Nekton of new seagrass habitats colonizing a subsided salt marsh in Galveston Bay, Texas

Abstract

Subsidence and erosion of intertidal salt marsh at Galveston Island State Park, Texas, created new areas of subtidal habitat that were colonized by seagrasses begining in 1999. We quantified and compared habitat characteristics and nekton densities in monospecific beds of stargrassHalophila engelmanni and shoalgrassHalodule wrightii as well as adjacent nonvegetated substrates. We collected 10 replicates per habitat type during April, July, October, and December 2001. Most habitat characteristics varied with season. Water temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen were similar among habitat types. Turbidity and depth were greatest inH. engelmanni beds and least inH. wrightii beds.H. engelmanni exhibited shorter leaves and higher shoot density and biomass core−1 thanH. wrightii. Densities of almost all dominant species of nekton (fishes and decapods) were seasonally variable, all were higher in seagrass habitats than in nonvegetated habitats, and most were higher in one seagrass species than the other. Naked gobyGobiosoma bosc, code gobyGobiosoma robustum, bigclaw snapping shrimpAlpheus heterochaelis, and blue crabCallinectes sapidus, were most abundant inH. engelmanni. Brown shrimpFarfantepenaeus aztecus, brackish grass shrimpPalaemonetes intermedius, and daggerblade grass shrimpPalaemonetes pugio were most abundant inH. wrightii. PinfishLagodon rhomboides and pink shrimFarfantepenaeus duorarum were equally abundant in either seagrass. Most dominant nekton varied in size by month, but only two (L. rhomboides andC. sapidus) exhibited habitat-related differences in size. Nekton densities in these new seagrass habitats equaled or exceeded densities associated with historical and current intertidal smooth cordgrassSpartina alterniflora marsh. Continued seagrass expansion and persistence should ensure ecosystem productivity in spite of habitat change.