Fish Community Structure on a Deep Ocean Outfall, Barber's Point, Oahu, Hawaii

✍ Scribed by Dr. Anthony R. Russo

• Book ID: 102282889
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1989
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 485 KB
• Volume: 74
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1434-2944
• DOI: 10.1002/iroh.19890740505

✦ Synopsis

The Barber's Point, Oahu, Hawaii sewer outfall structure attracts large numbers of fish (500-1000 per 336 m2 bottom area) and fish species (23-29) not normally seen over flat, soft bottoms characteristic of the diffuser (66 m) isobath. Except for fish species strictly associated with corals, the adult fish community parameters (species richness, abundance, and composition) were similar to shallower natural Hawaiian reef environments. The adult fish species composition a t the diffuser changed significantly during the discharge of heavy flocculated pre-treated sewage (16 rngd). High rates (16 mgd) of pre-treated sewage may cause decreases in total fish abundance and species richness when compared with the discharge of primary effluent with little or no flocculation between 0 and 19 mgd. Two fish species, which were generally abundant in Hawaiian waters during the years of observation, were absent at the outfall during discharge of heavy flocciilnted pre-treated effluent.