Date of Award
Spring 2006
Document Type
Legacy Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science (BS)
Department
Marine Science
College
College of Science
First Advisor
Kenneth Small
Abstract/Description
This study tests for difference between pristine and impacted sites using replicated artificial structures placed in distinctly different areas of Winayh Bay allowing me to quantify the affects of environmental and anthropogenic influences on faunal composition, diversity and richness. This thought lends that prey availability could be seen as a significant factor in determining blue crab abundance and distribution, along with nursery habitats and predator abundance. Prey species and associated organisms are good indicators of the health of an estuarine system due to the fact that they are often immobile (Connell, 1961) and typically exist at higher abundances than blue crabs. With this in mind, it should follow suit that these marine organisms distribute themselves in their environment accordingly so that they are less stressed and have a better chance for growth and survival (Posey et al., 2005).
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Corbin, Ryan, "Influence of Structure and Anthropogenic Inputs on Blue Crab, Callinectes sapidus, and Associated Estuarine Fauna" (2006). Honors Theses. 188.
https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/honors-theses/188