Abstract
Vegetation maps of the lower Laguna Madre prepared from surveys conducted in 1965–1967, 1974–1976, and 1988 document a >330 km2 decrease in cover byHalodule wrightii, an increase of almost 190 km2 in other seagrass species, and an increase of 140 km2 in bare bottom. Loss in seagrass cover is confined to deeper parts of the laguna; turbidity caused by maintenance dredging is the suspected cause. The species shifts are consistent with observed reductions in salinity maxima. Although the hydrological alterations and climatic shift responsible for moderating the salinity regime occurred between 1948 and 1965, the biological changes continue. Establishment of patches away from source meadows appears to be the process for displacing species that limits their rate of expansion into suitable habitat in this elongate embayment.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature Cited
Brazda, A. R. 1985. Special redhead survey—1984/85, Report dated February 14, 1985, to Office of Migratory Bird Management, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Laurel, Maryland.
Breuer, J. P. 1962. An ecological survey of the lower Laguna Madre of Texas, 1953–1959.Publications of Institute of Marine Sciences, University of Texas 8:153–183.
Bryan, C. E. 1971. An ecological survey of the Arroyo Colorado, Texas, 1966–1969. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Technical Series No. 10, 28 p.
Conover, J. T. 1964. The ecology, seasonal periodicity and distribution of benthic plants in some Texas lagoons.Botanica Marina 7:4–41.
Cornelius, S. E. 1977. Food resource utilization by wintering redheads on lower Laguna Madre.Journal of Wildlife Management 41:374–385.
Fonseca, M. S., G. W. Thayer, andW. J. Kenworthy. 1987. The use of ecological data in the implementation and management of seagrass restorations.Florida Marine Research Publications 42:175–188.
Gunter, G. 1967. Vertebrates in hypersaline water.Contributions in Marine Science 12:230–241.
Hedgpeth, J. W. 1967. Ecological aspects of the Laguna Madre, a hypersaline estuary, p. 408–419.In G. H. Lauff (ed.), Estuaries. AAAS Publication 83, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington, D.C.
Kemp, W. M., W. R. Boynton, R. R. Twilley, J. C. Stevenson, andL. G. Ward. 1984. Influences of submersed vascular plants on ecological processes in upper Chesapeake Bay, p. 367–394.In V. S. Kennedy (ed.), The Estuary as a Filter. Academic Press, Orlando, Florida.
McMahan, C. A. 1965–1967. Survey, coastal waterfowl. Federal Aid Project No. W-29-W-18, Completion Reports, Job No. 17, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Austin, Texas.
McMahan, C. A. 1968. Biomass and salinity tolerance of shoalgrass and manateegrass in the lower Laguna Madre, Texas.Journal of Wildlife Management 32:501–506.
McMahan, C. A. 1970. The food habits of ducks wintering on the Laguna Madre, Texas.Journal of Wildlife Management 34:946–949.
McMillan, C. 1985. The seed reserve forHalodule wrightii, Syringodium filiforme andRuppia maritima in Laguna Madre, Texas.Contributions in Marine Science 28:141–149.
McMillan, C. andF. N. Moseley. 1967. Salinity tolerances of five marine spermatophytes of Redfish Bay, Texas.Ecology 48:503–506.
Merkord, G. W. 1978. The distribution and abundance of seagrasses in Laguna Madre of Texas. M.S. Thesis, Texas A&I University, Kingsville, Texas. 56 p.
Moffler, M. D. andM. J. Durako. 1987. Reproductive biology of the tropical-subtropical seagrasses of the southeastern United States.Florida Marine Research Publications 42:77–88.
Orth, R. J. andK. A. Moore. 1983. Chesapeake Bay: An unprecedented decline in submerged aquatic vegetation.Science 222:51–53.
Pulich, W., Jr. 1980. The ecology of a hypersaline lagoon: The Laguna Madre, p. 103–122.In P. L. Fore and R. D. Peterson (eds.), Proceedings of the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ecosystems Workshop. United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Biological Report FWS/OBS-80/30, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Simmons, E. G. 1957. An ecological survey of the upper Laguna Madre of Texas.Publications of Institute of Marine Sciences, University of Texas 4:156–200.
Skrabanek, R. L., S. H. Murdock, and P. K. Guceman. 1985. The population of Texas: An overview of Texas population change 1970–1980. Texas State Data Center, Number 2, Series 1985. 108 p.
Texas Department of Water Resources. 1983. Laguna Madre estuary: A study of the influence of freshwater inflows, Texas Department of Water Resources, Report LP-182, Austin, Texas.
Texas Water Development Board. 1986. Surveys of irrigation in Texas 1958, 1964, 1969, 1974, 1979 and 1984. Texas Water Development Board, Report No. 294, Austin, Texas.
Zieman, J. C. and R. T. Zieman. 1989. The ecology of the seagrass meadows of the west coast of Florida. United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Biological Report 85(7.25), Washington, D.C. 155 p.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Quammen, M.L., Onuf, C.P. Laguna madre: Seagrass changes continue decades after salinity reduction. Estuaries 16, 302–310 (1993). https://doi.org/10.2307/1352503
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/1352503