Aquatic Disposal Field Investigations, Eatons Neck Disposal Site, Long Island Sound

The major goal of the Eatons Neck disposal site field investigation was to evaluate the effects of aquatic disposal of dredged material on organisms and water quality, including the significance of physical, chemical, and biological factors that influence the rate of disposal site recolonization by benthic animals. This volume of the study presents demersal fish sampling data at Eatons Neck. The spatial and temporal distributions of the more abundant demersal dish are discussed. The food habits of eight benthic foraging fish species are also presented. Data on lobsters include monthly histograms denoting spatial and temporal distributions, male-female ratios, and relative abundance of exploitable legal-sized lobsters. The report concludes that the Eatons Neck site is a valuable area with regard to fishery resources. Throughout the sampling, with few exceptions, the disposal site accounted for the largest catches of fish. The disposal site was also found to be a prime lobstering area and accounted for 91.3 percent of the total number of lobsters collected. The study recommends that prime consideration be given to lobster fishery in any future disposal operations since it represents the most utilized resource of the area.