Responses of benthic macroinvertebrates to thin-layer disposal of dredged material in Mississippi Sound, USA

Benthic community responses to thin-layer disposal of dredged material were assessed at three sites in Mississippi Sound, USA. Community composition differed between disposal and reference sites (ANOSIM) for each disposal event. Oweniid sand worms, Amphinomid fire worms, and brittle stars (Ophiuriodea) contributed the most to community distinctions between disposal and reference sites (SIMPER), with higher abundances at the disposal sites. Total infaunal abundance was similar to pre-disposal and reference conditions within 3–10 months of thin-layer disposal. Distinctions in community composition between disposal and reference sites (nMDS) persisted throughout the 16-month study period, but were less pronounced at the site where sediment composition was unchanged by disposal. Size distributions of some taxa (e.g., gastropod and hemichordate) suggest adults recolonized the newly deposited sediments either through vertical migration or lateral immigration from adjacent areas. Thin-layer disposal offers a viable alternative to conventional open-water disposal practices and warrants further exploration for other areas with deeper bathymetries and different hydrodynamic regimes.