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A Quantitative Assessment of the January 2010 Cold Spell Effect on Mangrove Utilizing Coral Reef Fishes from Biscayne National Park, Florida Jeffrey M

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A Quantitative Assessment of the January 2010 Cold Spell Effect on Mangrove Utilizing Coral Reef Fishes from Biscayne National Park, Florida Jeffrey M Nova Southeastern University NSUWorks HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations HCNSO Student Work 7-1-2015 A Quantitative Assessment of the January 2010 Cold Spell Effect on Mangrove Utilizing Coral Reef Fishes from Biscayne National Park, Florida Jeffrey M. Ellis Nova Southeastern University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/occ_stuetd Part of the Marine Biology Commons, and the Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Commons Share Feedback About This Item NSUWorks Citation Jeffrey M. Ellis. 2015. A Quantitative Assessment of the January 2010 Cold Spell Effect on Mangrove Utilizing Coral Reef Fishes from Biscayne National Park, Florida. Master's thesis. Nova Southeastern University. Retrieved from NSUWorks, Oceanographic Center. (377) https://nsuworks.nova.edu/occ_stuetd/377. This Thesis is brought to you by the HCNSO Student Work at NSUWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of NSUWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY OCEANOGRAPHIC CENTER A QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE JANUARY 2010 COLD SPELL EFFECTS ON MANGROVE UTILIZING CORAL REEF FISHES FROM BISCAYNE NATIONAL PARK, FLORIDA By Jeffrey M. Ellis Submitted to the Faculty of Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science with a specialty in: Marine Biology Coastal Zone Management Nova Southeastern University July 2015 Thesis of Jeffrey M. Ellis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science: Marine Biology Coastal Zone Management Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center July 2015 Approved: Thesis Committee Major Professor:__________________________________ David W. Kerstetter, Ph.D. Committee Member:_______________________________ Joseph E. Serafy, Ph.D. National Marine Fisheries Service Committee Member:_______________________________ John F. Walter III, Ph.D. National Marine Fisheries Service Committee Member:_______________________________ Tracey T. Sutton, Ph.D. Acknowledgements To Dave, thank you for your guidance and direction throughout the past four years. I appreciate your invitation to join the Fisheries Lab, which provided me with a wealth of experience to succeed in the field. Above all else, you have been a beacon of support while helping me to navigate the waters towards completion of this project. To Joe, thank you for providing me with the mangrove data set and offering your expertise on the subject matter. If it were not for your previous research endeavors and consistent assistance with the direction of this project, I do not believe I could have kept it afloat. To John, you always seemed to have answers to my questions and really helped me finish strong. Thank you for all of the time and effort you provided to help me analyze the data, especially during these past few months when I felt like I was lost in a sea of numbers. To Tracey, thank you for agreeing to join my committee after only a single email. Although our interactions have been few, the comments and suggestions you provided me with were always enlightening and really helped me understand this project from a larger, crow’s nest perspective. To Ben, thank you for allowing me to use the reef data set during the beginning stages of my project. Although the scope of my work changed course, our meeting was helpful as I first set sail. To my wife, Amy, thank you for supporting me from start to finish. Without your help, I would probably still be looking at a blank document with only the words “Silt is” at the top of the page. I cannot begin to tell you how appreciative I am, not only for all of the work on the project, but also for believing in me. You have been my inspiration to just keep swimming and deserve your own Masters in Marine Biology. To Millicent and Boucher, thank you for breaking up the monotony of writing with long walks and for your unwavering love. To my family, thank you for always being there. You gave me an amazing childhood and gave me every opportunity to get my feet wet in whatever made me happy. A special thank you to the Aylesworth Foundation for the Advancement of Marine Science, the Southeastern Fisheries Association, and the Florida Sea Grant College Program for selecting me as an Aylesworth Scholarship recipient. Your generosity and long-term commitment to the marine science field will help navigate the future of our oceans in the right direction. Table of Contents List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... vi List of Figures.................................................................................................................... ix Abstract................................................................................................................................1 Introduction..........................................................................................................................3 Cold Spell Definition .....................................................................................................4 Cold Spell Etiology and Effects.....................................................................................5 Review of Assessments..................................................................................................7 Previous Research on Cold Spells .................................................................................7 Late 1800s................................................................................................................7 Sanibel Island Region ..............................................................................................9 1940........................................................................................................................10 1970s – 1980s ........................................................................................................11 Contemporary Studies............................................................................................13 Mangrove Habitats.......................................................................................................15 Cold Effects on Fish ....................................................................................................18 Species of Interest........................................................................................................21 Sergeant Major.......................................................................................................21 Yellowfin Mojarra .................................................................................................22 Schoolmaster Snapper............................................................................................22 Gray Snapper .........................................................................................................24 Great Barracuda .....................................................................................................26 Present Study ...............................................................................................................27 Materials and Methods.......................................................................................................28 Study Location.............................................................................................................28 YSI Temperature Data .................................................................................................33 Mangrove Fish Survey Data ........................................................................................33 Data Reconstruction.....................................................................................................38 Descriptive Analyses ...................................................................................................40 Statistical Analyses ......................................................................................................47 Results................................................................................................................................48 Reduced Water Temperature Periods ..........................................................................48 General.........................................................................................................................48 Relative Abundances by Age-Class.............................................................................52 Effects Post-Cold Spell................................................................................................57 Variations in Presence..................................................................................................57 Variations in Relative Abundance ...............................................................................57 Variations in Size Structure .........................................................................................70 Discussion..........................................................................................................................76 iv Summary and Conclusions ................................................................................................85 References..........................................................................................................................87 v List of Tables Table
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