Population Studies of Fin-Fish on Artificial Shell Reefs in Corpus Christi Bay and the Upper Laguna Madre

Four artificial reefs and four control stations were sampled each month with a modified otter trawl. Breakwater Reef, in Corpus Christi Bay, yielded more organisms than any other location sampled. Breakwater Reef Control Station was the second most productive area. Oso Reef Control Station yielded more than Oso Reef Station. Catches from the Laguna Madre were always small but the reefs were always more productive than the controls. Brown shrimp, Penaeus aztecus; white shrimp, P. setiferus; bay anchovy, Anchoa mitchilli; and Atlantic croaker, Micropogon undulatus, were the four most abundant species taken. Habitat appears to have been improved in the Laguna Madre but not in Corpus Christi Bay.