Figure 5. — Central Boca Oiega Bay near Corey Cau:>e\vay in 1!»63 showing liayfill areas ( photograph courtesy of 



Alrflite, St. Petersburg, Fla.). 



Quantitutive samples for estimates of biomass 

 were taken in August 196-t witli a 0.25 m.- plug 

 sampler that extracts sediments to a depth of 2-2.5 

 cm. (fig. 12). In operation, the sampler is pushed 

 into the sediment and tlien dug out witli a shovel 

 which covers the bottom of the sampler and re- 

 tains the sediment plug. Total weights of plants 

 and infauna from grass beds were determined 

 from sets of triplicate samples taken in representa- 

 tive stands of turtle grass in lower, central, and 

 upper Boca Ciega Hay (areas A, B, and C", fig. in). 

 Infaunal hiotnass from unvegetated bottom was 

 determined from a single set of tliree sa,mj>les in the 

 central part of the bay shoreward of station D-5 



in area D (fig. 11). Wet and oven-dried plants and 

 wet whole animals were weighed on a Mettler 

 K-7 balance. Dry whole weight of animals was 

 arbitrarily calculated at 15 percent of wet whole 

 weight becatise most of the animals in all samples 

 were polychaete worms, small crustaceans, and 

 small mollusks (Sanders, 1956; Thorson, 1957). 

 Large mollusks and crustaceans that appeared 

 sporadically in bottom samples were disregarded 

 in calculations of standing crop because of the bias 

 they would have introduced. Consequently, figures 

 for dry whole weight of aninrals are conservative, 

 partictdarly in lower Boca Ciega Bay (area A), 

 where the southern hard-shell clam {Mercenaria 



EFFECTS OF HVDRAILIC DREDGINCi AM) COASTAL DEVELOPMENT IX BOCA CIEGA BAY, B"LA. 



219 



