Aquino-Thomas, Jessene

The main objective of this research was to analyze how well my proposed Foundation Species Interaction model explained the benthic communities found on red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) prop roots. This research investigated the connections between the primary foundation species (mangroves), the dominant secondary foundations species (oysters, sponges, and barnacles), and the resulting biodiversity in order to understand the temporal and spatial variability of the ecosystems at different community levels. Chapter 1 was dedicated to explaining my change in ecological theory, the Foundation Species Interaction model. The interactions included in the model between the foundations species that were examined were the mutualistic (+, +), commensal (+, 0), and parasitic (+, -) interactions. Chapter 2 focused on exploration of the mangrove ecosystem in Southeast Florida and establishing where the secondary foundation species and prop root epibionts where found along the latitudinal gradient. The survey investigated the connections between mangroves, the dominant secondary foundations species (e.g. oysters, sponges, and barnacles), and the resulting biodiversity to understand the temporal and spatial variability of the ecosystems at different community levels. Chapter 3 was dedicated to testing the Foundation Species Interaction model’s ability to predict the biodiversity along the latitudinal gradient of the survey. The difference in mangrove prop root communities were largely explained by where the communities laid along the latitudinal gradient and by secondary foundation species presence. The shift from one foundation species to another had sizable effects on biodiversity. Chapter 4 combined the Foundation Species Interaction model with the established predation hypothesis and tested their abilities to explain biodiversity along the latitudinal gradient. This allowed for shifts in community structure to be examined for top-down and bottom-up influences. Predation effects changed along the latitudinal gradient, as the predation effects changed so did the effects of each of the individual foundation species.

Climate change is causing shifts in species geographic distributions. This trend is seen
throughout the globe but the impact is especially noticeable in marine environments, which are
highly sensitive to phenological and ecological alterations. Here, systemic shifts have cascading
effects on the food web, productivity, and event timing. Throughout the tropics and the
subtropics, mangrove trees act as the primary foundation species that dominate the intertidal
zone. In particular, red mangroves Rhizophora mangle play a crucial role by acting as substrate
for sessile species within their ecosystems. In these ecosystems, secondary foundation species
that can colonize the prop roots of the red mangroves thereby further affecting the structure of
the community. The original habitat architecture limits species variety and the effectiveness of
species to utilize the space. Habitat architecture is strongly influenced by the foundation species
that form the base for community structure. Investigating the connections between a primary
foundation species, secondary foundation species, and the resulting biodiversity of sessile
species is critical to understanding the variability of the ecosystem. Association with certain
foundation species may provide a more positive environment for certain taxa than others and
thus ease stressors that otherwise could functionally eliminate a species from the ecosystem. In
addition, these associations can have cascading effects on neighboring species and neighboring
ecosystems. Here, we conducted a presence/absence survey from Key West to the Kennedy
Space Center to identify the species that utilized mangrove prop roots as habitat, their
associations, and distributions.