12-35 



Impaab:} on Avian Rood. Sour'ceG 

 Fish 



As discussed in the "Characterization" section the marine 

 organisms of New Haven Harbor provide food for the avian population. Small 

 fish are utilized by gulls and diving ducks, intertidal benthic organisms 

 by shorebirds, gulls and dabbling ducks and subtidal benthos by diving 

 ducks. As such, it is necessary to examine any changes in these organ- 

 isms since operation of the New Haven Harbor Station commenced. 



Silversides [Menidia spp.) and killifish (Fundulus spp.) and 

 other small fish found near shore are suitable avian prey species. 

 Comparisons of preoperational and operational data for these fish appear 

 in Figure 12-13. The percent of total silverside catch increased on 

 the eastern side of the harbor as well as on the Long Wharf area after 

 plant start-up and declined in the Sandy Point area. Frequency of 

 capture increased in the Lighthouse Point, Long Wharf and Sandy Point 

 areas and declined in the New Haven Harbor Station area, (There was no 

 sampling station in Area 4) . 



Killifish also showed slight changes in distribution. Percent 

 of total catch increased at the Long Wharf flats area and decreased 

 elsewhere. Frequency of capture declined in all areas sampled. 



These changes in distribution are probably not important. It 

 should be noted that percent of total catch for both species increased 

 in the Long Wharf area; this is where the largest niimber of gulls occurred 

 and where large numbers of shorebirds and waterfowl feed. A similar 

 study of power-plant impacts on Lake Erie found the heated effluent 

 attracted fish eaten by common goldeneyes, herring gulls, ring-billed 

 gulls and common mergansers (Mergus merganser) . In New Haven, percent 

 of total catch for both silversides and killifish increased in Area 2, 

 which is near the New Haven Harbor Station, and aggregations of mergansers, 

 gulls and cormorants have been observed feeding near the New Haven 

 Harbor Station discharge (Pease, pers . obs . 1976, 1977). 



