Effects of the North Head deep-water sewage outfall on nearshore coastal reef macrobenthic assemblages

The macrobenthos on the coastal reefs near the North Head deep-water outfall were sampled nine times over a 3 year period to determine whether patterns in diversity and abundance were affected by the outfall. The assemblages were sampled using an asymmetrical after control/impact design (ACI). Ten replicate quadrats at each of three sites nested within each of three locations were photographed using a jump camera. These photographs were sampled to provide estimates of the number and abundance of major taxa and abundances of individual species. Significant interactions between outfall vs control through time were detected for the total number of species, bryozoans, cnidarians and the abundances of a silt matrix and two species of bryozoans. Smaller scale interactions among sites through time occurred for the abundances of total fauna, sponges and an ascidian species representing some evidence for the effect of the outfall at these smaller spatial scales. This paper summarizes the correlative evidence of effects from the outfall. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.