Abstract

CUELLO, Graciela V; LLANOS, Elizabeth N; GARAFFO, Griselda V  and  JAUBET, María L. Submarine outfall of Mar del Plata (Argentina): how did the construction impact on the intertidal benthic community?. Ecol. austral [online]. 2019, vol.29, n.1, pp.28-40. ISSN 1667-782X.

An adequate solution to the problem many countries must solve with respect to the treatment and discharge of sewage water, and its potential impacts on the environment, could be discharging them by means of submarine outfalls. Until December 2014, wastewater from Mar del Plata city was discharged untreated directly to the intertidal zone. In 2009, the construction of the submarine outfall (SO) began; two breakwaters and a docking front were built. The SO was inaugurated in December 2014 and the wastewater discharges directly over the subtidal (4 km offshore). The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in the structure of the intertidal benthic community during the different phases of the SO construction ENT#091;Before (A), During (Du) and After (De)ENT#093;. Three sampling sites were located at different distances from the sewage effluent. The results showed changes in the intertidal benthic community in response to the functioning of the SO. The abundance of species sensitive to pollution increased in the posterior phase of the SO construction. Although the species richness peaked during the construction phase of the ES, evenness and diversity index increased in the subsequent phase (After). Groupings were observed according to the similarity in the specific composition according to the phase factor (Before, During and After). However, grouping of species according to the sites were not observed. In conclusion, the results obtained showed the changes occurred in the intertidal community structure associated with the new wastewater discharge generated by the submarine outfall built in the city.

Keywords : Organic pollution; Sewage impact; Subtidal effluent.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )