A note on winter temperature variations in a shallow seagrass flat.

Hourly temperature reading over a 69 day period in winter 1973-1974 are used to characterize both diurnal and longer period temperature variations in a shallow seagrass (Ruppia maritima, Halodule wrightii) flat along the Texas coast. The average diurnal temperature variation has a range of about 2.4degree. C and includes 8 h of warming, starting at about 0800, followed by 16 h of relatively slow cooling. Longer term, quasi-periodic temperature variations occur at intervals of 11-13 days in response to frontal passages. Temperatures fall between 8-14 degree C in the first two days following the frontal passage, before rapid warming begins.; $