Lauren Toth

Biography

My research combines ecological approaches with paleoecology, geochemistry, climatology, and statistical modeling to determine the primary controls on coral reef development across a broad range of temporal and spatial scales. As a Mendenhall Postdoctoral Fellow in the Coastal and Marine Geology program, I am using cores of Holocene reef frameworks from throughout the Florida Keys Reef Tract to develop a comprehensive, millennial-scale reconstruction of reef development in this region. The overarching goal of my research program is to determine which combinations of local and global environmental conditions are beneficial or adverse to the growth of coral reefs and to use this information to help guide resource-management decisions.

Science and Products

Publications

Filter Total Items: 17

Year Published: 2016

A geological perspective on the degradation and conservation of western Atlantic coral reefs

Continuing coral-reef degradation in the western Atlantic is resulting in loss of ecological and geologic functions of reefs. With the goal of assisting resource managers and stewards of reefs in setting and measuring progress toward realistic goals for coral-reef conservation and restoration, we examined reef degradation in this region from a...

Kuffner, Ilsa B.; Toth, Lauren T.

Attribution: St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

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Kuffner, I. B., and L. T. Toth. 2016. A geological perspective on the degradation and conservation of western Atlantic coral reefs. Conservation Biology 30:706-715.

Year Published: 2015

A new record of the late Pleistocene coral Pocillopora palmata from the Dry Tortugas, Florida reef tract, USA

Pocilloporid corals dominated shallow-water environments in the Caribbean during much of the Cenozoic; however, the regional diversity of this family declined over the last 15 My, culminating with the extinction of its final member, Pocillopora palmata, during the latest Pleistocene. Here we present a new record of P. palmata from Dry Tortugas...

Toth, Lauren T.; Kuffner, Ilsa B.; Cheng, Hai; Edwards, R. Lawrence

Attribution: St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

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Toth, L.T., I.B. Kuffner, H. Cheng, and R.L. Edwards. 2015. A new record of the Pleistocene coral, Pocillopora palmata, from the Dry Tortugas, Florida Reef Tract, USA. PALAIOS 30: 827–835.

Year Published: 2015

Investigación del USGS sobre el ecosistema de arrecifes de coral en el Atlántico

Información General Los arrecifes de coral son estructuras sólidas, biomineralizadas que protegen comunidades costeras actuando como barreras protectoras de peligros tales como los huracanes y los tsunamis. Estos proveen arena a las playas a través de procesos naturales de erosión, fomentan la industria del turismo, las...

Kuffner, Ilsa B.; Yates, Kimberly K.; Zawada, David G.; Richey, Julie N.; Kellogg, Christina A.; Toth, Lauren T.; Torres-Garcia, Legna M.

Attribution: St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

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Kuffner, I.B., Yates, K.K., Zawada, D.G., Richey, J.N., Kellogg, C.A., Toth, L.T., and Torres-Garcia, L., 2015, Investigación del USGS sobre el ecosistema de arrecifes de coral en el Atlántico: Servicio Geológico de los Estados Unidos Hoja de Información 2015-3074, 2 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/fs20153074.

Year Published: 2015

USGS research on Atlantic coral reef ecosystems

Overview Coral reefs are massive, biomineralized structures that protect coastal communities by acting as barriers to hazards such as hurricanes and tsunamis. They provide sand for beaches through the natural process of erosion, support tourism and recreational industries, and provide essential habitat for fisheries. The continuing global...

Kuffner, Ilsa B.; Yates, Kimberly K.; Zawada, David G.; Richey, Julie N.; Kellogg, Christina A.; Toth, Lauren T.

Attribution: St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

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Kuffner, I.B., Yates, K.K., Zawada, D.G., Richey, J.N., Kellogg, C.A., and Toth, L.T., 2015, USGS research on Atlantic coral reef ecosystems: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2015-3073, 2 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/fs20153073.

Year Published: 2015

Holocene variability in the intensity of wind-gap upwelling in the tropical eastern Pacific

Wind-driven upwelling in Pacific Panamá is a significant source of oceanographic variability in the tropical eastern Pacific. This upwelling system provides a critical teleconnection between the Atlantic and tropical Pacific that may impact climate variability on a global scale. Despite its importance to oceanographic circulation, ecology,...

Toth, Lauren T.; Aronson, Richard B.; Cheng, Hai; Edwards, R. Lawrence

Attribution: St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

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Toth, L. T., R. B. Aronson, H. Cheng, and R. L. Edwards (2015), Holocene variability in the intensity of wind-gap upwelling in the tropical eastern Pacific. Paleoceanography, 30, 1113–1131. doi: 10.1002/2015PA002794.

Pre-USGS Publications

Holocene reef development in the Tropical Eastern Pacific

Toth, L.T., I.G. Macintyre, and R.B. Aronson, 2017, Holocene reef development in the Tropical Eastern Pacific. In Glynn, P.W., D.P. Manzello, and I.C. Enochs (eds). Coral Reefs of the Eastern Pacific: Persistence and Loss in a Dynamic Environment. Springer-Verlag, New York. doi: 10.1007/978-94-017-7499-4_6.

Do no-take reserves benefit Florida’s corals? 14 years of change and stasis in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

Toth, L.T., R.B. Aronson, S.R. Smith, T.J.T. Murdoch, J.C. Ogden, W.F. Precht, and R. van Woesik, 2014, Do no-take reserves benefit corals? 14 years of stasis and change on Florida’s reefs. Coral Reefs 33:565–577, doi: 10.1007/s00338-014-1158-x.

A depth refugium from catastrophic coral bleaching prevents regional extinction

Smith, T. B., Glynn, P. W., Maté, J. L., Toth, L. T. and Gyory, J., 2014, A depth refugium from catastrophic coral bleaching prevents regional extinction. Ecology, 95: 1663-1673. doi:10.1890/13-0468.1.

Lights, camera, science: The growing popularity of film festivals at scientific meetings

Staaterman, E.R., Z. Reichenbach, A. Bhandiwad, P. Gravinese, P. Moeller, A. Shantz, D.S. Shiffman, L.T. Toth, and A. Warneke, A.J. Gallagher, 2014, Lights, camera, science: The growing popularity of film festivals at scientific meetings. Ideas in Ecology and Evolution 7:11–16.

Catastrophe and the life span of coral reefs

Aronson, R. B., Precht, W. F., Macintyre, I. G. and Toth, L. T., 2012, Catastrophe and the life span of coral reefs. Ecology, 93: 303-313, doi:10.1890/11-1037.1. doi:10.1126/science.1221168.

ENSO Drove 2500-Year Collapse of Eastern Pacific Coral Reefs

Toth, L.T., R.B. Aronson, S.V. Vollmer, J.W. Hobbs, D. Urrego, H. Cheng, I.C. Enochs, D.J. Combosch, R. van Woesik, and I.G. Macintyre, 2012, ENSO drove 2500-year collapse of eastern Pacific coral reefs. Science 337:81–84.

Environmental determinants of motile cryptofauna on an eastern Pacific coral reef

Enochs IC, Toth LT, Brandtneris VW, Afflerbach JC, Manzello DP, 2011, Environmental determinants of motile cryptofauna on an eastern Pacific coral reef. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 438:105-118. doi:10.3354/meps09259.