vegetated sand dunes. The tourist industry is quickly changing the 

 beach by removing the protective sand dune and placing seawalls, 

 buildings, and condominiums on the beach. In September 1975, Hurricane 

 Eloise caused considerable property damage and additional erosion of 

 the Panama City Beach. 



Water temperature fluctuated seasonally with the lowest average in 

 December and the highest average in July. Temperatures were essentially 

 uniform throughout the study area on any particular day and the average 

 for each of the nine transects was also nearly identical. Salinities 

 remained high throughout the year. The range of individual values 

 fluctuated from 23.67 to 35.39 parts per thousand. Monthly averages 

 ranged from a low of 28.44 parts per thousand in August to 35.03 parts 

 per thousand in December. Average salinities on each of the nine 

 transects were also about the same. 



A total of 255 surface sediment samples was analyzed for particle- 

 size distribution, percent carbon, organic carbon, carbonate, and 

 statistical factors. The surface sediments exhibited uniformity over 

 time and location; very little variation was noted in any of the 

 factors at any station or within the study area. 



The benthic invertebrates were represented by 170 species in 26 

 major taxa. Nine species of fish were also collected. The most 

 abundant taxon in terms of species was Polychaeta with 69 species. 

 Other abundant taxa were Amphipoda (22 species); Pelecypoda (14 

 species); Gastropoda (12 species); and Brachyura (11 species). 



The benthic fauna on the nine transects was dominated by the 

 following 14 species which constituted 80 percent of the individuals 

 collected: Dispio uncinata, Magelona rioja, Paraonis fulgens 3 

 Soolelepis squamata 3 Spio pettiboneae 3 Donax texasianus, Ervilia 

 oonoentriaa, Manoocuma sp., Aoanthohaustorius n. sp., Haustorius n. 

 sp., Protoha.ustori.us n. sp., Pseudohaustorius n. sp., Emerita 

 tdlpoi&a, and Br anshio stoma floridae. 



The number of species was lowest in the swash zone (station 1) 

 and highest seaward of the second sandbar (station 5) . Each of the 

 five stations on the transects represented different habitats, and at 

 each station, the abundance of species changed. Several species were 

 abundant at more than one station, but no single species was dominant 

 at all five stations. 



Seasonally, the numbers of individuals and species were highest 

 in May and August, and lowest in November and February. 



The distribution of species along the beach on the nine transects 



113 



