Structural Components of Eelgrass (Zostera marina) Meadows in the Lower Chesapeake Bay: Decapod Crustacea

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Abstract
Otter trawl collections of eelgrass habitats in the lower Chesapeake Bay [Virginia, USA] during 1976-1977 produced 14 spp. of decapod crustaceans [Callinectes sapidus, Palaemonetes vulgaris, P. pugio, P. intermedius, Crangon septemspinosa, Penaeus aztecus aztecus, Pagurus longicarpus, Neopanope sayi, Libinia dubia, Eurypanopeus depressus, Hippolyte zostericola, H. pleuracanthus, Alpheus heterochaelis and Leander tenuicornis]. These collections were dominated by palaemonid shrimp (Palaemonetes spp.), blue crabs (C. sapidus) and sand shrimp (C. septemspinosa), each of which exhibited unimodal seasonal abundance curves with large summer peaks. Decapod abundance was positively correlated with plant biomass throughout the year. Decapod densities on vegetated bottoms were greater than on unvegetated bottoms, and nighttime abundance on each bottom type was greater than corresponding daytime abundance. Total decapod abundances in Chesapeake Bay eelgrass meadows may be much greater than those reported in North Carolina eelgrass or Gulf of Mexico turtlegrass habitats.

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