Panama City Trip

Travel Itinerary Leave DISL at 6:45 AM Leave DISL at 6:45 AM Meet outside dorms ~6:30 AM to load vehicles Meet outside dorms ~6:30 AM to load vehicles Bring 2 days clothes, swimsuit, toiletries, sunscreen, hat, snorkel gear Bring 2 days clothes, swimsuit, toiletries, sunscreen, hat, snorkel gear Taking three vehicles and two boats (Coquina/Thal) Taking three vehicles and two boats (Coquina/Thal) Bringing Whitney Scheffel (Grad Student) to help Bringing Whitney Scheffel (Grad Student) to help Meet Mobile folks Tillman’s corner Wal Mart (7:30 am) Meet Mobile folks Tillman’s corner Wal Mart (7:30 am) Meet Dr. Baggett Eastern Shore Center 8:00 AM Meet Dr. Baggett Eastern Shore Center 8:00 AM Breakfast / Pick up anyone else wishing to be picked up there Breakfast / Pick up anyone else wishing to be picked up there Stopping for meals–those on meal plan I’ll have $$$ reimbursement for all six Thurs/Fri meals ($50 per) Stopping for meals–those on meal plan I’ll have $$$ reimbursement for all six Thurs/Fri meals ($50 per)

Travel Itinerary Arrive St. Andrews State Park Arrive St. Andrews State Park Thurs afternoon/Friday Thurs afternoon/Friday Snorkeling and urchin transects/quadrats Snorkeling and urchin transects/quadrats Trawling in boats over sand/seagrass Trawling in boats over sand/seagrass Staying at Hampton Inn Thursday night Staying at Hampton Inn Thursday night Snorkel at jetties in St. Andrews State Park Snorkel at jetties in St. Andrews State Park

Plot and Transect Density Sampling Plot Sampling Plot Sampling Ten 1m 2 quadrats Ten 1m 2 quadrats Random placement Random placement Belt Transect Sampling Belt Transect Sampling Strip of habitat Strip of habitat Two 10m long transects Two 10m long transects Counted urchins in an area 0.5 m on either side of the transect = total of 10 m 2 sampled per transect Counted urchins in an area 0.5 m on either side of the transect = total of 10 m 2 sampled per transect 1 m 10 m

Plots (Quadrats)

Belt transects

Plot and Transect Density Calculations D i = n i /A D i = n i /A D i = Density for species I D i = Density for species I n i = Total number of individuals counted for species I n i = Total number of individuals counted for species I A = Total area sampled (will be 1 m 2 for quadrats and 10 m 2 for transects) A = Total area sampled (will be 1 m 2 for quadrats and 10 m 2 for transects) Calculate average density of urchins (#/m 2 ) by quadrat sampling and by belt transect methods Calculate average density of urchins (#/m 2 ) by quadrat sampling and by belt transect methods Are they in close agreement? Are they in close agreement? If not, why do you think they are different? If not, why do you think they are different?

Community Structure: Trawling

Trawling Exercise Six replicate trawl samples in turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum) and on sand bottom Six replicate trawl samples in turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum) and on sand bottom All collected organisms placed in labeled garbage bags and all fishes/macroinverts identified and counted All collected organisms placed in labeled garbage bags and all fishes/macroinverts identified and counted Use analytical approaches discussed to assess communities Use analytical approaches discussed to assess communities

Community Structure: Trawling Graphical Examination Graphical Examination Species-Sample or Collectors Curve Species-Sample or Collectors Curve Relative Abundance Curve Relative Abundance Curve Lognormal Curve Lognormal Curve Species Diversity Indices Species Diversity Indices Shannon-Weiner Index (H’) Shannon-Weiner Index (H’) Simpson Index (C) Simpson Index (C)

Graphs: Collectors Curve Cumulative number of species (Number of new species) is plotted against the number of samples taken Cumulative number of species (Number of new species) is plotted against the number of samples taken Curve has not become asymptotic. What does this suggest we need to do?

Graphs: Species Abundance (Dominance Density) Curve Rank the species based on number collected (1 = most abundant, 2 = next most abundant, etc.) Rank the species based on number collected (1 = most abundant, 2 = next most abundant, etc.) Plot abundance on logarithmic scale against the corresponding rank Plot abundance on logarithmic scale against the corresponding rank A B

Graphs: Lognormal Curve X-axis is divided into geometric abundance intervals (each interval width is a multiple of 2, so that the scale is the logarithm of the abundance to the base 2) X-axis is divided into geometric abundance intervals (each interval width is a multiple of 2, so that the scale is the logarithm of the abundance to the base 2) Plot number of species having certain abundances against the logarithmic abundance intervals Plot number of species having certain abundances against the logarithmic abundance intervals

Species Diversity Indices Shannon-Weiner Diversity Index (H’) Shannon-Weiner Diversity Index (H’) Combines two components of diversity: Combines two components of diversity: Species Richness - Number of species (higher number increases diversity) Species Richness - Number of species (higher number increases diversity) Species evenness (relative abundance/dominance; evenness increases diversity) Species evenness (relative abundance/dominance; evenness increases diversity) The greater the value of H’, the greater the diversity The greater the value of H’, the greater the diversity

Species Diversity Indices Simpson Index (C) Simpson Index (C) Probability of picking two organisms at random that are different species Probability of picking two organisms at random that are different species Gives less weight to more rare species and more weight to common species Gives less weight to more rare species and more weight to common species Values range from 0 (low diversity) to [1 – (1/S)] Values range from 0 (low diversity) to [1 – (1/S)] Where S = number of species Where S = number of species

Community Structure Assignment Graphs Graphs Collectors Curve Collectors Curve Seagrass trawls only Seagrass trawls only Species Abundance (Dominance Density) Curve Species Abundance (Dominance Density) Curve Seagrass and Sand Habitats Seagrass and Sand Habitats Lognormal Curve Lognormal Curve Seagrass and Sand Habitats Seagrass and Sand Habitats Species Diversity Indices Species Diversity Indices Shannon-Weiner Shannon-Weiner Seagrass and Sand Habitats Seagrass and Sand Habitats Simpson Simpson Seagrass and Sand Habitats Seagrass and Sand Habitats Answer questions on pg 34 (a and b) Answer questions on pg 34 (a and b) Also, bonus question on pg 34 Also, bonus question on pg 34

Rubble Structures

Record the dominant taxa (both plant and animal) from the upper intertidal to the lowest reaches of the subtidal portions of the jetties on underwater slates. Focus on both attached and mobile fauna Compare these results with the idealized zonation and fish species. Pay attention to body shapes, the number of species with protective "armor" and the taxonomic composition of the dominant taxa. Compare with your observations of the dominant taxa seen in the seagrass beds of St. Andrews Bay. Record, in your lab notebook, the zonation scheme and your comparison of the fauna in St. Andrews Bay vs. that at the St. Andrews rock jetty.