7-3 



The purpose of this study was twofold: 1) to characterize the 

 New Haven Harbor intertidal community with respect to temporal and spatial 

 patterns of species distribution and abundance, and 2) to establish a data 

 base of preoperational (1971-1975) and operational (1975-1977) data from 

 which to analyze any potential impact from the station. 



METHODS 



Intertidal fauna were sampled at three stations in New Haven 

 Harbor in May (spring) and October (fall) from 1971 through 1977 except 

 October 1977 at Sandy Point (Figure 7-1) . The intertidal area at Sandy 

 Point station was not exposed at that time, apparently due to erosion 

 and sliomping associated with nearby dredging. Permanent transects were 

 established in 1971 at the stations marked in Figure 7-1 as follows: 

 (a) Sandy Point - transect extended north-south on the south side of 

 Sandy Point about 150 meters west of the beginning of the breakwater. A 

 parallel reserve transect was marked off 50 meters closer to the break- 

 water. Although not sampled, such reserve transects were established 

 and maintained throughout the study in case some drastic change occurred 

 in the primary sampling transect. (b) East Shore — this station was 

 closest to the Harbor Station discharge. It was sampled using a transect 

 running east-west about 75 meters south of Harbor Station pier. A 

 parallel reserve transect was marked off an added 50 meters to the 

 south. (c) Long Wharf — the transect northwest-southeast about 450 

 meters west of Long Wharf. The reserve transect was established 50 

 meters closer to Long Wharf. Sediments along the transects ranged from 

 soft mud at the Long Wharf station, to firm, muddy sand at both Sandy 

 Point and East Shore Stations. 



2 

 Duplicate l/16m samples were taken at low and mid-intertidal 



areas along each of three primary transects (four samples per transect) . 



Sediments were removed to a depth of 25 cm and sieved through 2 mm mesh 



screens to separate macrofauna from sediments. Collected fauna were 



then preserved in buffered formalin and returned to the laboratory where 



the species were identified and counted. 



