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Thesis
Seagrass Structure and Invertebrate Habitat Choice
University of West Florida Libraries
Master of Science (MS), University of West Florida
2025
Abstract
Seagrasses provide habitat for feeding and spawning for many invertebrates, and act as a refuge for prey as the shoots contribute to visual impairment and hinder mobility of predators. This study documented the changes in invertebrate abundance in response to the cutting of seagrass blades to a shorter length in Thalassia testudinum patches in Pensacola Bay, Florida, USA. Short-seagrass plots had a reduced abundance when compared to undisturbed plots. Bittiolum varium (gastropod) and Hippolyte spp. (caridean shrimp) had the highest abundances across all treatments, while Tozeuma carolinense (caridean shrimp) and polychaetes had the lowest abundances. In the lab, Hippolyte and Penaeus shrimps were placed in a mesocosm containing artificial seagrass to explore habitat choice based on seagrass length (long, short, or bare sand). Whether in mixed species or solo groups, the overwhelming choice for both species was the long-seagrass habitat. Hippolyte was used to explore the effects of physical disturbances on habitat choice in the mesocosm. Disturbances were created by a back-and-forth motion of PVC pipe through the blades of seagrass/sand just above the sediment. Disturbance events occurred a total of three times with 10-min intervals in a specific habitat area (sand, short seagrass, long seagrass, or all areas). When the long-seagrass area or all areas were disturbed, there was some movement from the long seagrass to the short seagrass, slightly increasing numbers. Most shrimp preferred to remain in the long seagrass regardless of disturbance area.
Details
- Title
- Seagrass Structure and Invertebrate Habitat Choice
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Contributors
- Christopher M Pomory (Committee Chair) - University of West Florida, BiologyJane M Caffrey (Committee Member) - University of West Florida, Center for Environmental Diagnostics and BioremediationViktoria Bogantes (Committee Member) - University of West Florida, Biology
- Publisher
- University of West Florida Libraries; Argo Scholar Commons
- Format
- pdf
- Number of pages
- 54
- Copyright
- Permission granted to the University of West Florida Libraries by the author to digitize and/or display this information for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires the permission of the copyright holder.
- Identifiers
- 99381363761706600
- 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