The data upon which the discussion is based were gathered during 1967 

 and 1968 in the North River estuarine system of Everglades National 

 Park. 



The study indicates that the first link in the food web is provided 

 by bacteria and fungi, which convert the relatively undigestible lignin 

 and cellulose of vascular plant tissue into a protein source that can 

 be digested by higher organisms. The second link is composed of 

 opportunistic omnivorous crustaceans such as amphipods, mysids, 

 harpacticoid copepods, caridean and penaeid shrimp along with chironomid 

 midge larvae and a few omnivorous fishes such as the striped mullet, 

 sheepshead minnow, and molly. All of these ingest large quantities of 

 detritus particles with their loads of digestible microorganisms. 

 Feeding on these detritus consumers are a large group of fishes, including 

 all of the juvenile game fishes. 



From the discussion, it is apparent that the proJuction of game and 

 food fish from mangrove systems such as the North River is directly 

 linked to the production of vascular plant detritus in the form of 

 decaying mangrove leaves, roots, bark, and wood. The production of 

 phytoplankton and benthic and epiphytic algae in such an area is so 

 much less than the production of mangrove detritus that the yield of 

 gamefish must decline in proportion to mangrove destruction. (J.B.) 



Keywords: mangrove swamps, food web, fisheries, estuaries, Florida 



III-A-12 



Odum, W.E., and E.J. Heald. 1972. Trophic analyses of an estuarine 

 mangrove community. Bulletin of Marine Science 22:671-738. 



Fringing the southwest coast of Florida is a mangrove belt that 

 supports large populations of birds, gamefishes, and invertebrate 

 species of commercial importance. A study was conducted between 1967 

 and 1969 in the North River basin of this mangrove region to determine 

 the energy basis for this large population of animals and to delineate 

 the route by which energy is transferred through the food web. 

 Summaries of food habits for most of the fish and aquatic invertebrate 

 species that occur in the North River mangrove ecosystem are given. 

 In addition to study data on 10,000 analyses of stomach contents, 

 information from other publications has been summarized where pertinent. 

 Finally, for most species there is an estimate of relative importance 

 in the North River system in terms of abundance. (A. A. -modified) 



Keywords: mangroves, trophic analysis, estuaries, Florida 



96 



