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The intertidal benthos and sediments of particulate shores in the Firth of Forth, Scotland, with particular reference to waste water discharges

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 December 2011

Paul Read
Paul Read
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, Napier College, Colinton Road, Edinburgh EH 10 5DT, Scotland, U.K.
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Synopsis

The paper summarises and briefly discusses published and unpublished data relating to the physicochemical characteristics of the sediments and the occurrence and distribution of the intertidal macrobenthos of paniculate shores in the Firth of Forth. In general, the shores described are poor faunistically and in some areas this results partly from the influence of waste water discharges. Detailed information is available for only a limited number of the numerous beaches in the Firth of Forth. In consequence, this paper focusses attention on the results of a long term study of four beaches along the south shore of the firth which was undertaken as part of an environmental impact assessment in relation to the introduction of improved sewage treatment and disposal for the City of Edinburgh. Edinburgh Sewage Scheme and the firth into which it discharges are briefly described and data pertaining to changes in the intertidal sediments and the intertidal macrobenthic communities, which occurred in the Seafield Bay area of the firth following pollution abatement, are presented and discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Section B: Biological Sciences , Volume 93 , Issue 3-4: The Natural Environment of the Estuary and Firth of Forth , 1987 , pp. 401 - 413
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Society of Edinburgh 1987

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