Figure 4. — C*eiitral Boca Ciega Bay near Corey Causeway in 194'J before major bayflll constniction (photograph 



courtesy of Airflite, St. Petersburg, Fla. 



grain size, standard dtniation (sorting), skew- 

 ness, and kurtosis. 



In addition to the collection of bottom organ- 

 isms taken bj- shovel and dredge, the epibenthos 

 was sampled at all stations by a bottom drag fitted 

 with fine netting (Taylor, 1965). Infauna was re- 

 moved from sediments in a Tyler No. 24 screen 

 of 30-cm. diameter and o.Tdl-mm. mesh. To dis- 

 tingnish small specimens from debris, rose ben- 

 gal dye was added to material concentrated by 

 screening (Jones, 1961). Ten percent sea-water 

 Forma.lin used to lix specimens was replacetl later 

 by To percent isopropanol. 



Fishes were collected at each station witii either 

 a 4.8-m. semi-balloon trawl or a 21-m. beflch seine. 

 The trawl was hung with a ;i75-cm. stretch mesh 

 body fitted witli a 1.25-cm. bag liner. The seine had 

 a stretch mesh of 1.25 cm. in the end sections and 

 (I. OS cm. in the bag. In addition, a T.5-cm. stretch 

 mesh trammel net, 90 m. x 1.8 m., w.xs fished each 

 sam})ling period at the entrance of access canals 

 where stations were located. Fishes, invertebrates, 

 and plants taken in nets and by bottom samplers 

 were sorted, enumerated, and identified. Animals 

 in eacli group are not treated in detail in the 

 present report, although some are mentioned be- 

 cause of their pi'ominence in bayfill canals. 



218 



U.S. PISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



