11-105 



By comparison, assiaming the same average larval density of 1 per m , the 

 maximum daily pumped entrainment impact of New Haven Harbor Station 

 would be 1.5 million larvae. 



For relatively stationary resident species, such as the cunner 

 and winter flounder, it is conceivable that an impact of this proportion 

 has ecological significance. How successfully these species have been 

 able to sustain local population numbers, given the additional "pre- 

 dation pressure" represented by New Haven Harbor Station, is assessed 

 by comparing preoperational and operational monitoring data for these 

 species. 



None of the species collected in the New Haven Harbor samples 

 depends solely or primarily on the Harbor for successful spawning and 

 rearing of young. This includes all the anadromous species and resident 

 species as well as those that spawn primarily in the open sea (Long 

 Island Sovind or beyond) . For non-resident species , the pumped entrain- 

 ment losses cited in Table 11-3 must be considered incidental, however 

 large they may appear to be in absolute terms. Including a few square 

 miles of the Sound in the comparison quickly reduces the proportional 



impact of New Haven Harbor Station to a negligible value. For example, 



3 

 considering a hypothetical density of 1 larva per m , the assumed 



natural loss in Long Island Sound would become approximately 50 million 



.2 

 per mi j 



lion/day. 



3 

 considering a hypothetical density of 1 larva per m , the assumed 



il 



2 

 per mi per day compared to the Harbor Station estimate of 1.5 mil- 



The impact of entrainment on resident species ' ecology in 

 New Haven Harbor is moderated by the ability of Long Island Sound to 

 provide recruited larvae and juveniles which replace those destroyed by 

 the generating station. For harbor resident species, egg and larval 

 abundances in Long Island Sound were generally similar to or higher than 

 those in New Haven Harbor, indicating that these species are repro- 

 ductively independent from New Haven Harbor. Thus, the small proportion 

 of Long Island Sound represented by New Haven Harbor probably limits the 

 overall impact on resident species as well. 



