Components of the seston and possible available food for oysters in Galveston Bay, Texas.

Abstract

Seasonal changes in components of the seston such as particulate lipid, carbohydrate and protein as well as chlorophyll a, particulate inorganic matter (PIM), ash-free dry weight (AFDW) and seston dry weight (DW) were measured over an annual cycle in Galveston Bay, Tex. Food for the oyster was defined as the sum of the concentrations of lipid, carbohydrate and protein; a food index was calculated as the percentage food in the total seston.