TABLE OF CONTENTS

Cover
Title Page
Abstract
Introduction
Methods
Statistical Analysis
Results
Discussion
Literature Cited
Figures:
Figure 1. The Suwannee River, Florida, with a circle inset which encloses the estuarine river mouth area (rkm 0-2.5) utilized as trophic habitat by juvenile Gulf sturgeon.
Figure 2. Five different sectors of the Suwannee River Estuary based upon salinity regimes.
Figure 3. The location of the random sampling sites used in this study. The triangles indicate June-July, 2002, samples (n=156) and the circles indicate February-April, 2003, samples (n=103).
Figure 4. A) Comparative mean abundance (number of individuals/m² + 95% C.I.) of benthic macrofauna (> 0.5 mm) from core samples in the Suwannee River estuary. B) Comparative mean biomass (g dry wt./m² +s.e.) of benthic macrofauna (> 0.5 mm) from core samples in the Suwannee River estuary. Location abbreviations are as follows: WDP Wadley Pass, EP  East Pass, NS North Sound, SS  South Sound, and WP West Pass.
Figure 5. Interpolated map of macrofaunal density (number of individuals/m²) in the Suwannee River estuary during the summer of 2002 (A) and winter of 2003 (B).
Figure 6. Interpolated map of benthic biomass (g dry wt./m²) of benthic macrofauna in the Suwannee River estuary during the summer of 2002 (A) and winter of 2003 (B).
Figure 7. Relative composition of benthic macrofaunal taxa from core samples in the Suwannee River estuary.
Figure 8. Interpolated map of amphipod density (number of individuals/m²) in the Suwannee River estuary during the summer of 2002 (A) and winter of 2003 (B).
Figure 9. Interpolated map of polychaete density (number of individuals/m²) in the Suwannee River estuary during the summer of 2002 (A) and winter of 2003 (B).
Figure 10. Interpolated map of brachiopod density (number of individuals/m²) in the Suwannee River estuary during the summer of 2002 (A) and winter of 2003 (B).
Figure 11. Interpolated map of the density (number of individuals/m²) of macrofauna which fall into the Principal Foods category in the Suwannee River estuary during the summer of 2002 (A) and winter of 2003 (B).
Figure 12. Interpolated map of the Biased Food Density (number of individuals/m²) estimate based upon core samples taken in the Suwannee River estuary during the summer of 2002 (A) and winter of 2003 (B).
Figure 13. Interpolated map of the Adjusted Food (g dry wt./m²) estimate based upon core samples taken in the Suwannee River estuary during the summer of 2002 (A) and winter of 2003 (B).
Figure 14. The location of the places within the Suwannee River Estuary that juvenile (,1 m) Gulf sturgeon and the number which have been caught, USGS sampling 1988-1995.
Tables:
Table 1. Principal food categories for juvenile Gulf Sturgeon erected from the macrofauna found in the Suwanee River Estuary.
Table 2. Percent representation of amphipod taxa collected in summer, winter and overall samples.
Table 3. Percent representation of the dominant polychaete taxa collected in summer, winter, and overall samples.

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