Abstract |
Extension of toxicant-related research from the main stem of Chesapeake Bay into the estuarine tributaries is important for two reasons: (1) many of the industrial sites and domestic activities are situated along the banks of these riverine systems, and (2) these subestuaries may function as closed basins in terms of sedimentation, trapping sediment-borne toxicants. The objectives of this study are as follows: (a) describe benthic community patterns in the Patapsco River compared to a reference area, the Rhode River, (b) characterize bioturbation levels and sedimentary structures in the two areas, (c) define sediment deposition rates (via 137 Cesium and pollen) along both subestuaries, and (d) define the histopathological condition of the bivalve, Macoma balthica, throughout the estuarine systems. Sampling was limited to the mid-spring of 1981; a total of 18 sites was examined. |