Influence of an industrial discharge on long-term dynamics of abiotic and biotic resources in Lavaca Bay, Texas, USA.

ABSTRACT: The current study seeks to identify possible anthropogenic and/or natural environmental stressors that may account for the long-term decline of ecosystem health in Lavaca Bay, Texas, USA. The Formosa Plastics Corporation instituted monitoring of an industrial discharge into the bay with 16 fixed point stations and quarterly sampling from 1993 to 2020. Comprehensive measurements included organic and inorganic solutes in surface water, porewater and sediment, sediment content, plankton, nekton, and infaunal benthos. All parameter trends changed over time due to climate, freshwater inflow events, and/or seasonal changes. Biological community structure and sediment changed with distance from the discharge site. Dominance characterized community structure because three to four taxa comprised > 

SUBMITTER: Harris EK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9613729 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature