Variability in growth rates of juvenile fishes in different estuarine habitats

Estuaries are vital nursery grounds for many marine fishes. During initial estuarine residence, juvenile fishes presumably benefit greatly from rapid growth, which can diminish susceptibility to size-selective predators. To measure the degree of variability in growth rates across different estuarine sites and habitats. I conducted caging experiments with 3 species (Pseudopleuronectes americanus, Tautoga onitis, and Gobiosoma bosci) at 4 sites in New Jersey, USA, estuaries. Two sites were in an estuary with dense eelgrass Zostera marina beds (Little Egg Harbor) and 2 were in an estuary lacking eelgrass but supporting patchy accumulations of the macroalgae Ulva lactuca (Great Bay).