beach. Motile species such as fish, crabs, and shrimp are also able to survive 

 in the area of breaking waves in the surf. 



V. FEEDING STRATEGY 



Generally the feeding categories of high-energy beaches include grazers, 

 filter feeders, and predators-scavengers. Many sand-dwelling benthic animals 

 are adapted to feeding on bacteria, algae, diatom, and other micro-organisms 

 by grazing and filter feeding. There are also numerous scavengers and predator 

 species, ranging from protozoans to fishes. Leber (1977), Reilly and Bellis 

 (1978), and Modde (1980) observed that many fish and shellfish feed in the surf. 

 The beach is an open system whose main exchange is with the ocean by inputting 

 organics and carrion and outputting nutrients and beach organisms (McLachlan, 

 et al., 1981). 



VI. SAMPLING THE BEACHES AND NEARSHORE 



1. Sampling Methods . 



There have been few quantitative studies on the effects of beach nourish- 

 ment on marine communities along the high-energy coastal beaches because these 

 beaches are difficult and hazardous to sample. The Coastal Engineering Research 

 Center (CERC) recently published a report which provides a standardized system 

 for sampling macro invertebrates on high-energy sand beaches (Hurme, Yancey, and 

 Pullen, 1979) . The report suggests that samples on the upper beach be taken by 

 excavating 0.1-square meter quadrats with a trench shovel and sieving the 

 samples through a 0.5-millimeter mesh soil sieve. In the surf zone, a coring 

 device assures a better sample than do other types of equipment. Offshore of 

 the surf zone, cores, grabs, and dredges may be used. Cores taken by a diver 

 give the best and most consistent samples (Fig. 3). Trawls and beach seines 

 are less quantitative, but they provide samples that are useful in interpreting 

 biological changes that are not detectable in the core and dredge samples. 



IJhen working in the surf, the investigator should use a lifeline to stay on 

 station (Fig. 4); range markers on the beach are also helpful for keeping divers 

 on station. Samples are generally collected along lines or transects perpen- 

 dicular to the beach and are stored in plastic bags, labeled, and preserved. 

 Sorting of the animals from the sediments is done on the beach or in the 

 laboratory. The animals preserved are later identified and counted. 



In clear water, diver observations and photos provide valuable information 

 that supplements core samples. Divers can observe and count attached reef 

 animals (Fig. 5), burrowing and reef fish which tend to be territorial, and 

 pelagic fish (Fig. 6). 



2. Sampling Plans . 



Sampling plans for a specific area depend on the nature and magnitude of 

 the project, the use and purpose of the data, and on the animals to be evaluated. 

 The animals may be fixed or motile with populations that vary seasonally and 

 distributions that are random or clustered. Knowledge of this information on 

 the study area and on the animals is necessary to determine the required 

 sampling equipment, sampling frequency, number of samples, and number of 

 stations needed. The length of a study will vary depending on the time 



