57 



Fig. 17. Areal distribution of composite group of stations characterizing the nearshore shelf 



environment in the northeastern Gulf region. These stations had the greatest number of common 



occurrences of species from all index groups. 



In terms of strict abundance (as a qualitative term [see Thorson, 1957, 

 p. 474]) within the nine stations considered characteristic of the 11 to 

 26 meter nearshore shelf environment in the northern Gulf, the following 

 species can be considered the most important, and may actually form the 

 basis for a community, when more systematic sampling is carried out. 



