Biological monitoring of the marine ocean outfall at black rock, Victoria, Australia

The Barwon Region Water Authority in Victoria, Australia, commissioned a new subtidal ocean sewage outfall in February 1989. This outfall replaced an old intertidal outfall, and presently discharges via a diffuser in an average depth of 15m some 1.2km offshore in Bass Strait. Examination of biological communities around the old outfall prior to the change revealed distinct differences in biotic assemblages close to the outfall. An ongoing monitoring programme, implemented in 1986, has assessed not only the recovery in this intertidal area, but also the major changes to macroalgal communities on surrounding reefs, subtidal infauna populations in sandy sediments, and rocky shore communities.     

Der Einfluss von Kläranlagenabwässern auf benthische Wirbellose im Zürichsee

In 1981–83 sublittoral macroinvertebrates were collected by means of SCUBA diving from artificial substrates submerged near the outfalls from eight sewage treatment plants in Lake Zürich. Pollution around the outfall resulted on the one hand in a reduction of pollution intolerant benthic invertebrates, on the other hand in a considerable increase in the relative abundance of pollution tolerant taxa such as leeches, flatworms and crustaceans. Changes in the faunal composition were related to nutrient enrichment and changes in the nature of the substratum due to sedimentation of sewage sludge. Species diversity (Simpson index) showed low values near the outfall from some plants, high values near the outfall from others. Low species diversity did not always mark the sites where greatest pollution has been observed.      

The effects of sewage discharge on shallow hard substrate sessile assemblages

On rocky shores, sewage discharges can modify natural distribution patterns of sessile organisms. The impact of sewage on shallow hard substrate assemblages has been assessed along SW Apulian coast (Ionian Sea, Italy), providing a framework to evaluate the benefits of future sewage displacement to deeper waters. Four locations (three controls and one putatively impacted) were selected and three sites were chosen at each location. Each site was sampled by 10 replicate photographic records. Univariate analyses revealed that the outfall did not affect the spatial distribution of number of taxa, total cover and abundance of some dominant taxa (mostly algae, sponges and bryozoans). The outfall negatively influenced the natural distribution pattern of filamentous green algae, whilst some algae (i.e. Gelidiales and Colpomenia sinuosa) were exclusively present at the impacted location. Multivariate analyses revealed that the outfall heavily modified the natural pattern of variability in the structure of the assemblage.     

The use of transplanted cultured mussels (Mytilus edulis) to monitor pollutants along the Ninety Mile Beach, Victoria, Australia— II. Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans

Commercially cultured strings of mussels were transplanted to five sites along the Ninety Mile Beach, Victoria, Australia, to assess the operational impact of an ocean outfall on bioaccumulation of dioxins and furans. The monitored outfall discharges a complex effluent containing secondary treated domestic, industrial and pulp and paper mill effluent as well as oil and gas production waste waters. Mussels were deployed twice yearly for a period of 3 years, with both pre-discharge and post-discharge data collected. Mussel tissue furan concentrations were generally below detection limits, whereas dioxins were detected in all tissue samples. Tissue dioxin congener profiles were similar to unpolluted seawater, with penta-, hepta- and octa-substituted dioxin congeners being detected in the highest concentrations. Tissue concentrations of dioxins and furans in deployed mussels provided no evidence to suggest that bioaccumulation of dioxins discharged from the ocean outfall was occurring.     

Temporal variation in the diversity and cover of sessile species in rocky intertidal communities affected by copper mine tailings in northern Chile

Several coastal rocky shores in the northern Chile have been affected by the discharges of copper mine tailings. In spite of this, the temporal and spatial variation on the diversity and composition of their intertidal benthic communities has scarcely been studied. The objectives of the present study were to analyse and to compare quantitatively the temporal variation on the diversity, cover and composition of sessile species in rocky intertidal benthic communities of the northern Chilean coast, in relation to the presence of copper mine tailings. The results show that the drastic reduction on the sessile species diversity and the monopolization of the substrate exerted by the green algae Enteromorpha compressa, are common and permanent features of the intertidal rocky shores affected by copper mine tailings. Such spatial (between sites) and temporal (seasonal) variation of these changes has been associated with the relative concentrations of trace metals and inorganic particles of the mining wastes. Our results suggest that the mechanical effects of resuspended and settling tailings are a more likely cause.     

Changes in macroalgal communities in the vicinity of a Mediterranean sewage outfall after the setting up of a treatment plant

Benthic macroalgal communities of the upper rocky sublittoral were studied in 1995-1996 in the vicinity of the Marseille (Mediterranean, France) sewage outfall, 8 years after the setting up of a wastewater treatment plant and compared to a previous study carried out in 1972-1974. The number of taxa has increased, a clear stational and seasonal gradient of differentiation of the vegetation appeared, and a turf of ephemeral species is taking place of Corallina elongata at sites close to the outfall. These changes may be due to a decrease in pollutant load, the discharge of ferric chlorates used in the treatment process. However, the overall change is much less conspicuous than that described for deeper soft bottom communities, in particular the Cystoseira amantacea community is not still restored. Biological traits of this species (short distance dispersal) and the nature of most pollutants removed from the effluent (solids and organic matter) may explain this phenomenon.     

Changes in the composition and structure of Mediterranean rocky-shore communities following a gradient of nutrient enrichment: descriptive study and test of proposed methods to assess water quality regarding macroalgae

Changes in the species composition and structure of Mediterranean macroalgal-dominated communities from the upper sublittoral zone are described along a gradient of nutrient enrichment coming from a urban sewage outfall. Ulva-dominated communities only appear close to the sewage outfall. Corallina-dominated communities replace ulvacean algae at intermediate levels of nutrient enrichment. Cystoseira-dominated communities thrive in the reference site but already appear at nutrient levels that are threefold higher than those reported from unpolluted sites. Assemblage variability of Cystoseira-dominated communities decreases along the gradient of nutrient enrichment. Methods based on the functional-form groups of macroalgae to assess the water quality provide equivocal results at intermediate levels of nutrient enrichment because species belonging to the same group can display a completely different response to pollution. Alternatively, methods based on indicator species showed correlated evidence among species abundances and pollution levels and seem to have better performances in water quality assessment.     

Improvement of the sediment ecosystem following diversion of an intertidal sewage outfall at the Fraser river estuary,Canada, with emphasis on Corophium salmonis (Amphipoda)

Primary treated sewage effluent from the city of Vancouver, Canada was deposited directly onto the intertidal ecosystem of Sturgeon bank, Fraser river estuary between 1962 and 1988. In response to the degraded sediment conditions an azoic zone developed near the discharge outfall. Effluent discharges into the intertidal zone were almost completely stopped in 1988 with the construction of a submerged outfall. Our studies, conducted between 1994 and 1996, showed considerable improvement in the environment of the mudflat ecosystem, including increased dissolved oxygen, decreased sediment chlorophyll, decreased organic material in the sediment, reduced heavy metals in surficial sediment and increased grain size. The amphipod Corophium salmonis, important in the food web for juvenile salmon and other fish species, recolonized the previously azoic location. At reference stations, C. salmonis density was similar to that observed in previous surveys two decades earlier. Our data strongly suggest that improvement or sediment conditions near the former sewage outfall was a major factor enabling colonization by C. salmonis.     

Structural and functional response of meiofauna rocky assemblages to sewage pollution

Despite meiofauna being one of the most popular tool for detecting the ecological effects of different sources of impact, the application of structured experimental designs to this benthic component is typically neglected, especially in subtidal rocky shores. In this study, an asymmetrical design was used to detect hard-bottom meiofaunal abundance and biodiversity response to sewage discharge. Sampling was carried out at a depth of 3-4 m by SCUBA diving, by means of a modified manual corer. Six replicate cores were collected at three sites (80-100 m apart), at each of three locations (one purportedly impacted [I] and two controls [Cs]). A total of 84,994 specimens were collected. The outfall affected meiofaunal assemblages in terms of taxon richness, by determining a significant reduction of the number of taxa in the disturbed location, and community structure, by causing functional changes in terms of a decrease of the abundance of nematodes and an increase of the hydrozoan component. Nematodes and syllid polychaetes showed significant lower average abundance at I. Multivariate analyses showed that both meiofaunal assemblage and syllids were significantly different at I compared with Cs. The sewage outfall also affected patterns of spatial distribution at the scale of site (100 m apart) and of replicate units (centimetres apart), both in syllids and in nematodes. Our results provide evidence that the selection of multiple controls is crucial to prevent the widespread risk of Type II error, highlighting the need of more accurate experimental designs when dealing with meiofauna.     

Rocky-shore communities as indicators of water quality: a case study in the Northwestern Mediterranean

The collection of 152 samples from the upper sublittoral zone along the rocky coasts of Catalonia (Northwestern Mediterranean) was carried out in 1999 in order to test the suitability of littoral communities to be used as indicators of water quality in the frame of the European Water Framework Directive. Detrended correspondence analysis were performed to distinguish between different communities and to relate communities composition to water quality. Samples collected in reference sites were included in the analysis. Mediterranean rocky shore communities situated in the upper sublittoral zone can be used as indicators of the water quality: there is a gradient from high to bad status that comprises from dense Cystoseira mediterranea forests to green algae dominated communities. The geographical patterns in the distribution of these communities show that the best areas are situated in the Northern coast, where tourism is the main economic resource of the area, and the worst area is situated close to the metropolitan zone of Barcelona with high population and industrial development. Thus, Mediterranean sublittoral rocky shore communities are useful indicators of water quality and multivariate analysis are a suitable statistical tool for the assessment of the ecological status.     

Assessment of the effects of a marine urban outfall discharge on caged mussels using chemical and biomarker analysis

To assess the presence of endocrine disruptors in treated marine outfall discharges and their possible effects, mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) were caged in the environmental mixing zone of the outfall of the Santander sanitation system and in one control area. After 30, 60 and 90 days, samples were collected to perform chemical analyses (metals, anionic surfactants, alkylphenols, bisphenol A, phthalates and estrogenic hormones), biomarkers of general stress (lysosomal membrane stability-LMS, histopathology) and biomarkers of endocrine disruption (vitellogenin-like proteins and gonad index). There were no significant differences between outfall and control sites on contaminant levels, except for 4-tert-octylphenol which was higher in the outfall site. Bacteriological counts were higher in the outfall area. No relevant differences in biomarkers were detected between treated and control mussels. A significant reduction in LMS occurred in both groups after 90 days caging, indicating a stress situation possibly related to caging or to post-spawning reproductive state.     

Benthic changes during 10 years of organic enrichment by McMurdo Station, Antarctica

A benthic habitat along the coast of McMurdo Station in the Ross Sea, Antarctica is enriched by sewage from the station and altered by hydrocarbons and heavy metals in an adjacent historic dumpsite. We report on 10 years of change in the benthic communities from 1988 to 1998 and compare enrichment effects at Australia's Casey Station, East Antarctica. Despite being 14 km apart, reference communities upcurrent and downcurrent of McMurdo Station remained closely similar over time, dominated in all years by a tube building polychaete, Spiophanes tcherniae. The community bordering McMurdo Station was generally a third as abundant as communities at the reference sites over the decade of sampling, although diversity was as high or higher, except in the most contaminated areas. In 1992, organic enrichment of the outfall community intensified and within the year, the opportunistic polychaetes Aphelochaeta sp., Ophryotrocha notialis, Capitella perarmata, and Leitoscoloplos kerguelensis became dominant. Since 1996, two of the three enriched communities have increased in resemblance to the reference communities. Given the observed responsiveness of the benthos to the outfall so far, further changes are anticipated within the year following implementation of sewage treatment in 2003. Organic enrichment by McMurdo Station has had a greater impact on benthic community structure than at Australia's Casey Station.     

Sediment disturbance off the Tagus Estuary, Western Portugal: chronic contamination, sewage outfall operation and runoff events

Sediment disturbance patterns in the coastal area off the Tagus Estuary (Portugal) have been assessed using a set of combined techniques. The potential sources of disturbance in the area include chronic contamination of the fine sediments originating from the estuary, a local input from a long-sea sewage outfall and occasional high runoff episodes following torrential rain. The Sediment Quality Triad approach, combining environmental chemistry (namely organic contaminants), macrofaunal benthic communities and laboratory sediment toxicity assays, was performed on sediment samples from 20 sites. The samples were collected before the outfall commenced operation and four years after commissioning, in order to evaluate the relative magnitudes of the three potential sources of disturbance. The sediment contamination created by the estuary was identified as the most important cause of reduced sediment quality, as disturbance in all three components of the Sediment Quality Triad were only found in a site located near the estuary.     

Foraminifera as indicators of marine pollutant contamination on the inner continental shelf of southern Brazil

Analyses of living foraminiferal and environmental parameters near an outfall at Mar Grosso Beach (Laguna, SC, Brazil) demonstrate its usefulness as indicators of domestic sewage pollution. The low species diversity may be due to sand accumulation in the central part. Higher diversity was noted closer to the mouth of Laguna estuarine system where reduced salinity and higher temperatures indicate freshwater influence, suggesting a relationship between increased diversity and greater availability of terrestrial food. On the basis of foraminiferal diversity and average coliform count the higher values are closer to the mouth of the estuarine system and under the influence of the outfall. Due to the effect of local hydrodynamics, the particulate organic waste derived from the outfall does not settle down locally, and thus, do not accumulate nearby. Our hypothesis is that the fine material derived from the outfall is accumulating on the southwestern and northwestern parts of the beach.     

Stable isotope evidence for the environmental impact of a land-based fish farm in the western Mediterranean

Isotopic examination (delta(13)C and delta(15)N) of organic matter sources and consumers was used to assess the impact and trace the dispersal of wastewater from a land-based fish farm in western Mediterranean. The results provide evidence of the non-negligible effect of aquaculture facilities on the natural stable isotopic composition of organisms. Aquaculture waste entered the food web, altering the natural isotopic composition of organic matter sources at the base and the upper trophic levels. Nitrogen-rich fish waste mainly affected delta(15)N values, while delta(13)C showed less alteration. Waste seemed to disperse widely enough to affect the isotopic composition at the study site about 500 m from the outfall, while sites at 1 and 2 km from the outfall showed values that were similar to each other and different from those of the impacted site. The impact was detected at different ecosystem levels, although primary producers were more affected by fish farm waste taking up aquaculture-derived nutrients.     

Carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes in coastal benthic populations under multiple organic enrichment sources

In a dispersive coastal area under multiple organic enrichment sources, stable isotopes were used to trace organic sources of carbon and nitrogen in sediments and benthic macrofauna. The Bivalve Abra alba and the Polychaetes Nephtys sp. and Pectinaria (Lagis) koreni were reliable indicators of the input of terrestrial-derived organic matter into this coastal area, either originated in outfall sewage discharges or estuarine outflow. An isotopic depletion was observed up to 250 m from the outfall branches, much stronger in the biota than in the sediments. An enrichment of 2‰ in the sediments, and 2-6‰ in the species was noticed in sites located farther than 1500 m from the outfall. Depositivores and carnivores/omnivores gave the best picture of the extension of the sewage dispersion and incorporation into the food web.     

The distribution and inventory of total and methyl mercury in Kuwait Bay

Sediment (surface and core) sampling was conducted during the period from August 96-December 98 from intertidal and offshore areas in Kuwait Bay. The highest (and most variable) concentrations of total mercury (T-Hg; 36500+/-34930 ng g(-1)) are encountered around the previous industrial outfall where sediments are disturbed by shipping activities. The concentrations of T-Hg are lower in the Shuwaikh Port area (650+/-210 ng g(-1)) and continue to decrease towards the northern coastline of Kuwait Bay (average concentrations in the wider Bay region are 50+/-30 ng g(-1)). These values are still above background concentrations of 15-20 ng g(-1). Calculation of the total inventory of mercury in all the surface sediments of the studied area indicates that approximately 22.5 ton is present which is similar to the estimated industrial discharges of approximately 20 ton suggesting that the contamination is largely confined to the Bay and that releases to the wider Gulf region are small. The distributions of MeHg are similar to those of T-Hg and represent ranges between 0.23% and 0.5% of the T-Hg indicating that surface sediments within Kuwait Bay contain approximately 80 kg of this chemical.     

Efficiency of sampling invertebrates in groundwater habitats

Sampling efficiency is directly linked to (faunistic) stability issues of any sampled site. It is more probable to sample a high proportion of the species occurring at a certain site, if communities remain constant in species composition with time. For this study 64 groundwater monitoring wells in Southwestern Germany were sampled six times to determine sampling efficiency. False-Negative (FN) rates and SIMPER values, two independent models expressing Faunistic values of the sampled bores, were calculated and three groups of faunistic stability could be identified based on calculated SIMPER-values. FN-rates as well as SIMPER values proved to be a valuable approach for the estimation of faunistic stability/instability, as these methods showed a highly negative correlation with each other. To collect 95% of species a number of 1.7–16.4 samples was calculated to be necessary depending on faunistic stability of the sampled habitat. On the six sampling occasions the sites harbouring a stable groundwater meiofauna resulted in 98.2% of occurring species, whereas the percentage decreased over intermediate sites (94.9%) and stressed sites (79.5%).A consequence of the data presented may be to view surveys using only two samples as campaign with orienting character, with further studies of stability issues of groundwater communities which would provide efficient and effective sampling for various kinds of sites.     

Responses of infaunal composition, biomass and production to discharges from a marine outfall over the past decade

The largest municipal outfall on the west coast of Canada discharges into the southeastern Strait of Georgia, where high sedimentation from the Fraser River has maintained stable sediment geochemical and contaminant conditions from 2001 to 2011. Outfall exposure has not affected trophic structure or diversity (H'), but has significantly affected faunal composition and species richness, resulting in loss of crustaceans and echinoderms near-field. Organic biomass and production have mostly remained within expected background ranges for the Strait, due to recent increases in a low oxygen tolerant polychaete in the high deposition zone. A significant regional shift in faunal composition occurred after 2003, followed by gradual declines in richness, abundance, calcareous organisms and production. This cannot be attributed to changes in outfall exposure, but is exaggerated by it. We hypothesize that changing river flow, extreme events and shifts in offshore upwelling water temperature, oxygen and pH may be increasing geochemical stress in benthos.     

Setting sediment quality guidelines: a simple yet effective method

Deriving sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) for marine sediments is a difficult task. It will often be a trade off between reproducibility and relevance. One of the fundamental questions in ecotoxicology is to decide what one should measure to detect response in ecosystems exposed to human disturbance. In this paper we use field data to estimate threshold levels eliciting effects on soft bottom macrobenthos collected at different sediment types and depths on the Norwegian Continental Shelf and test these against natural levels occurring levels in reference conditions. SQGs are presented from multivariate analyses based on 121 gradients (represented with Ba, THC, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn) incorporating more than 2000 species. Clear clusters with slightly disturbed communities related to contamination loadings were evident in 35% of the gradients. We found large variations in naturally occurring contamination concentrations and in the threshold levels electing effects on the fauna at different sediment types and depths. For example, an increase in depth of only 100 m can triple the Cu and Zn concentrations that elicit effects. Lowest background and threshold levels were found in shallow, sandy sediment. Our results suggest that current SQGs are too high. We hypothesised that setting a SQG of 4-times background concentrations will give sufficient protection for the fauna from metal contamination. The overall background concentration eliciting effects on metal was 3.6x.