Macroinvertebrate Colonization of the Intertidal Habitat of a Dredge Spoil Island in North Florida

Macroinvertebrate colonization of the intertidal habitat of a dredge spoil island was studied for one year by collecting triplicate 0.0625-m2 x 10-cm core samples of substratum from four stations established relative to the slope of the habitat. Fauna first colonized the subtidal site, and after lapses of time appeared respectively at low, mid and high-tide stations. The total abundance and diversity of the assemblage increased significantly in the latter half of the year mainly due to the appearance of late colonizers at low and mid-tide stations. The temporal abundance patterns at the four stations were variable. Several species that initially appeared at low tide station later aggregated at other stations. While no discrete species groups formed at each station, the relative abundances of several species were related to tidal exposure gradient. This phenomenon was reflected in the species dominance hierarchy at the four stations and spatial distributions in the intertidal zone. Equilibrium between extinction and immigration rates of species did not occur within the year. The intertidal assemblages as a whole did not show stability of species composition or species abundance

Macroinvertebrate Infauna of a Salt Marsh Tidal Creek

Tidal creeks are the main avenues for exchange of materials between salt marshes and river mouth estuaries. The spatial and temporal distributions of benthic macroinvertebrate infauna of a tidal creek near St. Marks Lighthouse in northern Florida were investigated. One hundred and eleven species were found during the course of study. The numbers of species and individuals declined from the creek mouth to its origin. The results were compared to published macrobenthic invertebrate data from a nearby estuary and nearby salt marshes to determine the faunal relationships of these areas to the creek. More estuarine species than marsh species were found at the creek mouth but at the creek headwaters fewer estuarine than marsh species were found. However, numerous creek species had not been recorded from local salt marsh or estuarine locations. The evidence indicates this tidal creek to be an ecotone between the salt marsh and the adjoining estuarine habitat

New developments in vertebrate cytotaxonomy III. Karyology of bony fishes: A review

[No abstract available