We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Subtidal Fish Habitat in a Temperate Lagoonal Estuary: Comparison of Salt Marsh Creeks, Sand, and Seagrass.
- Authors
Valenti, Jessica L.; Grothues, Thomas M.; Able, Kenneth W.
- Abstract
Temperate lagoonal estuaries contain a mosaic of subtidal habitats including salt marsh creeks, sand, and seagrass. Studies comparing fish use of estuarine habitats have focused disproportionately on sand and seagrass habitats, and along the U.S. east coast, previous studies that have made the direct comparison between subtidal salt marsh creeks, sand, and seagrass habitats were spatially narrow in scope. Here, we performed a comprehensive comparison of fish species composition, abundance, diversity, richness, and fish lengths across subtidal salt marsh creek (upper creek and creek mouth sites), sand, and seagrass habitats within a temperate lagoonal estuary. Daytime otter trawl sampling occurred at 45 sites within Barnegat Bay (New Jersey) in April, June, August, and October during 2012–2014. Seventy species representing estuarine transients, residents, southern strays, and shelf strays were observed, and juvenile and small adult fishes dominated the collections. There were some differences in species composition between habitats, with the assemblages in upper creek and seagrass habitats being the most dissimilar. Fish abundance, diversity, and richness were often higher in creek mouth and seagrass habitats than in sand habitat. Similar to seagrass habitats, creek mouths were shallow, more saline, and contained complex physical structure (macroalgae, marsh banks). Many fishes used all habitats (e.g., bay anchovy Anchoa mitchilli), but others were partial to certain habitats (e.g., fourspine stickleback Apeltes quadracus in seagrass). This study reaffirmed that many interacting factors shape fish assemblages and demonstrated the significance of marsh creeks to the subtidal habitat mosaic of this temperate lagoonal estuary.
- Subjects
BARNEGAT Bay (N.J.); NEW Jersey; FISH habitats; SALT marshes; SEAGRASSES; SAND; ESTUARIES; POSIDONIA; ZOSTERA marina; ESTUARINE fishes
- Publication
Estuaries & Coasts, 2023, Vol 46, Issue 1, p246
- ISSN
1559-2723
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s12237-022-01119-0