3-25) showed the highest values located to the east of station CTR 

 at stations 200NE, 200E, 400E, and 200SE. 



The mapped successional seres (Figure 3-26) indicated 

 the western limb of the cross-shaped grid and stations 200NW, 200S 

 and 200SW apparently lacked well-developed Stage III seres. This 

 also was noted in the September 1984 report. The exact reason for 

 this persistent low successional status is unknown; however, it may 

 be related to the proximity of the New Haven '83 (NH-83) disposal 

 mound. 



The major mode of OSI values (Figure 3-24) was at the +7 

 class interval. In the September 1984 survey, the distribution was 

 bimodal with equal values falling within the +7 modes and the +11 

 mode. The western side of the grid exhibited relatively low OSI 

 values (Figure 3-27) largely reflecting the low-order successional 

 status of this region. 



Post Storm Survev 



On 1 November, a post-storm REMOTS® survey was performed 

 at the STNH-S disposal mound. This survey consisted of ten 

 stations in the same configuration used at STNH-N (Figure 3-28) . 



Evidence of recent sediment disturbance was apparent 

 throughout the survey area (Figure 3-29) . Images revealed surface 

 shell lag deposits, mud clasts, exposed worm tubes, and reduced 

 sediment patches near the interface (Figure 3-29) . Although the 

 off -mound station, 600E, showed some evidence of disturbance, fewer 

 obvious erosional features were evident (Figure 3-30) . Estimates 

 of the amount of surface erosion, based on exposed worm tubes, 

 ranged from 0.3 cm to 0.41 cm. This was comparable to erosion 

 estimates obtained at STNH^N. 



Post-storm RPD depths at STNH-S (Figure 3-31) were 

 significantly shallower than August values (Mann-Whitney U-test, 

 p < 0.001). As at STNH-N, this decrease in RPD depths was 

 apparently due to the physical disturbance caused by the storm. 

 The central portion of the mound exhibited the most dramatic 

 reductions in RPD depths. At station CTR, the apparent RPD 

 decreased from 3.59 cm to 0.71 cm. The off-mound station, 600E, 

 showed the smallest RPD change. As at STNH-N, this suggested that 

 the ambient seafloor^ was less severely disturbed than the 

 topographically elevated disposal mound. 



Unlike the pattern at STNH-N, there was no marked change 

 in the infaunal successional status of the mound since the August 

 survey (Figure 3-32) . At that time, the western side of the mound 

 exhibited low-order successional assemblages relative to the rest 

 of the region; this same pattern continued in November. It is 

 noteworthy that the apparently storm- induced retrograde 



12 



