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Abstract:
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Barrier islands protect much of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) from the erosional wave energy of West Galveston Bay. In the area of Hall's Lake, these islands have been worn away, and a narrow isthmus of land separating the lake from West Bay is threatened. The shoreline of Hall's Lake consists of salt marsh vegetation, and destruction of the habitat may result in the loss of valuable fishery and wildlife resources. Rebuilding of the barrier islands to reduce shoreline erosion, however, will destroy and alter open-water habitats in West Bay. The objective of the baseline study was to determine the extent and distribution of the various habitat types present in the Hall's Lake area and measure relative use of these habitats by fishery species and other estuarine fauna |