Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Habitat Use By Nekton In A Saltmarsh Estuary Along A Stream-Order Gradient In Northeastern Barataria Bay, Louisiana, Pablo Granados-Dieseldorff

LSU Master's Theses

Mesohaline estuarine regions in Louisiana play an important role in coastal ecosystems. To begin to understand how nektonic species and communities respond to environmental variables before habitat modification, I examined patterns of habitat use by fishes and decapod crustaceans in a seemingly pristine mesohaline system that drains into Bay Batiste, southeastern Louisiana. The study area was focused on a relatively unaltered core saltmarsh complex drained by intertidal and subtidal streams and it was representative of a larger surrounding system in terms of nekton community structure and associated environmental variables. Stratified monthly sampling (February – November 2004) along a stream-order gradient …