Spatio-temporal variability in faunal assemblages surrounding the discharge of secondary treated sewage |
| |
| Authors: | RJ Wear JE Tanner |
| |
| Institution: | aSouth Australian Research and Development Institute (Aquatic Sciences), 2 Hamra Avenue, West Beach, South Australia 5024, Australia;bThe University of Adelaide, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia |
| |
| Abstract: | Macrofaunal assemblages inhabiting the intertidal zone surrounding an input of secondary treated effluent were sampled in order to determine how the pollution impact varied temporally and spatially. Assemblages varied along the pollution gradient formed by the Bolivar Wastewater Treatment Plant outfall in Gulf St Vincent, South Australia. While the abundance of some species did not vary, the abundance of juvenile western king prawns (Melicertus latisulcatus) and blue crabs (Portunus pelagicus) progressively decreased with proximity to the outfall. Species richness and diversity also decreased towards the outfall. An increase in nutrient content in the water adjacent to the outfall is likely to explain these changes. At distances of 4 and 5 km away, species diversity increased and the abundance of M. latisulcatus decreased, possibly due to a change in habitat from sand to seagrass. The occurrence of a storm prior to sampling on one occasion masked the effects of pollution and habitat changes. The results of this study suggest that the disposal of treated effluent into Gulf St Vincent is having a localised effect on the faunal assemblages surrounding the discharge point. |
| |
| Keywords: | Melicertus latisulcatus Portunus pelagicus South Australia Adelaide Bolivar Wastewater Treatment Plant effluent |
| 本文献已被 ScienceDirect 等数据库收录！ |
|
