Ligia Collado-VidesFlorida International University | FIU · Department of Biological Sciences
Ligia Collado-Vides
PhD
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94
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Publications (94)
Coral reefs in the Florida Reef Tract have seen protracted loss of coral over the past several decades due to a variety of disturbances from marine heat waves, cold snaps, and disease events. Corals have not recovered despite abundant herbivorous fishes and relatively low macroalgal cover, two factors thought to facilitate resilience of corals. Thu...
Pelagic Sargassum landings (hereby referred to as sargasso) increased dramatically in 2011 throughout the equatorial tropical Atlantic due to the formation of the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt (GASB). Despite increasing reports, understanding of local abundances and vegetative characteristics, especially in South Florida, remains limited. From 2018...
Abbreviations: CoI-5P, 5' end of the cytochrome c oxidase 1 gene; Ml, maximum likelihood; NJ, neighbor joining; rbcl, gene encoding for the large subunit of the enzyme ribulose-1, 5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase. Abstract the genus Hypnea is well known to be rich in cryptic species, with many new species being recognized recently based on mole...
Since 2011, the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico coasts have been receiving massive influxes of holopelagic sargasso algae composed of Sargassum natans and Sargassum fluitans. This phenomenon has been causing several negative local impacts, such as ecological disturbances and socioeconomic and health concerns of communities in impacted areas. This work...
The holopelagic brown macroalgae Sargassum natans and Sargassum fluitans form essential habitats for attached and mobile fauna which contributes to a unique biodiversity in the Atlantic Ocean. However, holopelagic Sargassum natans (genotype I & VIII) and Sargassum fluitans (genotype III) have begun forming large accumulations with subsequent strand...
During the past decade, massive inundations of holopelagic Sargassum spp. (S. natans I, S. natans VIII, and S. fluitans III), commonly known as sargasso, have drastically affected beaches and coasts throughout the tropical Atlantic, leading to strong forecasting and monitoring efforts. This study aimed to characterize spatiotemporal variation in ac...
The number of newly described species has increased since the addition of molecular data to taxonomic studies, revealing that species considered widely distributed by morphological and anatomical studies are often comprised of complexes of several distinct species. This study reports on a new turf-forming species of Digenea from the Greater Caribbe...
Intoxications of captive bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Florida Keys have been linked to observed interactions with marine macrophytic algal and cyanobacterial communities within enclosures. Taxonomic characterization of these communities coupled, in turn, to available observational data collected during intoxication events point t...
Apart from direct light effects, we tested whether the takeover of the seagrass Thalassia testudinum by the seaweed Anadyomene sp. in high nutrient areas of Biscayne Bay, Florida, USA, is related to a faster nutrient surge uptake capacity of the seaweed and/or a negative effect on the seagrass uptake rates. Anadyomene sp. and T. testudinum showed a...
The pelagic Sargassum bloom might be responding to nutrient enrichment of ocean waters; and the massive amount of biomass might be an opportunity to commercialize this resource. Safe use needs to be tested due to the metals' biosorption ability of Sargassum. Here we present nutrient and trace metal tissue content of pelagic Sargassum collected in S...
Citizen's involvement monitoring large geographical areas over long periods of time is becoming an effective way to support scientific projects. The influx of pelagic Sargassum is a regional problem throughout the NW Tropical Atlantic. While satellite imagery can estimate Sargassum blooms on a regional level, it is difficult to have systematic in s...
The massive influx of pelagic Sargassum spp. (sargasso) into the Mexican Caribbean Sea has caused major deterioration of the coastal environment and has affected the tourism industry as well as livelihoods since 2015. Species of Sargassum have high capacity to absorb metals; thus, leachates of sargasso may contribute to contamination by potentially...
Macroalgal blooms are becoming an increasing problem in coastal regions worldwide and have been associated with a widespread decline of seagrass habitats. It is critical to measure macroalgal bloom (MB) impacts at broad spatial scales since seagrass seascape characteristics can influence feedback processes that regulate the resilience of seagrass e...
Feeding behavior of coral reef fishes often determines their species‐specific ecological roles. We studied the two most common Caribbean surgeonfishes (Acanthurus coeruleus and Acanthurus tractus) to examine their species‐specific grazing rates and feeding preferences and how these differed with environmental context. We quantified the feeding acti...
Standing stocks of the calcifying algae, Halimeda and Penicillus , have remained stable over the 10 years surveyed (2007–2017) in Florida Bay (USA), a subtropical lagoon. The maximum contribution of calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ; 779.75 g m ⁻² ) was lower compared to tropical lagoons. Halimeda was more abundant and had higher inorganic:organic carbon...
The article was originally published electronically on the publishers internet portal currently SpringerLink on 14 September 2018 with open access.
Herbivory is a significant driver of algal community dynamics on coral reefs. However, abiotic factors such as the complexity and orientation of the benthos often mediate the impact of herbivores on benthic communities. We experimentally evaluated the independent and interactive effects of substrate orientation and herbivorous fishes on algal commu...
Morphological characterization, together with phylogenetic and DNA barcoding analyses on the basis of rbcL and COI-5P, conducted on some species of the Laurencia complex in South Florida confirmed the occurrence of Laurencia intricata and supported the presence and recognition of Laurenciella in the United States. Samples of L. intricata from Flori...
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Abstract:
Calcareous green algae (CGA) are important producers
of carbonaceous sediments in coastal environments;
they fix carbon producing CaCO3 and organic compounds
through photosynthesis contributing to the carbon budget of
these ecosystems. In this study, the CGA standing stock (as
dry weight)...
As marine tropical ecosystems deteriorate and lose biodiversity, their communities are shifting to being dominated by a few species, altering ecosystem's functioning and services. Macroalgae are becoming dominant on coral reefs, and are frequently observed outcompeting corals. Turf algal assemblages are the base of energy flow in these systems and...
From mid-2014 until the end of 2015, the Mexican Caribbean coast experienced a massive influx of drifting Sargassum spp. that accumulated on the shores, resulting in build-up of decaying beach-cast material and near-shore murky brown waters (Sargassum-brown-tides, Sbt). The effects of Sbt on four near-shore waters included reduction in light, oxyge...
T.—Understanding temporal and spatial variation of coral reef communities allows us to analyze the relative effects of local stressors, such as fishing and eutrophication, and global stressors, such as ocean warming. To test for spatial and temporal changes in coral reef communities, we combined recent benthic and fish surveys from 2016 with long-t...
Herbivory and nutrient enrichment are drivers of benthic dynamics of coral reef macroalgae; however, their impact may vary seasonally. In this study we evaluated the effects of herbivore pressure, nutrient availability and potential propagule supply on seasonal recruitment and succession of macroalgal communities on a Florida coral reef. Recruitmen...
Species level identifications of morphologically simple marine algae have undoubtedly caused biodiversity assessments to be an arduous task. The green algal genus Ulva L., 1753, is notorious for morphological plasticity and cryptic speciation. We used two chloroplast-encoded (rbcL and tufA) molecular markers and the nuclear internal transcribed spa...
This study explores the perceptions of local residents of Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico, concerning Puerto Morelos Reef National Park using semistructured and key informant surveys. Collectively, the data provide qualitative and quantitative information regarding attitudes, knowledge, and awareness of park regulations and natural resources,...
The present study described with different microscopy approaches chloroplasts lobes in Laurencia sensu latu (Rhodophyta) species and found inter-specific differences among them. Chloroplasts were investigated using confocal laser scanning microscopy (LSM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSE...
The present study described with different microscopy approaches chloroplasts lobes in laurenciasensu latu (Rhodophyta) species and found inter-specific differences among them. Chloroplasts were investigated using confocal laser scanning microscopy (LSM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM...
Iconic ecosystems like the Florida Coastal Everglades can serve as sentinels of environmental change from local to global scales. This characteristic can help inform general theory about how and why ecosystems transform, particularly if distinctive ecosystem properties are studied over long time scales and compared to those of similar ecosystems el...
p>Green sea turtles, Chelonia mydas , are grazers influencing the distribution of seagrass within shallow coastal ecosystems, yet the drivers behind C. mydas patch use within seagrass beds are largely unknown. Current theories center on food quality (nutrient content) as the plant responds to grazing disturbances; however, no study has monitored th...
Introduction of species is a common problem in marine environments; marine macroalgae in particular have been reported to be introduced in all oceans, mainly through transport in ballast water, ship fouling and aquarium trade. The majority of the reported alien seaweeds belong to the Rhodophyta. Recently several species of the Laurencia complex hav...
Nearshore benthic habitats of Biscayne Bay fit the
prediction of communities at risk due to their location adjacent
to a large metropolitan center (Miami) and being influenced
by changes in hydrology through the activities of the
Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). We
examine whether the proposed programmatic expansion of
mesohaline s...
Halophila stipulacea (Forskål) Ascherson is a dioecious tropical seagrass originally from the Indian Ocean and Red Sea. Since the 1920s the seagrass Halophila stipulacea invaded the eastern Mediterranean most likely through the Suez Canal (Lipkin 1975), after which it slowly expanded westward (Lipkin 1975). In 2006 it was found as far as Salerno, i...
Recent studies suggest that coastal ecosystems can bury significantly more C than tropical forests, indicating that continued coastal development and exposure to sea level rise and storms will have global biogeochemical consequences. The Florida Coastal Everglades Long Term Ecological Research (FCE LTER) site provides an excellent subtropical syste...
The coastal bays of South Florida are located downstream of the Florida Everglades, where a comprehensive restoration plan will strongly impact the hydrology of the region. Submerged aquatic vegetation communities are common components of benthic habitats of Biscayne Bay, and will be directly affected by changes in water quality. This study explore...
Marine protected areas (MPAs) are promoted as an effective strategy to bal-ance human use and conservation of marine resources, yet case studies have shown mixed results regarding MPA success. Managing to promote resilience is widely recognized as a priority for MPAs that focus on the conservation of coral reefs and the ecological services they pro...
Populations of Diadema antillarum (Philippi, 1845) have been slow to recover after their 1983 Caribbean-wide massive mortality. The continued absence of this important coral reef herbivore as well as further impacts on local and regional-scales have severely threatened the health of coral reefs. From 2008 to 2011, the population of D. antillarum an...
Background/Question/Methods
Our research is part of the Florida Coastal Everglades (FCE) LTER. The main inquiry being the interactions between an oligotrphic marsh with marine waters rich in the limiting nutrient P within an oligohaline ecotone, and how these interactions drive productivity of sub-tropical shallow coastal seagrass beds.
We more...
Seventy-three species of macroalgae from the Mexican Pacific, Atlantic and Caribbean coast were screened for ichtyotoxic activity.
Ethanolic, acetonic and aqueous extracts were prepared and tested against the fish Carassius auratus. The extracts were classified on the basis of their effects as: toxic if the fish died in two hours or less; moderatel...
Populations of Diadema antillarum (Philippi, 1845) have been slow to recover after their 1983 Caribbean-wide massive mortality. The continued absence of this important coral reef herbivore as well as further impacts on local and regional-scales have severely threatened the health of coral reefs. From 2008 to 2011, the population of D. antillarum an...
The coastal bays of South Florida are located downstream of the Florida Everglades, where a comprehensive restoration plan will strongly impact the hydrology of the region. Sub-merged aquatic vegetation communities are common com-ponents of benthic habitats of Biscayne Bay, and will be directly affected by changes in water quality. This study explo...
Macroalgae are modular organisms that can express different morphologies depending on the environment to which they are exposed. Their growth under varying light, temperature, and nutrient regimes, interacting with disturbance factors such as herbivory and hydrodynamics, leads to particular morphological types. The present study illustrates the pot...
RESUMEN Se hizo una revisión de la bibliografía para la región del Caribe mexicano y cubano con la finalidad de conocer la lista se especies registradas del género Udotea. Se obtuvo un total de 14 entidades para México y 19 para Cuba. Se realizaron colectas de diferentes especies del género Udotea en localidades representativas del Caribe mexicano...
Macroalgae are important components of coral reef and seagrass ecosystems; however, the habitat structure macroalgae provide to the system has been little explored. We use architectural and morphological traits of macroalgae to describe and compare the reef and lagoon habitat complexity at Puerto Morelos reef in the Mexican Caribbean. Using a rando...
RESUMEN Se hizo una revisión de la bibliografía para la región del Caribe mexicano y cubano con la finalidad de conocer la lista se especies registradas del género Udotea. Se obtuvo un total de 14 entidades para México y 19 para Cuba. Se realizaron colectas de diferentes especies del género Udotea en localidades representativas del Caribe mexicano...
Tropical coastal marine ecosystems including mangroves, seagrass beds and coral reef communities are undergoing intense degradation in response to natural and human disturbances, therefore, understanding the causes and mechanisms present challenges for scientist and managers. In order to protect our marine resources, determining the effects of nutr...
Population modeling based on species’ demography makes it possible to predict the pace of an invasion and evaluate the likelihood
of success of different control strategies. We modeled the initial (density-independent) rate of increase of Caulerpa taxifolia (Vahl) C. Agardh (aquarium strain), a green alga that has markedly altered marine communitie...
The abundance of calcareous green algae was recorded quarterly at 28 sites within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) for a period of 7 years as part of a sea grass monitoring program. To evaluate the validity of using the functional-form group approach, we designed a sampling method that included the functional-form group and the co...
The genus Blennothrix belongs to the family Oscillatoriaceae (subfamily Oscillatorioideae), differing from others in the subfamily by the presence of several trichomes in a sheath. Freshwater members of Blennothrix have been recently divided into eight species (Komárek 1998), with the taxon B. ganeshii Watanabe et Komárek reported from three sites...
Discerning patterns of spatiotemporal variation in wide areas is a basic step in understanding changes on coastal communities. Spatial autocorrelation or spatial synchrony (i.e. how populations covary in abundance over time) provides helpful information from population dynamics that allow us to detect common trends of variation at different spatial...
Caulerpa, a coenocytic marine macroalgae, is a genus characterized by having a prostrate indeterminate axis (stolon) with rhizoids and vertical axes that are potentially independent units as Caulerpa can withstand fragmentation and regenerate after a lamina or stolon are cut. This is similar to clonal growth described for vascular plants. A morphom...
