Negative relationships between the nutrient and carbohydrate content of the seagrass Thalassia testudinum

This study documents relationships between plant nutrient content and rhizome carbohydrate content of a widely distributed seagrass species, Thalassia testudinum, in Florida. Five distinct seagrass beds were sampled for leaf nitrogen, leaf phosphorus, and rhizome carbohydrate content from 1997 to 1999. All variables displayed marked intra- and inter- regional variation. Elemental ratios (mean N:P ± S.E.) were lowest for Charlotte Harbor (9.9 ± 0.2) and highest for Florida Bay (53.5 ± 0.9), indicating regional shifts in the nutrient content of plant material. Rhizome carbohydrate content (mean ± S.E.) was lowest for Anclote Keys (21.8 ± 1.6 mg g−1 FM), and highest for Homosassa Bay (40.7 ± 1.7 mg g−1 FM). Within each region, significant negative correlations between plant nutrient and rhizome carbohydrate content were detected; thus, nutrient-replete plants displayed low carbohydrate content, while nutrient-deplete plants displayed high carbohydrate content. Spearman's rank correlations between nutrient and carbohydrate content varied from a minimum in Tampa Bay (ρ = −0.2) to a maximum in Charlotte Harbor (ρ = −0.73). Linear regressions on log-transformed data revealed similar trends. This consistent trend across five distinct regions suggests that nutrient supply may play an important role in the regulation of carbon storage within seagrasses. Here we present a new hypothesis for studies which aim to explain the carbohydrate dynamics of benthic plants.

Deadlift

Up till now, Florida detective fiction has prowled through the hot, sexy, slightly bizarre babel of South Florida. Deadlift reveals a different Florida. DEADLIFT, set in the mid-1980s, is situated in central Florida in Winter Haven, located between Orlando and Tampa. DEADLIFT reveals Bubba Simms, a Sheriff's Department sergeant, who kills the man who raped his wife and, then, conceals the crime. He leaves the police community to become a private detective. While he searches for truth in his detective work, he is compelled to face the reality of his crumbling marriage. Bubba Simms begins to find the isolation of Sam Spade and Phillip Marlowe. While the novel is action-driven, DEADLIFT depicts the humor, character, and community of a Florida that clings to the traditional South while being changed by the influx of others.