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- Title
- Assessing the Effectiveness of Living Shoreline Restoration and Quantifying Wave Attenuation in Mosquito Lagoon, Florida.
- Creator
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Manis, Jennifer, Walters, Linda, Bohlen, Patrick, Jachec, Steven, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Coastal counties make up only 17% of the land area in the continental United States, yet 53% of the nation's population resides in these locations. With sea level rise, erosion, and human disturbances all effecting coastal areas, researchers are working to find strategies to protect and stabilize current and future shorelines. In order to maintain shoreline stability while maintaining intertidal habitat, multipurpose living shorelines have been developed to mimic natural shoreline assemblages...
Show moreCoastal counties make up only 17% of the land area in the continental United States, yet 53% of the nation's population resides in these locations. With sea level rise, erosion, and human disturbances all effecting coastal areas, researchers are working to find strategies to protect and stabilize current and future shorelines. In order to maintain shoreline stability while maintaining intertidal habitat, multipurpose living shorelines have been developed to mimic natural shoreline assemblages while preventing erosion. This project determined the effectiveness of a living shoreline stabilization containing Crassostrea virginica (eastern oyster) and Spartina alterniflora (smooth cordgrass) in the field and through controlled wave tank experiments. First, fringing oyster reefs constructed of stabilized oyster shell and smooth cordgrass plugs were placed along three eroding shoreline areas (shell middens) within Canaveral National Seashore (CANA), New Smyrna Beach, FL. For each shell midden site, four treatments (bare shoreline control, oyster shell only, S. alterniflora only, and oyster shell + S. alterniflora) were tested in replicate 3.5 x 3.5 meter areas in the lower and middle intertidal zones. Each treatment was replicated five times at each site; erosion stakes within each replicate allowed measurement of changes in sedimentation. After one year in the field, the living shoreline treatments that contained oyster shells (oyster shell only and oyster shell + S. alterniflora) vertically accreted on average 4.9 cm of sediment at two of the sites, and an average of 2.9 cm of sediment at the third, while the controls lost an average of 0.5 cm of sediment. S. alterniflora did not significantly contribute to the accretion at any site due to seagrass wrack covering and killing plants within one month of deployment. Next, the reduction in wave energy caused by these living shoreline stabilization techniques relative to bare sediment (control) was quantified. The energy reduction immediately after deployment, and the change in energy reduction when S. alterniflora had been allowed to grow for one year, and the stabilized shell was able to recruit oysters for one year was tested. Laboratory experiments were conducted in a nine-meter long wave tank using capacitance wave gauges to ultimately measure changes in wave height before and after treatments. Wave energy was calculated for each newly deployed and one-year old shoreline stabilization treatment. Boat wake characteristics from CANA shorelines were measured in the field and used as inputs to drive the physical modeling. Likewise, in the wave tank, the topography adjacent to the shell midden sites was measured and replicated. Oyster shell plus S. alterniflora attenuated significantly more wave energy than either the shells or plants alone. Also, one-year old treatments attenuated significantly more energy than the newly deployed treatments. The combination of one-year old S. alterniflora plus live oysters reduced 67% of the wave energy. With the information gathered from both the field and wave experiments, CANA chose to utilize living shorelines to stabilize three shell middens within the park. Oyster shell, marsh grass and two types of mangroves (Rhizophora mangle, Avicennia germinans) were deployed on the intertidal zones of the eroding middens. Significant accretion occurred at all middens. Two sites (Castle Windy and Garver Island) vertically accreted an average 2.3 cm of sediment after nine months, and six months respectively, and the other site (Hong Kong) received on average 1.6 cm of sediment after six months. All control areas (no stabilization) experienced sediment loss, with erosion up to 5.01 cm at Hong Kong. Plant survival was low ((<) 20%) at Castle Windy and Garver Island, while Hong Kong had moderate survival (48-65%). Of the surviving marsh grass and mangroves on the three sites, almost all ((>) 85%) had documented growth in the form of increased height or the production on new shoots. Landowners facing shoreline erosion issues, including park managers at CANA, can use this information in the future to create effective shoreline stabilization protocols. Even though the techniques will vary from location to location, the overall goal of wave attenuation while maintaining shoreline habitat remains. As the research associated with the effectiveness of living shorelines increases, we hope to see more landowners and land managers utilize this form of soft stabilization to armor shorelines.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0004713, ucf:49809
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004713
- Title
- Movements, fishery interactions, and unusual mortalities of bottlenose dolphins.
- Creator
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Shippee, Steven, Worthy, Graham, Walters, Linda, Weishampel, John, Wells, Randall, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Bottlenose dolphins inhabiting coastlines and estuaries in Florida have been impacted in the past decade by development, algal blooms, catastrophic pollution, and fishery interactions (FI). Dolphins react to disturbance and environmental stressors by modifying their movements and habitat use, which may put them in jeopardy of conflict with humans. FI plays an increasing role in contributing to dolphin mortalities. I investigated dolphin movements, habitat use, residency patterns, and...
Show moreBottlenose dolphins inhabiting coastlines and estuaries in Florida have been impacted in the past decade by development, algal blooms, catastrophic pollution, and fishery interactions (FI). Dolphins react to disturbance and environmental stressors by modifying their movements and habitat use, which may put them in jeopardy of conflict with humans. FI plays an increasing role in contributing to dolphin mortalities. I investigated dolphin movements, habitat use, residency patterns, and frequency of FI with sport fishing. Tagging studies with short-term data tags and bolt on radio-transmitters were done in several locations in Florida and the east coast providing fine-scale measurements of swimming, daily travels, and foraging activity. Transit speeds agreed with the predicted mean cost of transport as dolphins spent much of their day and night travelling and resting while swimming. Increased foraging was detected by stomach temperature changes revealing dolphins fed at night with a peak starting just after sunset. Dolphin abundance, site fidelity, ranging, stranding mortality, and community structure was characterized at Choctawhatchee and Pensacola Bays in the Florida Panhandle via surveying and photo-identification. Results showed they made frequent inshore movements, maintained site fidelity to specific areas, and comprised several distinct communities. FI was assessed at offshore reefs and coastal fishing piers near Destin, FL and Orange Beach, AL, showing that some dolphins demonstrate affinity to this activity. Harmful interactions with dolphins on reefs and at fishing piers negatively affect their resident communities. Mitigation of FI is suggested by use of avoidance strategies, gear modifications, and improved fish release practices.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005550, ucf:50273
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005550
- Title
- Quantifying the effects of boat wakes on intertidal oyster reefs in a shallow estuary.
- Creator
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Campbell, Donna, Walters, Linda, Quintana-Ascencio, Pedro, Jachec, Steven, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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There have long been concerns about the negative impacts of recreational boating activity in the Indian River Lagoon system (IRL), especially in Mosquito Lagoon (ML), the northernmost part of the IRL. My research is focused on the impacts of boat wakes on intertidal reefs formed by the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica. There has been a 24% loss of oyster habitat in ML since 1943, where natural oyster reefs have been replaced by dead oyster reefs which do not serve the same ecological...
Show moreThere have long been concerns about the negative impacts of recreational boating activity in the Indian River Lagoon system (IRL), especially in Mosquito Lagoon (ML), the northernmost part of the IRL. My research is focused on the impacts of boat wakes on intertidal reefs formed by the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica. There has been a 24% loss of oyster habitat in ML since 1943, where natural oyster reefs have been replaced by dead oyster reefs which do not serve the same ecological function. While there is anecdotal and correlative evidence that this loss is a result of boat wakes, no studies to date have confirmed dead reefs can be a direct result of boat wakes. Therefore, I addressed the following questions: (1) What wake heights are generated by a range of boat types, and (2) What amount of oyster movement and erosion occurs as a result of these boat wakes? A series of boat pass experiments addressed the first question; these results were utilized in experiments at Florida Institute of Technology's wave tank to observe sediment erosion and oyster movement as a result of specific wake heights. Model selection was used for both the field and wave tank experiments to determine which variables contributed most to explaining the wake heights, erosion, and oyster movement that occurred. Wake heights ranging from 0.05 cm to 20.80 cm were documented contacting the oyster reefs from the boat passes, with a mean of 2.95 cm. Boat type was less important than speed or distance when determining wake height. My wave tank results document that wake heights as small as 2 cm contacting oysters are capable of moving individual and clusters of oysters. Minimum distances for boats to travel in order to maintain wakes smaller than 2 cm at reefs are suggested for management purposes based on regression equations. This could minimize the amount of movement that occurs when oysters are subjected to boat wakes. The results of this study can help resource managers implement boating policies in Mosquito Lagoon, and contribute greatly to conserving this important ecosystem engineer.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005584, ucf:50242
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005584
- Title
- The effects of non-native species on two life-stages of the Eastern oyster (<)i(>)Crassostrea virginica(<)/i(>).
- Creator
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Yuan, Wei, Walters, Linda, Hoffman, Eric, Fauth, John, Scarpa, John, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Since their recent introductions into Florida waters, three nonnative species [()Perna viridis() Linnaeus, 1758 (Asian green mussel), ()Mytella charruana() d'Orbigny, 1846 (charru mussel) and ()Megabalanus coccopoma() Darwin, 1854 (pink titan acorn barnacle)] have expanded both north and south along the Atlantic coast. Very little research has been done to understand how these nonnative species interact with the native eastern oyster (()Crassostrea virginica() Gmelin, 1791), which is a...
Show moreSince their recent introductions into Florida waters, three nonnative species [(<)i(>)Perna viridis(<)/i(>) Linnaeus, 1758 (Asian green mussel), (<)i(>)Mytella charruana(<)/i(>) d'Orbigny, 1846 (charru mussel) and (<)i(>)Megabalanus coccopoma(<)/i(>) Darwin, 1854 (pink titan acorn barnacle)] have expanded both north and south along the Atlantic coast. Very little research has been done to understand how these nonnative species interact with the native eastern oyster ((<)i(>)Crassostrea virginica(<)/i(>) Gmelin, 1791), which is a keystone species that provides important ecological services and economic benefits. To test the potential effects of (<)i(>)P. viridis, M. charruana(<)/i(>) and (<)i(>)M. coccopoma(<)/i(>) on (<)i(>)C. virginica(<)/i(>), I addressed the following questions: 1a) Does the presence of nonnative species decrease oyster larval settlement? 1b) Do oyster larvae avoid settling on oyster shells to which nonnative species are attached? 2a) Do nonnative species decrease survival of juvenile oysters (spat)? and 2b) Do nonnative species hinder spat growth? My manipulative experiments showed that the tested nonnative species influenced settlement, growth and survival of (<)i(>)C. virginica(<)/i(>) in unique ways. (<)i(>)Megabalanus coccopoma(<)/i(>) decreased the total number of settled oyster larvae, but did not influence larval preference or survival and growth of spat. (<)i(>)Perna viridis(<)/i(>) negatively influenced larval settlement and oyster larvae avoided settling on shells of (<)i(>)P. viridis(<)/i(>). (<)i(>)Mytella charruana(<)/i(>) had no influence on the total number of settled larvae but oyster larvae avoided settling on oyster shell with (<)i(>)M. charruana(<)/i(>) or on the mussel shells themselves. Furthermore, both nonnative mussels negatively affected the survival of juvenile oysters, but only (<)i(>)M. charruana(<)/i(>) reduced spat growth. These three nonnative species should be classified as invasive species because all had negative effects on the native oyster (<)i(>)C. virginica(<)/i(>).
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005448, ucf:50377
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005448
- Title
- Effects of biotic interactions on coastal wetland communities with applications for restoration.
- Creator
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Donnelly, Melinda, Walters, Linda, Quintana-Ascencio, Pedro, Weishampel, John, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Coastal wetland plants serve as ecological engineers in a physiologically stressful environment and the loss of coastal wetlands can cause negative effects throughout the estuarine system. Due to increased degradation of coastal habitats worldwide, interest in restoration has increased around the world. An understanding of the biotic processes affecting species distribution and diversity is critical for future conservation, management, and restoration of coastal wetlands. The purpose of my...
Show moreCoastal wetland plants serve as ecological engineers in a physiologically stressful environment and the loss of coastal wetlands can cause negative effects throughout the estuarine system. Due to increased degradation of coastal habitats worldwide, interest in restoration has increased around the world. An understanding of the biotic processes affecting species distribution and diversity is critical for future conservation, management, and restoration of coastal wetlands. The purpose of my study was to test the effects of biotic interactions on native coastal wetland plants and determine how these interactions may be incorporated into current and future restoration projects. I had three primary goals for my dissertation. First, I evaluated the effectiveness of natural regeneration of coastal wetland communities following hydrological restoration. Second, I examined effects of biotic interactions between mangroves and other wetland species by experimentally testing: 1) trapping capabilities of early successional plant species on Rhizophora mangle propagules, 2) effects of pre-dispersal propagule damage on native mangrove species, 3) facilitative and competitive interactions between the plants Rhizophora mangle, Batis maritima, Sarcocornia perennis, and the fiddler crab, Uca pugilator using mesocosms. Third, I evaluated the combined effects of biotic and abiotic interactions on survival and growth of R. mangle propagules during their first year of establishment using a manipulative field experiment. Results from my study increase our knowledge of the importance of biotic interactions in coastal wetland communities, their role in early successional stages, and have direct applications to coastal wetland restoration and management.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005483, ucf:50344
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005483
- Title
- The next "killer" algae? Assessing and mitigating invasion risk for aquarium strains of the marine macroalgal genus Chaetomorpha.
- Creator
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Odom, Rachel, Walters, Linda, Hinkle, Charles, Hanisak, M. Dennis, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Biological invasions threaten the ecological integrity of natural ecosystems. Anthropogenic introductions of non-native species can displace native flora and fauna, altering community compositions and disrupting ecosystem services. One often-overlooked vector for such introductions is the release of aquarium organisms into aquatic ecosystems. Following detrimental aquarium-release invasions by the (")killer alga(") Caulerpa taxifolia, aquarium hobbyists and professions began promoting the use...
Show moreBiological invasions threaten the ecological integrity of natural ecosystems. Anthropogenic introductions of non-native species can displace native flora and fauna, altering community compositions and disrupting ecosystem services. One often-overlooked vector for such introductions is the release of aquarium organisms into aquatic ecosystems. Following detrimental aquarium-release invasions by the (")killer alga(") Caulerpa taxifolia, aquarium hobbyists and professions began promoting the use of other genera of macroalgae as (")safe(") alternatives. The most popular of these marine aquarium macroalgae, the genus Chaetomorpha, is analyzed here for invasion risk. Mitigation strategies are also evaluated. I found that the propensity for reproduction by vegetative fragmentation displayed by aquarium strains of Chaetomorpha poses a significant invasion threat(-)fragments of aquarium Chaetomorpha are able to survive from sizes as small as 0.5 mm in length, or one intact, live cell. Fragments of this size and larger are generated in large quantities in online and retail purchases of Chaetomorpha, and introduction of these fragments would likely result in viable individuals for establishment in a variety of geographic and seasonal environmental conditions. Mitigation of invasion risk was assessed in two ways(-)rapid response to a potential introduction by chemical eradication and prevention through safe hobbyist disposal. I tested the effectiveness of five chemicals used as algicides and found that acetic acid was highly effective at limiting survival and growth of aquarium Chaetomorpha. Chlorine bleach, copper sulfate and rock salt were effective at limiting growth but were inconsistent or ineffective in reducing survival of algal fragments. The algicide Sonar limited neither survival nor growth. If aquarium strains of Chaetomorpha are released, chemical eradication presents a viable management strategy, particularly through the use of acetic acid. A more cost-effective strategy, however, would be preventing introductions; thus safe alternatives to release were determined for hobbyist disposal of unwanted or excess aquarium Chaetomorpha. Here I present the minimum exposure durations necessary to induce full mortality of aquarium Chaetomorpha through boiling, microwaving, freezing, desiccation and exposure to freshwater. Hobbyist disposal by any of these methods would constitute safe alternatives to introduction of the alga into natural environments. Such preventative measures will inform outreach campaigns in order to limit the potential for aquarium-release introduction.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004624, ucf:49918
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004624
- Title
- Modeling Survival of Immature Loggerheads (Caretta caretta) and Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas) from 10 Years of Mark-Recapture Data at the Florida Power and Light St. Lucie Plant.
- Creator
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Sterner, Andrew, Weishampel, John, Ehrhart, Llewellyn, Walters, Linda, Breininger, David, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Loggerheads (Caretta caretta) are listed as Threatened and green turtles (Chelonia mydas) are listed as Endangered under the United States Endangered Species Act. While green turtle nest production in Florida has increased markedly in recent years, loggerhead nest production has followed a more tenuous path. Reasons for these differences are unknown. Limited demographic information is available for these species of conservation concern. I used Barker models, which incorporated mark-recapture,...
Show moreLoggerheads (Caretta caretta) are listed as Threatened and green turtles (Chelonia mydas) are listed as Endangered under the United States Endangered Species Act. While green turtle nest production in Florida has increased markedly in recent years, loggerhead nest production has followed a more tenuous path. Reasons for these differences are unknown. Limited demographic information is available for these species of conservation concern. I used Barker models, which incorporated mark-recapture, live-resight and dead recovery data, implemented in Program MARK. These models were used to estimate apparent survival for immature loggerhead ((<)85cm SCL) and green turtle ((<)60cm SCL) populations foraging in the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to the Florida Power and Light St. Lucie Plant on Hutchinson Island, Florida between 2002 and 2011. My results indicated annual apparent survival was decreasing (from 0.75 to 0.59) for resident immature loggerheads and was stable (~0.81) for resident immature green turtles over the ten year study period. I found that permanent emigration models were better supported than no movement models for both species. Size (straight carapace length) was found to be an important covariate for survival and fidelity parameters in the green turtle analysis but not in the loggerhead analysis. My study is the first to compare survival of two species of immature marine turtles foraging at the same location in the Atlantic. These estimates are also the first available survival estimates for immature marine turtle populations in Florida based on modern mark-recapture techniques, filling a critical knowledge gap. This information is vitally important for managers when evaluating the long-term recovery of these endangered species.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0004755, ucf:49770
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004755
- Title
- Identifying inundation-driven effects among intertidal Crassostrea virginica in a commercially important Gulf of Mexico estuary.
- Creator
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Solomon, Joshua, Walters, Linda, Weishampel, John, Quintana-Ascencio, Pedro, Hagen, Scott, Wang, Dingbao, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Sea level rise and changing storm frequency and intensity resulting from climate change create tremendous amounts of uncertainty for coastal species. Intertidal species may be especially affected since they are dependent on daily inundation and exposure. The eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica is an economically and biologically important sessile intertidal species ranging from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. Declines and changes in distribution of oyster populations has forced commercial...
Show moreSea level rise and changing storm frequency and intensity resulting from climate change create tremendous amounts of uncertainty for coastal species. Intertidal species may be especially affected since they are dependent on daily inundation and exposure. The eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica is an economically and biologically important sessile intertidal species ranging from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. Declines and changes in distribution of oyster populations has forced commercial harvesting to spread from subtidal to intertidal reefs. We investigated the potential responses of intertidal C. virginica to sea level rise, and the response of larval settlement to sedimentation which is likely to increase with higher water levels and storm frequency. Inundation was used as a proxy for sea level rise. We hypothesized four possible outcomes for intertidal oyster reefs as a result of changes in inundation due to sea level rise: (a) intertidal reefs become subtidal and remain in place, (b) intertidal reefs will be lost, (c) intertidal reefs migrate shoreward upslope and remain intertidal, and (d) intertidal reefs will grow in elevation and remain intertidal. To test the plausibility of these four outcomes, oyster ladders were placed at two sites within Apalachicola Bay, Florida, USA. Ladders supported oyster recruitment mats at five heights within the range of intertidal elevations. The bottom-most mat was placed near mean low tide, and the top mat near mean high tide to investigate the effect of tidal inundation time on C. virginica. Sediment traps were attached to ladders with openings at equal elevation to the oyster mats. Ladders were deployed for one year starting in June 2012, and again in June 2013, during peak oyster recruitment season. Monthly for six months during year one, sediment was collected from traps, dried to constant weight and weighed to obtain a monthly average for total sediment at each elevation. At the end of one year, oyster mats were collected from the field and examined for the following responses: live oyster density, mean oyster shell length of live oysters, mean oyster shell angle of growth relative to the benthos, and mean number of sessile competitors. We used AICc to identify the most plausible models using elevation, site, and year as independent variables.Oyster density peaked at intermediate inundation at both sites (maximum 1740 oysters per m2), it decreased slightly at the mean low tide, and sharply at the mean high tide. This response varied between years and sites. Mean oyster shell length peaked near mean low tide (6.7 cm), and decreased with increasing elevation. It varied between years and sites. Oyster shell angle of growth relative to the benthos showed a quadratic response for elevation; site but not year affected this response. Sessile competitor density also showed a quadratic response for elevation and varied between sites and years. Barnacles were the primary spatial competitor reaching densities of up to 28,328 barnacles per m2. Total monthly sedimentation peaked at the lowest elevations, and varied by site, with an order of magnitude difference between sites. Sediment increased with decreasing elevation.Outcomes a, c, and d were found to be viable results of sea level rise, ruling out complete loss of intertidal reefs. Outcome (a) would be associated with decrease in oyster density and increase in oyster length. Outcome (c) would require the laying of oyster cultch upslope and shoreward of current intertidal reefs, as well as the removal of any hard armoring or development. Outcome (d) remained possible, but is the least likely requiring a balance between sedimentation, oyster angle of growth, and recruitment. This should be further investigated. A laboratory experiment was designed to test relative impact of varying sediment grain sizes on settlement of C. virginica larvae. Previous studies showed that suspended solids resulted in decreased larval settlement when using mixed sediment grain sizes. Predicted storm levels and hurricane levels of total suspended solids were used in flow tanks. Sediment from the field experiment was sieved into seven size classes, the most common five of which were used in the experiment since they represented 98.8% of total mass. Flow tanks were designed and built that held 12 aged oyster shells, instant ocean saltwater, and sediment. Oyster larvae were added to the flow tanks and allowed one hour to settle on shells. Each run utilized one of the five size classes of sediment at either a high or low concentration. Following the one-hour settlement period, oyster shells were removed from the flow tank and settled larvae were counted under a dissecting microscope. Settlement was standardized by settlement area using Image J. AICc model selection was performed and the selected model included only grain size, but not concentration. A Tukey's post hoc test differentiated (<)63 ?m from 500 (-) 2000 ?m, with the (<) 63 (&)#181;m grain size having a negative effect on oyster larval settlement. This indicates that the smaller grain sizes of suspended solids are more detrimental to oyster larval settlement than larger grain sizes. The oyster ladder experiment will help resource managers predict and plan for oyster reef migration by cultch laying, and or associated changes in oyster density and shell length if shoreward reef growth is not allowed to occur. The laboratory experiment will help to predict the impacts of future storms on oyster larval recruitment. Together this information can help managers conserve as much remaining oyster habitat as possible by predicting future impacts of climate change on oysters.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005717, ucf:50132
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005717
- Title
- Migratory connectivity and carry-over effects in Northwest Atlantic loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta, L.).
- Creator
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Ceriani, Simona, Weishampel, John, Ehrhart, Llewellyn, Walters, Linda, Quintana-Ascencio, Pedro, Roth, James, Valdes, Eduardo, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Migration is a widespread and complex phenomenon in nature that has fascinated humans for centuries. Connectivity among populations influences their demographics, genetic structure and response to environmental change. Here, I used the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta, L.) as a study organism to address questions related to migratory connectivity and carry-over effects using satellite telemetry, stable isotope analysis and GIS interpolation methods. Telemetry identified foraging areas...
Show moreMigration is a widespread and complex phenomenon in nature that has fascinated humans for centuries. Connectivity among populations influences their demographics, genetic structure and response to environmental change. Here, I used the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta, L.) as a study organism to address questions related to migratory connectivity and carry-over effects using satellite telemetry, stable isotope analysis and GIS interpolation methods. Telemetry identified foraging areas previously overlooked for loggerheads nesting in Florida. Next, I validated and evaluated the efficacy of intrinsic markers as a complementary and low cost tool to assign loggerhead foraging regions in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean (NWA), using both a spatially implicit and spatially explicit (isoscapes) approach. I then focused on the nesting beaches and developed a common currency for isotopic studies based on unhatched eggs, which provide a non-invasive and non-destructive method for more extensive sampling to elucidate isotopic patterns across broader spatiotemporal scales. Lastly, I found that intra-population variations in foraging strategies affect annual and long-term reproductive output of loggerheads nesting in Florida. Understanding geospatial linkages is critical to the fostering of appropriate management and conservation strategies for migratory species. My multi-faceted approach contributes to the growing body of literature exploring migratory connectivity and carry-over effects.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005470, ucf:50390
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005470
