The Tugboat Cay site (Fig. 2, Site C) extends from the Cay 

 to about 1/2 mile northwest onto a sand shoal and 1 mile west. 

 Its major bottom characteristic is sporadic patches of T. 

 testudinum and coarse sand pebbles with a mean depth of about 4 

 m. Tidal currents reach about 1 knot. 



The Leaf Cay site (Fig. 2, Site D) is a small patch of T. 

 testudinum on the southwest side of the Cay in 4 m surrounded by 

 deeper water. This is a minor nursery lying to the west of a 

 major inlet. 



METHODS 



Standard scuba diving techniques were used to observe and 

 measure juvenile conch. Plastic spaghetti tags were cut and tied 

 around the spires of the conch shell. 



Conch were measured along the anterior-posterior axis of 

 the shell. Population density estimates of juvenile conch at the 

 Children's Bay Cay site were obtained by; (1) measuring distances 

 and direction between buoys set on the outer perimeters of the 

 bed with a rangefinder instrument, (2) estimating area of the bed 

 geometrically, and (3) counting and measuring conch within 20 

 circles each measuring 31.9 m^. Fifteen of the samples were 

 taken on grass beds and five on the adjacent sand shoal. 



Surveys of a shallow-water population of S. gigas at 

 Norman's Pond Cay were conducted by counting all conch in blocks, 

 each measuring 39 m north and south alongshore and 2 m east and 

 west seaward (Fig. 3). 



RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 



Juvenile Queen Conch 



Norman ' s Pond Cay 



Distribution of juvenile conch (0+ and 1+ year class) at 

 Norman's Pond Cay in July 1984 appeared to be related to the 

 effluent from the salt pond which flows from the channel either 

 north or south alongshore most of the day. Ambient water 

 temperature was about 30°C and effluent temperature was about 

 2°C above ambient during the afternoon. 



Approximately 2500 conch counted on July 18-28, 1984, were 

 centered at the entrance to the channel and spread directly 

 seaward about 22 m from the entrance and along the shoreline 

 north and south (Fig. 3). The conch were often exposed along 

 the beach at low tide. This behavior has also been reported by 

 Iversen et al. (1987). 



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