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INFLUENCE OF FRESHWATER INPUT ON THE HABITAT VALUE OF OYSTER REEFS IN THREE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA ESTUARIES.
Citation:
Tolley, S. G., A. K. Volety, M. Savarese, AND J T. Winstead. INFLUENCE OF FRESHWATER INPUT ON THE HABITAT VALUE OF OYSTER REEFS IN THREE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA ESTUARIES. Presented at 95th Annual Meeting of the National Shellfisheries Association, New Orleans, LA, Apr 13-17, 2003.
Description:
In order to examine the influence of freshwater input on the habitat value of oyster reefs, a spatiotemporal comparison of reef-resident fishes and decapod crustaceans was conducted during three seasonally dry and three seasonally wet months in three Southwest Florida estuaries: the Caloosahatchee and Estero rivers, and the Faka-Union Canal. Lift nets containing 5 liters of oyster clusters were deployed monthly at three sites along the salinity gradient of each system. Salinities within each system varied both spatially and seasonally, with mean salinities being significantly higher downstream and significantly lower during wet months. Analysis of variance also indicated significant spatial and seasonal differences in the community metrics examined. Overall results suggested that abundance, biomass, and species richness of reef-resident organisms increased downstream where salinities were higher. Diversity (H') and richness were also greatest downstream in the Caloosahatchee, but diversity in the Faka-Union was highest upstream. In general, both biomass and diversity exhibited a significant positive correlation with salinity. Our results suggest that freshwater input (salinity) plays a significant role in structuring oyster-reef communities in southwest Florida estuaries. These results can be used to inform water management practices as well as efforts at oyster-reef restoration.