A Study of the Benthic Macroinvertebrate Community of an Urban Estuary
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A Study of the Benthic Macroinvertebrate Community of an Urbana Estuary: New Jersey’s Hackensack Meadowlands A. Brett Bragin, Craig A. Woolcott, Jeff Misuik New Jersey Meadowlands Commissionion December 2009 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................................. ES-1 1.0 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 1 2.0 MATERIALS AND METHODS.................................................................................................... 2 2.1 Sampling Gear and Field Collection Methods............................................................................ 2 2.2 Sampling Frequency................................................................................................................... 4 2.3 Sampling Locations.................................................................................................................... 4 2.5 Laboratory Sample Processing................................................................................................... 5 2.5.1 Benthic Invertebrate Community Analysis......................................................................... 5 2.5.2 Physical Properties of Sediment Analysis .......................................................................... 6 2.6 Data Analysis.............................................................................................................................. 8 2.6.1 Benthic Macroinvertebrate Data Analysis.......................................................................... 8 2.6.2 Ecological Index Analysis .................................................................................................. 8 3.0 RESULTS ..................................................................................................................................... 11 3.1 Sediment Texture...................................................................................................................... 11 3.2 Water Quality............................................................................................................................ 12 3.2.1 Water Quality by Site........................................................................................................ 12 3.2.2 Seasonal Water Quality..................................................................................................... 13 3.3 Benthic Inventory...................................................................................................................... 15 3.3.1 Abundance Within the Major Taxomonic Groups............................................................ 15 3.3.2 Total Number of Taxa....................................................................................................... 16 3.3.3 Benthic Density................................................................................................................. 17 3.3.4 Abundance by Species ...................................................................................................... 18 3.3.5 Seasonal Abundance by Species....................................................................................... 22 3.3.6 Comparison of Diversity Indexes ..................................................................................... 25 4.0 DISCUSSION............................................................................................................................... 28 5.0 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.......................................................................................................... 33 6.0 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................. 34 LIST OF TABLES TABLE 1 Site Names/Locations by River Mile TABLE 2 Sieve Series Used for Sediment Texture Analysis and Wentworth Particle Size Classification TABLE 3 Average Percentage of Fine Material (Silt & Clay) from Sediment Samples Collected During the 2002 and 1987 Hackensack River Benthic Macroinvertebrate Inventories TABLE 4 Visual Descriptions of Sediments Collected During 2002 TABLE 5 Average Percent Fines, Grouped by Location Type, in Sediments Collected During the 1987 and 2002 Benthic Invertebrate Inventories TABLE 6 Summary of Surface and Bottom Water Quality Measurements by Site Location TABLE 7 Comparison of Seasonal Surface and Bottom Water Quality Parameters TABLE 8 Phylogenetic Listing of Benthic Invertebrates Identified During the 2002 and 1987 Hackensack River Benthic Inventories TABLE 9 Comparison of Rank and Relative Abundance by Major Taxonomic Groups TABLE 10A Summary of 1987 Abundance Data by Major Taxonomic Groups TABLE 10B Summary of 2002 Abundance Data by Major Taxonomic Groups TABLE 11 Comparison of Total Number of Taxa by Site and Season TABLE 12 Comparison of Benthic Density (Average # of organisms per M2) by Site and Season TABLE 13 Total Number of Organisms Collected Across Four Seasons Using a Full-Sized Ponar Grab Sampler - 1987 TABLE 14 Total Number of Organisms Collected Across Four Seasons Using a Full-Sized Ponar Grab Sampler - 2002 TABLE 15 Ranked Summary of the Relative Abundance and Percent Frequency of Occurrence for the Top 10 Species Collected During the 1987 and 2002 Benthic Studies TABLE 16 Ranked Seasonal Total Number, Relative Abundance and Percent Frequency of Occurrence for All Benthic Invertebrates Collected During 1987 TABLE 17 Ranked Seasonal Total Number, Relative Abundance and Percent Frequency of Occurrence for All Benthic Invertebrates Collected During 2002 TABLE 18 Comparison of Overall (Yearly) Shannon Diversity Index, Simpson Diversity Index and Evenness Calculated for Each Sampling Location TABLE 19 Comparison of the Seasonal Shannon Diversity Index Values (H′ ) Calculated for Each Site TABLE 20 Comparison of the Seasonal Simpson Diversity Index Values (D) Calculated for Each Site TABLE 21 Comparison of the Seasonal Evenness Index Values (J′) Calculated for Each Site ii LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 1 NJMC Benthic Inventory Sampling Locations FIGURE 2 Benthic Collection Field Data Sheet FIGURE 3 Comparison of Sediment Texture FIGURE 4 Surface and Bottom Salinity Comparison by Site FIGURE 5 Surface and Bottom Temperature Comparison by Site FIGURE 6 Surface and Bottom Dissolved Oxygen Comparison by Site FIGURE 7 Secchi Depth Comparison by Site FIGURE 8 Seasonal Water Quality Comparisons FIGURE 9 Overall Comparison of Relative Abundance of the Major Taxomonic Groups FIGURE 10A Seasonal Relative Abundance of Major Benthic Groups – 1987 Collections FIGURE 10B Seasonal Relative Abundance of Major Benthic Groups – 2002 Collections FIGURE 11 Seasonal Comparison of Total Number of Taxa Collected FIGURE 12 Comparison of Total Number of Taxa Collected at Each Site FIGURE 13 Seasonal Density of the Benthic Community FIGURE 14 Spatial Density of the Benthic Community FIGURE 15 Comparison of the Relative Abundance for the Top 10 Species Collected in 1987 and 2002 FIGURE 16 Comparison of the Percent Frequency of Occurrence for the Top 10 Species Collected in 1987 and 2002 FIGURE 17 Comparison of the Spatial Distribution and Seasonal Abundance of the Polychaete Worm Hobsonia florida Collected During 1987 and 2002 FIGURE 18 Comparison of the Spatial Distribution and Seasonal Abundance of the Amphipod Apocorophium lacustre Collected During 1987 and 2002 FIGURE 19 Comparison of the Spatial Distribution and Seasonal Abundance of the Polychaete Worm Streblospio benedicti Collected During 1987 and 2002 FIGURE 20 Comparison of the Spatial Distribution and Seasonal Abundance of the OligochateWorms Collected During 1987 and 2002 FIGURE 21 Comparison of the Spatial Distribution and Seasonal Abundance of the Chironomidae Collected During 1987 and 2002 FIGURE 22 Comparison of the Spatial Distribution and Seasonal Abundance of the Slender Isopod Cyathura polita Collected During 1987 and 2002 FIGURE 23 Comparison of the Spatial Distribution and Seasonal Abundance of the White-Fingered Mud Crab Rhithropanopeus harrisii Collected During 1987 and 2002 FIGURE 24 Comparison of the Spatial Distribution and Seasonal Abundance of the Hydrobid Snails Hydrobia totteni and Littoridinops tenuipes Collected During 1987 and 2002 FIGURE 25 Comparison of Yearly Shannon Diversity Indexes FIGURE 26 Seasonal Comparison of Shannon Diversity Indexes FIGURE 27 Comparison of Simpson Diversity Indexes FIGURE 28 Comparison of Evenness Indexes FIGURE 29 Dissolved Oxygen in the Hackensack River:2008 Update FIGURE 30 Relationship Between Salinity and River Mile FIGURE 31 Relationship Between Shannon’s Diversity and Average Salinity FIGURE 32 Relationship Between Shannon’s Diversity and Sediment Texture iii APPENDIX A LIST OF 2002 DATA TABLES TABLE A-1 Number of Benthic Macroinvertebrates Collected in a Full Sized Ponar Grab Sampler at Location T1-Shallow (Hackensack River) TABLE A-2 Number of Benthic Macroinvertebrates Collected in a Full Sized Ponar Grab Sampler at Location T1-Deep (Hackensack River) TABLE A-3 Number of Benthic Macroinvertebrates Collected in a Full Sized Ponar Grab Sampler at Location T2-Shallow (Hackensack River) TABLE A-4 Number of Benthic Macroinvertebrates Collected in a Full Sized Ponar Grab Sampler at Location T2-Deep (Hackensack River) TABLE A-5 Number of Benthic Macroinvertebrates Collected in a Full Sized Ponar Grab Sampler at Location T3-Shallow (Hackensack River) TABLE A-6 Number of Benthic Macroinvertebrates