmental aspects (1)	+ -

Florida (3)	+ -
Bahamas (1)	+ -
Florida Bay (1)	+ -
Florida Reef Tract (1)	+ -
Indian River (Lagoon) (1)	+ -

Electronic Thesis or Dissertation (11)	+ -
article (3)	+ -

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