an unimpacted area (Giants Neck). During the baseline period, temporal and spatial changes in species 

 abundance and community composition were evident at all stations; however, those at Intake and 

 Effluent appeared power plant related. Observed changes occurred prior to 1985, and were due to Unit 

 3 construction activities, including dredging, and not to operation of Millstone Units 1 and 2. The 

 opening of the second discharge cut may have caused recent changes in sedimentary and community 

 parameters observed at Effluent. The widespread nature of infaunal community changes at Giants Neck 

 and Jordan Cove were limited mostly to rearrangements in the ranking of traditionally dominant species 

 which suggest a response to naturally occurring events and are not related to operation or construction 

 of the Millstone facility. 



LOBSTER POPULATION DYNAMICS 



The lobster population in the Millstone Point area was sampled using pots from 1976 to 1985. 

 I/obsters > 55 mm carapace length were tagged and released to monitor growth and movement. Sex, 

 presence of eggs, carapace length, missing claws and molt stage were also recorded. Tagged lobsters 

 were released at the site of capture. These studies characterized population dynamics of the local lobster 

 stock during two unit operation. In addition, studies of lobsters caught on the intake traveling screens, 

 (impingement) and larvae drawn through the plants cooling water system, (entrainment) were conducted 

 to assess these impacts of Millstone Units 1 and 2 on the local lobster population. 



Annual total catch per unit effort (CPUE) ranged from 0.56 to 2.10 lobsters per pot from 1976 to 

 1985. The lower CTUE values corresponded to data collected with wood pots which allow small 

 lobsters to escape between the 3-5 cm lath spacings. Wood and wire pots used during a 3 1/2 yr 

 gear-comparison study provided the basis for a decision to use all wire pots in our lobster studies 

 beginning in 1982. The CPUE of legal -sized lobsters (greater than or equal to 81 mm CL) was similar 

 for wood and wire pots throughout the gear comparison study. With the exception of 1981, total CPUE 

 was significantly higher for wire pots due to greater catches of sub-legal lobsters in wire pots. A special 

 study conducted during 1982 to investigate the lower catch of wire pots used in 1981 indicated that trap 

 efficiency was affected by the construction and placement of funnels used in pots. Other factors that 

 contributed to the efficiency of lobster pots were the number of days between pothauls (soaktime) and 

 the infiuence of competing species caught in pots. Mean monthly CPUE was adjusted accordingly using 

 covariance analysis to account for these influences. Dredging activities in the vicinity of the intake 



