University of Texas Press, 1989 eISBN: 978-0-292-76994-6 | Paper: 978-0-292-77626-5 Library of Congress Classification QH92.3.B75 1989 Dewey Decimal Classification 574.526380916364
ABOUT THIS BOOK | AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY | TOC
ABOUT THIS BOOK
To the casual visitor, the Gulf of Mexico shores offer mainly sun, sand, and sea. Even the standard field guides, focused on one group of animals or plants, barely hint at the wealth and diversity of habitats and species along Gulf shores. Shore Ecology of the Gulf of Mexico, using a “whole habitat” approach, breaks new ground in describing all the conspicuous vascular plants, algae, birds, mammals, mollusks, crustaceans, and other invertebrates for each marine habitat. The area covered begins west of the Mississippi delta in Louisiana and follows the shores west and south to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. Transitions between habitats also receive detailed treatment. The authors discuss changes in flora and fauna that result from differences in climate, shore geology, and patterns of precipitation in the succeeding habitats along the Gulf rim. They include discussion of more than 1,000 species of plants and animals, both on shore and in the near-shore subtidal zone, to give a virtually complete picture of western Gulf coast ecosystems. Excellent line drawings and photographs of over 800 species complement the text. For marine scientists, students, and knowledgeable beachcombers, this is a thorough source on Gulf coast marine life.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Joseph C. Britton (1942–2006) was Professor of Biology at Texas Christian University. Brian Morton is Professor Emeritus of Marine Biology at the University of Hong Kong.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PrefacePart 1. Introduction1. The Western Gulf of Mexico: An Introduction to Shores and LifeTaxonomy: The Names of ThingsCommunity RelationshipsShore Categories and Gulf Shore CommunitiesClimateA Survey of the Coastline2. The Tidal Shore: Principles and ProcessesTidesWavesExposure GradientsZonationThe Molding of the ShorelineToward Gulf ShoresPart 2. Hard Shores3. Hard Shores of the Northwestern GulfIntroductionBiotic Zonation on the Texas JettiesEnvironmental Gradients and Texas JettiesThe Supralittoral FringeThe Mid-littoral ZoneThe Sublittoral Fringe and Sublittoral ZoneGulls and Terns4. The Hard Shores of Eastern MexicoIntroductionMan-made Hard ShoresNatural Mainland Hard ShoresToward the Tropical Hard ShoresA Final Perspective5. Bay Hard ShoresIntroductionBay BreakwatersPilingsThe Oyster CommunityFishesPelicans, Cormorants and the Oyster CatcherA Perspective on OystersPart 3. Soft Shores6. Gulf Beaches and Barrier IslandsIntroductionSands, Spits and Barrier IslandsThe Foreshore: Intertidal SandThe Strand LineThe BackshoreThe Upper ShoreThe Sandy Gulf Beaches of YucatanSargent BeachToward Bayshores7. Texas Primary BaysIntroductionPhysical Features of Texas EstuariesEstuarine LifeBayshore VegetationFauna of the BayshoresBiota of the Subtidal GrassbedsUnvegetated Subtidal BayfloorsBay MacroplanktonBay Fishes and CephalopodsThe Harvestfish8. Secondary Bays, Lower Salinity Marshlands and Hypersaline LagoonsIntroductionSalinity Profile of a Typical EstuaryTexas Secondary BaysCoastal MarshlandsHypersaline Lagoons9. Mangrove ShoresIntroductionThe PlantsThe Texas MangalMangroves of Central Mexico ShoresNorthern Yucatan MangrovesMangroves in PerspectivePart 4. Subtidal Sands, Banks and Coral Reefs10. Subtidal Sands and BanksIntroductionTexas Offshore SandsThe Offshore Fauna of YucatanOffshore Banks of the Northwestern Gulf11. Coral Communities of the Western Gulf of MexicoIntroductionReefs of the Northwestern Gulf of MexicoNearshore Reefs of Central MexicoYucatan Offshore Reefs and BanksToward the CaribbeanPart 5. The Future12. The Future for Gulf ShoresIntroductionThe Changing/Evolving ShoreThe Human InfluenceThe Human LegacyConservationEpilogueGlossaryA Taxonomic GuideLiteratureIndex
University of Texas Press, 1989 eISBN: 978-0-292-76994-6 Paper: 978-0-292-77626-5
To the casual visitor, the Gulf of Mexico shores offer mainly sun, sand, and sea. Even the standard field guides, focused on one group of animals or plants, barely hint at the wealth and diversity of habitats and species along Gulf shores. Shore Ecology of the Gulf of Mexico, using a “whole habitat” approach, breaks new ground in describing all the conspicuous vascular plants, algae, birds, mammals, mollusks, crustaceans, and other invertebrates for each marine habitat. The area covered begins west of the Mississippi delta in Louisiana and follows the shores west and south to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. Transitions between habitats also receive detailed treatment. The authors discuss changes in flora and fauna that result from differences in climate, shore geology, and patterns of precipitation in the succeeding habitats along the Gulf rim. They include discussion of more than 1,000 species of plants and animals, both on shore and in the near-shore subtidal zone, to give a virtually complete picture of western Gulf coast ecosystems. Excellent line drawings and photographs of over 800 species complement the text. For marine scientists, students, and knowledgeable beachcombers, this is a thorough source on Gulf coast marine life.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Joseph C. Britton (1942–2006) was Professor of Biology at Texas Christian University. Brian Morton is Professor Emeritus of Marine Biology at the University of Hong Kong.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PrefacePart 1. Introduction1. The Western Gulf of Mexico: An Introduction to Shores and LifeTaxonomy: The Names of ThingsCommunity RelationshipsShore Categories and Gulf Shore CommunitiesClimateA Survey of the Coastline2. The Tidal Shore: Principles and ProcessesTidesWavesExposure GradientsZonationThe Molding of the ShorelineToward Gulf ShoresPart 2. Hard Shores3. Hard Shores of the Northwestern GulfIntroductionBiotic Zonation on the Texas JettiesEnvironmental Gradients and Texas JettiesThe Supralittoral FringeThe Mid-littoral ZoneThe Sublittoral Fringe and Sublittoral ZoneGulls and Terns4. The Hard Shores of Eastern MexicoIntroductionMan-made Hard ShoresNatural Mainland Hard ShoresToward the Tropical Hard ShoresA Final Perspective5. Bay Hard ShoresIntroductionBay BreakwatersPilingsThe Oyster CommunityFishesPelicans, Cormorants and the Oyster CatcherA Perspective on OystersPart 3. Soft Shores6. Gulf Beaches and Barrier IslandsIntroductionSands, Spits and Barrier IslandsThe Foreshore: Intertidal SandThe Strand LineThe BackshoreThe Upper ShoreThe Sandy Gulf Beaches of YucatanSargent BeachToward Bayshores7. Texas Primary BaysIntroductionPhysical Features of Texas EstuariesEstuarine LifeBayshore VegetationFauna of the BayshoresBiota of the Subtidal GrassbedsUnvegetated Subtidal BayfloorsBay MacroplanktonBay Fishes and CephalopodsThe Harvestfish8. Secondary Bays, Lower Salinity Marshlands and Hypersaline LagoonsIntroductionSalinity Profile of a Typical EstuaryTexas Secondary BaysCoastal MarshlandsHypersaline Lagoons9. Mangrove ShoresIntroductionThe PlantsThe Texas MangalMangroves of Central Mexico ShoresNorthern Yucatan MangrovesMangroves in PerspectivePart 4. Subtidal Sands, Banks and Coral Reefs10. Subtidal Sands and BanksIntroductionTexas Offshore SandsThe Offshore Fauna of YucatanOffshore Banks of the Northwestern Gulf11. Coral Communities of the Western Gulf of MexicoIntroductionReefs of the Northwestern Gulf of MexicoNearshore Reefs of Central MexicoYucatan Offshore Reefs and BanksToward the CaribbeanPart 5. The Future12. The Future for Gulf ShoresIntroductionThe Changing/Evolving ShoreThe Human InfluenceThe Human LegacyConservationEpilogueGlossaryA Taxonomic GuideLiteratureIndex