Effects of Discharge from a Dredge Spoils Site on Carroll Island, Maryland.
Abstract
Benthic sampling of macroinvertebrate populations was conducted 14 times from April to August 1972 to determine the effects of a discharge from a dredge spoils site on Carroll Island, MD, on the upper western shore of the Chesapeake Bay. During the sampling period, 8.78 inches of rain fell on the study area from 21 to 23 June 1972 during tropical storm Agnes. Nine samples were collected prior to Agnes and five were taken after the storm. Twenty-two species (20 invertebrates and 2 vertebrates) were collected; 81.5% of the sample was represented by three species: The brackish-water clam, Rangia cuneata; the amphipod, Leptocheirus plumulosus; and the polychaete, Scolecolepides viridis. The number of small R. cuneata (1.3 to 4.3 mm) increased significantly after the storm, indicating that there was an influx of juvenile clams. Despite the extreme temporary hydrologic occurrences caused by the tropical storm, most changes in the number of individuals and species could be attributed to the effects of the dredge spoils discharge on Station 3 and seasonal changes in the species abundance during the study period.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1975
- Accession Number
- ADA012206
Entities
People
- Edward S. Bender
- J. Gareth Pearson