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Graduation date: 1997

Thesis (M.A.)--Florida State University, 2005. / Advisor: Dr. Daniel Vitkus, Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Dept. of English. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed June 7, 2005). Document formatted into pages; contains v, 54 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

As fronteiras são linhas imaginárias, foram desenhadas como resultado de vários processos sociais de índole política, econômica ou cultural. Geralmente são reconhecidas como áreas dinâmicas e de tensão, especialmente em territórios com herança colonial. Entre Colômbia e Nicarágua há uma tensão histórica da fronteira que envolve a solicitação do exercício de soberania tanto em uma área marinha quanto no arquipélago de San Andrés, Providencia e Santa Catarina, no Mar do Caribe. Tal impasse acabou resolvendo-se por uma delimitação feita através de uma sentença do Tribunal Internacional de Justiça de Haia, em 2012, como resultado de um processo de pouco mais de uma década, e que redefiniu a área suscetível de usufruto no mar em ambos os países. A bacia do Caribe ocidental, no âmbito de tensão da fronteira, posiciona-se como uma área de interesse do mercado global dado o progresso de ambos os países para abrir espaços para a concessão à exploração de hidrocarbonetos no mar a empresas não nacionais; vale lembrar que dentro da região encontra-se o Canal de Panamá, uma das vias de transporte de matérias-primas e mercadorias mais importantes do mundo, e um futuro segundo canal transoceânico que irá atravessar a parte sul da Nicarágua. A posição do petróleo no cenário global de energia, bem como em vários processos industriais, faz com que ocupe um lugar de destaque no sistema econômico contemporâneo e represente ainda um dos motores do modo de vida de uma grande parte da sociedade; a iminente diminuição das reservas resultou no desenvolvimento de técnicas de exploração para extração nas áreas mais profundas, incluindo o fundo do mar, tais explorações fora da costa são chamadas de offshore, e se apresentam como uma alternativa à crise do petróleo. A constante procura de recursos naturais, especialmente de petróleo em várias regiões do planeta tem se traduzido em diversas crises, com ênfase naquelas que geram grandes impactos socioambientais, tais como as mudanças climáticas e a devastação de ecossistemas locais que merecem uma abordagem geopolítica ambiental. O resultado desta pesquisa é dividida em duas partes, cada uma delas com dois capítulos, onde são abordadas as questões de soberania, fronteira, mercado global de petróleo e as posições da Colômbia e da Nicarágua ante a possibilidade de extrair petróleo na zona fronteiriça do mar. / Las fronteras son líneas imaginarias trazadas a partir del resultado de diferentes procesos sociales de índole político, económico o cultural. Generalmente son reconocidas como áreas dinâmicas de tensión, especialmente en territorios con herencias coloniales. Entre Colombia y Nicaragua há existido una histórica tensión fronteriza que incluye el interés por el ejercicio de soberanía en el archipiélago de San Andrés, Providencia y Santa Catalina, y en el área marítima subyacente, en el mar Caribe; dicha frontera fue delimitada por la Corte Internacional de Justicia de La Haya em 2012, como resultado de un proceso de un poco más de una década; lo que redefinió el área susceptible de usufructo en el mar, de ambos países. La cuenca del Caribe occidental, en este marco de tensión fronteriza se posiciona como área de interés del mercado global dado el avance de ambos países en abrir espacios a empresas no nacionales para la concesión de exploración/explotación de hidrocarburos en el mar; es importante considerar que en la región se localiza el canal de Panamá, una de las vías de transporte de mercancías y materias primas más importante del mundo, a la vez que se está gestando la construcción de un segundo canal transoceánico que atravesaría la zona sur de Nicaragua, ambos puntos de importancia geoestratégica del comercio global. El lugar del petróleo en el panorama energético global, hace que ocupe un lugar destacado en el sistema económico contemporáneo. La inminente disminución de las reservas de combustibles fósiles ha permitido el desarrollo de técnicas de exploración en áreas de mayor profundidad, que incluyen los lechos marinos, denominadas offshore, las cuales se presentan como alternativa a la crisis petrolera. En relación a lo anterior y dada la exhaustiva búsqueda de recursos naturales a lo largo de la historia, especialmente de petróleo, en áreas del planeta diversas, ha desencadenado diferentes crisis, entre ellos impactos socio-ambientales complejos, como el Cambio Climático y la devastación de ecosistemas locales, los cuales merecen un abordaje geopolítico ambiental. Esta investigación evidencia como el petróleo continua siendo un recurso estratégico a pesar de las recientes crisis de precio y disponibilidad, a su vez que demuestra que el interés binacional, tanto de Colombia como de Nicaragua, de entrar en el mercado offshore de producción de petróleo, de forma que el área de tensión binacional cobra importancia global. Los resultados de la investigación se presentan en dos partes en las cuales son tratados los asuntos de soberanía, frontera, mercado global y las posiciones de ambos países frente al mercado global de petróleo

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The Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) was a period of massive range contraction for numerous taxa, including the water-dispersed mangrove species, Rhizophora mangle L. Following the LGM, R. mangle expanded poleward via propagule transport by ocean currents. In this study, we use microsatellite loci to characterize the genetic structure of nine R. mangle populations and compare potential expansion pathways that resulted in the colonization of the Florida peninsula and Caribbean islands. Results show comparatively greater genetic connectivity between the Caribbean mainland and Florida, a similar pattern between West Africa and Caribbean islands, and substantial admixture on the island of San Salvador, the Bahamas. We conclude that Florida and Caribbean island R. mangle populations were likely recolonized via different expansion pathways. Estimates of recent migration rates are low and populations are structured into three regions (Caribbean mainland, Caribbean islands, Florida). These findings provide insight for future management and conservation initiatives. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2014. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

This investigation tested the hypothesis that iron, as a micronutrient, will affect proteins in Trichodesmium and therefore affect nitrogen fixation. Changes in proteins that are a result of iron enrichment were compared to naturally occuring diel changes. Alterations in the iron protein of nitrogenase were compared to nitrogen fixation rates using the acetylene reduction technique. The observed changes in proteins were compared in Trichodesmium colonies from the Caribbean Sea and the Sargasso Sea. Trichodesmium colonies were monitored for protein and iron content over a diel period on two cruises. The changes in protein and iron content in Trichodesmium colonies were variable but at times showed a cyclic diel pattern. Changes in protein bands on SDS-PAGE showed consistent changes in the banding pattern of a low molecular weight protein that responded to iron nutrition and time of day (Elardo and Rueter 1990). These changes were similar to changes m the iron protein of nitrogenase which also responded to changes associated with iron nutrition and time of day (Elardo 1991 ). Trichodesmium appear to alter certain proteins which appear as changes in banding patterns in response to environmental factors such as nutrients, temperature and light. My research shows that the pattern of modification of the iron protein of nitrogenase differs in colonies from the Caribbean Sea compared to those from the Sargasso Sea (Elardo 1991). The Caribbean Sea population in February had a clear pattern of active and inactive forms (day vs. night) of the enzyme. The Sargasso Sea population of Trichodesmium spp. had both forms of the enzyme at all times of the day during April and May when NO3 - is present in the euphotic zone due to recent mixing. These differences between the two populations may be due to different environmental conditions since the Caribbean Sea is permanently stratified, warmer and nutrient-depleted throughout the year. The Sargasso Sea undergoes seasonal breakdown of the thermocline during winter months, resulting in an injection of nitrate from deeper water, and minimum temperatures of 18oC.

Recent concern over the effects of ocean acidification upon calcifying organisms in the modern ocean has highlighted the aragonitic shelled thecosomatous pteropods as being at a high risk. Laboratory studies have shown that increased pCO2, leading to decreased pH and low carbonate concentrations, has a negative impact on the ability of pteropods to calcify and maintain their shells. This study presents the micropalaeontological analysis of marine cores from the Caribbean Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean. Pteropods, heteropods and planktic foraminifera were picked from samples to provide palaeoenvironmental data for each core. Determination of pteropod calcification was made using the Limacina Dissolution Index (LDX) and the average shell size of Limacina inflata specimens. Pteropod calcification indices were compared to global ice volume and Vostok atmospheric CO2 concentrations to determine any associations between climate and calcification. Results show that changes in surface ocean carbonate concentrations throughout the Late Pleistocene did affect the calcification of thecosomatous pteropods. These effects can be detected in shells from marine sediments that are located well above the aragonite lysocline and have not undergone post-depositional dissolution. The results of this study confirm the findings of laboratory studies, showing a decrease in calcification during interglacial periods, when surface ocean carbonate concentrations were lower. During glacial periods, calcification was enhanced due to the increased availability of carbonate. This trend was found in all sediments studied, indicating that the response of pteropods to past climate change is of global significance. These results demonstrate that pteropods have been negatively affected by oceanic pH levels relatively higher and changing at a lesser rate than those predicted for the 21st Century. Results also establish the use of pteropods and heteropods in reconstructing surface ocean conditions. The LDX is a fast and appropriate way of determining variations in surface water carbonate saturation. Abundances of key species were also found to constrain palaeotemperatures better than planktic foraminifera, a use which could be further developed.

Les espèces coralliennes Acropora palmata (Lamarck, 1816) et A. cervicornis (Lamarck, 1816) ont un rôle majeur en termes de bio-construction et structuration des récifs dans la Caraïbe. Cependant, les populations de ces deux espèces sont en déclin et elles sont maintenant classées en danger critique d’extinction par l’Union Internationale de Conservation de la Nature (UICN). De récentes études principalement menées sur les récifs de la Floride et des Grandes Antilles se sont ainsi intéressé à la structure et à la dynamique des populations de ces espèces, mais le statut génétique des populations des Petites Antilles est moins connu.Le présent sujet a pour but d’étudier l’état des populations des coraux Acropora palmata et A. cervicornis sur les récifs de Guadeloupe et des Petites Antilles et d’élucider les mécanismes qui président à la survie de ces espèces et au recrutement des jeunes coraux. / In the Caribbean, Acropora palmata (Lamarck 1816) and A. cervicornis (Lamarck 1816) are major coral species for reef building. Since the 80’s, these species populations are decreasing and are now classified as critically endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Recent studies, mainly conducted on the reefs of Florida and the Greater Antilles concerned the structure and the dynamics of Acropora populations, while the genetic status of the populations in the Lesser Antilles remains less studied. The purpose of the study is to determine the status of the coral populations of Acropora palmata and A. cervicornis on reefs of Guadeloupe and Lesser Antilles and to elucidate the mechanisms governing the survival of these species and the recruitment of young corals.