DESCRIPTION OF THE BENTHIC MACROINVERTEBRATE COMMUNITIES OF FOUR TIDAL CREEKS ALONG THE EASTERN SHORE OF CHARLOTTE HARBOR

The macroinvertebrate communities of four tidal creeks along the eastern shore of Charlotte Harbor were sampled bimonthly from May 2008 to June 2010. The objective of the sampling effort was to survey the benthic macroinvertebrate taxa and assess water quality characteristics and habitat conditions which may influence macroinvertebrate community structure. A total of 156 different taxa were found in these creeks, several of which were very common throughout the study area. Macroinvertebrate communities differed among tidal creeks and corresponded, in part, to benthic habitat type and diversity and to a lesser extent average salinity and other environmental conditions. These results emphasize the importance of both physical habitat and variability in environmental conditions such as long term salinity regimes and occurrences of large inflow events in supporting a diverse macroinvertebrate community.