Assessment of benthic macroinvertebrate communities at Cape Lookout and Cape Hatteras National Seashores
DeVivo JC and Gregory MB. 2012. Assessment of benthic macroinvertebrate communities at Cape Lookout and Cape Hatteras National Seashores. Natural Resource Data Series. NPS/SECN/NRDS—2012/395. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
In July 2010, the Southeast Coast Network (SECN) Inventory and Monitoring Program in cooperation with the University of Georgia Marine Extension Service (MAREX) conducted an assessment of water and sediment quality at Cape Lookout and Cape Hatteras National Seashores as a part of the Network’s Vital Signs Monitoring program. The sampling occurred during the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the time period when the scientific community was uncertain as to whether the oil and dispersant plume would enter the Gulf Stream and potentially affect coastal systems along the South Atlantic Coast. In an effort to acquire as much baseline data as possible, the SECN collected benthic marine invertebrate samples following the EPA National Coastal Assessment (NCA) protocols at sites where water and sediment chemistry assessments were conducted. The purpose of this document is to report the data collected for the macroinvertebrate community at Cape Lookout and Cape Hatteras National Seashores using the EPA Southeast Coast Benthic Index, which provides a measure of benthic health. Across all sites, 5,583 individuals in 148 taxa were identified, with gem clam (Gemma gemma) accounting for 3,740 (67%) of all individuals observed. Only four species were found in at least half of the samples: seed shrimps (Ostracoda, 14 sites), the polychaete Leitoscoloplos fragilis (13 sites), channeled barrel-bubble (Acteocina canaliculata, 13 sites) and gem clam (nine sites). Using the criteria set forth in the Southeast Coast Benthic Index, overall benthic conditions in both brackish and saltwater systems were Good (healthy benthos), with only 2 of 22 sites receiving overall ratings of Fair (some stress).
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- DeVivo, Joseph; Gregory, M.
- Date of Issue
- 2012-10
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- CAHA , CALO , NRSS , SECN
- Keywords
- Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Cape Lookout National Seashore, national coastal assessment, Sediments, southeast coast benthic index
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Marine Invertebrates