Nutrient levels in the nearshore waters of the Florida Keys have increased over the past few decades concomitant with a decline in the health of Florida's reef system. Phosphorus is a particular concern in the Florida Keys as it may be the limiting nutrient in nearshore waters. We demonstrate that the upside-down jellyfish, Cassiopea xamachana, decreases its rate of phosphate uptake following exposure to elevated levels of dissolved inorganic phosphate. We also show that this subsequent suppression of uptake rates persists for some time following exposure to elevated phosphates. Using these attributes, we experimentally investigated the use of C. xamachana as a bioindicator for dissolved inorganic phosphates in seawater. Our results show that these animals reveal comparative differences in environmental phosphates despite traditional testing methods yielding no detectable phosphates. We propose that C. xamachana is a bioindicator useful for integrating relevant information about phosphate availability in low nutrient environments.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2005.09.044 | DOI Listing |
Mar Pollut Bull
October 2020
Department of Natural and Applied Sciences, Bentley University, 175 Forest St, North Waltham, MA 02452, USA. Electronic address:
Plastic pollution is a concern in many nearshore ecosystems, and it is critical to understand how microplastics (plastics <5 mm in length) affect nearshore marine biota. Here, we report the presence of microplastics in the benthic, upside-down jellyfish (Cassiopea xamachana) across three estuaries in south Florida. Microplastics were recovered from Cassiopea using an acid digestion, then enumerated via microscopy, and identified using micro Fourier-transform interferometer (μFTIR) analysis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMar Pollut Bull
May 2006
The University of Georgia, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802, USA.
Nutrient levels in the nearshore waters of the Florida Keys have increased over the past few decades concomitant with a decline in the health of Florida's reef system. Phosphorus is a particular concern in the Florida Keys as it may be the limiting nutrient in nearshore waters. We demonstrate that the upside-down jellyfish, Cassiopea xamachana, decreases its rate of phosphate uptake following exposure to elevated levels of dissolved inorganic phosphate.
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