THE BENTHIC FAUNA AND SEDIMENTS OF THE NEARSHORE ZONE OFF 

 PANAMA CITY BEACH, FLORIDA 



by 

 Carl H. Saloman 



I . INTRODUCTION 



1 . General . 



Continuing erosion along the beaches of Panama City Beach has 

 caused concern to the resident and transit populations that inhabit 

 and utilize the beaches. Erosion has rendered many of the structures 

 along the beach vulnerable to storm damage. To alleviate the problem, 

 the U.S. Army, Corps of Engineers has proposed to restore the damaged 

 beaches and periodically nourish them to qffset erosion (Wilson, 1975) . 

 On 23 September 1975, Hurricane Eloise caused considerably more 

 erosion to the Panama City beaches. In many areas, particularly at 

 the western end of Panama City Beach, the storm eroded the primary 

 sand dune and left many structures damaged or exposed to future damage 

 by storm waves. 



The U.S. Army Coastal Engineering Research Center (CERC) provided 

 funds to the National Marine Fisheries Service for the collection and 

 analysis of data on the benthic fauna and sediments of the nearshore 

 zone off Panama City Beach, Florida. This report describes the benthic 

 fauna and surface sediments of this nearshore zone before restoration 

 of the beach. Also included are the effect of Hurricane Eloise on the 

 benthic fauna of the swash zone and a bibliography of published and 

 unpublished information pertinent to the physical, chemical, and 

 biological aspects of the St. Andrew Bay system and adjacent Gulf of 

 Mexico area. 



2. Study Area . 



The study area, which is located on the northern shore of the Gulf 

 of Mexico, about 9Q miles (166. 1 kilometers] east of Pensacola, 

 Florida, lies between the entrance to St. Andrew Bay (West Pass) and 

 Phillips Inlet (Fig. 1), a length of 18.5 miles (34.3 kilometers). 

 The area is a popular summer resort area and is undergoing rapid 

 development for tourism. Condominiums and motels have been built along 

 much of the beach. The natural beach and sand dunes remain at St. 

 Andrews State Park (Fig. 2), while the remainder of the beach has been 

 developed (Figs. 3 and 4). 



