Phase shifts can occur in ecosystems because of external stressors. Such transitions from one state (e.g., clear water, seagrass) to another (e.g., phytoplankton blooms, bare substrate) continue to be documented worldwide. In estuaries, stressors related to urban and suburban development are often implicated in phase shifts, including altered hydrology and eutrophication. Tidal creeks may be especially prone to phase shifts as...

Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) has caused unprecedented coral mortality across Florida’s Coral Reef (FCR) since 2014, raising concerns about whether coral restoration can succeed under chronic disease conditions and whether outplanting activities may increase disease transmission risk. As the disease transitioned from epizootic outbreak to enzootic persistence, we conducted a large-scale experimental outplanting to as...

Recent acoustic telemetry research has demonstrated that a portion of the common snook Centropomus undecimalis population in Florida skips annual spawning; however, the details of why some individuals skip spawning are unclear. We conducted a comprehensive study of C. undecimalis reproductive biology to determine if a certain population demographic (e.g. size, age, sex, biological condition) skips spawning in a representative...

Incidental captures of sea turtles during fishing activities affect their populations worldwide. Previous research has documented the impacts of commercial fisheries in nearshore and offshore waters, and research-based minimization measures are now required to reduce sea turtle take. However, incidental captures of juvenile-to-adult sea turtles also occur in recreational fisheries in nearshore and inshore waters, although the...

To conserve or restore juvenile fish habitat, resource managers, restoration practitioners, and engineers need fine-scale information to understand what conditions they need to preserve or what specifications are needed to create new habitat. The objective of this study was to develop statistical models using a dataset of 18 coastal ponds in Southwest Florida, USA, to predict the abundance of juvenile common snook Centropomus...

Worldwide, coastal wetlands are threatened by disrupted hydrology, urbanization, and sea-level rise. In southwest Florida, coastal wetlands include tidal creeks and coastal ponds, which are the primary habitats used by juvenile Tarpon, Megalops atlanticus , an important sport fish. Coastal ponds can occur near uplands and are ephemerally connected to the open estuary, creating conditions of variable dissolved oxygen and salini...

Understanding the spatiotemporal dynamics of trophic structures, or trophodynamics, is important for assessing the overall condition and function of estuarine ecosystems. We examined spatial and seasonal trophodynamics of nekton assemblages across the seascape of a subtropical estuary (Charlotte Harbor, FL, USA) using historical nekton data from an ongoing monitoring program. We also examined relationships between trophodynami...

The Indian River Lagoon (IRL), located on the east coast of Florida, is a complex estuarine ecosystem that is negatively affected by recurring harmful algal blooms (HABs) from distinct taxonomic/functional groups. Enhanced monitoring was established to facilitate rapid quantification of three recurrent bloom taxa, Aureoumbra lagunensis , Pyrodinium bahamense , and Pseudo-nitzschia spp., and included corroborating techniques to...

Since 2014, stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) has led to large-scale mortality of over 20 coral species throughout the Florida Reef Tract. In 2019, in-water disease intervention strategies were implemented to treat affected corals. Two treatment strategies were employed: (1) topical application of an amoxicillin paste directly to disease margins, and (2) application of a chlorinated epoxy to disease margins as well as an...