Table 2. Total suspended solids during nourish- 
ment in the water from the surf zone at 
Fort Macon, the surf zone at Emerald 
Isle, and from the nourishment pipeline 
effluent. 
Sample location Total suspended solids 
(g/2) 
ddeieul al 
Emerald Isle 0.096 
(comparison beach) 
Fort Macon surf zone 
(nourished beach) 
Nourished pipeline 
effluent 
E. talpotda and measures of community structure could then be compared for the 
two sections (Figs. 18 and 19). Thus, direct comparison of recently nourished, 
longer term nourished, and unnourished beach was possible. This provided a 
better control than the comparison beach more than 20 kilometers away at 
Emerald Isle. The densities and Shannon-Weaver indexes for this study are 
plotted for the three segments of beach (nourished, prenourished or unnourished 
beaches at Fort Macon, and the control or comparison beach at Emerald Isle) in 
Figures 18 and 19. 
Densities of EF. talpoida on all three beach segments were of similar magni- 
tude the week before nourishment began. By the end of the first week of 
nourishment, all #. talpotda had disappeared from the nourished zone. They 
remained absent from this area as well as all subsequently nourished areas 
throughout the nourishment operations. By comparison the prenourishment beach 
and the control beach exhibited gradually decreasing numbers of #. talpotda. 
This late winter decline was also reported by Leber (1977) and was considered 
to be a normal event, unrelated to the nourishment operation. Leber suggested 
that these animals simply move offshore to overwinter. This suggestion is 
supported by Saloman (1976) and Matta (1977) who reported increased numbers of 
psammolittoral organisms during winter in the offshore points of their tran- 
sects. 
Emertta talpotda was not the only organism affected by the nourishment 
activities. Figure 19 shows the Shannon-Weaver Species Diversity for the 
three segments of beach. Species diversity is undefined when no organisms are 
found. No living macrofaunal organisms were ever found on nourished areas of 
the beach while nourishment operations were in progress. The prenourishment 
beach and the control beach exhibited the gradual decline in species diversity 
that was to be expected with the onset of winter. 
Under winter conditions, there were no spare adults to colonize the newly 
formed beach and there were no available larvae to fill the void. The effect 
of beach nourishment on indigenous populations was profound. All the infauna 
in the nourished area was probably destroyed and the area did not recover until 
recuitment from outside occurred. 
34 
