THE ECOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY OF THE MISSION-ARANSAS ESTUARY THE MISSION-ARANSAS ESTUARY OF AND SOCIOLOGY THE ECOLOGY THE ECOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY OF THE MISSION-ARANSAS ESTUARY AN ESTUARINE AND WATERSHED PROFILE Evans, Madden, and Morehead Palmer Edited by Anne Evans, Kiersten Madden, Sally Morehead Palmer THE ECOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY OF THE MISSION-ARANSAS ESTUARY AN ESTUARINE AND WATERSHED PROFILE Edited by Anne Evans, Kiersten Madden, Sally Morehead Palmer On the cover: Photo courtesy of Tosh Brown, www.toshbrown.com TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgments………………………………………………………………………………………………......ix Contributors…………………………………………………………………………………………………….…....xi Executive Summary………………………………………………………………………………………………..xiii Chapter 1 Introduction ........................................................................................ 1 Reserve Mission, Vision, and Goals ...................................................................... 2 Chapter 2 Biogeographic Region ....................................................................... 5 Chapter 3 Physical Aspects ................................................................................ 7 References ........................................................................................................... 10 Chapter 4 Climate .............................................................................................. 13 Issues of Concern for Climate .............................................................................. 14 Climate Change ............................................................................................. 14 Future Plans in the Mission-Aransas NERR ........................................................ 15 Monitoring Programs ..................................................................................... 15 References ........................................................................................................... 16 Chapter 5 Hydrography and Oceanography .................................................... 19 Tides .................................................................................................................... 19 Freshwater Inflow ................................................................................................. 19 Issues with Freshwater Inflow in Texas ............................................................... 20 Future Plans for Freshwater Inflow in Texas ....................................................... 21 Senate Bill 3 .................................................................................................. 21 References ........................................................................................................... 22 Chapter 6 Geology ............................................................................................. 25 Mission-Aransas NERR Geologic Formation ....................................................... 25 Geologic Processes ............................................................................................. 28 Sediment ....................................................................................................... 28 Erosion .......................................................................................................... 28 Issues of Concern for Geologic Processes .......................................................... 28 Beach Erosion ............................................................................................... 28 Bay Shoreline Erosion ................................................................................... 29 Future Plans for Geologic Processes .................................................................. 29 Coastal Texas 2020 ....................................................................................... 29 References ........................................................................................................... 30 Chapter 7 Water Quality .................................................................................... 33 Water Quality in the Mission-Aransas NERR ...................................................... 33 Bacteria ......................................................................................................... 34 E. coli vs. Enterococci ............................................................................. 34 Bacteria Regulations ............................................................................... 34 iii Nutrients ............................................................................................................... 35 System-Wide Monitoring Program ................................................................ 35 Nutrients in the Mission-Aransas NERR ....................................................... 37 Issues of Concern for Water Quality .................................................................... 38 Bacterial Contamination ................................................................................ 38 Land Use/Land Cover .................................................................................... 39 Urbanization ............................................................................................ 41 Agriculture ............................................................................................... 41 Nutrient Pollution ........................................................................................... 41 Climate Change and Water Quality ............................................................... 42 Future Plans for Water Quality ............................................................................. 42 Water Quality Research in the Mission-Aransas NERR ............................... 42 Detecting Petroleum Hydrocarbons .............................................................. 43 Development of Pilot Nutrient Criteria Project ............................................... 43 References ........................................................................................................... 43 Chapter 8 Marine Habitats ................................................................................. 47 Unconsolidated Bottom ........................................................................................ 47 Benthic Communities ..................................................................................... 47 Oyster Reefs ........................................................................................................ 48 Oyster Reef Restoration ................................................................................ 50 Current and Ongoing Studies ........................................................................ 50 Seagrass .............................................................................................................. 51 Seagrass Protection and Management ......................................................... 51 Distribution and Trends in the Mission-Aransas NERR ................................ 52 Monitoring Programs ..................................................................................... 54 Water Column ...................................................................................................... 55 Plankton ......................................................................................................... 55 Phytoplankton in the Mission-Aransas NERR ........................................ 55 Zooplankton in the Mission-Aransas NERR ........................................... 56 Nekton ........................................................................................................... 58 Distribution and Abundance .................................................................... 58 Common Species .................................................................................... 58 Nekton Monitoring and Sampling ............................................................ 61 Nekton Status and Trends ...................................................................... 61 Red Drum Research ............................................................................... 62 Other Fish Studies .................................................................................. 64 Artificial Substrate ................................................................................................ 64 Community Composition Associated with Artificial Substrate ....................... 65 Types and Distribution ................................................................................... 65 Oyster Reefs ........................................................................................... 66 Oil and Gas Production ........................................................................... 66 Issues of Concern for Marine habitats ................................................................. 68 Dredging ........................................................................................................ 68 Oil and Gas Platforms ................................................................................... 68 Changes in Community Structure ................................................................. 69 Salinity ........................................................................................................... 69 Hypoxia .......................................................................................................... 69 Climate Change Effects on Bottom Habitats ................................................