Transect-Free Transect Sampling of Coral Reefs In Roatan, Honduras — Presentation Detail — Celebration of Scholars

Instructions

Student presentations must have a faculty sponsor.

Abstracts must include a title and a description of the research, scholarship, or creative work. The description should be 150-225 words in length and constructed in a format or style appropriate for the presenter’s discipline.

The following points should be addressed within the selected format or style for the abstract:

A clear statement of the problem or question you pursued, or the scholarly goal or creative theme achieved in your work.
A brief comment about the significance or uniqueness of the work.
A clear description of the methods used to achieve the purpose or goals for the work.
A statement of the conclusions, results, outcomes, or recommendations, or if the work is still in progress, the results you expect to report at the event.

Presenter photographs should be head and shoulder shots comparable to passport photos.

Additional Information

More information is available at carthage.edu/celebration-scholars/. The following are members of the Research, Scholarship, and Creativity Committee who are eager to listen to ideas and answer questions:

Jun Wang
Kim Instenes
John Kirk
Nora Nickels
Andrew Pustina
James Ripley

Transect-Free Transect Sampling of Coral Reefs In Roatan, Honduras

Name: Nicholas Sucher
Major: Environmental Science
Hometown: Germantown, WI
Faculty Sponsor:
Other Sponsors:
Type of research: Independent research

Abstract

Transect sampling is a method of assessing the distribution and abundance of organisms along a physical, linear line placed along the ground. Due to conservation measures, this physical line cannot always be placed along the surface of the study area. This study attempted to acquire a sample along an invisible transect to assess the distribution of life on a protected coral reef, utilizing various depths as transects. Through the use of scuba diving, this study counted the presence of reef life forms along invisible transects along two reef walls in Roatan, Honduras. The species of focus in this study include the common sea fan, sea plumes, azure vase sponge and the blue chromis fish. This study is located at a scuba-diving resort, which allowed for multiple transects to be applied on the same two reef walls over the course of a week. The hard and soft corals appear to have a reciprocal relationship with one another where the soft corals are of greater abundance in shallower depths and the hard corals are more abundant at greater depths. This study was not intended to study the spatial distribution of reef life, but instead was testing the feasibility and uses of transect-free transect sampling. With the outcomes of this study being positive, this method could be used in future coral reef studies.

Poster file