Date of Award
Fall 12-3-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Publication Status
Version of Record
Submission Date
December 2025
Department
Marine Science and Oceanography
College Granting Degree
Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Department Granting Degree
Marine Science and Oceanography
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]
Joshua D. Voss
Abstract
Increasingly frequent marine heatwaves and bleaching events threaten the persistence of corals on Florida’s Reefs. Active restoration through outplanting is being implemented across multiple species and regions, yet its effectiveness under rising thermal stress remains uncertain. We analyzed Symbiodiniaceae ITS2 sequence data from outplants of three coral species, Pseudodiploria clivosa, Montastraea cavernosa, and Orbicella faveolata, sampled before (2023) and after (2024) a mass bleaching event. Multivariate analyses revealed species-specific yet regionally divergent trends: southern restoration regions exhibited pronounced shifts toward thermotolerant Durusdinium, while northern regions remained comparatively stable. Although fine-scale ITS2 variation contributed to community heterogeneity, genus-level shifts more clearly reflected ecological responses to stress. These results underscore that algal symbiont restructuring is both species- and region-dependent, emphasizing the need to integrate regional thermal regimes and algal symbiont flexibility into restoration planning under climate change.
Recommended Citation
Nesic, Milena, "DO ALGAL ENDOSYMBIONT COMMUNITIES IN CORAL OUTPLANTS CHANGE OVER TIME? A SPATIO-TEMPORAL ANALYSIS OF ALGAL SYMBIONTS IN A SOUTH FLORIDA CORAL RESTORATION EXPERIMENT" (2025). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 212.
https://digitalcommons.fau.edu/etd_general/212