title: Impact of the Charleston Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site on nearby hard bottom reef habitats.
abstract: The deepening of shipping and entrance channels in Charleston Harbor (South Carolina, USA) was completed in April 2002 and placed an estimated 22 million cubic yards (mcy) of material in the offshore Charleston Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site (ODMDS). To determine if sediments dispersed from the ODMDS were negatively affecting invertebrate and/or finfish communities at hard bottom reef areas around the disposal area, six study sites were established: three close to and downdrift of the ODMDS and three upcurrent and farther from the ODMDS. These sites were monitored biannually from 2000 to 2005 using diver surveys and annually using simultaneous underwater video tows and detailed sidescan-sonar. In general, the sediment characteristics of downdrift sites and reference sites changed similarly over time. Overall, the hard bottom reef areas and their associated communities showed little evidence of degradation resulting from the movement of sediments from the Charleston ODMDS during the study period.
authors.affiliation: Marine Resources Research Institute, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, 217 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412, USA. crowes@dnr.sc.gov
authors.forename: Stacie E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Crowe
authors.forename: Paul T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Gayes
authors.forename: Richard F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Viso
authors.forename: Derk C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Bergquist
authors.forename: Pamela C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Jutte
authors.forename: Robert F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Van Dolah
mesh_terms: D000162:Acoustics / Q000295:instrumentation; D000818:Animals; D037421:Anthozoa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D057894:Coral Reefs; D003625:Data Collection; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation; D005399:Fishes; D005843:Geography; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis*; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D011161:Porifera / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D012037:Refuse Disposal / Q000379:methods*; D013022:South Carolina; D013997:Time Factors; D014743:Videotape Recording / Q000295:instrumentation