Over the 20th and 21st centuries, eastern oyster ( Crassostrea virginica ) populations have experienced significant declines in distribution and abundance, with parasite proliferation driving significant declines across estuaries. This study examines trends of the protozoan parasite Perkinsus marinus (the causative agent of dermo disease) over a seven−year period (2005–2011) across five Texas bay systems (Galveston Bay, Matago...

Eastern oysters ( Crassostrea virginica ) are foundational reef builders and ecosystem engineers that provide habitat complexity, enhance biodiversity, and influence biogeochemical cycles by shifting local carbonate chemistry in estuaries along the U.S. Atlantic coast and Gulf of Mexico. However, the environmental ranges governing oyster shell growth and calcification rates remain poorly constrained because available studies v...

Oysters are critical resources that filter water, generate habitat, and safeguard shorelines in coastal and marine ecosystems. Balancing conservation needs with sustainable oyster fisheries is essential for maintaining oyster health and stocks. In the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, oyster resources are managed by five states (Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida), each with unique approaches and priorities. This study ana...

Although position within the estuarine landscape is known to influence structural characteristics and ecological functioning of many habitats, the influence of position on subtidal oyster reef characteristics and functioning is relatively understudied. This study assessed habitat provision by oysters and benthic macrofauna on subtidal bar and patch oyster reefs within the northwestern Gulf of Mexico estuary. Bar reefs had grea...

Habitat restoration efforts are often limited by cost, making it important that available funds are used efficiently and effectively to achieve desired restoration goals. In this study, we evaluate habitat provision for oysters and motile epifauna on restored oyster reefs in a northwestern Gulf of Mexico estuary constructed with discrete high vertical relief (~0.6 m “reef mounds”) or continuous low vertical relief (<0.08 m “re...

The lower Rio Grande is a river-dominated estuary that serves as the border between Texas, USA, and Tamaulipas, Mexico. River estuaries encompass the section of the river influenced by tidal exchange with the Gulf of Mexico, but the connection with the Rio Grande is intermittent and can be temporarily open or closed. During the 4.8-year study period, the river mouth was closed 30% of the time, mostly during average or dry clim...

Estuaries exist across a large climatic gradient in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico, capturing a range of hydrologic conditions and estuarine functioning. We examined freshwater inflow, salinity, and stable isotope compositions (δ 13 C, δ 15 N) of oysters, suspended particulate organic matter (SPOM), and surface sediment organic matter (SSOM) from five estuaries across the hydrologic gradient. All five estuaries experienced la...

The Baffin Bay estuary is a hypersaline system in the Gulf of Mexico that supports an important recreational and commercial fishery for black drum Pogonias cromis , a benthic predator. Seasonal measurements of water quality variables, benthic macrofauna densities and biomass, and determination of P. cromis food sources using stomach‐content and stable‐isotope analyses were carried out to determine how P. cromis food sources ch...