Charles E. Stelting Joseph H. McGowen Gerald L. Shideler 1981 <p>Corpus Christi Bay is a heavily used estuary on the south Texas coast in the northwest Gulf of Mexico (fig. 1). &nbsp;The Bay is stressed by diverse activities which could substantially affect its ecosystem. &nbsp;Such activities include shipping, resource production (oil, gas, and construction aggregate), commercial and sport fishing, and recreation. &nbsp;Shipping activities alone have had a substantial impact on the bay. &nbsp;For example, the past maintenance of navigation channels has required extensive dredging and spoil disposal within the estuarine system. &nbsp;Numerous subaqueous spoil disposal sites and subaerial spoil banks are present throughout the bay (fig. 1), and the selection of future spoil disposal sites is becoming a critical local problem. &nbsp;As activities in the bay increase, the need for effective environmental management becomes increasingly important, and effective management necessitates a good understanding of the bay's physical characteristics. &nbsp;The objective of this study is to provide detailed information about the textural composition of bottom sediments within the estuarine system, information which could be used in making environmental-management decisions. &nbsp;Visual descriptions of bottom sediments in Corpus Christi Bay and adjacent areas have been presented by McGowen and Morton (1979). &nbsp;Additionally, a study of the textures of sediments on the Inner Continental Shelf adjacent to the bay has been presented by Shideler and Berryhill (1977).</p> application/pdf 10.3133/mf1275 en U.S. Geological Survey Maps showing textural characteristics of benthic sediments in the Corpus Christi Bay estuarine system, south Texas reports