The nursery effect is a process where juvenile fish utilize coastal habitats to help them survive before moving to their adult habitat. This process establishes an important link between marine ecosystems. This study examines the nursery effect and nursery habitat utilization in the Indian River Lagoon and Florida Bay systems, and the coral reefs adjacent to them. Quantitative and spatial techniques were utilized to identify patterns of presence and abundance and the size structure of select fish species. Spatial analyses were also used to investigate distribution patterns. Findings from this study suggest that several species utilize to a high degree the Indian River Lagoon and Florida Bay as nurseries. Furthermore, the abundance of adults on coral reefs is strongly connected to the presence of nurseries. This study has implications in fisheries management such as locating where juveniles of species develop. With such knowledge, better management plans could be implemented to ensure healthy fish stocks. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2020. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Peatlands are areas with an accumulated layer of peat soil that are considered global stores of carbon, acting as a net sink of carbon dioxide and a net source of methane. Recent studies in coastal peatlands have shown how that a rise in sea level may contribute to the degradation of peat soils due to the inland progression of the saltwater interface, which may result in physical changes within the peat matrix that may eventually result in peat collapse. For example, earlier studies in boreal peat soils described the effect of pore dilation as a result of increased salinity in peat soils, while recent studies in Everglades peat soils showed specific salinity thresholds that may represent a permanent loss of the structural integrity of the peat matrix that may represent early stages of peat collapse. While most of these previous efforts have focused on drivers, recent work has also explored conceptual models to better understand the mechanisms inducing peat collapse. However, few datasets exists that consistently compare differences in physical properties under different in‐situ salinity conditions. In this study differences in the physical properties of peat soils across a salinity gradient along the western edge of Big Cypress National Preserve are investigated to test how differences in salinity may induce physical changes in the soil matrix. The physical properties targeted for this study include porosity, hydraulic conductivity, and carbon content. Measurements are conducted at the laboratory scale using peat cores and monoliths collected at selected locations to investigate: 1) how overall soil physical properties change spatially over a salinity gradient at the km scale moving from permanently saline to freshwater conditions; and 2) how physical properties change spatially at specific sites as dependant on vegetation boundaries and proximity to collapsed soils. This study has implications for better understanding the potential relation between physical changes of the soil matrix and the phenomena of peat collapse in the Everglades as saltwater intrusion progresses inward and alters freshwater ecosystems. Furthermore, a better mechanistic understanding of the peat collapse phenomenon can potentially help mitigate its occurrence. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2021. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

From 1985 to 2015, local politicians like Kenneth G. Spillias, Jan Winters, and Nancy M. Graham reshaped downtown West Palm Beach. They promised to eliminate urban blight, and turned a crime-ridden area of the city into an upper-middle class entertainment zone frequented by wealthy pleasure-seekers from throughout Palm Beach County. However, much of this transformation was an illusion. These politicians eliminated local taxpayers from the decision-making process by circumventing their votes, but subsequently taxed them to pay for the improvements. Furthermore, blight was not eliminated downtown, merely relocated to areas surrounding the entertainment zone. This resulted in ongoing tension between the mostly white patrons and business owners in the redeveloped area, and the primarily black residents in the dilapidated neighborhoods surrounding this development. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2017. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Thesis (Ed.D.)--University of West Florida, 2007. / Title from title page of source document. Document formatted into pages; contains 194 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--Florida State University, 2005. / Advisor: Dr. Robert Deyle, Florida State University, College of Social Sciences, Dept. of Urban and Regional Planning. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed June 13, 2005). Document formatted into pages; contains ix, 70 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Florida, 2005. / Title from title page of source document. Document formatted into pages; contains 148 pages. Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--Florida State University, 2006. / Advisor: Rochelle A. Marrinan, Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Dept. of Anthropology. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Sept. 15, 2006) Document formatted into pages; contains xi, 227 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

Little Lake Worth (LLW) (800 m x 200 m x 8« m) is an artificially deep, monomictic marine basin. Pigments and other water quality parameters (O2, pH, T, S, NO3 -. etc.) were utilized to characterize phototrophic communities and water quality. The water column is dominated by diatoms except in the hypolimnon during stratification events (late Summer) when strong anoxia and H2S favors abundant Chlorobium sulfur bacteria. Results indicate nitrate-enriched freshwater baseflow indicative of septic tank seepage during the wet season. This also appears to lead to the accumulation of concentrated organic matter in the sediment. LLW is a potential threat to the health of the ecosystem and the humans using it recreationally. More research is required to verify the effectiveness of restoration options. The spatial and temporal distribution of Chlorobium (phaeovibiroides tent.) and their Bacteriochlorophyll-e homologues is described and compared to similar studies. / by Keren Prize Bolter. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2010. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

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