Submitted by (edna.saturno@ufrpe.br) on 2017-02-09T15:28:12Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Diogo Silva de Oliveira.pdf: 828978 bytes, checksum: e077b5bb267ab11101ecfabc9b5887ee (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-02-09T15:28:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Diogo Silva de Oliveira.pdf: 828978 bytes, checksum: e077b5bb267ab11101ecfabc9b5887ee (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-02-27 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / From June 2009 to May 2011 were made 18 dives and accounted for approximately 17,572 individuals in 65 species 44 genera and 29 families. The number of indentified species, varied in each dive and the months with lowest and highest number of species in June 2009 (15 species) January 2011 (41 species). The most common species were Haemulon aurolineatum and Haemulon squamipinna with the formation of schools with approximately 1,000 and 2,000 individuals respectively representing 76,7% of the total individuals sampled. The most representative families were Labridae (10 species), Lutjanidae (6 species), Carangidae and Haemulidae with 5 species and Epinephelidae (4 species). The relationship between Shannon Winner (H’) and Pielou evenness (J), presented a decrease the first to the second year of sampling, reaching maximum values of H’=2.98, J=0.56 and H’=1.52, J=0.29 respectively. These values were significantly different (Kuskal Wallis = 12.87, p<0,05) between the diversity of the first year for the second sample, as well as the evenness (Kuskal Wallis = 12.82, p<0.05). The summer months had similarity (>80%) showing a homogeneous and diverse fish community. Some behaviors were possible to be observed in the artificial reef, as follower’s species, cleaning symbiosis, feeding and breeding. However, this artificial reef showed that despite the short time of installation has been great ecological importance because its great wealth and diversity of existing economic, as it protects the species from overfishing, because the government (State Decree 23.394/2001) making it a crime for some destructive practice this artificial environment. / No período de junho de 2009 a maio de 2011 foram realizados 18 mergulhos e contabilizadas aproximadamente 17572 individuos distribuidos em 65 espécies, 44 gêneros e 29 famílias. O número de espécies identificadas, variou em cada mergulho, tendo os meses com menor e maior número de espécie em, junho de 2009 (15 espécies) e janeiro de 2011 (41 espécies). As espécies mais comuns foram Haemulon aurolineatum e H. squamipinna, com a formação de cardumes com aproximadamente 1.000 e 2.000 indivíduos, respectivamente, e representando 76,7% do total de indivíduos amostrados. As famílias mais representativas foram Labridae, com 10 espécies; Lutjanidae (6 espécies), Haemulidae e Carangidae, com 5 espécies e Epinephelidae (4 espécies). A relação entre diversidade Shannon Winner (H’) e equitabilidade Pielou (J), apresentou um decréscimo do 1º para o 2º ano de amostragem, atingindo seus valores máximos de H’ = 2,98 J = 0,56 e H’ = 1,52; J = 0,29, respectivamentes. Esses valores foram significativamente diferentes (Kruskal Wallis =12,87; p<0.05) entre a diversidade do primeiro para o segundo ano amostral, assim como, na equitabilidade (Kruskal Wallis =12,82; p<0.05). Os meses de verão tiveram uma alta similaridade (>80%), mostrando uma comunidade ictia diversificada e homogênea. Alguns comportamentos foram possíveis de ser observados no recife artificial, como espécies seguidoras, simbiose de limpeza, alimentação, reprodução. Contudo, esse recife artificial mostrou que, apesar do pouco tempo de instalação está sendo de grande importância ecológica, devido sua grande riqueza e diversidade já existente, econômica, uma vez que protege espécies da pesca predatória, devido à lei (Decreto Estadual nº 23.394/ 2001) tornando crime qualquer prática destrutiva nesse ambiente artificial.

Chui, Pui Yi. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2011. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 133-149). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract (English) --- p.i / Abstract (Chinese) --- p.v / Acknowledgements --- p.vii / Contents --- p.viii / List of Tables --- p.xi / List of Figures --- p.xii / Chapter Chapter 1 --- General Introduction and Thesis Outline --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1.1 --- Coral reefs and conservation --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1.2 --- Reproduction in scleractinian corals --- p.3 / Chapter 1.1.2.1 --- Sexual reproductive pattern --- p.3 / Chapter 1.1.2.2 --- Overview of coral spawning patterns --- p.5 / Chapter 1.1.2.3 --- Environmental factors regulating coral reproduction --- p.7 / Chapter 1.1.3 --- Coral recruitment --- p.9 / Chapter 1.2 --- Coral Communities in Hong Kong --- p.12 / Chapter 1.3 --- Objectives --- p.13 / Chapter 1.4 --- Study Sites- Tung Ping Chau Marine Park --- p.14 / Chapter 1.5 --- Thesis outline --- p.15 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- "Spawning of Scleractinian Corals in Hong Kong, Larval Culture and Development" --- p.20 / Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction --- p.20 / Chapter 2.2 --- Methods and Materials --- p.22 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Site description --- p.22 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Spawning observation --- p.23 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- "Target coral species, Platygyra acuta" --- p.23 / Chapter 2.2.4 --- Coral gamete collection --- p.24 / Chapter 2.2.5 --- Fertilization and larval rearing --- p.26 / Chapter 2.2.6 --- Embryonic development of Platygyra acuta larvae --- p.28 / Chapter 2.2.7 --- Induced settlement of coral larvae --- p.29 / Chapter 2.2.8 --- Environmental cues that triggered the spawning events --- p.30 / Chapter 2.3 --- Results --- p.31 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Spawning observation --- p.31 / Chapter 2.3.1.1 --- May 2009 --- p.32 / Chapter 2.3.1.2 --- May- Early June 2010 --- p.33 / Chapter 2.3.1.3 --- Late June 2010 --- p.36 / Chapter 2.3.1.4 --- July 2010 --- p.38 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Fertilization and Platygyra acuta larval rearing --- p.38 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- Embryonic development of Platygyra acuta larvae --- p.39 / Chapter 2.3.4 --- Induced settlement --- p.40 / Chapter 2.4 --- Discussion --- p.40 / Chapter 2.4.1 --- Spawning observation --- p.40 / Chapter 2.4.2 --- Embryonic development of Platygyra acuta --- p.43 / Chapter 2.4.3 --- Environmental cues --- p.44 / Chapter 2.4.4 --- "Fertilization, larval rearing and induced settlement" --- p.46 / Chapter 2.5 --- Summary --- p.46 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- "Recruitment Patterns of Scleractinian Corals in Tung Ping Chau Marine Park, Hong Kong" --- p.70 / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.70 / Chapter 3.2 --- Methods and Materials --- p.74 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Site description --- p.74 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Settlement and survival of coral recruits --- p.74 / Chapter 3.2.2.1 --- Settlement tiles --- p.74 / Chapter 3.2.2.2 --- Concrete blocks --- p.77 / Chapter 3.2.2.3 --- Fouling organisms on settlement tiles --- p.77 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- Environmental parameters --- p.78 / Chapter 3.2.4 --- Post-settlement survival of artificially seeded coral recruits of Platygyra acuta --- p.78 / Chapter 3.2.5 --- Effect of gastropod exclusion on post-settlement survival of coral recruits --- p.79 / Chapter 3.2.6 --- Data analysis --- p.81 / Chapter 3.3 --- Results --- p.82 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Coral recruitment on settlement tiles --- p.82 / Chapter 3.3.1.1 --- Total settlement --- p.82 / Chapter 3.3.1.2 --- Spatial and temporal patterns of coral recruitment --- p.83 / Chapter 3.3.1.3 --- Growth and health of coral recruit --- p.84 / Chapter 3.3.1.4 --- Competition with other fouling organisms --- p.85 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- Coral recruitment on concrete blocks --- p.88 / Chapter 3.3.3 --- Environmental parameters --- p.89 / Chapter 3.3.4 --- Post-settlement survival of artificially seeded coral recruits of Platygyra acuta --- p.91 / Chapter 3.3.5 --- Effects of gastropod of exclusion on post-settlement survival of coral recruits --- p.92 / Chapter 3.4 --- Discussion --- p.93 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- Coral settlement --- p.93 / Chapter 3.4.1.1 --- Low settlement rate of corals --- p.94 / Chapter 3.4.1.2 --- Possible cause of low coral settlement --- p.96 / Chapter 3.4.2 --- Post-settlement survival of coral recruits --- p.100 / Chapter 3.4.2.1 --- Effect of high sedimentation rate --- p.100 / Chapter 3.4.2.2 --- Competition and predation by other marine organisms --- p.101 / Chapter 3.5 --- Summary --- p.104 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Summary and Perspectives --- p.126 / References --- p.133

This thesis is encompasses the design, construction, control and testing of an improvement upon the novel soft robotic Jennifish platform. The advancement of this platform includes the addition of light and depth sensors as well increasing the separation of tentacle groups from two to three sets. The final vehicle model consists nine PneuNetstyle actuators divided into three groups of three, molded around a machined Delrin pressure vessel. With a 12V submersible impellor pump connected to each actuator grouping, propulsion is created by the filling and emptying of these tentacles with surrounding ambient water. The Jellyfish2.0 is capable of omnidirectional lateral movement as well as upward driven motion. The vehicle also has a temperature sensor and IMU as did the previous of this platform. Qualitative free-swimming testing was conducted, recorded and analyzed as well as quantitative inline load cell testing, to create a benchmark for comparison with other jellyfish like robots. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2019. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Understanding the dynamics of open marine populations is difficult. Ecological processes may vary with the spatial structure of the habitat, and this variation may subsequently affect demographic rates. In a series of observational and experimental studies in the Bahamas, I examined the roles of emigration, mortality, and predation in the local population dynamics of juvenile coral-reef fishes. First, I documented mortality and emigration rates in populations of bluehead and yellowhead wrasse. Assuming that all losses were due solely to mortality would have significantly underestimated survivorship for both species on patch reefs, and for yellowheads on continuous reefs. Mortality differed between species, but emigration did not differ between species or reef types. Mortality of blueheads was density-dependent with respect to both conspecific density and total wrasse density on continuous reefs. In contrast, mortality of yellowheads varied inversely with the density of blueheads on patch reefs. Emigration rates varied inversely with distance to the nearest reef inhabited by conspecifics. In subsequent experiments, I manipulated densities of yellowhead wrasse and beaugregory damselfish, and determined that the relationship between density and mortality varied with reef spatial structure. On natural reefs, mortality rates of the wrasse were highly variable among reefs. On artificial reefs, mortality rates of both species were density-dependent on spatially isolated reefs, yet high and density-independent on aggregated reefs. Heterogeneity in the spatial structure of natural reefs likely caused variation in predation risk that resulted in high variability in mortality rates compared to artificial reefs. A final experiment demonstrated that a single resident predator caused substantial mortality of the damselfish, regardless of reef spacing. Patterns suggested that resident predators caused density-dependent mortality in their prey through a type 3 functional response on all reefs, but on aggregated reefs this density dependence was overwhelmed by high, density-independent mortality caused by transient predators. These results (1) suggest post-settlement movement should be better documented in reef-fish experiments, (2) demonstrate that the role of early post-settlement processes, such as predation, can be modified by the spatial structure of the habitat, and (3) have ramifications for the implementation of marine reserves. / Graduation date: 2004

The goal of this research was to develop statistically robust ecosystem-based approaches, while optimizing data acquisition on relatively unexploited fish species in South Florida reefs, i.e., parrotfishes, Family Scaridae, in Biscayne Bay (with seasonal roller frame beam trawl surveys, 1996-2000) and Florida Keys (with annual Reef Fish Visual Censuses, 1997-2001), by following these steps: (I) analysis of information gaps for the stocks, including systematics, biogeography, population dynamics, reproductive ecology, trophodynamics, habitat use, and fisheries dynamics of Western Atlantic parrotfishes; (II) determination of primary research objectives from prioritization in Step I; (III) determination of essential fish habitats, ontogenetic shifts, migrations, and reef-seagrass habitat, from integration of stratified sampling design for fisheries-independent surveys, habitat selection theory-based analyses, and length-based analyses; (IV) estimation of population dynamics and fisheries-specific parameters encompassing life history demographics from empirical data or comparisons to theoretical expectations adapted to local conditions; (V) simulation modeling of a realistic range of fishing scenarios and demographic characteristics to evaluate the efficacy of potential traditional fisheries and spatial management strategies; and (VI) application of sampling optimization procedures and fisheries ecology approaches. Four scarid species had an estimated combined abundance of ca. 36.8 x 106 individuals in the Florida Keys. Connectivity among seagrass beds, coral reefs and deep waters had three major patterns: seagrass dwellers, reef dwellers, with inshore-to-offshore ontogenetic , and a seagrass-reef connection, using Biscayne Bay as an important recruitment ground. Marine protected areas of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary did not show effects on abundance, size composition or spatial distribution of any parrotfish studied. Simulations suggested relatively short longevities (5-10 years), moderate body growth curvature, high instantaneous natural mortality rates (0.3-0.6 y super minus one), and low annual survival rates (27-54%). Simulated estimates of fishing mortalities ranged from 0.3 to 0.6 y super minus one, indicating low levels of exploitation, but low Spawning Potential Ratios (SPR = 23.5-26%). Proposed potential exploitation based on a legal minimum size equal to their size at first maturity and fishing rates equal or below to their natural mortality should secure SPR values at 45-48%.

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

There is little published information on the distribution, abundance, seasonality and ecological roles of benthic algae on the Great Barrier Reef, although they are of fundamental importance in the ecology of coral reef communities. This study sought to provide information on algal community dynamics in two contrasting reef-flat zones: the live coral and algal turf-dominated outer flat, and the fleshy macroalgaldominated inner flat, at Heron Reef, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia.Algal community structure on dead coral limestone was studied on the inner and outer reef flat over a three-year period (from May 1986 to February 1989), and algal transplant and grazer exclusion experiments were carried out to determine the role of grazers in producing and maintaining community structure.Changes during ecological succession provide useful information about structuring processes in natural communities. Algal succession was studied using artificial substratum (concrete), because it provided a flat surface which offered logistical advantages over naturally contoured coral substratum, and because previous studies had found that artificial substrata adequately mimicked natural surfaces in marine successional studies. Succession on natural substratum was also studied for comparison, using coral clumps which had died after a bleaching episode in February 1987. The effects of season on algal succession, were investigated using four series of concrete settlement blocks, started in February, May, August and November 1986. The effect of habitat complexity on succession was examined by comparing succession on an exposed concrete surface with succession on a protected concrete surface provided with crevices. Each successional study lasted two years. Cover data for all algal species present on each sample were obtained using a sampling grid of sixty points, and these data were analysed using the non-parametric multivariate analysis program, PRIMER.A total of 105 algal taxa were identified in this study, with 101 of these recorded in the natural reef flat algal community over the three-year period. Fleshy macroalgae were the dominant group on the inner flat (56% cover), and filamentous turf algae iv were dominant on the outer flat (47% cover). The importance of water temperature and grazing intensity in producing the differences in distribution of these two groups of algae on the reef-flat were considered. Temperature was rejected as a factor, because there was virtually no temperature difference between the two sites over a two-year period. Grazing was found to be an important factor, based on a much higher rate of damage to algal transplants on the outer flat than on the inner flat; and on the development of higher algal biomass on caged than on uncaged concrete settlement blocks.Between 58 and 69 algal taxa were recorded in each of the four successional studies on exposed concrete, 78 taxa were recorded on protected concrete, and 85 taxa were recorded on bleached coral. Algal successional trajectories were similar on concrete and on bleached coral, but the rate varied substantially. Succession was fastest on bleached coral, slowest on exposed concrete, and intermediate on protected concrete. On all substrata, at both sites, early dominance by green and brown filamentous algae decreased over time, while the abundance of other forms increased. Dominance in terms of cover by early successional algae (in particular Ectocarpus) was prolonged on concrete in comparison to bleached coral, and this effect was stronger on exposed concrete than on protected concrete.It is hypothesised that inhibition of algal community development on concrete because of a relatively dense growth of early successional algae was due to one or both of two factors: 1. Reduced algal recruitment due to a lower level of substratum heterogeneity; and 2. Reduced grazing by the dominant herbivores in the system, parrotfish (Family Scaridae), because of the hardness of concrete.Succession was faster on the outer flat than on the inner flat. On bleached coral, succession to a community similar to the natural background algal community took between three and nine months on the outer flat, and between one and two years on the inner flat.There was no regular seasonal pattern of change in the reef flat algal community over a three-year period, but during early succession, algal community structure was v strongly influenced by season of initial exposure of the concrete settlement blocks. However, this variability did not persist, and by two years all seasonal series of blocks had similar communities. Six species of algae were fertile within 10 days of establishment, including the common early successional algae Ectocarpus, Enteromorpha and Polysiphonia, illustrating the potential of these species for rapid exploitation of available space.The results of this study provide much needed baseline data on algal community dynamics on the southern Great Barrier Reef, and on succession and community development following a bleaching episode. Given the rapid and dense colonisation of bare substratum by algae, and the very low rate of recruitment by corals, it seems that corals will be at a disadvantage in maintaining their abundance in this reef flat environment if coral bleaching becomes a regular event.

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

Thesis (Ph.D.) - James Cook University, 2003. / Computer disc "contains samples of footage from a selection of home movies, documentaries and advertisements for the Great Barrier Reef". Typescript (photocopy). Appendices: leaves 314-353. Bibliography: leaves 275-313.

Thesis (M.A.)--West Virginia University, 2008. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vi, 36 p. : ill. (some col.), col. map. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 31-36).