California State University, Monterey Bay Digital Commons @ CSUMB Capstone Projects and Master's Theses 2009 Changes in cover and use of Zostera marina habitat in Elkhorn Slough, California Nora Elaine Grant California State University, Monterey Bay Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/caps_thes Recommended Citation Grant, Nora Elaine, "Changes in cover and use of Zostera marina habitat in Elkhorn Slough, California" (2009). Capstone Projects and Master's Theses. 71. https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/caps_thes/71 This Master's Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Commons @ CSUMB. It has been accepted for inclusion in Capstone Projects and Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ CSUMB. Unless otherwise indicated, this project was conducted as practicum not subject to IRB review but conducted in keeping with applicable regulatory guidance for training purposes. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. CHANGES IN COVER AND USE OF ZOSTERA MARINA HABITAT IN ELKHORN SLOUGH, CALIFORNIA A Thesis Presented to The Faculty of Moss Landing Marine Labs California State University Monterey Bay In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science by Nora Elaine Grant December 2009 ! 2009 Nora Elaine Grant ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ABSTRACT CHANGES IN COVER AND USE OF ZOSTERA MARINA HABITAT IN ELKHORN SLOUGH, CALIFORNIA by Nora E. Grant Seagrasses provide an array of ecosystem services to the nearshore marine community. The goal of this study was to begin to determine the role of the seagrass, Zostera marina, in habitat provisioning within Elkhorn Slough, CA. Part one uses maps to assess variability in the spatial extent of Zostera marina in Elkhorn Slough over time and the potential of Zostera to provide a unique habitat to species assemblages within the slough.