- Industrial And Domestic Pollution
- Published:
Effects of domestic and industrial pollution on distribution and abundance of aquatic oligochaetes in the Forth estuary
Helgoländer Meeresuntersuchungen volume 33, pages 384–392 (1980)
Abstract
The Forth estuary is a major estuary on the east coast of Scotland; it receives effluent from domestic and industrial (petro-chemical and distilling) sources. Following a study on the distribution of the macrofauna of the intertidal areas in relation to pollution (McLusky et al., 1978), this paper is concerned with the distribution and abundance of aquatic oligochaetes and the small polychaeteManayunkia aestuarina in relation to estuarine salinity, organic enrichment, and industrial effluent. In the most polluted parts of the estuary oligochaetes are the sole inhabitants of the mudflats; in other less polluted flats they are very abundant. In the least polluted parts the numbers of oligochaetes diminish as the numbers and diversity of macrofauna increase. Estimates of the production of oligochaetes are given.
Literature cited
Brinkhurst, R. O., 1965. Observations on the recovery of a British river from gross organic pollution. — Hydrobiologia25, 9–51.
Brinkhurst, R. O. & Baker, H. R., 1979. A review of the marine Tubificidae (Oligochaeta) of North America. — Can. J. Zool.57, 1553–1569.
Dahl, I., 1960. The oligochaete fauna of three Danish brackishwater areas (Taxonomic and biological observations). — Meddr Danm. Fisk.-og Havunders.2 (26), 1–20.
Elliott, M., 1979. Studies on the production ecology of several mollusc species in the estuarine Firth of Forth. — Ph. D. Thesis, University of Stirling, 430 pp.
Eyres, J. P., Williams, N. V. & Pugh-Thomas, M., 1978. Ecological studies on Oligochaeta inhabiting depositing substrata in the Irwell, a polluted English river. — Freshwater Biol.8, 25–32.
Forth River Purification Board, 1978. Annual report1978, 1–100.
Giere, O., 1975. Population structure, food relations and ecological role of marine oligachaetes within special reference to meiobenthic species. — Mar. Biol.31, 139–156.
Gray, J. S., 1976. The fauna of the polluted River Tees estuary. — Estuar. coast. mar. Sci.4, 653–676.
Haka, P., Holopainen, I. J., Ikonen, E., Leisma, A., Paasiverta, L., Saaristo, P., Sarvala, J. & Sarvala, M., 1974. Paarjarven pohjaelaimiste. — Luonnon Tutk.78, 157–173.
Hunter, J. & Arthur, D. R., 1978. Some aspects of the ecology ofPeloscolex benedeni Udekem (Oligochaeta: Tubificidae) in the Thames estuary. — Estuar. coast. mar. Sci.6, 197–208.
Kennedy, C. R., 1965. The distribution and habitat ofLimnodrilus hoffmeisteri Claparède (Oligochaeta, Tubificidae). — Oikos16, 26–28.
Laasko, M., 1969. Oligochaeta from brackish water near Tvarminne, south west Finland. — Ann. zool. Fenn.6, 98–111.
Leppäkoski, E., 1975. Assessment of degree of pollution on the basis of macrozoobenthos in marine and brackish-water environments. — Acta Acad. åbo. (B)35 (2), 1–90.
McLusky, D. S., 1979. Ecology of the Forth estuary. — Forth Nat.3, 10–23.
McLusky, D. S., Bryant, D., Elliott, M., Teare, M & Moffat, G., 1976. Intertidal fauna of the industrialised Forth estuary. — Mar. Pollut. Bull.7, 48–51.
McLusky, D. S., Elliott, M. & Warnes, J., 1978. The impact of pollution on the intertidal fauna of the estuarine Firth of Forth. In: Physiology and behaviour of marine organisms. Ed. by D. McLusky & A. Berry. Pergamon Press, Oxford, 203–210.
Muus, B. J., 1967. The fauna of Danish estuaries and lagoons. Distribution and ecology of dominating species in the shallow reaches of the mesohaline zone. — Meddr Danm. Fisk.-og Havunders.5, 1–316.
Pearson, T. H. & Rosenberg, R., 1978. Macrobenthic succession in relation to organic enrichment and pollution of the marine environment. — Oceanogr. mar. Biol.16, 229–311.
Phizacklea, A. P., 1978. The distribution of oligochaete worms on the inner Forth estuary. — B. Sc. Honours Thesis, University of Stirling, 164 pp.
Reish, D. J., 1957. The relationship of the polychaetous annelidCapitella capitata (Fabricius) to waste discharges of biological origin. In: Biological problems in water pollution. Ed. by C. M. Tarzwell. U. S. Public Health Service. 195–200.
Reish, D. J. & Barnard, I. L., 1960. Field toxicity test in marine water utilising the polychaetous annelidCapitella capitata (Fabricius). — Pacif. Nat.1, 21.
Stczynska-Jurewicz, E., 1972. Fecundity, survival and haemolymph concentration ofPhysa acuta andTubifex tubifex in relation to salinity of the external medium. — Polskie Arch. Hydrobiol.19, 223–234.
Stout, H. P., 1976. Prediction of oxygen deficits associated with effluent inputs to the Forth estuary. — Proc. Instn civil. Engrs.61, 351–366.
Teare, M., 1979. The distribution of oligochaetes and small polychaetes in the intertidal regions of the estuarine Firth of Forth. — Internal Rep. Univ. Stirling, 32 pp.
Warwick, R. M., Joint, I. R. & Radford, P. J., 1979. Secondary production of the benthos in an estuarine environment. In: Ecological processes in coastal environments. Ed. by R. L. Jefferies & A. J. Davy. Blackwell, Oxford, 429–450.
Wharfe, J. R., 1975. A study of the intertidal macrofauna around the B. P. refinery (Kent) Limited. — Environ. Pollut.9, 1–12.
Wolff, W. J. & Wolf, L. de, 1977. Biomass and production of zoobenthos in the Grevelingen estuary, The Netherlands. — Estuar. coast. mar. Sci.5, 1–24.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
McLusky, D.S., Teare, M. & Phizacklea, P. Effects of domestic and industrial pollution on distribution and abundance of aquatic oligochaetes in the Forth estuary. Helgolander Meeresunters 33, 384–392 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02414763
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02414763