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Thesis
INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTS OF SAMPLING DESIGN
University of West Florida
Master of Science (MS), University of West Florida
2016
Abstract
Beach habitat assessments, management, and restoration efforts rely on accurate abundance and biomass estimates of important surf zone species. Recently, there has been increased interest in understanding coastal ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico. This study had two goals: first to describe alongshore abundance and distribution patterns of the coquina clam (Donax variabilis) on two sandy beaches in northwest Florida, and second to compare random sampling versus sampling on a fixed spatial scale. Measurements obtained during sample processing included: clam counts, shell length, wet weight, and dry weight. Donax variabilis abundance and biomass were highest in summer months when water temperatures were warm. In October 2013, a cohort of new recruits (6-11mm) was identified, suggesting that a single spawning event occurred during late summer. Shell length was a good predictor of dry weight biomass, and at the scale of investigation the two sampling designs did not yield significantly different estimates of abundance or biomass. Geospatial analyses of the data revealed that D. variabilis alongshore distributions, during the time collected, were spatially autocorrelated 55-60% of the time. The observed patchiness was likely induced by the underlying physical factors that shape the beach face, namely water circulation patterns.
Details
- Title
- INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTS OF SAMPLING DESIGN
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Publisher
- University of West Florida
- Format
- text
- Copyright
- http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/
- Identifiers
- 99380090852906600
- Academic Unit
- Biology
- Language
- English
- Awarding Institution
- University of West Florida; Master of Science (MS)
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), University of West Florida