8-3 



assemblages . Located in the main channel directly off the New Haven 

 Harbor Station site, Station 8 is most proximal to the New Haven Harbor 

 Station thermal discharge and would be expected to have the greatest 

 potential for experiencing direct effects of the discharge. Station 11, 

 located in the main channel off Fort Hale Park and considered representa- 

 tive of the middle-harbor area, was added to the epibenthic program in 

 May 1975 to serve as a field control because of its similarities to 

 Station 8 in terms of depth, bottom substrate, and water quality. The 

 outer harbor stations, which would be expected to be least directly 

 influenced by either the thermal plume or any general warming of the 

 water, include the southern part of Morris Cove, Station 13; the shoal 

 area off Savin Rock, Station 19; and the main channel outside the harbor 

 breakwaters. Station 20. 



Sampling was conducted monthly from May 1971 through October 

 1977 (Figure 8-1) . Due to severe ice-cover conditions in the harbor, 

 January 1977 was the only month in which no sampling was conducted. 

 Epibenthic collections were made using a 25-ft Marinovich semi-balloon 

 otter trawl constructed with a 1-3/8-inch stretch-mesh body and wings, 

 and fitted with a 1/4-inch "Ace" knotless cod-end liner. 



Several changes in sampling design were made during the 

 monitoring program. Initially, single tows, 15 minutes in duration, at 

 approximately 1-2 kn against the tide were taken at each station from 

 May 1971 through December 1973. Tow duration was reduced to 10 minutes 

 in January 1974. During May and June 1975 the single 10-minute tow was 

 replaced by duplicate 5-minute tows in an attempt to upgrade the quality 

 of sampling in the epibenthic invertebrate and demersal finfish program. 

 Evaluation of May and June 1975 data led to a final design (used from 

 July 1975 through October 1977) of duplicate 10-minute tows. In order 

 to maintain consistency with preoperational data, analyses in this 

 report are based on data from the first tow rather than a composite of 

 both tows. Data from the second tow were used to subjectively confirm 



the reliability of data from the first tow. 



J 



