u_ 



a 



Fig. 38. Simulated power plant impact on winter flounder with a projected effect of 10% mortality over 35 

 years of plant operation followed by the recovery of population abundance. 



vironmental Protection Agency. We hope to start 

 preliminary work on this type of long-term impact 

 assessment by the end of 1988. 



Wliile our data on the Niantic River winter 

 flounder population is extensive, additional infor- 

 mation is necessary to further refme MNPS as- 

 sessment models. For example, the stock and 

 recruitment relationship, larval mortality, and 

 larval behavior are especially important for reliable 

 population dynamics simulations. About two- 



thirds of the winter flounder larvae entrained each 

 year at MNPS are in Stages 3 or 4 of development. 

 Therefore, it remains necessary to determine how 

 critical the loss of these larvae is to the population. 

 To date, no relationship has been found between 

 the absolute estimate of the number of larvae 

 entrained and subsequent year-class strength (Fig. 

 39). However, the long-term effects of present 

 levels of three-unit entrainment on the winter 

 flounder population remain to be determined. In 

 addition, detailed descriptions of larval move- 



212 



