Keywords

Indian River Lagoon, food webs, seagrass habitat, zooarchaeology, Ecopath, fish

Abstract

Global coastal ecosystems support human life by providing critical services like food, water purification, and coastal protection, yet these ecosystems are among the most threatened due to natural and human-driven disturbances. The long-term maintenance and restoration of these ecosystems is a complex challenge for resource managers due to the wide range of factors affecting these ecosystems ecological condition over long timespans. Most studies in marine ecology evaluate ecosystem change over relatively short temporal scales (ago), often resulting in shifting baseline syndrome. To effectively manage and restore these ecosystems, resource managers must consider long-term ecosystem baselines.

The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) has experienced human-driven disturbances for centuries, likely leading to disturbance legacies within the system. This dissertation examines the impact of these disturbances on the IRL across various complexities—species, communities, and food webs—and over different temporal and spatial scales. Chapter 2 evaluates the impacts of the loss of seagrass habitat on predator fish and their prey across broad and regional spatial scales. Chapters 3 and 4 employ an interdisciplinary approach, combining contemporary fisheries data with historical ecological data to evaluate changes in fish communities and ecosystem condition over the last 2,000 years. Key findings from this dissertation reveal that ecosystem resilience and flexibility have diminished over time. Predator species like S. ocellatus, C. undecimalis, and C. nebulosus may exhibit short-term dietary flexibility and the utilization of a variety of habitats, but long-term perspectives show declining resilience and changes in fish communities. This research highlights the importance of considering multiple spatial and temporal scales to fully understand ecosystem change, and the need for ecosystem-based management approaches rather than single-species management. This work provides a novel, interdisciplinary method for integrating historical ecological data and contemporary data into food web models, contributing valuable insights for resource management globally.

Completion Date

2024

Semester

Fall

Committee Chair

Gaither, Michelle

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

College of Sciences

Department

Biology

Degree Program

Integrative and Conservation Biology

Format

PDF

Identifier

DP0029032

Language

English

Release Date

12-15-2024

Access Status

Dissertation

Campus Location

Orlando (Main) Campus

Accessibility Status

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