Florida Reef Tract
We have been studying the nearshore patch and offshore reefs of the middle Florida Keys. These reefs are not as well developed as the Florida Reef tract off Key Largo or the Dry Tortugas due in large part to the inimical waters from Florida Bay. This means that corals in this region have been exposed to variable salinity and temperature for generations and may help us to understand the limits to coral resiliency in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
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Florida Bay
Florida Bay is the primary nursery habitat for many fishes and invertebrates in the Florida Keys in the Caribbean spiny lobster. Recent changes in water quality has led to harmful algal blooms, mass mortalities of seagrass and sponges, and a shift in benthic invertebrate composition. How lobsters and other shelter-dwelling invertebrates respond to this loss of structure is critical to our understanding of the health of Florida Bay.
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Clemson Forest
The Clemson Experimental Forest is 17,500 acres of multipurpose greenspace, offering a diversity of opportunities and benefits to students, faculty and staff and the public. This working forest is to be used to meet current teaching, research and public-oriented needs and held in trust to meet the needs of future generations. The forest holds a unique status, serving as a historical and scientific repository of regional land-use and research.
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Dr. Michael Childress
Dept. of Biological Sciences
Dept. of Forestry and Environmental Conservation
Clemson University
Clemson, SC 29634-0314
864.985.2384
Dept. of Biological Sciences
Dept. of Forestry and Environmental Conservation
Clemson University
Clemson, SC 29634-0314
864.985.2384