MONITORING THE SHALLOW SUBLITTORAL USING THE FAUNA OF KELP (ECKLONIA-RADIATA) HOLDFASTS

The macrofaunal community inhabiting the holdfast of the kelp, Ecklonia radiata, was assessed for changes along a putative gradient resulting from an outfall of low volume domestic effluent. Multi-dimensional scaling (MDS) revealed a consistent separation of treatment sites from controls at each of the three sample periods. Changes in trophic structure were dectected as well as shifts in relative abundances of amphipods and polychaetes as measured by the amphipod to polychaete ratio. Data were further analysed using the Ewens-Caswell neutral model which proved a useful tool for detecting differences between samples from control and treatment locations.