Date of Award
5-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences
First Advisor
Ralph G. Turingan
Second Advisor
Stephen Smith
Third Advisor
Glenn Miller
Fourth Advisor
Richard B. Aronson
Abstract
Human populations continue to grow at an unprecedented rate, and the impact on our planet and its valuable resources becomes more profound. A variety of conservation strategies, including marine protected areas (MPAs), have been implemented worldwide to restore and sustain healthy conditions of exploited populations. Numerous studies have concluded that MPAs have been effective in achieving their conservation goals. However, there is a need to investigate the physiological consequences of MPAs on fish populations in an effort to elucidate the mechanistic processes that underlie the efficacy of MPAs as a conservation tool.
This thesis explores the potential of using microchemical analysis of stress elements (magnesium, manganese, zinc, and potassium) to reveal the impacts MPAs might have on Brown Surgeonfish (Acanthurus nigrofuscus). To investigate this, the following research questions were proposed: (1) Is there a variation in the concentration of stress elements between fish collected in Marine Protected Areas MPAs vs. Adjacent Fished Reefs AFR? (2) Is there a sex-specific variation in stress elemental concentrations of the otolith within and between MPAs and AFR? (3) Is there a stage-specific variation in stress elemental concentrations of the otolith within and between MPAs and AFRs?
The stress element concentrations in the otoliths were effective in distinguishing differences in conspecific fish between MPAs and AFRs. However, the microchemical analysis revealed that each element responded differently, suggesting fish in AFRs experience more variable and potentially higher stress, supporting that MPAs promote healthier and more stable populations.
Recommended Citation
Boodoosingh, Andrew Neil Alfred, "Relative Concentration of Stress Chemicals in the Otolith of Brown Surgeonfish (Acanthurus nigrofuscus) Between Two Stress Regimes" (2026). Theses and Dissertations. 1626.
https://repository.fit.edu/etd/1626