Thesis (Ph.D.) - James Cook University, 2004. / Typescript (photocopy) Bibliography: leaves 131-148.

Thesis (M.S.)--Duquesne University, 2007. / Title from document title page. Abstract included in electronic submission form. Includes bibliographical references (p. 67-70) and index.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oregon State University, 2007. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 135-152). Also available on the World Wide Web.

No description available.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 32-38). / v, 38 leaves, bound 29 cm

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- McMaster University, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available via World Wide Web.

The purpose of this thesis was to provide a revision and characterization of the species of nongeniculate coralline algae previously ascribed to the now defunct genus Porolithon / to provide a modern account of selected taxa from the genus Hydrolithon and descriptions of taxa found to conform the generic delimitation of Hydrolithon and to use a phenetic cluster analysis to determine the taxonomic relationships between the various taxa ascribed to the genera Polorithon and Hydrolithon.

Sponges contribute to large number of functions in coral reef ecosystems. Among these, bioerosion is perhaps one of the most widely studied, largely due to the important contribution of excavating sponges to the carbonate budget on coral reefs (up to 95 % of the total internal bioerosion). Despite our current knowledge, much of the literature is centred on individual-based observations, and little is known about their ecological role and interactions with other reef taxa in complex coral reef systems. The aim of this thesis was to quantify the ecological interactions of bioeroding sponges with major reef taxa by scaling up individual observations to population and ecosystem-based approaches. A cosmopolitan, abundant and highly competitive bioeroding sponge from Glover’s Atoll, Belize (Cliona tenuis) was used as model species. Monitoring of C. tenuis populations throughout 2009 indicated a trade-off between reproduction and growth, with the highest growth rates (31.4 ± 5.6 mm.y–1) occurring in summer, and a peak in reproductive output during winter. Populations typically show strong left-skewed size frequency distributions, mostly represented by juvenile-size individuals (46%), suggesting that regulating mechanisms (e.g. competition and predation) may be acting in constraining the transition of juveniles to adult sizes. Long-term in situ manipulations showed no effect of predation, yet competition with macroalgae significantly reduced the size of the sponge by 38% ± 11% (SE). While C. tenuis exhibit high growth and recruitment rates that could theoretically result in rapid population growth, the likelihood of sponges forming an alternative stable state as reefs sustain greater levels of disturbance is unclear. An analytical modelling approach of the interplay between macroalgae, coral and sponge was used to explore the likelihood of alternate stable states. The results show that irrespective of successful sponge invasion, inclusion of this third antagonist (in the interplay between coral and macroalgae) can qualitatively affect the likelihood of alternative stable state. The model exhibits emergent properties suggestive of intransitivity between the three competing taxa. Despite the potential of C. tenuis to benefit from disturbance, there are few cases in the literature reporting increases in bioeroding sponge abundance followed disturbance. Therefore, regulating mechanisms such as competition with other taxa, recruitment limitation or mortality are expected to exert demographic control on the populations of bioeroding sponges when space limitation is relaxed due to coral mortality. To determine processes regulating sponge populations, an individual-based spatial modelling approach was used to simulate the population dynamics of C. tenuis in a dynamic ecosystem environment. Using an orthogonal hypothesis testing approach, it was found that competition, and to a lesser extend partial mortality of the sponge tissue, largely regulate the population structure of C. tenuis. While reductions in coral cover may temporarily favour the rapid colonization by sponges, the competitive superiority of macroalgae may steal the opportunity from the opportunists.

Much of the world's oceans lie below a depth of 200 meters, but very little is known about the creatures that inhabit these deep-sea environments. The deep-sea fish family Melamphaidae (Stephanoberyciformes) is one such example of an understudied group of fishes. Samples from the MAR-ECO (www.mar-eco.no) project represent one of the largest melamphaid collections, providing an ideal opportunity to gain information on this important, but understudied, family of fishes. The key to the family presented here is the first updated, comprehensive key since those produced by Ebeling and Weed (1963) and Keene (1987). Samples from the 2004 MAR-ECO cruise and the U.S. National Museum of Natural History provided an opportunity to review two possible new species, the Scopelogadus mizolepis subspecies, and a Poromitra crassiceps species complex. Results show that Scopeloberyx americanus and Melamphaes indicoides are new species, while the two subspecies of Scopelogadus mizolepis are most likely o nly one species and the Poromitra crassiceps complex is actually several different species of Poromitra. Data collected from the MAR-ECO cruise provided an opportunity to study the distribution, reproductive characteristics and trophic ecology of the family Melamphaidae along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR). Cluster analysis showed that there are five distinct groups of melamphaid fishes along the MAR. This analysis also supported the initial observation that the melamphaid assemblage changes between the northern and southern edges of an anti-cyclonic anomaly that could be indicative of a warm-core ring. Analysis of the reproductive characteristics of the melamphaid assemblage revealed that many of the female fishes have a high gonadosomatic index (GSI) consistent with values found for other species of deep-sea fishes during their spawning seasons. / This may indicate that melamphaids use this ridge as a spawning ground. Diets of the melamphaid fishes were composed primarily of ostracods, a mphipods, copepods and euphausiids. Scopelogadus was the only genus shown to have a high percent of gelatinous prey in their digestive system, while Melamphaes had the highest concentration of chaetognaths. This work presents data on the ecology and taxonomy of the family Melamphaidae and provides a strong base for any future work on this biomass-dominant family of fishes. / by Kyle Allen Bartow. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2010. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2010. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

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 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. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2014. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection