Components of the Seston and Possible Available Food for Oysters in Galveston Bay, Texas

Date

1984

Authors

Soniat TM
Ray SM
Jeffrey LM

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Abstract

Seasonal changes in components of the seston such as particulate lipid, carbohydrate and protein as well as chlorophyll a, particulate inorganic matter, ash-free dry weight and seston dry weight were measured over an annual cycle in Galveston Bay, Texas. Food for the oyster was defined as the sum of the concentrations of lipid, carbohydrate and protein; a food index was calculated as the percentage food in the total seston. PIM and non-algal material dominate the suspended particulate matter available as potential food for oysters. Cholorophyll a concentrations, the food measure, and the food index were intercorrelated and were higher in the spring and summer than in the fall and winter.

Description

127-141

Keywords

food availability diets seston Ostreidae

Citation