Evaluation of Macrobenthic Community Structure in the Galveston Bay System from 1997 to 2000

摘要

Macrobenthic communities, water chemistry, and sediment were evaluated for 80 sampling events in the Galveston Bay system between 1997 and 2000 by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). Sampling stations were selected using a randomized approach, except for five fixed monitoring stations. Several biological indices were computed including a benthic index (BI) developed and used by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Environmental Monitoring Assessment Program (EMAP). The primary objective of this study was to locate areas of concern that should receive in-depth monitoring in the future. A baseline was also established which will assist future macrobenthic evaluations in the Galveston Bay system.