I conducted a 12-month study of near-shore habitats in Lake Pontchartrain to assess spatiotemporal variation in the abundance of early life stage blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus). Collections were made using a 1 m2 throw trap and data showed that C. sapidus numbers varied over time and among sites. Two recruitment events occurred during the study. During the first recruitment in May-June, C. sapidus entered Lake Pontchartrain via the Inner Harbor Navigational Canal. In September-October, C. sapidus entered the Lake Pontchartrain via the Rigolets and Chef passes. My data suggest that C. sapidus utilize water circulation within the Lake Pontchartrain as a means of transportation throughout the estuary. MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) 250 m data were analyzed to gain a large-scale view of suspended sediments patterns within Lake Pontchartrain and quantify water movement. Field sampling along with remote sensing proved to be beneficial when assessing estuarine-wide C. sapidus post-larval dispersal processes.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:uno.edu/oai:scholarworks.uno.edu:td-1828 |
| Date | 07 August 2008 |
| Creators | Lyncker, Lissa |
| Publisher | ScholarWorks@UNO |
| Source Sets | University of New Orleans |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations |
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