Drift macroalgae positively influence seagrass-associated nekton communities of the northern Gulf of Mexico

Drift macroalgae, often found in clumps or mats adjacent to within seagrass beds, can provide additional food resources and habitat complexity, leading increased animal abundance, but large concentrations also inhibit faunal movements, smother benthic communities, contribute hypoxia, reducing nekton abundance. Despite its ubiquity, few studies have quantified drift macroalgal prevalence over spatial scales effects on seagrass-associated nekton, hindering our understanding of the functional role macroalgae ecosystems. We relationship between biomass community five estuaries spanning 2000 km across northern Gulf Mexico. Overall, increases meadows significantly influenced structure, increasing shrimp, crab, fish abundances, effect varied by region. Relationships species richness, diversity, organism size, were not observed, suggesting that necessarily new niche space. Small play a vital many local fisheries, providing valuable for invertebrates. Increased recruitment into benefit fisheries shelter resources, which may increase survival, growth, population size recreationally economically important species. While excess levels negatively impact plant particularly eutrophic areas, moderate observed during this survey associated with positive organismal algal dynamics should be considered habitat-based management strategies coastal estuaries.