Marsh terracing as a method for restoring estuarine habitat in Galveston Bay, Texas

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dc.acquisition-srcGBEPen_US
dc.call-noQH 541.5 .E8 G32 T-5 c.1-3 GBAYen_US
dc.call-noREF QH 541.5 .E8 G32 T-5 c.1-4 GBAYen_US
dc.call-noARCHIVE QH 541.5 .E8 G32 T-5 c.1-3 GBAYen_US
dc.contract-noGBEP T-5en_US
dc.contributor.authorRozas, Lawrence P., and Thomas J. Minelloen_US
dc.contributor.otherProceedings: The State of the Bay Symposium V. January 31 - February 2, 2001en_US
dc.date.accessioned2010-02-15T17:36:55Z
dc.date.available2010-02-15T17:36:55Z
dc.date.issued2001en_US
dc.degreeen_US
dc.descriptionpg. 29en_US
dc.description-otheren_US
dc.description.abstractTerracing is a relatively new wetland-restoration technique used to convert shallow subtidal bottom to marsh. This method uses existing bottom sediments to form terraces or ridges at marsh elevation. A terrace field composed of these ridges arranged in some pattern that maximizes intertidal edge and minimizes fetch between ridges is constructed, and the intertidal area is planted with marsh vegetation. Recently, marsh terracing was used to restore estuarine habitat at Galveston Island State Park, and additional restoration projects using this technique in Galveston Bay are planned for the future. To assess whether marsh terracing can enhance fishery habitat, we examined the habitat value of a terraced area constructed in 1991 at Sabine National Wildlife Refuge (Sabine NWR), Louisiana. We quantified and compared nekton densities in spring and fall 1999 in a terrace field and nearby reference or control area at Sabine NWR using a 1-m2 drop sampler. Decapod crustaceans were more abundant than fishes, composing 62% and 95% of all organisms we collected in spring and fall, respectively. White shrimp Litopenaeus setiferus, dagger blade grass shrimp Palaemonetes pugio, blue crab Callinectes sapidus, and brown shrimp Farfantepenaeus aztecus accounted for 94% of all crustaceans, whereas 60% of all fishes were gulf menhaden Brevoortia patronus. Mean densities of white shrimp (fall), dagger blade grass shrimp, blue crab, and brown shrimp (spring) were significantly greater in terrace marsh than over the control pond bottom. Moreover, densities of gulf menhaden and white shrimp were greater at terrace pond sites than control pond sites. Terrace marsh, however, was not functionally equivalent to natural marsh, as mean densities of dagger blade grass shrimp (fall), brown shrimp (spring), and blue crab were higher at control marsh sites than terrace marsh sites. When marsh terracing is used for compensating unavoidable damages to coastal wetlands, mitigation ratios could be adjusted to account for this lack of functional equivalency. Future restoration projects that include design changes to increase the proportion of marsh in the terrace field could enhance the habitat value of marsh terraces for fishery species. Because marsh terraces provide nursery habitat and support higher densities of most fishery species than shallow nonvegetated areas, replacing nonvegetated bottom within Galveston Bay and other northern Gulf of Mexico estuaries with terraces should benefit most species by increasing the total area of nursery habitat.en_US
dc.description.urien_US
dc.geo-codeGalvestonen_US
dc.geo-codeGulf of Mexicoen_US
dc.geo-codeGalveston Bayen_US
dc.history10/25/04 easen_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1969.3/26161
dc.latitudeen_US
dc.locationGBIC Circulating Collection; GBIC Reference Collection; GBIC Archive Collectionen_US
dc.longitudeen_US
dc.notesThe authors are representing the National Marine Fisheries Service, Galveston, Texasen_US
dc.placeAustin, TXen_US
dc.publisherTexas Natural Resource Conservation Commissionen_US
dc.relation.ispartofseries9072.00en_US
dc.relation.urihttp://gbic.tamug.edu/gbeppubs/T5/gbnep-T5.htmlen_US
dc.scaleen_US
dc.seriesen_US
dc.titleMarsh terracing as a method for restoring estuarine habitat in Galveston Bay, Texasen_US
dc.typeChapteren_US
dc.universityen_US
dc.vol-issueT-5en_US

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