Life Sciences Commons^™

Fishery Habitat In Estuaries Of The Gulf Of Mexico: Reflections On Geographical Variability In Salt Marsh Value And Function, Thomas J. Minello

Gulf and Caribbean Research

After 35 years working with many estuarine ecologists, I have concluded that all salt marshes are not created equal. This may seem like a trivial conclusion, but not everyone is a believer. While coastal salt marshes have many important ecological functions, their ability to support marine fisheries appears dependent on some specific characteristics. Extensive flooding of the marsh surface and a large amount of edge per area of vegetation have been identified as important in supporting production of juvenile brown shrimp (Farfantepenaeus aztecus), white shrimp (Litopenaeus setiferus), and blue crab (Callinectes sapidus). Data on other species are limited, but …