Every year in the United States, recreational and commercial fisheries generate billions of dollars for the economy (Lellis-Dibble et al. 2008). Much of the fish are caught and/or harvested from estuaries. Commercial estuarine species including fish and shellfish accounted for 68% of the U.S. commercial fishery landings from 2000 through 2004; recreational estuarine species of fish and shellfish accounted for nearly 80% of the fish harvested nationwide from 2000 through 2004 (Lellis-Dibble et al. 2008). Estuaries play important roles for fisheries by providing nursery habitat and food for fish leading to increased fishery productivity, i.e., fish and shellfish species, which translates to billions of dollars for the coastal economy.
