YEAR and MONTH 



Figure 39. Long-term fluctuations of squid abundance, salinity, and 

 temperature at stations lA, IB, and IC in the Apalachicola estuary from 

 June 1972 through March 1979 (Laughlin and Livingston 1982). 



average (51 crabs/month) and was not 

 directly correlated with abiotic or 

 physico-chemical factors; summer rainfall 

 varied from minimal (1976) to maximal 

 (1975) values and temperature varied 

 little. The total population abundance 

 (all sizes) following the winter 

 recruitments of 1972-73, 1974-75, and 

 1975-76 was above the 6-year average (59 

 crabs/ month). Summer recruitment values 

 were not included in these calculations. 

 Alternatively, winter recruitment was 

 above the annual mean in 1973-74, l'376-77. 



and 1977-78, and was correlated with 

 relatively high (1974, 1977) and low 

 (1978) winter river flow. Water 

 temperatures were just above the average 

 in 1974 and markedly low in 1977 and 1978, 

 Summer recruitment levels and total 

 population abundance following the winters 

 of these years were all below the 6-year 

 average. Tn fact, dramatic decreases in 

 total numbers of crabs occurred in 1974 

 and 1978. Again, none of these values was 

 significantly correlated with any single 

 abiotic factor. With the exception of 



91 



