1992 0 
Cubit, J. D. (1992) Global climate change and the importance of tidal flat ecosystems in the 
Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. Abs., 1992 Symp. on Florida Keys Regional Ecosystem, 
November 16-20, Miami, FL. 
[ABSTRACT ONLY, DATE OF SAMPLING UNKNOWN OR NOT APPLICABLE.] Algae, corals, 
seagrasses and other living organisms actively construct and maintain extensive tidal 
flat structures in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean. The various types of tidal flats, 
including reef flats, algal flats, and seagrass flats, are important economically and 
ecologically. They rank among the world's most productive ecosystems and export 
much of their organic material to adjacent ecosystems. These biogenic structures of 
carbonate rock and consolidated sediment, covered by meadows of plants and sessile 
animals, function as foraging grounds, nursery areas, natural breakwaters and 
shoreline reinforcements. Models of global climate change predict considerable changes 
for coastal environments of the Gulf and Caribbean, including rises in sea level, 
increases of water temperature, and more frequent hurricanes. Physical and 
geographic features of the Florida Bay and the Keys, such as the narrow tidal range and 
location in the "hurricane belt," would make this region particularly sensitive to the 
effects of global climate change. Long term, integrated monitoring of natural variations 
of the physical environment and populations of algae, seagrasses, corals, and other 
reef flat biota on the Caribbean coast of Panama demonstrate that changes in sea level 
and sea temperature can affect the distribution and abundance of these organisms, but 
the tidal flat communities as a whole should be able to maintain vertical rates of habitat 
accretion in pace with predicted rises in sea level until the middle of the next century. 
However, studies of the effects of a major oil spill at this site illustrate that such 
pollution can cause longer-term damage of the groups of biota essential for building 
tidal flat structures. Proper management to maintain the tidal flat ecosystems in the 
Gulf and Caribbean, including the diverse tidal flats of Florida Bay and the Keys, could 
mitigate much of the potential damage expected from global climate change, including 
erosion of shorelines, loss of endangered species habitats, destruction of developed 
property and reduction of fisheries. 
1992 0 
Egglestons, D. B., and R. N. Lipcius (1992) Experimental enhancement of the Caribbean 
spiny lobster: a geographical comparison of the importance of settlement, habitat features, 
migration and predator guilds. Bull. Ecol. Soc. Amer. . 73(Suppl. 2): 166. 
[ABSTRACT ONLY, DATE OF SAMPLING UNKNOWN OR NOT APPLICABLE.] Field 
observations quantified the abundance of juvenile and adult spiny lobsters in shelter- 
enhanced habitats of varying settlement strength and refuge availability. Spiny lobster 
abundance increased significantly over 12 months in shelter-enhanced systems in the 
Bahamas, but not in control sites. However, the relative abundance of lobsters between 
the Bahamas and a replicate experiment in Florida Bay was substantially lower due to 
the joint effects of refuge availability and settlement strength. Shelters located near a 
migration route out of a nursery habitat in the Bahamas attracted high numbers of large 
juvenile and adult lobsters, as well as large piscine predators (i.e., Nassau grouper). 
Small juvenile lobsters suffered significantly higher mortality on shelters located near 
the migration route versus away from it. The success of artificial shelters in enhancing 
lobster abundance depends not only upon settlement strength and refuge availability, 
but on local recruitment and movement patterns of predators. 
1992 
Field, J. M., and M. J. Butler (1994) The influence of temperature, salinity, and larval 
transport on the distribution of juvenile spiny lobster, Panulirus argus, in Florida Bay. Bull- 
Mar. ScL 54(3):1074. 
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