Microbiomes of throughout the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico are influenced by site and region while maintaining a core microbiome.

Plant microbiomes are known to serve several important functions for their host, and it is therefore important to understand their composition as well as the factors that may influence these microbial communities. The microbiome of has only recently been explored, and studies to-date have primarily focused on characterizing the microbiome of plants in a single region. Here, we present the first characterization of the composition of the microbial communities of across a wide geographical range spanning three distinct regions with varying physicochemical conditions.

Herbivore effects increase with latitude across the extent of a foundational seagrass.

Climate change is altering the functioning of foundational ecosystems. While the direct effects of warming are expected to influence individual species, the indirect effects of warming on species interactions remain poorly understood. In marine systems, as tropical herbivores undergo poleward range expansion, they may change food web structure and alter the functioning of key habitats.

A tracer model nowcast/forecast study of the Tampa Bay, Piney Point effluent plume: Rapid response to an environmental hazard.

An emergency discharge of nutrient-rich effluent from the defunct Piney Point fertilizer stack into Tampa Bay at Port Manatee occurred from 30 March-8 April 2021. This resulted in a pollutant plume that evolved over time and space across the entire bay, including its environmentally sensitive marine preserves, and out onto the adjacent continental shelf. As a rapid response to environmental concerns, the plume evolution was simulated using the high resolution, unstructured grid, Tampa Bay Coastal Ocean Model (TBCOM) nowcast/forecast system, with an embedded tracer module that included realistic point discharge rates.

Comparison of feeding preferences of herbivorous fishes and the sea urchin in Little Cayman.

On Caribbean coral reefs, losses of two key groups of grazers, herbivorous fishes and , coincided with dramatic increases in macroalgae, which have contributed to decreases in the resilience of these coral reefs and continued low coral cover. In some locations, herbivorous reef fishes and populations have begun to recover, and reductions in macroalgal cover and abundance have followed. Harder to determine, and perhaps more important, are the combined grazing effects of herbivorous fishes and on the structure of macroalgal communities.