Thesis Defense Seminar - Robinson McMillan

MARINE BIOLOGY PROGRAM
DEPARTMENT OF LIFE SCIENCES
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY-CORPUS CHRISTI

TITLE: LAVACA BAY ECOSYSTEM ASSEESSMENT: GATHERING BASELINE DATA FOR MARSH-DEPENDENT NEKTON AND EXAMINING ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY

GRADUATE COMMITTEE: Dr. Gregory Stunz (Chair), Dr. Matthew Streich (Cochair), Kristina Alexander, J.D.

ABSTRACT
Estuaries are transitional zones where freshwater inflow dilutes saltwater, fostering diverse habitats and supporting a variety commercially and recreationally important species. Estuaries also support valuable nursery habitat where juvenile fish, shrimp, and crabs have increased access to food supplies and refuge from predation. The Lavaca Bay System is an important estuarine ecosystem located along the central Texas Gulf Coast that forms part of the Matagorda Bay System and overarching Lavaca-Colorado Estuary. Despite this area’s ecological importance, it has been significantly altered due to decades of environmental pollution stemming from coastal development and nearby industrial facilities. While previous studies have conducted extensive open bay sampling, there is limited data for the area’s fringe marsh habitats. The primary purpose of this thesis was to gather key baseline data for the abundance and distribution of marsh-dependent nekton in the Lavaca Bay System across a presumed pollution gradient. In addition to gathering baseline data, a two-year seasonal ecological assessment determined that relative proximity to areas of historical environmental pollution had limited impact on nekton abundance, distribution, and community structure. A second objective of this thesis was to assess how the Lavaca Bay System has been shaped by and continues to influence environmental law and policy. This section demonstrated how important environmental laws such as the Clean Water Act have provided a means for environmental restoration in the region and discussed how improved environmental policies can address new challenges such as microplastic pollution.