LONG-TERM CHANGES IN BEACH FAUNA AT 

 DUCK, NORTH CAROLINA 



by 

 E.J. Diaz and J.T. DeAltevis 



I . INTRODUCTION 



This report provides additional data on the fauna communities inhabiting 

 coastal beaches, and assesses changes, if any, in beach fauna communities 

 caused by coastal engineering projects. The study area was Duck, North 

 Carolina (Fig. 1), which is the site of a research pier constructed and 

 operated since 1976 by the Coastal Engineering Research Center (CERC) . A 

 preconstruction study of the fauna of this area was undertaken by CERC, and 

 the results of this study are reported by Matta (1977) . 



The study area consisted of both the ocean beach, adjacent to the pier 

 facility, and the sound beach, opposite the pier facility. The ocean beach is 

 a high salinity, high energy environment, and in the preconstruction study, 

 was characterized by three faunistic communities. An Emerita community was 

 confined to the swash zone and the inner edge of the surf zone, a Scolelepis 

 community ranged from the margin of the surf zone to 50 meters offshore, and 

 a Pardhaustovius community extended from 50 meters offshore to an undetermined 

 point farther offshore. The sound beach is a low energy, low salinity 

 environment, and in the preconstruction study was also characterized by 

 three distinct faunistic communities. The Scolecolepides community extended 

 from about 100 to 300 meters offshore, a Lepidactylus community extended from 

 the beach margin to about 100 meters offshore, and a small developing marsh 

 community was also found. 



This postconstruction study duplicated the techniques used in the field 

 and laboratory during the preconstruction study. The resulting data set is 

 compared with the results of the preconstruction study to evaluate possible 

 significant changes in the beach fauna adjacent to the CERC Field Research 

 Facility (FRF) . 



II. METHODS AND MATERIALS 



The methods and materials used in the final sampling plan of the 1975-76 

 study (Matta, 1977) were also followed in this study. 



1. Transect Locations. 



Three transects were established on both the ocean and sound beaches 

 (Fig. 2). On the ocean beach, transect II was located due east of bench mark 

 16 and 47 meters north of the pier on the FRF site. Transect I was located 

 258 meters north of transect II. Transect III was located 305 meters south of 

 transect II. 



On the sound beach, transect IV was located 118 meters south of bench 

 mark 64; this site included a small marsh. Transect V was located 34 meters 

 north of bench mark 64 and 152 meters north of transect IV: this site 



