Lindeman and Snyder: Nearshore hardbottom fishes of southeast Florida 



509 



CORAL 

 COVE 



upiter Inlet 



CARLIN 

 PARK 



Figure 1 



Primary study sites for fish surveys of nearshore hardbottom habitats at Jupiter. Florida (26=56'N. 80-04'W). 



three undisturbed hardbottom sites were character- 

 ized. Second, abundances of different life stages were 

 compared to assess the potential nursery value of 

 nearshore hardbottom habitat. Third, effects of 

 dredge burial on numbers of individuals and species 

 were compared between a site subjected to burial and 

 a control site. 



Methods 



Study areas 



Fish abundances were quantitatively surveyed on 

 two nearshore hardbottom sites approximately 2 km 

 north (Coral Cove) and 2 km south (Carlin Park) of 

 Jupiter Inlet. Florida (26 = 56'N, 80"04'W) from April 



1994 through June 1996 (Fig. 1). Sampling at both 

 sites extended approximately 100 m offshore to a 

 depth of 4 m. Nearshore hardbottom of similar depth 

 and structure at Ocean Ridge, immediately south of 

 the South Lake Worth Inlet (26"31'N, 80 02'W) was 

 also surveyed for comparative purposes during the 

 summer of 1995. 



Weathered limestone outcroppings were common 

 between depths of and 4 m at all sites. These struc- 

 tures have a variety of names (e.g. Anastasia forma- 

 tion outcroppings, coquina reefs, worm reefs) but are 

 referred to by their most common name, "nearshore 

 hardbottom," in the present study. In some areas, 

 the hardbottom extended 1.75 m above the bottom 

 and was highly convoluted. Shoreward portions of 

 the hardbottom were exposed at low tide. Epibiota 

 consisted of a variety of invertebrates and algae. The 



