dc.contributor.author	Sims, Megan
dc.coverage.spatial	Tampa Bay (Fl.)	en_US
dc.coverage.temporal	2022-2023	en_US
dc.date.accessioned	2025-03-28T17:47:16Z
dc.date.available	2025-03-28T17:47:16Z
dc.date.issued	2024-12-10
dc.identifier.other	7f45d465-da27-4af6-abdc-17e67ba02328	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	https://hdl.handle.net/10428/7400
dc.description.abstract	Concentric circular plots are widely used in terrestrial environments but are underutilized in marine environments. We tested the feasibility of using this method coupled with mark-resight and recapture designs within a Tampa Bay coastal marine seagrass bed. Two circular, 20-m diameter sites with four rings each were sampled during each event to collect adult Gulf pipefish, Syngnathus scovelli, a flagship species for seagrass ecosystems. In August 2022, we conducted a mark-resight experiment with 7 sampling events that collected 2,065 adult pipefish (802 individuals marked) and registered 246 recaptures (193 distinct fish). Although the population surveyed was male biased, more females were recaptured. Additionally, recaptured males disproportionally moved within the sites and were repeatedly recaptured. The immigration-emigration mixed logit-normal Mark model could not converge due to its sensitive parameters but suggested a residential superpopulation. In February 2023, we conducted a standard mark-recapture with 6 sampling events that collected 194 adult pipefish (187 individuals) and registered 6 recaptures (5 distinct fish). The POPAN Mark model estimated a superpopulation of 1,967 fish surrounding our sites and indicated a transient superpopulation. Repeated sampling disturbance within the sites had no significant impact on fish densities, but the seagrass habitat experienced significant negative effects. Data collected using concentric circular plots and linear transects during this study were similar. Therefore, our results indicate concentric circular plots are feasible in coastal marine environments and can be coupled with marking techniques to elucidate movement patterns and habitat use, but future use of this methodology should monitor habitat sampling effects.	en_US
dc.format.extent	1 electronic record. PDF/A document, 53 pages, 3310813 bytes.	en_US
dc.format.mimetype	application/pdf	en_US
dc.rights	This dissertation is protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States (Public Law 94-553, revised in 1976). Consistent with fair use as defined in the Copyright Laws, brief quotations from this material are allowed with proper acknowledgement. Use of the materials for financial gain with the author's expressed written permissions is not allowed.	en_US
dc.subject	Biology	en_US
dc.subject	Biology	en_US
dc.subject	Aquatic sciences	en_US
dc.subject	Gulf pipefish	en_US
dc.subject	Marine animals	en_US
dc.subject	Marine biology--Research	en_US
dc.subject	Habitat (Ecology)	en_US
dc.subject	Fish populations	en_US
dc.subject	Biological monitoring	en_US
dc.subject	Marine habitats	en_US
dc.subject	Environmental impact analysis	en_US
dc.subject	Ecological surveys	en_US
dc.subject	Tampa Bay (Fla.)	en_US
dc.subject	Gulf of Mexico--Tampa Bay	en_US
dc.subject	Florida	en_US
dc.subject	Academic theses	en_US
dc.title	Evaluating the use of concentric circular plots and mark-recapture techniques for estimating pipefish population size in a coastal marine seagrass bed	en_US
dc.type	Thesis	en_US
dc.contributor.department	Department of Biology of the College of Science and Mathematics	en_US
dc.description.advisor	Uyeno, Theodore
dc.description.committee	Phillips, John
dc.description.committee	Rose, Emily
dc.description.degree	M.S.	en_US
dc.description.major	Biology	en_US