The effect of stormwater discharge on the soft shore ecology of Porirua Harbour. Technical Report
- Author
- Botherway, K.
- Year
- 1999
- Journal / Source
- Unpublished BSc (Hons) project, Victoria University.
- Keywords
- Porirua Inlet, Pauatahanui Inlet, biological communities, water quality, heavy metals, contaminants, sediments, estuarine, discharge, stormwater, sandy habitat
- Summary
- A study on Semple Stream storm drain in Porirua Inlet investigated from December 1998 to April 1999. Community structure, sedimentary properties and heavy metal concentrations of surface sediments were examined at increasing distances from the storm drain. Closer to the drain taxa diversity was lower, sediment was less sorted and organic content greater, and copper, lead and zinc concentrations were higher. Data indicate that dfferences in taxa diversity between Porirua and Pauatahanui Inlets are consistent with deleterious effects of high heavy metal concentrations (particularly lead and zinc) in the sediment of Porirua Inlet. Author recommends establishing a sediment monitoring programme in Porirua and Pauatahanui Inlets to enable differentiation between fluctuations in heavy metal contamination and long term changes.