Estuaries and Coasts最新文献

{"title":"Carbon dioxide and methane emissions from eutrophic, vegetated coastal lagoons potentially offset carbon accumulation in eelgrass sediments.","authors":"C Wigand, S Ayvazian, N Bartolucci, A Beardwood, S Miller, D Cobb, P Colarusso, N Merrill, K Miller","doi":"10.1007/s12237-026-01674-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-026-01674-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Vegetated coastal lagoons provide carbon dioxide (CO₂) uptake and are often inventoried as blue carbon (C) sinks. We measured greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes, CO₂, methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O), at the water-air interface in dominant habitats including oyster aquaculture, eelgrass, and bare sediments of two temperate, eutrophic coastal lagoonal systems in Rhode Island (RI), and estimated sediment C accumulation in eelgrass habitats. We examined whether system GHG emissions at the water-air interface offset estimated eelgrass sediment C accumulation. Although highly variable, we often measured net CO₂ and CH₄ emissions from eelgrass and other habitats, which offset some or all of the estimated C accumulation in eelgrass sediments. At Potter Pond the monthly (May - October 2023) mean CO₂ equivalent (CO₂e) over a 100y horizon at the bare habitat (-0.0071 ± 0.63 ug m^-2 s^-1) was a net sink, while the mean CO₂e-100y at eelgrass (4.74 ± 0.91 ug m^-2 s^-1) and oyster (2.30 ± 0.71 ug m^-2 s^-1) habitats were net sources. At Pt. Judith Pond the mean CO₂e-100y across months and among habitats ranged from 2.49 ug m^-2 s^-1 at the oyster habitat to 5.08 ug m^-2 s^-1 at the eelgrass habitat. High CO₂ and CH₄ emissions might be attributed to the abundance of labile macroalgae, which decomposes rapidly, and to mineralization of legacy C in sediments associated with declining eelgrass. GHG emissions in eutrophic, vegetated lagoons might offset sediment C accumulation and cause an overestimation of blue C sinks.</p>","PeriodicalId":11921,"journal":{"name":"Estuaries and Coasts","volume":"49 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13094814/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147766280","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Open-Coast Eelgrass (<i>Zostera marina)</i> Transplant Catalyzes Rapid Mirroring of Structure and Function of Extant Eelgrasses.","authors":"Rilee D Sanders, Adam K Obaza, David W Ginsburg, Olivia C Carmack, Benjamin C Grime, Heather Burdick, Tom K Ford, James J Leichter","doi":"10.1007/s12237-025-01609-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12237-025-01609-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Seagrasses are marine angiosperms that function as ecosystem engineers, forming complex structure that enhance nearshore environments. Globally, seagrass habitats are threatened by intensifying impacts from climate change, which exacerbate non-climatic stressors such as coastal development, invasive species, and overfishing. Advances in the methodological efficacy of active seagrass restoration efforts have sought to mitigate substantial anthropogenic-induced losses. Restoration efforts along the U.S. West Coast have primarily focused on <i>Zostera marina</i> (common eelgrass) in shallow, sheltered estuarine environments, where most coastal development occurs. However, within the Southern California Bight, <i>Zostera</i> spp. also occurs along the exposed coastlines of the California Channel Islands archipelago. Despite their unique location and the ecosystem services they provide, a paucity of information persists on open-coast seagrass systems and restoration efforts. In this study, we conducted a novel transplant of <i>Z. marina</i> on Catalina Island and tracked temporal and spatial performance metrics (i.e., areal coverage, morphometrics, and fish assemblages) at the restoration site and seven extant <i>Z. marina</i> reference beds on the island from 2021 to 2024. The transplant activities successfully established over 0.18 hectares of <i>Z. marina</i> habitat. The transplant site paralleled or exceeded extant reference beds morphometrically (shoot density and blade length) and functionally (fish composition and fish diversity), while concomitantly providing habitat for the occupancy of, and utilization by, federally listed endangered and managed species. Our results provide a model for broadening the scope of, and augmenting strategies for, seagrass habitat recovery beyond conventional restoration spaces by underscoring the role of open-coast seagrasses in enhancing nearshore ecosystem function and resilience.</p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12237-025-01609-x.</p>","PeriodicalId":11921,"journal":{"name":"Estuaries and Coasts","volume":"49 1","pages":"2"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12484352/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145211882","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Potential for Manganese Oxide Driven Anaerobic Methane Oxidation in Sediments of a Seasonally Euxinic Coastal Basin.","authors":"Robin Klomp, Anna J Wallenius, Niels A G M van Helmond, Wytze K Lenstra, Olga M Żygadłowska, Mike S M Jetten, Caroline P Slomp","doi":"10.1007/s12237-026-01685-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-026-01685-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Methane (CH₄) is a strong greenhouse gas that, in marine sediments, is produced via methanogenesis and removed via oxidation with electron acceptors such as oxygen, sulfate and metal oxides<i>.</i> This study assesses the potential for manganese driven anaerobic oxidation of methane (Mn-AOM) in rapidly accumulating sediments in a seasonally euxinic coastal marine basin (Scharendijke basin, Lake Grevelingen, the Netherlands). Geochemical sediment and porewater profiles demonstrate that, at the study site, Mn oxides are buried in the methanic zone. Sediment incubations amended with ¹³C-CH₄ and various Mn forms indicate that the Mn oxide minerals birnessite, pyrolusite and manganite can enhance CH₄ oxidation, whereas ligand bound dissolved Mn(III) does not. This is attributed to either direct Mn-AOM, where Mn oxides act as the electron acceptor, and/or indirect Mn-driven AOM via cryptic sulfur cycling. Results of 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing of the incubated sediment point towards a likely role for anaerobic methanotrophic archaea of the clades ANME-2ab and ANME-3 in direct and indirect Mn-driven AOM, respectively. An increase in relative abundance of the methanogen <i>Methanosarcina</i> in several of the incubations suggests that these versatile methanogens benefit from Mn oxide reduction. This study demonstrates potential for Mn-driven AOM in sediments from a eutrophic, seasonally euxinic coastal basin, and expands the range of electron acceptors involved in CH₄ removal in such systems.</p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12237-026-01685-7.</p>","PeriodicalId":11921,"journal":{"name":"Estuaries and Coasts","volume":"49 3","pages":"72"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12992435/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147480087","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing Resilience of a Coastal Wetland to Relative Sea-level Rise for a Native American Tribe in Louisiana - Comparing Biophysical Prediction and Traditional Ecological Knowledge.","authors":"Kelly M San Antonio, Wei Wu, Matthew B Bethel","doi":"10.1007/s12237-026-01679-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-026-01679-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Coastal wetland predictions typically depend on biophysical models that incorporate geomorphological, hydrological, and vegetation dynamics. However, such models are rooted in scientific knowledge (SK), and can often exclude specific local environmental, cultural, and generational contexts. These aspects are better captured in traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), passed down through generations via oral histories. As TEK is context-specific and place-based, its comparison with SK can provide a more comprehensive understanding, especially to better predict coastal wetland vulnerability to relative sea-level rise (RSLR). In this study, we applied a biophysical mechanistic model to predict the impact of RSLR on Louisiana's Terrebonne Bay wetlands, which are important for the subsistence and commercial livelihoods of the Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe (PACIT), but have experienced some of the highest rates of RSLR in the United States. The mechanistic model generated wetland predictions through 2100, using field measurements (vegetation productivity, soil pore-water salinity, total suspended solids, accretion rates), historic and current National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) wetland maps, and elevation data. We derived RSLR thresholds (beyond which wetland is lost dramatically) in 2050 and 2100 and applied the 2050 threshold to predict wetland change, which we then used to analyze the spatial vulnerability of coastal wetlands. Results indicate most wetland loss (~ 93%) will occur by 2075 under a high acceleration scenario, and were compared with previously co-produced TEK assessments to guide restoration prioritization, creating a GIS tool with broader insight than the SK or TEK data alone and providing a potential model for Indigenous-led climate adaptation planning.</p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12237-026-01679-5.</p>","PeriodicalId":11921,"journal":{"name":"Estuaries and Coasts","volume":"49 3","pages":"57"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12923504/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147270124","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Preliminary Investigation of Research Collaboration Through Scientific Paper Co-authorship in the Gulf of Mexico.","authors":"Juliet Vallejo, Evelyn Roozee, Dongkyu Kim, Andrew M Song, Christopher A Gabler, Jasper de Vries, Antonia Sohns, Gordon M Hickey, Owen Temby","doi":"10.1007/s12237-025-01616-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12237-025-01616-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>It is well known that publications with collaborators from external institutions increase citations. This effect scales with spatial distance. There are also many barriers to long-distance collaborations, including linguistic differences, funding constraints, and the incremental costs of remote collaboration. This paper uses the Gulf of Mexico as a case study to examine long-distance research collaboration because it consists of three countries with diverse development levels and two prominent diplomatic languages, within a singular regional ecosystem of tremendous natural and economic value. This paper uses bibliometric network analysis to examine scientific research article co-authorship in the Gulf of Mexico from 2000 to 2018. The results reveal that, although inter-organizational co-authorship has increased, significant fragmentation exists between the U.S.A, Mexico, and Cuba. Large differences in technological and organizational proximity as well as research capacity between US and Mexican states in the Gulf of Mexico may make collaboration more difficult compared to other transboundary settings, such as the US-Canadian border. Centrally located organizations in the network, such as NOAA, have played a prominent role in cross-institutional research, suggesting a capacity to bridge political entities in the Gulf of Mexico.</p>","PeriodicalId":11921,"journal":{"name":"Estuaries and Coasts","volume":"49 1","pages":"5"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12496297/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145238087","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tidal Trapping and Its Effect on Salinity Dispersion in Well-Mixed Estuaries Revisited.","authors":"Daan van Keulen, Wouter M Kranenburg, Antonius J F Hoitink","doi":"10.1007/s12237-025-01579-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12237-025-01579-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In well-mixed estuaries, the up-estuary salt flux is often dominated by tidal dispersion mechanisms, including tidal trapping. Tidal trapping involves volumes of water being temporarily trapped in dead zones or side channels adjacent to the main channel and released later in the tidal cycle, which causes an additional up-estuary salt flux. Tidal trapping can result from a diffusive exchange between a channel and a trap, or from filling and emptying of the trap by a tidal flow that is ahead in phase compared to the flow in the main channel (advective out-of-phase exchange). This study revisits the dispersive contribution from tidal trapping in a single dead-end side channel using an idealized numerical model. The results indicate that advective out-of-phase exchange yields the largest additional salt flux for the largest realistic velocity phase difference of 90 <math><mmultiscripts><mrow></mrow> <mrow></mrow> <mo>∘</mo></mmultiscripts> </math> . Mixing of the trapped salinity field enhances the dispersive effect for small velocity phase differences. A continuous diffusive channel-trap exchange also enhances the dispersive trap effect when the velocity phase difference is small, but can dampen it when the phase difference is large. We demonstrate that the effect of a trap is twofold: firstly, channel-trap exchange alters the salinity field and introduces an additional salt flux in the main channel over a distance equal to the tidal excursion length; secondly, the altered salinity gradients are advected in both up- and down-estuary direction, influencing the tidal salt flux over twice the excursion length.</p>","PeriodicalId":11921,"journal":{"name":"Estuaries and Coasts","volume":"48 6","pages":"153"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12310870/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144774950","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Role of Zooplankton Community Composition in Fecal Pellet Carbon Production in the York River Estuary, Chesapeake Bay.","authors":"Kristen N Sharpe, Deborah K Steinberg, Karen Stamieszkin","doi":"10.1007/s12237-024-01442-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12237-024-01442-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Zooplankton play a key role in the cycling of carbon in aquatic ecosystems, yet their production of carbon-rich fecal pellets, which sink to depth and can fuel benthic community metabolism, is rarely quantified in estuaries. We measured fecal pellet carbon (FPC) production by the whole near-surface mesozooplankton community in the York River sub-estuary of Chesapeake Bay. Zooplankton biomass and taxonomic composition were measured with monthly paired day/night net tows. Live animal experiments were used to quantify FPC production rates of the whole community and dominant individual taxa. Zooplankton biomass increased in surface waters at night (2- to 29-fold) due to diel vertical migration, especially by <i>Acartia</i> spp. copepods. Biomass and diversity were seasonally low in the winter and high in the summer and often dominated by <i>Acartia</i> copepods. Whole community FPC production rates were higher (3- to 65-fold) at night than during the day, with the 0.5-1 mm size class contributing 2-26% to FPC production in the day versus 40-70% at night. An increase in the relative contribution of larger size fractions to total FPC production occurred at night due to diel vertical migration of larger animals into surface waters. Community FPC production was highest in fall due to increased diversity and abundance of larger animals producing larger fecal pellets, and lowest in summer likely due to top-down control of abundant crustacean taxa by gelatinous predators. This study indicates that zooplankton FPC production in estuaries can surpass that in oceanic systems and suggests that fecal pellet export is important in benthic-pelagic coupling in estuaries.</p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12237-024-01442-8.</p>","PeriodicalId":11921,"journal":{"name":"Estuaries and Coasts","volume":"48 1","pages":"17"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11561122/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142647113","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ecosystem Metabolic Rates Estimated from Diel Oxygen Measurements in Two Subtropical Estuaries.","authors":"J M Arriola, R G Najjar, H Briceño, C Hu, M Herrmann, M W Beck","doi":"10.1007/s12237-025-01597-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12237-025-01597-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Subtropical estuaries worldwide are facing increasing pressure from human population growth, development, and climate change. Carbon is a useful currency for understanding how estuaries respond to these pressures and yet relatively little is known about carbon cycling in subtropical estuaries. Here we compute gross primary production (GPP), ecosystem respiration (ER), and net ecosystem production (NEP) from the diurnal cycle in dissolved oxygen measured during 38 week-long individual deployments over three years in two estuaries in the southeastern United States, Biscayne Bay and Tampa Bay. On average for both estuaries, GPP and ER nearly balance, with NEP about an order of magnitude smaller. Even though production in Tampa Bay and Biscayne Bay is dominated by different primary producers and limiting nutrients, mean GPP was the same, about 190 mmol O₂ m^-2 d^-1 (570 g C m^-2 y^-1). Our GPP estimates for Biscayne Bay are more than an order of magnitude greater than the only other productivity estimates available for this system, which are planktonic net primary productivity measurements from the late 1970s. GPP was strongly correlated with water temperature in Biscayne Bay (<i>r</i> = 0.60) but had the strongest correlation with salinity in Tampa Bay (<i>r</i> = 0.39). These findings highlight the importance of more frequent production measurements in these complex estuaries, especially in the face of a changing climate.</p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12237-025-01597-y.</p>","PeriodicalId":11921,"journal":{"name":"Estuaries and Coasts","volume":"48 6","pages":"155"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12331821/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144816071","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Influence of Rivers, Tides, and Tidal Wetlands on Estuarine Carbonate System Dynamics","authors":"Fei Da, Marjorie A. M. Friedrichs, Pierre St-Laurent, Raymond G. Najjar, Elizabeth H. Shadwick, Edward G. Stets","doi":"10.1007/s12237-024-01421-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-024-01421-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Variations in estuarine carbonate chemistry can have critical impacts on marine calcifying organisms, yet the drivers of this variability are difficult to quantify from observations alone, due to the strong spatiotemporal variability of these systems. Terrestrial runoff and wetland processes vary year to year based on local precipitation, and estuarine processes are often strongly modulated by tides. In this study, a 3D-coupled hydrodynamic-biogeochemical model is used to quantify the controls on the carbonate system of a coastal plain estuary, specifically the York River estuary. Experiments were conducted both with and without tidal wetlands. Results show that on average, wetlands account for 20–30% of total alkalinity (TA) and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) fluxes into the estuary, and double-estuarine CO₂ outgassing. Strong quasi-monthly variability is driven by the tides and causes fluctuations between net heterotrophy and net autotrophy. On longer time scales, model results show that in wetter years, lower light availability decreases primary production relative to biological respiration (i.e., greater net heterotrophy) resulting in substantial increases in CO₂ outgassing. Additionally, in wetter years, advective exports of DIC and TA to the Chesapeake Bay increase by a factor of three to four, resulting in lower concentrations of DIC and TA within the estuary. Quantifying the impacts of these complex drivers is not only essential for a better understanding of coastal carbon and alkalinity cycling, but also leads to an improved assessment of the health and functioning of coastal ecosystems both in the present day and under future climate change.</p>","PeriodicalId":11921,"journal":{"name":"Estuaries and Coasts","volume":"198 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142251641","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dwarf Seahorse (Hippocampus zosterae) Density, Distribution, and Habitat Use in Texas","authors":"Story Lesher Doyal, Jenny W. Oakley, George Guillen","doi":"10.1007/s12237-024-01423-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-024-01423-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Seagrass beds are composed of foundation species, providing essential nursery grounds, feeding areas, and refuge for various marine life. Several species of fish and invertebrates utilize seagrasses as essential habitat. The Dwarf Seahorse (<i>Hippocampus zosterae</i>) is an understudied species in Texas, and little is known about its density, distribution, and habitat associations in this area of their range. Physicochemical water parameters, nekton community data, habitat data, and Dwarf Seahorse catch data were collected at 80 sites in Texas. The highest catch per unit effort (CPUE) of the target species was in Aransas Bay (0.038/m²). There was a positive relationship between the presence and percent cover of turtle grass (<i>Thalassia testudinum</i>) and the presence and CPUE of Dwarf Seahorses. Dwarf Seahorses were detected more often and at a higher CPUE in locations with a higher seagrass community diversity and richness. The nekton community at sites where Dwarf Seahorses were detected was also more abundant, diverse, and species rich. This is the first comprehensive study of the distribution of the Dwarf Seahorse along the Texas coast. Dwarf Seahorses were generally found in higher abundances in association with mature, stable, and diverse seagrass beds. Recommended conservation strategy to protect Dwarf Seahorses should prioritize the protection of established and mature seagrass beds. Continued directed monitoring of this species is recommended to better understand their distribution and population status.</p>","PeriodicalId":11921,"journal":{"name":"Estuaries and Coasts","volume":"23 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142188558","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}