To investigate possible trends in icthyoplankton abundance during the period of two-unit operation, 

 annual mean densities (no./500 m ) were calculated for over 50 taxa of fish larvae at EN and NB 

 (Appendices VI and VII) and 29 taxa of fish eggs at EN (Appendix VIII). For the selected taxa these 

 densities are also presented in Tables 10-12. Because the standard errors of the mean densities were 20 to 

 200 times larger than the corresponding means, these data could not be used to describe trends. The 

 variablity associated with these taxa as a group, appeared related to the very high variability in the 

 abundance of anchovies (Fig. 6). Anchovy, winter flounder, sand lance, and grubby larvae and cunner, 

 tautog, and anchovy eggs comprised over 80% of the overall mean density of larvae and eggs at EN for 

 1976-1985 (Table 8; Appendix V). Based on mean densities, anchovies were the most abundant larval 

 taxon (mean density = 244/500 m^ 61% of total density at EN and 330/500 m^ 62% at NB). Cunner 

 eggs were dominant (mean density = 16,281/500 m^, 56% of total density) and little variation was seen 

 in annual mean densities of eggs. 



Table 10. Annual mean fish larval density (no./500m ) of selected taxa at EN during 1976-1985. 



Table 1 1. Annual mean fish larval density (no./500") of selected taxa at NB during 1979-1985. 



Taxa 



1980 



1981 



1982 



1983 



Anchoa spp. 

 Ammodyles amerkanus 

 Psertdoplfnironectes amerkanus 

 Taulogolabnis adspersus 

 Tautoga onitis 

 Myoxocephalus aenaeus 

 Menidia spp. 

 Microgadus tomcod 

 Gaslerosleus aculeatus 

 Other taxa 



Total 



24 



