ABSTRACT
Galveston Bay ranks among the most important estuaries in the U.S. in terms of ecologic and economic value. It is a system critically important to the regional and state economies, supporting billions of dollars of commercial and recreational activities each year (e.g., oil and gas production, shipping, electric power generation, commercial and recreational fishing, and tourism). However, human development and overuse are now threatening the health of the Galveston Bay system. For example, wastewater discharges from more than 1400 municipal and industrial facilities, inputs of toxic substances from nonpoint sources, alteration of freshwater inflow, degradation and loss of wetlands habitat, overfishing, and the decline of some biotic populations have been detrimental to the estuary.
