The Macrofauna of the Surf Zone Off Folly Beach, 



South Carolina 1 



WILLIAM D. ANDERSON, JR., 2 JAMES K. DIAS, 3 ROBERT K. DIAS, 4 

 DAVID M. CUPKA, 5 and NORMAN A. CHAMBERLAIN 2 



ABSTRACT 



A seining survey of the macrofauna of the surf zone at Folly Beach, Charleston County, S.C., was 

 conducted from October 1969 to October 1971. Eighty-seven collections were made in the surf and 

 associated tidal pool resulting in the capture of 512 specimens of swimming invertebrates representing 

 at least 17 species and 5,095 specimens of bony fishes representing 41 species. 



The data obtained are analyzed on seasonal and yearly bases for total weights and numbers of 

 species and specimens. Species are ranked as to importance; and prediction equations for monthly 

 average number of specimens per collection in the surf, based on environmental variables, are 

 developed. Length-frequency data and other aspects of the biology of selected species are presented. 

 Length-length and length-weight relationships are given for certain species. Recommendations for 

 the improvement of the methodology for similar surveys are made. 



INTRODUCTION 



Although the taxonomy of the fishes and many of the 

 larger invertebrates inhabiting the inshore waters and es- 

 tuaries of South Carolina is reasonably well known, the 

 life histories of many of these species are incompletely 

 known — data on the larvae and juveniles and on the 

 seasonal variations and fluctuations of populations being 

 especially limited. This study was initiated with the in- 

 tent of filling part of this gap in our knowledge of the surf 

 zone. 



In several studies since 1940, the ichthyofauna of the 

 surf zone has been surveyed along the Gulf and Atlantic 

 coasts of the United States [e.g., Gunter (1945, 1958) and 

 McFarland (1963) in Texas; Springer and Woodburn 

 (1960) in the Tampa Bay area; Miller and Jorgenson 

 (1969) and Dahlberg (1972) in Georgia; Cupka (1972) in 

 South Carolina; Tagatz and Dudley (1961) in North 

 Carolina; and Schaefer (1967) in New York], but to our 

 knowledge no surveys have been conducted on a regular 

 year-around basis north of North Carolina in the surf 

 zone of unprotected beaches. 



Of the many shore habitats, the surf zone of exposed 

 beaches has been least studied. Part of the paucity of 

 data on the surf zone is certainly due to the difficulties 

 inherent in collecting in it. It is unfortunate that our 

 knowledge of this environment is so meager because this 

 rather extensive and physically well-defined habitat is 

 not only economically important as a recreational area 



'Contribution No. 37 of the Grice Marine Biological Laboratory, 

 College of Charleston, and Contribution No. 51 of the Marine Resources 

 Center, South Carolina Wildlife and Marine Resources Department. 



KJrice Marine Biological Laboratory, 205 Fort Johnson, Charleston, SC 

 29412. 



"Possum Comer, Route 2, Ridgeland, SC 29936. 



'Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Gloucester Point, VA 23062. 



'Marine Resources Center, P.O. Box 12559, Charleston, SC 29412. 



for sport fishermen, but also is significant as nursery 

 grounds for certain commercial and sport species such as 

 the pompanos, Trachinotus spp., mullets, Mugil spp., 

 and Gulf kingfish, Menticirrhus littoralis. Other species 

 inhabiting the surf undoubtedly prey upon or form a 

 significant part of the diet of a number of economically 

 important species. In order to adequately understand the 

 ecology of the surf zone, basic data on the composition 

 and seasonal variations and fluctuations of populations 

 of both resident and transient species are necessary. 

 With the preceding in mind, a 2-yr biweekly seining sur- 

 vey was initiated at Folly Beach in October 1969. A short 

 abstract of the first year of this study was presented by 

 Anderson et al. (1971). 



DESCRIPTION OF THE STATION 



Folly Beach (on Folly Island, a barrier island) is about 

 14 km south of the Charleston peninsula in Charleston 

 County, S.C. The littoral zone at this beach is a high- 

 energy environment, unprotected from the force of the 

 open Atlantic Ocean by any physiographic feature. 

 Collections were made in the surf (i.e., the breakers and 

 slightly seaward) and tidal pool (when present) between 

 the last two groins at the southwestern end of the beach 

 (lat. 32°38.7'N, long. 79°57.6'W). The beach slopes gent- 

 ly in this area (about 1-1 x h%) and is predominantly sandy 

 (fine sand), although considerable shell and larger shell 

 fragments were present on about one-half of the collect- 

 ing days. Tidal ranges are 5.2 feet (1.58 m) mean and 6.1 

 feet (1.86 m) spring. The height of the sea varied from 

 about 0.2 to 2.1 m (x = 0.6 m). 



A tidal pool 6 was present on approximately 70% of the 

 collecting days. Its dimensions varied considerably from 



S A "tidal pool" is "A pool of water remaining on a beach or reef after 

 recession of the tide" (Howell 1960). 



