A summer study of the biology and ecology of East Bay, Texas. Part I. Introduction, Description of area, Methods, Some aspects of the fish community, The invertebrate fauna.

East bay is a somewhat occluded arm of Galveston Bay located on the Gulf coast of eastern Texas. A reconnaissance of the more conspicuous physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of East Bay was made from June 1, to July 9, 1954. The bay is a shallow body approximately twenty-three miles long and five miles wide at its lower end. The bottom is mostly mud and during summer was devoid of rooted vegetation. A salinity gradient from near three parts per thousand in the upper end was observed. Surface temperatures ranged near thirty degrees Centigrade. The water of the bay was, in general, highly turbid. Faunal collections were made by means of an otter trawl, seines, a trammel net, and other gear. Sixteen groups of larger invertebrate animals are reported. Shrimps, ctenophores, and medusoid jellyfishes were abundant during the investigation.