Disturbance Ecology of the Caribbean Branching Coral Acropora Palmata

Lirman, Diego

This report consists of six chapters. The first is entitled "susceptibility of coral communities to storm intensity, duration, and frequency: the role of disturbance history." It discusses the effects of Hurricane Andrew, the Storm of the Century, and Tropical Storm Gordon on the corals of Elkhorn Reef and Ball Buoy Reef in Biscayne National Park. Information includes coral cover, distribution, zonation, and diversity. Tables and graphs present the data. The second chapter is entitled "costs and benefits of fragmentation in the branching coral Acropora palmata." This chapter discusses fragmentation in elkhorn coral on Ball Buoy and Elkhorn Reefs in Biscayne National Park after Hurricane Andrew. It addresses the costs and benefits of this process. Tables, graphs, and photographs present the data. The third chapter is entitled "lesion regeneration in the branching coral Acropora palmata: effects of colonizers, lesion size, and lesion shape." This chapter describes regeneration of coral lesions created by the detachment of elkhorn coral branches. The study sites were in Biscayne National Park at Elkhorn Reef and Ball Buoy Reef. Graphs, photographs, and tables present the data. The fourth chapter is entitled "the fish communities associated with Acropora palmata: relationships between benthic attributes and fish populations." This chapter discusses the effects of coral cover and reef topography on fish abundance and diversity. The study site was Elkhorn Reef in Biscayne National Park. Tables, graphs, and photographs present the data. The fifth chapter is entitled "Description of the macro-invertebrate community associated with the Caribbean branching coral Acropora palmata: relationships between benthic attributes, and the abundance and distribution of invertebrates, and effects of physical disturbance." This chapter discusses the relationships between the abundance and distribution of macro-invertebrates associated with elkhorn coral and benthic reef attributes, such as coral cover, algal cover, and topographical complexity. It also describes the effects that Tropical Storm Gordon had on the invertebrate community. The study site was Elkhorn Reef and Ball Buoy Reef in Biscayne National Park. Graphs and tables present the data. The last chapter is entitled "a simulation model of the population dynamics of Acropora palmata: effects of storm intensity and frequency." This chapter describes a model to predict the effects of storm intensity and frequency on the population dynamics of elkhorn coral. Graphs present the results.