FINAL REPORT BENTHIC SAMPLES TAKEN FROM THE PADRE ISLAND NATIONAL SEASHORE Paul A. Montagna, Principal Investigator Technical Report Number TR/92-002 FINAL REPORT BENTHIC SAMPLES TAKEN FROM THE PADRE ISLAND NATIONAL SEASHORE by Paul A. Montagna, Principal Investigator from University of Texas at Austin Marine Science Institute P.O. Box 1267 Port Aransas, Texas 78373 to United States Department of Interior National Park Service Padre Island National Seashore 9405 South Padre Island Drive Corpus Christi, Texas 78418 The University of Texas Marine Science Institute Technical Report Number TR/92-002/ September 1992 BENTHIC SAMPLES TAKEN FROM THE PADRE ISLAND NATIONAL SEASHORE TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION METHODS 1 Study Site 1 Hydrographic Measurements 2 Biological Measurements 2 RESULTS 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 2 REFERENCES 3 BENTHIC SAMPLES TAKEN FROM THE PADRE ISLAND NATIONAL SEASHORE INTRODUCTION From March 1989 through January 1992 sediment samples were taken from subtidalareaswithintheboundaryofthePadreIsland NationalSeashore. Thesesamples were taken as part of a large multidisciplinary study to determine how a hot, hypersaline estuary is able to maintain a large commercial finfishery harvest. The Laguna Madre and Baffin Bay produced 53% of Texas’ total commercial finfish harvest during 1962-1987 (TPWD, 1988). The research program focused on primary production and the utilization of that production by the food webs. Specific objectives of the research program were to determine the: biotic and abiotic factors affecting primary production relative contribution of seagrasses, macroalgae, and phytoplankton to primary production relative contribution of these producers to finfish biomass effects of species diversity and food-chain length on nutrient recycling and maintaining finfish production consumption of primary production by plankton and benthos rates of secondary production in the plankton and benthos determine the role of the grazing and detrital food-chains in maintaining estuarine productivity. This report is on just one component, the benthic component. Only one station occupied during this study was within the Park Service boundaries. METHODS Study Site The station within Park boundaries was located just east of Intracoastal Waterway marker number 155. The station was characterized by sand-shell hash sediments that supported seagrass growth. The dominant seagrass was Halodule wrightii. During each sampling trip hydrographic measurements were made, and sediment samples were taken to assess the benthic biota. Hydrographic Measurements Salinity, conductivity, temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, and redox potential were measured at the surface and bottom at each station during each sampling trip. Measurements were made by lowering a probe made by Hydrolab Instruments. Salinities levels are automatically corrected to 25 °C. The manufacturer states that the accuracy of salinity measurements are 0.1 ppt. When the Hydrolab instrument was not working, water samples were collected from just beneath the surface and from the bottom in jars, and refractometer readings were made at the surface. Biological Measurements Sediment was sampled with core tubes held by divers. The macrofauna were sampled with a tube 6.7 cm in diameter, and sectioned at depth intervals of 0-3 cm and 3-10 cm. Three replicates were taken within a 2 m radius. Samples were preserved with 5% buffered formalin, sieved on 0.5 mm mesh screens, sorted, identified, and counted. RESULTS Results of the hydrographic measurements are shown in Table 1. A total of 18 periods were sampled. Three sediment cores were taken at each sampling trip for a total of fifty four cores. Because of time and manpower constraints, sediment samples from only four out of 18 trips were ever analyzed. As of this writing, there are no plans to analyzed the archived samples. A taxonomic list of all species collected is given in Table 2. A list of all species found on each sampling date in given in Table 3. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This material is based in part upon work supported by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Advanced Technology Program under Grant No. 4541 (and 3658­264). ATP Grant no. 4541; "Laguna Madre Estuary: how does a hot hypersaline lagoon maintain a large fishery?" 6/1/88 8/31/90. ATP Grant no. 3658-264: "What maintains -- high finfish productivity in the Laguna Madre Estuary?" 11/1/89 8/31/92. REFERENCES Texas Parks and Wildlife. 1988. Trends in Texas Commercial fishery landings, 1977-1987. Management Data Series, No. 149. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Coastal Fisheries Branch. Austin, Texas. Table 1. Hydrographic measurements. Padre Island National Seashore station east of Intracoastal Waterway Marker 155. Abbreviations: STA = Station, Z Depth, = = == SAL(R) Salinity by refractometer, SAL(M) Salinity by meter, COND Conductivity, = DO dissolved and ORP = oxidation redox Missing values show with a period. TEMP=Temperature, oxygen, potential. Date STA z SAL(R) SAL(M) COND TEMP PH DO ORP (m) (ppt) (ppt) (uS/cm) (°C) (mg-I'1) (mV) 30NOV88 155 0.00 49 48.2 69.90 16.50 10.20 30NOV88 155 1.00 48.2 69.90 16.50 10.00 23MAR89 155 0.00 38.0 16.30 24MAR89 155 1.50 38.0 20.10 16MAY89 155 0.00 29.0 27.50 17MAY89 155 1.00 36.0 28.60 10JUL89 155 1.00 35.0 30.00 11JUL89 155 1.00 38.0 26.00 12JUL89 155 1.00 36.0 28.00 07NOV89 155 0.00 53.1 76.00 24.60 7.90 7.50 07NOV89 155 1.50 53.1 76.00 24.70 7.90 7.20 17JAN90 155 1.00 50.0 18.00 18JAN90 155 1.00 47.0 18.00 17APR90 155 0.00 49.2 71.90 23.39 8.14 5.69 17APR90 155 1.00 49.3 72.00 23.39 8.20 5.64 27JUL90 155 0.00 42.2 62.80 29.95 8.76 6.96 0.108 27JUL90 155 1.00 41.9 62.50 29.80 8.76 6.79 0.105 080CT90 155 0.00 53.7 77.70 28.00 8.63 4.60 0.043 080CT90 155 1.30 54.0 78.10 28.00 8.62 4.15 0.022 17JAN91 155 0.00 42 42.3 62.90 16.00 8.34 7.59 0.141 17JAN91 155 0.90 42 42.3 62.90 15.97 8.33 7.58 0.141 22FEB91 155 0.00 42 37.3 56.20 15.87 8.36 11.36 0.156 22FEB91 155 1.00 42 37.4 56.20 15.88 8.36 11.33 0.156 18MAR91 155 32 32.9 18MAR91 155 32 17APR91 155 0.00 48 46.8 68.70 26.36 8.12 8.22 0.127 17APR91 155 1.10 48 47.0 69.10 26.40 8.15 8.26 0.129 23JUN91 155 0.00 37 37.0 55.90 30.89 8.45 7.28 0.143 23JUN91 155 0.90 37 37.1 55.90 30.83 8.38 7.28 0.145 11JUL91 155 0.00 34.3 52.00 30.83 8.10 7.77 0.189 11JUL91 155 0.90 34.3 52.00 30.84 8.09 7.80 0.187 170CT91 155 0.00 40 38.5 57.50 26.98 8.64 7.74 0.128 170CT91 155 1.10 38.5 57.80 26.89 8.53 7.63 0.130 21JAN92 155 0.00 28 28.2 43.70 10.63 8.64 9.53 0.125 21JAN92 155 1.10 28 28.3 43.70 10.64 8.64 9.47 0.125 Table 2. Species list. Padre Island National Seashore station east of Intracoastal Waterway Marker 155. Total number (r?) of individual taxa found over entire study period (total of 12 sediment cores). The sediment core size was 6.7 cm diameter taken to a depth of 10 cm. n Taxa Cnidaria Anthozoa Anthozoa (unidentified) 7 Platyhelminthes Turbellaria 3 Turbellaria (unidentified) Rynchocoela Rhynchocoel (unidentified) 13 Mollusca Gastropoda Cerithiidae Diastoma varium 33 Ceritheum lutosum 5 Caecidae Caecum pulchellum 405 Columbellidae Anachis semiplicata 1 Nassariidae Nassarius vibex 1 Pyramidellidae Turbonilla sp. 4 Sayella crosseana 2 Crepidulidae Crepidula fornicata 4 Pelecypoda Mytilidae Amygdalum papyrium 10 Brachidontes exustus 18 Cardiidae Laevicardium mortoni 2 Veneridae Chione cancellata 2 Annelida Polychaeta Hesionidae Parahesione luteola 7 Syllidae Sphaerosyllis of. sublaevis 179 Brania furcelligera 160 Exogone sp. 105 Opisthosyilis sp. 706 28 Syllidae (unidentified) Nereidae Nereidae (unidentified) 24 Goniadidae Glycinde solitaria 3 Dorvilleidae Schistomeringos rudolphi 10 Spionidae Polydora ligni 9 Prionospio heterobranchia 225 Streblospio benedicti 13 Spio setosa 3 Magelonidae Magelona pettiboneae 2 Orbiniidae 5 Haploscoloplos foliosus 1 Scoloplos rubra Capitellidae Capitella capitata 16 Mediomastus californiensis 11 Heteromastus filiformis 9 Capitellidae (unidentified) 2 Maldanidae 4 Branchioasychis americana 1 Clymenella mucosa Ampharetidae Melinna maculata 1 Sabellidae Chone sp. 24 Sabellidae (unidentified) 40 Spiorbidae Spiorbis 43 sp. Polychaete juv. (unidentified) 3 Oligochaeta Oligochaetes (unidentified) 30 Crustacea Ostracoda Myodocopa Sarsiella zostericola 6 Malacostraca Natantia Hippolytidae Hippolyte zostericola 1 Cumacea Oxyurostylis salinoi Amphipoda Ampeliscidae Ampelisca abdita Corophiidae Cerapus tubularis Grandidierella bonnieroides 13 6 1 146 Caprellidae Caprellid Amphilochidae Amphilochus sp. Amphithoidae 26 1 Cymadusa compta Melitidae 19 Elasmopus sp. Isopoda Idoteidae 19 Edotea montosa 10 Erichsonella attenuata 26 Sphaeromatidae Cymodoce faxoni Tanaidacea 50 Tanaidae Leptochelia rapax Pycnogonida Pycnogonid (unidentified) 1 1 Table 3. Species abundance at each date. Padre Island National Seashore station east of Intracoastal Waterway Marker 155. Total number (n) of individuals found in three replicate sediment cores. The sediment core size was 6.7 cm diameter taken to a depth of 10 cm. Date Species n MAR89 Opisthosyilis sp. 507 MAR89 254 Caecum pulchellum MAR89 Sphaerosyllis cf. sublaevis 77 MAR89 Prionospio heterobranchia 59 MAR89 56 Brania furcelligera MAR89 Exogone sp. 22 MAR89 Syllidae (unidentified) 17 MAR89 Diastema varium 13 MAR89 Oligochaetes (unidentified) 12 MAR89 Cymodoce faxoni 10 MAR89 Erichsonella attenuata 10 MAR89 Brachidontes exustus 10 MAR89 Grandidierella bonnieroides 8 MAR89 Parahesione luteola 7 MAR89 Schistomeringos rudolphi 7 MAR89 Mediomastus californiensis 7 MAR89 Oxyurostylis salinoi 7 MAR89 Sabellidae (unidentified) 7 MAR89 Amygdalum papyrium 5 MAR89 Polydora ligni 3 MAR89 Branchioasychis americana 3 MAR89 Nereidae (unidentified) 3 MAR89 Cymadusa compta 3 MAR89 Rhynchocoel (unidentified) 2 MAR89 Laevicardium mortoni 2 MAR89 Elasmopus sp. 2 MAR89 Spierbis sp. 2 MAR89 1 Anthozoa (unidentified) MAR89 Glycinde solitaria 1 MAR89 Magelona pettiboneae 1 MAR89 Capitella capitata 1 MAR89 Melinna maculata 1 MAR89 1 Leptochelia rapax MAR89 Edotea montosa 1 MAR89 1 Caprellid MAR89 Sarsiella zostericola 1 MAR89 Chione cancellata 1 MAR89 Hippolyte zostericola 1 MAR89 Polychaete juv. (unidentified) 1 TOTAL 1127 MAY89 Grandidierella bonnieroides 129 MAY89 Opisthosyilis sp. 98 MAY89 Brania furcelligera 57 MAY89 Sphaerosyllis cf. sublaevis 53 MAY89 Exogone sp. 53 MAY89 Caecum pulchellum 51 MAY89 Prionospio heterobranchia 41 MAY89 Cymodoce faxoni 33 MAY89 Sabellidae (unidentified) 23 MAY89 Caprellid 19 MAY89 Elasmopus sp. 14 MAY89 Cymadusa compta 13 MAY89 Syllidae (unidentified) 9 MAY89 Spiorbis sp. 9 MAY89 Chone sp. 8 MAY89 Capitella capitata 7 MAY89 Oxyurostylis salinoi 6 MAY89 Erichsonella attenuata 6 MAY89 Brachidontes exustus 6 MAY89 Heteromastus filiformis 5 MAY89 Ampelisca abdita 5 MAY89 Diastema varium 5 MAY89 Rhynchocoel (unidentified) 4 MAY89 Mediomastus californiensis 4 MAY89 Amygdalum papyrium 3 MAY89 Edotea montosa 3 MAY89 Nereidae (unidentified) 3 MAY89 Turbellaria (unidentified) 3 MAY89 Schistomeringos rudolphi 2 MAY89 Polydora ligni 2 MAY89 Haploscoloplos foliosus 2 MAY89 Capitellidae (unidentified) 2 MAY89 Sarsiella zostericola 2 MAY89 Ceritheum lutosum 2 MAY89 Anachis semiplicata 1 MAY89 Polychaete juv. (unidentified) TOTAL 684 JUL89 Prionospio heterobranchia 125 JUL89 Opisthosyilis sp. 101 JUL89 Sphaerosyllis cf. sublaevis 49 JUL89 Brania furcelligera 47 JUL89 Spiorbis sp. 32 JUL89 Exogone sp. 30 JUL89 22 Caecum pulchellum JUL89 Nereidae (unidentified) 18 JUL89 Chone 16 sp. JUL89 Diastema varium 15 JUL89 14 Oligochaetes (unidentified) JUL89 10 Sabellidae (unidentified) JUL89 Erichsonella attenuata 10 JUL89 Rhynchocoel (unidentified) 7 JUL89 Capitella capitata 7 JUL89 Cymodoce faxoni 7 JUL89 Grandidierella bonnieroides 7 JUL89 6 Anthozoa (unidentified) JUL89 Edotea montosa 6 JUL89 Caprellid 6 JUL89 Polydora ligni 4 JUL89 Heteromastus filiformis 4 JUL89 Crepidula fornicata 4 JUL89 Turbonilla sp. 4 JUL89 Spio setosa 3 JUL89 Haploscoloplos foliosus 3 JUL89 Elasmopus sp. 3 JUL89 Sarsiella zostericola 3 JUL89 Cymadusa compta 3 JUL89 Glycinde solitaria 2 JUL89 Amygdalum papyrium 2 JUL89 Syllidae (unidentified) 2 JUL89 Brachidontes exustus 2 JUL89 Ceritheum lutosum 2 JUL89 Sayella crosseana 2 JUL89 1 Schistomeringos rudolphi JUL89 Magelona pettiboneae 1 JUL89 Scoloplos rubra 1 JUL89 Branchioasychis americana 1 JUL89 Clymenella mucosa 1 JUL89 Nassarius vibex 1 JUL89 Ampelisca abdita 1 JUL89 1 Amphilochus sp. JUL89 Cerapus tubularis 1 JUL89 1 Pycnogonid (unidentified) JUL89 Chione cancellata 1 JUL89 Polychaete juv. (unidentified) TOTAL 590 OCT90 78 Caecum pulchellum OCT90 Streblospio benedictI 13 OCT90 4 Oligochaetes (unidentified) OCT90 Grandidierella bonnieroides 2 OCT90 Capitella capitata 1 OCT90 Ceritheum lutosum 1 TOTAL 99