Seagrass beds serve critical functions in coastal Florida ecosystems. The beds serve as nursery habitat for many juvenile reef fish species and provide protection for many types of benthic organisms found in Biscayne Bay. They help stabilize sediment that would otherwise increase turbidity around coral reefs, filter the water of contaminants, and help support an entire food web. Three species of seagrass were found at the study sites in northern Biscayne Bay: Thalassia testudinum, Halodule wrightii, and Syringodium filiforme. This study focused on understanding the organism habitat interaction by determining the species diversity, seasonal densities, and the correlation between population size and individual size for Penaeid shrimp, juvenile fish, and small adult fish at each site over a one year period. Habitat selectivity of various species was determined based on the habitat complexity derived from the various different seagrasses found in each of the beds. Animals predominantly favored H. wrightii habitat (Kruskal-Wallis H test: p
| Date of Award | Dec 1 2012 |
|---|
| Original language | English |
|---|
| Supervisor | Amy C. Hirons (Supervisor), Silvia Marcia (Advisor) & Richard E. Spieler (Advisor) |
|---|