Vaughn CCFisher FMEstuaries2010-02-152010-02-151992http://hdl.handle.net/1969.3/23046246-250This paper documents horizontal and vertical dispersion patterns of a Texas population of the salt-marsh periwinkle, Littoraria irrorata , over a 15-month period. The study was conducted within a tidal marsh on the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge in Galveston Bay. Two mark-recapture experiments demonstrated that L. irrorata rarely move more than 2 m from their release point over long periods of time and do not home to individual Spartina plants. Adult L. irrorata forage farther away from the base of Spartina stalks at low tide than do juvenile snails. Remaining near the plant base may decrease both temperature and desiccation stress on juveniles. During warm months, L. irrorata climb grass stalks with tidal inundation and forage on the substratum at low tide. Snails are inactive and aggregate in detrital debris at the base of Spartina clumps during the winteractivity patternsASW,USA,Texas,Galveston Bay,Anahuac Natl.Wildl.RefugeBody sizeD 04658 MolluscsDispersionDOdocumentsGalveston BayJuvenilesLittoraria irrorataO 1070 BIOLOGICAL OCEANOGRAPHY/ ECOLOGYQ1 01261 GeneralQ1 01421 Migrations and rhythmsQ1 01422 Environmental effectsQ1 01423 BehaviorSalt marshesseasonal variationsSpartinaSpartina alternifloraStressSubstrataTemperatureTexastidal effectsUSAUSA,Texasvertical migrationswaterWater LevelWater levelswinterJournal