fects of very high levels of gasoline on mussels by not using scuba 

 divers to collect them in the immediate area of the grounded barge. 



Benthic infauna. 



Data.— Counts of benthic fauna recovered from grab samples 

 are given in Table 3-2. Sample 8-2 was improperly preserved and 

 was not sieved. The varying sample volumes mentioned in Table 3-2 

 should be noted. 



Although the species list is long, the populations of this area 

 are of low density and of low biomass with the exception of mussel 

 beds. Many records consist of a single individual and many of the 

 individuals are juveniles or small species. 



Condition of infauna.— The condition was assessed by visual 

 means from preserved samples. Little information exists on the 

 characteristics to look for in such an assessment. I have observed 



animals killed by anoxia and cold temperatures in the field and by 

 high temperatures in the laboratory. When amphipods die the in- 

 ternal tissue breaks down rapidly leaving a transparent "ghost," 

 dead amphipod eggs become cloudy, dead polychaetes are flaccid, 

 and dead bivalves gape. I assume that full guts in amphipods and 

 polychaetes show some degree of normal activity. 



The time required for tissue breakdown after death is not 

 known, but it is assumed to be more than 2 d at winter 

 temperatures. I have observed diminished scavenging rates in 

 Rhode Island estuaries at low temperatures. Activity is probably 

 somewhat reduced in open waters as well. A more serious problem 

 in interpreting these results is that many infaunal amphipods, 

 polychaetes, and bivalves leave the sediment when under stress and 

 dead animals could have been washed away from the site of a kill. 



No dead animals were observed in these samples. All 

 articulated bivalves were free of tissue remains and most were 

 somewhat weathered. The only visible abnormalities seen were dark 



Table 3.2-Continued. 



Station-grab 



2-1 



2-2 



2-2 



5-1 



5-2 



5-3 



6-1 



6-2 



6-3 



7-1 



7-2 



7-3 



8-3 



17-1 



17-2 17-3 



Euphrosinidsp. 





1 











Eumida sanguined 



1 













Phyllodocid sp. 















Goniadella gracilis 



3 







F 







Nephtyspicta 



1 



4 



1 









Aglaophamus circinatus 











F 



1 



Nereis diversicolor 









2 







Nereis peiagica 



1 











1 



Syliis comuta 















Exogone verugera 



6 



2 



9 





3 



2 



Syllid spp. 





1 



1 







2 



Microphthalmia sczelkowii 















Capitella capitata 



1 





3 



29 



95 



115 



Mediomastus ambyseta 













1 



Clymnella torquata 



2 



1 



2 









Travisia camea 















Spiofilicomis 



1 













Spio serosa 















Scolelepis squamata 















Polydora socialis 



4 







1 



1 



4 



Spiophanes bombyx 





1 











A ricidea jeffreysii 



1 





2 



23 



12 



1 



Paraonis sp. 













3 



Sabellaria vulgaris 



3 





1 









Marphysa belli 









1 







Drilonereissp. 













1 



Magelona rosea 















Scolopus robustus 





F 



8 









Tharyx acutus 



1 



1 



8 



9 



19 



5 



Tharyx spp. 



1 





2 



6 



2 





Polycirrus medusa 















Pherusa a/finis 















Potamilla reni/ormis 



2 













Pisione remota 















KcnmcKjermata! 

 Asterias sp. 





1 









1 



Amphiurid sp. 











7 



1 



Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis 









1 







Other groups: 















Actiniaria (Anemones) 



1 



1 



1 









Platyhelminthes (flatworms) 



1 













Rhynchocoela (Nemerteans) 



3 





3 









Nematoda 



13 



8 



13 



4 



10 



51 



Phascolion strombi (Sipuncula) 







1 









Individuals per sample 



107 



45 



79 



469 



761 



295 



Species per sample 



27 



19 



24 



15 



24 



22 



Sample volume (liters) 



0.75 



1.0 



0.75 



3.0 



2.0 



0.75 



16 



2 



1 



1 



32 



57 



2 3 



1 5 



7 





9 



12 



3 





12 



4 



59 



2 





1 



1 









22 



50 



0.8 











9 













2 









12 



F 











5 



51 



1 



48 



25 



19 



28 





4 





15 



72 



24 



531 



65 



66 



97 



28 



18 



28 



8 



14 



11 



25 



12 



20 



24 



13 



8 



12 



0.8 



0.75 



1.0 



0.75 



2.0 



1.3 



1.8 



1.3 



0.9 



0.75 



19 



