Coral reef ecosystems worldwide are facing increasing degradation due to disease, anthropogenic damage, and climate change, particularly in the Tropical Western Atlantic. Mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) have been recently gaining attention through increased characterization as continuations of shallow reefs below traditional SCUBA depths (>30 m). As MCEs appear to be sheltered from many stressors affecting shallow reefs, MCEs may act as a coral refuge and provide larvae to nearby shallow reefs. The Deep Reef Refugia Hypothesis (DRRH) posits that shallow and mesophotic reefs may be genetically connected and that some coral species are equally compatible in both habitats. The research presented here addresses key questions that underlie this theory and advances our knowledge of coral connectivity and MCE ecology using the depth-generalist coral Montastraea cavernosa. Chapter 1 presents an overview of the DRRH, a description of MCEs in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), and the framework of research questions within existing reef management infrastructure in the GOM. Through microsatellite genotyping, Chapter 2 identifies high connectivity among shallow and mesophotic reefs in the northwest GOM and evidence for relative isolation between depth zones in Belize and the southeast GOM. Historical migration and vertical connectivity models estimate Gulf-wide population panmixia. Chapter 3 focuses on population structure within the northwest GOM, identifying a lack of significant population structure. Dominant migration patterns estimate population panmixia, suggesting mesophotic populations currently considered for National Marine Sanctuary protection benefit the Flower Garden Banks. Chapter 4 quantifies the level of morphological variation between shallow and mesophotic M. cavernosa, revealing two distinct morphotypes possibly representing adaptive tradeoffs. Chapter 5 examines the transcriptomic mechanisms behind coral plasticity between depth zones, discovering a consistent response to mesophotic conditions across regions. Additionally, variable plasticity of mesophotic corals resulting from transplantation to shallow depths and potential differences in bleaching resilience between shallow and mesophotic corals are identified. The dissertation concludes with a synthesis of the results as they pertain to connectivity of shallow and mesophotic corals in the Gulf of Mexico and suggests future research that will aid in further understanding of MCE ecology and connectivity. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2018. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Connectivity is an important component of coral reef studies for its role in the enhancement of ecosystem resilience. Previous genetic structure and physical circulation studies in the Red Sea reveal a homogeneity within the coral reef complexes in the central and northern parts of the basin. Yet, genetic isolation and relatively low connectivity has been observed in the southern Red Sea. Raitsos et al. (2017) recently hypothesized that coral reefs in the southern Red Sea are more connected with regions outside the basin, rather than with the central and northern Red Sea. Using a physical circulation approach based on a 3-D backward particle tracking simulation, we further investigate this hypothesis. A long-term (> 10 years), very high resolution (1km) MITgcm simulation is used to provide detailed information on velocity in the complex coastal regions of the Red Sea and the adjacent narrow Bab-El-Mandeb Strait. The particle tracking simulation results support the initial hypothesis that the coastal regions in the southern Red Sea exhibit a consistently higher connectivity with the regions outside the Bab-El-Mandeb Strait, than with the central and northern Red Sea. Substantially high levels of connectivity, facilitated by the circulation and eddies, is observed with the coastal regions in the Gulf of Aden. A strong seasonality in connectivity, related to the monsoon-driven circulation, is also evident with the regions outside of the Red Sea. The winter surface intrusion plays a leading role in transporting the particles from the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean into the Red Sea, while the summer subsurface intrusion also supports the transport of particles into the Red Sea in the intermediate layer. In addition, the connectivity with the central and northern Red Sea is more affected by the intensity of the eddies. Evidence also suggests that potential connectivity exists between the coastal southern Red Sea and the coasts of Oman, Socotra, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania and the north coast of the Madagascar.

The timing of glacial-interglacial cycles shows a clear dependence on the periodic variations in the Earth’s orbital parameters. However, the Earth’s climate is an extremely complex, non-linear system, with many internal feedback mechanisms and there are still features of the climate record for which a definitive explanation remains elusive. Understanding reef history is important due to significant predicted feedbacks between changes in global climate and carbonate production via the carbon cycle; phases of rapid reef growth in shallow water areas being associated with increased release of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Previous work on Pleistocene reef history, investigated via reef boreholes, shows a large global expansion of reefs between 800-400ka; approximately concurrent with one of the major unexplained alterations in the climate system, the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT). Quaternary reef history is usually investigated via reef boreholes, which provide limited spatial information and are subject to dating uncertainties of the order of ±100kyrs. This means that any inferences made about the relationship between reef expansion and specific changes in the climate system are not well constrained. This thesis instead, presents a novel approach to reconstructing reef growth history, using a trial site near the island of New Caledonia, in the south west Pacific. The initiation of carbonate production on shallow shelves is known to produce a signal in the surrounding deeper basins, via sediment shedding. Therefore, this research set out to independently verify the proposed expansion of the New Caledonia Barrier Reef at ~ 400ka (Marine Isotope Stage [MIS] 11) by examining the composition of turbidites deposited in the New Caledonia Trough. Deep sea sediment core MD06-3019, was collected south west of the New Caledonia Barrier Reef (22oS, 165oE; 3,500m water depth). It is predominantly composed of pelagic carbonate ooze, into which 79 sandy turbidite layers have been deposited. These layers interrupt, but do not disturb, the background sedimentation and source material from the shallow shelf, which is carried to the deep sea via submarine canyons. A core age model based principally on orbital tuning, yields a core bottom age of 1,260ka, ~MIS38. This chronology has allowed the timing of deposition of the turbidite layers within the core to be assigned to within ±10kyr. Turbidite layers vary in width (1-35cm), grain size (φ=4 to -2) and composition, containing among other shelf derived material, well preserved coral fragments from 1.26Ma through to the present day. Patterns in turbidite timing and frequency, grain size and composition (investigated via point counting, carbonate coulometry and aragonite content) have been analysed, to assess whether there are any temporal changes which may reflect variation in shallow shelf reef extent. This included the development of XRF scanning measurements for [Sr], as a new proxy for the aragonite content of samples. A calibration line with the equation: Aragonite %=0.0011* Sr count +2.64 (R2 =0.6105, p-value < 0.001) was obtained for turbidite samples from sediment core MD06-3019. The method shows significant promise as a new proxy for quickly establishing the aragonite content of sediment samples. Corroborating the work of previous investigators, turbidites deposited since MIS11 show an increase in average bulk carbonate and aragonite content, a greater dominance of shallow water bioclasts and a higher occurrence of coral fragments. Additionally, both coarse and fine grained turbidites are present, whereas directly before this period only fine grained turbidites occur. However, there is another significant shift in depositional style further back in the record. Prior to MIS23 both coarse and fine grained turbidites are present, the average carbonate content of turbidite layers is higher and there is a greater dominance of shallow water biota. Coral abundance for turbidites at the base of the core can equal values for turbidites at the top of the core. These results challenge the assumption that the only significant evolution on the western New Caledonia margin over the last 1.2Myrs was the expansion of the barrier reef at MIS11. This suggests that the history of the western New Caledonia margin may be more complicated than initially anticipated. These temporal variations in turbidite deposition are interpreted as reflecting changes in the level of carbonate production on the shallow shelf over the course of the 1.26Myr record. Shallow water carbonate production having decreased substantially during the period MIS23-MIS11. There are many possible controls on the shallow water carbonate production; such as: sea surface temperature and salinity, sea-level and nutrient availability. However, it is hypothesised that the principal control is glacial-interglacial sea-level change. It is proposed that prior to MIS23 sea-level was high enough during certain interglacial periods for significant carbonate production to occur on the shelf. However, from MIS23 onwards the climate proceeded into a period of ‘lukewarm’ interglacials which were both cooler and had lower sea-levels. It is hypothesised that during this period sea-level did not rise enough during highstands to flood the shelf sufficiently to allow for significant shallow water carbonate production. The high sea-levels of the long, warm MIS11then allowed for the expansion of the barrier reef (perhaps on substrates provided by former siliciclastic coast lines, deposited between MIS23-11) and its continuation during subsequent interglacial periods until the current day. This pattern of shallow shelf carbonate production is similar to those proposed for the Belize margin and the Gulf of Papua over the last 1.2Myrs. This thesis provides one of the first detailed investigations of gravity deposits in the New Caledonia Trough, providing information on their composition and timing over an unprecedented 1.26Myr time period. This study demonstrates that deep sea turbidites, sourced from shallow shelf areas, can be used to help reconstruct tropical reef growth histories. The results corroborate the work of previous researchers in the area and provide new insights into the history of reefs along the western New Caledonian margin. The main advantage of this method, compared to traditional borehole techniques, is the 10-fold reduction in the age uncertainty of events, to ±10 kyr. In addition, because turbidite material is sourced from a wide area along the coast, the method is able to provide information on reef history over a larger spatial area than single reef boreholes. This method can now be extended globally to help improve knowledge of the timing and history of tropical reef growth during the Quaternary. This will enable a better understanding of how reefs have impacted on, and been affected by, changes in climate, linked by feedbacks mechanisms via the global carbon cycle.

Esta pesquisa busca investigar o sujeito cantante, tecendo reflexões sobre o canto coral em uma abordagem psicanalítica. Para tanto, foram estudados alguns aspectos da música, da educação musical, do canto coral e da Psicanálise, relacionando as áreas e suas possíveis articulações. Após um breve levantamento conceitual e bibliográfico, foi escolhido o Coral Universidade de São Paulo (CoralUSP) para a pesquisa de campo, do qual, foram entrevistados cinco de seus regentes e três cantores. Essa pesquisa abriu reflexões sobre o canto coral por um viés psicanalítico, depois de acompanhar ensaios de dois dos doze grupos que constituem o CoralUSP e de abrir a discussão sobre a educação musical atual, mediante entrevista com uma educadora musical que atua pela via do canto coral. Os motivos que originaram o projeto desta dissertação remetem à promulgação da Lei Federal nº 11.769/08, que institui a obrigatoriedade do ensino de música nas escolas, embora não em caráter exclusivo. Essa nova legislação reacendeu algumas reflexões: por que a música é importante para a formação do sujeito? De que maneira ela pode ser trabalhada? Como o canto coral pode se articular às novas práticas? De que forma o canto se inscreve no sujeito? E, por fim, quem é o sujeito que canta? A discussão deste estudo é voltada tanto para coralistas ou ex-coralistas que compreendem a importância do canto coral em sua formação, mas que gostariam de se aprofundar nessa investigação sob um enfoque psicanalítico, quanto para educadores (formais, informais, polivalentes ou de formação musical específica), a fim de que percebam o impacto das influências musicais e, mais precisamente, corais no campo da educação e da constituição do sujeito. Pedagoga, coralista de longa data e atual professora de canto coral, motivada pela musicalização da escola e seus impactos, esta autora estabeleceu o compromisso com sua dissertação e com a pesquisa educacional, aceitando o desafio de uma leitura psicanalítica da educação musical por meio do canto coral. Em suma, o que se pretende com esse estudo é investigar as marcas deixadas pela voz, pelo canto coral, na formação do sujeito cantante, o que está menos ligado a métodos do que às paixões que movem o desejo e que constitui um novo semblante para o sujeito psicanalítico. / This research aims to investigate the singing subject, weaving thoughts on choral singing in a psychoanalytic approach. For this, some aspects of music, musical education, choral singing and psychoanalysis were studied by relating the areas and their possible connections. After a brief conceptual and bibliographical survey, the University of São Paulo Choir (CoralUSP) was chosen for the field research, from which five of its regents and three singers were interviewed. This research opened reflections on choral singing by a psychoanalytical view, after accompanying rehearsals from two of the twelve groups that constitute the CoralUSP and opening discussion about the current musical education, during an interview with a music educator who operates by means of choral singing. The reasons that led to the project of this dissertation refer to the enactment of Federal Law No. 11,769/08, establishing the compulsory teaching of music in schools, although not on an exclusive basis. This new legislation has rekindled some thoughts: why music is important to the formation of the subject? How can it be worked on? How the choir can be linked to new practices? How the song fits the subject? And finally, who is the subject who sings? The discussion of this study is turned for both choristers or former choristers who understand the importance of choral singing in their training, but would like to go deeper in this research under a psychoanalytic approach, as for educators (formal, informal, polyvalent or from specific musical training) in order to realize the impact of musical influences - and, more precisely, choral - in the field of education and formation of the subject. Pedagogue, longtime choir member and current teacher of choral singing, motivated by school musicalization and its impacts, this author established the commitment to her dissertation and to educational research, accepting the challenge of a psychoanalytic reading of musical education through choral singing. In short, the intention with this study is to investigate the \"marks\" left by voice, by choral singing, in the formation of the singing subject, which is less connected to methods than to passions that move the desire and which constitutes a new semblant to the psychoanalytic subject.

O presente trabalho compreende o estudo de corais carboníferos da Amazônia. Baseou-se fundamentalmente, em material de Bom Jardim e Monte Cristo, pertencente à Universidade de São Paulo. Contou o autor, ainda, com material de Miritituba, pertencente às coleções do Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi. Está dividido em duas partes. A primeira inclui: introdução; método de trabalho; terminologia; distribuição geográfica dos corais e fauna associada; considerações sobre os corais registrados para a Formação Itaituba; paleoecologia; significado das faunas de corais, idade e correlação. A segunda versa sobre a taxinomia. A relação dos corais descritos é a seguinte: Tetracoralla: Stereostylus mendesi Pinto, sp. nov.; Stereostylus leinzi Pinto, sp. nov.; Lomphamplexus sp.; Amplexizapherentis petrii Pinto, sp. nov.; Dibunophylloides duncanae Pinto, sp. nov.; Dibunophylloides geiseli Pinto, sp. nov. Tabulata - Multithecopora milanoi Pinto, sp. nov.. Dos registros anteriores, as espécies assinaladas por Katzer, 1903, não foram encontradas. Pelo exame externo do material por ele coletado, e depositado no Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, parecem não pertencer aos gêneros assinalados e algumas certamente pertencerão às espécies novas aqui descritas. Quanto à espécie assinalada por Duarte (1938) certamente não pertence ao gênero mencionado. O único coral dos grupos estudados, assinalado para o Grupo Tarma, não corresponde a nenhuma das espécies aqui estudadas. O presente estudo confirma idade Westfaliano C ou D (Desmoinesiano) para os afloramentos de Bom Jardim e talvez pouco mais recente para os de Monte Cristo. / Not available

Este trabalho busca apresentar uma análise focada na interpretação de cinco obras sacras para coro à cappella do compositor Ernani Aguiar. As obras são: Três Motetinos n° 1 (1975-1978), Três Motetinos n° 2 (1982), Três Motetinos n° 3 (1980-1986), Três Motetinos n° 4 e Três Motetinos n° 5 (1992). A metodologia de análise musical está sustentada a partir do Referencial Silva Ramos de Análise de Obras Corais, respondendo as questões pertinentes e depois transformando-as em texto corrido. Apresentamos um pequeno texto sobre sua trajetória de vida, mostrando sucintamente a atividade de Ernani Aguiar como compositor, regente e professor. Em seguida elencamos o conjunto de sua obra coral sacra para coro à cappella, apresentando informações como data de composição, texto utilizado, estreias e gravações das mesmas. Ainda, apresentamos a fundo outros detalhes sobre as composições das cinco obras estudadas. Na continuidade, apresentamos as análises de cada uma das cinco obras e discutimos pontos que ocorreram durante nosso processo de chegada a uma concepção para performance das mesmas. E é na esteira desse trabalho que abordamos as constâncias composicionais de Aguiar, seu modo de escrita e algumas de suas escolhas estéticas, concluindo assim esta dissertação. / This study aims to present an analysis focused on the interpretation of five sacred works for choir a cappella from the composer Ernani Aguiar. The works are: Três Motetinos No. 1 (1975-1978), Três Motetinos No. 2 (1982), Três Motetinos No. 3 (1980-1986), Três Motetinos No. 4 and Três Motetinos No. 5 (1992). The methodology of the musical analysis is sustained from the Silva Ramos Reference of Coral Work Analysis, answering the relevant questions and then turning them into plain text. We present a small text about his life story, succinctly showing Ernani Aguiar\'s activity as a composer, conductor and teacher. Then we list his sacred choral work\'s ensemble to the a cappella choir, presenting information, such as composition date, text used, premieres and its recordings. We also thoroughly present other details about the compositions of the five studied works. Continuing, we present the analysis of each of the five works and we discuss points which occurred during our process of arriving at a guideline for its performance. And it is in the wake of this work that we approach the compositional constancies of Aguiar, his writing mode and some of its aesthetic choices, thus concluding this dissertation.

One of the main focus of coral reef ecology has been to shed light on the importance of all microbial members of coral holobiont and how their interactions contribute to the coral’s resilience. However, knowledge is lacking about the composition of microbial communities inhabiting the surface mucus layer of corals including Fungia fungites, a species that lives under stressful conditions close to fish farms in Vietnam. I investigated the prokaryotic communities that are thriving in Fungia fungites surface mucus layer (SML) in the wild and how they were affected upon antibiotics and nitrogen stress using 16S rRNA gene-based techniques. Firstly, I observed a significant alteration in the composition of microbial communities due to antibiotics effect, with exposed communities featuring lower richness and α-diversity in contrast to the controls. Further, mucosal microbial communities were found to be mostly dominated by Proteobacteria (especially of the classes of Alphaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria) and less by Bacteroidetes (Flavobacteriia). Results from this study suggest a developed antibiotic resistance of Alteromonadales and Campylobacterales indicated by their increased abundance upon antibiotics effect. Moving forward, future studies should focus on exploring also the contribution of non-prokaryotic microbial members of Fungia fungites holobiont and how antibiotic resistance can potentially influence coral’s health. The results support that Fungia fungites SML microbial communities are strongly affected by antibiotics exposure and call for future research to focus on the function of these microbial communities and how they can contribute to the coral’s resilience.

The first detailed investigation of Maldivian rim island development and reef-to-island connectivity is presented. Study sites were selected on windward and leeward rim aspects of Huvadhu Atoll, and analyses were undertaken at a millennial, contemporary and near-future temporal scales. At millennial temporal scales, contrasting models of island development were presented for the windward and leeward sites. Marked between-site differences were found in the timings of island initiation (2,800-2,000 cal. yr. B.P. and 4,200-3,600 cal. yr. B.P. at the windward and leeward sites respectively). Hence, sea-level does not represent the sole control upon island formation. The period of island initiation and heightened mobility occurred during the mid-Holocene sea-level highstand. Future sea-level rise may thus reactivate the process regime responsible for reef island initiation, potentially inducing further island building and/or heightened island mobilisation. Contemporary analyses highlighted the homogeneity of the sediment reservoir across marine, beach and island sediments. Specifically, sand-grade coral was dominant across all samples within both sites (>50%). The most likely source of sand-grade coral is excavator parrotfish, which was consistent with ecological survey-based estimates of sediment production (excavator parrotfish accounted for 72.8% and 68.2% of sediment production at the windward and leeward sites). The highest sediment production rates were found within the lagoonward environments (59.4% and 75.4% at the windward and leeward sites), which is consistent with the more recent lateral lagoonward mode of island building. With regard to near-future analyses, the apparent recent areal expansion of seagrass beds demonstrated the capacity of ecological changes to cause shifts in sediment production budgets (contributing an additional ~243 tonnes yr-1 of sediment on the leeward rim platform). In addition, significant increases in benthic sediment mobility were found at both study sites under sea-level rise scenarios. Increases in mobility were markedly larger in magnitude at the leeward site than at the windward site. A challenge for the adaptive capacity of atoll nations is thus to acknowledge this atoll-scale diversity in future management strategies.

Field data from CO2 vents, a current model of future ocean acidification conditions, show a positive correlation between elevated seawater pCO2 and fleshy macroalgal abundance, as well as a negative correlation between elevated seawater pCO2 and calcareous macroalgal abundance on coral reefs. One underlying physiological mechanism for increases of fleshy macroalgae species in response to greater pCO2 could be an increase in their photosynthesis. Furthermore, inorganic carbon use mechanisms, irradiance and depth may influence species-specific responses to ocean acidification. Therefore, this thesis aimed to discern carbon use strategies and photosynthetic responses to elevated pCO2 of dominant tropical fleshy and calcareous macroalgae. All species studied were able to utilize HCO3 - for photosynthesis. 33% of calcifying macroalgae and 80% of fleshy macroalgae had increased photosynthetic rates in response to lower pH. Thus, future conditions of OA may perpetuate or exacerbate the abundance of fleshy seaweeds at the expense of calcareous species. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2017. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Made available in DSpace on 2014-07-29T16:25:15Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Renate Stephanes.pdf: 1981750 bytes, checksum: 278b54844c04d3070436fcf36204dfdd (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-03-29 / This article proposes a reflection about the repertoire sung by amateur choirs, focusing on the process of elaboration of vocal arrangements based upon Brazilian regional music, especially country-hick songs (música caipira). The songs discussed here and their arrangements unfold a very particular thematic world, that of the music from one of Brazil s various country-side cultural/geographic areas: the sertão caipira (hick country side). This repertoire becomes both artistic and educational, since through the investigation, edition and performance of the arrangements it is possible, at once, to make music and preserve the social and cultural traditions of a place or community. Through the application of the compositional techniques discussed here, conductors and their amateur vocal groups will be able to enjoy an attractive repertoire, easy to prepare and quite appreciated by the public, despite its apparent simplicity when still on the page. / O presente artigo propõe reflexões sobre o processo de elaboração de arranjos vocais de músicas regionais brasileiras, em especial a caipira, destinados a coros amadores. As composições enfocadas neste artigo e os arranjos que delas resultaram revelam um universo temático muito específico, aquele da canção regionalista oriunda da cultura de apenas um dos diversos sertões do Brasil: o sertão caipira. Este repertório possui caráter artístico e educativo, mostrando que, por meio do levantamento das canções originais, da preparação das edições e da performance dos arranjos, é possível, a um só tempo, musicalisar e preservar as tradições sócio-culturais de uma região ou comunidade. A aplicação de técnicas composicionais aqui discutidas oferece alternativas para que, a despeito da aparente simplicidade do resultado musical no papel, regentes e seus grupos vocais leigos possam desfrutar de um repertório atrativo e de fácil preparação, mas de grande efeito junto ao público.