PREFACE 



This report is published to provide coastal engineers the results of an 

 investigation on the long-term effects of beach nourishment on the benthic 

 infauna and surface sediments of Panama City Beach, Florida. The work was 

 carried out under the coastal ecology research program of the U.S. Army 

 Coastal Engineering Research Center (CERC) . 



The report was prepared by J.K. Culter and S. Mahadevan, Mote Marine 

 Laboratory, Sarasota, Florida, under CERC Contract No. DACW72-79-C-0026. 

 Participants during the investigation included K. Caraccia, F. Dalton, 

 J. Drake, L. Eaton, L. Ferris, M. Gallo, G. McCallum, J. Mcintosh, M. Messick, 

 K. Moller, A. Rule, T. Russell, N. Stout, J. Weber, and R. Yarbrough. 



The authors gratefully acknowledge the following scientists who helped 

 during various aspects of this study: E. Nakumura, Director of the National 

 Marine Fisheries Service, Gulf Fisheries Center, Panama City Laboratory, and 

 the laboratory staff for their logistical aid during the fieldwork of this 

 study; C.H. Saloman, also of the National Marine Fisheries Service, for his 

 comments and assistance during the initial site survey; and Dr. W.H. Taft for 

 suggestions concerning the sedimentology parts of the study. Assistance in 

 the identification and verification of the various animal taxa collected was 

 provided by Drs. R.T. Abbott (mollusca) , E.D. Estevez (isopoda), R.W. Heard, 

 Jr. (amphipoda, decapoda, and carideans) , W. Price (cumacea) , and C. Hunter 

 (sipuncula) . 



E.J. Pullen, Chief, Coastal Ecology Branch, was the CERC contract monitor 

 for the report, under the general supervision of R.P. Savage, Chief, Research 

 Division. 



Comments on this publication are invited. 



Approved for publication in accordance with Public Law 166, 79th Congress, 

 approved 31 July 1945, as supplemented by Public Law 172, 88th Congress, 

 approved 7 November 1963. 



TED E. BISHOP 



Colonel, Corps of Engineers 



Commander and Director 



