The identification, conservation, and management of estuarine and marine nurseries for fish and invertebrates

Abstract

Presents a study which asserts that a better understanding of habitats which serve as nurseries for marine species, as well as an understanding of the factors that create site-specific variability in nursery quality, will improve conservation and management of these areas. Discussion of the important functions of seagrass meadows, marshes, and mangrove forests; History of the nursery-role concept; Premise that some nearshore, juvenile habitats contribute disproportionally to the production of individuals that recruit to adult populations.