A reassessment of the status of the benthic macrofauna of the Raritan estuary

The benthic macrofauna of the Raritan estuary, at the mouth of New York Harbor, has been reported to be severely impacted by pollution, with a significant change occurring between surveys in the late 1950’s and the early 1970’s. We review this assessment using five-fold more macrofaunal data (including biomass), not reported or used before, from a 1973–1974 survey. These data are compared to previous and similar studies in the area. This reassessment suggests benthic community structure is not as degraded as previously reported and is, in many ways, similar to other relatively unpolluted middle Atlanic estuaries.