2 

 A single 0.1 ra Smith-Mclntyre grab sample was taken at each 



station. Subsamples for sediment grain size, organic carbon and 



Kjeldahl nitrogen analyses were removed from each grab. At 32 stations 



additional subsamples were removed for heavy metal and hydrocarbon 



analyses. In each case, prescribed procedures for the preparation of 



subsample containers and the subsampling process were followed, and the 



subsamples were frozen for delivery to the appropriate analytical 



laboratory. Sediment grain size, organic carbon and Kjeldahl nitrogen 



analyses were done by GEOMET Technologies, Inc., Melville, New York, and 



heavy metal and hydrocarbon analyses were done by the National Marine 



Fisheries Service. The main-body of the sample was sieved on nested 0.5 



and 1.0 mm screens. The debris remaining on the screens was fixed in 5% 



buffered formalin and returned to the laboratory for faunal analysis. 



Bottom temperature and salinity were determined at each station using a 



Beckman RS5-3 portable salinometer. 



In the laboratory all organisms were transferred to 70% ethanol, 

 removed from the 1.0 mm size fraction and identified to the lowest 

 taxonomic level possible. Wet weight biomass was determined for the 

 major taxonomic groupings. 



All data were entered and processed by the University of Maine 

 Computer Center through the Bigelow Laboratory Computer Center. Data 

 analyses included informational diversity and its components, calculated 

 by standard formulas given by Margalef (1958) and Pielou (1970), and 

 numerical classification in both the normal and inverse modes. The 

 Canberra metric dissimilarity index and the flexible sorting clustering 

 strategy were used in the latter procedure because of their demonstrated 

 success in marine benthic studies. The data were log transformed. 



