Assessing Fish Community Structure in Relation to Water Quality in a Small Estuarine Stream Receiving Oil Refinery Effluent

Abstract A large oil refinery discharges its effluent into Little River, a small estuarine stream entering Saint John Harbour, New Brunswick, Canada. An effects-based approach was used to assess the potential responses of fish and fish habitat to the effluent from the oil refinery. The study included a fish community survey and a water quality survey. Lower abundance, species richness, and biodiversity, as well as increased …