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Nearshore Ichthyoplankton Associated With Seagrass Beds In The Lower Chesapeake Bay, Je Olney, Gw Boehlert

VIMS Articles

Estuaries serve as important nursery habitats for larvae and juveniles of many species of fishes and invertebrates. Within the estuary, however, partitioning may occur among main channel. mud flat, tidal creek, and vegetated habitats. In this study we describe the egg, larval, and juvenile fish assemblages in shallow areas of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) of the lower Chesapeake Bay and compare them with those over the adjacent, shallow sand habitat. Densities at night over all habitats were about 1 order of magnitude higher than daytime densities, and were highest in summer. The SAV habitats were not important spawning sites for …