Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of California, Santa Cruz, 2005. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references. Also available online. Restricted to UC campuses.

The effect of artificial reefs on natural reefs is poorly understood. This study focused on Aquarius Reef Base (ARB), an underwater habitat offshore of Key Largo, Florida, and 14 natural reef sites spanning 4 habitats, on the surrounding Conch Reef. Food web models were created for ARB and natural reef habitats. Biomass at each habitat was quantified by fish surveys. Using Ecopath, species were organized into functional groups with supporting data from previous research for other inputs. ARB’s food web was found to have a large predator biomass with insufficient prey biomass to sustain the population, suggesting that these predators must forage on nearby natural reefs where the predator/prey ratio is smaller. Between 0.57km2 and 1.79km2 of natural reef is estimated to be a sufficient spatial subsidy for the large predatory biomass at ARB when the biomass is added as determined by the seascape around the artificial reef. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2021. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

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The fate of coral reef biodiversity could be predicted from the extant situation and understanding the possible temporal and spatial mechanisms. Among the many hypotheses explaining the biodiversity, the Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis is the most often tested. It proposed that the frequencies and intensities of disturbance determine the biological species diversity of a habitat; here seasonal recruitment is not considered an important factor. We propose Seasonal Recruitment Hypothesis here with three important characteristics and predictions: there is different assemblages of recruitment after disturbance in different seasons; the following succession is lead by these initial assemblages and thus have different patches for spaces created in different seasons. Mosaic of patches, each with different history, combined to form a high diversity ecosystem of coral reefs. In this investigation, the first hypothesis that recruitment assemblage is different among season, is tested. The study site is located in the coral reef of Kenting in southern Taiwan. We put out recruitment panels to simulate space generated after disturbance, at two-month intervals; then we checked the abundance of sessile fauna on the inside and outside surface of plates. A total of 17 zoological taxa was identified and numbered. Then Primer was used to ordinate the assemblages of recruitment from different seasons. A significant seasonal effect was found. Thus the first stage of the Seasonal Recruitment Hypothesis was supported.

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Typescript. / Includes bibliographies. / xvi, 267, [1] l illus., map, graphs, tables

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.