Taxonomic diversity among oyster reefs in 2015-2016 in previously documented oiled and non-oiled areas in Louisiana, Alabama, and the Florida panhandle

Abundance of live organisms (per 0.25 m2 quadrat) found in oyster reefs sampled in the early fall (September/October) and spring (April/May) from 2015 to 2016. Four embayments were sampled from Louisiana to the Florida panhandle, with sites that were previously oiled or non-oiled after the Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill. Within oiled and non-oiled sites, oyster quadrat samples were taken from intertidal (along the marsh edge) and subtidal areas, and also from mesohaline and high salinity sites. The top 10 cm of material was collected from the quadrats and returned to the lab for enumeration of species.