Diversity of Infaunal Invertebrates in Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAVs) in Barataria Bay & the Atchafalaya Delta, LA

Presentation Type

Poster

Conference Date

Spring 4-17-2026

Abstract

Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAVs) provide important nursery habitats to

various organisms in coastal Louisiana. SAVs occur in different basins along the coastline, covering a range of salinities. The presence of SAVs plays a distinct role in the function of benthic ecosystems, altering nutrient cycling and sedimentation, and inhibiting wave energy, effectively creating a more efficient habitat for benthic invertebrates (Pawlikowski and Kornijow, 2022). The benthic macroinfauna in these ecosystems serve as a basis for the food web to the various organisms utilizing this habitat, such as the economically important blue crab. The SAVs in this study can be classified into two salinity classes: oligohaline (0.5-5.0ppt) and mesohaline (5.0-18.0ppt). Such salinity variance influences what SAVs are present and potentially the benthic community beneath them. This study aims to investigate the potential relationship between different SAV habitats and their associated salinity with the benthic macroinfauna community. Due to land loss and saltwater intrusion along the Louisiana coast, these areas are at risk of experiencing major environmental shifts. The data from this study can help establish a baseline as to what these communities look like and provide information about the potential impact changing salinities will have on the area.

Presenter

Jack Bourgeois

Faculty Mentor

Cassandra Glaspie

Award

2nd Place, LSU College of the Coast and Environment

Academic Major

Coastal Environmental Science

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