FISHERY BULLETIN; VOL. 72, NO. 2 



GOOSF CREEK, N.y. 



Figure 11. — Map of stations, Mercenaria study. 



A 3.35 m^ square frame was placed on the sub- 

 stratum and a skin diver sampled the area by 

 hand, removing all clams. These were sorted as to 

 size in the following categories: up to 1.90 cm; 

 1.90-3.80 cm; 3.81-5.70 cm; 5.71-8.90 +cm. 



The areas sampled were channel B (destined 

 to be the region of the newly dredged channel) 

 and the three major clamming areas used by local 

 residents. Stations 7c to lie were 30 m apart 

 running east to west down channel B. Stations 

 12c, 13c, and 14c were located on the north, 

 west, and south shores of the bay respectively. 



Each station in channel B comprised two 

 sampling areas, one 1.5 m from shore and the 

 other in midchannel or about 9 m from shore. 



Each station in the clam beds used by local 

 residents (stations 12c, 13c, 14c) comprised four 

 sampling areas beginning 6 m from the shore- 

 line at the east end of the bed and progressing 

 westerly at 6-m intervals. The total area sampled 

 was 33.5 m^ in the channel and 39.25 m^ on the 

 clam beds (total 72.75 m^). 



The data obtained on the pre- and post-dredging 

 surveys are compared in Table 7. 



Clams in Goose Creek not directly exposed to 

 mechanical disturbance by the dredge (such as 

 clam beds at stations 12c and 13c) were able to 

 survive the dredging process itself, even though 

 they were located within 400 m of the channel 

 (see Table 7). The considerable reduction in the 

 size of the clam populations at stations 12c and 

 13c suggests that some mortality-inducing factor 

 was at work. 



The effects of the mechanical removal of the 

 clams by the dredge are obvious. Whether or not 

 finding a few clams in the post^dredging survey at 

 stations 10c and lie means that there are signs 

 of recovery in the population remains to be seen. 



No evaluation of the long-term effects of 

 changes in the environment has been attempted. 

 These include processes such as the gradual incur- 

 sion of silt towards the mouth of the bay due to 

 lowered current velocity, factors affecting pro- 

 ductivity such as a reduction of the quantity of 

 organic materials introduced into the water as the 

 Spartina marshes were covered with spoil, and an 

 increase in pollutants as the population density of 

 humans along the periphery of the bay increased. 



Changes in Land Usage Patterns 



At the inception of the study (1966) most of 

 the periphery of Goose Creek was composed of 

 Spartina and Phragmites marshes, except for the 

 south shore and a neck of land on the southeastern 

 corner which were developed with summer homes. 



On a map of the area drawn in 1954, 41 homes 

 are recorded bordering the bay. The total number 

 of houses within 300 m of the bay was 114. At 

 the present writing most of the previously 

 undeveloped north shore of the bay is undergoing 

 intensive development of houses used year round. 



An aerial photograph taken in 1972 (Figure 2) 

 revealed 223 houses within 300 m of the bay, an 

 increase of 94%. All of the houses along the shore 

 of Goose Creek were built on spoil taken from 

 public or private dredging operations. All homes 

 have cesspools. 



Smith (pers. comm.) introduced Rhodamine B 

 into a toilet in one of the homes bordering Goose 

 Creek. In four weeks detectable quantities were 

 found in the bay waters. Nuzzi (1969) speculates 

 that human fecal coliform bacteria (as identified 

 by elevated temperature incubation) were re- 

 leased into Goose Creek from the septic tanks of 

 the surrounding homes. Maximum coliform 

 counts in his 1966-1968 study were 918 MPN 

 (most probable number)/100 ml. 



The maximum federal permissible level for 

 waters from which shellfish are taken is a median 

 of 15 readings not exceeding 70 MPN/100 ml, or 

 10% of 15 readings above 230 MPN/100 ml 

 (Houser, 1965). Individual readings above 230 

 MPN/100 ml were recorded throughout the period 

 December-March 1967, at one station, and three 



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