Colonization of infauna and fiddler crabs in a newly constructed mangrove environment

Colonization of infauna in a newly constructed mangrove environment at Spanish River Park, Boca Raton, Florida was studied for six months following initial site preparation. Monthly core samples for benthic invertebrates were collected from December 1994 to June 1995. Sampling stations were chosen randomly each month in three zones along two transects across a tidal channel: upper mangrove, lower mangrove, and mangrove/Spartina. Fiddler crab burrows were counted within randomly placed square meter quadrats in each zone. Rapid succession over short-term indicated the constructed environment would eventually become an established, functional mangrove community. Natural infaunal colonization began immediately, and a total of 26 species was collected during the study period. The most abundant species were microdrile oligochaetes, capitellid polychaetes, and dipteran larvae. Fiddler crab holes were first encountered in April 1995 and reached a maximum in June of 42 burrows per m^2. No significant zonation (p > 0.05) was found in the most abundant species, average infaunal density, or fiddler crab holes. Samples from two reference sites showed similar faunas, with the organisms found in adjacent channel areas an influencing factor on species diversity and density.