Novel disturbances can increase the vulnerability of pine flatwoods to exotic species such as Caesar’s weed (Urena lobata), a plant that has invaded many ecosystems. To understand Caesar’s weed response to disturbance, a factorial field manipulation was used to quantify invasion success. Influence of feral swine (Sus scrofa) on the presence of seeds in the area was analyzed. The effect of heat on Caesar’s weed germination was also quantified. A winter fire and mechanical soil disturbance had no statistical effect on the spread of Caesar’s weed. However, in feral swine disturbed soils Caesar’s weed was more likely to be husked and experience less competition from seeds of other species. Low levels of seed heating increased germination. This data can provide information about the influences of fire and soil disturbances on the spread of Caesar’s weed, as well as how fire intensity levels can affect the spread of invasive Caesar’s weed. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2017. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Establece los principios teóricos en que se basa Garcilaso para el uso del ejemplo en esta obra. Y, dada la capacidad del ejemplo para la proyección de una visión del mundo, nos interesa también determinar los aspectos ideológicos de la obra implicados en su argumentación ejemplar. En lo que corresponde a la ideología, Garcilaso presenta varios aspectos que giran en torno a una mejor comprensión de los americanos y a una política de las relaciones entre Europa y América más acorde con principios de equidad. Se observa que el prudencialismo es una importante orientación teórica en La Florida, la cual puede acudir al ejemplo como su vehículo de comunicación, subordinándolo a sus objetivos. Igualmente, los ejemplos suelen presentar un perfil prudencialista. Por su parte, la tradición sapiencial es un componente que puede estar tanto al servicio de lo ejemplar como al servicio de lo prudencial. En ambos casos, la tradición sapiencial se halla bajo el régimen de los argumentos ideológicos. La confluencia de lo ejemplar, lo sapiencial y lo prudencial en relación a la configuración de la imagen del autor y la afirmación de su proyecto intelectual constituye un aspecto central en la funcionalidad de estas materias. / Tesis

All My Sins is a collection of short fiction. The stories feature characters from Florida struggling with family, sexuality, masculinity, ethics, and themselves. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.F.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2019. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

The East Okeechobee area is situated along the southeast coast of Florida, throughout Palm Beach and Martin Counties, and has proved difficult to access in a broad archaeological context. This is due to the blending of cultural characteristics from the surrounding areas and due to the suspected transitional nature of this region. To gain a better understanding of the cultural composition and interrelations of the East Okeechobee Area, this analysis statistically models, both synchronically and diachronically, the frequencies of ceramic types from multiple archaeological sites in and around this region. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2019. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Theoretically, sympatric species must partition resources or space to allow for coexistence. Determining empirically the specific resources each species exploits and species’ interactions (e.g., intra- and interspecific competition) can sometimes be challenging, thus the data are relatively sparse for certain taxa. This paucity of data exists for octopuses. Therefore, I chose to study niches of two sympatric octopuses (Octopus vulgaris and Macrotritopus defilippi) in an intracoastal habitat. Specifically, I assessed (1) spatial distribution of octopus home or “den” space, (2) habitat association, (3) octopus abundance, (4) foraging activity periods, (5) diet, and (6) associated substrates and behaviors used during foraging events. Octopus den locations were marked by GPS to quantify spatial patterns of both species and their spatial relationship to each other. Habitat associations were measured by quantifying photoquadrats of den and surrounding habitats. For foraging activity periods, a video camera was placed near an octopus den for 24-h observation to determine when each octopus species leaves/returns from foraging. Underwater video recording was used to determine associated foraging substrates and behaviors for both species. Prey remains from octopus’ dens and video recordings indicating prey consumption were used to determine diets of the two octopus species. Video recordings from the 24-h camera and foraging behavior events also provided observations of intra- and interspecific interactions. Results revealed that the two species are interspersed throughout the shallow Florida lagoon and are both abundant during the spring months (March, April, May). Although both species are interspersed throughout the lagoon, their den and surrounding habitat association differed. O. vulgaris was associated with hard bottom and M. defilippi was associated with soft bottom, thus they may not compete strongly for habitats. Each species used different foraging strategies and different primary prey, which may also lessen competition and facilitate coexistence. O. vulgaris had peak foraging activity during night hours, foraged mostly on hard bottom and mainly consumed bivalves while M. defilippi had peak foraging activity during day hours, foraged mostly on soft bottom and mainly consumed crustaceans. Octopuses also had species-specific foraging behaviors, with O. vulgaris using parachute attack and M. defilippi using flounder swimming and tripod stance. Additional intra- and interspecific interactions were video recorded and included: fishes following octopuses, predation attempts, agonistic encounters, cannibalism, and tactile communication. This study identified ecological and behavioral components that may facilitate coexistence of these sympatric species, provided insight into cephalopod niches and ecology, and provided baseline conservation requirements for sand-dwelling cephalopods, both of which may be using this site as a mating and nursery habitat. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2019. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Synthetic fiber reinforced concrete sample sets were exposed to two different environments. One set, of six samples, was exposed to filtered seawater in the lab with wet and dry cycles, while the other set of samples was exposed, on a barge, to the marine environment, in the intracoastal waterways, at SeaTech. The samples were exposed for 8 months, and then removed for experimental and mechanical testing. Upon removal, the barge samples were photographed to observe surface organisms that were attached to each sample. The barge samples, after cleaning, were then exposed to UV light to observe surface bacteria. The barge samples were also taken to Harbor Branch facility for DNA testing, and then sent in for sequencing. This sequencing was used to identify the organisms that were present inside the concrete samples. An Indirect Tensile Strength Test, IDT, was performed on both sets of samples to observe the first crack, max load, and fracture toughness of each sample. The Barge samples had a lower first crack, max load, and fracture toughness, which means that it took less force to break these samples, than the Seawater samples. As the fiber content increased, the Seawater samples grew stronger, while the Barge samples grew weaker. Also, as the fiber content increased, the biodiversity found on the surface of the Barge samples increased as well. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2019. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Nowadays, there is increasing number of facilities that implement various pricing strategies in order to manage increasing traffic demand. Most of these strategies use traffic data collected on several points in the system, aggregate them in certain aggregation interval and calculate tolls based on them. Some strategies derive performance measures (as traffic density) based on aggregated data, and define tolls. However, derived performance measures tend to underestimate traffic conditions and data aggregation interval can smooth traffic data. On the other hand, travel time has not been utilized in order to calculate user tolls on such systems, and yet it can directly measure users delay in the system, and directly capture field conditions. In addition, technology to collect travel times is becoming more popular and used in transportation systems. Hence, this study aims to test alternative methods for toll calculation that will rely on travel time data and compare their performance with currently utilized toll calculation algorithm on I-95 Express lanes in South Florida. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2019. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Guided by traditional and micro-level theories, the present study seeks to identify the relationship between race/ethnicity and risk factors in the Florida juvenile justice system. Central to this explanation is the understanding that racial biases and stereotypes have been shown to influence the decision-making of probation officers. The objectives are to examine the extent that race and risk factors influence court outcomes, in addition to the extent to which individual level risk factors influence court outcomes. The results provide insight into the relationship between the influence of racial biases and stereotypes of probation officers and juvenile risk assessment scoring.

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) along the Florida coast have been reported for many decades. Karenia brevis is a red tide species on the West Florida Shelf, producing a suite of toxins called brevetoxins that adversely affect marine organisms and humans. Dinoflagellate cysts have been studied as a tool for red tide studies since the location where cysts accumulate in the sediments and the size of the seed beds can be important for potential blooms. However, little attention has been paid on the dinoflagellate cysts on the West Florida Coast. This study describes the distribution of dinoflagellate cysts along the West Florida Coast and proposes the possibility of Karenia brevis cysts. Samples were collected with a box corer July 17-29 and October 5-17, 2009. Overall cyst concentrations are low. The sediments along the West Florida Coast compose of coarse-sized grains that generate large-sized pores. Thus, cysts in the coarse-grained sediments might easily move along with turbulence or water movements flowing above the sediments. Cyst concentrations gradually increased shoreward. The hydrographic features along the West Florida Coast are influenced by the coastal current. Southward coastal current flowed during two cruises might drive a subsequent offshore Ekman transport which might lead to a coastal upwelling, thereby transporting bottom sediments closer to the coast. Thus, cyst concentration was higher inshore compared to that offshore. The average concentration of heterotrophic dinoflagellate cysts was higher in July than that in October, whereas autotrophic dinoflagellate cysts did not have a noticeable difference between July and October. The heterotrophic group is dominated by a protoperidinioid group that mainly feeds on diatoms. The abundance of protoperidinioid was higher in July than in October and other groups have similar abundance between two periods. The highest abundance of diatoms is in June, July and August, whereas the lowest was in October, November and May. Therefore, the decrease in the abundance of protoperidinioid cysts correlates with the lower food supply for their motile cells. Based on a morphological similarity to a Karenia brevis cyst detected in culture by Walker (1982) and a morphological difference from other species belonging to the same genus, cysts that are probably Karenia brevis have been identified.

Coral reef degradation has been observed worldwide over the past few decades resulting in significant decreases in coral cover and abundance. However, there has not been a clear framework established to address the crucial need for more sophisticated understanding of the fundamental ecology of corals and their response to environmental stressors. Development of a quantitative approach to coral population ecology that utilizes formal, well established principles of fishery systems science offers a new framework to address these issues. The goal of this dissertation is to establish a quantitative foundation for assessment of coral reefs by developing some essential ecological and population-dynamic components of a size-structured demographic model for coral populations of the Florida Keys coral reef ecosystem. The objective provides the potential to build a quantitative systems science framework for coral populations. A two-stage stratified random sampling design was implemented during two separate survey periods to assess coral populations. Results include precise estimates of adult (> 4 cm) population abundance for several coral species by spatially partitioning abundance and variance into species-relevant reef habitat types. Adult size structure and juvenile abundance were used to evaluate individual coral populations and infer spatial variation in recruitment, growth and survival across habitat types. Partial mortality was characterized in terms of surface area, prevalence, and size-relationships. The development of some ecological and population-dynamic components of a size-structured demographic model for coral populations demonstrates the statistical framework and metrics required for monitoring and assessment of coral reef ecosystems to meet the pressing needs of conservation of coral reef ecosystems specifically in Florida, and throughout the Caribbean and Pacific in general.