Fishing can significantly affect estuarine food webs, including those associated with oyster reefs, by reducing fish populations. Removing fish may also lead to increased populations of small crabs that inhabit oyster reefs which consume oysters. These increased populations may then overconsume oysters and other reef inhabitants. However, measuring these indirect effects of fishing on food webs is challenging. Events that curtail fishing pressure allowing assessment of how fishing pressure effects food webs are rare. For example, Hurricane Harvey (2017) severely curtailed fishing in Aransas Bay, TX, USA by destroying local infrastructure. Following this lack of fishing fish populations temporarily increased, and oyster reef community composition significantly changed. There were fewer small crabs leading to increased juvenile oyster abundance. Yet, these findings were confounded by other storm effects such as rainfall and salinity changes. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic created a unique opportunity by changing human behavior without disrupting other natural processes, providing a natural experiment to assess how human activity, primarily fishing, influenced estuarine food webs. During spring 2020, initial COVID restrictions removed nearly all fishing pressure. However, once restrictions were lifted, fishing dramatically increased because other forms of entertainment (e.g., restaurants) were closed and outside activities were encouraged. The following year (2021), a significant freezing event occurred, resulting in the death of millions of fish. These events occurred on the heels of a hurricane that significantly increased fish populations. We had been monitoring oyster reef communities since 2016, including through Hurricane Harvey when fishing pressure was disrupted. By comparing data collected in 2020 and 2021 to earlier data collected in 2016-2018, we assessed how changes in fishing and fish populations affected oyster reef communities. As expected, increased fishing resulted in reductions in fish populations and increases in populations of small crabs and shrimp that fish consume. This was particularly evident in 2021 following the freeze and subsequent fish kill. Combining fisheries independent data collected by Texas Parks and Wildlife with our survey of oyster reef communities from 2016-2021, we were able to measure how oyster reef food webs respond to fishing pressure and different types of disturbances. Although fishing pressure did affect fish populations and oyster reef communities, and a temporary fishing disruption caused by a hurricane led to widespread changes in food webs, these effects were overshadowed by the freezing event that killed millions of fish. Our results reveal the importance of maintaining healthy fish populations that significantly benefit the economies of coastal municipalities but also have significant effects on overall estuarine food webs. Funding supported two Ph.D. scientists and a high school intern, who recently completed his freshman year in college studying marine science. Results have been communicated at an international meeting and will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal later this year. Last Modified: 05/30/2022 Submitted by: Delbert L Smee