Chang Effects of sewage sludge dumping on fishery resources 



595 



the comparatively pristine deep-water ocean environ- 

 ment has been considered to have an adverse effect on 

 fishery resource abundance and composition (Carlise, 

 1969; Dart and Jenkins, 1981; Mearns, 1981; Russo, 

 1982; Cross et al., 1985; Spies, 1984; Farrington et al., 

 1982; Capuzzo and Kester, 1987, a and b; O'Connor et 

 al., 1985, 1987, a and b; Werme 67 ; SCCWRP 8 ; 

 Zdanowicz et al. 9 ; NMFS 1 " ■"; Studholme et al. 12 ). A con- 

 taminant distribution model presented by O'Connor et 

 al. (1985) (see also Reed et al., 1985) indicated that 

 New York and New Jersey sewage sludge has the im- 

 mediate effect of increasing concentrations of polychlo- 

 rinated biphenyls (PCB's), Zn, Pb, Cr and Cu. In addi- 

 tion, the potential area of influence (PAI) of waste 

 disposal at the 106-MDS extends over a wide region 

 (Fig. 1) off the Middle Atlantic outer continental shelf 

 and upper slope (Bisagni, 1983; O'Connor et al, 1985; 

 Gentile et al, 1989; Warsh 13 , Bisagni 14 , Ingham 15 ). 



A change in fish species population abundance and 

 composition is known to have occurred near shallow- 



fi Werme, C, R. Shokes. W. Steinhauer. S. McDowell, P. Debrule, 

 P. Hamilton, and P. Boehm. 1988a. Evaluation and recommenda- 

 tions for bioaccumulation studies for the 106-mile deepwater mu- 

 nicipal sludge site monitoring program. Battelle Memorial Institute. 

 Duxbury, MA, 36 p. 



T Werme, C, K. M. Jop, S. Y. Freitas and P. Boehm. 1988b. Imple- 

 mentation plan for the 106-mile deepwater municipal sludge site 

 monitoring. Battelle Memorial Institute, Duxbury. MA, 51 p. 



"SCCWRP (Southern California Coastal Water Research Project). 

 1989. Recovery of Santa Monica Bay after termination of sludge 

 discharge. Southern California Coastal Water Research Project. An- 

 nual Report 1988-1989, 46-53 p. 



"Zdanowicz, V. S., M. C. Ingham, and S. Leftwich. 1990. Monitoring 

 the effects of sewage sludge disposal at the 106-mile dumpsite using 

 mid-water fish as sentinels of contaminant metal uptake: a feasibil- 

 ity study. U.S. Dep. Commer., NOAA, Natl. Mar. Fish. Sen/., North- 

 east Fish. Sci. Cent., Woods Hole, MA. Ref. Doc. 90-02, 6 p. 



"'NMFS. 1992a. Interim report on monitoring the biological effects 

 of sludge dumping at the 106-mile dumpsite. U.S. Dep. Commer, 

 NOAA, Natl. Mar. Fish. Serv., Northeast Fish. Sci. Cent.. Woods 

 Hole, MA 02543, 128 p 



"NMFS. 1992b. Second annual report on~monitoring the biological 

 effects of sludge dumping at the 106-mile dumpsite. U.S. Dep. 

 Commer, NOAA, Natl. Mar. Fish. Serv., Northeast Fish. Sci. Cent., 

 Woods Hole, MA 02543, 157 p 



,2 Studholme, A. L., J. O'Reilly, and M. C. Ingham (eds.l. 1993. Ef- 

 fects of the cessation of dumping at the 12-mile site. U.S. Dep. 

 Commer., NOAA, Natl. Mar. Fish. Serv., Northeast Fish. Sci. Cent., 

 Sandy Hook Lab., Highlands, NJ 07732. (In review.! 



"Warsh, C. E. 1975. Physical oceanography hist, rical data for 

 Deepwater Dumpsite 106. NOAA Dumpsite Evaluation Report 75-1. 

 U.S. Dep. Commer., NOAA, Natl. Ocean Survey Rockville, MD, 105- 

 140 p. 



l4 Bisagni, J. J. 1976. Passage of anticyclonic Gulf Stream eddies 

 through Deepwater Dumpsite 106 during 1974 and 1975. NOAA 

 Dumpsite Evaluation Report 76-1. U.S. Dep. Commer., NOAA, Natl. 

 Ocean Survey, Rockville, MD, 39 p. 



'''Ingham, M. C. 1977. The general physical oceanography of 

 deepwater dumpsite 106. NOAA Dumpsite Evaluation Report, 77-1. 

 U.S. Dep. Commer., NOAA, Natl. Ocean Survey, Rockville, MD. 29- 

 54 p. 



water sewage sludge disposal outfalls in southern Cali- 

 fornia (Mearns 1981; Sherwood 1 "). For example, a 

 bothid flounder (Pacific sanddab, Cithaichthys sordidus) 

 was replaced by a pleuronetcid (Dover sole, Micro- 

 stomias pacificus). Increased growth rates and high 

 prevalence of fin erosion of Dover sole, however, ap- 

 pear to have resulted from exposure to sediments con- 

 taminated with chemical wastes from the outfalls. 

 Liver anomalies were noted as well and seem to have 

 been associated with exposure to sludge-related con- 

 taminants (Mearns, 1981). Spies (1984) reported that 

 distribution of bottom-feeding fishes (e.g., Dover sole) 

 is probably affected by degraded benthic habitats and 

 abundance of benthic (e.g., polychaete, Capitella 

 capitata) and pelagic prey around these outfalls in 

 the southern California Bight. Some chemical contami- 

 nants associated with the sewage accumulated at 

 higher trophic levels in predatory fishes, e.g., Pacific 

 sanddab and boccaccio, Sebastes paucispinis. Benthic- 

 pelagic coupling was evident in the accumulation of 

 chlorinated hydrocarbons in Dover sole and Pacific 

 sanddab. 



Cessation of sewage sludge dumping on the biomass 

 of the most frequently occurring fish species around 

 the coastal waters near 12-MDS from 1986 to 1989 

 was examined by Studholme et al. 12 . There were no 

 significant changes, although American lobster 

 (Homarus americanus) biomass increased (Pikanowski, 

 1992; Wilk et al., 17 ). Possibly this 39-month-long study 

 period was insufficient to detect a recovery of any fin- 

 fish species alterations resulting from decades of sew- 

 age dumping at the old 12-MDS. Interestingly, the 

 high prevalence of fin-rot disease of winter flounder 

 iPleuronectes americanus) around the 12-MDS reported 

 earlier (Ziskowski and Murchelano, 1975; Murchelano 

 and Ziskowski, 1976) declined significantly after ces- 

 sation of the dumping (O'Connor et al. 18 ; Pacheco and 

 Rugg 19 ). It was also shown earlier that Atlantic mack- 



'"Sherwood, M. J. 1978. The fin erosion syndrome. Southern Califor- 

 nia Coastal Water Research Project. Annual Report 1978, 203-221 p. 



l7 Wilk, S. J., R. A. Pikanowski, A. L. Pacheco, D. G. McMillan, and 

 L. L. Stehlik. 1993. Response of fish and megainvertebrates of the 

 New York Bight apex to the abatement of sewage sludge dumping: 

 an overview. In A. L. Studholme, J. O'Reilly and M. C. Ingham 

 (eds.). Effects of the cessation of dumping at the 12-mile site. U.S. 

 Dep. Commer., NOAA, Natl. Mar. Fish. Serv., Northeast Fish. Sci. 

 Cent., Woods Hole, MA, 14 p. (In review.) 



'"O'Connor, J. S., J. J. Ziskowski, and R. A. Murchelano. 1987. Index 

 of pollutant-induced fish and shellfish disease. NOAA Spec. Rep. 

 Ocean Assessment Div. U.S. Dep. Commer, NOAA, Natl. Ocean 

 Survey, Rockville, MD, 29 p. 



''Pacheco, A. L., and J. Rugg. 1993. Disease incidence of inner New 

 York Bight winter flounder collected during the 12-mile dumpsite 

 study, 1986-1989. In A. L. Studholme, J. O'Reilly, and M. C. Ingham 

 (eds.). Effects of the cessation of dumping at the 12-mile site. U.S. 

 Dep. Commer., NOAA, Natl. Mar. Fish. Serv., Northeast Fish. Sci. 

 Cent., Sandy Hook Lab., Highlands, NJ, 14 p. (In review.) 



