11th ICRS Abstract book - Nova Southeastern University

18.726
Status Of Near Shore Reefs in The Bahamas: Past And Present Impacts On
Benthos And Fish
Kathleen SEALEY* 1,2 , Nicolle CUSHION 1 , Vanessa NERO 3 , Kathleen SEMON 4
1 Biology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 2 College of The Bahamas, Nassau, Bahamas,
3 Biscayne National Park, Miami, FL, 4 Smithsonian Marine Station, Fort Pierce, FL
A decadal-long study of the near shore reefs on six islands throughout the Bahamian
archipelago was completed to understand the variability and structure of these reef
habitats most vulnerable to impacts of coastal development. Corals and other benthos
existing in near shore habitats experience any negative impacts stemming from onshore
development. Reefs occurring close to coastlines naturally face: 1) high sea surface
temperatures of extremely shallow waters, 2) periodic high turbidity caused by heavy
rainfall or storm events, and 3) high nutrient efflux from land-based detritus. Near shore
reefs should therefore act as more sensitive indicators of impacts attributable to landbased
sources of pollution and coastal development as they are inherently less sensitive to
both acute and chronic stressors. Consequently, near shore fringing and patch reefs, as
well as near shore hard bottom (hardbar) communities were mapped and evaluated for the
islands of Guana Cay (Abacos), North Andros, South Andros, New Providence,
Eleuthera, and Exuma. Multi-year surveys of benthos (coral and algae) as well as fish
were analyzed looking at historial disturbances (hurricanes or major dredging events),
current land use and rank of coastal impacts. The islands varied in location and size;
there are island-specific reef species assemblages, and these unique assemblages are
altered most significantly by recent hurricane events and major changes in coastal land
use. Differences in near shore reef assemblages are seen both on a north-south as well as
east-west gradient. A comparison of within vs. between island differences illustrated the
importance of long-term environmental history of any given island system. Degraded
(low diversity and abundance of benthos and fish) near shore reef habitats occur adjacent
to islands with the most altered coastal zone, and appear to be particularly vulnerable to
invasion of invasive species (such as Indo-Pacofic lionfish).
18.727
Biological Characterization Of Coral Reefs, Coral Communities And Associated
Habitats Of The Northwestern Gulf Of Mexico
G.P. SCHMAHL* 1 , Emma HICKERSON 1 , Douglas WEAVER 1
1 Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, Galveston, TX
Rocky outcrops and hard-bottom banks are common on the continental shelf throughout
the northwestern Gulf of Mexico (NWGOM). The biological communities associated
with these features range from tropical coral reefs to coralline algae reefs, and deep coral
habitats. The reefs and banks of the NWGOM were thoroughly studied in the 1970’s and
1980’s, and resulted in the first comprehensive classification of benthic communities
associated with these features. Select sites in the NWGOM have been the focus of recent
mapping, remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and submersible surveys, and biological
sampling by the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS). These
recent efforts have identified the need to moderately revise the previous biological
characterization scheme. A new habitat classification system is proposed that
incorporates the new information. This update will include charts depicting the major
biological zones within the FGBNMS, along with a description of each zone, including
major habitat types, associated biological communities, and geomorphological
descriptors. Representative high resolution images of each zone will also be presented.
Poster Mini-Symposium 18: Reef Status and Trends
18.728
Impacts Of Non-Point Source Sewage Pollution in Elkhorn Coral (Acropora Palmata)
Assemblages Of The Southwestern Puerto Rico Shelf.
Edwin HERNANDEZ-DELGADO* 1 , Betzaida SANDOZ 2 , Michelle BONKOSKY 2 , Jose
NORAT 2 , Hernando MATTEI 2
1 Biology, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 2 Environmental Health, University
of Puerto Rico - Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Non-point source sewage pollution is a major cause of concern, particularly near coral reefs and
reef-associated communities. Sewage negative effects are typically associated to chronic
eutrophication and water turbidity. These conditions can produce variable system-specific
responses, as well as cascading direct and indirect effects that could result in major long-term
phase shifts in coral reef benthic community structure. This study was aimed at documenting
what is the actual ecological condition of eight coral reef communities located across a nonpoint
source sewage pollution gradient along the southwestern Puerto Rico shelf. Emphasis was
placed on shallow-water (