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TRENDS IN THE BENTHIC COMMUNITIES OF SUB-EMBAYMENTS OF NARRAGANSETT BAY, RI
Citation:
Pelletier, Peg. TRENDS IN THE BENTHIC COMMUNITIES OF SUB-EMBAYMENTS OF NARRAGANSETT BAY, RI. New England Estuarine Research Society (NEERS) Spring Meeting, York, ME, April 14 - 16, 2016.
Impact/Purpose:
In this study benthic invertebrate data from the 1950s to mid-2000s were assembled to look for environmental patterns over time and then related to environmental stressors and changes for those time periods. This work is likely to be useful to similar estuaries with sparse quantitative data and abundant qualitative information.
Description:
Narragansett Bay has been a valued ecological resource from pre-colonial periods, and humans have historically altered the landscape around the Bay. This alteration was accelerated after European colonization. Land was clear-cut. Wetlands and tidal flats dredged and filled. With industrialization, chemicals were discharged into the Bay. Currently, eutrophication is one of the more prominent environmental threats to the Bay. Nitrogen loads in the bay have risen as human development has increased. There is a distinct eutrophication gradient from the head of the bay to the mouth, which is also seen for organic and metal contaminants. This gradient is also reflected in the benthic invertebrate community. In this study benthic invertebrate data from the 1950s to mid-2000s were assembled to look for environmental patterns over time and then related to environmental stressors and changes for those time periods. In Greenwich Bay, pressures and stressors have decreased over time but the benthic community overall still shows signs of stress. In this case, physical forcing factors and environmental shifts may prevent significant improvement in the benthos over time. In the Providence River pressures and stressors have decreased over time, and the corresponding benthic communities have become more diverse. With continuing environmental upgrades, further improvement in benthic health in Providence River would be expected.