be attracted to the upper freshwater 

 portions in the estuary. 



Although the major peaks in numbers 

 of juvenile blue crabs occur during the 

 winter, secondary increases are often 

 noted during the summer and fall (Figure 

 34). As the young blue crabs enter the 

 Aoalachicola estuary during the winter 

 months, they concentrate in East ^ay and 

 off the Nick's Hole drainage (St. George 

 Island). During May and June, oeaks in 

 the number of blue crabs occur in these 

 areas. By the summer and fall months, the 

 blue crabs are concentrated in East Bay. 

 Blue crabs appear to be attracted to areas 



that receive overland runoff although they 

 are not attracted by direct river flow. 



While there is a qeneral pattern of 

 concentration of the dominant epibenthic 

 fishes and invertebrates in areas that 

 receive direct input of freshwater runoff 

 from upland areas, it is simplistic to 

 assume that runoff per se is the primary 

 factor that influences the temporal and 

 soatial asoects of the distribution of 

 such organisms in the estuary. There are, 

 in fact, a complex o^" species-specific 

 limiting factors that are associated with 

 the trophic organization of the bay 

 system. 



75 



