Environmental impact assessment of benthic community stability in an estuarine complex

Abstract

Comparison of macrobenthic communities of an estuarine complex at Goa revealed significant changes in faunal structure, in time and space, in less than ten years (1972-73 - 1982-83). The composition of the community was influencEd. by increasing environmental disturbances causEd. by human activities such as mining and sand excavation. High suspended solids by mining rejects and disturbance of bottom resulted in more than 40% reduction in macrobenthic crop and about 50% reduction in species diversity. There was also a substantial decrease in clam production during the 10 year time under consideration. The implication of ever increasing mining rejects in the estuarine system and the utilization of quantitative benthic parameters in environmental impact studies are discussed