The UK contains 5000 unlined historical landfills in the coastal zone currently at risk of erosion within the next 50 years. These rely on natural attenuation in surrounding sediment to reduce the contaminant load to the environment. This thesis investigates the extent and magnitude of sediment metal contamination from historical estuarine landfills. An intensive investigation of Newlands historical landfill, Essex, indicated elevated metal concentrations in surface and sub-surface sediments. Surface sediment concentrations were similar to other industrially impacted estuaries, whilst peak metal concentrations at c. 50 cm depth were indicative of industrial activity in the mid-20th Century. Below this depth, sediments were enriched with Pb (EF > 2) and Zn (EF = 1.5) indicative of an historic leachate plume that extends c. 15 m from the landfill site boundary. These sediments present a secondary source of diffuse pollution and a site contamination load of c. 1200 kg Pb. In-situ XRF was demonstrated as a rapid contamination screening tool for Fe, Pb, Sr and Zn enabling a broad-scale investigation of historical landfills across SE England. Sediment cores from eight sites containing both hazardous and inert waste were screened. Concentrations and EFs of Pb and Zn at depth were significantly higher in hazardous sites compared to inert sites. Spatial distributions of Pb and Zn were comparable to Newlands historical landfill. This indicates that diffuse pollution from historical landfill sites with similar chemical and physical attributes to Newlands is likely to present a regional, if not national problem, with UK historical landfills presenting contaminated sediments, comprising a significant, previously unidentified and unquantified diffuse pollution source in the coastal zone.

Coral reef declines, particularly in coastal zones, have been linked to thermal stress and anthropogenic impacts on water quality. St. Lucie Reef near Stuart, Florida receives increased estuarine efflux as a result of watershed changes and management policies that have substantially altered historic, natural flows. This research used ambient and elevated temperatures (25°C and 30°C, respectively), and offshore versus St. Lucie Estuarine discharge water to investigate the individual and interactive effects of thermal and water quality stress on Montastraea cavernosa, a dominant scleractinian coral species at St. Lucie Reef. These goals were accomplished using ex-situ, factorial, experimental design that was supplemented with existing in-situ monitoring on St. Lucie Reef. Zooxanthellae density and chlorophyll content were evaluated to determine effects on the corals and their symbionts. Zooxanthellae populations were significantly affected by thermal stress. Significant interactions between temperature and water treatment were observed, suggesting that the impacts of discharge water may be supplanted when corals are exposed to thermal stress. In a supplement to the experiment, M. cavernosa colonies transplanted from Palm Beach to St. Lucie Reef demonstrated resilience despite exposure to more variable environmental conditions. Collaborative partnerships with multiple state agencies and local government offices facilitated data sharing to inform decision making for South Florida’s resource management strategies. Creating effective resource management is crucial for the conservation of coastal ecosystems impacted by land-based sources of pollution both locally and globally. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2017. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Most Australian studies on estuarine plankton have examined distribution and abundance in relation to hydrological changes, primary productivity and associated nutrient dynamics. Relatively few have examined the complex interactions between zooplankton grazers and the type and quality of food available, or the role of zooplankton grazers in structuring phytoplankton communities, or their contribution to the nutrient pool. The ecological role of zooplankton grazers in the Swan River estuary, Perth, Western Australia, was examined as part of a collaborative research project directed by the Western Australian Estuarine Research Foundation, which was established in response to concern about increasing intensity and persistence of algal blooms. The present study focussed on one component of the zooplankton, the Copepoda, as model zooplankton grazers. A regular zooplankton monitoring programme, undertaken over a two year period, provided data on seasonal patterns of abundance and distribution of zooplankton over a broad spectrum of physical conditions. Relationships were identified between habitat variables, such as algal biomass, dissolved oxygen, salinity and suspended solids and zooplankton distribution, relative abundance and species composition. Prior to the inception of this study, it was assumed that copepod species composition, abundance and richness in the Swan River estuary may have changed over time, in response to long-term declines in water quality. Comparison of historical copepod monitoring data with current data did not detect any such change and it was concluded that there was greater variation in copepod species composition, abundance and richness within years than between years and that no significant change had occurred between 1966 and 1997. / However, an absence or reduction in abundance of copepods in areas of very high algal biomass (>80 pg chlorophyll a.L-1) suggests that local loss of water quality may have an impact on copepods over a small spatial scale within the estuary. Different aspects of the interactions between zooplankton grazers and phytoplankton were studied. Zooplankton grazing rates were measured in situ during algal blooms and in the laboratory under controlled conditions to determine the potential for zooplankton grazers to reduce algal biomass. Field and laboratory experiments supported the hypothesis that copepods and other zooplankton can exert 'top-down control' over phytoplankton biomass, but that the type and biomass of phytoplankton present affected their ability to exert this control. The results of the field and laboratory grazing experiments, along with literature data, were used to provide input data for a model of zooplankton and phytoplankton dynamics during a dinoflagellate bloom in the Swan River estuary. The model was tested against biomass measurements of zooplankton and phytoplankton to determine how well it predicted actual changes in the plankton community. The simulated output closely followed the measured Page x field data and fitted regression curves and provided information about diurnal patterns of phytoplankton production, respiration and migration and hydrodynamic transport, which was not available from field data. It was shown that zooplankton grazing, particularly grazing by microzooplankton, was the process contributing most to the observed decline in dinoflagellate biomass. Nutrient availability is one of several factors determining productivity of phytoplankton. Nutrients within copepod faecal pellets are relocated by faecal deposition to sediments, where microbial activity leads to the remineralisation of these nutrients. / Quantification of metabolic excretion of nutrients by copepods and the rate at which pellets are produced by copepod grazers, the concentration of nutrients within faecal pellets and the rate at which these nutrients are released indicated that copepods may play an important role in nutrient regeneration during summer and autumn when allochthonous nutrients are unavailable. At other times of the year, it is unlikely that copepods play an important role in nutrient regeneration. The research has provided a more detailed level of understanding of the interactions between zooplankton, phytoplankton and their environment. The data is ideally suited for use in a computer model to predict the effects of management actions on the Swan River estuary. This would allow pre-emptive management strategies to be developed and lessen the focus on reactive management.

Mangrove forests are an integral part of coastal wetlands in temperate and tropical regions of the world, including New Zealand. These coastal plants act as a shelter,feeding and breeding grounds for marine and terrestrial organisms. Many overseas studies have investigated the importance of mangrove and seagrass habitats in sustaining coastal food chains. In New Zealand, however, only a few studies have addressed the ecology and food web dynamics of these temperate ecosystems.As a first step to investigate the nutrient dynamics of estuarine food webs in temperate estuaries, this study aimed to quantify the nutrient concentrations in the catchment and the estuary of Matapouri, northern New Zealand. Field studies involved the collection of surface fresh and estuarine water (during low and high tides). Plant material (mangrove and seagrass), and sediment samples were collected at various sites within the estuary. Chemical analyses were carried out to determine the concentration of C, N, P and Si macronutrients and Fe and Zn micronutrients during different seasonal rainfall events.The results suggest that mangrove habitats may act as a source of POC, but not DOC for the adjacent aquatic habitats (i.e., seagrass, sand flats, channels), while seasgrass beds contribute more N to the estuarine system than the mangrove forests. The concentrations of N and P nutrients are strongly influenced by both the freshwater inputs and the bio-chemical processes within the estuary. The results obtained point to the freshwater streams as the main source of Si and Fe in the estuary. However, Zn was higher in the estuarine water compared to the catchment freshwater. NO3 -, NH4 +, Fe and Zn concentrations showed strong responses to the higher rainfall months reaching their highest level during the winter and early spring seasons. Conversely, P concentrations showed a negative seasonal pattern, which was linked to monthly rainfall events.Mangrove sediments may operate as a sink for the heavy metal Zn in Matapouri estuary. Iron concentration in seagrass leaves exceeded that in mangrove leaves by 65 orders of magnitude. The study suggests that seagrass plants could be used as a biological indicator of iron concentration in the estuary. The complex dynamics of bio-chemical cycles in Matapouri indicate that each habitat within the estuary has specific nutrient contributions to the estuarine food web system. However, the catchment and oceanic influences must also be considered in the nutrient balance of these coastal environments.

The detection of anthropogenic impacts in our estuaries has become a critical social, political and scientific concern in recent years. Work has focussed on the effects of these impacts on the spatial and temporal patterns of biotic assemblages and searched for bioindicators and biomarkers of pollutants that may act as early warning signs. The estuaries in temperate Southeastern Australia have a diversity of biotic assemblages living in the soft sediment. One of the most abundant macroinvertebrates is the little studies mussel, Xenostrobus securi that is found living with an assemblage of benthic biota including amphipods, crabs, isopods and tanaids, bivalves and gastropods. Two commercial fish species bream and mullet also inhabit these estuaries. Numerous stormwater drains can be found entering the estuaries through the mangrove forests lining the shores. Along with inputs of freshwater, stormwater drains are thought to be responsible for the entry of heavy metals into estuaries. These heavy metals have the potential to alter the patterns of biotic assemblages and bioaccumulate in the tissues of miacroinvertebrates, mussels and fish living within temperate estuaries. Over the time of this study the concentrations of heavy metals in the sediment tissues and shell of X.Securis varies spatially and temporally. Although this study adds substantially to current knowledge there is still more that is needed to establish X. Securis as a bioindicator. Questions remain about uptake, depuration and response to environmental gradients of heavy metals in X. Securis. Before X Securis can be used routinely in monitoring heavy metal contamination these questions need to be further investigated / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Estuarine habitats along the temperate south-eastern shores of Australia are generally made up of salt marsh, mangrove forests and seagrass beds. In urban areas these habitats have been progressively fragmented as a result of population increase and industrial expansion. Salt marshes in particular have been vulnerable to urban expansion and reclamation because of their close proximity to densely populated areas, while mangrove forests have been less often reclaimed because of frequent tidal inundation. The effect of reclamation of salt marshes on the biotic assemblages and functioning of mangrove forests with an adjacent salt marsh, park or bund wall was examined at nine separate locations on the Parramatta River, Sydney NSW. A mensurative approach was used to describe the patterns of distribution and abundance of macro fauna at several temporal and spatial scales. The implications for management are that salt marshes are an integral part of estuaries, and smaller patches of salt marsh are just as important as larger patches in maintaining the diversity of faunal assemblages and ecosystem functioning in mangrove forests in urban areas / Master of Science (Hons)

An improved understanding of the geochemical partitioning of trace metals and tributyltin (TBT) in sediments is of great importance in risk assessment and remedial investigation. The aim of this thesis was to examine the distribution and partitioning behaviour of trace metals and TBT in benthic, estuarine sediments. This was achieved by a series of field- and laboratory-based studies investigating factors controlling the geochemical behaviour of trace metals and TBT in sediments from south-east Queensland, Australia. The distribution and enrichment of selected trace metals in benthic sediments of the Southport Broadwater (a semi-enclosed coastal body of water adjacent to the Gold Coast city, south-eastern Queensland, Australia) was studied. Sediment contamination for Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sn and Zn was assessed by (1) comparison with Australian sediment quality guidelines, (2) calculation of the index of geoaccumulation based on regional background values, and (3) geochemical noi-malisation against Al (i.e. the abundance of alumino-silicate clay minerals). Based on this approach, several sites were found to be strongly enriched with Cu, Pb, Sn and Zn, arising from sources related to either urban runoff or vessel maintenance activities. The geochemical partitioning of Cu, Pb and Zn was examined in sediments collected from three of these sites of sediment contamination. Total Cu, Pb and Zn concentrations in coarse-textured (65 to 90 % sand sized particles), sub-oxic sediments (Eh + 120 to +260 mV) ranged from 8.3 to 194 mg/kg for Cu, 16.3 to 74.8 mg/kg for Pb and 30.1 to 220 mg/kg for Zn, and were related to vertical trends in sediment texture. The association of Cu, Pb and Zn with amorphous oxides, crystalline oxides and organic matter was linearly dependent on the abundance of each phase. For retention by amorphous oxide minerals, the trace metal retention ranged from 5.2 to 23.7 mgcjgFe oxide as Fe for Cu, 1 2.8 to 21 .5 mgpb/gFe oxide as Fe for Pb, and 23. I to 85.7 mgm/gFe oxide as Fe for Zn. Corresponding values for association with crystalline oxides were an order of magnitude less than those for amorphous oxides, indicating a weaker affinity of trace metals for crystalline oxides. The relationships describing association with organic matter ranged from 17.6 to 54.0 mgcu/gorg c for Cu, 6.1 to 9.6 mgpb/gorg c for Pb and 6.4 to 16.4 mgzn/gorg c for Zn. The in-situ solid/pore-water partitioning of TBT and the degradation products, dibutyltin (DBT) and monobutyltin (MBT), was determined for an estuarine sediment profile with previously identified elevated Sn concentrations. Total butyltin levels were (depending on depth) 220 to 8750 jig/kg for TBT, 150 to 5450 jig/kg for DBT and 130 to 4250 jig/kg for MBT. Pore-water butyltin concentrations ranged from 0.05 to 2.35 jig/L for TBT, 0.07 to 3.25 jiglL for DBT, and 0.05 to 0.53 J.tgIL for MBT. The organic carbon normalised distribution ratios (Doc) were similar for TBT, DBT and MBT, and were io to 106 L/kg. Values for the Butyltin Degradation Index (BDI) were larger than I at depths greater than 10 cm below the sediment/water-column interface, indicating that substantial TBT degradation has occurred in the sediments. This suggests that natural attenuation may be a viable sediment remediation strategy. Factors controlling the partitioning behaviour of Cu, Pb and Zn in nonsulfidic, estuarine sediments were examined in controlled laboratory-based studies with the use of combined sorption curve - sequential extraction analysis. This allowed determination of sorption parameters for Cu, Pb and Zn partitioning to individual geochemical fractions. Partitioning behaviour in sulfidic sediments was also determined by sequentially extracting Cu, Pb and Zn from synthetic sulfide minerals, and from natural sediment and pure quartz sand after spiking with acid-volatile sulfide (AVS). Trace metal sorption to the 'carbonate' fraction (pH 5, NaOAc extraction) increased with metal loading due to saturation of sorption sites associated with the 'Fe-oxide' (NH2OH.HCI extraction) and 'organic' (H202 extraction) fractions in non-sulfidic sediments. Freundlich isotherm parameters describing sorption to the 'Fe-oxide' and 'organic' fractions were dependent on the sediment Fe-oxide and organic carbon content, respectively. Sequential extraction of Cu from pure CuS, AVS-spiked sediment and AVS-spiked quartz sand showed that AVS-bound Cu was quantitatively recovered in association with the 'organic' fraction. However, some AVS-bound Pb and Zn were recovered by the NH2OH.HCI step (which has been previously interpreted as 'Fe-oxide' bound metals) in the sequential extraction procedure used in this study. This indicates that the sequential extraction of Pb and Zn in sulfidic sediments may lead to AVS-bound metals being mistaken as Fe-oxide bound species. Caution should therefore be exercised when interpreting sequential extraction results for Pb and Zn in anoxic sediments. Tributyltin (TBT) sorption to four natural sediment samples in artificial seawater was also examined under a range of modified pH and salinity conditions in controlled laboratory-based studies. Three of the sediment samples were relatively pristine with regard to TBT contamination, but the fourth was a TBT-contaminated sediment from a commercial marina. Sorption of TBT was described well by linear sorption isotherms, with distribution coefficients ranging from 6.1 to 5210 L/kg depending on pH and salinity. Sediment organic C content and particle size distribution were important determinants of sorption behaviour. The presence of resident TBT in the contaminated marina sediment caused a substantial reduction in TBT sorption due to satuaration of high selectivity sites. Desorption of TBT from the marina sediment was described by relatively large observed distribution coefficients ranging from 5100 to 9400 L/kg, suggesting that aging effects may reduce sorption reversibility. Increased artificial seawater salinity generally reduced TBT sorption at pH 4 and pH 6, but enhanced TBT sorption at pH 8. Regardless of salinity, maximum sorption of TBT was observed at pH 6, which is attributed to an optimal balance between abundance of the cationic TBT species and deprotonated surface ligands. Consideration of aqueous TBT speciation along with octanol-water partitioning behaviour suggest that hydrophobic partitioning of TBTCI to non-polar organic matter was important for pH (up to) 6, whilst partitioning of TBTOH was important at higher pH. The effect of aging on the solid/pore-water partitioning and desorption behaviour of TBT in sediments was examined. Three sediment samples with contrasting physical and chemical properties were spiked with 10 mg/kg TBT and aged under sterile conditions for periods of time ranging from I to 84 days. Aging had a negligible effect in a sandy sample with very low organic carbon content (0.2 % w/w). In contrast, for samples with larger amounts of organic carbon (2.6 and 4.8 % w/w), the effect of aging on the solid/pore-water partitioning behaviour was significant. For these samples, the apparent distribution coefficients (Ks) obtained from sequential two hour desorption experiments exhibited a two-fold increase between spiked sediments subjected to aging for 1 day and 84 days. This study demonstrates that aging effects may be an important aspect of TBT fate in contaminated sediments. Overall, the results described in this thesis demonstrate that environmental factors (i.e. pH, salinity, Eh, aging) and sediment composition (i.e. abundance of fine alumino-silicate minerals, organic matter, Fe-oxides, reactive sulfides) exert substantial effects on trace metal and TBT partitioning. The current reliance on measurement of total trace metal and TBT concentrations in contaminated sediment management may consequently lead to inaccurate estimates of environmental risk and inappropriate remediation measures if other factors regulating contaminant distribution and partitioning are ignored.

The role of autotrophic production in different coastal habitats in the production of fish in estuaries is an important consideration in coastal management and conservation. In the estuarine waters of the Australian east coast, many economically important fish species occur over mudflats lacking conspicuous vegetation. I used stable isotope analysis to examine where such fish ultimately derived their nutrition, in the subtropical waters of southern Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia. I first tested traditional processing methodologies of autotroph samples, in this case of mangrove leaves, and examined variability in mangrove isotope values at different spatial scales. Mangrove leaves processed using time-consuming grinding showed no significant difference in isotope values than coarsely broken leaf fragments. Isotope values of green leaves were not meaningfully different from yellow or brown leaves that would normally be the leaves that actually dropped on to the sediment. Future analyses therefore can use green leaves, since they are more abundant and therefore more easily collected, and can simply be processed as whole leaf fragments rather than being ground to a powder. Carbon and nitrogen isotope values varied at several spatial scales. The proportion of variability partitioned at different scales varied depending on the species of mangrove and element (C or N) analysed. To properly represent a geographic area, isotope analysis should be done on leaves collected at different locations and, especially, from different trees within locations. The autotrophic source(s) supporting food webs leading to fish production on mudflats might be either in situ microphytobenthos or material transported from adjacent habitats dominated by macrophytes. I tested the importance of these sources by measuring ?13C values of 22 fish species and six autotroph taxa (microphytobenthos on mudflats, and seagrass, seagrass epiphytic algae, mangroves, saltmarsh succulents and saltmarsh grass in adjacent habitats) in Moreton Bay. I calculated the distribution of feasible contributions of each autotroph to fishes. All fish ?13C values lay in the enriched half of the range for autotrophs. For over 90% of fishes, the top three contributing autotrophs were seagrass, epiphytes and saltmarsh grass, with median estimates of approximately 60-90% from these sources combined. Seagrass was typically ranked as the main contributor based on medians, while epiphytic algae stood out based on 75th percentile contributions. The other three sources, including MPB, were ranked in the top three contributors for only a single fish. Organic matter from seagrass meadows is clearly important at the base of food webs for fish on adjacent unvegetated mudflats, either through outwelling of particular organic matter or via a series of predator-prey interactions (trophic relay). Modelling results indicate that saltmarsh grass (Sporobolus) also had high contributions for many fish species, but this is probably a spurious result, reflecting the similarity in isotope values of this autotroph to seagrass. Carbon from adjacent habitats and not in situ microphytobenthos dominates the nutrition for this suite of 22 fishes caught over mudflats. The ultimate autotrophic sources supporting production of three commercially important fish species from Moreton Bay were re-examined by further analysing carbon and nitrogen stable isotope data. Mean isotope values over the whole estuary for fish and autotroph sources were again modelled to indicate feasible combinations of sources. Variability in isotope values among nine locations (separated by 3-10 km) was then used as a further test of the likelihood that sources were involved in fish nutrition. A positive spatial correlation between isotope values of a fish species and an autotroph indicates a substantial contribution from the autotroph. Spatial correlations were tested with a newly developed randomisation procedure using differences between fish and autotroph values at each location, based on carbon and nitrogen isotopes combined in two-dimensional space. Both whole estuary modelling and spatial analysis showed that seagrass, epiphytic algae and particulate organic matter in the water column, potentially including phytoplankton, are likely contributors to bream (Acanthopagrus australis) nutrition. However, spatial analysis also showed that mangroves were involved (up to 33% contribution), despite a very low contribution based on whole estuary modelling. Spatial analysis for sand whiting (Sillago ciliata) demonstrated the importance of two sources, mangroves and microalgae on the mudflats, considered unimportant based on whole estuary modelling. No spatial correlations were found between winter whiting (Sillago maculata) and autotrophs, either because fish moved among locations or relied on different autotrophs at different locations. Spatial correlations between consumer and source isotope values provide a useful analytical tool for identifying the role of autotrophs in foodwebs, and were used here to demonstrate that organic matter from adjacent habitats, and in some cases also in situ production of microalgae, were important to fish over mudflats. Whilst recognising that production from several habitats is implicated in the nutrition of fishes over mudflats in Moreton Bay, clearly the major source is from seagrass meadows. Organic matter deriving from seagrass itself and/or algae epiphytic on seagrass is the most important source at the base of fisheries food webs in Moreton Bay. The importance of seagrass and its epiphytic algae to production of fisheries species in Moreton Bay reinforces the need to conserve and protect seagrass meadows from adverse anthropogenic influences.

Sewage pollution from humans, animal and domestic sources (land and agricultural run-off) are recognized as a major cause of deteriorating water quality along Australia's coastline. Management of water quality has primarily relied on the use of bacterial indicator methods. However the validity and source-specificity of these methods have been met with increasing reservations for several years now. A relatively recent methodology uses a different chemical biomarker approach using 'sterols', a group of compounds related to the common bio-membrane lipid cholesterol and its derivatives. Sterols can offer an additional diagnostic tool to distinguish and discriminate between sources of faecal contamination in marine, freshwater and estuarine environments in both sediments and the water column. This study investigates for the first time, the degradation of coprostanol and selected faecal sterols in 'natural' sediments from a highly mixed (marine and estuarine) sub-tropical environment following a simulated pollution event (primary effluent); the use of faecal sterols as an additional indicator for determining non-point source sewage discharges at popular anchorages in the Moreton Bay and Gold Coast Broadwater system; and the use of sterol ratios in the determination of the fate and transportation of nutrients from a Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) point-source outlet pipe during plant malfunction. The microcosm degradation experiment revealed that faecal and selected sterols are continually synthesised and degraded over time by auto- and hetero trophic organisms within the sediment matrix. Coprostanol was the only sterol to degrade continually, with only minor fluctuations over a time period of two months. Results from this degradation experiment further revealed a sharp decline of coprostanol within the first week. From this it could be concluded that, without any further addition, external inputs of coprostanol are reduced to background levels within this time period. Therefore, removal of coprostanol after six days was 94% and 73% in mud and sand, respectively. The removal of coprostanol was much higher in mud than sand, reflecting a higher level of microbial activity in muddy sediments for assimilation of sterols. The field study undertaken at popular anchorages in Moreton Bay and the Gold Coast Broadwater revealed extremely low levels of sterols and bacterial indicators over both a spatial and temporal scale consistent with a shallow, oligotrophic, highly dynamic sand dominated system. Even though sterols analysed were found at extremely low levels (mostly in the nano-gram range), they were found to be highly correlated and were successful in identifying an unexpected once off pollution event from a point source at Moreton Bay Island. Other than this one incident, both sterol and bacterial levels were consistently low even when anchorages were at full capacity. Thus, sewage from recreational vessels was found to have very little, if any, effect on the water quality at anchorages in Moreton Bay and Gold Coast Broadwater. The point-source study conducted during a local sewage treatment plant malfunction revealed that even though absolute concentrations of sterols did not change during this event, the distribution of sterols within the samples changed, hence changing the sterol ratios. Further, nutrients (mainly nitrogen) can be transported several kilometres by currents, flocculate out of the water column and settle out into the sediment in areas with low tidal and hydrological flushing. There, the nutrients can cause in situ production of sterols in sediments changing sterol ratios. Overall, this study revealed that analyses of sterol biomarkers have the potential to indicate nutrient inputs (such as nitrogen) as well as sewage, post-hoc pollution events at extremely low levels/high dilutions in coastal sediments.

Estuarine benthic assemblages are often numerically dominated by polychaetes. The limits of these populations are determined by larval, and probably to a lesser extent adult movement. A previous study (Newton 1996), indicated that planktonic polychaete larvae were very abundant over the summer months in the Hopkins River; however, the identification and source of these larvae was not known. Defining the extent of a population, and therefore the likelihood of that population recovering following a perturbation, is crucial for effective estuarine management. This study investigated both the likely source of the larvae, (i.e. estuarine or marine) and the extent of larval dispersal within and between estuaries by addressing the following questions: Which taxa produced the planktonic larvae? Are these taxa resident estuarine species? Are the larvae of different taxa evenly distributed within the estuary or do physicochemical parameters or other factors influence their abundance? Are the same larvae found in other estuaries along the coast? and Is there exchange of these larval taxa with the marine environment and other estuaries? Larvae were identified and described by culturing commonly occurring planktonic larvae until adult characteristics appeared. The spionids, Carazziella victoriensis and Prionospio Tatura, numerically dominated the plankton in the Hopkins and the spionid, Orthoprionospio cirriformia was recorded from the Hopkins, Curdies and Gellibrand estuaries. Two spionids, Carazziella sp. and Polydora sp. were identified from tidal waters. Mouth status and physicochemical conditions (salinity, temperature and dissolved oxygen) were monitored in each estuary. Whereas the Merri and Gellibrand estuaries were predominantly stratified over the sampling period, the Curdies was more often well mixed and the Hopkins varied from well mixed to stratified. The duration of mouth opening and hence the opportunity for larval exchange also varied in each estuary. The Merri River was closed for 13.5% of days over the study period, the Gellibrand River for 18.4%, the Hopkins River for 49% and the Curdies River for 71.0%. The distributions of larvae at spatial scales of metres, 100s of metres and kilometres were investigated within a single estuary. While the same larvae, C. victoriensis, P. Tatura and bivalve larvae, were found along the length of the Hopkins estuary the abundances varied at different spatial scales suggesting different processes were influencing the distribution of P. Tatura larvae, and C. victoriensis and bivalve larvae. The distribution of larvae between several estuaries was investigated by monitoring meroplankton at two sites at the mouth of each of the four estuaries approximately monthly (except for winter months). Different meroplanktonic assemblages were found to distinguish each estuary. Further, C. victoriensis and P. Tatura larvae were only recorded in the Hopkins but larvae of the spionid, Orthoprionopio cirriformia were detected in the Hopkins, Curdies and Gellibrand estuaries. The extent of larval exchange with other estuaries and the marine environment was determined by monitoring tidal waters. Settlement trays were also deployed to determine if larvae were moving into estuaries and settling but not recruiting. P. tatura larvae were not detected in the tidal waters of any estuary and while C. victoriensis and O. cirriformia were found in both flood and ebb tides there was no evidence of movement of theses taxa to other estuaries. Larvae of the spionids, Carazziella sp. and Polydora sp., were found in tidal waters of each estuary but were rarely detected in the plankton within the estuaries. Neither species was found as an adult in background cores from any estuary, nor with the exception of a few individuals in the Merri, were they detected in settlement trays in any estuary. I conclude that the source of the larvae of C. victoriensis, P. Tatura and O. cirriformia is estuarine and while C. victoriensis, and O. cirriformia move in and outh of the source estuary in tidal waters there was no evidence for movement to other estuaries. The spionids, Carazziella sp. and Polydora sp were considered to be marine and while they moved in and out of estuaries in tidal waters they did not usually settle in the estuaries. The results of this study are a crucial first step in the development of ecological models to better understand dispersal in seasonally closed estuaries that are typical of southern Australia. This study emphasises the unique physicochemical characteristics and biological assemblages within these estuaries and the need for estuarine management to reflect these differences.