Abstract
Eutrophication of coastal ecosystems and decline of essential benthic ecosystems are growing concerns globally. Understanding the drivers associated with a response of an indicator species at an ecosystem or even regional-scale hinges on a robust evaluation of data that spans both space and time. Consistent data, suitable and methodical data-handling procedures, appropriate statistical evaluation and logical assessment of hypotheses are essential. Lapointe et al. (Mar Biol 166:108, 2019) suggest that decline of stony coral at Looe Key reef is attributed to local and regional (i.e., discharge > 200 km away) nutrient discharges causing eutrophication of coastal waters and the degradation of essential habitat. Furthermore, Lapointe et al. (Mar Biol 166:108, 2019) posit that the restored freshwater flows to the Everglades ecosystem is a causative agent for the observed coral decline observed at Looe Key Reef. While the decline in coral coverage is alarming, rigorous statistical analysis is needed to attribute a true cause-and-effect relationship. This commentary discusses data handling techniques, the application of statistical methods, interoperability of data and evaluation of hypotheses presented by Lapointe et al. (Mar Biol 166:108, 2019) specific to Looe Key reef within the Florida Key Marine Sanctuary. This commentary is not merely a critique of the statistics used by the authors but rather the inappropriate statistical methods utilized and how it affects the acceptance or rejection of the authors’ hypotheses and the overall conclusions drawn.
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Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Kenneth Weaver, Fred Sklar, Edward C Smith, Frank Powell, Jordon Tedio, Alyssa Gilhooly, and Tom Frazier, the anonymous reviewers and editor for their review and input that ultimately improved the quality of this manuscript. I would also like to acknowledge The Southeast Environmental Research Center at Florida International University for providing Florida Key’s National Marine Sanctuary water quality data and too many staff from South Florida Water Management District, Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, National Park Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Marine Sanctuaries, Florida International University, University of Florida, National Audubon Society, University of Miami and The Everglades Foundation to count for thoughtful and engaging discussion on this topic. The views and opinions expressed here do not reflect those of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection or University of Florida but those of the author.
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Julian, P. Getting the science right to protect and restore our environment. A critique of Lapointe et al. (2019) Nitrogen enrichment, altered stoichiometry, and coral reef decline at Looe Key, Florida Keys, USA: a 3-decade study. Mar Biol 167, 68 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-020-3667-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-020-3667-1