A5000190168- Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies
- Marine and coastal plant biology
- Marine and fisheries research
- Coastal and Marine Management
- Ichthyology and Marine Biology
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics
- Marine Ecology and Invasive Species
- Coastal and Marine Dynamics
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies
- Geological formations and processes
- Water Quality and Pollution Assessment
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Protist diversity and phylogeny
- Marine Biology and Ecology Research
- Marine Bivalve and Aquaculture Studies
- Heavy metals in environment
- Aeolian processes and effects
- Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Cuban History and Society
- Historical Studies in Central America
- Geochemistry and Elemental Analysis
- Water Quality Monitoring Technologies
- Island Studies and Pacific Affairs
- Groundwater and Isotope Geochemistry
School for Field Studies
2014-2024
InterAmerican University of Puerto Rico
2009-2017
Drexel University
2004-2009
A global survey of coral reefs reveals that overfishing is driving resident shark species toward extinction, causing diversity deficits in reef elasmobranch (shark and ray) assemblages. Our species-level analysis revealed declines 60 to 73% for five common individual were not detected at 34 47% surveyed reefs. As become more shark-depleted, rays begin dominate Shark-dominated assemblages persist wealthy nations with strong governance highly protected areas, whereas poverty, weak governance,...
Abstract Sharks are charismatic predators that play a key role in most marine food webs. Their demonstrated vulnerability to exploitation has recently turned them into flagship species ocean conservation. Yet, the assessment and monitoring of distribution abundance such mobile environments remain challenging, often invasive resource-intensive. Here we pilot novel, rapid non-invasive environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding approach specifically targeted infer shark presence, diversity eDNA...
Abstract Our understanding of marine communities and their functions in an ecosystem relies on the ability to detect monitor species distributions abundances. Currently, use environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding is increasingly being applied for rapid assessment monitoring aquatic species. Most eDNA studies have either focussed simultaneous identification a few specific taxa/groups or been limited geographical scope. Here, we employed compare beta diversity patterns complex pelagic tropical...
The Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) have been affected by sargassum inundations, with impacts on the economy environment. Sargassum removal can be costly, but use valorisation may generate income offset environmental damage. A significant barrier to of is insufficient knowledge its chemical makeup, as well seasonal variation decay after stranding. characterisation mixed constituent species morphotypes (S. natans I, S.natans VIII S. fluitans) collected from TCI between September 2020 May 2021...
Abstract Coral cover throughout the Caribbean region has declined by approximately 80% since 1970s (Gardner et al. in Ecology 86(1):174–184, 2005) attributed to a combination of environmental and anthropogenic factors, including ocean acidification, rising sea surface temperatures, increased susceptibility disease, as well frequency strength storms, development stress, sediment nutrient loads. Three Global Bleaching Events (GBE) coincide directly with El Niño warming phases Niño-Southern...
The Caribbean has experienced long-term declines in coral reef habitat. Research on the effect of habitat degradation emphasized importance time since disturbance fish response. We examined whether community structure was retained over a 50-yr period off coast New Providence Island, Bahamas, areas with increased dead and algal cover. Using baseline data from 1955 to 1973, we resurveyed four localities 2006 using comparable methodology assess historical current structure. did not find...
Natural history collections contain historical records that present snapshots of organisms and communities, are now more important than ever in the face rapidly changing environments. The world's largest collection fishes from Bahamas is housed at Academy Sciences, Philadelphia. These vast holdings primarily resulted collecting efforts James Böhlke Charles Chaplin 1950s–1970s. One many ways these have been used since their as baseline data for coral reef sites were revisited decades later to...
CONVINCING COMMUNITIES TO CARE FOR THEIR ENVIRONMENTThe success of resource management is ultimately dependent on the community's understanding their impact that and systems affect those resources. This project engages every level a community in adjacent which they depend. will allow them to become competent participants land use decisions affecting fragile marine ecosystems,...Author(s)Graciela I. Ramírez toroH. A. MinnighHeidi HertlerSourceProceedings Water Environment...
Water Quality Assessment and Onshore Development in Tropical WatersStandards for bacteriological recreational water quality Puerto Rico are those proposed by US EPA. The standard primary contact use has both single-sample limits running- average threshold based on historical data developed the specific site. La Parguera is site of a Special Marine Reserve counts among its unusual habitats phosphorescent bay, important...Author(s)H. MinnighG. I. Ramírez toroL. MartínezT. FronteraH....