Benthic communities near the Colvert Cliffs Nucelar Power Plant in Chesapeake Bay were numerically dominated by polychaetes or, occasionally, nemerteans. In terms of dry weight biomass however, molluscs dominated the standing crops by an order of magnitude. Large differences in recruitment over the years had no apparent affect on the dominance of the major species. The seasonal fluctuation of benthic population abundance peaked in the spring and was lowest in the summer. Benthic abundance and biomass were most dependent on the type of sediment present, although benthic populations also seemed to be affected significantly by the predation of blue crabs and by low concentrations of dissolved oxygen.
KeywordsBlue Crab Rose Bengal Suspension Feeder Muddy Sand Macoma Balthica
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