Living Resources

Galveston Bay is home to a myriad of organisms. The Bay's living resources range from microscopic planktonic algae and bacteria that drift with the currents to large mammals such as the bottlenose dolphin.

Just as Galveston Bay's different habitat types are interconnected, so too are the Bay's living resources. These organisms occupy different feeding, or trophic levels, in the estuarine food chain. While all of the Bay's organisms are integral to ecosystem function, some of the more visible or economically important species are highlighted in the following groups:

The fish and wildlife resources provide some of the Bay's greatest economic, recreational and aesthetic assets. Additionally, many of these species are high in the food chain and are therefore important indicators of the health of estuarine food webs. Considerable scientific and regulatory resources are devoted to studying these populations.

The population size of a given species is determined by many relevant factors; among them are habitat (both quantity and quality) and degree of environmental contamination. Most of the Bay's living resources appear to be in good health, with some exceptions posing management concerns.

See more information on Galveston Bay living resources in Chapter Eight of The State of the Bay and in GBEP Partner Resources.