Defense Date

4-29-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

Master of Science

Degree Name

Marine Science

First Advisor

Christopher Blanar

Second Advisor

David Kerstetter

Third Advisor

Joanna Cielocha

Keywords

Stingray, Hypanus, parasite community, diversity survey, cestode, trematode, monogenean

Abstract

The relationship between natural enemies and their prey has a huge effect on community structure and must be considered for the proper management of ecosystems. In marine or estuarine systems, most elasmobranchs (sharks, rays, skates, chimaeras) play the trophic role of secondary consumers (mesopredators) or top-level positions that are vulnerable to few predators. Studies have shown that for organisms at these trophic levels, parasites are the primary natural enemies regulating host populations. Despite the wide distribution, abundance, and accessibility of the stingrays Hypanus sabinus and Hypanus say, their parasite-host interactions remain poorly known. I therefore surveyed the parasites of Hypanus spp. stingrays in the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) estuary. My results indicate that these stingrays host a diverse community of endo-helminths, including monogeneans, digeneans, and cestodes. A better understanding of these communities will provide unique insights into the trophic ecology of stingrays inhabiting the IRL system, revealing information on host diet and ecosystem diversity in a seemingly disrupted ecosystem. For example, the parasite communities of IRL stingrays are consistent with those of conspecifics in other study areas; furthermore, the composition of these parasite communities implies trophic relationships suggesting that the IRL food web remains relatively healthy for a habitat that is frequently characterized as urbanized or otherwise heavily degraded.

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