Indian River (Fla : Lagoon)

The nursery effect is a process where juvenile fish utilize coastal habitats to help them survive before moving to their adult habitat. This process establishes an important link between marine ecosystems. This study examines the nursery effect and nursery habitat utilization in the Indian River Lagoon and Florida Bay systems, and the coral reefs adjacent to them. Quantitative and spatial techniques were utilized to identify patterns of presence and abundance and the size structure of select fish species. Spatial analyses were also used to investigate distribution patterns.
Findings from this study suggest that several species utilize to a high degree the Indian River Lagoon and Florida Bay as nurseries. Furthermore, the abundance of adults on coral reefs is strongly connected to the presence of nurseries. This study has implications in fisheries management such as locating where juveniles of species develop. With such knowledge, better management plans could be implemented to ensure healthy fish stocks.

For over a decade, researchers at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute (HBOI)
have conducted surveys of the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) population of
Indian River Lagoon (IRL) in Florida. I have constructed a 4-stage population model
using the statistical program R. The model is used to conduct a viability analysis by
analyzing the relationship between birth, calf and adult survival rates. The power
analysis compares survey frequency to expected confidence intervals in estimating
abundance. The sensitivity analysis shows that the population is most sensitive to
changes in adult survival, followed by birth rate and calf survival. The model shows a
strong chance of viability over a 50 year time span. The population is vulnerable to long
periods of decline if birth, calf or adult survival rates fall below certain thresholds.
Overall, the model simulates the future impacts of demographic change, providing a tool
for conservation efforts.