Temporal development of salt marsh value for nekton and epifauna: utilization of dredged material marshes in Galveston Bay, Texas, USA.

摘要: Densities of nekton and other fauna were measured inthree created salt marshes to examine habitatdevelopment rate. All three located onPelican Spit in Galveston Bay, Texas, USA werecreated on dredged material from the Gulf IntracoastalWaterway. The youngest marsh was planted 1-mcenters July 1992. At time sampling wasinitiated fall 1992, 9, 5, andless than 1 year age; continued thefall spring through 1994. Animaldensities within vegetation at twoelevations using an enclosure sampler. In of1992, 4 months following planting 92Marsh,densities most organisms lower thismarsh compared with older two marshes. Significantly densities observed fordominant crustaceans (including species grassshrimps, commercially-important penaeidshrimps, thinstripe hermit crabs Clibanarius vittatus,and juvenile blue Callinectes sapidus), adominant fish (Gobionellus boleosoma), thedominant mollusc (Littoraria irrorata). By fallof 1993, however, specieswere similar among Incontrast, reduced less mobile epifauna(C. vittatusand L. irrorata) persisted 92Marshthroughout 2 years sampling. patterns ofnekton utilization exhibited these suggestthat 92Marsh reached its maximum habitat supportfunction for animals year. Comparisons natural marshesin bay system, suggest that all ofthese are functioning levelsthan terms supporting productionof commercially important fishery such aspenaeid shrimps C. sapidus.