Date of Award

2018

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Moore, Jon

Abstract

Mesophotic reefs support a large, biologically diverse community and are capable of providing larvae to shallow reefs. This study compared the zooxanthellae density and chlorophyll concentrations of Montastreaea cavernosa colonies in Flower Garden Banks from mesophotic, shallow, and transplant depth treatments testing their differences over bank location, treatment, and time through a transplant experiment. It also compared the percent of zooxanthellae cells remaining after a bleaching event. Time was the driving factor for the differences in the algal symbiont concentrations. Zooxanthellae and chlorophyll were reduced after the bleaching event. However, there was no significant difference between the symbiont densities and chlorophyll concentrations between the transplant and shallow samples, demonstrating that they bleached equally. The lack of difference provides evidence for the plasticity and adaptability of coral and gives hope for the future of shallow reefs since mesophotic corals may be able to adapt to the thermal stresses of shallow reefs.

Comments

Includes bibliography.

Extent

42 p.

Identifier

FAUHT00040

Download

Share

COinS