Richard W.

Grigg
LONG-TERM CHANGES
IN ROCKY BOTTOM
COMMUNITIES OFF
PALOS VERDES

In 1930, the Palos Verdes Peninsula was bordered by extensive kelp beds that
spanned the entirety of the rocky coast-line (North 1973). For the several
decades that followed, the nearshore rocky subtidal environment at Palos
Verdes was one of the most popular diving and sportfishing regions on the
southern California coast. Then, during the 1950's, the kelp beds and
invertebrate and fish communities began a major decline in diversity and
abundance. This condition was first described by Conrad Limbaugh in 1954,2
who detected changes in the composition and abundance of benthic species
and fish extending 1 to 3 km from Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts'
municipal wastewater outfall system, located off Whites Point on the
Peninsula.
Los Angeles County began discharging sewage effluent in the ocean off
Whites Point in 1934. The volume of the discharge, initially 16 mgd (60
million liters/day), has gradually increased over the years to a level of 350
mgd (1,300 million liters/day) in 1977. Although prior to 1969, very little
research had been done in the area, the Whites Point discharge was considered
to be a major factor in the decline of the biota. For this reason, I conducted a
survey off Palos Verdes in 1969 (Grigg and Kiwala 1969) and found that the
reduction in species diversity of nearshore benthic species and fish did appear
to be correlated with the deposition of wastewater particulates.
Since that time, there has been a partial recovery in the kelp beds along the
Peninsula, along with some improvement in offshore conditions (U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency 1976). Also, research conducted by Los
Angeles County Sanitation Districts and, more recently, by the Coastal Water
Research Project has produced a large body of information on changes in
benthic communities and other bio-logical and oceanographic conditions in
response to effluents discharged off Palos Verdes and elsewhere in southern
California (Coastal Water Research Project 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977).
Given this background, a followup study, designed to repeat the 1969 survey
but in consider-ably more detail, was conducted in 1977. The results, which

1. Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii.

2. Unpublished report. Institute of Marine Resources, University of California, La Jolla.
are described in this paper, show a partial recovery in the algae, invertebrates,
and fish, although reduced species diversity and abundance still prevails in an
area near the outfall system. The purpose of this report is to summarize the
results of the 1977 study and to describe long-term trends and suggest possible
causal relationships.

METHODS

To the extent practical, the same methods used in the 1969 survey were again
employed in 1977. Departures were made only when modifications proved to
be desirable. Hence, a series of stations 50 feet (15 meters) in depth were
selected to approximately coincide in position with the 1969 stations (Stations
1-50 through V-50, Figure 1). Added to this were (1) a series of shallow
stations 20 feet (6 meters) in depth positioned directly inshore of the 50-foot
stations, (2) a set of control stations at 20- and 50-foot depths off Bluff Cove,
approximately 15 km from the outfall system (Stations VI-2Q and VI-50,
Figure 1) and (3) a set of control stations at 20- and 50-foot depths off
Boomer Beach, La Jolla, California. No 20-foot stations were studied in
1969.
At each 50-foot station, a 50-meter-long line was placed on the bottom,
and counts (numbers/sq meter) of macroscopic epibenthos (organisms larger
than 1 cm) were made at ten randomly selected and previously marked points
on the line. Color photographs of each meter-square quadrat were taken and
later used to verify field records. The square-meter counts were not made at
20-foot stations because kelp was too thick.
Qualitative estimates of the abundance of algae, invertebrates, and fish
over much larger areas (about 5,000 sq meters) were also made at each
station. Species represented by fewer than 10 individuals were scored as rare,
between 10 and 50 as moderate, and over 50 as abundant. All species that
could not be identified in the field were collected and identified in the
laboratory.
Two samples of bottom sediment and flock (a layer of light particulate
matter that is easily resuspended) were collected at each station. Bottom
sediments were taken in situ by inserting a hand-held syringe corer 5 cm into
sediments present between rocks. Samples were capped within the syringe
and later frozen. Flock samples were collected from rock surfaces by suction,
using a diver-held slurp gun. Each flock sample consisted of a mixture of
approximately 2 liters of seawater and flock. In the laboratory, samples were
filtered through a 500-micron Nitex filter, centrifuged, and frozen. Both
sediment and flock samples were later analyzed for trace metals and
chlorinated hydrocarbons, using previously described methods (Hershelman et
al. 1976; Heesen and Young 1977). All samples were analyzed for silver,
cadmium, chromium, copper, nickel, lead, zinc, and the chlorinated
hydrocarbons, total DDT and total PCB.
 All samples were collected between 8 June and 21 July 1977. The 1969
survey was also conducted in the months of June and July.

RESULTS

Sediment and Flock

At all stations, the substratum was primarily rocky. Sediments existed only
within interstitial spaces between rock surfaces. Virtually all rock surfaces at
the stations off Palos Verdes and at the control stations off La Jolla were
covered by varying amounts of light flocculent material.
Visual observations revealed that both sediment and flock off Palos Verdes
were thicker and darker in color at stations progressively closer to the outfalls.
On every transect, including the controls, sediment and flock were thicker at
50 feet than at 20 feet.
Chemical analysis of sediment and flock samples showed clear and
consistent patterns associated with the outfalls (Tables 1 and 2). In general,
the concentrations of both metals and chlorinated hydrocarbons along isobaths
were inversely correlated to distance upcoast from the outfalls. An exception
to this trend, especially for the flock, was Transect V off Palos Verdes Point,
where some metals and chlorinated hydrocarbons showed a moderate but
localized increase. Another general pattern in the distribution of metals and
chlorinated hydrocarbons in both sediment and flock was higher
concentrations at the deeper stations. However, samples were only collected
from two depths--too few to establish a trend.
Maximum values for metals and chlorinated hydrocarbons in both
sediments and flock were generally about one order of magnitude greater at
stations near the outfalls than at the control stations. The most surprising
result was that the trace contaminants tended to be about two or three times
more concentrated in the flock than in the adjacent sediments.
Observations of the flock under a microscope showed that it consisted of
organic, amorphous particulate matter with varying amounts of fecal pellets,
clastic material of terrestrial origin, algal fragments, and skeletal fragments of
benthic foraminifera and diatoms. Fecal pellets were a particularly large
component of the flock (up to 80 percent) at stations near the outfalls. The
flock was also characterized by a rich infauna, consisting of many small
copepods, ostracods, polychaetes, cumaceans, Heptacarpus shrimps,
amphipods, nematodes, caprellids, crab larvae, mysids, and small snails such
as Maxwellia gemma, Murexiella santarosana, Crassispira semiinflata, and
Pteropurpura festiva.

Biological Conditions

A total of 30 species of algae. 111 species of invertebrates, and 54 species of

fish were observed during the 1977 survey. The total number of species
recorded at each station is listed in Table 3 and is plotted in Figure 2, along
with the numbers of species recorded in 1969 at the same stations. Patterns in
the distribution and abundance of organisms that appear to be related to the
Whites Point outfalls are summarized in Table 4 and described in the
following sections.

Algae. In 1977, a total of 26 species of algae were recorded at the stations

along the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Estimates of the abundances of these
species, and four others found only at the La Jolla control stations, are given
in Table 5. Of the Palos Verdes stations, those on Transect V had the greatest
number of species at both 20 and 50 feet--17 and 13 species, respectively.
These species counts are comparable to those for the control stations off La
Jolla, where 17 and 15 species were found at 20 and 50 feet, respectively; the
comparison suggests that Transect V is near normal in terms of algal diversity.
The fewest number of species at both 20 and 50 feet were found on Transect
II, which is directly shoreward of the outfall system. Overall, there was a
significant positive correlation between number of species and distance from
the outfalls at 50-foot stations (Figure 3, Part A; Table 4).3 This correlation
was evident in both 1969 (r = 0.91, p < 0.05) and 1977 (r = 0.92, p < 0.05).
Other temporal and spatial patterns in the distribution of algae off Palos
Verdes were evident (Table 4). First, the numbers of species at stations 50
feet in depth in 1977 were considerably greater than at all equivalent stations
in 1969 (Figure 3, Part A). The increase was greatest at Stations 1-50 and V-
50, where there were nine more species in 1977 than in 1969. The smallest
increase in number of species occurred on Transect II, directly inshore of the
outfalls.
Another pattern was that 20- and 50-foot stations were consistently
different in species richness and abundance in 1977. On every transect, the
average number of species at 20 feet was twice the number at 50 feet (mean =
2.05, range is 1.1 to 3.75; Figure 3, Part A). The abundance of algae
(numbers of plants) was about half an order of magnitude greater at 20 feet
than at 50 feet on every transect except Transect V and the controls (Figure 3,
Part B). The majority of biomass at 20-foot stations was due to three species,
Cystoseira osmundacea, Egregia menziesii, and Dictyopteris undulata.
In 1977, the giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera, was generally rare along the
Palos Verdes coast; however, small but thick patches were noted at Stations
11-20, 1V-20, and VI-20. No giant kelp plants were observed growing at
depths greater than 30 feet. in 1969, M. pyrifera was absent along the entire
Palos Verdes Peninsula.
The patterns of distribution for individual species show responses similar
to the trends described above. At 50-foot stations in 1977, the general trend of
increasing abundance with distance from the outfalls was characterized by the
distributions of Bossiella spp., Dictyopteris undulata, Eisenia arborea, and
Rhodymenia. spp. (Figure 4). The abundance of E. arborea at Station V-50
and Rhodumenia spp. at Station VI-50 appeared to be enhanced (higher than
at the 50-foot control station).
 Near Station 11-20, a natural seep of sulfur-rich water was found. It
appeared to influence an area of about 300 sq meters. All algae within this
area were covered by a sulfurphilic fungus, and the bottom was coated with a
white slime and underlying layer of black, odorous sediment. Surprisingly,
the effects of the seep appeared to be highly localized and were undetectable
more than 10 meters away. The diversity of macroscopic benthos in the area
of the seep was significantly reduced. For this reason, transect data for this
station were collected 50 meters downcoast.

Invertebrates. The responses of benthic invertebrate populations to the Whites

Point outfalls illustrate different patterns in time and space. Collectively, the
differences between the total numbers of species present in 1969 and 1977
were small (Figure 5, Part A), although there were slight factors of increase at
Stations III-50 (1.43), IV-50 (1.46), and V-50 (1.38). About half of the
increases registered can be attributed to the counting of smaller organisms in
1977 (1 cm) than in 1969 (3 cm).
In both 1969 and 1977, the total number of species of invertebrates at 50
feet was depressed near the outfalls. At the 20-foot stations surveyed in 1977,
there were also fewer species near the outfalls than at more distant sites. The
zone of greatest change at both 20- and 50-foot depths was between Transects
III and IV, 2.5 to 6 km northwest of the outfalls. Station V-20, which had the
greatest abundance of algae, also supported the greatest number of
invertebrate species at this depth (54). The largest number of invertebrate
species recorded at the 50-foot stations (50) was at Station VI-50. Counts at
Stations V-20 and VI-50 were both greater than control values, suggesting
enhancement .
Estimates of abundance of species of invertebrates recorded during the
1977 survey are listed in Table 6. When species are considered individually,
patterns of distribution and abundance are more varied and complex. Again,
effects must be distinguished in space and time. Spatially, at least four
patterns of abundance with respect to the outfalls can be described--species
that are unaffected, species that are enhanced or depressed near the outfalls,
and species that are sparse or absent near the outfalls but more abundant than
normal at intermediate distances away from the outfalls (Table 7).
Species that appeared to be unaffected were generally either very rare or
very abundant. However, because of the methods used to record abundance
(scores for 1 to 10, 10 to 50, and 50 to 100 individuals), real response patterns
for species that were rare or abundant may not be evident.
Species with patterns clearly showing a depression in abundance near the
outfalls included Parastichopus parvimensis and Strongylocentrotus franc-
iscanus (Figure 6) , S. purpuratus, Ophioderma sp., Cucumaria sp., Haliotis
spp., Paracyathus stearnsii, and Diopatra sp. Effects were more pronounced
at the 50-foot stations. Host of these species are deposit or filter feeders.
Interestingly, S. franciscanus appeared to have declined in abundance
drastically since 1969, at least on Transect V.
 Many invertebrates that were increasingly more abundant at stations near
the outfalls are bottom grazers or browsers. Notable examples are Cypraea
spadicea (Figure 6), Scyra acutifrons, Murexiella santarosana, and Maxwellia
gemma. Pisaster brevispinus, normally more abundant on soft bottoms, also
was enhanced in abundance around the outfalls.
Many species showed a pattern of enhanced abundance at intermediate
distances from the outfalls in 1977. Kelletia kelletii, Patiria miniata, and
Muricea californica (Figure 6) are good examples. K. kelletii, Corynactis
californica, and P. miniata exhibited similar behavior in 1969. This pattern
of response, is characteristic of so many species (including algae and fish) off
Palos Verdes that a generalized name seems appropriate and useful. The term
"halo" distribution is suggested here, referring to the halo-like or circular zone
of enhanced abundance that these species exhibit at intermediate distances
from the outfall system.
One species with a halo distribution, the bat-star Patiria miniata, also
exhibited unusual feeding behavior. This was true especially in areas where it
was abundant, where many individuals appeared to be browsing on
gorgonians (Muricea californica). Examinations of the stomach contents of
the bat-stars revealed the presence of gorgonian spicules. I have studied M.
californica throughout its range (Grigg 1970) and have never observed
predation by bat-stars.
The patterns of response described above for invertebrates (unaffected,
depressed, enhanced, and halo) tend to be off-setting, which may explain why
estimates of total abundance for all species of invertebrates do not show a
more clear-cut outfall effect (Figure 5, Part B). Fish. In the 1977 survey, 54
species of fish belonging to 23 families were recorded off Palos Verdes and
La Jolla. Estimates of abundance of these species are given in Table 8.
Response patterns associated with the outfalls were not well delineated for
most individual species--only 9 of the 53 species recorded off Palos Verdes
showed clear patterns. Of these, five species appeared to be depressed near
the outfalls; these were hypsypops rubicunda, Pimelometopon pulchrum,
Halichoeres semicinctus, Girella nigricans, and Sebastes mystinus. Three
species were enhanced or more abundant near the out falls--Sebastes dalli at
50 feet and Coryphopterus nicholsi and Paralabrax clathratus at 20 feet. And
one species, Chromis punctipinnis, appeared to have a halo distribution in that
it was absent at Stations 111-20 and 111-50, 2.5 km northwest of the outfalls,
but abundant at adjacent stations.
Between 1969 and 1977, there was a rather large increase in the number of
species of fish at the 50-foot stations on Transacts I through IV (Figure 7, Part
A). In sharp contrast, the number of species of fish at Station V-50 was
virtually unchanged between 1969 and 1977. Station VI-50, which had an
enhanced number of species of invertebrates in 1977, also showed
enhancement in numbers of species of fish, having 30 species compared to the
21 at the control station. Despite the improvement in numbers of fish species
between 1969 and 1977, a clear pattern of reduced abundance of fish still
characterized 20- and 50-foot stations near the outfalls in 1977 (Figure 7, Part
B; Table 4).

DISCUSSION

The variety and complexity of responses of species of algae, invertebrates,

and fish associated with the ocean outfalls at Palos Verdes suggests that a
number of factors may be operating simultaneously. Hence, several
hypotheses must be considered in attempting to account for the observed pat-
terns of distribution and abundance. Possible causative factors that have
received particular attention in the past include increases in available
nutrients, turbidity, sedimentation, and concentrations of trace contaminants
on suspended and settled particulates with increasing proximity to the outfalls
(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 1976). Changes in biological
processes such as competition or predation, and even commercial and sport
fishing in the area, may also have affected certain species. Each of these
factors will be examined in light of the results presented here. However, since
most of these factors change in a similar fashion as a function of distance from
the outfalls, it is very difficult to isolate particular cause-and-effect
relationships.
The characteristics of southern California municipal wastewater discharges
have been described by Schafer (1977) and Mearns et al. (1977). Between
1970 and 1976, the Whites Point discharge registered a slight decrease in flow
and concentration of suspended and settleable solids, any of which might
affect the nutrient content of the effluent (nitrogen, phosphorus, etc.), the
turbidity of the water column, the deposition of sediments, and the effluent
content of toxic substances.
Let us consider nutrients first. Thomas (1972) has shown that chlorophyll
is somewhat enhanced in the water column over some major southern
California outfalls, indicating increased standing crops of phytoplankton. The
passage of this material through the food chain could contribute to bottom
sediment and flock in the form of particulate matter and fecal pellets. As
noted above, the flock near the Whites Point outfalls consists primarily of
fecal pellets. The increases in abundance of certain species of grazers
(Cypraea spadicea) and browsers (small molluscs) , which feed on bottom
particulates, suggest a chain of cause and effect ultimately related to nutrient
enrichment from the discharge. Nutrient enrichment, and the subsequent
stimulation of primary and secondary production, may also explain the large
increases in abundance of pollution tolerant species, such as the deposit feeder
Capitella capitata, in deeper water (200 feet, or 60 meters) off Palos Verdes
(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 1976). In addition, increases in
primary production resulting from nutrient enrichment may exert a significant
effect on benthic community structure by contributing to the turbidity of the
water column, which in turn reduces the amount of light reaching the bottom.
The patterns of distribution and abundance of benthic algae off Palos
Verdes and La Jolla strongly suggest that light is limiting at depths below
about 50 feet on Transects I through IV off Palos Verdes (Figure 3). For
example, the correlation between species of algae and distance away from the
outfalls is 0.92 (p < 0.05) for 50-foot stations but only 0.46 (p < 0.05) for 20-
foot stations (Table 4). Also, the depression in species richness on Transect II
is 73 percent at 50 feet and only 30 percent at 20 feet. These effects are
dramatically illustrated in Figure 3, Part B, which shows a half-order-of-
magnitude difference in algal abundance between 20 and 50 feet on Transects
I through IV.
Between 1974 and 1977, Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts collected
data on water turbidity at stations near Transect I through IV;4 Peterson
(1974) collected similar data near Transect V off Palos Verdes Point in 1974.
These data (Secchi disk readings plotted in Figure 8) support the hypothesis
that differences in the amount of light reaching the bottom are the major
causes of differences in algal abundance. The average depth at which the
Secchi disk was no longer visible near Transects I through IV was about 20
feet. In contrast, the average Secchi disk value near Transect V was over 60
feet (18 meters; Figure 8). The sharp increase in depth of Secchi disk values
between Transects IV and V corresponds to a half-order-of-magnitude
increase in algal abundance between 50-foot stations on these transects
(Figure 3).
Measurements of the incident light reaching the bottom at the outer edge of
Macrocystis pyrifera kelp beds in Abalone Cove in 1975 and 1976 suggest
that 10 percent of surface illumination is necessary before juvenile M. pyrifera
plants become established (Deal 1976). A similar value has been computed
by Peterson (1974). The 10 percent isophote for 1975 and 1976 is plotted in
Figure 8; values near Transects I through IV were all close to 30 feet, while
the value near Transect V was 54 feet. The outer edge of the M. pyrifera kelp
beds historically (predischarge) was at 60-foot depths (North 1967).
Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts' Secchi disk data were also used
to compute the depths on Transects I through IV at which light was 1 percent
of the surface value (generally considered to be the compensation point for the
majority of algae). Mean depths ranged between 46 and 59 feet, supporting
the hypothesis that, in recent years, light has been a limiting factor for most
algae near the outfalls at depths greater than about 50 feet. Data from the
1977 survey on the distribution and abundance of red algae of the genus
Rhodymenia also support this hypothesis: Red algae are known to be
umbraphilic (shade adapted; Holmes 1957), and Rhodymenia spp. were the
most abundant species of algae on Transects I through IV (Figure 4).
Although the principal factor limiting algae at depths greater than about 50
feet (30 feet for Macrocystis pyrifera) off Palos Verdes appears to be light,
other factors may also affect algal diversity and abundance. For example, at

4. John D. Parkhurst, Chief Engineer and General Manager, Los Angeles

County Sanitation Districts, Whittier, Calif., unpublished data.
Station 11-20, where light did not appear to be limiting, the depression in
number of species of algae was 30 percent (Table 4). This reduction in algal
species diversity could be the result of the effects of DDT or trace metals,
which are most concentrated at stations near the outfalls (Tables 1 and 2), on
certain algal species. Predation by herbivorous fishes also could be retarding
what appears to be a general recovery in algae all along the Palos Verdes
Peninsula. For example, in the 1977 survey, many M. pyrifera, plants at
Station V-20 were observed to be heavily grazed.
The potential inhibitory effects of toxins associated with wastewater
particulates and the deposition of these particulates are hard to separate. As
with turbidity and nutrient enrichment, both tend to decrease as a function of
distance from the outfalls. Hence, simple correlation of abundance or species
diversity and either of these parameters cannot alone be interpreted as
evidence for cause and effect. Instead, it is necessary to consider the
distribution and abundance and life requirements of various species or
species-groups. Thus, to test the hypothesis that sedimentation has modified
otherwise suitable substrata and is a major factor in the reduction of the
diversity of epibenthic communities on rocky bottoms near the outfalls (Grigg
and Kiwala 1970) , patterns of abundance of species that require clean-swept
substrata for settlement were examined. The gorgonian Mur-icea califovn-ica
is such a species (Grigg 1970) and, indeed, exhibited a pattern of depressed
abundance skewed to the northwest of the outfalls (Figure 6). The sponge
Tethya aurantia, the serpulid polychaete Salmacina tribranchiata, and the
bryozoan Diaperoecia californica (Figure 6), which were not present on
Transects I through III, may be other examples of response to excessive
sedimentation in the outfall area. All bryozoans are extremely sensitive to
sedimentation, and none are generally found in areas where rapid deposition
of fine sediment was taking place (Soule and Soule, in press).
The distribution and thickness of organic-rich sediments in 1969 (Grigg
and Kiwala 1970) and in 1977 closely mirrored these species patterns of
distribution around the outfalls, but so did the patterns of particulate
concentrations of trace metals and DDT. Nevertheless, when the habitat
preferences of these species are. considered (clean substratum and relatively
little sedimentation), sedimentation is the more likely cause of their depressed
abundance near the outfall system.
The sea cucumber. Parastichopus parvimensis, on the other hand, is not
sensitive to sedimentation. However, in both 1969 and 1977, it was missing
on Transects I through IV and rare on Transects V and VI (Figure 6). This
species is found on rocks, sand, or mud and feeds by sweeping the bottom
with mucus-covered tentacles (MacGinitie and MacGinitie 1949). As
excessive sedimentation of wastewater particulates would not be expected to
affect this species, it is likely that some substance in the flock or sediment is
inhibiting this species in areas near the outfalls. Laboratory experiments
would be necessary before the cause could be more precisely defined.
This leaves commercial or sport fishing or collecting of organisms as a
final topic for consideration. Mearns (1977) noted that the outfall areas along
the southern California coast receive about ten times more fishing pressure
than the Southern California Bight as a whole. Fishing activities off Palos
Verdes include gill netting, trapping of fish and crabs, and collecting of sea
urchins, lobster, abalone, and other shellfish by scuba divers. In 1969, two
species of Cancer' crabs were abundant (0.1 individuals/ sq meter) at Stations
11-50 and III-50; in 1977, they were rare at the same stations. The abundance
of sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus spp.) at Station V-50 also declined between
1969 and 1977. Both changes may well be consequences of fishing. In view
of the heavy fishing pressure described by Mearns (1977) , it is perhaps
significant that the abundance of fish at Stations V-20 and V-50 off Palos
Verdes is slightly greater than at the control stations off La Jolla. This
observation could be interpreted as evidence of enhancement of fish
populations on Transect V off Palos Verdes.
The various hypotheses suggested above to account for biotic response
patterns associated with the Whites Point outfalls are not mutually exclusive.
It is possible that all factors discussed exert some influence on the distribution
and abundance of the biota, and some factors may be synergistic. Further
research, especially in the laboratory, will be necessary before specific cause-
and-effect relationships can be isolated. Hopefully, the results of this survey
will be useful in the design of such research.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

The results of 1969 and 1977 surveys of epibenthic and fish communities near
the Whites Point outfall system off Palos Verdes show clearly a long-term
pattern of reduced diversity and abundance of algae, invertebrates, and fish
around the outfalls; however, there is strong evidence of partial recovery since
1969. The most significant evidence of recovery is in the number of species
of algae and fish present at stations near the outfalls. In 1969, the greatest
number of species of algae recorded at any 50-foot station was 3; the
maximum number counted at the same stations in 1977 was 13, an increase of
over 400 percent. The increase in numbers of species of fish at 50-foot
stations within 6 km upcoast of the outfalls between 1969 and 1977 averaged
240 percent. Increases in the number of invertebrate species were less
significant and may in part reflect the fact that smaller organisms were
counted in 1977.
Recovery is also indicated by the reappearance of the giant kelp,
Macrocystis pyrifera, off Palos Verdes. In 1954, M. pyrifera was less
abundant than expected;5 in my 1969 survey, not a single M. pyrifera plant
was observed along the entire Palos Verdes Peninsula. But in 1977, small but
locally dense aggregations of this kelp species were noted at three localities

5. Conrad Limbaugh, unpublished report. Institute of Marine Resources,

University of California, La Jolla.
(Mearns et al. (1977) have given a more complete and detailed description of
the recovery of M. pyrifera off Palos Verdes).
Enhanced numbers (greater than control levels) of species of algae,
invertebrates, and fish on Transect V, about 11 km northwest of the outfalls, is
another indication of general recovery off Palos Verdes. Unusually heavy
beds of brown algae (Cystoseira osmundacia, Egregia menziesii, and
Dictyopteris undulata) at shallow depths less than 30 feet all along the
Peninsula may also reflect enhancement, possibly caused by wastewater-
related nutrient enrichment.
In spite of the evidence for recovery of the benthos off Palos Verdes, a
condition of reduced species diversity and abundance still prevails in the
vicinity of the outfalls. In general, this depression is more pronounced on the
northwest side of the outfalls, producing an asymmetric field of influence that
extends at least 2.5 km southeast and 6 km northwest of the sewer pipelines.
Effects are much greater at 50 feet than at 20 feet, especially with respect to
algae. The magnitude of the reduction, when compared to levels at a control
transect off La Jolla, is about 40 percent at 50 feet and 30 percent at 20 feet
(Table 4).
The 1954 survey by Limbaugh indicated that the field of impact of the
outfall system extended then about 1 to 3 km along the shore. In 1969, the
length of coastline significantly affected was about 9.5 km, essentially the
same distance affected in 1977. Continuing research by the Coastal Water
Research Project (1976, 1977) has shown that biotic response patterns
presently associated with the outfalls extend offshore to depths of at least 650
feet (200 meters). At these depths, species diversity is generally reduced, and
pollution-tolerant species are more abundant than normal.
The present study has provided evidence that factors causing the response
patterns of individual species in rocky bottom communities off Palos Verdes
are varied and complex. Four types of response patterns are evident:
Unaffected, depressed, enhanced, and halo (the latter is a pattern of
distribution in which abundance is depressed near the outfalls but significantly
enhanced at intermediate distances away from the outfalls). Several
hypotheses to account for the observed effects are considered, but no single
hypothesis is sufficient to account for all observed effects, and no two are
mutually exclusive. It is possible that all factors considered exert some
influence on the distribution and abundance of the biota.
The most unequivocal result of the study is the delineation of the
relationship between the amount of light reaching the bottom and the
distribution and abundance of algae. Light appears to be limiting at depths
below about 50 feet for most brown algae within the field of influence of the
Palos Verdes discharge--2.5 km southeast and 6 km northwest of the outfalls.
In this area. Macrocystis pyrifera is not found at depths greater than 30 feet,
yet at other localities along the coast, M. pyrifera normally extends offshore
on rocky bottoms to depths of 80 feet (25 meters; Quasi 1968). It appears
that the potential area for growth of M. pyrifera off Palos Verdes has been
reduced by about 4 sq km. Essentially, the habitat of this species has been
compressed shoreward.
Other factors, such as nutrient enrichment, may be producing conditions
that favor certain browsers (snails) or deposit feeders (polychaetes).
Sedimentation appears to have been detrimental to species such as gorgonians
and bryozoans, which require a firm, clean-swept substratum for settlement.
Increased concentrations of trace metals and chlorinated hydrocarbons in
bottom sediments may account for the absence of bottom feeders, such as
Parastichopus parvimensis, that ordinarily thrive in eutrophic environments.
Grazing of herbivorous fishes appears to be retarding the recovery of the giant
kelp. Macrocystis pyrifera. And fishing has most likely reduced the numbers
of Cancer crabs and red urchins in recent years.
The causes of the observed conditions cannot be determined with certainty
because of the multitude of factors acting in combination. Even so, the above
examples demonstrate that cause can be predicted with reasonable likelihood
if there is sufficient knowledge of the biological requirements of certain
species or species-groups and their patterns of response to stress.
Hence, the general survey is of value because it often suggests specific
hypotheses, which can then be tested in the field and laboratory. For example,
Parastichopus parvimensis could be exposed to a number of sewage
constituents in the laboratory to test the hypothesis mentioned above. An
even more important result of general surveys is that a description of the scale
and magnitude of the impact is produced. In the case of Palos Verdes, it is
clear that recovery has occurred since 1969; however, an area of reduced
species diversity still prevails near the outfalls.
Future improvements in source control of toxicants and treatment of the
effluents discharged off Palos Verdes can be expected to produce a continuing
pattern of recovery of nearshore rocky bottom communities.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I thank John D. Isaacs, Chairman of the Project's Consulting Board, and

Willard Bascom, Project Director, for providing the encouragement and
facilities for this research, which was conducted during a 6-month sabbatical
from the University of Hawaii. The staff of the Project were involved in the
design of the study and the collection and analysis of the data. All diving
operations were under the direction of Harold H. Stubbs. Michael D. Moore
accompanied me on all dives and collected all the data on fishes. Jack Q.
Word, Brad L. Myers, and Leslie H. Harris provided invaluable assistance in
identifying invertebrates and algae. All of the personnel in the Project's
chemistry laboratory, under the direction of Dr. David R. Young, were
involved in the analysis of sediment and flock samples for trace metals and
chlorinated hydrocarbons. The manuscript was critically reviewed by Dr.
Alan J. Mearns, head of the biology division. In sum, this report is the result
of a team effort, and I am very grateful to the entire Project staff for their
cooperation and support.

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