Date of Award

4-2025

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Geography

First Advisor

Lisa M. DeChano-Cook, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Laiyin Zhu, Ph.D.

Third Advisor

Chansheng He, Ph.D.

Access Setting

Masters Thesis-Open Access

Abstract

Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) has led to high mortality rates of reef-building coral species throughout the greater Caribbean region since it was first documented off the coast of Miami in 2014. The pathogen is currently unknown, but it is suspected that ballast water discharge is a vector of disease transmission. As a step towards better understanding SCTLD transmission, this study aimed to identify locations of ballast water exchange that coincide with outbreaks of the disease. Spatial and temporal patterns of SCTLD outbreaks and ballast water exchanges conducted within 50 nautical miles of coastlines were explored using Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (DBSCAN). Several locations exhibiting disease clusters were examined at a smaller scale to assess potential correlations with ballast water exchange. While no statistically significant relationship was found between SCTLD and ballast water exchanges, a large volume of ballast water was discharged in close proximity to shorelines in the region. Management implications are discussed along with recommendations to improve reporting measures for future research.

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