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appendix b final 2008 biological surveys of los angeles and long ...

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5.0 Benthic <strong>and</strong> Epibenthic Invertebrates<br />

recreational importance that were collected in the harbors included prawns, brown shrimp<br />

(Penaeus californiensis - a total <strong>of</strong> 48) <strong>and</strong> California spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus – a<br />

total <strong>of</strong> 43).<br />

5.4.4 Summary <strong>of</strong> Spatial <strong>and</strong> Temporal Variations<br />

Trawl invertebrate catch varied among stations, but there were no distinct spatial patterns in<br />

species distribution or abundance. Substantially more macroinvertebrates were collected at<br />

night than during the day. There also were more individuals caught during each <strong>of</strong> the winter<br />

<strong>and</strong> spring <strong>surveys</strong> than the summer survey.<br />

5.4.5 Historical Comparisons<br />

The first comprehensive study <strong>of</strong><br />

epibenthic macroinvertebrates<br />

caught during trawl collections was<br />

conducted in outer Los Angeles<br />

Harbor (MEC 1988). Trawls in inner<br />

<strong>and</strong> outer Long Beach Harbor were<br />

collected in 1994 <strong>and</strong> 1996 (MEC<br />

1996; SAIC <strong>and</strong> MEC 1996, 1997).<br />

Since 1993, the City <strong>of</strong> Los Angeles<br />

has reported trawl invertebrate<br />

catch in the vicinity <strong>of</strong> the TITP<br />

outfall as part <strong>of</strong> their annual<br />

NPDES monitoring program (e.g.,<br />

CLAEMD 2000, <strong>2008</strong>). The 2000<br />

<strong>biological</strong> baseline study reported<br />

macroinvertebrate catch from trawls<br />

for both inner <strong>and</strong> outer harbors for<br />

both Ports (MEC 2002).<br />

Table 5.4-5 compares the ten most abundant species collected by trawls during this <strong>2008</strong><br />

Biological Survey with other relevant historical studies. Similar species have dominated the<br />

catch since the 1980s: black-spotted shrimp, ridgeback prawn, tuberculate pear crab, Xantus’<br />

swimming crab, <strong>and</strong>, in earlier studies, the non-indigenous New Zeal<strong>and</strong> bubble snail (Philine<br />

auriformis). Philine auriformis was caught in higher abundance in the 1990s <strong>and</strong> 2000 than in<br />

the 1980s, but relatively few were collected during the present study (Philine spp.). P.<br />

auriformis was collected at seven <strong>of</strong> the twelve stations in outer Los Angeles Harbor surveyed<br />

as part <strong>of</strong> the TITP monitoring, but in relatively low numbers (CLAEMD <strong>2008</strong>).<br />

A notable difference in trawl catch among <strong>surveys</strong> was the occurrence <strong>of</strong> several fouling<br />

organisms in the trawls from Los Angeles Harbor in the 1980s (Balanus, Corynactis, Crepidula,<br />

Mytilus), whereas these taxa have been rarely caught in trawls since then. It is possible that<br />

differences in methods may relate to that result. On the other h<strong>and</strong>, the ophiuroid Ophiothrix<br />

spiculata was one <strong>of</strong> the numerically dominant organisms in the 1980s, whereas in subsequent<br />

<strong>surveys</strong> it has been a minor component <strong>of</strong> the catch.<br />

5.5 EXOTIC SPECIES<br />

A total <strong>of</strong> 10 non-indigenous (introduced) <strong>and</strong> 32 cryptogenic species (<strong>of</strong> unknown origin) were<br />

identified among the 313 species represented by the collected infauna <strong>and</strong> macroinvertebrates<br />

(Appendix E). The overall percentage <strong>of</strong> introduced <strong>and</strong> cryptogenic species identified with the<br />

5–10 <strong>2008</strong> Biological Surveys <strong>of</strong> Los Angeles <strong>and</strong> Long Beach Harbors<br />

April 2010

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