W&M ScholarWorks Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects 2000 Ecological interactions between benthic oyster reef fishes and oysters Juliana Maria Harding College of William and Mary - Virginia Institute of Marine Science Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd Part of the Aquaculture and Fisheries Commons, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons, Marine Biology Commons, and the Oceanography Commons Recommended Citation Harding, Juliana Maria, "Ecological interactions between benthic oyster reef fishes and oysters" (2000). Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects. Paper 1539616684. https://dx.doi.org/doi:10.25773/v5-ksj7-wy23 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects at W&M ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects by an authorized administrator of W&M ScholarWorks. 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ECOLOGICAL INTERACTIONS BETWEEN BENTHIC OYSTER REEF FISHES AND OYSTERS A Dissertation Presented to The Faculty o f the School o f Marine Science The College of William and Mary in Virginia In Partial Fulfillment O f the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Juliana M . Harding ©2000 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number 9974955 Copyright 2000 by Harding, Juliana Maria All rights reserved. UMI* UMI Microform9974955 Copyright 2000 by Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. APPROVAL SHEET This dissertation is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor o f Philosophy Juliana M . Harding Approved, April 2000 Roger fcL Mann, Ph.D. Committee Chairman/Advisor David A. Evans, Bf.D. / fchiyfrGovoni, Ph.D. OXA/National Ocean Service / ^-Bdaufort, NC Mark W. LuckenbheK; Ph.D. Mark R. Patterson, PhD. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. D EDICATIO N This dissertation is dedicated to my family, especially: Helen R. Harding James D . Harding Teresa H. Kennedy Lawrence P. Kennedy and Helen R. Williams (1912 -1996) Their support has been unwavering, their patience infinite. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS................................................................................................... vii LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................. ix LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... xi ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... xiv INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 2 CHAPTER 1: Estimates of naked goby (Gobiosoma bosc), striped blenny (Chasmodes bosquianus), and Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) larval production around a restored Chesapeake Bay oyster reef .............................................................................11 ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................11 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 12 METHODS .................................................................................................................... 14 Study s ite ................................................................................................................. 14 Oyster population estimates ..................................................................................... 18 Fish population estimates ........................................................................................ 18 Data analyses ........................................................................................................... 19 RESULTS...................................................................................................................... 27 Water temperature and salinity d ata ....................................................................... 27 Oyster population data .............................................................................................27 Fish population data ................................................................................................34 D ISC U SS IO N ................................................................................................................ 37 CHAPTER 2: Temporal variation and patchiness o f zooplankton around an intertidal oyster reef ...................................................................................................................... 40 ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................. 40 INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................................41 METHODS .................................................................................................................... 44 Study s ite .................................................................................................................44 Sampling protocol ...................................................................................................46 Data analyses ...........................................................................................................48 Water temperature and salinity d ata ....................................................................48 Seasonal, diel, and tidal abundance patterns ...................................................... 48 Seasonal and diel horizontal distribution .............................................................50 Seasonal and diel zooplankton community composition ................................... 50 iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. 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RESULTS......................................................................................................................50 Water temperature and salinity data .......................................................................50 Seasonal and diel abundance estimates..................................................................51 Seasonal and diel horizontal distribution ............................................................... 66 Seasonal and diel zooplankton community composition ...................................... 66 D ISC USSIO N............................................................................................................... 82 CHAPTER 3: Selective feeding behavior o f larval naked gobies (Gobiosoma bosc) and blennies (Chasmodes bosquianus and Hypsoblemius hentzi): preferences for bivalve veligers ..........................................................................................................................86 ABSTRACT................................................................................................................. 86 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 87 METHODS ..................................................................................................................