CESI Assessment Project 97-3

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Florida Bay Fish Habitat Assessment Program
Michael J. Durako & Penny Hall

 

Seagrasses provide important habitat to the fish of Florida Bay.

NPS Photo

 

Seagrass communities are known to provide structural shelter for a variety of fish, and comprise an important link in the food chain of Florida Bay. Past occurrences of large-scale seagrass die-offs have resulted in increasing concern regarding the health and vitality of this important estuary. A greater understanding of how the system responds to changes in hydrology becomes particularly important in light of management changes proposed under the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan and associated projects.

Funds dispersed through the Critical Ecosystem Studies Initiative helped fund a science-based Fish Habitat Assessment Program (FHAP). The program was initiated largely to assess the spatial and temporal variability of seagrass communities, and gauge the effects of changes in water management.

 

 

To view a copy of the report please contact us

 

 

RELATED PUBLICATIONS

Belshe, E. F., Durako, M. J., Blum, J. E. 2008. Diel light curves and landscape-scale variation in photosynthetic characteristics of Thalassia testudinum in Florida Bay. Aquatic Botany 89:16-22.

Belshe, E. F., M. J. Durako, and J.E. Blum. 2007. Photosynthetic rapid light curves (RLC) of Thalassia testudinum exhibit diurnal variation. J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol. 342: 253-268.

Chartrand, K. M., Durako, M. J. 2009.Effect of hypo-salinity on the photophysiology of Siderastrea radians. Marine Biology 156: 1691-1702

Chartrand, K. M., Durako, M. J. 2009. Distribution and photobiology of Siderastrea radians and Thalassia testudinum in Florida Bay, FL USA. Bulletin of Marine Science 84(2):153-166

Durako, M. J. 2000. Seagrass die-off in Florida Bay (USA): does this phenomenon represent a trend for coastal waters in the new millenium? In: C. Sheppard (ed.), Seas at the Millenium: An Environmental Evaluation, Elsevier, Amsterdam. Pp15-17.

Durako, M. J. 1999. Changes in seagrass abundance and diversity: Is this a good thing? ASB Bulletin 46(4):273-285.

Durako, M. J., M. O. Hall. 2000. After the die-off: Seagrass dynamics in a perturbed subtropical lagoon. Biologia Marina Mediterranea 7(2): 365-368.

Durako, M. J., M. O. Hall and M. Merello. 2002. Patterns of change in the seagrass-dominated Florida Bay hydroscape. In: J. W. Porter and K.G. Porter (eds.), Linkages Between Ecosystems in the South Florida Hydroscape: The River of Grass Continues. CRC Publ., Boca Raton, FL, pp. 515-529.

Durako, M. J., M. O. Hall and M. Merello. 2002. Patterns of change in the seagrass-dominated Florida Bay hydroscape. In: J. W. Porter and K.G. Porter (eds.), Linkages Between Ecosystems in the South Florida Hydroscape: The River of Grass Continues. CRC Publ., Boca Raton, FL, pp. 515-529.

Durako, M. J., and J. I. Kunzelman. 2002. Photosynthetic characteristics of Thalassia testudinum Banks ex König measured in situ by pulse amplitude modulated (PAM) fluorometry: methodological and scale-based considerations. Aquat. Bot.. 73: 173-185.

Durako, M. J., and J. I. Kunzelman. 2002. Photosynthetic characteristics of Thalassia testudinum Banks ex König measured in situ by pulse amplitude modulated (PAM) fluorometry: methodological and scale-based considerations. Aquat. Bot.. 73: 173-185.

Durako, M., Zieman, J., Robblee, M. 2007. Chapter 7: Seagrass Ecology. Pp 92-109. In: Hunt J. H., Nuttle, W. (eds.), Florida Bay Science Program: A Synthesis of Research on Florida Bay. Fish Wildlife Res. Inst. Tech Rept. TR-11, 148 pp.

Fourqurean, J. W., J. N. Boyer, M. J. Durako, L. N. Hefty, and B. J. Peterson. 2003. The response of seagrass distribution to changing water quality: predictive models from monitoring data. Ecol. Appl. 13(2): 474-489.

Fourqurean, J. W., M. J. Durako, and L. X. Hefty. 2002. Seagrass distribution in south Florida: a multi-agency coordinated monitoring program. In: J. W. Porter and K.G. Porter (eds.), Linkages Between Ecosystems in the South Florida Hydroscape: The River of Grass Continues. CRC Publ., Boca Raton, FL, pp. 489 - 514.

Hackney, J. W. and M. J. Durako. 2005. A hierarchical approach to the evaluation of variability in ecoindicators of the seagrass Thalassia testudinum. In: S.A. Bortone (ed) Estuarine Indicators, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. pp. 175-192.

Hackney, J. W. and M. J. Durako. 2004. Size-frequency patterns in morphometric characteristics of the seagrass Thalassia testudinum reflect environmental variability. Ecol. Indicators 4: 55-71.

Kahn, A. E., Durako, M. J. 2006. Thalassia testudinum seedling responses to changes in salinity and nitrogen. J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol. 335: 1-12.

Kahn, A. E., Durako, M. J. 2005. The effect of salinity and ammonium on seed germination in Ruppia maritima L. from Florida Bay. Bull. Mar. Sci. 77(3): 453-458.

 

 

Contact Michael Durako

 

Contact the principal investigator directly with questions about this study.

 

Florida Bay, Fish, Habitat, Seagrass, Durako, Thalassia, Halodule, FHAP, CESI, Critical Ecosystem Studies Initiative, Everglades, National Park