4. Results from exclusion cage studies support conclusions made earlier, i.e., Fox Island-Exposed was 

 unimpactcd prior to the opening of the second quarry cut. Rates and patterns of recolonization, both 

 with and without the influence of grazers and predators, were unafTccted by proximity to the discharge. 



5. Ascnphyllum nodosum is an important biomonitoring tool in the rocky intertidal program because of 

 its response to water temperature change and its mode of linear growth. Analyses of tip length have 

 allowed us to distinguish between an impacted population exposed to water temperatures 2-3 "C 

 above ambient and populations at two reference stations. Further, the response of the experimental 

 Ascophyllum population, especially after the opening of the second cut, allows us to assess the effects 

 of sublethal and lethal water temperatures. 



CONCLUSION 



Rocky intertidal studies performed during 2-unit operation show that local rocky shore communities 

 are in a state of dynamic equilibrium; settlement, recruitment, and growth are balanced by senescence and 

 removal (by both physical and biological interactions). Most of these processes are cyclic, and we have 

 identified their temporal and spatial variability. We have also determined the effect of elevated water 

 temperatures on these processes, and documented floristic and vegetational changes in an established 

 community close to the MNPS discharge. If similar changes occur at stations more distant to the MNPS 

 discharge, the NUF.F rocky intertidal studies constitute a base-line from which to assess potential impacts 

 associated with Unit 3 operation. 



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