Using GIS to Analyze the Effect of Multiple Threats on Caribbean Corals

• Other Authors: Stats, Anastasia Katherine (Author), Polidoro, Beth (Thesis Director), Sulikowski, James (Committee Member), School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, Barrett, The Honors College
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2021
• Subjects: Coral; Caribbean; GIS; Ocean Acidification; Sea surface temperature; fishing; Ocean acidification
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2286/R.I.63203

abstract: This thesis utilizes GIS mapping to analyze the severity of four threats: ocean acidification, sea surface temperature, artisanal fishing, and destructive fishing, in conjunction with coral species distribution. This project produced maps that depicts each of these threats and shows the distribution of its severity. Compiling this data we can see that ocean acidification is the most pressing threat in the Caribbean to coral and that neither type of fishing really has a large effect. A species named Madracis carmabi is also flagged to be of particular concern as it is severely threatened by both ocean acidification and sea surface temperature. (abstract)