Effects of caging juvenile predators on benthic infaunal populations at experimental open bay disposal areas in Galveston Bay, Texas

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dc.acquisition-srcen_US
dc.call-noQH 91.8 .N37 M56 c.1-2 GBAYen_US
dc.call-noQH 91.8 .N37 M56en_US
dc.contract-noen_US
dc.contributor.authorMinello, Thomas J. and Ronald Wooten, Jr.en_US
dc.contributor.otheren_US
dc.date.accessioned2010-02-15T17:36:22Z
dc.date.available2010-02-15T17:36:22Z
dc.date.issued1993en_US
dc.degreeen_US
dc.description73 pgs.en_US
dc.description-otheren_US
dc.description.abstractPredator enclosure experiments were conducted in the spring and fall of 1992 at control plots and experimental plots (which were made of dredge material) in Galveston Bay in order to the examine the trophic relationships between macrobentic and nektonic consumers and benthic infaunal prey. Caged for a period of 3-5 days were juvenile brown shrimp, sciaenid fish, white shrimp, and blue crabs. Survival of crustacean predators in the cages was high, while none of the experimental fish survived. The impact of enclosed predators on the benthic infauna was determined by comparing biomass and infaunal density in treatment cages with control cages which contained no predators. Growth of the predators was also measured. The most abundant infaunal group, the annelids, appeared not to experience any predation by experimental predators. Previous research had shown that annelids were commonly eaten in the diets of these predators and were a valuable prey item. Annelid densities at the plots may have been too low to allow efficient exploitation by predators. It did not appear that blue crabs fed on an infauna although positive crab growth was measured at the control plots. Growth rates of the blue crab were significantly reduced at experimental plots with dredged material. Juvenile brown shrimp and white shrimp fed on small mollusks and amphipods. Prey reduction was greater at control polts than at experimental plots. This suggests that dredged material sediments provided fewer prey. Shrimp growth rates were not significantly different among the plots.en_US
dc.description.urihttp://gbic.tamug.edu/request.htmen_US
dc.geo-codeTexasen_US
dc.geo-codeGalveston Bayen_US
dc.history7/20/07 easen_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1969.3/26092
dc.latitudeen_US
dc.locationGBIC Circulating Collection; TAMUG Circulating Collectionen_US
dc.longitudeen_US
dc.notesReport to: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston Districten_US
dc.placeGalveston, TXen_US
dc.publisherNational Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Center,en_US
dc.relation.ispartofseries9010.00en_US
dc.relation.urien_US
dc.scaleen_US
dc.seriesen_US
dc.subjectnektonen_US
dc.subjectbenthosen_US
dc.subjectdredge spoilen_US
dc.subjectfish populationen_US
dc.subjectfeedingen_US
dc.subjectfeedsen_US
dc.subjectdredging spoilen_US
dc.subjectenvironmental aspectsen_US
dc.subjectfish populationsen_US
dc.subjecthouston ship channelen_US
dc.subjectgalveston ship channelen_US
dc.subjectenvironmental conditionsen_US
dc.titleEffects of caging juvenile predators on benthic infaunal populations at experimental open bay disposal areas in Galveston Bay, Texasen_US
dc.typeBooken_US
dc.universityen_US
dc.vol-issueen_US

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