ORCID

0000-0003-3699-3182

Keywords

Conservation Biology, Fisheries, Human-Dimensions, Coastal Ecology

Subject Categories

Aquaculture and Fisheries | Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Abstract

Florida’s fisheries represent a complex coupled natural–human system in which ecological processes, fish populations, habitats, and human communities are interconnected through reciprocal feedbacks. As the “Fishing Capital of the World,” Florida supports extensive recreational and commercial fisheries that depend on diverse coastal habitats, while management decisions must balance conservation objectives with the needs and perspectives of resource users. This dissertation examined these relationships through three complementary studies focused on habitat–fish interactions and recreational angler perspectives. The first study investigated habitat–prey–predator relationships in Tampa Bay, Florida, using a multi-step Bayesian modeling framework applied to a 12-year fisheries-independent monitoring dataset. Results demonstrated that meso-scale habitat complexes approximately 140 km² in area provided the most informative spatial scale for predicting fish occurrence and abundance, outperforming analyses conducted at finer and broader spatial scales. These findings highlight the importance of considering spatial scale when evaluating the combined influences of habitat availability, environmental conditions, and prey abundance on fish populations. The second and third studies examined angler perspectives through an independent community science survey of Florida recreational fishers. Anglers consistently identified four primary concerns affecting fisheries: water pollution and quality, habitat loss and degradation, management concerns and fishing pressure, and invasive species and ecological imbalance. Responses revealed that environmental change is often interpreted through localized experiences and direct interactions with aquatic systems. Anglers also exhibited substantial variation in regulatory preferences. Freshwater anglers largely viewed existing regulations as appropriate, whereas saltwater anglers were divided between support for more restrictive and more relaxed regulations, reflecting the diversity of perspectives within the fishing community. By integrating habitat-based ecological research with human dimensions approaches, this dissertation advances a more holistic understanding of Florida’s fisheries and provides information that can support adaptive, stakeholder-informed management of coupled natural–human systems.

Completion Date

2026

Semester

Summer

Committee Chair

Cook, Geoffrey

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

College of Sciences

Department

Biology

Format

PDF

Document Type

Dissertation

Language

English

Release Date

8-15-2028

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Available for download on Tuesday, August 15, 2028

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