VI-192 



NEWPORT BAY, CALIFORNIA: REESTABLISHING A DESIRABLE 

 ECOSYSTEM AFTER PHYSICAL MODIFICATION OF THE ESTUARY 



Physical modification of an estuary by construction, dredging, 

 fining, and other human activities usually triggers ecological 

 changes followed by a period of readjustment. The natural fauna 

 and flora initially are impoverished but the area is slowly 

 recolonized. Recovery may take years and the final result may 

 not be as desirable or productive as the original community. 



Bays and harbors have a specialized biota adapted to estuarine 

 environments. If a species is eliminated by human activities, 

 recolonizing individuals must originate from undisturbed popula- 

 tions in nearby bays. This process usually requires that larval 

 or juvenile forms from the undisturbed population find their way 

 into the ocean, survive there, and thence migrate into the modified 

 bay. It also requires that the modified bay be once again a 

 suitable habitat for the original Inhabitants. Probability of such 

 a sequence of events may be low, explaining the long periods generally 

 required for recolonization of a despoiled area. 



This particular study would seek to develop methods for facilitating 

 this process. The ultimate climax communities in the modified bay 

 would thus be enhanced both in terms of species diversity and the 

 production of organisms useful to man. g 



