Summary of environmental impacts

INTERTIDAL MACROFAUNA

Communities

Intertidal fauna has been extensively studied in relation to the effects of outfalls. Changes in the community structure of intertidal fauna are complex and often site specific. In many cases both increases and decreases in various parts of the fauna have been identified. For example, Fairweather (1990) found gross reductions in species diversity in intertidal areas around Potter Point, Malabar, Bondi and North Head outfalls, with an almost complete absence of animals. In contrast, no effect on intertidal fauna was found at Plantation Point, Skennars Head and Penguin Head outfalls and only localised changes in intertidal fauna were found at Forster outfall. Many of these differences between outfall sites are likely to be due to the different levels of treatment and/or the amount of effluent being discharged. Disinfection of the effluent using chlorine may also have an impact.

(Impac_3) Last updated May 2000