METRIC TONS LANDED 
Figure 25. Annual landings (1975-1986) of commercial and recreational finfishes from Galveston Bay and nearshore 
waters (54,56). 
October fishery for white shrimp (P. setiferus). Recreational finfish fisheries are most productive in 
summer (spotted sea trout, redfish) and fall (flounder). Commercial finfish harvests are highest in the 
fall, concentrating on flounder, mullet and Atlantic croaker. 
Ecological Interactions and Problems 
The greatest problems involved in the maintenance of the Galveston Bay biota are related to 
human utilization of estuarine resources such as wetlands, fresh water and coastal habitats. Each of 
these areas presents its own unique interactions and prospects for various scenarios of the future 
status of the bay. 
Sea Level Rise and Wetlands Loss 
One of the critical problems facing the Galveston Bay estuary is apparent sea level rise (a 
combination of rapid, local subsidence of land due to groundwater and petroleum withdrawal (15) 
and slow, oceanic water rise from glacial melting) and associated wetlands loss. As pointed out in 
previous sections, many estuarine inhabitants depend on wetlands for food, refuge or living space. 
In 1979, the area containing the estuary's wetlands had elevations of 0 to 1.6 meters above mean sea 
level and encompassed some 740 square kilometers (Figure 2.7) (15). 
The result of the combined forces of subsidence and glacial melting has led to a moderate 
projection of a 1.0- to 1.6-meter sea level rise by the year 2100 (57). If a 1.6-meter rise were experienced, 
the new wetlands area (0- to 1.6-meter elevations) would decrease in size by more than 50 percent to 
360 square kilometers (Figure 2.8), assuming inland migration of the vegetation. The old 0- to 1.6- 
meter elevations would be converted to open bay water. However, this new wetlands area is 
44 
