12Nov2024
Thesis Defense Seminar - Lucero Barraza Gomez
Baffin Bay is an important Texas estuary that supports a highly productive fishery. However, its water quality has declined due to excessive nutrient loadings and persistent harmful "brown tide" algal blooms caused by the phytoplankton species Aureoumbra lagunensis. Previous studies have identified one of Baffin Bay's three tributaries, the Los Olmos-Laguna Salada (LOLS) complex, as a potential incubator for brown tide. The primary purpose of this thesis was to assess the water quality and phytoplankton dynamics in the LOLS.