The impact of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on benthic community structure in Sydney Harbour: Ecological succession and contaminant influence

Sydney Harbour has been chronically contaminated for over 100 years due to the inflow of pollutants from a large steel and coking facility and the surrounding municipalities. Due to the paucity of information concerning the direct impact of PAHs on macrobenthic community structure, two working hypotheses were considered in this study: (1) Successional stages of benthic macrofauna are evident along two putative PAH pollution gradients as described by total species number, abundance and biomass curves (SAB). Moreover, feeding guild analysis aids in the interpretation of faunal changes along each gradient; (2) The concentration of PAHs in sediments explains a substantial portion of the spatial pattern of benthic macrofauna within the South Arm of Sydney Harbour.;Samples of biota were collected in July, 2000 along two transects in addition to stations throughout the harbour. The environmental variables measured include depth (m), silt-clay (%), total organic carbon (%), water content (%), PAHs (μg g−1), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) (ng g−1), redox (mV), particulate organic matter (mg L−1) and distance (km) from the mouth of Muggah Creek. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).