The Aquatic Environment of Twin Cays, Belize

The rich fauna and flora of Twin Cays off southern Belize were explored and compared with coral and turtle-grass habitats of the surrounding Belize lagoon and the nearby barrier reef. Among the many subtidal habitats found in these cays, some 20 stations were routinely sampled to study the composition of plankton and benthos, sediment and peat bottoms, and to investigate the parameters that determine distribution. The work also focused on distribution patterns, animal behavior, and community development over geological time scales. Each station is examined for its particular properties, including topography, substratum types, environmental parameters, and predominant organisms and communities, particularly the sessile benthos.