Contaminated Marine Sediments Assessment and Remediation (1989) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
Effects of Contaminated Sediments on Benthic Biota and Communities
Effects of Contaminated Sediments on Benthic Biota and Communities
Pages 132-154
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From page 132... ...
There is a critical research need to develop test protocols that address chronic effects and bioaccumulation in both short- and long-lived benthic organisms. Such methodologies would allow for the effective interpretation of changes in benthic communities in response to contamination and the significance of the community in food chain transfer of sediment contaminants.
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From page 133... ...
The focus of this paper is to briefly review the types of responses that sediment contaminants have been shown to elicit in macrobenthic communities. Effects at this level of biological organization, however, integrate individual organism and population responses throughout the biological hierarchy.
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From page 134... ...
z z J 1 I e og T ~n cn z o ~n Ct o ~n 1.
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From page 135... ...
To assess the mechanisms of contaminant bioaccumulation from sediments, and the subsequent food chain transfer, there is a critical need for studies using infaunal and deposit-feeding organisms. In fact, there is a real technological limitation in the determination of bioaccumulation processes in one of the most important components of benthic communities -- the small, fast growing, highly productive opportunistic species of polychaetes, bivalves, and crustaceans.
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From page 136... ...
On the other hand, the accumulation of organic compounds do pose a serious problem because of the affinity of many PAHs and chlorinated organics for animal lipid pools. Although many marine organisms have the ability to metabolize these organic compounds via mixed function oxidase (MFO)
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From page 137... ...
The biological responses evaluated in this program included genetic, pathological, physiological, reproductive, population and community endpoints. The sediments that were used in the FVP were dredged from Black Rock Harbor, Connecticut, and disposed of at the COE's dredged material disposal site in Central Long Island Sound.
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From page 138... ...
Exposure to Black Rock Harbor sediments did cause an increase in SCE frequency in both laboratory and field exposed worms (Pesch et al., 1988~. The long-term consequences of this genetic response is unknown; however, tumor induction or some other mutagenicity may result.
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From page 139... ...
In the FVP, the pathological responses to Black Rock Harbor sediments were examined in four infaunal species: the tube-building amphipod Ampelisca abdita; the polychaetes NepEtys incise and Neanthes arenaceodentata; and the bivalve Yoldia limatula (Yevich et al., 19861.
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From page 140... ...
Behavioral effects were observed in the studies with Black Rock Harbor sediments. The amphipod Ampelisca showed a distinct emergence response to these sediments.
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From page 141... ...
abdi ta exposed to suspended Black Rock Harbor sediments (Gentile et al., 1985, 1987; Scott and Redmond, in press)
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From page 142... ...
The final stage, or equilibrium assemblage, is dominated by infaunal deposit feeders who are large, long-lived, and feed deep in the sediment. As can be seen in Figure 2, this progressive infaunalization increases sediment bioturbation and particle mixing and, hence, pore water exchange at the sediment- water interface.
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From page 143... ...
A major impact on benthic systems resulting from organic enrichment is the increase in sediment oxygen demand. With the input of suspended solids there is a concomitant increase in abundance of opportunistic suspension feeders to the exclus ion of bioturbating deposit feeders.
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From page 144... ...
t \\ 3 -30- ~3000 1 /~_~_~ ~ - 20 ~ 2000 1 1 ~ 5 - 10 - 1000 / / ~ F 20 G20 Z 20 ~ 20 Station plumber r\ 2SO 200 150 100 50 120 K20 CAPtrELLA SCOLELE P.S ~ ~ SC~LtBREG | i~ ~ELINNA ~ ~ CORSULA ~ // ~>~ I I ~ ~ 1 SO 100 200 3S0 600 8SO INSTANCE fRO~ O[J7FALL ( m ) The following discussion will describe, in some detail, our studies on the benthic community recolonization process resulting from the disposal of Black Rock Harbor sediments at the FVP disposal site (Scott et al., 1987~.
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From page 145... ...
The benthic community, sampled at four stations at the FVP site on an easterly transect, prior to disposal (baseline) and off the disposal mound for six months following disposal, was dominated by a subsurface infaunal deposit- feeding assemblage consisting of the protobranch bivalves Nucula annulata and Yoldia limatula and the polychaete worm Nephtys incise.
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From page 146... ...
IMPLICATIONS OF CHANGES IN COMMUNITY STRUCTURE Alterations in the species composition, abundance, and diversity of benthic communities have two primary affects on the broader ecosystem: 1. influences on higher trophic levels and habitat resource value, and 2.
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From page 147... ...
Secondary production Prey availability High potential for rselected taxa High -- prey are concentrated near surface Potential for food- Highest for suspended web contamination or recently sedimented particulates. Body burdens may be low re lated to short mean life spans C ontaminant/nutr i ent recycling Potential for bottom water hypoxia Limited to solutes in c 3 cm High -- storage systems for labile detritus Lower potential for Kselected taxa Lower -- infauna are deep burrowings Highest for deeply buried contaminants.
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From page 148... ...
These factors can restructure the composition of surface sediments which may ultimately affect larval recruitment of benthic species. CONCLUS IONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS The effects of sediment contamination on changes in benthic communities have been largely determined through correlational analyses.
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From page 149... ...
1982. Ecosystem consequences of alterations of benthic community structure and function in the New York Bight region.
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From page 150... ...
1987. The Assessment of Black Rock Harbor Dredged Material Impacts on Laboratory Population Responses.
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From page 151... ...
1988. Bioenergetic Effects of Black Rock Harbor Dredged Material on the Polychaete Nephtys incise: A Field Verification.
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From page 152... ...
1987. Sister Chromatid Exchange in Marine Polychaetes Exposed to Black Rock Harbor Sediments.
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From page 153... ...
1987. The Impact of Open-water Disposal of Black Rock Harbor Dredged Material on Benthic Recolonization at the FVP Site.
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From page 154... ...
1986. Histopathological Effects of Black Rock Harbor Dredged Material on Marine Organisms: A Laboratory Investigation.
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